January 15, 2016 Another Winter Adventure

The hen house and outhouse/recycle
 shed.

Coming down from the south ridge
on our Thursday afternoon walk.

Wednesday 1/13. We decided that JB had to see a doctor today about his wrist, so at 10:30 am I backed MAX up in order to drive down to Miss Kitty.  I am not at all very good at backing him up.  Something went "clunk" and then he didn't move any more.  So I got our walking sticks, put on the back pack, and we started walking.  Poor JB wasn't feeling all the great, so it took us almost two hours to make it to Miss Kitty (1-3/4 miles).  Drove down to the Jeep, and then to the clinic in town.  Almost three hours later JB's visit was done.  His wrist was not broken, but he has a bad sprain and some tendon damage.  With a splint that works and some meds, we were on our way home.  The short version of the story is that I left him at Larry and Elsie's so Larry could bring him home in the SnoCat when they got home from work.  I drove Miss Kitty up to her parking place and began walking back up to Rose Camp.  By then it was 4:45 pm and getting dark, but Gridder was going to come up on the snowmobile and drive me the rest of the way as soon as Mrs. Gridder got home.  By 5:15 pm, I was just 1/4 mile from home and called Larry so he could call Gridder and tell him not to bother.  About ten minutes later, here came Gridder to give me a ride up the steepest part of the road.  How nice that was!  Elsie called on the radio at 7:00 pm to say that Larry and JB were on their way up in the Sno-Cat.  About an hour later she called to say that they were back at their place because of engine problems with the SnoCat.  So Gridder ended up bringing JB up on the snowmobile.  Thank goodness for great neighbors!!

Thursday 1/14. It was 28 with blue sky and SUNSHINE this morning!  A beautiful day all day with a high of 34.  A day of relaxing and recuperating.  Didn't even look at MAX to see what was wrong.  Will do that tomorrow.

We had received another five inches of snow by yesterday morning, and another half inch by this morning.  

So very sorry to hear that Alan Rickman has passed on.  He will be greatly missed.

Friday 1/15. It is 27 and overcast this morning.  Going to have to check out MAX today. . .

Thought for the day: When God answers my prayers, sometimes She says, "Yes."  Sometimes She says, "No."  And sometimes She says, "You've got to be kidding!"

January 13, 2016 Snow & Rime, Same Ol', Same Ol'

A rimed moose - how poetic. . .
Just for you, Randy!

Monday 1/11.  Any trip Down There in the winter is an adventure, and especially if we take a dog.  But Jesse is the perfect travelling companion, so all was well.  The three of us rode in MAX down to Miss Kitty, then rode in Miss Kitty down to the Jeep.  Then it was down to town.  After our visit to the vet, I was able to buy a latte for the first time in weeks.  We bought a few groceries and then took our trip in reverse.  We arrived back home with a handful of meds and ointment for Jesse and a diagnosis of an infection in his paw.  

JB did something to his left wrist, so now I am nursing two patients.

Began watching Wayward Pines this evening.  Very weird. . .

Tuesday 1/12. It was 20 with a thick cover of rime over everything outside.  The temp didn't vary all day and snow fell from about 9:00 am.  It was too fine for any measurable amount until late afternoon.  

It was a very quiet, inside day reading papers, magazines, mail and books.  We put a splint on JB's wrist which helped a lot.  It isn't swollen, just very painful.

Wednesday 1/13.  It is 16 and overcast this morning with valley fog.  Looks like we may have received another 3" of snow overnight.

Thought for the day: Every survival kit must include a sense of humor.

January 11, 2016 A Winter Weekend & A Visit

The nest Jesse made on Saturday.
He likes our fleece sheets.

Larry & Elsie arriving Sunday
afternoon.

Friday 1/8. I helped JB dig out his Jeep so he could move it.  Also spent time writing my book.  I tend to do it a half an hour at a time, two or three times a day.  Also still writing notes for it throughout the day and often into the night.

JB has been spending time on his computer researching the Washington State Constitution, and he did so today.  He also baked some focaccia bread to have with dinner.

Our high for the day was 34 and we actually saw a little blue sky until early afternoon when the fog moved back in.  Am really getting tired of that fog.

Saturday 1/9. It was 28 and overcast as the day began.  A light snow of tiny snowflakes fell all afternoon, but all it did was turn the tree branches white.  No measurable amount.

JB used the tractor to move some of the big piles of snow and I spent most of the day doing inside stuff.  Our high for the day was 30.  It is actually getting cooler as predicted.

Sunday 1/10. It was 24 and overcast this morning, and that pretty much describes the whole day.  I cleaned house a bit and JB tried to use the snow blower, but thinks a belt to the impeller may have broken.

Larry and Elsie arrived at about 2:30 pm in the SnoCat, having plowed our road all the way up.  They drove up and around the south ridge too.  Then we had fun playing two games of marbles and split them.  With Larry's plowing, we should be able to get Miss Kitty back up to Rose Camp.  

We are going Down There tomorrow to take Jesse to the vet to have his paw looked at.  Also going to pick up a few groceries and go to the post office.  If it looks like Miss Kitty can get up our road, we will go down on Tuesday to get her.

Monday 1/11. It is 20 and overcast with valley fog this morning.  We must have been fogged in overnight as everything is rimed.  It is going to be a cold journey this morning.

Thought for the day: Don't tell me that worry doesn't do any good!  The things I worry about don't happen.

January 8, 2016 Riding, Shoveling & a Sore Paw

Snowballs rolling down on
the side of the road.

Wednesday 1/6. When JB measured this morning, he found that we had received another 1-1/2" of snow in the past 24 hours.  Enough already!  The temperature rose to 32 and a light rain began falling.  It soon turned to big, wet snowflakes and continued on and off for most of the day.  I think it melted as soon as it hit the ground as there was no measurable amount.

JB and I did a mountain/off-the-grid fix on two of the broken cleats on MAX's right track.  We used wire to take the place of the broken rivets.  Looks like it might actually work.

I really have to restrain myself from writing a long political rant on the events of this week.  And, if I got started, it would be quite long.

Other than that, it was a quiet day.  We are watching the third season of Major Crimes now.  Very enjoyable.

In talking with Elsie this evening, she mentioned that they had shoveled off the roof of their hen house and cabin.  As she was talking, I was thinking, "Oh, sh*t!  I need to do the deck before it starts melting!"

Thursday 1/7.  It was 32 and mostly overcast this morning, but dawn held the promise of a sunny day.  Unfortunately the clouds wouldn't give it up and the fog moved in around noon.  So, no sun again today.

JB and I were on our way in MAX a little after 10:00 am to groom the road and start Miss Kitty.  We made it down and back just fine, with no issues with the tracks.  However there was a very large, mistletoed branch that had broken off and fallen in the middle of the road, but we got it moved out of the way.  The snow is beginning to get very heavy with the warmer temperatures, but January 7 seems to be the day for the melting to start.  No Chinook so far, but there is a definite rise in the temps.

Jesse has had a problem with his front left paw for more than a week now.  It looks like he tore some of the skin off of his pad.  But this morning, for the first time, it was quite swollen.  We could get him into the vet at 9:30 am tomorrow or 11:30 am on Monday.  I took tomorrow's appointment, and by this afternoon he was walking on his paw just fine.  And isn't that the way it always is.  So I cancelled tomorrow's appointment and took the Monday one.  We would have had to leave at 7:30 am, so both of us are quite relieved.

After lunch JB gave MAX a thorough check out, while I began the daunting task of clearing more than two feet of snow off of the deck.  When JB was done with MAX, he helped me a bit and then I finished it up.  It was really starting to get heavy.

Our high for the day was 38.  The snow is slowly slipping off the sheds, and the melt is dripping in the girls' run around the edges.  Got another egg today.  Lots of snow bombs, too.

Friday 1/8. It is 30 this morning and I am not sure if we are in the clouds or fog, but I do know that I am sore from all that shoveling yesterday. . .

Thought for the day: If you really want to do something you will find a way.  Otherwise you will find an excuse.

January 6, 2016 A Cancelled Appointment & More Snow

Dinga enjoying her favorite toy.

Not only is the trail disappearing,
so is the sign!

Monday 1/4. We actually received 8" of snow yesterday, which was the deciding factor for me to cancel my colonoscopy for tomorrow.  Just got my head wrapped around going through with this and now I am going to have to wait til 2/26.  But at least now I can eat fruit again.  Only three days and I really missed it.

JB used the snow thrower to clear the paths and a larger swath by the vehicles, and again much to Dinga's delight.  I did some shoveling and the daily outdoor chores.  The girls are now giving us an egg every other day.  Larry and Elsie's girls aren't laying at all, but I think that has to do with the bobcat scare.

Our high for the day was 26, and this afternoon some of the first of the snow came roaring off the south side of the roof.  There is lots of ice under the snow on both sides, so it is going to be quite loud when it finally lets go.

Tuesday 1/5. It was 26 and we were up in the clouds this morning.  We had received another 3/4" of snow overnight.  Light snow began falling around noon and continued the rest of the day.  By 5:30 pm we had received another 3/4" and it was still coming down.  Our high for the day was 28.  JB is going to have to drive MAX down the road to groom a bit tomorrow.

JB did a little shoveling this morning, but we both spent most of the day on inside projects.  He was on the computer and I was sorting photos.  Am now up to 1989, and have several envelopes full to send to family members.

Wednesday 1/6. It is 30 this morning and we are still in the clouds.  Looks like the frigid temps are behind us for a while.

Thought for the day: The last day of the second Amendment will be the first day of the Americas' second revolution.

January 4, 2016 A Long Sled Run & A Longer Hike

One of the intrepid hikers.

Friday 1/1. The fog cleared by 8:30 am to reveal a blue sky and bright sunshine.  However, there was fog in the valleys and canyons all day long.

This was my first day prepping for the colonoscopy I am scheduled for on Tuesday.  So, for three days I am on a low-fiber diet, and Monday will be a liquid diet with lots of good stuff to drink to clean me out.  Can't wait.

For us it was a relaxing New Year's Day, and this evening we heard it had been a very quiet day for Larry also.  It seems that they only had one guest on New Year's Eve, so Elsie went to bed before midnight.  Larry and his neighbor friend then decided to go sledding down the road to Gridder's (almost a mile), neither of them feeling any pain until today.  Larry called Gridder to see if he would give them a ride back home if they made it to his place.  He did, and then Gridder sledded down with them.  Larry managed to completely wreck two sleds with runners during their adventure.  Just wish someone had been out there with a spotlight to make a video.

Saturday 1/2. It was 10 with clear skies again this morning.  Our temps are often warmer than down the mountain in the winter and today was no exception.  It was 5 in town and 4 at Larry and Elsie's.

JB wanted to leave for Down There at 9:30, but didn't get on his way until an hour later as the chain came off the sprocket for the front left wheel of MAX.  But we had it fixed in just a half an hour.  We are getting so good!

The only reason he had to go down was to get some Gatorade for me to mix with the solution I have to drink on Monday.  The kind we had bought last week was red and it cannot be red or purple.  So, of course, he had a list of other errands to run (including getting several more keys for the mail box) and a few groceries to buy.  

He got down to Miss Kitty only to discover that he had forgotten her key, so he had to drive MAX all the way down to Larry and Elsie's to the Jeep.  But he did manage to make it back home by 3:00 pm.  When we go Down There on Tuesday, he will have several more keys made for Miss Kitty.

Because JB was driving MAX on the hard, plowed main road, two more cleats broke on the right track and he had a problem keeping that track on the tires.  So, since he did not start up Miss Kitty, we are going to walk down to her tomorrow to start her up.  Don't want to use MAX as we will definitely need him Tuesday morning to get down for my appointment.

We watched The Homesman with Tommy Lee Jones this evening.  Very good, but very heavy.

Sunday 1/3. It was a balmy 16 this morning and overcast with valley fog.  Snow began falling just before we left at 10:30 am for our hike to Miss Kitty.  It is about 1-3/4 miles one way, so 3-1/2 miles round trip.  We took turns carrying the backpack and we made it down in one hour.  Spent about 1/2 hour there letting Miss Kitty run, and I drove her down to the S-curve and back up (about 1/4 mile each way).  After water and a snack, we began our return hike.  By then our tracks from coming down were almost covered.  It took us an hour and a half to get back home.  More uphill and more tired.  The snow stopped falling as we arrived home and by then we had received 2".  Just another adventure on the mountain, after which we both took a nap.

Our high for the day was 18, and more snow began to fall around 3:30 pm.

Monday 1/4. It is 20 and lightly snowing this morning.  Looks like we might have received 6" of snow.  I may have to cancel my colonoscopy appointment for tomorrow.

Regarding Randy's comment about Jesse, if we don't cover him up he will pull the covers back by our pillows and make a nest on the bed. . .

Thought for the day: Opportunity may knock just once, but temptation bangs on the front door forever.

January 1, 2016 A Very Cold Start to the New Year

On the south ridge looking up to the peak.

Wednesday 12/30. I took down some of the Christmas decorations today.  Will do the rest tomorrow.  I like to do it gradually. . .

JB put some SeaFoam in the gas line of the snow blower yesterday to dissolve any clogs that may have formed.  He let it set overnight and today it started up after just a few pulls.  He widened most of the pathways, much to Dinga's delight.  She loves to jump up and try to catch the snow as it is thrown.

I baked cookies, sorted more photos, and was able to let the wood stove cool down so I could clean it out.  A very dirty, but necessary job.

We finished watching the third season of Longmire, but now it's going to be very hard to wait for the fourth season.

Thursday 12/31. It was 10 and partly cloudy this morning.  Brrrrr!  And, because it is so cold, we have decided we really cannot go to Larry and Elsie's this evening.  Am very disappointed, but it is just way too cold for these two old bodies to drive down in MAX.

In thinking about greeting the new year, I have identified some things, ideas and people that I need to let go of.  Sometimes hanging on can just hurt too much.  So it is out with the old and in with the new.

I took down the rest of the Christmas decorations, sorted and threw out more photos (although I am putting some aside of people who may want them).  Always around New Year's I get in a real sorting and throwing mood.  This year it seems to be aimed at my thousands of photographs.

JB did some more clearing with the snowblower, and then baked a chocolate cream pie from scratch.  Yummmm!

The sky was partly cloudy all day but the sun managed to shine most of the time.  Our high was a whopping 16!  Too cold for me to be out any longer than it took to do the daily chores, which included gathering an egg the girls gave us.  It was a much lighter brown, so I think it was Blondie's gift.

Friday 1/1. Our wishes for a very Happy and Peaceful New Year to All from our frigid little corner of the world.  It is 10 degrees again this morning and overcast with freezing fog trying to move up from the canyon.

Thought for the day: Make a list of the things that make you happy. Make a list of the things you do every day. Compare this lists. Adjust accordingly.  From a posting on Facebook.