October 28, 2015 Deer & Halloween Costumes

Mushrooms that popped up in our
yard last Friday.

Two of the deer we saw Monday morning.

Monday 10/26. The dogs were eating breakfast when Dinga very loudly alerted us to three deer ambling across the south slope.  We didn't let the dogs out until the deer had crossed onto the east slope and up to the fence, nibbling on the grass as they went.  An hour or so later, a few more walked up our driveway a ways before going up the east slope.  It is deer season and I really believe they know where the safe places are.  As of last night, Larry and his group hadn't seen any deer where they were hunting.

The valley fog quickly grew in the sunshine, arriving up at Rose Camp by 9:00 am.  But it was only here for a few minutes before it retreated back down into the canyons where it belongs.

Mmmmm!  Leftover frittata for breakfast!  JB had made it for dinner last night using a little crumbled sausage, that was left over from making pizza Friday evening, bacon, yellow and red sweet peppers, cheese, onions and tomatoes fresh off the vine all mixed in to several eggs.

After laundry and lunch, I turned the soil in one of the raised beds, which was much more of a physical endeavor than I had anticipated.  Then JB and I removed the mower from the tractor.  Easier than putting it on, but neither is one of my favorite jobs.  We always seem to smash a finger or two while at it.  And, of course, we have to get down on the ground to do all of this and Dinga is quite certain that the only reason we would get down on the ground is to play with her, so it is always a challenge.

Talked to our son this afternoon, as we often do, and he was telling us about our Grandchildren's Halloween costumes.  Our Grandson (11 years old) is going to be a zombie storm trooper (?!).  Our Granddaughter (8 years old) found a 1960's diner waitress costume, which sounded really cool to us, but then decided she wanted to be a princess.  She just hasn't decided if it will be a zombie or vampire princess. . .

I made ground turkey soup for dinner.  My Mom used to make it a lot with hamburger, peas, corn, carrots and broken spaghetti noodles.  I use freeze dried potato dices instead of the pasta.  Lots of garlic, onion, pepper and bullion make it so delicious.  Also baked a banana/chocolate chip coffee cake for desert.

By the end of the day, I knew I was going to sleep well tonight. . .

The sky remained mostly cloudy all day, with a cool breeze and our high for the day was 56.

Tuesday 10/27. It was 36 and clear this morning with a fog bank to the west, and in my head.  I have had very realistic dreams the last few nights, ones that take a while to shake out of.  Can't even get going on Sudoku.

I hung out another load of laundry, and then helped JB take one of the small, front tires off the tractor.  He has to go Down There tomorrow, and one of his errands will be to have the tire filled something that keeps it from going flat.  He also took off one of the wheel barrow tires for the same reason.  Then he fixed our tire pump and added some air to Miss Kitty's tires, which were getting a little low.

I worked on my computer, downloading all the old family photos and documents I had scanned in during the hot weather onto a DVD.

Last Friday I discovered some mushrooms that had popped up in our yard.  JB thought they were morels, but Elsie said they weren't.  Didn't know whether to eat them or smoke them, so we did neither.

A few thin clouds appeared during the day and the mountains were hidden most of the time, although we did get glimpses of snow on them.  Our high for the day was 50.

I stepped out on the porch a little before 7:00 pm and heard a pack of coyotes yipping.  They were off to the east and it sounded like they were moving towards the south.  It has been a long time since we have heard them Up Here.

Wednesday 10/28. It is 40 and overcast this morning, with more wet weather on the way.  Looks like Randy may be getting snow this weekend.

Thought for the day: You are never too old to set another goal or dream another dream.  C.S. Lewis

October 26, 2015 A Bear, A Garden & Working Down There

Branch wood stacked on the porch.

Fall colored aspen wayyyy down in the canyon.

Friday 10/23. As plans often go, ours didn't today.  Instead of using the tractor, we took down the tipi which has been up for almost a year and a half.  We really don't like to leave it up for more than one winter in a row.  It was the small 12-ft tipi, which is much easier to handle than the 18-ft.  We cleaned up everything that was in it, including some more straw that we gave to the girls.  They love all the straw in their hen house, and seem to be spending most of their days inside.

The overcast sky cleared a bit overhead and our high for the day was 54.  It sure didn't feel much cooler than yesterday's 62.

Saturday 10/24.  It was 38 and overcast this morning when I got up at 7:00 am to get ready for my day Down There helping Elsie in their shop.  We were busy and the day passed quickly.  But we did have time to chat, and Elsie told me about the bear she watched in their yard eating apples.  She had a small pile of over-ripe apples near the tree that the bear discovered.  He would spear one with a claw and take it a few feet away to eat.  Then he would come back and spear another one, take it a few feet away and eat it.  This went on for quite a while and she couldn't figure out why he didn't just sit by the pile and eat the apples instead of walking back and forth. . .

Rain fell for a while during the early afternoon, but stopped just before we were done for the day.  I ran a couple errands and was soon on my way home, but met neighbors on my way up the main canyon road.  So it took me quite a while to get home, but it was so great so see and chat with everyone.

JB fixed my computer while I was gone.  Our son suggested that he uninstall Google Chrome and install the latest version.  That solved the problems I was having, thank goodness.

We watched Midnight in Paris this evening, which has to be seen at least once a year, as many Woody Allen movies should.

Sunday 10/25.  It was 38 and overcast again this morning.  Lately we have been having a hard time getting out of bed by 8:00 am.  JB thinks our bodies are getting ready for the time change next week.  I just wish we could stay on standard time all year round.

No big Sunday breakfast, as JB decided to make a big fritatta for dinner.  After lunch we went outside to put the raised gardens to bed for the winter.  JB used the tractor bucket to load the compost pile into the wheel barrow so we could wheel it inside the fence right by the beds, where we shoveled it all in.  Then he used the bucket to scrape up all the small debris and dirt from the splitting area, and we shoveled that on top of the compost.  Tomorrow I'll use the pitchfork to mix it all into the soil and will continue to dump the chicken manure on the beds during the winter.  They should be good for growing a nice garden next year, and get better each year we use them.

The sky remained overcast all day and by late afternoon the clouds had lopped off the top of the mountains.  Our high for the day was a cool 48.

Rain began falling a little after 6:00 pm and was steady until 9:30, then off and on all night.

Monday 10/26. It is 40 and partly cloudy this morning.  I can see snow on the mountaintops that are not hidden by the clouds.

Thought for the day: I would rather be a hot mess of bold action, a make-it-happen-learn-on-the-fly kind of person, than a perfectly organized coward.  Brendon Burchard

October 23, 2015 Hauling Garbage & Cutting Wood

(Still having a problem uploading photos.)

Wednesday 10/21. Made our garbage run, and we were the only ones at the transfer station.  That's a first!  Usually there is a line, and pressure to back the trailer in quickly and perfectly.  No other errands other than the post office and buying newspapers, so we were home by noon after stopping in to visit Larry and Elsie.

We washed the dishes and then put the new tarp over the hen house roof.  The girls are molting, but not very fast.  We may not get eggs until Spring. . .

This morning's clouds to the west grew into a mainly overcast sky and our high for the day was 54.

I broke another tooth yesterday evening.  Most of these problems are from old, large fillings.  I actually got to sleep last night in spite of the pain I knew our budget would soon be feeling.  Fortunately the tooth itself isn't causing me any pain.  Not sure "budget" is the correct term to use.  Perhaps "chaotic jumble of every-changing numbers" would be more accurate.  Once again, thank you Wall Street.

We watched Burn After Reading this evening.  I have never been much of a fan of George Clooney, even though he is quite the handsome lad.  But his acting never impressed me much until I saw this movie in which he is phenomenal and hilarious.  

Thursday 10/22. It was a crisp 40 this morning with a clear sky.  Had to bundle up to go out and feed the girls.

I have finally perfected the mountain folk latte.  A latte is really the only form of coffee that gets me going.  That thrills my taste buds along with my brain cells.  So, after much thought on the subject, this morning I heated some milk on the stove and brought a couple ounces of water to boil.  I put the water in my cup and added a heaping teaspoon of instant espresso.  Then I added some vanilla syrup and the hot milk.  Oh, my!  That will certainly do on mornings that I am not going Down There.

In fact, it worked so well, that I cut and stacked one load of wood before brunch and three loads afterwards.  That finished the stack of branch wood, and we have about one and one-fourth rows on the south end of the porch.  Some of those branches were 3" in diameter.

JB lit a fire in the wood stove in the shop in an effort to dry out the ceiling in there.  Openings have appeared in the tongue-&-groove decking, so water got down there during the last rain storm.  Before we get more moisture from the sky, I will fill those cracks with caulking

In the Nov/Dec issue of BackWoods Home, the editor's My View page is a wonderful piece on free enterprise.  Also there are plans for a great looking fire pit, and, of course, delicious sounding recipes.  All in all, a great issue - as usual.

I made an appointment with my dentist to get a crown on my tooth.  Couldn't get in until 11/16, but it should be good until then.

JB worked on Miss Kitty, as she had been making a odd sound.  He fiddled around a bit and now he can't hear that noise. . .

Dinga caught and injured a mouse, but didn't kill it.  So I had to.  I really do hate to do that, but I just find a rock, smash its head and put it out of its misery.

The sky remained clear today and our high was 62, but it was a very chilly 62.

Larry is going deer hunting this weekend, so I am going to help Elsie in their shop on Saturday.

Friday 10/23. It is 42 and overcast this morning.  We plan to use the tractor to finish cleaning up the splitting area today.

Thought for the day: Having a soft heart in a cruel world is courage not weakness.  Author Unknown

October 21, 2015 Using the Wood Cradle

(Couldn't upload a photo again this morning.)


Monday 10/19. There was a little bit of valley fog this morning, some in the canyons and some over the river, but it cleared up by mid afternoon.

Buster was up this morning and really gave Jesse a work out.  He slept most of the rest of the day.

After lunch I cut and stacked three loads of wood in the cradle.  Now I'm not sure that the pile of branches will actually fill the south end of the porch.

I gave JB a haircut, that was long overdue.  I'm sure the squirrels and chipmunks will be glad for the nesting material.  After that we both took a nap.

I called Nene this evening.  She has had quite the three-day weekend of celebrating her birthday!  Friends and family feting her each day, which she certainly deserves.

Tuesday 10/20. It was 42 and clear this morning.  Since the girls have not been coming out to get their bananas and cabbage when I come around 8:00 am, I am just going to give them their scratch at that time.  I'll give them their other goodies around noon.  They are all starting to molt now, which seems a little late in the year considering how cold it is getting.

Sandy and I had a nice, long talk this morning.  Solved all the world's problems and everyone else's.  She love's hearing about Nene's attitude toward life at 90 and wants to know if Nene would like another niece!

That talk really got me energized.  I cut and stacked three cradle loads of wood before lunch and two loads after lunch.  The branch pile will definitely not fill the end of the porch, but I should have no problem filling it with the branches from the three trees we are going to have cut down.  

JB was out and about today.  He was walking a little more slowly than usual, but took the dogs on their morning walk and we all went on the afternoon one.  Another beautiful Fall day with a high of 60.  The high temps don't last as long now.  It was already down to 50 at 5:30 pm.

Tomorrow we are going on the Fall garbage run.  We seem to have a lot more this time, so I hope we can get it all in the trailer.

Wednesday 10/21. It is 44 and mostly clear this morning, with clouds on the western horizon.  We hope to leave by 9:00 on our garbage run.

Thought for the day: Sometimes I feel like I have my life together, and then I'm like - Wow!  That was a nice 45 seconds.  Purple Clover

October 19, 2015 Arts & Crafts & Rain

Soaked, but ready for Halloween!

Friday 10/16. Well, as soon as I wrote "zipping around the internet" on my posting yesterday, my computer thought, "I don't think so" and everything slowed down.  The new MiFi does work a lot better and faster, but first I have to get a good signal. . .

I loaded the wood cradle this morning and realized that I can't just throw the branches in.  Rather I have to place them according to their length and where they will be cut.  Certainly not rocket science, but there is a learning curve.  Then after lunch, I found the electric chain saw.  Reread all the directions and added the oil.  There is a learning curve for cutting the branches also, but I caught on pretty quickly and soon had the load all cut.  It turned out to be two big wheel barrow loads.  

I hadn't cleaned off the porch in preparation for the wood, so I had to do that before I could stack it.  I figure it takes about an hour to load the cradle, cut the wood, and then stack it.  I may be able to cut some time off that once I get into a groove.  It looks like that big pile of branches will fill the south end of the porch.

JB's foot is still causing him a lot of pain, so he is taking it easy.

Saturday 10/17. It was 52 and partly cloudy this morning.  Couldn't resist another trip down and back up the mountain, so I went to the annual Arts & Crafts Fair Down There.  I still had a few Christmas presents to get and was able to find the perfect gifts.  Not quite as fun as when JB is with me, but I did enjoy myself.  So many clever and beautiful items.

A light overcast had formed by the time I arrived back home after 1:00 pm, but it was quite warm.  Our high for the day was 62, but cooler, wet weather is on its way.

This evening Gridder and his youngest son drove up to visit and get the wire that had been pulled up from the well when the new pump was installed.  JB had told Gridder that he was welcome to it for a project that he had.  It turns out that their chickens are still laying eggs, they just had to find them.  They let their girls out of the pen every day and, instead of going back in to their nesting boxes, they are laying their eggs in the bushes.  Unfortunately their dogs love the eggs, so Gridder has to find them before the dogs do!

Sunday 10/18. It was 50 with a light rain when I got up at 8:00 this morning.  Definitely an inside day which we began with a breakfast of eggs, bacon and waffles that JB cooked.  He is able to wear his shoes and walk slowly, but almost normally again.

We moved slowly into the day, reading the last of the papers and mail that I brought up yesterday.  Then it was time for our daily chores and laundry, which I hung inside.

There is an exceptional article in the October 19 issue of Time magazine about the immigration/exodus from the middle east and Africa to Europe.  Makes me wish I could do something to help, but am just not sure what that would be.

The day just seemed to slip away, as these dark, wet days often do.  The rain fell steadily until about 2:30 pm, and then off and on after that.  When it wasn't raining, we were in the clouds.  I could finally get glimpses of the canyon and a little beyond after dinner.  Our high for the day was 58 and we received .37" of rain.

Monday 10/19. It is 46 and clear this morning.  Hopefully I can get some more wood cut in the cradle.

Thought for the day: We seem to think that we can substitute an irreplaceable and irretrievable beauty with something we have created.  Pope Francis

October 16, 2015 Down & Up, Down & Up

(Unable to download a photo this morning - even with my new MiFi!)


Wednesday 10/14. It was a good trip Down There and the colors along our road were brilliant.  My first stop was at Verizon to get a new wireless "card" as I was having problems getting on and staying on the internet.  Our card was seven years old and putting out hardly any power compared to the new one.  Couldn't wait to get home and try it.  Got all the shopping done and then some.  Errands were run and I was home by 2:00 pm.  By then it was into the 70's Down There.  A clear, sunny day with a high Up Here of 62 (on the porch, in the shade).

JB's foot wasn't any better so he was able to get an appointment with his doctor for tomorrow at 2:45 pm.  Oh joy, two trips in two days.

Too much to work with the new MiFi card, so we will try it in the morning.

Watched Goonies this evening.  One of our favorites, but can't believe how hold it is!

Thursday 10/15. It was 48 with a light, partial overcast this morning.  My last day on antibiotics!  Woo Hoo!

It actually took us more than an hour to figure out the MiFi device as the instructions were not very accurate (and we do not work very well together when we get frustrated with our computers).  But once we got it going and were connected, I was zipping around the internet with no problems.

We left at 1:00 pm so we could drop off some recycle, pick up meds for JB and his glasses that were ready.  He had scratched a lens that was being replaced under warranty (just five days over but they did it anyway).  

The doctor took almost an hour with JB and his findings were what we expected.  It is the leg on which he had torn his achilles tendon about 32 years ago and sometimes he just moves or stretches wrong in bed.  He's getting older, so that sort of thing happens. . .

The colors along the road distracted my thoughts have having driven down and back twice in two day.s

We watched The Lone Ranger this evening.  We really like this movie.  Only Johnny Depp could deliver many of Tonto's lines!

Friday 10/16.  It is 50 and mostly clear this morning.  That that I am done with my meds and JB has been diagnosed as having nothing really wrong except getting older, we ought to be able to get back on track with our project and life Up Here.  If he is in pain, I'll just tell him to take some Tylenol and suck it up!

Thought for the day: Just remember there is someone out there who is more than happy with less than you have.

October 14, 2015 Sunny Fall Days

The tiny hummingbird nest I found.

Monday 10/12. JB had completely unloaded the car when we arrived home Saturday evening, but yesterday I forgot to clean out the spilled dog food.  I had given them their food dry, at which point they looked at me as if to say, "What is that crap?!"  I always add warm chicken broth and chicken to it, which I did to fresh dry food when we got home.  Today I cleaned out all the spilled pieces before the mice discovered them and moved in.

I washed sheets today and hung them outside.  They seem to soak up the fresh air better than any other laundry.

JB drove down at 12:30 pm to see Larry and a video that he had purchased on building a compost fueled generator.  It runs for 48 hours at a time and produces 110v that can run a microwave or a refrigerator!  It costs about $200 to build, and we will definitely be looking into that.

Sounds like no one's chickens are laying much lately.  Larry thinks they might be sensing the big earthquake for which we are due.  I know ours were not laying much this time last year, but they were molting then.  Maybe it is a pending earthquake.

While JB was gone, I took a short nap then gathered a couple more loads of kindling.  As I was doing so, I found a hummingbird nest on the ground!  It is only 1-3/4" in diameter.  Will definitely have to make something in which to display it.

The occasional clouds floated over today, with one very large one stopped right over us in the late afternoon.  Our high for the day was 60.

Tuesday 10/13. It was 53 and clear with a chilly breeze this morning.  Buster arrived for a romp at 7:00 am.  Fortunately I was up and wide awake.  Have been sleeping very soundly the past few nights, and I wanted to spend some time bright eyed and bushy tailed before I took my morning meds.  They pretty much wipe me out and I actually went back to bed at 9:00 am for a couple hours.

JB did something to his right foot while driving on Saturday, and it seems to be causing him more pain each day.  It is not swollen, so I'm not sure what is the matter.  I told him that if he just wanted to relax for a few days, all he had to do was say so. . .

After brunch I gathered and stacked a few more loads of kindling from a couple small piles on the east slope.  Then I put a new tarp over MAX and threw the old, shredded one away.  I gave the girls fresh shavings in their nesting boxes, then used the wheel barrow to gather most of the straw bale out of the tipi and put it into the hen house.  The girls will be busy arranging their home for the next week or so.

I plan to go Down There tomorrow for groceries, errands and to mail Nene's birthday present.  Her birthday is actually on Saturday.  If JB's foot is any better, we may go down on Friday to make our semi-annual run to the garbage dump.  Otherwise we'll be taking him to the doctor.

There were no clouds today and our high was 62, but I am sure it was pushing 70 in the sun.

Wednesday 10/14. It is a chilly 45 with mostly clear skies this morning.  I hope to be on my way Down There by 9:00 am.

Thought for the day: We do not need to see eye to eye to walk arm in arm.  Carolee Stevens in Guideposts September issue