March 29, 2019 Rabbit Toes & A Little Egg

Wednesday's egg.

Wednesday 3/27. The sky was covered by a heavy overcast by noon, which seemed to weight down the whole day and make it very slow.  Our high for the day was only 43.

JB did a few outdoor chores including putting rat poison in the battery room for the critter that chewed up his roll of paper towels.  Then he came in and baked two small loaves of lemon-poppyseed bread.  I went on both walks and covered  Miss Kitty with the tarp as we have possible rain or snow in the forecast.

Boy, would I like some ice cream!  I think that on my first trip Down There, I am going to get a latte (of course), a hamburger and an ice cream sundae.  Just the thought of that makes my taste buds tingle.

Thursday 3/28. It is 36 and mostly cloudy this morning.  Despite all the clouds, the sun was able to shine most of the day.  

I saw the first wild flower sprout on the south ridge Monday, and since then, there have been more and more each day, as if they just can't wait to get out in the sun after being buried under all that snow for so long.

There are some large rabbit tracks on the north ridge.  They are so cool because you can see the little toe indentations.  Never noticed that before.

Bossy gave us a very little egg today (see photo above).  Well, at least she tried.  We have been getting one egg and sometimes two most days now.

Dinga is quite sure that the winter snowscape is her private snow cone.  Now that it is starting to disappear, I think she is trying to eat it all before it is all gone.

JB and I chipped and shoveled more ice from the north end of the porch today.  Then I picked up another bucketful of dog poop.  Yes, Nene, I should train them to do it themselves.

Friday 3/29. It is 37 with a heavy overcast this morning and possible rain today.

Thought for the day: Coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous.

March 27, 2019 Sunshine & Down To Freezing

My Tuesday afternoon project.

The birdbath has re-appeared.

Deer eating moss off a tree.

Two of our Monday visitors.

Monday 3/25. Late in the morning the clouds lifted, but not very far.  All day we had a low overcast.

Now even the road where Larry drove the SnoCat up to the south ridge is getting soft.  Not an easy hike.  We did lots of household chores today.

Our high for the day was 42.  We had a couple hours of rain beginning at about 6:00 pm, but the stars were out by 9:30.

Tuesday 3/26. It is 30 with clear skies and a wind gusting to 14 mph this morning.  Another glorious day that soon warmed to a high of 54 with just a light breeze.

My afternoon project for today was to re-stack the last row of wood that toppled over in the wood shed.  Turned out to be about 2/3 of a row and is now the October row.

Because of the overnight freeze, the paths were hard again today and the dogs could walk on top of the snow in most places.  Jesse thought that was wonderful and was wondering all over.

I discovered that the sixth and last season of Longmire is now available to download on Netflix, so this evening we watched the last episode of the fifth season on TV and then the first episode of the sixth season on my tablet.

Wednesday 3/27. It is 30 with mostly clear skies this morning.  These low temperatures are a good thing, as they slow down the melting a bit and give the saturated ground a chance to dry.

Thought for the day: Anyone who does not believe in miracles is not a realist.  David Ben-Gurion

March 25, 2019 Here Come Da Bugs!

Chicken wire did not break,
it just stretched!

Snow is almost gone from
the south slope.

View from the porch
on Sunday.

Friday 3/22. Shoveled more snow and ice away from the porch, then shoveled snow off the stack of large bark pieces and brought several to walk on by the porch as it is getting quite muddy.  JB baked hamburger buns.  They are SO good!

It was another glorious Spring day with a high of 56, but there were dark clouds over the mountain late this afternoon, and by sunset the sky was overcast.

Saturday 3/23. It is 37 this morning and mostly cloudy with a breeze.  But the snow is quickly melting and on our morning walk I could sit on the bench on the south ridge.  The bench we couldn't even locate under the snow a week ago.

When the sun came out, I sat on the porch and finished my coffee.  Mmmmm!  The sky was clear by noon but big dark clouds were moving east on both the south and north horizons.  Our high for the day was 58.

Of course, we are not the only life form to enjoy this warm weather.  The bugs are coming out en force.  Yellow jackets, ants, stink bugs, spiders, moths, flying ants/termites.  Flying, crawling and any other way they can get about.  Saw the first ants today, outside and in the house.  We can only hope for a cold snap to get rid of most of them.

Just for shits and giggles, I tried to see how far I could drive Miss Kitty out.  Not very far.  She belly-panned about four feet from her parking place.  Definitely going to be a while before we get Down There. . .

I also picked up a bucketful of dog poop that is rapidly appearing as the snow melts.  Lovely job.

We are getting pretty low on chocolate.  Going to have to start in on the chocolate chips before long.

Sunday 3/24. It is a dreary morning with a temperature of 36, heavy overcast with a light rain and a breeze.  Supposed to be like this through most of the week.  And we think it's muddy right now.  We may get a lot of reading done this week.  Or maybe I'll start on our Christmas cards.  I have the perfect photos already.

Our little herd of deer visited today, nibbling at re-appearing grass.  It is so relaxing to just sit and watch them.

The rain continued most of the day and we spent most of it inside.  JB did have to go out and put new batteries in the outside half of the weather station, but that was about it.  Our high for the day was 44.  Fog/low clouds began moving in around dinner time.

Monday 3/25. It is 34 this morning and we are still in the fog/low clouds.

Thought for the day: To be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter. . . to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated by a bird's nest or a wildflower in Spring - these are some of the rewards of the simple life.  John Burroughs

March 22, 2019 Open the Windows - It's Spring!

March 10 snow to the NW.

March 13, going. . .

. . .  March 16, going. . .

. . . March 20, pretty much gone.

Wednesday 3/20. More breaking up the ice in front of the porch and shoveling it away.  Also had to re-rake the wood-shed roof as all the snow and ice I couldn't reach, slid down to the bottom.  It couldn't slide off because the wall of snow was right up to the edge.  Then I worked on trying to shovel out some of the snow and ice on the roof of the chicken run that collapsed.  I cut three branches off the nearby tree and actually was able to get maybe 1/4 of the ice out.

Along with all the other singing birds, we have a wren Up Here now.  Standing in the sun, listening to them all sing with my eyes closed, I can almost imagine all the snow gone.  If this warm weather keeps up, along with the rain we are supposed to get this weekend, we are going to have one nasty mud season.

I have a craving for potato chips.  Not just any potato chips, but the Himalayan salt ones from Costco.  I guess you always want what you can't have. . .

Our high for the day was 59, and I am sure it was 65 in the sun!  Wow!  Winter just walked out and slammed the door.  Overnight it was Spring!

A cloudless sky tonight and a full worm moon.  After living Up Here almost eleven years, I am still awed by the amazing beauty of our place.  When we first moved Up Here, I was concerned that maybe someday I would take it for granted, but now I am sure that I never will.

Thursday 3/21. It is 42 and clear this morning, with a few wispy clouds to the south.  After feeding the girls and dogs, and doing a little sudoku with my coffee, I went back to bed for another hour and a half.  Nice!

I uncovered our porch chairs today and sat in the sun.  This was after I had my coffee, but maybe tomorrow morning I will sit out there.

Again we chipped and shoveled ice from in front of the porch, although the sun was really too hot to work in for more than a few minutes at a time.  This afternoon I noticed that our little drain channel running from the south side of the house has a little stream flowing down it.  It is going right under the snow and I can't see that it is coming out anywhere.

We finally put up the game cam that our son brought us last October when he visited.  It sells for about $700, but he got it at an estate sale for $50.  It has wi-fi that will send any photos it takes to your phone, but we aren't using that part of it.

Our high today was 64, but I am pretty sure it was pushing 70 in the sun.  Never did put on a coat today.  Have to wear boots, and they are really to warm!

Friday 3/22. It is 40 this morning with mostly cloudy skies.  The rain in the forecast could possibly be snow, which I think I would actually prefer.

Thought for the day: The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious.  Albert Einstein.

March 20, 2019 Oh, It Is Definitely Spring, Officially & Weatherwise!

JB chopping ice in front
of the porch.

Snow on south end
of porch.

Earth appearing on south slope.

Monday 3/18. This was the first time this season that we had no fire in the stove during the night.  Had one going when we went to bed and put one in this morning even though it was 69 in the house.

Did a thorough vacuuming this morning and more shoveling in front of the porch.  JB used the macintosh and I shoveled the loose ice/snow.  It's slow going on the afternoon walk as the paths are starting to soften.  Even trying to walking in the middle is hard because you're not quite sure where the middle is.  Post-holing is NOT fun!  Even the dogs are having problems.  Some places we sink to just above our ankles, in other places we sink to just above our knees.

The pine trees seem to be dropping their cones the last day or two.  The snow is littered with them.

It was another gorgeous Spring day, with a high again of 54.

We finished watching Godless this evening.  Excellent!  Reminiscent of Shane in a way.

I love the moonlit nights Up Here, where the moon and stars are the only lights.

Tuesday 3/19. It is 38 and clear this morning.  Going to be another fine day, and I had a nice lazy morning.  

I am going to start taking fire wood off the porch from now on, but this was the first day that I didn't need to bring any wood inside.  Feels rather strange, like the first day in the Fall that I don't need to water the plants.  There is always a gap between these two chores in the Spring and Fall.

We cleaned the wood stove today, inside and out.  And I had to clear off the roof of the wood shed again as all the snow and ice at the top had slid down to the bottom.

The weather is really warming up fast and the snow is melting, now puddling a bit in front of the porch.  Will have to work on a drain channel for it tomorrow.  The sun is hot and the shade is not as cool as it has been.  Our high today was 58!  In Port Orchard, Nene had a high of 73 yesterday.

Wednesday 3/20. This first day of Spring is starting out at 40, with blue skies and the promise of more warm weather.

Thought for the day: Science has never drummed up quite as effective a tranquilizing agent as a sunny Spring day.  W. Earl Hall

March 18, 2018 It's Beginning To Feel Like Spring!

Dinga enjoying the view from
the south ridge.

I think I can see a little
bump where the bench is.

Our "soft" egg.

Jesse enjoying the view from
the north ridge.

Dinga making a snow angel.

Some of our visiting deer
Sunday afternoon.

Friday 3/15. We had a surprise visit this morning from Larry and a westie.  About 11:00 am, here comes a snowmobile up our drive.  Larry had tried to come up on his ATV, but as soon as he turned onto our road, it belly-panned.  So they drove back down and traded the ATV for westie's snowmobile and made it up with very little problem.  And, he brought our mail!  Woo Hoo!  (A "westie" is someone who owns land in the canyon but lives on the west side of the mountains.)

I started shoveling snow away from the porch as last year it got very soggy there.

The girls gave us three eggs today!  Only one of them, Shy Ann, has been laying since about October, so this was another surprise for the day.  However, one of them did not have a shell, as the membrane did not harden.

A beautiful day with a high of 46, boding well for the arrival of Spring.

Saturday 3/16. It is 28 and partly cloudy this morning.  Time to put the long johns back in the drawer.

Did some more shoveling away from the porch.  The sun was too warm to wear a coat for that project.  Our high for the day was 48.  There is a distinct difference in the snow since yesterday morning - it is obviously melting.  We don't have any runoff, but it is sinking fast.  Bushes are appearing, and so are rocks and bare earth on the south slope.

Sunday 3/17. St. Patrick's Day began with 34 and clear skies.  Just a week or so ago, I would have felt that we were "still gripped by the iron fist of winter", and now Spring is obviously on its way.  (A quote from the book I am reading, Five Ways to Kill A Man by Alex Gray.)

I have now shoveled all the way to the end of the porch.  Unfortunately I realize that I have basically just made a place for the melting snow to create a pond.  Lovely. . .

Our deer visited this afternoon, coming up the west slope to the south of the woodshed.  I was able to snap a few more good photos of them.

What an incredible day - with a high of 54!  I just hope we don't get in trouble with a fast melt. . .

Monday 3/18. It is 38 and clear this morning.  Didn't even get down to freezing during the night.

Thought for the day: Winter is not a season, it is an occupation.  Sinclair Lewis

March 15, 2019 More Photos Fewer Words

Tried to get more snow off the
chicken-run roof.

Rabbit tracks on the
north ridge.

Wednesday 3/13. I am seriously thinking of posting more photos and fewer words, as with all this snow about, I seem to be writing the same thing every day.  If it is boring for me to write it, it is definitely boring to read it.  

At my age I have found that regardless of what I do or don't do, I wake up aching in the morning.  So, if I am going to ache anyway, I might as well do it because I did some physical work.  So I dug out Miss Kitty most of the way today and then washed some windows.  JB started on the propane tank.  Had no idea it was so far down below the top of the snow!

A beautiful, sunny day with a high of 38.  The nights are staying in the mid to high 20's, which means we only have to get up once to stoke the fire.  So right now, JB is getting up at 2:00 am for the fire and I am getting up at 6:00 am to let the dogs out.  

Thursday 3/14. It is 28 this morning with a light overcast.  Even though the sun was able to break through the cloud cover mid afternoon, the sky remained overcast all day.  But our high for the day was a lovely 40.

I shoveled off as much as I could of the west and south sides of the chicken run roof, than almost finished digging out Miss Kitty.  JB worked a little more on digging out the propane tank, then baked a loaf of bread, and has begun going for a short walk after dinner, since it is still so light out.

Am in another Spring cleaning mood and have been working on plans to finish the east wall in the bath/laundry room.  Also sorting and tossing.

On the radio this evening, Larry told us they have quite a stream of water flowing down the road from the snow melt.  They will be working on the drainage "bumps" today.

Friday 3/15. It is 30 and mostly cloudy this morning.  As far as posting more photos and fewer words, unfortunately Google is not cooperating today.

Thought for the day: The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but one of respect and joy in each other's life.  Rarely do members of one family group grow up under the same roof.  Richard Bach, Illusions

March 13, 2019 Snow Blah Blah Snow Blah Blah Blah

Had to look at these dark
splotches in the grove twice
before I could identify them!

Small, dead branches the
deer have broken off to
eat the moss on them.

Monday 3/11. Valley fog managed to creep in around 10:00 am and began its ebb and flow cycle.  But the sun lost the battle around noon and we became encased in the fog.  So now even the air is white.

I finished the March row of fire wood and started on the April row.  Again, not an issue, just a fact.

Took a photo of two dark splotches in the grove.  Had to look twice to determine that they are dirt, ground, earth!

Our high for the day was 30 and the fog sank back down into the canyon by 4:30 pm, but by then the sky was overcast.  Most likely preparing to drop the snow we were warned about.

Tuesday 3/12. It is 20 and snowing very lightly this morning, and we have another 1/4".  Snow blah blah, snow blah blah blah.  Wind, sun, snow bombs, sparkly air.  Blah, blah, blah.

JB baked a cake and our high for the day was 40.  The paths are getting soft, but I am sure they will freeze again tonight.

Wednesday 3/13. It is 24 with mostly clear skies and a breeze this morning.  The forecast snow never materialized, thank goodness, and temps are supposed to be getting warmer.  Maybe Spring really is on its way.

Thought for the day: Argue for your limitations and, sure enough, they are yours.  Richard Bach, Illusions

March 11, 2019 Sunshine & Blue Sky

Looking down our road
from the end of the
driveway.

Jesse way down the
south slope.

Friday 3/8. We both shoveled a little more snow today.  I dug out more snow from against the east side of the girls' run so they could get the morning sun.  JB shoveled out in front of the outhouse doors.

JB thought we might have had an elk Up Here recently as he found some scat.  It looks more like milk duds, as opposed to the deer's M&M's. . .

We had pizza tonight, but it will be our last for a while.  No more mozzarella or pepperoni or sausage. . .

We have solar lights on our fence that are staying on longer, now that the days are longer.  The last one to the south is still covered in snow, but it still turns on each evening.  I just haven't been able to get a good photo of it yet.

It was a beautiful day with a high of 38, but it is getting pretty boring writing about shoveling snow, snow falling, snow building up, snow this, snow that.  Arghh!

Saturday 3/9. It is 16 this morning with high valley fog and the sky has a light overcast.  The sun soon began burning off the cloud cover and we had blue sky.  Hopefully it won't entice the fog to crawl up to us from the canyon.  Meanwhile, the sun is out, the snow is sparkling and the birds are singing.

After lunch we finally hiked down to get the card out of the game cam.  It is quite obvious that our road is the deer highway since Larry drove the SnoCat on it and packed it down.  The deer have stripped all the rose bushes of their hips and are now eating the bushes themselves.  There are also many rabbit and squirrel tracks about.  The photos on the game cam card were of snow, deer, us and the SnoCat.

There are turkey or grouse tracks up on the south ridge.  Hard to tell in the snow.  By the time we got to the north ridge on our afternoon walk, the high valley fog had completely dissipated.  The fog that I took photos of at 1:00 pm!

Such a glorious sunny day, with a high of 36.  It was much warmer in the sun at the house than it was down our shady road.

Living Up Here, I am so much more aware of the night sky, the celestial bodies in it, and how they seem to rotate around the earth during the year.  Orion has now moved off to the west, having passed along the south of us during January and February.  And I was totally unaware of how many nights the moon does not shine.  I guess, as a Taurus, I am much more focused on that which is solidly under my feet rather than floating about way overhead.

Sunday 3/10.  It is 18 with clear skies this morning, but snow is in the forecast for Monday night and much of the week.  Springing ahead to Daylight Saving Time is much easier than falling back, especially for the dogs.    Seems we having quite an smooth transition for all of us.  

With all that solar power available, I vacuumed and did a few other thing that needed electricity as we probably won't have much of it again for the rest of the week.

We all went on a nice leisurely morning walk in the sunshine and snow.  Jesse went way down the south slope, walking on top of the snow and checking out some interesting tracks.

Actually, the whole day was leisurely.  Our high for the day was 38, but the temperature drops dramatically as soon as the sun begins to descend towards the western horizon.  "Warm" sunny days and cold clear nights.

Monday 3/11. It is 18 and mostly clear this morning with high valley fog.  Regardless of when we went to bed, our body clocks know we are getting up an hour earlier than normal.  Now I remember - this is the hard part.  

Thought for the day: It was one thing to use computers as a tool, quite another to let them do your thinking for you.  Tom Clancy

March 8, 2019 More Snow & A Warm Thursday

The deer on Tuesday.

Typical winter laundry.

Only two weeks til
Spring!!

Wednesday 3/6. It snowed all day today.  Good Lord!  How many times have I written that this winter?!  We had 1/2" from overnight, then another 1-1/2" by 11:00 am when JB measured after having come back from the morning walk and cleaning the solar panels.  By the end of our afternoon walk, I measured another 1-1/2".  Our high for the day was 32.

My cousin in Shelton received another 3" of snow today, while other relatives on that side of the mountains just got enough to turn everything white.

There was a thunderous roar from the north side of the roof this afternoon as large piece of ice, at least 15' long, fell off and splashed snow onto the living room window.  That was our excitement for the day. . .

Thursday 3/7. It is 20 with clear blue skies this morning and another inch of snow.  The wind picked up in the early morning hours, and it is still breezy.  It sculpted the snow a bit, smoothing the edges.  Only two weeks until Spring, but you certainly wouldn't know it here in the Pacific Northwest.

I raked off the chicken-run roof again.  Then cleaned the oven and baked oatmeal-chocolate chip cookies.  JB dug out in front of the hen house door and the door to their run.  Also the path to the battery shed.

My Aunt Nene, in Port Orchard, received a dusting of snow and she is getting quite disgusted with this winter, as I am sure many other are.

The day was mostly warm and sunny with a wonderful high of 40!  It was snowing all day in the Cascades, and every so often a bit of white fluff would break of from those clouds and get blown to the east.  A dark front of clouds seemed to be moving in from the southwest as the dogs and I went on our afternoon walk, but that broke up and we had blue sky again by 4:00 pm.  With this warm day, the snow is getting wet and heavy.

I would imagine that some of the bears will be coming out of hibernation soon and be really grumpy that there is still so much snow on the ground.  Will have to keep our eyes pealed.

Friday 3/8. It is 18 this morning with a clear blue sky.  I hope it lasts, the blue sky, that is.

Thought for the day: Turn off your mind, relax, and float downstream.  John Lennon

March 6, 2019 Snow & Attitude

Last row of wood in the wood
shed tumbled over.

Monday 3/4. As I approached the wood shed this morning, I noticed something definitely amiss.  The last row of wood (April's) had tumbled over.  Not really a problem, as most of it is still under the roof.

This whole experience with all this snow is getting old.  But, as with many of life's experiences, the only power I have over it is my attitude.  And that makes all the difference.  That is my power.  Although I don't always wield it as I should, it is one of the many lessons I am learning while living Up Here.

I raked off the back half of the wood shed roof again.  Only half as that is about what I can reach with the rake without standing on the roof itself.  JB dug some snow away from the chicken run so the girls can get some morning sun, when there is morning sun.  Then he started up Miss Kitty and the tractor, letting them run a bit.

The sky was overcast all day and our high was 24.

Tuesday 3/5. It is 17 and still overcast this morning.  The forecast calls for an 80% chance of snow tonight, but we saw snowflakes beginning to fall around 8:30 am.  That went off and on til early afternoon, not even leaving a trace.

After bringing in the wood, I dug out the the "root cellar" door in order to get some chicken food.  Quite a chore so, since I have room in the house, I also got a bag of dog food.  Then pulled them out on the sled.  Won't have to do that again for at least a couple months, and by then I hope I won't have to dig at all.  May have to slog through the mud though.

Did laundry and dishes.  Washed towels today, so that means using not only the clothes lines, but also the clothes rack.  Mrs. Gridder's Mother gave me a large, wooden one when we had the garage sale last summer and I am giving it a work out.

Our deer meandered through Rose Camp at about 4:30, up from the southwest and off to the east.  At first we saw five, then three more.  Two more arrived as they were heading back up from near the house to their trail along the east slope.  Just as they began disappearing into the trees, one straggler appeared.  We could see them nibbling on bushes and trees for quite a while as they slowly worked their way into our neighbor's property.

Again, it was overcast all day and our high was 24.  Now I need to go work on my attitude some more.  Watching The Ranch certainly helps. . .

Wednesday 3/6. It is 22 this morning and has been lightly snowing since at least 4:00 am when I let Jesse out and he came back in covered in white.

Thought for the day: Attitude is everything.

March 4, 2019 Guests, A Dead Deer & More Snow

A SnoCat-plowed path.

Bench on the south ridge is
buried somewhere to the
left of the path. . .

Friday 3/1. Fog was trying to creep in from the west as I came in from feeding the girls around 8:00 am, but the sun won the battle in about an hour.

After bringing in the fire wood, I raked off the roof of the chicken run.  The roof collapse was caused by branches from a tree laying on the roof and trapping snow there.  The weight of both was just too much.

Clouds were forming by mid-day, then the sun chased them away too.  Our high for the day was 34.

Larry and Elsie arrived in the SnoCat at 5:00 pm with our groceries and gas.  Larry plowed a little to the north of the house, then up the drive to the top of the south ridge.  We all enjoyed a couple of games of marbles (Chinese checkers) with the ladies winning first and the guys second.  Both very close.

Saturday 3/2. It is 20 and snow began falling quite heavily a little after 7:00 am.  We had another inch by 10:00 am.

JB had asked Larry to plow by the house thinking it would make it easier for us to maintain a path to the shop with the snow blower.  Not so sure that will happen as it is almost a two-foot step up to the path!

We read mail, catalogs, and magazines.  You don't realize just how much junk mail you receive until you get only get it every couple weeks or so.

I made fudge and that made my day.  My favorite and the easiest recipe ever: 1-2-1.  One can of evaporated sweetened milk and two cups of chocolate chips melted together over low heat until all the chips have melted.  Add one teaspoon of vanilla and stir well.  Pour into an 8"x8" pan and cool in fridge (or outside, as I did).  Viola!  Best fudge ever.

We had received another 3/4" of snow by the end of our afternoon walk at 3:30.  By then it had become very fine and pretty much stopped.  Our high for the day was 24.

On our evening radio talk, Larry said there is a dead deer on our road by our rope gate.  He felt a bump coming up yesterday, then going back down he could see small hoofs.  He guessed it was a very young one who just couldn't make it through the winter.  That really hit me hard.  I know it is just nature, but I was very sad.

Sunday 3/3. It is 10 and mostly clear this morning.  When I got up at 4:00 am to stoke the fire, it was only 8 outside.  My goal for the day is just to stay warm.

The yellow jackets have been waking up in the loft for the past couple weeks.  We HAVE to find out where they are getting in!

We had bright sunshine all day and the air was punctuated by sounds of snow and ice falling off the roof.  The sun may have been warm, but any little movement of air felt like ice being rubbed on my face.

Jesse was really wound up this morning, constantly running up to the south ridge.  On their morning walk, JB saw small cat tracks in the snow up there, probably the bobcat.

A beautiful day with a high of 28, but I think that is because the sun hits the thermometer for a little while in the afternoon.  It felt more like just 20.

Monday 3/4. It is 6 with just a few skinny clouds on the horizon this morning.  Wenatchee broke its record for snow in February by about an inch.

Thought for the day: I only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in.  John Muir

March 1, 2019 A February We'll Not Soon Forget

Jesse's 13th birthday!

East end of chicken run
collapsed under weight of snow.

Dogs in path going
down to the house.

Wednesday 2/27. We all went on the morning walk in the falling snow.  The sides of the paths are building back up.  We can only hope that March will be a bit milder. . .

I finished one book and started another.  JB finished his book, then worked on organizing his newest Magic cards.  A nice lazy day.

Most of the day the snow was falling on and off; stop and start; heavy and light; big flakes, little flakes.  It finally got serious around 3:00 pm.  The dogs and I were covered in white coming back from our afternoon walk.  At that point we had received just one inch of new snow.  Our high for the day was 24.

I am adjusting some of the quantities on my winter supply list.  We could survive just fine on what we have, but we really enjoy the items that Larry and Elsie are bringing up.  At least we have plenty of chicken and dog food this year.  On the radio this evening, Larry advised that they will be up again in a day or two.  They went to Costco today and added our items to their list.  He also offered to bring up some gas for us.

Thursday 2/28. Jesse's 13th birthday began with 16 degrees, blue sky with bright sunshine, and another 3" of new snow.  Going to be a gorgeous day!  The forecast is for dry but very cold weather now through the weekend.  So much for March coming in like a lion.

This February will not soon be forgotten by us and a lot of other Washingtonians.  We received a total of 72.25" (6' 1/4") of snow this month!  And that includes the 36" we received in 48 hours.  Hopefully it will be a slow melt.

JB had a few small outdoor projects and I used all that incoming solar power to vacuum. 

I am letting my hair grow this winter, and it seems that I am also growing quite a set of jowls.  Will have those tightened up as soon as Randy wins the lottery.

Instead of the wind, it is the sun that is creating snow bombs today.  Also making punji sticks out of the roof's icicles, much to Dinga's chagrin.  With the high side-berms along the house, much of the ice sides down onto the house with quite a loud racket.

On our afternoon walk in the incredible sun and snow, I discovered that the roof over the far end of the chicken run had collapsed under the weight of the snow.  There's another Spring project - redesign and rebuild.

In Santa Rosa, CA, Sande said they had 4" of rain in one day, and many other places nearby received a lot more.  The Russian River is 45' above flood stage!  At least they won't have a drought this year.

What a beautiful day this was!  Valley fog grew slowly and was barely into the canyon by 3:30 pm.  Our high for the day was 32.

Friday 3/1. March's lamb is leading the month in with a temperature of 14, a clear, blue sky, and high valley fog covering everything from us to the mountains.  Larry and Elsie plan to drive the SnoCat up this afternoon.

Thought for the day: People sleep peacefully in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.  George Orwell