May 15, 2015 A Break in the Rain

Raindrops on lupine leaves.

Wednesday 5/13. The steady rain soon became a downpour and 46 remained our high for the day.  The memory of all those depressing Seattle days is returning. . .

Blondie had already laid her egg for the day by the time I went to give the girls their breakfast and clean the hen house at the usual time.  It was still so warm that I think it had just barely hardened.

We received 1/2" of rain from 7:00 am Tuesday to 7:00 am today.  I had to clean the drainage channels of needles and other dam building materials.  I have watched the water run down those channels for the past several year and tried to think of a way to capture it.  I think I have devised a way that involves some pvc pipe and 50-gal drums.  Will see what we can get done this year.

The skies gradually brightened and the downpour let up a bit around noon.  At that point we had received a total of 1-1/2" since it all started at 5:30 pm on Monday.

I was a little more successful in cleaning up my crafting area today, but mainly read a book I just started from the several that JB's Mom sent back with him.  It's by a new author for me, Chris Kuzneski, and is reminiscent of Clive Cussler but better written.  I also made another large batch of humming bird syrup.
JB worked on his computer a lot, a project in politics/government that he and Larry are working on.  He also started to get the stand for the generator ready.  And together we worked on some crossword puzzles.  The ones we can't complete, we send to Sandy.

I made scalloped potatoes and ham for dinner.  My Mom made this a lot when I was growing up and taught me how to make it.  It has become one of our favorites.

Thursday 5/14. It was 40 and still raining this morning.  So far we have received about 2-1/4", which is a lot for over here in such a short time period.  The well-pump company says they will be up as soon as we call, as they put people who have no water at the top of their list.  Unfortunately there is no way they can get their truck Up Here until the road dries out, and we don't even have the generator unloaded from JB's Jeep yet.  The pump project will cost anywhere from $1000 to $2400.

After breakfast we started up the other generator and washed the dishes.  Haven't had to use it in a long time.  Left it on a little longer to help juice up the batteries.

There are so very many balsam root plants this year that is looks as if they are what is holding the mountain together.  Their roots can get six to eight feet long.  And I am sure that every plant, shrub and blade of grass has doubled in size from the rain.  JB is going to have a lot of mowing to do when it all dries out.

The rain finally stopped falling around mid-day.  JB took the dogs on a walk at 1:30 pm, and I lay down for a nap at 2:00 pm.  When I awoke at 3:00 pm, there were patches of blue sky and the sun was shining!  I took the dogs on their regular afternoon walk and it was quite obvious that they were thrilled to be out and about.  So was I.  After the sun popped out, our high for the day was 50.  Looks like I may have a dry birthday weekend after all.

I plan to go Down There tomorrow, but just for shopping and running errands.  No laundry.

Friday 5/15. It is 50 with blue skies this morning.  Hopefully the road has dried out a bit and I won't slip and slide on my way Down There.

A note to my "anonymous" brother-in-law: We do appreciate the gluten-free, but bark, balsam root, miner's lettuce and pine nuts are the good stuff. . .

Thought for the day: A vigorous five-mile walk will do more good for an unhappy but otherwise healthy adult than all the medicine and psychology in the world. Paul Dudley White

May 13, 2015 JB Brought the Rain

Protecting the food source.

Monday 5/11. Jesse woke me up at 11:45 pm and 2:45 am to go outside, so I overslept a bit.  After posting my blog I did last minute chores, defrosted the fridge and freezer, washed the dishes.  Barely made it out the door by noon to go down to Larry and Elsie's.  Filled our containers with water and took a shower.  Was about to leave when JB arrived!  He made really good time having to go via Yakima to pick up the repaired generator.  And it is really good to have him home again.

The forecast for rain was finally right, or perhaps JB brought it with him.  Once again it looked like the clouds were dropping rain everywhere except on us, then it did arrive at 5:30 pm.  One cloudburst, then another, and then a steady downpour.  No thunder or lightening though, thank goodness.

JB brought me big box of See's candy as a birthday present from him and his Mom.  Yippee!!  (My birthday is next Sunday.)

We started watching season one of Elementary this evening.  Very well done.

Tuesday 5/12. It was 45 and raining this morning.  Continued fluctuating between sprinkles and downpours most of the day, sometime stopping altogether.  But raining or not, we were always in the clouds.  A typical Seattle day, but we really do need it.  No fluctuation in the temperature.  45 was also our high for the day.

Definitely an inside day.  JB didn't even make it off the porch, and I only went out a few times to take care of the chickens and collect eggs.  Two today.  Am getting wood off the porch, so that wasn't an issue.

We have at least two male wrens Up Here now, both singing their hearts out in competition for a mate.  One of them has become very interested in the bird house.  I hope he decides to make his nest in there.  No one did last year.

I worked a bit in the loft trying to sort and organize my crafting area, but without much success.  I really have too much stuff, and don't want to get rid of anything.  After all, I might need it for some really cool project.  Meanwhile, JB took a couple naps.  He woke up this morning with a swollen big toe and realized it was his gout.  Too much red meat last week.

The rain barrels are filling up nicely.  I would say we got about 30 gallons by 3:00 pm, mostly from the wood shed roof.

I want to go Down There this week for groceries, so will probably go on Thursday, as more rain is in the forecast for tomorrow in the form of thunder storms.

Wednesday 5/13. It is 46 with a steady rain this morning.

Thought for the day: There are angels whose job it is to be sure you do not get too warm, too glad or too comfortable and miss out on life. . .

May 11, 2015 Eggs, Witching & A Good Mother's Day

A busy humming bird feeder.

Sweet peas and balsam root on the north ridge.

Friday 5/8. My brother, RJ, called to say he was up at his cabin for a few days.  I had been planning to take our winter's worth of glass bottles and a 50-gallon drum down to him, so that is what I did this morning after breakfast.  A nice, long run for the dogs instead of their walk.  Had a good visit with RJ and invited him up for breakfast on Sunday.

After lunch I split and stacked two wheel barrow loads of wood.  I really think these two trees we cut down will almost fill the end of the wood shed.  We may end up just leaving the other trees we plan to cut in rounds until next Spring.

Had a nice, long talk with our son as he drove home from work.  Don't know how he stands their hot, humid weather in Alabama.  It's been in the 80's for a few weeks now.

After dinner the dogs and I went up the to south ridge and I sat on the bench for a while, just vegging.  Well, Dinga and I got all the way up to the bench.  Now that snakes are out and about, Jesse will not go much further than the top of the east end of the loop road.  And he will definitely not walk on the west end, as that is where we have been seeing the snakes.  No rattlers yet though.

Saturday 5/9. It was 58 and mostly clear this morning.  I heard wild turkeys just down from the north ridge on our morning walk.  Had to finally get busy inside today.  Did dishes and vacuuming after our walk.  Then split and stacked two loads of wood.  After a late lunch, split and stacked two more.

A light overcast formed and turned the day a bit muggy.  There are thunder storms in the forecast for next week.  Our high for the day was 65.

I ripped out most of the patch of devil's thorn and gave it to the girls who eagerly devoured it.  Every day I give them a few handfuls of miner's lettuce, dandelion leaves and grass.  They have dug up and eaten most of the grass in the new part of their run.  They must be loving it as they give us at least one and usually two eggs a day.  We just got three eggs, two days in a row!

I watched Guardians of the Galaxy for the second time this evening.  What an entertaining movie!  Love the music!

Sunday 5/10.  It was 52 with a light, partial overcast this morning.  I got up and stayed up at 6:30 am.  So much easier to get up this early when it is so light out, and I promised myself a nap later in the day.  Baked a banana coffee cake for breakfast, then made bacon and scrambled eggs with fresh tomatoes when RJ arrived at 9:00 am.

After breakfast we drove down to RJ's short cut turnoff and began looking for the trail to our spring.  Finally found the overgrown trail and then the spring, which has a nice, big puddle.  It's a ways up from the road, so we determined where the water may cross it.  RJ drove back to his cabin and the dogs and I hiked back home.  After a bit of a rest, I found my witching "sticks" and we hiked back down.  I witched the whole length of the road down from the spring and found where there might be a good place in which to drive a pipe.

Back home, I lay down for my promised nap.  Mmmm, it felt so good.  Then I split and stacked two wheel barrow loads of wood.  This morning it seemed like the day was going to be much warmer than it was, but the overcast became heavier, and our high was 65.  Definitely warm enough to snooze a bit on the porch.

We have quite an assortment of wild flowers blooming Up Here now.  Lupine, arnica, Douglas tritaria, flox and sweet peas are mixed in with the balsam root.  I just love Spring!

Each of our hens seem to lay their eggs at different times of the day.  Blondie always lays shortly after their breakfast, usually between 9:00 and 10:00 am.  Betty lays her eggs late in the afternoon, sometimes just before I collect them at the end of our afternoon walk and they are still quite warm.  Not too sure about Belinda, but I think she lays just after Blondie does.

I am eating a lot more dried fruits now.  I figure if I can get my sugar from dried fruit instead of M&M's, I'll be ahead of the game.

Buster came up to visit Jesse and Dinga a little after 4:00 pm.  Quite unusual, as he usually visits in the early morning.

JB's family is having a big Mother's Day dinner for his Mom with kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids.  So he will be there for her and get to see everyone.

I will have to make more humming bird syrup tomorrow.  Have already filled the feeders a second time, and now they need more. . .

Monday 5/11. It is 55 with a light overcast this morning.  I am going down to Larry and Elsie's to get water and take a shower.  A real shower!  JB should be home by 3:30 pm.

Thought for the day: Happiness is to hold flowers in both hands. Japanese saying

May 8, 2015 Ditzy's Two Dusty Trips

The huge iris garden in town with just about every
color imaginable.

One of my favorites.

Wednesday, 5/6. I actually managed to get on my way Down There at 9:00 am.  It was a dusty ride, but worth it with all the flowers.  Bouquets of balsam root greeted me along our road and with the occasional flox mixed in.  All day I watched the clouds drop rain to the north, south and west of town.  Took me a little longer than I thought it would to run my errands, but I was home by 2:30, and with all the laundry this time.  No rain, but we did have a short hail storm pass over a little after 5:00 pm.  Our high for the day was only 54, but it seemed like the high 60's in town.

I'm on a roll catching up with movies I should have seen ten to fifteen years ago but never did.  This evening I watched Good Will Hunting, and my list of favorites keeps getting longer.

Thursday 5/7. It was 38 and clear this morning.  Got up at 6:15 am with the dogs and stayed up, but I lay down on the couch at 8:30 for a little snooze, knowing that JB would wake me up when he called at 9:00 am as he does every morning.

He is getting to watch the Chicago Blackhawks in the hockey play-offs, so that is really a treat for him.  We had a nice chat and he said there is a hot weekend in the forecast.  Supposed to be in the 80's over there.  Very unusual for May.

After we hung up, I took another look at the Ace Hardware advertisement for their Mother's Day sale and decided to hop down and buy myself a Mother's Day present.  I left at about 9:45 am, another dusty ride down.  Treated myself to a latte and a blueberry fritter.  Then went to Stan's, which is the big Ace Hardware and more, in town.  Ended up buying two items, neither of which were on sale: a little watering can and a great T-shirt.  I was going to post a photo of it but Randy called after I got home and I told him I was going to wear it when Nene and I came to visit, so I want it to be a surprise.

I finally got to take advantage of our AAA membership benefits - locked my keys in the car.  I don't remember having ever done that before.  A tow truck was there within 15 minutes and had my door open in less than one minute.  Then I went to visit Larry and Elsie, and told them about Ditzy's latest adventure. . .

For seven years I have driven past a house in town that has the most amazing garden of irises.  And every year I intend to take photos but never do.  Well, today I did, and they are just phenomenal.

After another dusty ride home, I ate lunch and went out to split some wood.  Split and stacked two big wheel barrow loads, each about 3/4 the size of the tractor bucket.  Added some rocks to the little wall I am building.  Cut some dead rose bushes from near the chicken run and discovered a large patch of devil's thorn which I will clear out tomorrow.  Also pulled a lot of grass and other plants from the graveled area.  Suddenly everything is getting really tall!

Finished my book and just puttzed around inside and out.  It was a beautiful day with a high of 64 and no breeze.  Didn't watch anything this evening.

Friday 5/8. It is 54 and clear this morning.  No fire needed.  Lots on my list of things to do today.

Thought for the day: Instant gratification is not soon enough. Meryl Streep

May 6, 2015 Wind & Snakes

The small rock wall I am building.

Monday 5/4. JB got on the road at 7:15 am, and I was too wide awake to go back to bed.  After making my coffee, feeding the girls and the dogs, and then eating my own breakfast, I sat on the porch.  So nice not to have a schedule.  JB can be quite the taskmaster who likes daily schedules, so it was nice to know that I didn't have to get started on the dishes at 9:30.  I could sit and snooze in the warm sun on the porch.  So I did.

JB arrived at his brother's house a little after 1:00 pm after dropping the generator off in Yakima to be repaired.  A very long drive.

About noon big, dark, fluffy clouds began drifting over from the west.  A few of them actually looked like they could shoot lightening, roar with thunder and drop buckets of rain, but none of them did.  However they did leave in their wake 15 mph wind gusts as they disappeared to the NE around 4:00 pm.

After lunch, and finally doing the dishes, I spent some time building a small rock wall on the south side of the house where the gravel is.  I used all of the rocks JB had dumped there and got almost half done.  Found devil's thorn growing there, so I pulled it and went on a concentrated hunt for more.  Fortunately the girls like it.  Mrs. Gridder said that their pygmy goats like it also, but she called it by its other name: goats head.  The makes those cute little kids sound a bit cannibalistic. . .

JB called again to let me know that his Mom's operation has been rescheduled from tomorrow to June 25!  Seems information got mixed up and they didn't take her off the right meds.  He is going to stay for the week anyway to visit and take her to some other appointments.

I saw a green racer snake on our morning walk, and later in the afternoon I saw a large bull snake near the wood by the splitter.  Will definitely be on the lookout for rattlers, although we have never seen one earlier that the first week in June.

I watched the movie Love Actually this evening, about twelve years late.  I had heard a lot about it, and it is just as good as everyone said it was.

Tuesday 5/5. It was 44 and mostly clear with wind gusting to 16 mph.

This is one of those mornings that I simply could not do Sudoku.  I always wonder what else I shouldn't be doing if I can't figure it out. . .

By 10:30 am when we braved the wind to go on a morning walk, it was gusting to 22 mph and was very cold.  Definitely an inside day, sun shining or not.  I started a book by John Sandford, Heat Lightening.  I always enjoy his books.

My friend, Jane, from N. Carolina called and we had a nice, long chat.  Then shortly afterwards my son called, on his hour-long drive home from work.

I got the laundry all bagged up and in the car and lists made for my trip Down There tomorrow.  Changed the covers on the living room furniture.

The wind had calmed down to about 15 mph by the time of our afternoon walk, although it was still very cold.  Saw a long snake the color of a rubber boa, but I didn't think they could move as fast as this one did.

I watched Guardians of the Universe this evening.  What fun!

Wednesday 5/6. This morning is 44 and clear with a light wind.  Hope to be on my way Down There by 9:00 am.

Thought for the day: If I were to name the three most precious resources of life, I should say books, friends and nature; and the greatest of these, at least the most constant and always at hand, is nature. John Burroughs

May 4, 2015 Crickets, Frogs, Pygmy Goats & A Snake

Rose feeding a pygmy goat.

The huge, old lilac bush blooming
down in the canyon.

The rubber boa, our first snake of the year.

Friday 5/1. This morning was 50 and mostly clear with a cool breeze that stayed around all day.  By the time of our afternoon walk, it had increased to a wind that was gusting into the mid teens.  Our high for the day was 65 (not counting the wind chill.)

We both spent the day on little projects.  Moved Miss Kitty's plow back to where it belongs for the summer.  Used the tractor to nudge some rounds closer to the splitter, then parked it where it belongs.  I broke and clipped a pile of deformed branches caused by mistletoe into small pieces for chipping.  JB filled the gas tanks in all the vehicles and generator for me.  Tilted the solar panels all the way up.  And had time to sit on the porch and just enjoy the day.

I am getting firewood from the last row on the south end of the porch now, and because of the warm weather, am finding large crickets and small frogs clinging to some of the pieces.  They don't bother me, just things with more than four legs.

More NCIS tonight.  So entertaining!

Saturday 5/2. This morning was 45 and clear.  After the call from JB's Mom, we both bundled up and sat outside on the porch with the dogs.

The Gridders got their pygmy goats last weekend.  Larry and Elsie had their grandchildren today and got an OK to bring them down to see the goats, and I went too.  They are SO cute!  Got some great photos with the kids and children. . .

JB didn't come with me as he was doing all his last minute things to get ready for his trip to the other side of the mountains on Monday.  Doesn't want to have to do anything on Sunday except pack.

I finally saw one of the wrens today.  They love to perch on top of our extra tipi poles we have in the wood shed area.

Our high for the day was 55, but I am sure it was pushing 70 down at Gridder's.

Larry and Gridder were going to come up tomorrow to put the generator in JB's Jeep for us, but because Mrs. Gridder's family was going to be there for their youngest son's birthday, Larry grabbed another on-the-grid neighbor and brought him up this evening to do it.  What would we do without our friends and neighbors?!

Sunday 5/3.  It was 50 and clear this morning.  Since JB will be with his Mother next Sunday for Mother's Day, he made my Mother's Day breakfast this morning: German pancakes with brown sugar and peaches.  Yum!

JB got all organized and packed for his trip.  I spent time outside with daily chores, and took about an hour to prune the wild rose bushes in the yard and get rid of dead ones.

The May 11 issue of Time magazine is mainly about the Baltimore riots and the Nepal earthquake.  If I were Nepalese, I could easily believe that the gods were angry with my country for allowing all the foreigners to desecrate the Himalayan mountains.  The many expeditions have left so much junk behind!  But with all the bad news, I loved the page about "Baseball's Biggest Snack Stunts."  The one that had me drooling is the Fried S'mores at the Texas Rangers' stadium: $8 for a graham-cracker-coated marshmallow between two deep-fried Oreos - all placed on a skewer and drizzled with chocolate.  Oh, my!

We were just leaving on our afternoon walk, when Gridder and his family and in-laws drove up.  What a great visit we had!  Showed them our home and the main viewpoints, and talked and talked and talked.  Their oldest son found a big, brown rubber boa snake near the north ridge.  They are really a cool snake and their son carried it wound around his hand.  Unfortunately Mrs. Gridder is NOT a fan of snakes.

Monday 5/4.  It is 45 and clear this morning with wind and rain with possible thunder storms in the forecast for the next few days.  JB was up before 6:00 am getting ready and plans to leave by 7:00 am.

Thought for the day: That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons of history. Aldous Huxley

May 1, 2015 Memories of May Day

Bear grass (aka beautimous yellow
stalk flower), in focus this time.

Wednesday 4/29. Our new lilac and mock orange seedlings are starting to bud, but there is no change in the rose of sharon.  I hope the snow and hail didn't kill it.

After lunch I made a run down in Miss Kitty to pick up the mail and get water at Larry and Elsie's.  And, of course, let their dogs out for a potty break and a treat when I leave.  JB finished disconnecting the generator while I was gone.

The huge, old lilac bush on the edge of a small field down in the canyon is blooming.  One of the last remnants of an old homestead, and simply gorgeous with its deep purple blooms.  It is almost painful to look at all the incredible flowers this Spring.

A little cooler today with an icy breeze.  Our high was 55.

This evening we watched The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel which has now been added to my list of favorites.  A movie I could watch over and over, and probably will.

Thursday 4/30. It was 40 and clear this morning.  I was up with the dogs at 7:00 am and stayed up.  One of those rare mornings when I have time to fix my coffee before I have to feed the girls and dogs.

And, speaking of hens, little Blondie is at the bottom of the pecking order but is just too feisty to let it get her down.  About 1/4 of her feathers are missing from being picked (pecked) on, but she doesn't miss a thing.  She goes after the breakfast bananas with wild abandon.  Then, while the other two are gobbling up the cabbage, she comes around to their hen house door for some of the corn I throw out.  Then it's back for more cabbage.  She is really a hoot to watch.

Today we went on our Spring garbage run, and our trailer was packed full.  Also got JB's Jeep gassed up for his trip on Monday, and picked up a few groceries.  Again, the drive down and back up was so enjoyable with all the flowers.

The last day of April!  Where did the month go?

The May issue of the Smithsonian magazine is entitled "The Future is Here."  Fascinating!  Definitely one of their best.  Everything from growing body parts to growing vegetables and foretelling droughts.  An issue full of hope.

A light hazy overcast formed in the early afternoon and our high was 60, with hardly any air movement.

We started watching season one of NCIS on Tuesday and watched more this evening.  Still as entertaining as it ever was.

Friday 5/1. May Day.  Each year this day brings back childhood memories of growing up in Lakeview, OR.  I was in grade school there and every year my Mother and I would have spent the evening before making little baskets out of construction paper.  Then early on May Day morning we would fill them with flowers from our yard: lilacs, roses, sweet peas and perhaps a dandelion or two.  I would take the baskets, sneak up to friends' front doors in the neighborhood, and leave a basket on their doorstep, being very careful not to get caught.  Such delightful memories.   

Thought for the day: Flowers always make people better, happier and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul. Luther Burbank