January 31, 2018 A Birthday, More Wind & A Special Full Moon

Tracks of the often present &
sometimes dangerous
Sno-Bommbe.

Bright moon shining on the snow
with the lights from town
to the right.

The bright, rising moon.

Monday 1/29. I worked on Elsie's birthday present today, as I have been for the past couple weeks.  It's not that difficult, it's just that my hands are not steady enough to do what I wanted.  So I had to undo what looked awful and start over.  Her birthday was today, so obviously the gift will be late.

Valley fog kept trying to move in, but never quite made it.  The sun was able to peek through the clouds mid day for just a few minutes, but other than that it was a very gray, dreary day with a high of 40.  Lots of melting going on.

A light rain was falling when the dogs and I went on our afternoon walk, and increased to a heavier, steady rain later on with occasional downpours.  Typical Seattle day.  The wind arrived in the late afternoon, and was gusting to 19 mph by 9:30 pm.

Tuesday 1/30. It was 28 with blue skies and a wind gusting to 14 mph this morning.  Everything that melted yesterday froze during the night.

We saw the tracks of several deer, large and small, who had walked along the south ridge during the night.  I also saw tracks across the driveway when I walked down to test out a new card in our game cam.  The one our son sent to us was 32gig and our computers could not read it.  So we are using a 4gig that I had for my camera.  It works fine, so we should have some photos soon.

About a month ago we stopped turning the power on unless we are using it.  This will help the batteries to last longer and we do not have to use the generator as much.  We use our computers on their batteries during the day, and they recharge while we have the power on in the evening when watching movies.

We tried putting one of the tracks back on the snow blower, but there is obviously a trick to it that which we have not yet discovered. . .  So we spent some time shoveling the snow off the tarps on top of the chicken run.  Always something to do.

Despite the wind gusting to 18 mph, I took the dogs on an afternoon walk.  Not sure just why. . .  What is it with this wind lately?!

Can't believe it is the end of January already.  Always glad to say goodbye to this month.

As promised tonight's moon was big and VERY bright!  None but the brightest stars could compete with it.  The clouds moved in so we weren't able to see the "blood" part, but the rest was amazing.

Wednesday 1/31. It is 26 and overcast this morning and we still have a wind.

Thought for the day: The very least you can do in your life is t figure out what you hope for.  And the most you can do is live inside that hope, running down its hallways, touching the walls on both sides.  Barbara Kingsolver

January 29, 2018 Snow & Grooming The Road

Ice & snow slipping off
back of wood shed roof.

MAX & the tree across the road.

On our way back up the road,
 JB:"Gateway to Heaven"

Friday 1/26. That wall of snow never did arrive today, except for a couple hours of very small, intermittent flakes during mid day.  JB drove MAX up and around the south ridge a couple times to make better paths.  I shoveled the path to the generator/battery shed, then cleared off the back of the wood shed roof from the ice so more snow could slide off.

After lunch JB used the tractor to clear in front of the house and by the vehicles.  I drove the snow blower up to the north ridge and back, then groomed the tractor ridges.  I also shoveled off the deck - very easy this winter with our new snow shovel.  We wanted to get this all done before the "big snow event" that is supposed to arrive about 10:00 pm tonight.

We finished season two of The Americans this evening.  Very good!

Saturday 1/27. It was 23 and snowing heavily when I got up at 8:00 am, but the snow quit falling just a few minutes later after leaving another 5-1/2".  It looked more like 7" or 8".

JB backed the snow blower out of the shop and somehow the tracks came off.  Couldn't get them back on, so I brought them inside to warm up and hopefully become more pliable.  Will try again tomorrow.  He used the tractor instead to clear out as much of the new snowfall as possible.  And I did a little shoveling.

Late in the morning the wind popped up as predicted.  It moved in at 23 mph and worked its way up to 38 mph for several hours, causing white-outs with snow off the trees.  Very nasty!  After lunch, JB insisted on driving MAX down to groom the road in the midst of it all.  About a mile down there was a tree across the road that he could not move by himself, so he came back up and baked some banana bread.

The wind continued until around 7:00 pm when it finally calmed.  No snow left on the trees by then.  Our high for the day was 37.  And it was a 3-egg day!

Forgot to mention that on Thursday I used the last of the wood in the fourth row and started on the fifth of seven.  Still plenty of fire wood left, especially considering what is on the porch.

This evening we started watching season 6 of Game of Thrones.  Love this series!

Sunday 1/28. It was 30 and we were fogged in this morning.  Received another 1/2" of snow overnight.  The Mission Ridge avalanche canon was booming, keeping the dogs inside.

After the morning walk, we drove MAX down the road to groom it and move the tree.  (Did not take the dogs.)  A very enjoyable drive.  Back home, JB drove up and around the south ridge to pack down the new snow.

The sun tried chasing the fog back down into the canyons and finally succeeded around 3:00 pm.  A very nice day with a high of 38.

Monday 1/29. It is a warm 38 this morning with overcast skies and fog lake lapping at the foot of the mountains.

Thought for the day: There are no traffic jams along the extra mile.  Roger Stauback

January 26, 2018 A Long Trip Down There

Sharing the couch.

Wednesday 1/24. JB was on his way Down There in MAX at about 8:45 am.  He gave me a call when he got to Miss Kitty asking "Where's the key?"  Well, it seems that when we took Miss Kitty down to park her at the main canyon road, I put the key in my jacket pocket instead of under the seat.  And there it remained until he called. . .

So he had to drive MAX all the way down to the Jeep.  The problem with that is that the road has been plowed and well traveled.  MAX doesn't do so well on a hard surface with the tracks on.  It was slow going, but he made it in about 1-1/2 hours total.  Then it was on to his doctor's appointment, where he got a clean bill of health.  He just has to go back one more time in three months.

While he was gone, I hung up the laundry; trudged through our morning walk, cleaning off the solar panels along the way; gave the girls their scratch and got one egg; gave the dogs their morning treat; brought in the firewood; and did the dishes.  Also took a short nap and read my book.  And folded the laundry.

I looked out the window around 11:00 am and big flakes were slowly drifting down.  They kept on coming til around 3:00 pm, but we only got about another 1/4".  

JB arrived home about 3:15 pm, very tired but feeling good about what the doctor had to say.

Our high for the day was 33.

Thursday 1/25. It was 23 and partly cloudy this morning.  We enjoyed a relaxing morning reading the papers and magazines that JB brought up yesterday.

The blue sky soon disappeared and a light snow moved in around 11:00 am and kept coming til about 3:00, just like yesterday.  And, once again, we only received about another 1/4".  The dogs and I enjoyed sunshine on our afternoon walk, but around 4:30 a strong wind came threw, chasing any clouds away and blowing snow off the trees.  Our high for the day was 30.

I have really been into cooking lately, and today, just for fun, I tried a sweet-and-sour spam casserole recipe that I found in an old school cookbook from 1970.  It was surprisingly tasty!  When I was growing up, spam was a necessity when going camping.  And my Dad liked it fried for breakfast instead of bacon.

Friday 1/26. The sky is mostly clear this morning except for in the west where there is a big wall of snow moving in.  The temp is 26 with a wind gusting to 17 mph.  

Thought for the day: Yes, I have OCD - I am old, cranky and dangerous.

January 24, 2018 More Snow

Path to the north ridge.

Monday 1/22. We had actually received another 1/2" of snow during the night.  January is such a "down" month.  We usually cannot do much outside except for daily chores and walks.  Today we didn't go on an afternoon walk because the wind was gusting to 17 mph, which gave us a wind chill of 18, instead of the 30 that the temperature gauge showed.  Our high for the day was 33.

Actually, I think I was just lazy today and it felt good.

This evening, on the radio, Larry told us that a cougar had taken down a deer and dragged it across the road just below their house.  A big trail of blood and very large tracks.

We watched Atomic Blonde this evening.  Wow!!  Going to have to watch it several more times just to figure it out.  Lots of twists and turns.  One of the things I like about having a DVD is all the special features.  We watched how they made the very long fight scene which was all one take.  Amazing!

Tuesday 1/23. It was 26 and trying to snow at 8:00 am.  By 8:30 it was really coming down in tiny flakes.  It snowed all day and by 4:00 pm we had 3".  Our high for the day was 28.

It was another slow, winter day for me.  Am really into cooking lately and made a delicious chicken stew for dinner.  JB baked to loaves of banana bread.

JB drove MAX down to the main canyon road this afternoon to groom the road a bit.  He has to go Down There tomorrow for his last check-up on his back.  Also has to buy gas.  I gathered everything he will need for his trip.

We started the second season of The Americans this evening.  Very good series!

Wednesday 1/24. It is 28 and overcast this morning with high valley fog.  The forecast calls for snow through tomorrow.  Haven't yet measured to see how much we got overnight.

Thought for the day: Never put the key to your happiness in someone else's pocket.

January 22, 2018 Snow & Relaxing Winter Days

My custard pie from such an
easy recipe!

Friday 1/19. The snow has frozen again, so the dogs can walk and run over the top of it leaving barely an inch indentation.

Just a nice quiet day on the mountain.

Saturday 1/20. It was 28 and mostly cloudy with a brisk breeze this morning that blew all day.

JB used the tractor to move some snow from where we park MAX and Miss Kitty, and level it off.  I knew I had to get some sorting and throwing done, so I started with one of my desk drawers.  Where in the world did half this crap come from?!

I was looking through one of my cookbooks and found a recipe we like but I haven't made for years.  It takes a while and uses two pots, a frying pan, a large bowl and a casserole dish, but it is worth the effort.

Ominous-looking black clouds were coming in from the southwest late this afternoon.  Our high for the day was 34.

Sunday 1/21. It was 30 this morning and started snowing heavily a little before 7:00 am.  By 11:00 am we had received an inch.  Snow kept falling off and on all day, but we barely got another 1/4".  Then about 4:00 pm, heavy snow moved in again, so we will see what the morning brings.

I found an incredibly easy recipe for custard pie in an old cookbook I had found at the thrift shop.  I love custard!  I could eat it every day and not tire of it.  So I made the pie and it turned out great.  All ingredients are mixed in a blender, which includes Bisquick.  Turns out the Bisquick settles to the bottom and sides, creating a lovely crust.  I'm quite sure I will be making this often.

Another quiet, inside day, with a high of 34.

Monday 1/22. This morning the temperature is 29 with partly cloudy skies and a breeze gusting to 10 mph.  Less than 1/4" of new snow.

Thought for the day: Go forth under the open sky and listen to Nature's teachings. William Cullen Bryant

January 19, 2018 Eggs & More Warm Weather

Dinga making snow angels.

Wednesday 1/17. Yesterday and today the girls gave us four eggs!  The older ones have decided to lay again, too.

After lunch I drove Miss Kitty down to the main canyon road, with JB following in MAX.  I parked her there and we both rode back in MAX, with JB grooming the road as we went.

I received a very interesting article from Sandy regarding the October fires in Santa Rosa and how they made "some local residents question their complicated relationship with possessions."  Both residents who lost everything and those who lost nothing.  More and more people becoming minimalists.  "Love people and use things, because the opposite never works."

We were in the clouds all day and our high was 30.  Still much warmer than normal by five to eight degrees.

Thursday 1/18. It was 32 and breezy this morning.  Snow was falling when JB got up at 6:45 am, but the sky was mostly clear when I got up at 8:00.  Only got a heavy trace, nothing measurable.

JB spent the afternoon baking - banana-chocolate chip muffins and banana bread.  I vacuumed in the morning, wanting to use all the incoming power before the sun disappeared.

The girls gave us three eggs today.  That's eleven eggs in three days!  And in the winter!

Clouds moved in and the sky was overcast by late afternoon.  Our high for the day was 36.

Larry and Elsie drove up to play marbles.  Snow began falling when they arrived at 5:30.  Lots of laughter with the marbles, especially when the ladies win both games. . .

Friday 1/19. It is 28 and mostly cloudy this morning.  Looks like just another heavy dusting of snow overnight.

Thought for the day: Sorrow is how we learn to love.  Your heart isn't breaking, it hurts because it is getting larger.  The larger it gets, the more love it holds.  From Riding Shotgun by Rita Mae Brown

January 17. 2018 Well Pump Seems To Be Working!

The sun working hard
to burn off the fog.

Snow slipping off the roof
of the wood shed.

Monday 1/15. I was on my way Down There in Miss Kitty a little before 9:00 am.  First stop, the laundromat, which usually takes 1-1/2 hours depending upon how many items I have to fold.  Then on to Costco and Fred Meyer, buying water and a few other items, since I was down there.

Back at Larry and Elsie's, had a nice chat with Elsie and was home just before 3:00 pm.  In order to get up our driveway, I had to shovel about 50' in the middle of the tracks to keep Miss Kitty from belly panning.  This will certainly be the last trip UP our road for Miss Kitty until the thaw.  In the next day or two we will drive her down to the main road and park her there, using MAX to go back and forth.  We did that a few years ago and it worked out very well.

Tuesday 1/16. It was 31 and overcast with 1" of new snow this morning.  The cloud cover soon disappeared and the fight began between the sun and the fog.  Today the sun won out!  The fog remained in the canyons and valleys, but we had a nice sunny day with a high of 37.  

We spent a leisurely morning reading newspapers and magazines, then took the dogs for the morning walk.  The past several days we have seen a lot of new deer tracks, as we did today.

JB got the card out of the game cam yesterday, but we need their specific software in order to download the pictures.  He will take care of that tomorrow.

In Sunday's paper I discovered an article "In Memory of Sue Grafton"!!  I had no idea that she had passed away in December.  She wrote the Kinsey Milhone alphabet mysteries that I love so much.  Last year she released Y is for Yesterday, which I have not yet read.  Her family says that as far as they are concerned, the alphabet ends in Y.

We each took a short shower today, as JB is fairly certain that he had resolved the issue with the well pump.  He ran the pump and, sure enough, water was coming in!  

Since we will be driving Miss Kitty down to park at the main canyon road tomorrow, today I put a new fuse in for the windshield wiper.  We really need a new wiper also, but at least it works now.  Also gassed up both MAX and Miss Kitty.  I have driven Miss Kitty so much that we are running low on gas.  Will have to buy some more next trip Down There.

While we were getting an inch of snow last night, Larry and Elsie were getting pouring rain.  Pouring so hard it actually woke them up.  They are about 2000' below us and a little to the west.  I doubt I will ever figure out our mountain weather.

Wednesday 1/17. It is 26 and lightly snowing this morning.  Must have just started, as there is very little white on the porch stairs.

Thought for the day: Books turn muggles into wizards.