March 31, 2017 March's Lamb

The Heft.

Wednesday 3/29. By 9:00 am the snow/rain had stopped and the only thing falling was the water off the roof.  Then, of course, the fog moved in.  Another very grey day until mid afternoon when we finally saw some sun and blue sky.  Our high for the day was 46 and the areas of bare ground are growing bigger every day.

We have used all the wood on the porch now, but we still have a row of large wood in the wood shed, along with 2-1/2 rows of small branch wood that we use during the day, if we need a fire.

JB was in the baking mood again and made a chocolate chiffon pie with an almond flour crust.  So yummy!

After seeing The Heft (see photo above) advertised on FaceBook for a couple months now, I finally ordered one on sale for half price.  It was one of the packages that Larry brought up on Sunday and is just as good as advertised.  I would recommend it to anyone who has to use some sort of shovel.

Now that we have finished watching the second season of Arrow, we are bingeing (sp) on two or three episodes of season one of The Flash again.

Thursday 3/30. It was 30 and clear with a breeze this morning.  What is left to the path to the hen house was icy, but soon became soft in the sun.  Poor Jesse wants to lay in the sun so badly, but the wind is just too icy to really enjoy it.  Our high for the day was 48.

We have been hearing familiar sounds under the floor the past two nights, so today we put rat poison down there and in the shop.  It is that time of year.

Writing two blogs three times a week is really keeping me busy, but I am enjoying it.  Just so much information to post on my new blog.

Friday 3/31. It is 30 this morning with clear skies.  Looks like March really does have a lamb. . .

Thought for the day: You have to choose happiness.  It doesn't choose you.

March 29, 2017 A Grocery Delivery

My third basket.

Monday 3/27. Today was beautiful but breezy, with the strongest gust reaching 15 mph.  I had mentioned last night when talking to Larry on the radio that we needed dog food in the next couple weeks.  Elsie called this morning to ask what kind we needed and if there was anything else as she was going to Costco.  So before noon, Larry arrived Up Here on his four-wheeler with the 35# sack of dog food, coffee, bananas and all our mail, including several packages.  Again, they came to the rescue.

JB's foot was doing much better this morning, so he took the dogs on their morning walk.  It was slow going, but he did fine and really enjoyed it.

Tuesday 3/28. It was 34, overcast and still breezy this morning.  The mountains remained behind a wall of grey, but the sun managed to burn through the cloud cover occasionally, and our high for the day was 44.

JB overdid it with his foot yesterday, so he just took it easy.  He did bake some hamburger buns to have with the pulled pork he made for dinner.  I went on both our walks with the dogs and just did daily outside chores.  Too windy to be out there very much.  I finished my third basket, using cord, fabric and ribbon.  I also started my fourth one using jute twine.  I sure enjoy making them, and my arthritic fingers are already more nimble and less achy.

I have only noticed a few small patches of snow mold this year, and they quickly disappeared.  They are usually just at the edge of the melting snow.

And, speaking of melting snow, by the time of our afternoon walk, the snow was again softening.  So much so that I am sure I looked like I was intoxicated or infirm while walking on it.  Dinga insists on running and I am so afraid she is going to break a leg.

Wednesday 3/29. It is 32, snowing and sticking right now although it rained much of the night.  At this temperature, it will be raining down at Larry and Elsie's.

Thought for the day: Nothing you have done in the past is a waste.  It is all grist for your future.  From Habit Changers by M.J. Ryan

March 27, 2017 Locked in The Hen House!

My second basket.

Turkeys at Elsie's
Sunday morning.

The curious girls in the
hen house with me.

Friday 3/24. We had received another 2-1/2" of snow overnight.  I really don't mind the snow, it's not being able to get out our road on our own that I mind.  I do need a few items that I may have to ask for help in getting.  If this was a "normal" year, we would be fine.  Next winter we will be better prepared.

Snow fell until about 3:00 pm and we had fog for most of the day also.  But sun and blue sky were visible on our afternoon walk.  Our high for the day was 40.

I worked on setting up my new blog and just about fried my brain.  I tried a couple other sites that promised to be as easy as 1-2-3, but obviously I can't count that high, so I came back to blogspot.  The address will be livingremoteotg.blogspot.com.

I also started a new basket yesterday.  Am enjoying myself immensely making them.  This one will be smaller than the first one.

Saturday 3/25. It was 30 with clear sky and a wind gusting to 13 mph this morning.  There was a thick, white wall of snow to the west and snow kept blowing in from it off and on during the day, but the wall never got this far east.  Our high for the day was 44, but the wind was icy.

I finished my second basket today.  It is smaller and much more fancy than the first.  And then I started my third basket, using cord instead of fabric.  I also worked more on my new blog.  Doing the page layout is still giving me fits, but I think I have most of it done.  My first post will be on Monday, but the layout will most likely progress even after that.

JB's ankle is still causing him pain and discomfort.  It seems like he has a leg joint problem every year.  Too many years of playing football.

Sunday 3/26. This morning was 31 with overcast skies, and snow flakes began drifting down around 9:00 am.

When Jesse came back from his after-breakfast jaunt, he had small entrails stuck in his teeth.  Probably from a mouse.

Elsie called this morning to be sure that I knew it was snowing (ha ha).  While we were talking, their resident tom turkey came walking in from the forest.  They have named him Bill as he usually has quite a harem.  Shortly after he arrived, two other toms, two jakes (young toms) and five females arrived!  She took photos and emailed them to me (see above).

The snow fell all day in fits and starts, and we experienced several hours of thick fog that rolled in around 2:00 pm.  But because it was so warm, it didn't stick anywhere but on the snow that was already on the ground.  We went on our morning walk in the snow, but not in that fog in the afternoon.  Our high for the day was 44, but it sure didn't seem that warm.  We kept a fire going all day.

Since we didn't go on our afternoon walk, I went out to check for eggs around 3:00 pm.  The latch on the door to the hen house is a bit tricky and you have to pull it back all the way and lock it, otherwise the end of the bolt can get stuck in the loop when the door closes and lock you inside.  And that is just what happened to me.  Fortunately, I usually have my phone with me, so I called JB to come let me out.  Worst case scenario, I could always try to wiggle out the girls' door to their run and get out the gate.  The girls all came into the hen house, curious as to why I was staying there so long.

By 7:00 pm the temperature had dropped sufficiently for the snow to start sticking everywhere.

Monday 3/27. It is 31 and breezy this morning with overcast skies.  We received about 1/4" of snow during the night.

Thought for the day: The road to success is always under construction.

March 24, 2017 A Basket, A Lovely Spring Day & More Snow

Valley fog Wednesday
morning.

My first big basket!

Wednesday 3/22. Today held such great possibility for warm, sunny weather, but the brighter and warmer the sun became, the more the fog rose up from the canyons.  And that's how the day went - sun, then fog, then sun, then fog.  Until around 4:00 pm when a rain squall moved through and the fog disappeared.  Our high was 44.  My response to such a grey day was to bake peanut butter-chocolate chip cookies.

I finished my first large basket today and I must admit that I think it turned out pretty good for a first effort.  It is 6-1/2" high by 10-1/2" long and the perfect product for Rose Camp Rustics.  I was going to put handles on it, but then decided not to.  I imagine each basket will just create itself.  We'll see with the second one that I started this afternoon.

We can now tell the "new" girls apart by their combs, and so have named them by their personalities: Blackie, Shy Ann, Bossy.

JB's foot seems to be getting a little better but he is having a difficult time with his attitude.  He is very frustrated with the fact that he doesn't heal as quickly as he did when he was 20.  Sometimes getting old really sucks. . .

What with dishes, wash, two walks, bringing in firewood, etc., the day passed quickly by.

Thursday 3/23. It was 29 with mostly clear skies this morning, but there is snow in the forecast for tonight.  Of course.  Since March came in like a lion, we can only hope it will go out like a lamb.  A very tame, sweet little lamb.

I am down to O Is For Outlaw on my Sue Grafton books, and enjoying every word.

More dirt is showing now than did before that last snowfall.  Dinga has even found some grass to chew on near the hen house.  The south slope is almost bare of snow, as are most of the south-facing slopes that we can see to the north.  Elsie was able to open all her windows and doors this weekend to air out their house, but it just wasn't warm enough Up Here.

The snow is getting sloppy again.  I have to walk exactly in the center of the paths to avoid post holing, but it is rather difficult to be sure where that is.  Even the dogs are having problems.

I worked on getting ready to write my new blog.  I will begin A Guide To Living Remote & Off The Grid on Monday, posting the same days as this blog.  Am going through all my photos on cd's to find ones to use.  Amazing how much I have forgotten over the past 8-1/2 years.

JB's foot was actually much better today, along with his attitude.  He could actually get his foot into his tennis shoe, which gives him more support than his slippers.  He is just antsy to get outside.  I worked on breaking up the ice that is left on the path to the outhouse so he can get down to it without falling.

Our high today was 44 again, but I am pretty sure it was much closer to 50 in the sun.  It was 66 in Wenatchee!

Friday 3/24. It is 32 and snowing this morning.  Looks like we have at least another two inches.  Hmmm, what shall I bake today?

Thought for the day: Age is a question of mind over matter.  If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.  Satchel Paige

March 22, 2017 Living Remote & OTG: A New Blog

I am going to take a few days off to get all this information organized.  It is obvious that this subject needs its own blog, so these postings will disappear Sunday night and re-appear Monday morning in the form of their own blog entitled: A Guide to Living Remote and Off The Grid.  I will still write my original blog, Off The Grid and Out Of My City Mind: A Rose Camp Diary.  Both will be posted on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  The address for my new blog is livingremoteotg.blogspot.com.

March 22, 2017 A Cold, Grey Start To Spring

Snow slipping off the
solar panels Tuesday morning.

I believe we are still in
for more snow.

Monday 3/20. The beautiful weekend weather turned out to be just a tease, as the first day of Spring was very grey with a high of only 38.  A few occasional snow flakes drifted down during the afternoon until about 4:00 pm when it seriously began to fall and continued to do so most of the night.

Lots of dishes and laundry to do.  Funny how they pile up, no matter where you live.

I sure enjoy watching the birds flit about outside.  Mostly juncos right now.  We sure miss and their songs them during the winter.

We did have a bright spot during the day though.  Larry drove up on his 4X4 ATV in the early afternoon to bring us our mail and stayed for a nice visit.  He said he was able to get up our road because his vehicle is so light, but he's pretty sure Miss Kitty wouldn't make it yet.  There are still places where the snow is two and three feet deep.

Since finishing the first season of Burn Notice, we are watching the second season of Arrow which our son sent to us.  We could easily binge on that.

Tuesday 3/21. We slept in this morning til eight, after being up several times with the dogs during the night.  There was some critter out there that they just had to check on.  At 8:00 am the snow was still coming down.  When I finally got up to the panels to clean them off about 45 minutes later, I measured 2" of new snow.  So everything is white again.  As the saying goes: Winter isn't over til there is snow on the dogwood blossoms.

The snow finally stopped around 10:00 am.  We were able to go on our morning walk, but it was raining on and off most of the afternoon.  And when the rain stopped, the fog would move in.  Our high for the day was just 34, but much of the dirt is visible again.  Only now it is mud.

With all the rain and snow that is falling in north Idaho, they are experiencing severe mudslides on some of the main highways.  Randy can get out now by driving his side-by-side down to his car, but their road is still pretty dicey.

JB's ankle is still swollen and giving him fits, but seems to be a little better than yesterday.  

Wednesday 3/21. It is 30 and with mostly clear skies and valley fog this morning.  It will be nice to see the sun

Thought for the day: Don't tell God how big your problems are.  Tell your problems how big your God is.  Guideposts, April 2017, Pg. 14

March 20, 2017 Welcome Spring!

One of my tiny
baskets.

An ice pillar that
formed in the bird bath.

Friday 3/17. Well, so much for Spring weather.  Snow began falling around noon and did so for about two hours.  Then it started snowing again about 5:00 pm and it was still coming down when we went to bed.  It was really too wet to stick as our high for the day was 34.  

Having ripped out and restarted crocheting my rug for the third time because the edges kept turning up, I decided it was trying to tell me something.  I am going to crochet fabric baskets instead and I am thrilled with the idea.  I love baskets!  

Saturday 3/18. It was 36 and partly cloudy this morning with barely 1/4" of new snow on the ground.  The predicted wind soon blew in, bringing more clouds, and then shooing them off to the east.  The sun managed to shine most of the day and our high was 42.

JB's ankle is bothering him, so he is pretty much a couch potato for a while.  I am pretty sure it is from walking on the soft, uneven snow and post-holing unexpectedly.  I spent most of the day working on my basket.  To give my hands a rest, I crocheted two tiny baskets that turned out really cute.  Just too windy to be outside much as it was gusting to 27 mph.

Sunday 3/19. It was 25 and mostly cloudy when I got up this morning, but by our morning walk at 10:30, the skies were clear.  It was another glorious day but our high was only 40.  The sun was warm, but the air was cold.

I was outside as much as possible and was going to walk down to our hair-pin corner, but the road was way too slick when I got to the really steep part.  I picked up branches, then shoveled the compost pile as most of the snow had melted and all the compost was piled up in the middle.  I also sat on the porch steps and just enjoyed the sun.  

With each day, the snow is shrinking more and more.  I never thought I would be so happy to see dirt!

Monday 3/20. It is 27 and mostly overcast this morning.  The first day of Spring!!  Woo hoo!

Thought for the day: Nothing in the world can take the place of perseverance.  Talent will not: nothing is more common that unsuccessful men with talent.  Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.  Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.  Calvin Coolidge

March 17, 2017 A Magnificent Almost-Spring Day!

I do believe the
snow is melting!

Wednesday 3/15. Beautiful brown earth is rapidly appearing now.  I took time to just stand on some of it in the grove. . .  Our high for the day was 44.

Our major project for the day was removing our old garbage disposal and installing the new one.  Sure felt good to get that done, and without any hitches either.

We are re-watching the Burn Notice series and finished the first season this evening.  Very entertaining.

Thursday 3/16. This morning was 27 and with clear skies.  It was a phenomenal day with bright sun and melting snow.  I can smell Spring in the air, and it feels so good to know it is finally on its way.  What a cold, grey winter it has been.  But the birds were out, and the snow has melted off the bird bath.  The snow is down at least a foot in most places, and more in others.  The path to the north ridge is even with or higher than the rest of the snow.

With the cold night temps, we were able to walk anywhere on top of the snow on our morning hike.  But as the day warmed up, many places softened and we had to be careful again.

JB changed the oil filter in the generator and I cleaned off most of the snow that was left on the deck, leaving only a layer of ice.

The ground in the grove already has little green sprouts!  And as the snow melts in the girls' pen, they are pecking away at bugs and anything that might be trying to grow in there.  They are averaging three to four eggs a day now.

What an absolutely incredible day!  Our high temp was only 45, but I'm sure it was much warmer in the sun.  I was able to sit on the bench on the west ridge without a jacket, but of course I had to wear boots in order to walk over to it.

Friday 3/17. It is 28 and partly cloudy this morning.  The rising sun is shining on the snow-clad mountains, the birds are singing and Spring is in the air.

Thought for the day: Dog hair is my glitter.

March 15, 2017 A Rug, Yellow Jackets & A Possible Spring

The rug I am
crocheting.

Monday 3/13. A busy day.  Got rid of the bedroom refrigerator, as it is now too warm.  Put all the food in the outside fridge where the temp is 25.  Also cleaned out the wood stove, which was way overdue.

It was a Seattle weather day - grey and rainy - with a high again of 50.

These warmer temps have activated a yellow jacket nest somewhere in our loft.  There were at least a dozen flying around that we were finally able to swat.

I have wanted a knitting or crocheting project for some time now to work on while watching movies.  One of our magazines had directions for crocheting, instead of braiding, a rug.  When I walked down to our Jeep to go to town, I was able to buy a large enough crochet hook (10mm), so now I am making a rug out of any scrap cotton material I can find.  I have completely pulled it out twice, but I am getting the hang of it.  And it is good exercise for my arthritic fingers.

Tuesday 3/14. It was 34 and foggy this morning.  The sun worked very hard for several hours to chase the fog away, and finally managed to do so around mid afternoon.  We were both outside for quite a while during the day with shoveling and walks.  Walking on our paths is like walking a tightrope.  They are about two feet above the ground and if you step just a little to either side, down you go to your knees.  The snow now has a consistency of a snow cone, which I learned while refilling the coffee cans for the refrigerator.  Our high for the day was 48.

I find that the longer I live Up Here, the less I need or want.  I still enjoy looking through the catalogs at the current fashions in clothes and shoes, but jeans and boots are my choices now.  And I purchase most of my clothes at the thrift store and my boots at the feed store.  All I really need are good books, craft supplies and tasty food, which includes chocolate, of course.  Good friends and a loving family.  The right tools and reliable vehicles.  Well, the list is a little longer than I thought, but I don't think I'm asking for too much.  Just the basics for a comfortable survival.  Don't know if these changing wants are because I'm getting older, or if in fact it is from living Up Here.

Maybe it's because with this lifestyle, we do so many things for ourselves.  Like canning meat.  Speaking of which, I gave the dogs their first canned chicken for dinner tonight and they didn't fall over dead, so I assume all is well.

I am sure I smacked a good two dozen yellow jackets today.  This is the worst it's been for a couple years.

While talking on the radio to Larry this evening, one of his cats brought in a mouse.  He quickly excused himself to take care of the situation, and was able to dispose of the mouse that was still quite alive.  They are in full bloom mud mode at their place.  I can hardly wait. . .

Wednesday 3/15. It is 40 and overcast this morning with a misty rain, and more wet in the forecast.

Thought for the day: Do not look back in anger, or forward in fear, but around in awareness.  James Thurber 

March 13, 2017 Wind, Marbles & Daylight Savings Time

Oh, look - dirt!
I remember dirt!

Spicy moose treats.

Friday 3/10. By this morning we had received another 2" of snow.  I now have to duck when walking under the clothes line.  This is the same clothes line that I have to stand on my tippy toes to reach when hanging up the laundry in the summer.  I am sure that I will enjoy Spring blooms this year more than any other!

We are trying to use the small branch wood for daytime fires as there are still 2-1/2 rows of it left in the shed.  I am sure we will have standard size fire wood left over too.

It was very windy again today, but fortunately the snow is now too wet and heavy to drift.  It is actually beginning to melt!  Our high for the day was 34.

Saturday 3/11. It was 32 and overcast this morning.  A snow/rain mix began to fall mid morning, and ended in pouring rain mid afternoon.  Then the fog moved in, but the wind picked up again and blew it all away.  We had blue sky by 3:30 pm and our high for the day was 40.

I baked spicy moose treats for Larry and Elsie's visit this evening (chocolate zinger cookies made with the moose cookie cutter that my Aunt Nene gave to JB for Christmas).  JB found a new GF recipe on line and baked hamburger buns and focaccia bread.  Everything turned out so delicious.  We had pulled pork sandwiches for dinner, made with canned pulled pork from Costco.

JB finished reading Hunt For The Red October, and we watched the movie last night, which we both agree is one of the best ever made.  In my reading I am down to N is for Noose in Sue Grafton's series.

Larry and Elsie brought up our mail, meds and bananas for the girls this evening.  The spicy moose treats were a hit, and we played two games of marbles (Aggrivation).  Both of which the girls won. . .   Woo Hoo!!

Sunday 3/12. It was 34 and sunny this morning, but clouds soon moved in creating an overcast by late afternoon.  No precipitation of any kind though and we had a high of 50, making it our warmest day of the year so far.  The snow really is beginning to melt now, especially around the trees.  The whole landscape seems to be sinking.

I really dislike daylight savings time, so we just ignored it last night and this morning.  But because we got to bed so late, by 11:00 am it seemed like noon, so that's when we moved our clocks forward.  We just spent a lazy day reading mail and magazines, and both took a nap.  Love those naps!

Monday 3/13. It is 37 with a light rain this morning.  I guess I am going to have to set my alarm.  We went to bed an hour early and slept in to our regular time.

Thought for the day: Prayer is not a spare wheel that you pull out when you are in trouble.  It is a steering wheel that keeps you on the right path throughout life.  Jerusalem Prayer Team, Facebook

March 10, 2017 This Can't Be March!

(No photos today as it is taking too long to upload.)


Wednesday 3/8. The higher the sun rose, the more the wind calmed, and we had lots of sun until mid afternoon.  A very pleasant day with a high of 38.  However drifts covered the lower road to the south ridge and the top of the ridge was smoothed over as if there had never been a path.  The path to the north ridge is also completely covered, as well as the one to the west ridge and shop.  The trick is to remember where the path was, because it is still packed down hard.

After giving us five eggs yesterday, the girls gave us four today!  I have started scrambling an egg in the morning and splitting it between the dogs with their breakfast.  They love it.

Snow is in the forecast for all week and into the weekend.  Unbelievable!  Yesterday, in 2015, our temperature was in the low 70's.  But today the predicted snow finally arrived just as JB and the dogs returned from their afternoon walk, about 3:40.

In our radio conversation with Larry this evening, he indicated that he and Elsie plan to drive up in the SnoCat this weekend bringing our mail and JB's meds.  They have several packages for us, including a new garbage disposal.  Ours died and the company gave us a 50% discount off a new one.  Great customer service!

Thursday 3/9. It was 26 with a light overcast this morning and two more inches of snow.  Never did see more than a hint of blue sky and snow began falling around 9:00 am.  A very wet snow that gave us 2" by the time of our afternoon walk.  The avalanche canon was really booming this morning at Mission Ridge.

I am going nuts not being able to make the changes we have planned until we can get Down There with the Jeep.  So I did some re-arranging with a shelf from the loft in order to move things out of our bedroom closet and onto the top of our dresser.  There is so much wasted space there.  Now I have some of our long-term canned food in the closet where I can actually see it.  The closet is probably the coolest place in the house during the summer.

Several months (or maybe almost a year) ago, I mentioned that I had a fantastic idea for the novel I had always wanted to write.  Well, it is still a great idea, but after two and a half chapters and copious notes, I have come to the conclusion that I will never write it.  I am more suited to writing non-fiction.  And am really enjoying my added blog posting.  I think it adds to the atmosphere of my regular blog, as even though we do many of the same things as people living Down There do, it's just not the same.

Friday 3/10. It is a warm 39 this morning with a wind gusting to 27.  The sky is blue but the wind is ripping off small pieces of clouds over the mountains and sending them skitteling east.

Thought for the day: Wouldn't it be great if we could put ourselves in the dryer for ten minutes and come out wrinkle free and two sizes smaller?

March 8, 2017 Record Eggs & Snow

March 6 and it looks
like January 6!

Another March 6 view.

Monday 3/6. The overnight wind swept away most of yesterday's tracks.  And by the time of our afternoon walk, it had erased our morning tracks.  Two short snow squalls blew through at noon and 2:00 pm leaving barely a trace.  Our high for the day was 38.

JB switched the doors on the refrigerator/freezer to open on the left.  Not an easy task after 8-1/2 years of opening on the right.  And, since we will have an outdoor refrigerator, we have decided to purchase a small propane freezer.  It is 2.2 cu ft which is about the same as the one in the refrigerator.

Even though it looks like January 6 outside, instead of March 6, the Spring cleaning bug has bitten.  I am organizing and reorganizing, and planning for the kitchen "remodel" to accommodate the freezer.  We will switch one drawer cabinet to the other side of the kitchen and add a pantry.  Oh, I can hardly wait!

Tuesday 3/7. It was 22 and had just began snowing at 7:00 am.  It was a wet snow that fell all day.  By 3:30 pm we had another 2-1/2" which put us over the 10 FOOT mark!  A record for us in the nine winters we have spent Up Here.

Another record was broken when the girls gave us FIVE eggs today!  The most they had given us in one day is four.

The adventure just never ends!

Wednesday 3/8. The wind howled all night and this morning it is gusting to 22 mph, with a temp of 28 and another 4" of snow.  JB had to get out and shovel most of the path to the girls.  All the paths have disappeared.  Don't want to think what it has done to the road. . .  

Thought for the day: It always seems impossible until it is done.  Nelson Mandela

March 6, 2017 More Snow & A New Posting Subject

Looking up from the
hair-pin corner on our
Monday morning walk.

Looking down our
driveway at JB
taking his time
coming back up.

Our red-neck porch.

Friday 3/3. Another typical winter day. . .

Saturday 3/4. It was 22 and clear this morning.  A beautiful day, so JB suggested we take a different morning walk.  Instead of going up to the south ridge and around, we hiked down the road just past the hair-pin corner.  The dogs were delighted.  The snow had become heavy enough that we didn't sink to our thighs (just our boot tops) if we strayed off the track.

After breakfast I took the tarp off the the girls' run.  It gives them much more light and I figure we only have three or four more weeks of snow.  The girls were so pleased that they gave us four eggs again.

We are way past being able to freeze anything.  The temp is 22 in both the fridge and freezer.

Clouds floated over, but all in all it was a splendid day with a high of 36.

Sunday 3/5. It was 24 and snowing this morning.  When I measured on the way up to clear off the panels, we had received another 1-3/4".  I got up at 6:00 am with the dogs and stayed up.  Got busy and by 8:15 I had fed the girls and dogs, cleared off the panels and brought in the fire wood.  Won't be doing that every day.

While clearing the panels, Dinga alerted me to two coyotes crossing over the peak on the other side of the fence.

After lunch, JB and I moved the refrigerator from the middle of the porch to the north side of the front door, against the house.  Tomorrow he will switch the door to open from the other side.  And we will move it further to the north when we take the chairs and other items off the porch that are there for the winter.

I mentioned several days ago that I was starting to read Sue Grafton's books from the beginning, and I am now in the middle of L Is For Lawless.  JB has started reading his Tom Clancy books again and is enjoying Hunt For The Red October.

The mountains got pounded with snow all day, but ours quit at about 8:00 am and we had lots of blue sky with a high of 40.  I even had to take my coat off while cleaning the porch after we moved the fridge.

Randy has been after me to write more about the how-to's of living Up Here and I think he has a good point.  So beginning tomorrow, I will have two different postings each Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  This, my normal one, and another that deals with the how-to's.  Of course I will probably have much less time now to talk to him on the phone. . .

We always have an egg dish for dinner on Sundays and this evening JB fixed a Swiss cheese and apple fritata.  Soooo good!  The apples were freeze-dried, diced Granny Smith.

Monday 3/6. It is 22 with mostly clear skies this morning, and more snow on the way tomorrow.

Thought for the day: If it can be solved, there's no need to worry, and if it can't be solved, worry is of no use.  The Dalai Lama

March 3, 2017 Lots of Eggs, Snow and Drifting!

The path to the north
ridge had completely
disappeared!

Jesse on the ice-rimmed road down
from the south ridge.

Wednesday 3/1. Most of the paths were drifted over this morning.  Snow got into my high mucking boots when I went to feed the girls their breakfast.  Still in my pajamas and dressing gown, I just slip on my coat, hat and boots, and am on my way with their hot oatmeal and bananas and fresh water.  Our whole landscape was sculpted this morning, and dotted with fir cones, needles, twigs and small branches.

I can take fog and wind in small doses.  Fortunately, after howling all night, the wind had calmed by mid morning to a 7 mph breeze.

JB started the vehicles and let them run for a while.  I filled five more coffee cans full of snow/ice and put them in the fridge.  Then I dug out the tractor.

The sun was quite warm and our high for the day was 42.

The dogs have had a lot of exercise in the past week or two chasing coyotes (?).  We haven't actually seen any since JB spotted them on the south ridge, but the dogs are definitely getting their scent.  Ever the hunter, Jesse caught and ate an appetizer (mouse?) on our afternoon walk today.

It looks like we may pass last winter's "record" snowfall of 9.88 feet.  So far this winter we have received 9.7 feet and there is more on the way.

Thursday 3/2. This morning was 30 and overcast, but the sun soon broke through the cloud cover and our high for the day was again 42.  The breeze picked up and by the time of our afternoon walk, it was gusting to 16 mph.  When the temp climbs into the high 30's, we don't need a fire during the day.  Just a good one first thing in the morning, then start again in the late afternoon.

I spent several hours reorganizing the long term storage food that has been opened.  Once opened, it will usually last for a year, but I vacuum pack it into half-gallon mason jars to be sure it will stay fresh.  

The girls gave us four eggs again today!  They must be happy with the sun and longer days.  No more happy than we are, I'm sure.

My Aunt Nene responded to my last posting and let me know that my Grandmother actually had an ice box.  She canned lots of fruit and vegetables, and made lots of jam, but did not can meat.  My Grandfather kept them in fresh wild game.

Friday 3/3. It is 34 this morning and mostly cloudy.  The mountains are really getting dumped on, but we are being spared, so far.

Thought for the day: It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.  Ralph Waldo Emerson

March 1, 2017 Memories & Not One Hint of Spring

Winter laundry.

Monday 2/27. It was 20 and mostly cloudy this morning with 2-3/4" new snow.  Flakes drifted lazily down all afternoon, but it was barely a skiff (as Elsie would say).

My friend, Hazel, who just turned 101 called to thank me for the card and blog printout that I had sent.  She said that the mention of my canning chicken brought back many good memories.  She grew up in rural Michigan and canned all their meat.  No ice deliveries where they lived, so they didn't even have an ice box.  They stored their butter and such items in the spring house where it was cool.  I know that on the ranch where my Father and Aunt Nene grew up, they used the spring house as a cooler also.  My Grandmother did a lot of canning, but I don't know if she canned meat.

Tuesday 2/28. It was a chilly 18 with clear skies this morning.  The forecast calls for a temp of 50 tomorrow, which is perfect for the first day of March.  Spring is just three weeks away, but to look outside, it might as well be three months.

The girls gave us FOUR eggs today!  None yesterday and three on Sunday.  

With all the power coming in this morning, I had no excuse not to vacuum.  Yes, Mother Nature pretty much rules our lives Up Here.

Wednesday 3/1. It is 30 and clear with a wind gusting to 28 mph.  If this is our annual chinook, it is almost exactly two months late.

Thought for the day: You wake up every morning to fight the same demons that left you so tired the night before, and that, my love, is bravery.  Quinton Brower, Facebook