March 30, 2016 March Going Out Like A Lamb

Lots of melting going on.

Monday 3/28. By 10:00 am the snow and rain had moved off to the northeast and we had lots of blue sky.  The wind soon calmed and it was a beautiful day, until clouds moved in mid afternoon.  Our high was 46.

There is a lot of snow mold where the snow is receding.  Doesn't seem to be bothering us though.

I gathered kindling from the north ridge.  There are lots of small branches down and most of them are still wet.

We watched Grease this evening, which is a favorite of ours.  Such great music and dancing!

Tuesday 3/29. We awoke to a glorious morning of blue sky, bright sunshine and 38 degrees.  Buster must have thought it was a great day for a walk because he arrived at 8:00 am to play.

I vacuumed while JB took the dogs for their morning walk.  Then after lunch he filled Miss Kitty's low tire with Slime and I made a big pot of chicken broth for the dogs.  I also gathered a huge bag of kindling from the east slope.  I would say that half of the snow has melted now.  Our high for today was 50, which is the highest temp so far this year.  Before I took the dogs on their afternoon walk, I uncovered the porch chairs and sat in the sun for a little while.  Looks like March is really going to go out like a lamb.  Can't wait to sit out there with my morning coffee.

JB is going Down There tomorrow for his quarterly pacemaker check-up.  He will also run some errands and buy a few groceries.  The road should be okay, but he wants to leave by 9:00 am while it is still firm.

Wednesday 3/30. It's another gorgeous morning with clear skies and a temp of 42.  Looks like spring really has arrived.

Thought for the day: When you talk you are only repeating what you already know.  But if you listen, you may learn something new.  Dalai Lama

March 28, 2016 Easter Treats & A Rescued Miss Kitty

Candy Easter baskets that I
made on Saturday.

Jesse & Dinga patiently
waiting while we work
on Miss Kitty.

The first balsam root!

Friday 3/25. So it was back down to Miss Kitty today in an effort to free her.  We walked down, as the chain had come off of MAX just as JB was parking him yesterday.  Still could not get the linkage to move from high gear to neutral, so we could not get Miss Kitty started.  It works if we could rock her back and forth, but we couldn't even do that. . .

I finished What Happened to Anna K.?  Just as depressing as the original, but much easier to read.  So my choice for movie tonight was Anna Karenina, which we have had for almost a year but just never watched.  I really didn't care for the "artsy" way in which it was presented.  The acting was good, but it didn't really bring out Anna.  Was more like a very short Cliff Notes version.  You really had to have read the book to get it, and JB hadn't, so I had to explain a lot of things to him.  Now I am done with her for a long while.

It was a sunny but breezy day with a high of 44.  And the girls are still giving us one egg a day.

Saturday 3/26. It was 33 and overcast this morning, but there was no wind.  It is definite that we will not be going over the mountains for the family Easter dinner.  So now that we had finally decided that, I figured it was time for Miss Kitty to come home.

In one of my magazines that I brought up last Wednesday, there was an article about different things to put on one's toast.  It began by saying, "If you are getting tired of avocado on your toast, try these."  I guess I am way behind on such trends because I had never heard of that.  Fortunately I had purchased a couple of avocados.  Oh, my!  That is so good!

After breakfast I made four little candy Easter baskets I had learned how to make by watching a video on Facebook.  They turned out quite well, which just added to the disappointment of not going to the family dinner.  Oh well. . .

We put the chain back on MAX before lunch, then drove down to Miss Kitty after we had eaten.  I figured for sure we would get her unstuck today, but no such luck.  So JB drove us back home, and once again, MAX's chain came off as he was parking.  Well, we are not going to try to move or fix anything tomorrow.  It's Easter and will be a day off!

I was just about to feed the dogs at 3:30 pm when they started barking and whining as if Buster had come for a visit.  I looked out and there was a black and white dog coming up the driveway, with Miss Kitty right behind!  Gridder had heard that Miss Kitty was belly-panned and decided to come see if he could help.  He, a friend, and Gridder's dog drove up in Gridder's old Jeep, that can go anywhere, and they were actually able to get Miss Kitty in gear and drive her home.  God bless caring neighbors!  We invited them in and had a very nice visit.  I sent two of the Easter baskets home for Gridder's sons.

Sunday 3/27. Easter began with a temp of 34, partly cloudy skies and a wind gusting to 17 mph.  So very nice to know that we do not have to go out again to work on getting Miss Kitty unstuck.

I called Sandy and we talked for almost an hour.  Always a great start to any day.

The sun shone all day and the wind gusts grew to 24 mph.  The dogs and I braved the wind to go on our morning walk.  There is a lot more melting going on.  The snow is all gone from the top of the south ridge.  I would say we can see about 1/3 of the bare ground now.  Still lots of places on the north slope where our house is that the snow is a foot deep.  But I saw the first balsam root plant popping up through the ground!  And there are a lot of green shoots sprouting that I think will be yellow bells.

We roasted two chickens for Easter dinner.  (No, not our girls.)  JB put rosemary on his and I sprinkled onion, garlic and smoked paprika on mine.  Both were very good.  Will be putting a lot of cooked chicken in the freezer tomorrow.

Even with the wind, it was a beautiful day.  Our high was 44, although it didn't feel nearly that warm.  We spent most of the day inside anyway.  And the Easter baskets were delicious!

Monday 3/28. It is 30, overcast and windy this morning.  Looks like it is raining in town and snowing in the mountains.  I thought March was supposed to go out like a lamb. . .

Thought for the day: It's a funny thing about life.  If you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it.  Somerset Maugham

March 25, 2016 MAX To The Rescue!

A belly-panned Miss Kitty,

Using the jack come-along to
pull Miss Kitty out.

Wednesday 3/23. Our road was a bit soft in places on my way down, and a neighbor who is back up had plowed the main road once, but not very well.  Fortunately I was going downhill, but I barely made it past his pickup that he hadn't been able to get all the way up.  I was hoping he would be plowing again while I was Down There.  Got all my grocery shopping done and errands run, including getting some Slime for Miss Kitty's tire.  Also stopped in to visit Larry and Elsie.  Had to take my coat off in town, and it felt like my feet were sloshing around in pools of sweat inside my boots.  Forsythia was blooming and most of the yards were a bright spring green.

I arrived back at Larry and Elsie's at about 1:30 pm and transferred everything to Miss Kitty.  In the aspens our neighbor was indeed plowing and I had to wait a few minutes while he finished.  I spent that time throwing sticks for Buster.  So the main road is good to go now, but after a day in the low 40's, our road was even softer than in the morning.  I made it to our spring before Miss Kitty finally belly-panned.  That is about 1/4 mile from the house.  I couldn't dig her out, so I called JB and he came down in MAX.  Miss Kitty was too heavy to winch her out with MAX and there were no nearby trees to use as our winch isn't very long.  So JB made two trips with MAX to get all the groceries up.  I think the 50 lb bag of chicken scratch was the killer in getting stuck.  And possibly the cases of beer and hard cider. . .

Finally got home at 3:30 pm, just in time to feed the dogs and chickens, and gather the egg.  Unpacked everything and put it all away.  JB cooked dinner and then we just relaxed.  Read the mail and some of the papers, then watched Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels which has to be at least 25 year old.  We had never seen it even though we had the next two movies that Guy Ritchie made.  Had to be in the right mood and I guess we were, because it was hilarious!

The day was mostly overcast and our high Up Here was 44 and windy.

Thursday 3/24. It was 32 and partly cloudy this morning, with a wind gusting to 21 mph.  Yesterday's wind stayed around all night, but I wouldn't know as I was sleeping hard.

We left to try to bring Miss Kitty up at about 10:30 am.  A few snowflakes were blowing about, but we were on the south end of the cell and really never got more than a few at a time.  We took two towing straps, a chain and the high-lift jack with plans to use the jack as a come-along.  We were able to get the chain wrapped around a large tree and attached to one of the straps, with the jack attached in between the two straps.  JB was actually able to get Miss Kitty's tires pulled out of the holes they had dug, but that was as far as we got.  When I tried to drive her, I only got another foot.  When I turned her motor off, I left her in gear and it locked up.  

We ended up leaving Miss Kitty there and hopefully by tomorrow there will be enough melting so we can rock her a bit to change gears (the motor will not start unless it is in neutral).  Oh, did I mention that yesterday I took the key to Miss Kitty with me and it was not in the coat I was wearing today. . .  So I had to walk back up and get it, as I wanted to use MAX as little as possible because of the track being loose.

So, all in all, we both got a lot of exercise, including the dogs.  And we were all still sore from yesterday.  We will try again tomorrow.  Am pretty sure we will not be going west of the mountains for Easter dinner.  Very disappointing.

There was a lot of melting going on Up Here yesterday and today.  The cistern is full again and there are several bare spots on the paths up to the south ridge and down to the north ridge.  I had forgotten how much effort it takes to walk on snow and ice until I was able to walk on solid ground again.

The wind stuck around all day but slowed down in the afternoon.  Most of the clouds moved on and we had a very sunny afternoon with a high of 42.

We watched Perks of Being a Wallflower this evening.  All I can say is, "WOW!"  Will definitely be watching this one again. . . and again.

Friday 3/25. It is 30 and partly cloudy this morning.  Buster just arrived for a visit at 7:40!

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

March 23, 2016 Easter Eggs & Sun

Girls enjoying the bare ground in
their run.

Monday 3/21. Nene had her children and grandchildren over to her house yesterday to color Easter eggs.  They decorated 176 eggs! All ten of them really get into it.  It looks like we will be able to make it for JB's family's Easter dinner, so we will have to decorate some eggs this year as there is the annual Easter egg fight.  Not quite what it sounds like, but it has been going on for generations, with the records to prove it.  Two people start by tapping the pointy end of their eggs together.  The one that does not break is the winner who goes on to the next person until there is one unbroken egg left - the winner!

JB moved some more snow today with the tractor.  It is slow going, but he doesn't care, as long as he is on the tractor.  I puttered around inside and out.
He also baked a couple loaves of banana bread that smelled and tasted wonderful.

The sky remained overcast.  A very grey day, with a high of 42, that sure didn't feel that warm.  But the girls gave us two eggs, so that was a bright spot.

This evening we watched A Walk In The Woods with Robert Redford and Nick Nolte.  It was so good!  Hysterical!  I have a feeling that Nick Nolte was really playing himself, but it was so good to see him back on his game.  Makes one wonder how much of the dialogue was script and how much was ad lib.  This is a movie that Elsie would enjoy, too.  Neither of us like gore or torture.  Blood and guts is okay, but there's a big difference between the two.

Tuesday 3/22. It was 34 and overcast this morning with a wind steady at about 10 mph.  But the wind soon blew the clouds away and the sun shone brightly for the rest of the day, making no doubt that mud season has begun.  Our high for the day was 46, and on our afternoon walk, there was actually a warm breeze on the south ridge coming up from the canyon.

I spent some time outside gathering a big bag full of kindling from the larger bare spots on the east slope, enjoying the warm sun and fresh scent of wet dirt.

Yesterday I started a book by Irina Reyn, What Happened to Anna K.?  It is a modern take on the classic Anna Karenina and very good.

The snow is finally melting in the new part of the girls' run, so I shoveled a walkway for them to get to the bare ground.  They wasted no time checking it out, and we got one egg today.  They are averaging one egg a day, although it is sometimes two and sometimes none.

I plan to go Down There tomorrow for some groceries and to check out the road for Sunday's trip.  If I think we can get my Jeep up to where our road turns off the main road, then JB and I will go down before Sunday to bring it up.  That way the dogs can walk down our road instead of riding in Miss Kitty all the way down to Larry and Elsie's.  We have never ridden with both of them in Miss Kitty and I am not really anxious to try. . .

Wednesday 3/23. It is 34, breezy and mostly overcast this morning, but rain isn't due in until tonight.  It's going to be a chilly drive Down There.

Thought for the day: If you really want to do something you'll find a way.  If not you'll find an excuse.  Author Unknown

March 21, 2016 Spring & Sewing

The curtain for my kitchen
shelves. . .

. . . and the bathroom ones

Getting our porch back.

Friday 3/18. I know that many of our daily doings are the same as anyone living most anywhere, but I write about them in order to give the full picture of our life Up Here.  We may be more active than many retirees, but then I think we would be regardless of where we lived.  If not, I am sure I would go completely bonkers.

Our lives may not seem as interesting to read about compared to our first couple years Up Here, but this blog is a way of keeping in touch with our family and friends.  And, even more than that, it is a journal of our lives, a part of our history that I hope our grandchildren will one day read.  It is very difficult to live so far away from them.  We hear about their lives a few times each week when talking to our son, but they don't really know us.

Today I took the last of the wood off the porch and got one armload from the wood shed.  Cleaned off that area of the porch where, after winter finally leaves, I may just spend most of my spring days.  I also dragged some of the branches that fell in the past few months over to the wood cradle.

JB got on the tractor before lunch and cleared out a lot of the snow with the bucket that he couldn't move yesterday with Miss Kitty.

A light overcast formed overhead and to the south, but the sun was able to shine through it most of the day.  Our high was 39.  Bare circles beneath the trees have widened considerably with the sunny days, even though the temps have remained low.

Despite the gore of Bone Tomahawk, there were a couple lines from it that I really liked: "Life on the frontier is hard.  Not because of the weather, the Indians or the isolation, but because of idiots like you!", spoken to the posse by the woman they were rescuing, "You say goodbye to my wife and I'll say hello to yours." spoken by one character who was dying to another.  It was actually a pretty good movie.  I just couldn't take the gore and torture.

Last night we watched Groundhog Day and both really enjoyed it.  JB says he has never seen it before, but it is one of my all-time favorites.  Wouldn't it be nice if we could all have so many chances to "get it right."  This evening we watched Sicario, which was very good, although I got a bit irritated at the main character.  Since we had been watching several TV series over the winter, we have accumulated several movies that we haven't seen.

Saturday 3/19. The spring equinox began with a temp of 30 and mostly overcast skies, but the clouds soon dissolved and we had a sunny day with a high of 44.  

On our morning walk, the snow on the south ridge sparkled brilliantly as though some heavenly being had spilled glitter all over.  An eagle circled low, and must have decided Dinga and Jesse were too big to bother with, as he glided off to the west.  There were lots of small birds out celebrating the day, too.  And it really must be spring, as my irises are popping out of the ground!

As nice as it was outside, while JB was out on the tractor again after lunch, I finally got out the sewing machine that JB's Mom gave me.  I have wanted to make curtains for the kitchen and bathroom shelves for some time now, and today was the day.  It seems as though running a sewing machine is much like riding a bike - muscle memory.  And, with just four straight seams, curtains were the simplest project to start with.  They turned out great!

I started another book yesterday by Carla Neggers, The Angel.  Not exactly a bodice-ripping novel of passion, just a good romantic adventure where you know there will be a happy ending.  Exactly what I needed.

This evening we watched Mad Max": Fury Road.  What a wild ride!

Sunday 3/30. It was 38 with a heavy overcast this morning and rain predicted for the next few days.  A very grey day, but a nice lazy Sunday with a few sprinkles and a high of 44.

The girls gave us one egg, as they did yesterday.

We watched The Intern this evening and both really enjoyed it.  But we forgot to turn on the short-wave radio, so Elsie ended up calling on the phone, very concerned that we hadn't answered the radio.  We had a nice chat though.  They got a lot more rain than we did yesterday, which seems rather odd.  Also, it sounds like there is a very nasty strain of flu going around.

Monday 3/21. It is 36 and partly cloudy this morning.  Didn't get the rain that was forecast for last night.

Thought for the day: I have had a life of many troubles, many of which never happened.  Unknown

March 17, 2016 Sun & Eggs

Miss Kitty in the snow she is
unable to move.

Bare ground appearing
in the grove.

Wednesday 3/16. JB usually checks the temp first thing in the morning, but I did it today & looked at it wrong.  It was 28 not 33!  I was looking at the high temp since last night, not the current one.

Had a nice chat with Randy this morning.  He was so happy to be in town and not stuck on their mountain.

The girls gave us THREE eggs today.  I think they are just happy that the sun is out.

We watched Bone Tomahawk this evening.  Won't be watching that one ever again. . .

Thursday 3/17. It was a very crisp start to St. Patrick's Day with a temp of 26, but the sun was shining bright in a clear blue sky.  Cold but clear weather is in the forecast til Sunday.  Looks to be a lot of melting going on.

JB was getting around much better today, so he got outside and moved MAX.  He was able to pull-start the engine right up.  The right track started to come off, but he knows how to drive so it goes back on.  Then we put the plow on Miss Kitty so JB could clear a lot of the snow from around the house.  Unfortunately there is still one to two feet of icy snow, and it was just too hard to move it, even with trying to take just a few inches at a time.  Well, at least he got out and got some exercise.  

It was an incredibly lovely day, but even with all the sunshine it was cool and our high was only 38.  The girls didn't give us any eggs.  I guess they just outdid themselves yesterday.

I got several little things done inside and wrote some letters in anticipation of going back Down There next week.

Friday 3/18. It's another frigid morning with a temp of 26 and blue skies.

Thought for the day: It has always been easy to hate and destroy.  To build and to cherish is much more difficult. Queen Elizabeth II

March 16, 2016 New Uses For Coconut Oil & Denture Cleanser

The dogs on the north ridge on our
Tuesday afternoon walk.

My garden signs are finally
re-appearing.

Monday 3/14. The generator started right up this morning.  Must have been an air bubble in the fuel line. 

It was a good trip driving Down There.  Our road and the main canyon road were fine for going down, I just wondered at the time what it was going to be like driving back up.  The stores were fairly empty, except for the post office.  Most of them have flowers for sale now.  Would love to buy some, but it is still winter at our house!  When I arrived back at Larry and Elsie's, I noticed that Miss Kitty had a rear flat tire.  Fortunately they have Monday off, so Larry filled the tired with his air compressor and I was on my way.  I arrived home about 3:00 pm with lots of groceries, mail and newspapers.

I saw a suggestion on-line for using coconut oil to rinse your mouth after brushing your teeth.  In addition to everything else, it is a natural anti-bacterial.  So I have been doing that for the past couple days and really like it.  I had been looking for a mouth rinse without fluride, so this is perfect.  Mouthwash seems to fade after about 1/2 hour, but I never get a sour taste later after rinsing with coconut oil.  My mouth always feels clean.  I really like it!

The girls have made three nests in the straw on the floor of their hen house, these in addition to their four nesting boxes.  I have been checking all seven nests for eggs and it is a good thing, too, as today's egg was in one of the three on the floor where they had never laid before.

Our high for the day Up Here was just 36 and the wind continued to blow all day, as it had Down There.  Still blowing by the time we went to bed after watching ExMachina.  A very interesting movie.

Tuesday 3/15. The Ides of March began with a chilly 26 and overcast sky.  The wind finally blew itself out some time early in the morning, but it was a very cold day, even with a high of 40.

Still had papers and magazines to finish reading with breakfast.  And I do enjoy that.

Kept busy with indoor chores.  We have about another day's worth of wood on the porch, so those two short rows lasted almost three weeks.  Will go back to getting wood from the shed.  JB grilled our last two salmon fillets from our neighbors for dinner.

I received an email a while back with a list of household hints and shortcuts, one of which was to use denture cleanser tablets to clean the toilet.  Just put two in the bowl before you go to bed and let them sit overnight.  It really works!  No more scrubbing or toxic cleanser.

The girls gave us another egg today, laid in the same nest as yesterday.

Blue sky had appeared by noon and we had lots of sunshine, giving us lots of power.

Wednesday 3/16. It is a beautiful clear morning with a temp of 33.  Looks like I will be vacuuming today, among other things.

Thought for the day: Gratitude helps us see what there is, instead of what isn't.  Sign seen on a church

March 14, 2016 Enough With The Snow Already!!

All is white again. . .

Friday 3/11. Today's snow arrived at 12:30 pm and kept falling until about 3:30, when it turned to rain.  Twenty minutes later, it was back to snow.  By 5:00, precipitation of any kind was over.  Our high for the day was 36.

JB baked two beautiful loaves of bread, and was able to stand up to do that without any problem.

Elsie has taken to making her own face and body lotion of which she gave me a sample.  The two main ingredients are raw shea butter and coconut oil.  It is phenomenal!

Even with all the snow we have had this winter, watching it all still makes me want to hibernate, or at least take a nap.  We received less than 2" today and our high was 36.

With the last season of Downton Abby came a disc with the first episode of three new Masterpiece Theater presentations.  Last night we watched two, Grantchester and Poldark.  Both of which we liked, but especially Poldark.  This evening we watched Indian Summers, which was advertised as being "the Downton Abby of India."  We were very disappointed.  It is more like the Peyton Place of India.  Won't be getting that one.

Saturday 3/12. This morning's temp was 34 with partly overcast skies and valley fog.

I finished Dear John and now need a good mystery to read.

After lunch I drove Miss Kitty down to the main canyon road and the dogs came along also.  The road wasn't too bad.  Miss Kitty left about 4" deep tracks.  We all took a nap when we returned home.

We had lots of blue sky by 4:00 pm after a short hail storm.  The mountains, right down to Leavenworth, were getting a thicker blanket of snow, but it went north from there instead of coming east to us.  Our high for the day was 44 and the girls gave us one egg.

This evening we watched the movie, Divergent, which was quite good.

Sunday 3/13. We woke up to 28 and a very fine snowfall, with about 1/2" already on the ground.  The light snow soon became heavy.  I am becoming really tired of the snow, but only because it hinders our travel.  Well, also because it forces me to work inside instead of outside, and I am definitely ready for working outside.

Our refrigerator has been overworking for several weeks now.  I have called everywhere, but there is no one in this area who fixes propane refrigerators.  There is an RV place in town who would work on it if we brought it in.  Well, that isn't going to happen, at least not for another couple months.  The booklet on this appliance shows how to take the burner apart to clean it, so that is what we will do as soon as JB is moving around a little better.  Other than that, I simply do not know what to do.

The cistern water isn't really murky, but neither is it crystal clear like it usually is.  Am going to start using the filter we bought last year when we were having the same problem.

The snowfall quit about 3:00 pm and then the fog moved in.  By then we had received another 4-1/2"!  Enough already!  The sun was able to burn off most of the fog and we had blue sky.  

JB's brother is hosting the family Easter dinner at their winery's tasting room and we really would like to attend.  But if this weather keeps up, we won't be able to make it over.  Not just getting down our road, but getting over Steven's Pass.

I baked some Toll House bars this afternoon.  Then we were going to take showers, but the generator would not turn on.  It had worked just fine in the morning for the laundry, so we are not sure what is going on.

The girls didn't give us any eggs today.  I think they are sick of the snow, too.

Our high for the day was 34.  The winds that were predicted for tonight blew in with the blue sky.  My Aunt Nene emailed that they were getting 50-60 mph winds on the west side in addition to their pouring rain.

Monday 3/14. It is 29 and partly cloudy with a wind gusting to 13 mph.  We never did get the strong winds last night.  Pretty sure they blew themselves out on the other side of the mountains.

Am going Down There today for a big grocery shopping.

Thought for the day: It has been said that daylight savings time was founded on the idea that cutting off one end of a blanket and sewing it on the other end makes the blanket longer. . .

March 11, 2016 Snow & Turkeys

Fence railings that have been
broken by the snow.

Turkey tracks near the wood
shed Thursday morning.

Wednesday 3/9. We could see the snow moving our way and I noticed that it had finally arrived a little after 11:00 am as I was hanging up the laundry inside.  Snow, not the predicted rain, although Larry said it was pouring in town all day.

A good day for reading, so I started a Nicholas Sparks book, Dear John.  I really enjoy his books, but I have to be in the right mood and I think it was Downton Abbey that got me there.  JB continued working on his computer and reading bills that are in both the Washington state and federal legislature that will affect our state.

I baked a banana-chocolate chip coffee cake, as the muffins JB baked are already disappearing fast.

By the time I went out to feed the girls their corn and look for eggs at 3:00 pm, we had received at least another inch or two of snow and one egg.  The snow continued to fall until after we went to bed at 10:00 pm.  Our high for the day was 32.

We watched the bonus features for Downton Abbey, and then watched the last episode one more time. 

Thursday 3/10. It was 36 and clear with 3-1/2" of new snow this morning.  I think the past two months finally caught up with me, emotionally.  But, by the same token, this morning was the first time that JB could walk without "the boot" or a cane, so all is well.

We have been hearing turkeys and grouse over the south ridge for a few weeks now, and on this morning's walk I saw turkey tracks in the snow just south of the wood shed.

The water in the cistern is almost to the top, so we used as much as we could today.  I washed the few dishes that were dirty, flushed the toilet each time we used it.  I also took a shower, and it isn't even Saturday. . .  It didn't seem to make much difference in the water level, and by the looks of the water in the jugs I fill each day, it is most likely a leak where the pipe comes in.  Fixing that will definitely be at the top of our list for summer projects.  I was going to use a hose attached the the hydrant to drain some of the water out, but the hydrant is frozen.

My spring cleaning project for today was cleaning out the linen closet.  It is amazing what I find in there each year.

Thank goodness we switch to daylight savings time this weekend, as I am pretty sure the dogs already have.  They want out at 4:00 am every morning now, instead of 5:00.  And at 2:30 pm, Jesse is looking at me like I forgot their afternoon walk which is at 3:30.

Nasty looking black clouds passed to the south of us for most of the day, although a few strayed our way and dropped a little sleet around 1:00 pm.  The wind picked up mid-afternoon, gusting to 21 mph, slowly blowing all the clouds off to the east, and we were back to mainly blue sky by sunset.  Our high for the day was 43, and the girls gave us one egg.

Friday 3/11. It is 28 and mostly cloudy this morning.  The avalanche canon on Mission Ridge is booming away.

Regarding the comment that JB's foot problem may be his gout acting up, we really doubt it as the pain is not that intense.  His foot was much better on Thursday, so hopefully it is healing.

Thought for the day: While democracy must have its organizations and controls, its vital breath is individual liberty.  Justice Charles Evans Hughes

March 9, 2016 Spring Cleaning & The First Tick

The girls checking out the bare ground
in the uncovered part of their run.

Monday 3/7. I measured 2-1/2" of new snow this morning that we had received overnight.  Light, fluffy snow that the wind spent the day blowing off the trees and creating white-outs.

Sandy called and we had a nice, long chat.  She has been basking in sun and mid-70 temps, while it's still winter Up Here.

JB baked lemon-blueberry muffins with my fresh lemon zest and juice.  So yummy!  But he probably should not have been on his feet that long.

While petting Dinga today, I discovered the first tick of the season attached to her under her collar.  Unlike Jesse, she loves to go into the bushes.  With the temps we have been experiencing, like today's 40, they are coming out.

The girls took the day off and didn't give us any eggs.

Tuesday 3/8. It was 28 with a light overcast this morning, light enough for the sun to shine through.  It remained a mainly overcast but bright day, with the panels sucking in a lot of power.

Since it was quite cold during the night, the snow was very firm today and easy to walk on.  The dogs love that and so do I.

With all the rain in the forecast for the next few days, I probably should have gone Down There today for grocery shopping.  I may not be able to get down for another week if we really do get as much rain as predicted, as the road will be so muddy.

I noticed that the well is filling the cistern without the pump in the past 24 hours.  Pretty sure it is coming up from the well and not a leak, as it looks as clean as ever.

It was a busy day for me, but I am making JB stay off his feet as the swelling from his toe has moved to his ankle and is quite painful.  I inventoried all the long-term-storage food in cans.  A daunting project that really should have been done when I moved most of it from under to bed to the closet.  Did some more spring cleaning/sorting and all the daily chores.

The girls gave us just one egg, so they are not working nearly as hard as I am.  However, they do like that the snow is finally melting in the uncovered part of their run.

We watched the last two episodes of Downton Abbey this evening.  So sad that it is over, but it was the perfect ending.  However, now I just want to binge-watch it from the beginning. . .

Wednesday 3/9. It is 30 and overcast this morning with heavy rain in the forecast for later today and tomorrow.

Thought for the day: Anybody who wants the Presidency so much that he'll spend two years organizing and campaigning for it is not to be trusted with the office.  David Broder

March 7, 2016 Rain & A Sleep Aid

Going up the north slope of the
south ridge on our Saturday
morning walk.

The line of demarcation on the
south ridge - no snow on the
south side, but still a lot on
the north side.

Friday 3/4.  After watching the four Indiana Jones' movies in four nights, I now have the movie theme as an ear worm I cannot get rid of!

I am sometimes (although "sometimes" is rapidly moving toward "often") tempted to take ibuprofen when I get up in the morning, but I have learned that a good stretch and a little patience will take care of most of the aches and pains.  Coffee helps too, but that is mostly with my attitude.

The juncos are slowly returning to Rose Camp, and we are seeing a larger variety of bugs.  Hopefully the former will eat a lot of the latter.

Our high for the day was 42, and the girls gave us two eggs.

We watched the last episode of season five of Downton Abbey and the first episode of season six this evening.  I am sure I could watch it every night and never tire of it.

I found a sleep aid - banana tea - on one of the sites I mentioned on my last post.  One that actually works!  Take one organic banana and cut off both ends, leaving the skin on.  Put it in a small pan, cover with water and add some cinnamon.  Simmer for ten minutes.  Drink the tea before bedtime.  The magnesium in the banana along with the cinnamon will work together to calm and relax you.  My mind tends to race as soon as my head hits the pillow, but it was as if a thick screen door closed on it and I was soon asleep.  Seems to work much like melatonin.

Saturday 3/5. It was 40 and clear this morning with a light breeze, which makes it our warmest morning this year.  By mid afternoon the clouds had moved in and the breeze was now a light wind.  Our high for the day was 48, which also makes it our warmest day so far.

As the dogs' and our tracks in the snow slowly begin to melt and stretch, it begins to look like bigfoot and two 400-lb wolves have been roaming around.  The paths are a bit slushy and slippery, with the danger of post-holing in the deeper snow.

JB's foot is really bothering him, so he spent most of the day on his computer studying court cases on gun control.  I did some spring cleaning.

By 6:30 pm the wind blew in the pouring rain and both continued til around 10:00 pm, with the wind gusting to 24.  The wind continued most of the night, and we received more than an inch of rain.

Larry and Elsie said they would like to come up tomorrow evening for a few games of marbles.  Woo Hoo!

Sunday 3/6. It was 36 this morning with clear skies and wind.  A lot more of the snow disappeared with last night's wind and rain, the bare spots having doubled and tripled in size.  The wind made the paths icy, so I am not going up to the south ridge on our daily walks.  Just doing a shortened version.

JB's foot is really causing him fits, so he spent the day on the computer again.  I vacuumed and washed a big pile of dishes.  The girls gave us one egg.

A storm moved in late afternoon, but we were on the south edge of it and just got scattered snow showers.  By the time Larry and Elsie arrived a little after 5:30, the sky was almost clear again.  It seems that our road is getting soft.  They got stuck and had to use the winch to pull their Arctic Cat out.  Of course it was in a place where there were no large trees close by and they actually ended up pulling down two small ones in the process.  Elsie had to trudge through the deep snow to finally reach a tree large enough to get them out.  Of course she didn't have her big snow boots on, so her shoes sat in front of the fire drying while we played marbles.  It was great fun, but unfortunately the men won both games.  The first one was a rout, but the second was won by one throw of the dice.

Monday 3/7. We woke up to another two inches or so of new snow and 30 degrees.  The sun is shining in a partly cloudy sky and the valley fog has already mostly receded.

Thought for the day: Always borrow money from a pessimist.  He won't expect it back.  Oscar Wilde

March 4, 2016 More Snow & A Trip Down There

Mt. Baker peeking through the clouds
(on the right) Wednesday afternoon.

Wednesday 3/2. We had actually received another 2-1/2" of snow in the past 24 hours.  That's 4-1/2" in two days.  Good ol' March, roaring in like a lion.  I just hope it remembers to go out like a lamb.

When living off the grid, most sunny mornings are busy mornings, especially in the winter when there are less of them.  This morning was spent vacuuming the floors and vacuum sealing food for the freezer.  Good thing I got those chores done early because by noon the sky was almost overcast, but snow continued to slough off the roof and snow bombs continued to fall from the trees.  Our high for the day was 40.

I have discovered three internet sites that I really enjoy: pawsmygosh.com (animals), healthy-holistic-living.com (nutrition), and familylifegoals.com (nutrition).  Am learning a lot about what great super-foods ginger and tumeric are.

The girls continue to give us eggs every day and today we got two.  They gave us 19 in February.

We watched Indian Jones and The Last Crusade this evening.  One of my all-time favorite moves.

Thursday 3/3. It was 34 and partly cloudy this morning.  I was on my way Down There in Miss Kitty a little before 9:00 am.  No problems on the road and I made really good time.  I had eleven stops to make and was back home a little after 2:00 pm.  Found a couple cute tops, a pair of jeans and a couple books at the thrift store.  Also found the last season of Downton Abbey for $20 at Costco.  It was too warm to wear my jacket in town.  Had to be over 50!

A couple of my magazines had given recipes for "boozy shakes" for St. Patrick's day, one of which used hard root beer.  Just happened to see it at one of the stores, so I picked up a six-pack.  I do believe I have just discovered another favorite.  Will get some ice cream next week when I do the grocery shopping and we'll see how I like a hard root beer float.

Rose Camp got a few rain showers while I was gone and the high for the day was 42.  The girls gave us another egg.

We watched the last Indiana Jones movie this evening, The Crystal Skull, (which was better than I remembered) and will start watching Downton Abbey tomorrow.

Friday 3/4. It is 32 and mostly cloudy this morning with rain in the forecast for the next week.  Looks to be a long mud season.

Thought for the day: It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.  Voltaire

March 2, 2016 In Like A Lion

Small kitty (bobcat?) tracks on the
south ridge a couple weeks ago.

Monday 2/29. Did laundry today and hung two of JB's shirts outside.  They didn't get completely dry, but they sure did smell good.

I have wanted to use fresh lemon juice in my drinking water for some time now, but buying a few lemons at a time just doesn't cut it Up Here.  I saw a remedy for that on line and tried it today.  I had JB buy a bag of lemons at Costco last Friday.  Today I quartered each one lengthwise and cut out the pulp, using the tip of the knife to get rid of the seeds.  I put the pulp in the blender and pulsed it on liquefy. Then I poured the juice and pulp into ice-cube trays.  Now every morning I can put a lemon ice-cube in my water.  And the juice will not go bad.  It works perfectly!  I saved all the lemon peels to dry and use in recipes.

If the weather goes as predicted, I may be able to go Down There on Thursday.  This trip will a leisurely day of several short errands.  Then I will go down next week for a big grocery shopping.

The sun shone most of the day and our high was 42.  The girls gave us one egg.

We watched Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark this evening, and plan to watch next three Indiana Jones' movies during the next three nights.

Tuesday 3/1. It was 30 and we were fogged in this morning with 2" of new snow on the ground.  By 11:00 am it was snowing again and that lasted for about three hours.  Then the fog rolled back in.  No sun today.  Very dark.  And everything is white again.

JB's wrist is getting much better, but yesterday morning Jesse jumped off the bed and right on to one of JB's toes.  Don't think it's broken, but it is quite bruised.

I sorted photos today and am up to 1993.  Will be so glad when this is done.

The girls gave us one egg today.

The wind picked up late this afternoon and shortly before 5:00 pm it blew in another round of snow, coming in horizontally.  That lasted for about an hour, but the wind stuck around until 9:30, even after it had blown all the clouds away.  Our high for the day was 34.

We watched the second Indiana Jones' movie this evening, Temple of Doom.  I haven't watched that one for years, and now I know why.  Doubt I will ever watch it again.  Our son was in junior high when we first saw it in the theater.  He wasn't feeling too good that day, but we went anyway.  About the time they served the monkey brains, both of us almost lost it and we walked out.

Wednesday 3/2. It is 34 and mostly clear this morning.  The wind picked up again around 2:30 am and Dinga started pacing, so JB spent the rest of the night on the couch.  Looks like we received another inch of snow.

Thought for the day: We don't see things as they are.  We see things as we are.  Anais Nin