May 16, 2016 A Bear, A Turkey & 3 Downed Trees

Coming down!

Clean-up time.

Friday 5/13. JB didn't realize today was Friday the 13th.  If he had, he wouldn't have been so surprised at all the things that went wrong with the tree removers.  The trees came down okay, but getting up the road was the issue.  They brought the chipper, but weren't supposed to, and it got stuck just above Larry and Elsie's place.  Things went downhill from there, including having to call the owner to bring another truck on the day that his wife was due to have induced labor. 

While the men were Up Here, they also cut down the small, dead tree in the grove, which was very nice of them.

On my way Down there I saw a bear on our road.  It was probably a two-year old that was a couple hundred pounds and a beautiful light cinnamon color.  Such a great experience!  Further down there was a wild turkey hen on the road.  I had to come to a complete stop as she started running around in small circles in front of me!  Finally she took off down the road and then into the bushes.

Elsie and I had another good day, but after three days in town, I was definitely suffering from too much visual and audio stimulation. . .  It was good to be back up on the mountain.

Saturday 5/14. This morning was 48 and overcast.  It looked like the clouds were going to drop their load at any moment, but they held off until around 12:30 pm.  Then it drizzled for a couple of hours.

JB worked in the shop, sharpening the chains for the chain saw in anticipation of cutting the large branches and some of the rounds that are too long.

With piles of branches and tree-trunk rounds everywhere, it was hard to know where to begin cleaning up.  When the rain stopped, I started with the small, kindling-size sticks that were littering the ground.  I ended up taking several bags full to the wood shed and stacking them.  Then I began to clip the pine-needle clusters and pine cones off the ends of the branches from the tree that was by the porch.  It is a ponderosa pine and usually didn't have many cones, but this year there would have been enough to grow a whole forest full of trees.

After a few hours, it was time for a nap.  Still recuperating.

Our high for the day was 54 and rain started falling again about 6:30 pm for a few hours.

Sunday 12/15. It was 46 this morning.  The rain that began about 4:00 am continued to fall until just after 9:30 am.

After breakfast we moved a pile of large branches away from the south side of the house, then I continued clipping needle clusters and cones.  JB sliced up the small tree from the grove.

This project will keep us busy for quite a while.

Our high for the day was 58.  The sky was overcast all day, but it was a bit brighter than yesterday's gloom.

Tuesday will be my 69th birthday!  I'm not into birthday parties for myself, but I think that next year when I turn 70, I just may have one.

Monday 12/16. It is 44 and mostly cloudy this morning with a breeze.  We plan to move rounds to the splitter with the tractor today, and JB will slice the larger ones down to size.

Thought for the day: Give me one good reason to act my age!

May 13,2016 On The Job

The tree on the right and the
two on the left are coming
down on Friday.

Wednesday 5/11. Got my errands done, groceries bought, and was as Elsie's shop early.  So Larry left early for the coast.

It was a very hot day Down There, so it was nice to be inside with air conditioning.  I was home by 6:30 and our high Up Here was 68.

Thursday 5/12. It was 60 and clear this morning.  The tree removal company called at 7:30 am to say they had an emergency fallen tree to attend to and would be Up Here at noon tomorrow.

Elsie and I continued to have fun - I mean work hard - all day.

Another hot day Down There and a high of 68 Up Here.

Friday 5/13. It is 50 with clear skies this morning and possible thunder storms in the forecast for tomorrow. 

Thought for the day: Be so busy enjoying your life that you have no time for hate, regret or fear.  Recoveryexperts.com

May 11, 2016 A Naughty Girl

My Mother's Day gift
from Elsie.

The pelt from the bobcat
Larry shot a few months ago.

Monday 5/9. Our main project for today was to drive the tractor down our road to clear trees and rocks from the edge of the road so the tree-removal truck would have no problems getting to our place on Thursday.  JB drove almost down to the main canyon road and I rode in the back ballast box.  The dogs ran along side.

I walked back, kicking and tossing small rocks and branches out of the way.  We cut one tree, pushed some others out of the way, and brought one very large rock and three smaller ones back up to Rose Camp in the tractor bucket.

Soon after we arrived back home, we discovered Belinda in the new girls' pen!  She didn't seem very interested in them, just their food.  I was able to catch her and put her back where she belonged, and then put some chicken wire across the one small open space on top.  Then it was time for a nap.

The cool wind kept blowing most of the day, and we had a pleasant high of 60.  It was odd to watch the clouds march in from the north instead of the southwest.  They brought rain that finally arrived on our mountain in the evening.

Tuesday 5/10. It was 50 and clear this morning.  When I went to feed the girls, Belinda was in the new girls' pen again trying desperately to get out and get to her breakfast!  I got her back into her pen and after I had some coffee, we raised the second fence up to the top of the pen so there was no space at all for Belinda to sneak through.

JB used the weed-eater to finish cutting the "green" in the grove and on the north side of the outhouse.  It looks so nice now.  Very domestic.

I did another load of wash and got things ready to be gone for three days.  I am going to help Elsie at their shop tomorrow afternoon and all day Thursday and Friday.  It is time for Larry's annual trip to the coast to go fishing with some friends.  I will use tomorrow morning to go to the recycle center and empty the cardboard still in JB's Jeep and then pick up some groceries.

I also hacked up some more bushes just east of our recycle/garbage shed since I know my hands will have three days of rest.  The place is looking good.

Our high for the day was a pleasant 60.  No wind.

Wednesday 5/11. It is 50 and partly cloudy this morning.  I'll be on my way Down There by 10:00 am.

Thought for the day: Eating primarily for health is too much like marrying for money.  In other words, it's not completely crazy, but unless a meal or a relationship commences with yum, I don't see it going anywhere.  Roy Blount Jr.

May 9, 2016 Fir Cones, Persian Rugs & Three New Girls

Our three new girls -
barred rocks.

Friday 5/6. This morning we tilted the solar panels all the way up to catch the high sun.  Then I raked fir cones from the grove and took three full wheel-barrow loads to the new swale.  JB used the weed eater to cut the "grass" in the front yard.  It's all looking domesticated again.

So much for the hot day that was forecast.  The clouds moved in til about 1:00 pm and we had a very pleasant high of 68.

I finally capitulated and made humming bird syrup.  I hung the feeders out at 1:50 pm and fully expected the hoards to descend within moments.  But I guess their scout had left for the day.  It wasn't until about 5:30 that I noticed one of them at a feeder.  Then a few more arrived.

I think picking up small sticks for kindling and fire starter is very much like the new adult coloring craze.  I am so involved in the minutae of the project that the big things just fall away and disappear for the moment.  A very zen experience.

JB left at about 3:00 pm to go play Magic cards with his Jeep full of our winter collection of cardboard for recycle.  Unfortunately he got to the recycle center at 4:05 and they close at 4:00. . .  He did have an enjoyable evening though and was home by 9:30.

I stayed outside til almost 8:30 cleaning up fir cones from the front yard, pulling yarrow and chopping bushes.  I also sat on the porch for a while just enjoying the evening and had a nice chat with my Aunt Nene.

I am fortunate to have the family Persian rugs from my Mother.  I grew up with them on the floor of our various homes and by now they are a good 100 years old.  But they are from a time in my life when the most important decisions I had to make were - should I go to Brownie Day Camp or Bible School; should I spend my allowance on a pack of Juicy Fruit gum or a Big Hunk candy bar; should I spend my babysitting money on an album by the Righteous Brothers or the Beatles; should I dye my shoes to match my prom dress or find a matching pair?  The carpets may seem out of place in a cabin in the woods, but they provide a subtle comfort and an obvious beauty in our home.

Saturday 5/7. This morning was 54 with clear skies.  We sat on the porch with our coffee and listened to the birds.  There was one sparrow collecting material for her nest, including hair that I had brushed from the dogs.  A perfect time to call Sandy.

After chores and lunch, JB got out the weed eater again and attacked the grove, around the parking area and the east side of the chicken run, while I hacked away at more bushes.  Then I decided it was time to start splitting the wood.  I split two tractor-bucket loads and JB dumped them by the wood shed.  After I stacked it all, it was time for a nap.

After dinner we drove down to Larry and Elsie's to pick up our three new girls.  Elsie gave me a beautiful hanging basket for Mother's day that she had planted!  By the time we arrived back home at 8:00, a cool wind had picked up.  It felt good after our high of 74.

We got the new girls into their pen, but after a while it was obvious that I was going to have to physically put them into the dog igloo to show them where they needed to be for the night, even though it is identical to the one they had at Larry and Elsie's.  As Elsie says, "Chickens aren't known for their intelligence."

Sunday 5/8.  Mother's Day began with 50 degrees, a partly cloudy sky and a wind gusting to 12 mph.  I didn't really want to take the day off sitting around reading a book and eating bon-bons, so I got outside and weeded one of the raised beds in the garden and then used the pitchfork to turn the dirt.  JB got the small planters ready and weeded the other raised bed.  I wanted to finish breaking and stacking the pile of kindling but it just got too hot in the sun, even with the cool wind.

I don't always mention our son's phone calls.  He calls two or three times a week, and of course this morning.

The new girls seem to be adjusting just fine to their new home, even with Dinga's intense interest in them.

I did take some time to read and finish a book that I started a couple days ago, State of Wonder by Ann Patchett.  Had I known what it was about, I probably would not have bought it from the second-hand store, but I am so glad that I did.  It was fascinating!  And I will probably read it a couple more times.

Our high for the day was 65, which is usually very comfortable, but today was quite chilly with the biting wind.  But it was a very good Mother's Day.

Monday 5/9.  This morning is 42 with mostly clear skies and a wind in from the north, gusting to 14 mph.

Thought for the day: It is useless to hold a person to anything he says while he's in love, drunk or running for office.  Shirley MacLaine

May 6, 2016 A Garbage Run & Rain

Pink trillium along
our road.

Flox and sweet peas by
our house.

Wednesday 5/4. I didn't think we could manage to get all the garbage in the trailer, but we did.  Quite a shock when we got down to the dump and found that the minimum price had increased by one third.  It went from $42 to $63!  And this is for people bringing the garbage to them.  They don't even have to pick it up. . .

We got all our other errands done, partially filling the trailer back up with chicken and dog items.  The 50-lb. bail of straw is so compact that I am sure it is going to explode open when I cut the ties!  We were home by 1:00 pm and the sky had clouded over.  Our high for the day was 64, but still no rain.

It was quite a surprise to see that Ted Cruz dropped out of the presidential race!  I still don't see the Republican party accepting Trump.  Certainly will be interesting to see what happens.

We watched the movie The Life of Pi this evening.  Excellent!  Much better than we thought it would be.

Thursday 5/5. A gentle rain fell most of the night.  Just what we needed.  The temp was 46 with overcast skies when we got up this morning, and the rain began to fall again just as JB and the dogs stepped outside for their morning walk at 10:30.  They went anyway, on the shortened version.  Our high for the day was just 52.

A light rain fell off and on til late afternoon.  A good day to be inside, so after lunch I baked our favorite cookies - oatmeal/chocolate chip - until it was time for our afternoon walk.  JB spent his time organizing a deck of Magic cards to take to a gaming event tomorrow evening.

I stopped using anti-perspirant before Christmas and have finally found a deoderant that works quite well - Arm& Hammer.  Depending upon the day, I might have to put it one a couple times, but I am very pleased with it and no one has complained yet.

And I think I may have found the perfect facial cleanser.  It is two parts coconut oil to one part baking soda.  I was a bit hesitant, as even at my age my face is still too oily to use any moisturizer with oil in it, but the cleanser seems to work great.  So far I am very pleased with it also.

The hummingbirds are back and are quite persistent.  They must have heard me say I was going to wait until May to put out the feeder, and they obviously want me to get with it.

We are going to get our new girls this weekend, which will to be exciting.  Funny how one's definition of "exciting" can change over the years.

Friday 5/6. The skies are blue once again this morning and our temp is 54.  It is supposed to be a hot one today with temps in the high 80's Down There.

Thought for the day: Welfare's purpose should be to eliminate, as far as possible, the need for its own existence.  Ronald Reagan

May 3, 2016 Work, Work, Work

The completed "small" swale.

We have more arnica blooming
this year than any other since
we moved Up Here.

Monday 5/2. I always wondered (but never researched) how the Three Wise Men chose their gifts for the Christ Child.  The gold I can understand.  But frankincense and myrrh?  Well, turns out they are medicinal oils that were very highly valued at that time.  They have continued to be used in other countries and now are being recognized in the US for their use in healing, which is why Elsie made the lotion and gave me some for my arthritis.

We are seeing deer almost every day now as they make their way to higher ground for the spring and summer.  I love it!

After morning chores, JB took his Wrangler Down There to get a new water pump installed.  Larry had recommended a shop to us and when we called for a quote, they were half the price of the shop we usually go to!  While he was waiting for it to be done, he walked several blocks to a used book store that we have wanted to check out.

While he was gone, I worked on the third swale.  I tore down two rotten stumps that were nearby and shoveled all the rotten wood onto it.  Also worked on the pile of kindling, breaking it to length and stacking it.  Then cut and pulled some greens for the compost pile.

On our afternoon walk I noticed that Belinda was in the small pen for the new girls, frantically trying to get out.  She must have flown over the fence and then forgotten how she got there.  When I gave them their scratch, I also went in and opened the door in the fence to let her out.

Our high for the day was 68, which was much more comfortable than the 87 Down There.

Tuesday 5/3. It was 58 and clear this morning, but the sky was almost overcast by noon.  Our high for the day was a very muggy 69.

Right after breakfast we were out to work on finishing the small swale.  JB used the tractor to bring over loads and loads of dirt, while I raked it smooth and tamped it down.  So glad that is done.  Now we can start on the third swale, which will be the smallest one.

JB got the trailer ready to take Down There tomorrow for our spring garbage run.  We will also pick up large items like a bale of straw, chicken feed and pine shavings for the girls, and a bag of dog food.

I worked on the pile of kindling some more and gathered more tiny, fire-starter size wood from the west slope.  Being a hot day, I was just wearing a tank top with my jeans.  As I wrote a few years ago, I have given up wearing a bra unless I go to town or I know we are having company.  So while I am bending over and picking up wood, one of my boobs fell out.  Now I am certain that had this happened while living Down There, I would have been hearing hysterical laughter from the neighbors.  I do love our privacy Up Here.

All the moisture-laden clouds were moving to the north of us this afternoon.  I wanted to yell at them, "Hey!  Over here!  We need you here!"  Our ground is still very moist, but we need rain.  We actually did get a light shower in the evening, but it didn't last very long.  In talking with Larry, he said they heard thunder for about 15 minutes but didn't see any lightening.  We were watching the last few episodes of season five of Castle, so we did not hear any of it.

Wednesday 5/4. It is 50 and mostly cloudy this morning with thunder showers in the forecast for today.  We will be leaving around 9:00 am on our garbage run.

Thought for the day: An arrow can only be shot by pulling it backward.  When life is dragging you back with difficulties, it means it's going to launch you into something great.  So just focus, and keep aiming.  Guideposts May issue

May 2, 2016 Deer, Visitors & The Pity Party That Wasn't

JB loading the large rock.

A deer on our south ridge
Saturday afternoon.

Two of a family of three
deer just across our drive.

Friday 4/29. It was 40 and overcast this morning with a forecast of 50% chance of rain.  My brother arrived at 9:00 am for breakfast and we had a good visit.

I continued to work on cutting the branches into kindling and stacking it in the woodshed.  I also raked the swale so we can put dirt on it.  JB made a frame for a door to the chicken run, which will be so nice because right now we just have vertical piece of wood stapled to the chicken wire.  He then crawled under his Jeep to be sure it was the radiator that was leaking, and found that it was the water pump instead.

It did not rain today.  As our son said, we got the other 50%.  Our high was 56.

Saturday 4/30. It was 42 and clear with a breeze this morning.  I sat on the porch with my coffee.  Listening to the wren sing his song is a lovely start to any day.

Today was supposed to be my first Pity Party, but just as I had thought, the items on my list just didn't seem important enough any more to waste my time getting upset.  Not worth the effort to rant and wail.

JB drove the tractor down to start Miss Kitty and bring up a large rock that had slid into the road during the winter.  He came back up, having been unable to load the rock by himself.  So I went down with him with a pry bar and we managed to get it into the tractor bucket.  He dumped it just north of the house where we want to build an outdoor oven and fireplace.

Then I filled the bucket with clippings from the branches and JB took several loads to the small swale.  He also took two loads of kindling I had cut to the wood shed.

We have so many small branches and clippings that we picked out a location for a third swale.  It will be east of the large one, but first we are going to make the large one longer.

We have seen several deer Up Here in the past few days.  Fortunately either the dogs were inside or they didn't see them, so we were able to watch the deer for a while.

Our high for the day was 60 and the sky remained clear, however large, dark clouds were on the southwest horizon by dinner time.  As usual, they just broke up and went to the south and north.  I did see our first swallowtail butterfly today, and we have several other small ones Up Here now too.

Sunday 5/1. It was 50 and clear this May Day morning.  I called Sandy while we were sitting on the porch with our coffee.  We always get to laughing so hard.  I just love our phone conversations.

Right after breakfast we rode the tractor down just past our hairpin turn to get some more large rocks.  Not quite as large as yesterday's rock, and we made two trips.  Then JB took several bucket-loads of branch clippings to the east end of the large swale to extend it.  I leveled them out and then JB covered them with rich dirt full of rotten wood that was right next to the swale.  He also took a few loads of the dirt to start covering the branches on the smaller swale.

We were just finishing lunch when the Sixes drove up for a visit.  What a pleasant surprise!  We had a great visit and I ended up showing the boys the edible miner's lettuce, which they all tried, and telling them the names of some of the other edible wild flowers and berries.  A big "Thank You" to Mrs. Jim for identifying the white-flowered bush as service berry, aka Saskatoon berry, as I was able to tell the boys about it also.

The service berry actually has medicinal value as a binding agent for the bowels.  The Native Americans used it in their pemmican along with other berries and salmon.  The bark is good for various eye ailments.

I stacked more kindling, which is going to be an on-going job.  I really need to get started splitting the rounds and cutting the branch wood in the cradle.  The tree company is sending a truck up on 5/12 to finally cut down the three trees by the house.  Will be so glad when that is done although it will mean a lot of work trimming and cutting them into rounds.  But it will be lots more firewood.

It was another gorgeous spring day with a high of 62.  Anything in the 60's is just perfect.

Larry and Elsie came to visit after dinner bearing gifts.  They gave us plant starts of cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower.  Elsie also gave me some lotion she had made with frankinsence and myrrh which is good for arthritis.  It was such a lovely evening that we walked up to the south ridge, then we dug up some of my iris bulbs for them to take home.  A great visit.

Monday 5/2. It is 56 with clear skies this morning.  These sunny days are very nice, but we really do need some rain.

Thought for the day: There are no ordinary moments.  Dan Millman, author of The Peaceful Warrior