April 29, 2019 A Trip Down There, Wind, A Visit, & More Wind

The first shooting star
blooms

Wednesday 4/24.  Well, I may not have suffered from sensory overload on Monday Down There, but it hit me today.  I walked into the first grocery store and felt like a deer in the headlights.  I didn’t take my time or check out the new thrift store like I had planned to do, I just bought what was on my list and headed home.  I got a late start to begin with, which threw me off, and I just couldn’t pull it all together today.

So many birds Up Here lately, and they were all there to greet me as I came home.  Instead of unloading everything into Miss Kitty from the Wrangler, I just drove straight home.  Made it just fine.

Our high for the day was 62.

Thursday 4/25. It is 40 with a light overcast this morning.  JB helped me vacuum pack the meat I bought yesterday and put it in the freezer.  Then we went out to move branches from the tree we cut down by the garden area last year over to the wood cradle with the tractor.  And I found the first blooming bluebells near the garden.

We have so much more grass – lawn-type grass – this year than usual, and some of it is actually growing in our yard.  I have started cutting a pan full of greens for the girls each day.  They love grass, dandylion greens, and the small fern-like leaves of the yarrow.

I haven’t identified all the different kinds of birds Up Here this Spring, but at least one wren has returned.  And there are several different kinds of sparrows.  The hummingbird is Up Here about every other day checking for the feeders.  I keep telling him, "May 1."

The overcast thickened during the day and kept it cool.  Our high was 55.

Friday 4/26. It is 40 with clear skies this morning and a wind.  This has really been a windy Spring so far.  Was not feeling very well, so did not post on my blog.

I hung the laundry outside, and then helped JB with the last pile of branches by the garden.

Since the Apple Blossom celebration is going on this whole week in town, Mrs. Gridder and I decided to go garage saling on May 11.  But I am going to drive down to visit tomorrow.

I definitely have a low-grade sinus infection that needs to be taken care of, so I made an appointment for Monday.

The wind kept blowing all day and our high was 62.

Saturday 4/27. It is 36 with clear skies this morning and still windy.  At 9:15 am snow and tiny hail began to fall and lasted til about 10:00 am when I left to visit Mrs. Gridder.  JB rode with me down to Miss Kitty, then drove her back home.

Mrs. Gridder and I drank coffee and talked at her home.  So good to see her, and we talked 2-1/2 hours before we realized the time.  Her youngest son’s birthday party is today and they are all going to see Marvel’s Endgame.  Our son and his family saw it Thursday night and thought it was very good – all three hours of it!

Again, the icy wind blew all day and our high was just 48.  The temperature had fallen to 32 by the time we went to bed at 10:00 pm.

Sunday 4/28.  It is 32 with clear skies this morning and not even a breeze, but the outside dogs’ water and bird bath are frozen.  By 9:00 am, clouds began drifting in from the southeast which does not bode well for a nice day.  An icy breeze picked up, but it wasn’t very strong.

I hung today’s laundry inside, knowing that the jeans would not dry in the cold weather.  JB took the chains of Miss Kitty.

On our afternoon walk, I noticed the first shooting stars, prairie stars, and dwarf waterleaf blooms.  And the south slope is turning yellow with balsam root.  I also noticed that it was snowing to the south, west and north of us.

The girls sure are loving all the greens I am cutting for them each day.  I will pick up some cabbage for their breakfasts when I go down there tomorrow.  And, of course, run a couple other errands.

Our high for the day was 55, but with that cutting wind, it sure didn’t feel like it.  Just before 7:00 pm, snow and tiny hail moved in and lasted for about an hour.  Nothing stuck though.

Monday 4/29. It is 30 this morning with clear skies except for the southwest horizon where there are ominously big fluffy clouds, but there isn't even a breeze.  I plan to be on my way Down There by 8:50 am.

Thought for the day:  How beautiful it is to get up and go out and do something.  We are here to fart around.  Don’t let anyone tell you any different.  Kurt Vonnegut

April 26, 2019 Don't Want To, Don't Have To, Can't Make Me, I'm Retired (No Blog Today)

April 24, 2019 Getting Down There

The deer lounging our southeast
slope Monday morning.

Jesse enjoying the warm earth
in the large raised bed.

Monday 4/22. Our little herd of deer came by early this morning while I was posting my blog.  They were grazing and then four of them lay down in the grass on the southeast slope.  We have never seen them do that!  Since they weren’t moving, the dogs didn’t see them when they came out with me to feed the girls.  They were there for quite a while, leaving just before I did at 8:30 am.

More snow has melted on the road since we drove down, shoveling on Saturday.  I think we can probably drive the Jeep up by the end of the week.  It is so nice to have the freedom of going Down There whenever we need or want to.  I had nine stops to make and didn’t really doddle at any of the stores as I knew I wouldn’t have any room for anything that wasn’t on my list.  I will take more time when I go Down There on Wednesday.

The day was quite warm in town and I had to take my coat off after the first stop.  Since I was down there last, all the balsam root plant have bloomed in the canyons, at least from Larry and Elsie’s place on down.  The hillside across the road from them is almost solid yellow!

This is the first time I have been to town the day after Easter in years.  OMG!  Caramel-filled chocolate Easter bunnies!  Now, that is an idea from Heaven itself!  And half price!  On top of that discovery, I had a latte for breakfast and a hamburger for lunch.  All that, and I was home by 2:00 pm.

I had to take everything out of the Jeep and pack it into Miss Kitty, which was fun.  Just made it.  Back home we unloaded everything and got it all put away.  So nice to have fresh meat, vegetables and fruit.  I love my apples.

Our high for the day was 64, but that must have been before I got back home.

Tuesday 4/23. It is 47, mostly clear, and windy this morning.  Am sure we have had more wind than rain so far this Spring.

So nice to have a newspaper to read with my coffee.  On his morning walk with the dogs, JB noticed that three of the balsam root plants had bloomed.  The yellow bells and alpine spring beauties are now covering the ground in many places.  Oh, how I love Spring!

JB trimmed another tree near the chicken run and we hauled all the branches from that and the other trees over to the pile of branches from the trees that were cut down last year.  Then we attached six poles to two sides of the smaller raised garden bed.  We will put the fencing around them on Thursday.

I got organized for my trip Down There tomorrow, and will take my time shopping.  Also emailed Mrs. Gridder to see if she would like to go garage saling on Saturday, weather permitting.

The wind continued to blow all day and our high was 61.

Wednesday 4/24. It is 36 with clear skies this morning and just a little breeze.  Looking forward to a bit more leisurely day Down There.

Thought for the day: Then you are trapped in your lovely nest, and the things you used to own, now they own you.  Chuck Palahniuk

April 22, 2019 Shoveling Our Way Out!

Bossie's HUGE Easter egg next to
a regular large one.

Our Easter goose.

Turkeys who visited
Sunday evening.

Friday 4/19. Very gray and windy morning, but obviously good for eggs.  Bossy gave us a huge “torpedo” egg, so big that I couldn’t close the lid on the carton!

There are buds on the lilac and nine-bark bushes, and many of the other ones.  Many of the balsam root shoots on the south ridge have small, green blooms that look as though they will be yellow in just a day or two.  When I went Down There last time, there were a few plants blooming just before the city limits along the paved-road canyon.

I do miss a fire in the wood stove, especially on these gray days.  I also miss it because now we have no place to keep our coffee warm.  However, today with no sun, I finally put a fire in just before noon.

Both JB and I worked on the garden before our morning walk.  After lunch, JB turned the soil in the large raised bed.  We are out of brackets to attach posts to the smaller one.

On our afternoon walk, I saw an immature bald eagle soaring over the canyon to the south.  Our high for the day was just 58.

The nights are so dark now without snow on the ground, even when the moon is out.

Saturday 4/20. It is 40 and partly cloudy this morning.  After our morning walk, JB and I drove down our road in Miss Kitty just to see how far we could get.  With a lot of shoveling in several places we made it to the Jeep!  Then JB drove the Jeep up our road about 1/5 mile and parked it on mushroom corner.  Since we can’t bring the dogs down in Miss Kitty, we still can’t go to the family Easter dinner, BUT I can go Down There on Monday!  Woo Hoo!

We saw an owl as we were coming back up our driveway, and this afternoon, as we were sitting on the porch, we saw the first humming bird.  He checked out where we hang the feeders, then sat on a rose bush for a few minutes just staring at me, as if to say, “Let’s get with it, Lady!  Get those feeders out!”  I just told him it would be May first as usual.

It was a beautiful day and our high was 60.

Sunday 4/21. This Easter morning began with 37 and clear skies.  JB saw our little herd of deer a bit after 6:00 am, then I saw five of them at 9:30 am.  They were just ambling and grazing their way across the east slope.

The cistern filled almost all the way to the top on its own yesterday.  The water is crystal clear, so it must have some up from the well.  I did a load of laundry, sheets that I had set aside to take to the laundromat.  That load was the first that I hung outside this year.  The weather has been conducive, but it’s only in the past few days that the snow under the clothes line has melted.

Bossie gave us another HUGE egg today and Belinda gave us a regular large one.  It’s a good thing those eggs are soft when they come out. . .

I also moved all the fire wood that was still on the porch, while JB trimmed the trees near the chicken run.  I was carrying the wood by armloads to the wood shed when JB suggested I use the dolly.  Well, silly me!  I do usually try to do things the easiest way.

We sat in the swing, just enjoying the day, but for the first time this year, it got too hot to stay there.

I got organized for my trip Down There tomorrow (oh, it feels so good to be able to write that!).  Lists of what to get where, and in what order to drive there.  And, yes, there is a latte and hamburger on my list.

JB cooked a pork roast for Easter dinner, along with mashed potatoes and green beans.  Our high for the day was 61, but I am pretty sure it was pushing 70 in the sun.

Two turkeys wandered through our yard this evening about 8:00 pm.  We think they were jakes, young toms.

Monday 4/22. It is 44 and partly cloudy this morning.  I plan to be on my way Down There by 9:00 am at the latest.

Thought for the day: In the Spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.  Margaret Atwood

April 19, 2019 Butterflies, Wild Flowers & Playing In The Mud

Dinga eating some of what is
left of her winter snow cone.

JB spotted the first yellow bells
in bloom on Monday.

Wednesday 4/17. We were all outside most of this gorgeous day, working in the yard and sitting on the porch and the swing.  Had to go on poop patrol again.  Warm sun and a cool breeze but no coat or even a hoodie was needed.

Saw some butterflies today and the wildflowers are spreading.  Now there are alpine spring beauties and yellow bells in many places, with the promise of several more kinds to be blooming soon.

I mentioned in Monday's blog that Down There really had nothing to offer me except for a place to by supplies.  Well, that's not true at all!  There are garage sales!  I love garage saling with Mrs. Gridder!

Larry never did show up, and over the radio this evening he said he didn’t get very far at all.  By his description, I figure maybe 1/5 of a mile.  But I am pretty sure we will get out next week.  Hopefully.  Maybe.

Thursday 4/18. It is 47 and mostly cloudy this morning, but soon the sky was completely overcast and it was raining by 9:30 am.  It began with a downpour and then settled into a light sprinkle that fell on us during our morning walk.  By 11:00 am, the rain had stopped and there were patches of blue sky.

After lunch JB turned the compost pile.  Then he attached three metal garden fence posts directly onto each of two sides of one of the raised beds.  He will do the other one tomorrow and we will attach the fencing to them.  I will pull all the weeds.  We hope to have a garden this year, at least potatoes, tomatoes and onions.

I also worked more on cleaning up the yard, trimmed the rose bushes by the propane tank, dug out the west drainage channel, and did some more work on the main one.  Never have outgrown playing in the mud.  Even though it was mostly cloudy today, we had bursts of sunshine and a high of 62.  Very pleasant.

Friday 4/19. It is 50 and mostly cloudy this morning.  Last night was the first night this year without a fire in the wood stove.  We had one in the morning, but that was it for the day.  When I got up at 5:00 am to let the dog out, I put one in and that did the trick.  No need for another one today.

We are not going to walk down to the Jeep today.  Pretty sure we won't be able to get out by Sunday for Easter dinner with JB's family.  We've never been able to make it.  Maybe next year.

Thought for the day: If con is the opposite of pro, then congress must be the opposite of progress.

April 17, 2019 Another, But Easier, Four-Mile Hike

A melting critter tunnel
across the road.

I found the rubber ducky!

Much easier to do now that
the snow is melting.

Monday 4/15. The sky was mostly blue when I left to hike down to the Jeep at about noon.  So much easier with an empty sled.  I noticed a lot more of the road showing, just since Friday, but there are still several long, deep stretches of snow.  I arrived at the Jeep and loaded up the box on the sled.  A couple very light packages, a #10 can of coffee, a small bag of Ghirardelli chocolates and a large bottle of bourbon for JB.  Also brought some catalogs that were in the mail.  The snow was mostly hard today, was we had a very cold night, so the trek was easier than last time.  It took me just under two hours, and by the time I returned home, the sky was covered in clouds.

Forgot to mention that I found the rubber ducky that had disappeared from our "dinosaur stump" along the road.  The stray cows knocked it off along with everything else last year and, by the looks of it, I guess one of them pooped on it.  The cow pie must have dissolved during the winter.

JB took the fuse out of my Jeep that controls the electronic locks, then charged the battery.  The vehicle started right up and he ran it for a while.  Great idea!

Our high for the day was 46, with a very dreary late afternoon.

Tuesday 4/16. It is 38 with a clear sky this morning.  A glorious start to the day!

I did some sudoku after feeding the critters, then grabbed my coffee and sat on the porch with Dinga at my feet in the delightfully warm sun.  By then the temperature had warmed to the high 40's in the shade.  It was warm in the stratosphere too, as there were no contrails from the jets.

In 2008, when I first brought up the man who was going to prep our building site, his first comment was when arriving at Rose Camp was, "You're so high up here that God must be sitting on your ridge."  Well, he was right.  I have never been closer to the Creator of the Universe.  It feels like Rose Camp is just one step from heaven.

I know this is a perfect day to get lots done outside, but sitting here in the sun has me glued to the chair.  JB came out, all revved up about getting things done and got right to it, beginning with prying the deer feeding pan off the stump.  I'm still attached to the chair for a little while longer.

Then he took the snow shovels and other winter equipment off the porch and back where they belong.  The dogs were following him around to be sure they didn't miss their morning walk.  OK.  OK!  I'll get dressed!

After our morning walk, I finished taking all the large branch wood from the porch to the wood shed.  Then I did a thorough vacuuming and put in a load of laundry.  JB baked two large loaves of pumpkin bread.

The sky had almost completely clouded over by noon, and very quickly, too.  Dinga's back legs were really bothering her, so I went on the first half of the afternoon walk by myself.  Jesse joined me for the last half.  Our high for the day was 54.  It was my first day this year without snow boots!

In talking with Larry on the radio this evening, he said he was going to try to drive up our road tomorrow in his 4X4.  Woo Hoo!  That will certainly help the snow to melt more quickly, but I'm not really sure he can make it.  I guess we will find out tomorrow.

Wednesday 4/17. It is 36 and partly cloudy this morning.  Looks like another great day for working outside.

Thought for the day: At some point. . . you gotta let go and sit still and allow contentment to come to you.  Elizabeth Gilbert

April 15, 2019 It's All In The Timing

On my way Friday morning.

Friday 4/12. I was on my way at 7:15 am, pulling the sled with the box filled with mail and my purse.  The hardest part was pulling the sled over the mud.   Then I had to move a tree off the road that had slid down from the upper side.  Just as I was coming to the main road, here was Larry driving up in his 4X4!  We were both a half an hour early.

We saw a large flock of wild turkeys as we drove down to his place.  A couple of the males had their tails fanned out.  Larry said they had the flock of thirteen in their yard yesterday.

The Jeep Wrangler fired right up and I was on my way.  The bank was my first stop to get money for the nieces', nephews' and grandkids' Easter cards.  I arrived there just three minutes after they opened.  Then it was on to buy the Easter cards, go to the vet for Dinga’s eye medication, then the post office to mail the packages and cards.  Stopped at the UPS store and the packages almost filled the car.  Okay, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but just a bit.  Then my latte!  Oh, my that was good.  Then I actually went to Costco to buy the double bag of GF bread, but I got to thinking that I could also get a box of six coconut milk cartons and a can of coffee that I could leave in the Jeep and go down a couple days later to get them.  Next stop was Fred Meyer and I ended up with a few extra items there, too.  Just as I was buying a few apples, I saw our new neighbor-to-be and we had a nice chat.  My last stop was for a Jumbo Jack and that was definitely the highlight of my day!

I stopped at Larry and Elsie’s on the way back up to pick up my pistol that I had left with Larry.  Also had a chance to pick up and pet one of their new chickens that are so friendly.

The drive all the way back up to our road was a breeze, with just one little slickery spot.  I sorted out all the mail and packages, bringing just “good” mail and small packages.  Then I was on my way back.  After several yards, I realized that the load was a bit heavier than when I hiked down, but I figured it would be okay.

As I was trudging back up, I kept thinking that I would think this would all be worth it this evening as I was eating the Italian sausage pizza we could make and eating a bowl of Cocoa Puffs for dessert.  JB met me at the end of our driveway and took the bag of mail.  That made all the difference.

I was surprised at the lack of sensory overload on the trip.  And I realized, after 2-1/2 months, that there are somethings that I just don’t need any more.  Also realized that going to town isn’t about getting off the mountain, it’s just about getting supplies.  It really has nothing else to offer.

I was right and it was all worth it with the pizza and cereal.  But that hamburger was still the highlight of my day.

Saturday 4/13. It is 38 and overcast this morning.  We had a two-minute snow squall at 8:00 am, but that was the precipitation for the day.  And, having taken some ibuprofen last night, the only thing that ached were my biceps.  But I am taking the day off.

We read the mail, magazines and newspapers.  Did our daily chores and read our books.  Finished watching part six of The Ranch, and I am so disappointed with the direction it is taking.

We had an icy wind all day, and our high was 44.

Sunday 4/14. It is 31, overcast and still windy this morning.  Will probably be just another slow day.

Had a phone call from a very good friend whom I have not seen or talked to in almost two years.  That meant so much.

We are now re-watching Justified.  Just as good as it always was.

Monday 4/15. It is 28 with clear skies and calm air this morning.  I will probably hike down to the Jeep and bring back the rest of the items today.

Thought for the day: That my complicated life could be made so simple was astounding. Cheryl Strayed

April 12, 2019 Finally Getting Down There

These little shoots that are all over
the south ridge should soon be
blooming with yellow bells.

Wednesday 4/10. I walked up to the peak again on our morning walk.  It feels so good to be able to walk so far on the ground.  There are a few buttercups blooming on the south ridge now that have been doing so for a few weeks.  Looks like we should be seeing yellow bells soon, too.

JB used the tractor to move the big plow away from the vehicles, and did a few other outside chores.  I dug out most of the drainage channel that runs from the south side of the house, through the yard and across the drive.  Still some snow and ice covering it, but the water runs just fine underneath.  Also continued picking up small branches that broke off during the winter.  Both of these are major Spring projects.

The wind blew all day again, increasing to 17 mph by 3:00 pm.  No afternoon walk in that!  Our high for the day was 50, without the wind chill.

In talking to Larry on the radio this evening, he said that we should be able to drive our Jeep up from their place to our road.  He offered to come meet me at the end of our road and drive me down to it.  So Friday morning I am going to walk down to meet him at the junction of the two roads at 9:00 am.  I will send all our mail that has piled up, run some errands, and buy a few light-weight groceries.  Will finally be able to mail the gift to my cousin whose birthday was March 1, a late Christmas stocking gift to my Aunt Nene, and a box of DVD's to Randy.  They will be more like Easter gifts!

Thursday 4/11. It is 34 and mostly cloudy this morning, but there is no wind.  Walking up to the peak on our morning walk has become the norm for me now.  Every day there is more green and less white.  The hills below are greening up very quickly.

I prepped for tomorrow’s hikes.  JB helped me get the sled ready with a plastic container on it.  The loads down and back up will be light.

I moved several more armloads of large branch wood from the porch to the wood shed.  Then took a shower this afternoon instead of in the morning.  I plan to get up at 6:30 am and leave at 7:30.  Way too early for a shower and I am not getting up any earlier.  Am sure I will return home tomorrow on sensory overload, but I am so looking forward to a latte, hamburger and maybe a milkshake.

The sky was overcast most of the day and our high was 48.  Rain began falling around 9:00 pm.

Friday 4/12. It is 34 and overcast this morning.  It's going to be a muddy trek.

Thought for the day: In general, I find that things that have happened to me out of doors have made a deeper impression than things that have happened indoors.  Bertrand Russell

April 10, 2019 Marooned In Paradise

Jesse & his catch.

Looking north down
our drive, . . .

. . .& looking down the canyon
to the south on the same day!

All that's left of the little deer.

Monday 4/8. I saw grouse/turkey tracks in the snow right by the girls run when I went to feed them this morning.  It had just started snowing about an hour before, so I may have scared it away.

It stopped snowing by 8:30 am, leaving just less than 1/2" that melted very quickly.  So much water was coming off the roof and trees that it looked like it was raining.

The dogs had stayed out after their morning walk, and at 11:00 am Jesse came to the door wanting in with some sort of rodent in his mouth.  The tail and hind feet were sticking out one side of his mouth and the head out the other side.  I could see long lower teeth in its mouth.  He wanted to bring it inside, but I said, "No!", so he went back down the drive.  Don't know if he's going to bury it or eat it.  I guess we'll find out this evening if he has nasty farts or not.

The fog/clouds moved in by early afternoon and we had another dreary, damp Seattle day.  But, hey, we are up on a mountain so it will never be as bad as in Seattle.  Our high for the day was just 40.

The girls gave us one egg yesterday and three today!  Looks like they are stepping up production.

We made burger buns this afternoon.  JB makes the dough and I shape it.  Then I made ground turkey patties and we had turkey burgers for dinner.  So good!  I found two packages of ground turkey in the freezer that I know were not there a month ago. . .

On the radio this evening, Elsie told us that they tried to drive up our road this afternoon, but only got about three vehicle-lengths in.  Oh, well.

We watched the last episode of the last season of Longmire, with both of us agreed was a perfect ending.  And there were no nasty farts from Jesse, so he must have just buried his catch.  By 8:30 pm, it was raining hard and continued til after 10:00 pm.

Tuesday 4/9. It is 34 and mostly cloudy this morning with a light breeze.  With last night's rain, more than half of our ground is now showing Up Here.  On our morning walk, the dogs and I walked up a wide, green path to the peak.  While we were on the east end of the south ridge doing that, JB saw our little herd of seven deer just down the west end.

After morning chores and lunch, JB and I hiked down to our rope gate.  The small deer that Larry had told us about has been reduced to three legs and a small piece of hide.  I tossed the remains as far as I could over the side of the mountain.  But the hike convinced us that I will not be able to drive Miss Kitty out for at least another week.  There are a lot of bare spots but also a lot of long, deep areas of snow, 12" to 18".  If we had MAX, I would have been out of here long ago.

The wind picked up, gusting to 12 mph, and blew all the cloudy away by early afternoon, but it was quite brisk.  Our high for the day was 54.

Wednesday 4/10. It is 32 with mostly cloudy skies and a wind gusting to 10 mph.

Thought for the day: Death is simply putting out a candle because morning has come.  Author unknown

April 8, 2019 Man Plans, God Laughs

My hummingbird light holding
some of the new snow.

After Sunday's snow
melted.

Friday 4/5. The day remained overcast and rain began to fall around 1:00 pm, and fog moved in and out.  In other words, just a dreary Seattle day.  The wind popped up and our high was 46.

I started crocheting a basket out of a sheet with orange, blue and yellow stripes.  Just had the urge again after a couple years.

Saturday 4/6. It is 33 and snowing this morning.  We took our morning walk in the falling snow and it was quite pleasant.  As the temperature warmed to 40, the snow began to let up around 1:00 pm, leaving about an inch.  Shortly thereafter it was raining, and shortly after that we were encased in a thick fog.

By 3:00 pm, wind had chased the fog away and we had sunshine and some blue sky for our afternoon walk.  The new snow had disappeared by mid-afternoon, and our high for the day was 43.

When I talked to Elsie on the radio this evening, she said they were going to try to drive up tomorrow afternoon.  Woo Hoo!

Sunday 4/7. It is 32 and mostly cloudy this morning with 4” of new snow!!  Very wet and heavy snow that is already slipping off the roof and trees.  I called Elsie and told them not to try and drive up.  They only received less than 1/2".  So much for getting Down There on Tuesday.  Man plans, God laughs.

We were bombarded by rain and snow bombs falling off the trees on our morning walk.  And the sky was already beginning to clear.  We were amazed that any of the snow that fell on the ground or a surface other than snow was gone – melted – by 1:00 pm.  Lots of mud though.

We have juncos, nuthatches and sparrows Up Here now, although they may be having a change of mind about staying.  We haven’t heard the wren for a few weeks, but he’ll be back.

Knowing that I won’t be going Down There for at least a few more days, I got the urge to make snacks.  I roasted some chick peas and shook a mixture of garlic and herbs on them.  Very good, but the recipe called for them to be in the oven way too long, so a lot of them were burnt.  Then I baked a spinach dip.  That turned out pretty good.  Tomorrow I will try to make some crackers.

We had afternoon blue sky and sunshine with a high of 50, but the sky was mostly cloudy by sunset.

Monday 4/8. It is 36 and just started snowing again at 6:45 am.  A half an hour later the ground is all white. . .

Thought for the day: Sometimes you’re the windshield and sometimes you’re the bug.

April 5, 2019 Getting Our Porch Back

(No photos today.  Having a problem uploading them.)

Monday 4/1. I found the year’s first tick on Jesse yesterday morning, and, no wonder, the way he is running all over and through the bushes.

We chipped and shoveled more ice.  I moved more wood from the porch to the shed and completed the first row in the shed.  Wow!  April 1 and we already have one row of fire wood for next winter.

This afternoon I baked two large loaves of pumpkin bread that always turn out so delicious.

We haven’t seen the deer or their tracks for several days now.  They are probably spending more time grazing on the south slopes where they don’t have to wade through the snow and there is lots of new food.

Another beautiful day with clouds floating across the sky and a high of 56.

Tuesday 4/2. It is 38 with mostly clear skies this morning, but a front is due in this evening bringing rain.  Had a nice, long chat with Sandy, always so much fun.

I moved more wood to the shed, starting the second row and finishing the east row of large wood on the porch.  I was able to move the rocker and a chair to the south end and set the other two chairs on the north end.  We also chipped and shoveled more ice from the stone steps.

The dogs and I hiked down to the game cam and I am thinking I should be able to drive Miss Kitty out early next week.  I exchanged the card in the game cam but there were no pictures as the batteries are dead.

I don’t remember ever seeing so many pine cones Up Here.  I gathered a large yard bag full, and it’s not even noticeable where I did it.

Clouds moved in by mid-afternoon and our high for the day was 57.

Larry and Elsie said to let them know what day I think I can drive out and Larry will drive up the day before in his four-wheeler to see if it can be done.  What would we do without our neighbors?!

Wednesday 4/3. It is 42 and partly cloudy this morning with a breeze.  No rain last night, but by mid-day the sky was overcast and we could see it raining to the west, headed our way.  The rain arrived here at about 1:00 pm but only stayed about ½ hour.  Then it was mostly sunny and very windy for the rest of the day.

I was unable to post this morning as we had a very poor internet connection.  Very frustrating.

After dishes and laundry, I sat out on the porch in the sun with the last of my coffee.  When we first moved Up Here, I had a hard time sitting still very long.  Now I have a hard time getting up. . .

Our high for the day was 59.

Thursday 4/4. It is 36 and clear this morning, and there’s a lot of melting going on!

We pumped up the rear tires on the tractor so JB could move it to some dry ground and let the ice and snow melt where it was.

We both sat on the porch during the day, enjoying the warm sun.  Our high was 52.

This evening the dogs were acting as if there was definitely a big critter outside.  I couldn't see anything, but there was a strong odor like a bear or an elk.

Friday 4/5. It is 38 and mostly cloudy this morning.  It rained during the night and we have a possibility of thunderstorms during the day.

Thought for the day: I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting system through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in.  George Washington Carver

April 3, 2019 No Blog Today Due To Computer Issues

April 1, 2019 Out Like A Lamb

(No photos today - Google is not cooperating.)

Friday 3/29. The overcast gradually broke up during the day and by late afternoon we had mostly blue sky and sunshine with a high of 52.

The girls gave us two eggs today - one large and one very small one.

I opened a can of freeze-dried shredded mozzarella cheese to use on a pizza.  With fingers crossed, we put together one with ham and pineapple.  It turned out great!  That was our last of any kind of meat for pizza so next week we will just have a cheese and onion one.

Saturday 3/30. It is 36 with clear skies this morning, which means the dogs can walk on top of the snow and the paths will be solid enough that we won’t post-hole, at least on our morning walk.  JB and I have been enjoying sitting on the bench on the south ridge during our walk.

It is such a glorious day that we are spending most of it outside.  JB did some more chopping and shoveling of ice.  I went on poop patrol again (JB’s term).  I also started moving wood from the east side of the porch to the wood shed, just carrying armloads of it.  I really want to get my porch back as soon as possible.

I have been immersing myself in my angel books this past week.  I have quite a library of them and want to weed some out, if possible.  I have been fascinated with them since I saw my own guardian angel in 1975.

Huge, dark clouds began floating over in the late afternoon, but went mainly to the south and north as usual.  Our high for the day was 56, but I am sure it was at least 60 in the sun.

Sunday 3/31.  March certainly is going out like a lamb this year.  It is 36 again this morning with a mostly clear sky.  This month has really zipped by, unlike February.

Moved some more wood to the wood shed until the path just got too slippery in today’s warm sun.  We enjoyed the bench on the south ridge in the morning, and during the afternoon, I went to sit on the north ride bench for a while.  Again, huge, dark clouds floated in during mid-afternoon, and again they went mostly to the north and south.  Looked like Mission Ridge may have received some more snow.  Our high for the day was 60 which is, as far as I am concerned, a perfect temperature.

Monday 4/1. This first day of April is starting out with 38 and mostly clear skies.

Thought for the day: Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.  Maslow