July 8, 2019 Signing Off

One of our little critters.

Another wild rose at Rose Camp.

Monday 7/8. Last week was hectic and hilarious.  Getting together with JB's family is always so much fun.  One never knows just what will happen when the brothers get together.  As with July 4th, when it was all over our sides ached from all the laughing.  We are very fortunate to have such a great family.

We are also very fortunate to have such great friends in the canyon.  Yesterday we took down the large, standing-dead tree up on the east slope, or at least tried to.  JB got it almost cut through but it leaned in the wrong direction and trapped the chain saw.  He called Larry for help.  Both Larry and Elsie drove up and with a few carefully placed taps on the wedges, the saw was out and the tree was down in the direction we wanted it to go.

I am signing out for good now.  My blog really has run its course and I feel like I can no longer do it justice.

Life Up Here is amazing.  There is no other place either of us want to be.  

Thought for the week: And into the forest I go to lose my mind and find my soul.

July 1, 2019 Stormy & Busy, Busy!

Thursday's hail.

Gave up my ride home
to Jesse.

Part of our yard.

Monday 6/24. I was splitting wood this morning when JB got the chain saw running, so we took it over to the dead tree on the north ridge and JB felled it.  He trimmed the larger branches with the chain saw, while I used the clippers on the smaller ones.  Then he cut the trunk into rounds.

The wild rose bushes near the house are blooming now.  I think each bloom only lasts for about week or less, but all the bushes don’t bloom at once, so there are blooms about for several weeks.  So wonderful to walk out the front door and into their scent.

Tuesday 6/25. I hung the laundry outside this morning even though there were dark clouds about.  We heard thunder almost overhead and to the south at noon.

This morning we used Miss Kitty to move the rounds that JB cut yesterday from the north ridge to the splitter.  I worked on cutting most of the branches into kindling.  Rain began falling by 1:00 pm and I had to bring the laundry inside and hang it up.

I washed most of the windows inside and the outside of the ones facing the porch.  My, what a difference!

Wednesday 6/26. Again we had clear skies first thing in the morning, but it was all clouded over by noon.

We used JB’s Wrangler to pull a dead, fallen tree up the north ridge.  It was long but skinny and JB cut it into rounds, only two of which needed to be split.  I finished cutting all the branches into kindling and we moved it all to the wood shed in Miss Kitty.  We also moved the wood I had split on Monday and yesterday.  I stacked it all and we have almost three rows done.

The first rain and thunder arrived just before 2:00 pm.  There were sprinkles off and on til evening and by 9:00 pm we had received ¼”.

Put a fire in the wood stove this evening and enjoyed a cup of cocoa while watching the flames.

Just finished Life After Life by Kate Atkinson and loved it!

June always seems to be ant season in our kitchen, but now, as the month is winding down, the ants are less and less.  Just have to be sure that there is NO sugar spilled. . .

Thursday 6/27. There was some valley fog this morning, something we haven’t seen for a while.  Then low clouds moved in and we had some sprinkles.

I split most of the dead tree that JB had felled.  JB moved it to the shed while I finished up splitting, then moved the last of it and put it all under the roof so it wouldn’t get wet.  Then I stacked it all.

By 10:30 the sprinkles had turned to a steady rain and the day was very dark.  I put a fire in the wood stove.  We ended up with 3-1/2 hours of thunder, lightening, and pouring rain, plus about an hour of hail.  It was all so loud on our metal roof that when it stopped, the quiet was also loud. . .

The hail shredded the blooms on my plants and the leaves on the tomato plants.  And all through this storm the dogs were panting and pacing.  We received a total of 1” of rain and about ½” of hail, which made it look like we had snow on the ground.  All that rain washed a lot of dirt into our leaking cistern and the water was almost black.

I plan to go Down There tomorrow for groceries except what we need for the 4^th, so I called Mrs. Gridder and asked if I could take a shower at her place on the way down. . .

Friday 6/28. I left early this morning, as I wasn’t sure how our road had faired during the storm, but the only change was that the ruts were a little deeper and there were a lot of puddles.  Showered at the Gridder’s at 9:00 am, then went to town to run errands and buy groceries and other supplies.  On my way back up, I stopped in to visit Mrs. Gridder a bit more.  Also stopped in at Larry and Elsie’s to visit and see their cute little dog.

Saturday 6/29. The dogs wanted out at 4:30 am, as usual, but it was such a glorious morning that I stood on the porch for a while just listening to the forest awakening.  Have I mentioned how much I love our home?

Basically it was another day of splitting, stacking and mowing.  We pumped most of the water out of the cistern, down over the west ridge.  Then I put a cup of bleach in and we began pumping clean water back into it.

Suddenly we have another hoard of humming birds buzzing around the feeders like a swarm of bees.  Not sure if the babies have grown up or more have arrived.  Probably a bit of both.  Whatever the case, now I have to fill the feeders almost every day.

It has been a cool week, with high temperatures in the 60’s, but next week is supposed to get back to normal, with temperatures Up Here into the 70’s.  And, hopefully, it will be dry for the 4^th.

Sunday 6/30. Wow!  The last day of June!  Well, this month certainly slipped by quickly.  Now each day will be focused on getting ready for our family picnic on July 4^th.  Our first guests will be arriving on Wednesday, 7/3.

Today our main project is to mow the grass growing in the middle of our road, and trim back any branches encroaching on it.  I washed dishes this morning, now that we have clean water again.  We left after lunch with JB driving the tractor and the dogs and I walking in front.  I trimmed as necessary and knocked loose rocks off the road.  We didn’t need to go all the way to the main road, "just" the first 1-1/2 miles.

I usually ride in the rear bucket on the way back, but after a while I gave up my ride to Jesse, as he was really dragging.  (See photo above.)  I think this will be that last year they come with us.  Three miles is a long hike for them.

We were back home in less than two hours, with thunder and dark clouds following close behind.  Fortunately the rain did not arrive til an hour later, and it was just a few sprinkles.  By 4:30 pm the sun was back out.

Tomorrow I plan to work inside the house cleaning and baking, while JB mows down the short-cut aways for our neighbors who plan to come up for the 4^th.  We have invited them to our picnic also.

Thought for the day: This is my advice to you.  Love like a dog.  Oliver Tremble

June 24, 2019 Windy, Busy & Three Trips Down There

The tipi, & bird bath with
yarrow growing by ti.

A flycatcher with one of their
babies sitting on the wood
shed gate.

Bull elk on our other game cam
in May.

Monday 6/17. We had planned to cut down the two dead trees today, but just could not get the chain saw started.  JB is going to have to check the spark plug, etc.  So I just split some more wood and JB used the weed eater.  I really wanted to buy a gas, self-propelled lawn mower this year, but we just have too many other items that are more important.

I printed the invitations to our family Fourth of July picnic Up Here.  We always look forward to this family celebration, as it is often the only time during the year that we get to see many of them.

There seems to be a bumper crop of chipmunks in the canyon this year.  Lots of them at Rose Camp, and each time we drive down the road we see or have to brake for them.

Tuesday 6/18. I had plans to visit Mrs. Gridder this afternoon, so it was a very busy morning.  Washed the dishes, split some wood and hung out the laundry before I took a shower.  Was on my way in Miss Kitty by 12:15 pm and had a nice long visit with her, hearing all about their trip and seeing all the pictures.  On my way back up the mountain, I stopped by Larry and Elsie’s to meet their new dog.  It is a mix of some sort and looks like a long-haired wiener dog with the face of a meerkat!  Adorable!  They adopted it from a family member who could no longer take care of her. 

Wednesday 6/19. Was on my way Down There this morning bright and early, as I wanted to get the errands run and my grocery shopping done before my 1:00 pm appointment at orthopaedics.  I actually had time to stop by the new Veteran’s Warehouse thrift shop.  They are going to have a grand opening celebration Thursday, Friday & Saturday with half off everything!  Definitely want to go one of those days.

I had a very good experience at orthopaedics.  The x-rays proved the PA’s diagnosis that the ache and tingling I am feeling is not because of anything in my shoulder, but rather arthritis in my neck.  In looking at the x-rays, he was surprised that my symptoms were so mild.  He wants me to go to physical therapy were they will do a little stretching of my neck and can even send an  apparatus home with me so I don’t have to drive to town.  Also, I am going to try using two pillows to see if that makes it easier to get comfortable in bed. 

It was very windy in town, as the weather forecast had predicted, and windy up on the mountain also.

Thursday 6/20.  It was a chilly 38 this morning, on this last day of Spring, and it looks as though summer weather may not arrive again for another week or so.  Very windy again today.

Another day of splitting wood while JB used the weed eater.  Then we both loaded the wood from Tuesday and today into Miss Kitty in three large loads, and drove it over to the wood shed where I stacked it.

We have decided to take a day off tomorrow.  We will drive Down There for breakfast, then go to the thrift store, also Costco for another pillow and the tractor place to seriously check out the snow thrower and possible other options.

Friday 6/21. We tried a new restaurant this morning that is only open for breakfast and lunch – Smitty’s.  Great food and great prices!  This will definitely be our go-to place for breakfast from now on.  And if you get there before 9:00 am, the prices are practically give-away!

The thrift store had opened its basement for the Grand Opening.  Wow!  It is like the best garage sale ever!  We only had about an hour to spend there, but I really want to come back tomorrow.  We came out of there with a box of books and several other items, including a gun rack for $2.50!

We spent almost another hour at the tractor place and decided against the snow thrower, as JB would have to drive backwards for almost four miles.  So the owner is going to make a plow that will attach to the bucket arms.  This will allow JB to get closer to the edge of the road with the plow and much higher up, which will make it much easier to push the snow completely off the road.  It will cost about the same as the snow thrower, but we both feel much better about this option.

Saturday 6/22. After dishes and laundry, I was on my way Down There to go to the thrift store again.  Stopped in to see if Mrs. Gridder wanted to come with me, but she had a wedding to go to.

Just took my time at the thrift store and had a ball!  Found a Black & Decker Automatic Jar Opener that looked as though it had never been out of the box - $3.50.  The basement is full of boxes that have not yet been looked through!  What fun!  I ended up with another box of books, a set of margarita glasses, Christmas mugs, fabric, etc., etc.

I was home by 3:30 pm, and after dinner I planted the four plants I had purchased on Wednesday.  A few more and my yard will be done.

Sunday 6/23. Another windy day, as it has been since Wednesday.  We are supposed to have a cool, wet week. 

It was another day of splitting wood, weed eating, moving and stacking wood.  That is pretty much our song when there is no snow on the ground.

We tried the Automatic Jar Opener today.  It is electric, but only takes about five seconds to do the job.  Amazing!

Our son is going to visit for a week this summer.  He will fly into Wenatchee the evening of July 14 and I will drive him back to SeaTac on Saturday, July 20.  Just like last year, when I drop him off at the airport, I will continue on to my Aunt Nene’s for a visit.  I plan to be home on Tuesday, 7/23.

Our son always wants to do projects for us, so we are going to have him cut all the stumps that are left from taking down trees.  Most of them are 2-12 to 3 feet high.  That will give us a lot more wood.  Will probably also have him use the wood cradle to cut all the branches we have left from last year.  Would love to get the west wall of the loft finished, but not sure we will have time for that.

Thought for the week: And into the forest I go to lose my mind and find my soul.  (Seen on a sweatshirt)

June 17, 2019 I Am Back Home & So Is MAX

One of the Gridder's dogs,
a yellow Lab.

Miss Quackerie

Some of my blooming
irises (they are purple,
not blue).

Monday 6/17. What a busy and interesting ten days it has been since I last posted on 6/7!  I actually house/animal sat for five days, Friday 6/7 through Tuesday 6/11.  Quite a menagerie the Gridders have: two goats, one duck, about a dozen chickens (including two roosters), two cats and three dogs.  I loved it!  I think my dream job would be at an animal rescue farm.  Getting the goats to go inside their enclosed “bedroom” was a bit of a rodeo the first night, but quite easy the rest of the nights.  I became fast friends with Miss Quackerie, as I refer to their duck.  She is quite friendly and loves her showers.  And, of course, I LOVE their dogs.

They have streaming Netflix, which, of course, I binged on. . .  Watched at least seven movies (including Han, that was very disappointing) and a few episodes of several TV series. 

The whole experience was like a mini vacation. 

I drove back up the mountain at about 8:30 pm Tuesday, stopping by Larry and Elsie’s to pick up three tomato plants she had for me.  Back to much cooler temperatures.  Always good to be home again.  JB had done a lot of weed eating while I was gone, so Rose Camp looked almost domesticated.  Plus the fact that my iris are blooming.  Usually one or two of them bloom, but this year I have eleven stalks, each with three to five buds on them!  They are purple bearded iris.  So beautiful!

Wednesday I had to drive back Down There for doctor’s appointment, and some errands and grocery shopping.  I have something going on with my right shoulder and my doctor referred me to orthopedics.  Got an appointment there on Wednesday, 6/19.

So Thursday was actually my first day back home, but JB had to go Down There to pick up a couple of parts for the tractor.  He had a bit of a situation while mowing on 6/5.  The engine cover was not secured, so it flipped up and got broken by the bucket arms.

The fledgling fly catchers are out of the nest, but the parents are still here, so the babies must be in the trees.  Thank goodness the family didn’t leave like the wrens and robins do.  It is amazing how few flies and yellow jackets we have this year!

This was our hottest day yet, with a high of 86.  Thankfully we had a nice breeze all day.  By evening it had grown a bit windy.  But it was cooler so I planted the three tomato plants.  JB’s onions are really popping up.

Friday was our designated day to work on the tractor.  The cover had really been bent up, so it was a challenge to get it off.  When we finally did, we discovered that we needed two more new parts for two that had also been bent.  So JB ordered those, which will probably take a week to arrive.

When JB fed the girls their scratch on the way back from the morning walk, he discovered that Betty had died.  She is one of our oldest girls and had not been doing well for a couple weeks.  So now we are down to three hens.  We do plan to get four more this summer.

It was a bit cooler today with a high of 76.

Saturday morning was a cool 52 with a clear sky.  The hoard of humming birds seems to have moved on and we only have a few left.  Very early and kind of disappointing, but it sure cuts down on the sugar use.

After morning chores and lunch, we drove my Jeep down to get MAX.  I thought we would have to tow him up, but JB was actually able to drive him all the way home.  There’s a big project we can cross off our list.

As much snow as we received in February, it was all fluff and didn’t have much water content.  So the water table is a bit low this year.

It was another warm day of 80, as it had been for a few of the days that I was gone.  Seems rather warm for June.

Sunday we planned to visit our new neighbors who are building Up Here.  Before we left after lunch, JB baked a mocha bundt cake.  So good! 

Their place is on top of the western side of the canyon, while we are on top of the eastern side. Their elevation is about 140’ higher than ours (4020’) and from their house they will have about a 200 degree view of the mountains to the west and south.  Had a nice visit with them and look forward to watching their place grow.

Thunder clouds moved overhead this afternoon on their way north to the Okanogan.

Monday morning and it is cool and clear again, but I am sure it will warm up to at least the high 70's.  I am driving down to Mrs. Gridder's tomorrow afternoon to visit and hear all about their trip to Alaska.

Thought for the day: You need to let little things that would ordinarily bore you suddenly thrill you.  Andy Warhol

June 7, 2019 On We Go

Little yellow bouquets like this all
over the south ridge.

A field of sunflowers way down the
canyon near the Gridder's.

Wednesday 6/5. I was quite astonished by the reaction to my decision to end my blog!  Pleasantly surprised, actually.  So I will post once a week on Mondays and see how that works out.  But, since I will be house sitting this Sunday through Tuesday, my first Monday blog will be on 6/17.

I spent most of today Down There doing laundry (winter jackets, dogs towels and blankets, our comforter, etc.), running errands and getting a few groceries.  Took my tablet with me and downloaded several Netflix TV Midsomer Murders and a couple new series.

Each year there seems to be more lupine Up Here and along our road.  So today's drive was through beautiful purple, yellow and white scenery against a backdrop of green.  There are many more wild roses in bloom now, also.  Most of them are light pink, but they range from dark pink to almost white.  The bush outside our bathroom window has very dark blooms.  Whatever the shade, they are amazing.  

When we first moved Up Here eleven years ago, there were small patches of wild flowers along the road.  We have watched them spread each year until one tiny patch is now many.  Even at Rose Camp this is happening.  There are two different yellow, daisy-like flowers that were just on the south ridge in a few patches, and now they have spread up to the point and north down to our house.

Discovered three fledgling fly catchers in their nest under the eaves on the south side of the house today.  They are quite loud and very demanding!

Thursday 6/6. It is 42 and overcast this morning.  I put a fire in the wood stove to get the chill out.

It was another day of me splitting wood and JB weed eating.  I used Miss Kitty to move the wood to the shed in three loads and stacked it.  I am very disappointed in the pine as it is still quite wet.

Our high for the day was just 58 with a strong, cold breeze.  The clouds did move on and we had blue sky by early afternoon.

There is quite a movement here in eastern Washington to split the state in two, the new one being named Liberty.  Larry and Elsie have been to a few of the meetings, and this evening JB went with them.  He didn't get home til 10:00 pm.

Friday 6/7. It is a chilly 38 this morning with blue skies, except for clouds on the western horizon.  Definitely had to have a fire in the wood stove this morning!

Thought for the day: One of the best ways to get yourself a reputation as a dangerous citizen these days is to go about repeating the very phrases which our founding fathers used in the great struggle for independence. Charles Austin Beard

June 5, 2019 Two Bears & Planning To House Sit

Blooming prairie smoke -
so aptly named!

Monday 6/3. On our last trip to the recycle place, we discovered that now they only take paper and cardboard.  JB did find a place that takes all metals, so this morning he loaded his Jeep with all our cans and took them down.  Also ran a few errands, of course.  Now we just need to find somewhere that will take our plastic and glass.

After he returned home and ate lunch, we went out to do more splitting and mowing.

I see and hear the wrens on a daily basis, but don't know where they are nesting.  They usually live in one of the bird houses, but not this year.  With all the birds we have, it sounds like we live in the middle of a bird sanctuary.  I am certainly not complaining, but sometimes it can get pretty noisy Up Here.

The forecast was finally correct and we are getting cooler weather.  Our high for the day was 74 along with a strong, cool breeze.

Tuesday 6/4. It is 52 this morning with a clear sky.  Again, it was a day of splitting, moving and stacking wood.  And JB did some more mowing.

I drove Miss Kitty down to the Gridder's this evening to learn everything I need to know in order to house sit for them and care for their goats, dogs and cats.  And how to work their TV so I can watch Netflix, streaming instead of having to download.  They are ON the grid (hence their nickname).  I will be going down Sunday afternoon and stay until Tuesday evening.

On the drive down I saw two bears on the road and they ran in front of me for about 100 feet before going down the mountainside.  They were light brown and probably about three years old.  Always an exciting experience!

Our high for the day was a very pleasant 70 with a cool breeze.

Wednesday 6/5. It is 50 and mostly cloudy this morning.  I will be on my way down to the laundromat by 9:00 am to wash our winter jackets, comforter, etc.

For a while now I have been feeling as though my blog has run its course.  So Friday will be my last posting. . .

Thought for the day: Boiling makes an egg hard and a potato soft.  The result depends on what material they are made of.  Anonymous

June 3, 2019 Three Elk, A Bear & A Fish Fry

Our Saturday morning visitors.

My blooming lilac bush.

Wednesday 5/29 - Friday 5/31. More splitting wood, moving it, and stacking it.  We did our Spring garbage run Thursday morning.  Friday we cleaned and greased the tractor mower, getting it prepped for putting it on the tractor Saturday.

Friday afternoon JB saw a bear going west along the south ridge, but it was gone before I could get to the window.  He said it looks like the one we caught on the game cam.

The weather was hot with highs in the high 70's and lots of thunder clouds drifting over.

Saturday 6/1. Dinga became quite agitated this morning around 7:00 am.  JB got out of bed and looked out the window to find the three bull elk in our yard!  They were just grazing, not in a hurry to leave.  One of them made it over to the Pacific nine-bark bush and began chewing on it.  This is very close to my irises that are about to bloom, so I went out on the porch to take more photos and be sure he didn't start munching on them.  In a low voice, I told him to take it easy on the nine-bark.  He looked at me, then kept on eating.  He was getting awfully close to my irises, so I told him to be sure and leave them alone.  He looked at me as if to say, "Well, fine!  I'll just leave then."  And off he went.

We got the mower on the tractor, which is a very short sentence describing a very frustrating project, and JB drove it around to be sure it was all working okay.  Then I baked peanut butter-chocolate chip cookies for tomorrow's fish fry at Larry and Elsie's.

Our temperature reached 80 today, but we did have a cool breeze.

Sunday 6/2. It is 64 and clear this morning.  When JB woke me up at 8:00 am, he had already been out mowing and finished the top of the south ridge.

According to JB's figures, the girls gave us 33 eggs in May, and the temperatures had been well above normal.  The forecast is for cooler weather this week.

We were off to Larry and Elsie's just before 2:00 pm and the drive down was so beautiful.  Lots more lupine and sweet peas this year.  On Thursday when we drove down on our garbage run, the wild roses were blooming as far up as Larry and Elsie's, but today there were a few blooms scattered along our road.

There were 14 of us at the fish fry, six of whom were boys ranging from six years old to fourteen.  What a great time we had!  Elsie put out quite a spread and we all stuffed ourselves.  Good food.  Good company.  It just doesn't get any better than that.

We got home about 8:00 pm and our high for the day Up Here had been 80 again.  It was probably five or more degrees hotter down the canyon, but there had always been a nice cool breeze.

Monday 6/3. It is 52 and mostly cloudy this morning, so maybe it will be cooler this week.

Thought for the day: At the end of your time here, the world will either be more or less kind, compassionate, generous, funny, creative, and loving because of your presence in it - and you alone get to choose.  John Pavlovitz

May 31, 2091 Game Cam Photos

If you don't know what this is
you must be new to my blog
& planet earth.

Cow elk

Some of the visiting cattle.

A bull elk.

Another bull elk.

And a bear.

Thought for the day: Forests, lakes and rivers, clouds and winds, stars and flowers, stupendous glaciers and crystal snowflakes - every form of animate and inanimate existence leaves its impress upon the soul of man. Orison Swett Marden

May 29, 2019 Busy, Busy, Busy

(Too slow of a connection for photos this morning.)



Monday 5/27. I sat on the porch this morning with my coffee, in the sun, and watched the cloud cover break up and drift off to the southwest.  Again, these clouds had come in from the northeast.  The birds were out joyfully celebrating the dry, sunny morning.  A pair of the flycatchers have moved into an old nest under the eaves.

I finally had to force myself to do the quarterly maintenance on the fridge.  It's not that it is hard or time consuming, it's just a matter of getting to it.  Then I did some splitting and weeding.  JB used the weed eater, still working on north of the house.  I am definitely on the lookout for a good, self-propelled lawn mower.

Paint brush is blooming on the south ridge and a couple of places near the house.  The yellow bells and alpine spring beauties are just a memory, having been replaced by the Douglas tritaria and prairie stars.

Huge, fluffy thunder clouds drifted down from the north during the afternoon, staying well to the west.  Our high for the day was 68.

Tuesday 5/28. It is 60 and clear this morning.  JB was on his way Down There by 9:30 am with a trailer-load of empty gas cans to fill.  By then the temperature was already 72.

I had a busy day doing dishes, laundry, vacuuming, weeding and some splitting.  Of course, I always take time to sit on the porch inbetween chores.

Dinga is really shedding, as she always does this time of year, and she is quite adamant about NOT being groomed.  We have to be sneaky about it.  When I vacuum, the canister is full of her hair.

JB was home by 1:00 pm, ate lunch and took a nap.

The thunder clouds were again stacking up, drifting in from the north.  On our afternoon walk I heard distant thunder from the west.  In the evening we began hearing distant booms from the northeast, but we escaped having anything close to us.  Our high for the day was 78, but with a lovely cool breeze.

Wednesday 5/29. It is 56 this morning with clear skies.  Tomorrow we plan to do our Spring garbage run.

Thought for the day: My mantra is "I have to change the way I think in order to change the way I feel."  That gets me motivated.  Robin Roberts

May 27, 2019 "Magic" Pain Relief

The squirrel & chipmunk restaurant
near our north ridge.

Friday 5/24. The rain stopped about 8:30 this morning.  And baking did get done, but it was JB who did it.  He made two small loaves of banana bread.  I did more weeding around the house.

It was another dark and dreary Seattle-like day with a high of 62, some rain beginning about 4:00 pm, and with not much getting done.  We were like real retired folk. . .

The highlight of my week, of my year so far, is finding a “magic” pain reliever!  A good friend had recommended a CBD beverage concentrate for my neuralgia pain and I finally tried it.  I put about six drops under my tongue, and the pain was gone within five – ten minutes!  The Ethos Relief CBD beverage concentrate does have a little THC in it, but I felt no side effects.  Another good friend recommended a CBD lotion, and that works as quickly on my arthritis!  The Liberty Lotion has no THC in it.  The Washington State Legislature finally got something right when it legalized marijuana!

Saturday 5/25. It is 48 and overcast this morning having obviously rained most of the night.  The rain began to fall again just before 11:00 am, and continued on and off for the rest of the day.

A day like this is made for just doing little things around the house.  Puttering.  My one big project was cleaning out my side of our bedroom closet.  I tend to shove things in there when I can’t quickly find any other place for them.  And, of course, it is a good day for reading.

Dinga always knows when the first rain drop falls.  She starts pacing and wants one of us to come outside with her so she can show us.  She is quite sure that we will be hearing thunder at any moment.  We could have thunder just once in 60 days of rain.  Doesn’t matter.  To her, the threat is always there.

When I went to give the girls their afternoon snack, there was a spotted grey squirrel in the hen house, but I could find no obvious place where he got in.  That type of squirrel is from California and is an invasive species that has been working its way north for several years now.  We only just saw it in our canyon last year.  Most people in the area use them for target practice, which is something we may start doing.  Never thought I would say anything like that, but they are as destructive as the pack rat.

We saw some sun and blue sky just before 5:00 pm, but it didn’t last very long.  Our high for the day was 52.

Sunday 5/26. What a nasty night!  The rain poured, the wind blew, and Dinga paced.  Now it is 48 and still pouring, but at least the wind died with the sunrise.

Another indoor day, and I find myself doing little things I rarely find time for.  Like sorting out and re-organizing kitchen drawers, and find myself saying, “Oh, there it is!” more than once.

I also tackled that one rack of shelves in the loft on which I put items for which I have no other place.  Really just needed organizing, although I did find a large box of photo frames, and will get rid of most of them.

JB found a book in one of our catalogs with the title Liberalism Or How To Turn Good Men Into Whiners, Weenies And Wimps, written by Burgess Owens.  I’m almost tempted to buy it!

The rain finally let up about mid-afternoon, but there was no break in the clouds until around 6:00 pm.  Our high for the day was 48.

Monday 5/27. It is 50 and mostly cloudy this Memorial Day morning.  Looking forward to a dry week.

Thought for the day: When I look into the eyes of an animal, I do not see an animal, I see a living being.  I see a friend.  I feel a soul.  Anthony Douglas Williams

May 24, 2019 Working & Another Trip Down There

Little blue butterflies who
congregate on wet ground.

The tipi surrounded by
blooming arnica.

Wednesday 5/22. JB used the weed eater, starting on the north side of the house.  I split about half of a humongous round.  Wore me out trying to wrestle it into place.

The overcast gradually thickened and it was a dark but dry day with a high of 58.  Dark and dreary, but just before the sun set the sky was suddenly fairly clear and the sun made quite a brilliant splash going down with the clouds that were left on the horizon.

Thursday 5/23. It is 50 and mostly clear this morning.  JB chased the cattle back through the broken fence again first thing by yelling and clapping his hands.

I was on my way Down There at about 8:15 am to run a few errands and buy a few groceries.  The forecast called for 80 in town today and I am quite sure it made it.  Just too hot to dawdle, so I was home by 1:00 pm.  But I did take the time to visit the Goodwill store in East Wenatchee and found several good movie DVDs.

While I was gone, our neighbor who owns the cattle came up and drove the fence line in his 4X4.  JB had a good chat with him and he will be back up tomorrow to fix the fence in a couple places.

While I was putting away the groceries, JB did some more weed eating.  Then I did some raking.

The sun shone all day, but by mid-afternoon lots of dark clouds started moving in.  Our high for the day was 72, but we are supposed get some more rain tomorrow.

Friday 5/24. It is 48 and raining this morning.  Oh, good - because I really do need to do some baking. . .

Thought for the day: You must learn from the mistakes of others.  You can’t possibly live long enough to make them all yourself. Samuel Levenson

May 22, 2019 A Trip Down There & Visiting Cows

The path to the north ridge.

Monday 5/20. The sky remained overcast all day, with a threat of rain that never arrived.  I hung up the laundry inside and did more weeding in the area around the swing.  JB attached the trailer to his Jeep in preparation for his trip Down There tomorrow.  He is meeting Larry at their shop to get some shelving they don’t need.    We also read our books a lot and went on our walks.  Just kind of a lazy day.

The sun peeked through the clouds around 4:00 pm for about an hour.  Our high for the day was 57.

Tuesday 5/21. It is 48 and partly cloudy this morning with clouds drifting over from the northeast.  Something we don’t see very often.  Six of our neighbor’s cows were Up Here visiting, but they soon found their way back home through the gap in the fence.  Something else we don't see very often.

JB left for Down There at 8:00 am.  After enjoying my coffee sitting in the sun on the porch, I clipped the long grass in the small area between the porch and the rock wall.  Weeded the little flower garden by the delphinium, which looks to be even larger than last year.

After our morning walk, I dug the silt out of the drainage ditches and generally spent the whole day working outside pulling weeds and small rose-bush starts that were spreading where they don’t belong.

JB arrived back home around 1:00 pm.  We unloaded the shelving into the shop, then read the mail and papers he brought up.  He took a nap, and I went back outside to work.  Our high for the day was 60.

Wednesday 5/22. It is 47 this morning and mostly overcast.  Our neighbor’s cows are back and brought more friends with them.  Guess we will have to call him so he can fix the fence. . .

Thought for the day: Courage is the power to let go of the familiar. Raymond Lindquist