August 7, 2017 Hewing Trees By Hand

Grouse at the bird
bath Saturday morning.

Jesse waiting for us to
come back from the panels.

Tree completely cut but
caught in another tree's branches.

Friday 8/4. I threw on some clothes and hopped in Miss Kitty to go down and pick up the mail first thing before the heat set in.  Wasn't too bad until that last mile.  As I was driving back up, I met Larry at the gate taking their dog for a walk. 

Garden fresh tomatoes with my scrambled eggs for breakfast!  Yippee!

We tilted the solar panels half-way down this morning, which means that cooler temps aren't far away.

Jesse was barking at the east slope with his tail and hackles up early this afternoon.  He didn't run up there, so we can only assume that it was a bear.  Nothing else deters him.

Last night we actually saw the stars and some of the lights from town for the first time since the smoke settled in.  But early this morning there was a lot more smoke and we couldn't even see across the canyon.

It was a very uncomfortable day with a high of 90.  This heat just sucks the energy right out of you.

Saturday 8/5. It was 70 this morning with lots of smoke and not much of a breeze.  About a dozen grouse were in the yard, two of them drinking out of the bird bath.  Not too many other birds about.  Probably because of the smoke.  

JB saw a deer on the south ridge this morning for the first time in quite a while.  But, as Larry says, just because you don't see them doesn't mean they don't see you.

I baked bar cookies this afternoon from a recipe I found in a cook book I made for my eighth-grade Home Ec project.  There is some good stuff in there, and much more simple than many of today's recipes.

I haven't seen any hummingbirds for a couple days, but there were two at the feeder this evening.  The little bats are quite active each evening beginning at dusk.

Our high for today was 84, which was much more comfortable that yesterday's 90.

Sunday 8/6. It was 68 and still smokey this morning.  A little after 6:00 am we were all awakened by grouse flying off the deck and on to the ground just outside our bedroom window.  They are everywhere now!

JB and I got out early to cut down trees by hand.  Just don't feel comfortable using the chain saw right now with everything so dry and hot.  We used a hand saw and the wedges to take down three small ones.  The first tree we cut got hung up in another tree's branches and we had to pull it down with JB's Jeep.  We chose the three smallest ones that turned out to be 7" to 9" in diameter.  We were working in the shade where it was quite comfortable with a nice breeze. Still got dirty and sweaty, so a nice cool shower felt so good, as did being able to get some actual work done again.

Only saw one hummingbird today.  They are usually gone by mid August.

Our high for the day was 85, with a light breeze most of the time.

Monday 8/7. It is 70 and smokey this morning with no breeze at all.  I plan to leave for Down There as soon as I can this morning for groceries and other errands.  This heat is supposed to let up a bit by the end of the week, but I just can't wait til then.

Thought for the day: We are all strangers in a strange land, longing for home, but not quite knowing what or where home is.  We glimpse it sometimes in our dreams, or as we turn a corner and suddenly there is a strange, sweet familiarity that vanishes almost as soon as it comes.  Madeleine L'Engle