February 1, 2017 More Snow & More Cold

The road up and around the south
ridge now that Larry has driven
the SnoCat there.

The chicken coup & garbage/recycle
shed disappearing under the snow.

Monday 1/30. This morning and for the past two days there have been fresh rabbit tracks around the wood and battery sheds.  Looks to be a pretty good sized one, too.  Sure wish I could catch sight of it.  There are smaller tracks on the north ridge.  I love that about the snow.  We can see the tracks of all the critters that have been around.

The blue sky and sun soon disappeared behind a cloud cover, and our high for the day was 34.  But at least there was no fog.

It is so easy to hike up and around the south ridge now that Larry has tromped the snow down with his SnoCat.  And, now since there is no freezing fog, we can actually get out for our daily walks.

I had a nice chat with Nene this morning.  It was so good to hear her voice, especially since it was full of positive attitude.  And not-going-to-take-any-shit attitude!

JB saw what he thought was a golden eagle today near the garden.  He said it looked to have about a 3' wing span.

The sun is once again shining in the loft window in the late afternoon from the southwest (when it isn't hiding behind the clouds or fog), and it is much higher in the sky when we go for our afternoon walk.  It is also still light out when we eat dinner at 5:00 pm.  I love it!  Back to the light!

No precipitation today, but when JB checked the temp and weather before we went to bed at 9:30 pm, it was snowing and had been for an hour or so.

Tuesday 1/31. It was 20 and still snowing this morning, but the snow stopped just after 8:00.  When JB went up to clean off the solar panels, he measured 5-1/2" of new snow on this last day of January.  And I am so glad to see this month end. . .

We both did some shoveling today as the pathways needed clearing, but the new snow was very light and fluffy.  I also shoveled off about half of the deck.

After it stopped snowing, the clouds began to break up and soon we had blue sky and sunshine.  With all that power coming in, I grabbed my glue gun and got started on Valentine crafts.  But even with the sun, our high for the day was only 29.

Wednesday 2/1. It is 14 with clear skies on this first day of February, and looks to be cold again for a while.

Thought for the day: You gain strength, experience and confidence by every experience where you really stop to look fear in the face. . . You must do the thing you cannot do.  Eleanor Roosevelt

January 30, 2017 A Solution Presents Itself

A card I made for Elsie. . .

. . .and another one.

Rime crystals hanging from
the fence on Sunday.

Friday 1/27. Fog, with a high of 28.  And more fog in the forecast for all weekend.  I guess that says it all. . .

Saturday 1/28. It was 22 this morning and we were encased in fog again.  You can almost see the rime crystals growing.  They are really quite fascinating and quite beautiful.  Not nearly as sturdy as ice crystals, as they disintegrate with the slightest breath or movement of whatever surface on which they have formed.

It was another slow, sleepy day.  It feels as though the fog has begun to seep into my brain. . .

However, I did bake Toll House chocolate chip cookies for our son for his birthday.  I will give the box of them to Elsie to mail when they come up, and hopefully they will arrive in Alabama in larger pieces than crumbs.

We had expected them to come up on Sunday or Monday, but when we had our 7:00 pm radio call, Elsie said, "Don't get your jammies on.  We are leaving for your place in 25 minutes!"  They arrived just before 8:30 and had plowed most of the way up.  They brought up all our mail, Miss Kitty's spare tire, a huge box we had ordered from Emergency Essentials, and some groceries that Elsie had bought for us.  And on top of that, she brought a little bag of Ghirardelli chocolates for me!  What a friend!

We had a great visit (as usual) and while talking of our plans to buy just a small refrigerator, Larry suggested that we also buy an ice maker.  That way we would have ice for our outside "ice box."  What a great idea!  Just like so many other things in my life that have pointed to us living Up Here, there was an old ice box with the original door on it in our first apartment when we got married.  It wasn't working and was used as a cupboard, but I loved it.  So now we had one in the first place we lived, and we will have one in the last one.

Larry said in driving up our road it was obvious that a large elk had been using the road and bedding down in a few places along it.  How cool!  He had such a big smile on his face all the time they were Up Here.  He has been having problems with their SnoCat for several years, but now has it fixed and running perfectly.  He and JB drove up around the south ridge, and he planned to plow the road on their way down.  He said that two or three more trips with the plow, and we should be able to drive Miss Kitty down and back.

Sunday 1/29. Elsie's birthday began with a temp of 20 and the ever-present fog.  I had given Elsie her gift last night and had her open it.  I spent most of the month making cards for her (crafting).  Last year I took a lot of pictures around their place, so I printed out the best of them on cards in grey scale.  Then I colored them in with colored pencils and added ribbon and other decorations.  I was very pleased with the way they turned out, and she seemed to be also.

We enjoyed a lovely, lazy morning reading papers and magazines.  Pretty much got nothing else done all day.  Sometimes one can get overwhelmed with what is going on Down There, but we had lots comics and crossword puzzles, too.  Elsie had saved most of the local papers for us.

The sun finally won the competition today, and we had bright blue sky early in the afternoon with a high for the day of 34.  The low valley fog never did clear up though.

One of the items in our mail was a package containing slippers that I had ordered on line.  They were exactly what I was looking for and only $10 with no shipping charge.  I don't usually purchase footwear unless I can try it on, but the price was right.  They fit perfectly.  However, they shipped directly from China!!  I bought them from a New Chic ad on Facebook.

The moon was on its downward swing this evening as I sat in the loft and wrote my blog.  Each time I looked up, it was closer to the horizon.  Just a small slice, but I could actually see the whole outline.  Just another perk of not being in the midst of city lights.

Monday 1/30. It is 28 this morning with mostly blue skies and NO FOG!  The sun is on the mountains already.  A little earlier each day.  Prayers would be welcome for my Aunt Nene as she is having a rough time of it.

Thought for the day: Imagination is more important that knowledge.  Knowledge is limited, but imagination encircles the world.  Albert Einstein

January 27, 2017 Warming Up

After shoveling off the back
of the wood shed roof.

Looking up to the peak
on the south ridge.

Wednesday 1/25. After feeding the girls and dogs, we both went back to bed for about an hour.  We haven't set the alarm for more than a week now, but between our bladders, our emotions, and the dogs, we have not been sleeping that well.

After lunch JB went out to try something else with the snowblower (that didn't work).  I worked on shoveling of a couple feet of snow off the woodshed roof all along the back.  It didn't take too long but sure gave me a good workout.

Another grey day, with a high of 34.  Nothing is obviously melting, but the snow is getting heavier.

We watched Hidalgo this evening.  I have to take back what I said about Guardians of the Galaxy being my all-time favorite movie.  It actually ties with Hidalgo, and they are about as different as two movies can get.

Thursday 1/26. It was 30 and overcast this morning with a slice of blue on the western horizon.  That slice soon grew, and we had sunshine.  It was just a teaser though, as more clouds soon moved in and the sun soon disappeared.  Our high for the day was 34.  It has been a very gray winter so far.

Amazing what a good night's sleep can do for one's attitude and general well-being!

It was an inside, catch-our-breath day.  JB was on his computer, read his book, and napped.  I made some get-well cards for Nene that I will give to Elsie to mail one at a time.  Of course, even on a mostly inside day, we take the dogs for walks, feed the girls and gather their eggs, and I bring in fire wood.  I finished the fourth row today.  We have two and 5/6 rows left in the wood shed, along with three rows of kindling, plus all the wood on the porch.  Not running short.

I am really appalled at all the "fake news" lately.  It is a sad state of affairs that such a phrase could even exist.  Journalists are getting as bad as lawyers. . .

Friday 1/27. It is 24 this morning and we are fogged in.

Thought for the day: I remember somebody telling me they had been to Africa, and they were asking the local tribe about their spirituality. The tribesman couldn't make sense of the word.  And so the visitor kept trying to explain what they meant by spirituality, and finally the man said, "Oh, we call that life."

January 25, 2017 Dealing With Grief

Our candy cabin.

Enjoying the view from the
south ridge Tuesday morning.

View from our loft window
this morning.

Monday 1/23. After feeding the girls and dogs, I went back to bed for another hour and a half. . .

When you lose a loved one, suddenly the world is very different and there is a very big hole in your life, full of nothing but wispy memories.  Pouring the love you had for the one who is gone into that hole is like pouring hot water into a sieve.  It just leaks out all over your heart, and burns.  You know that hole will never mend, but in time the love you try to pour into it will find other places to go.  The love for the lost one will always be there, always be as strong.  It just won't burn your heart as much.

JB and I deal with grief in different ways.  He needs to stay busy.  I need to sit and absorb the change, the loss.

It was definitely time for a Larry McMurtry novel, so today I began reading Leaving Cheyenne.

JB went digging into the candy cabin and found some Easter candy.  Lord only knows what year it is from, but, hey - it's chocolate!

Here's an interesting bit of information.  If you die in King County (which includes Seattle), you owe the county a $70 death tax.  As if the survivors aren't already dealing with enough.

At least my wish for some sunshine came true today.  By noon the sky was mostly blue with the sun shining brightly on the snowy landscape.  Our high was 34.

My Aunt Nene's hip operation went well today and the doctor was very pleased.  She will be in the hospital for three days, and then go to rehab for two weeks.  She may be 91, but she is a spunky 91.

Tuesday 1/24. It was 24 and mostly cloudy this morning, but soon there were large patches of blue sky and the sun managed to peak between the clouds most of the time.

We dug out the tractor and my Jeep, and got them running for a little while.  I dug out MAX and Miss Kitty a bit more.  JB had them running yesterday.  We took the seat out of MAX to do some serious contemplating about what might be causing the chain to be out of alignment.  Didn't come up with anything solid, but we will think about our theories tonight and try again tomorrow.

By 3:00 pm, large dark clouds had drifted in to the north and south, and soon the whole sky was overcast.  By 4:00, snow began to fall but that only lasted for about an hour.  Our high for the day was 40.

If Larry can get their Snow Cat running well, he and Elsie will drive up on Sunday or Monday, bringing our mail and a few groceries.  If he is able to plow, we just might get Miss Kitty down the road, or not. . .

Wednesday 1/25. It is 22 and mostly clear this morning with some low valley fog.

Thought for the day: The most difficult thing is the decision to act.  The rest is merely tenacity. Amelia Earhart

January 23, 2017 I Really Dislike January

Rabbit tracks around
the girls' pen Saturday
morning.

Snow & ice that slid off
the south side of the
roof on Saturday.

It's beginning to look a lot
like it did last year.

Friday 1/20. Whatever else happens, at least Trump is President and Betty White is still with us. . . 

The predicted snow began falling around 9:30 am and kept falling all day.  By 3:00 pm, we had another 2".  A nice indoor day that started out with a long chat with Sandy.  She lives in Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, CA.  By 1/19, Sonoma County had received 32" of rain this year!  All the northern California lakes and reservoirs that have been almost empty for 45 years are now full and overflowing.

Our pathways have become quite solid.  They are 14"-16" wide and about a foot high.  So that means if you accidentally step off the side of one, you will sink about two feet, as the sides are at least a foot higher that the paths.  Like walking a tightrope.

JB baked a delicious loaf of bread today in which he added thyme, basil and onion.  Then for dinner he made pizza.  I did laundry and more crafting.

Our high for the day was 29 and but it had gone up to 30 when JB checked at 9:30 pm.

We both talked to JB's Mom on the phone.  Of course we did all the talking, but I have to believe she heard us.

Saturday 1/21. JB's brother called at 1:45 am to tell him that their Mother had passed at 1:30.  It doesn't matter how prepared you think you are for a loved one's death, you never are.

We went back to bed and when we got up at 7:30, the temperature was 30, we were in the clouds, and we had 6" of new snow.  When I went out to feed the girls, there were rabbit tracks all around their run.

It was a very quiet day.  JB talked to his brothers a lot.  Not sure about a memorial service.  If there is one, it will be closer to Spring when it will be easier for everyone to get there.

The last of the snow and ice slid noisily off the roof today, causing Dinga to do a lot of pacing.

Snow began falling again around 6:00 pm.

We watched the last three episodes of season one of The Flash.  A very fun show, and now we need to find the second season.

Sunday 1/22. It was 26 and snowing heavily this morning with 1-1/2" of new snow.  Just as I was feeding the girls, my cousin called to say that her Mom, my Aunt Nene, had fallen last night and broken her hip.  She is in the hospital, with surgery planned for Monday or Tuesday morning.  I really don't like January.  

Thank goodness there is something calming about falling snow.  We need that right now. . .

It is interesting that there are so many bad winter storms this year that the weather people are naming them, like they do the hurricanes.  Our son and family in Alabama are really getting pounded with rain and tornadoes this weekend.

I think I am going to visit Facebook less frequently for a while.  There is so much anger and vitriol being expressed that it is very depressing to read.  People seem to be so easily offended these days, a symptom of too much political correctness for too long, I am sure.  Where is George Carlin when you need him?!

I cut JB's hair after lunch, but hands just aren't as capable as they once were.  Fortunately he won't be going Down There for a while. . .

The heavy snow fell until late afternoon, and by 2:30 pm we had another 6".  Our landscape is beginning to look a lot like it did last year.  Our high for the day was 31.

Monday 1/23. It is 22 and overcast this morning.  Sure would be nice to see the sun again. . .

Thought for the day: We are all stories in the end, just make it a good one.

January 20, 2017 Goodbye emperor, Hello Trump!

The tipi before. . .

. . . and after I dug it out.

Wednesday 1/18. We all thought that with the end of 2016, life would get better.  I guess this is just one of those times when it gets worse before it gets better.  Death is a part of life, but what gets us through it all is the knowledge that endings are the promise of new beginnings.  That we will see those we love again, and heaven is the place where we meet all the dogs we ever loved.  And, of course, a sense of humor.  Right now the life of a good friend is beginning to sound like a country song.  But she will bounce back, like she always does.

Snow fell on and off most of the day.  Sometimes heavy, sometimes light.  And the fog rolled in and out.  Our high for the day was 24, which makes such a big difference in keeping the house warm.

JB worked on the snowblower.  I dug out about 2/3 of the tipi.  Had to put my snow boots and snow pants on as the snow was three feet deep around it.

A schedule has been worked out so that a son or daughter-in-law is with JB's Mom at all times.  Today JB's brother held his phone by his Mom's ear so JB could talk to her.  The only response was a flutter of her eyes.

Thursday 1/19. It was 22 and partly cloudy this morning, with another inch of new snow.  I90 over Snoqualamie Pass is closed because of avalanches, and there is lots of snow in the forecast for the weekend.

It was beautiful and sunny day.  The sun and a high of 36 began to melt the snow and ice on the roof.  Most of the south side slid off in two loud roars around 3:30 pm, sending poor Dinga into a tizzy.  Then most of the north side slide off around 7:00 in another loud road.  The chunks of ice must be 8" thick!

JB worked on the snow blower again.  I finished digging out the tipi and cleared off the tarp that is over part of the chicken run.

JB was able to talk to his Mom again. . .

Friday 1/20. It is 24 and we are in the clouds/fog this inauguration day.  A day that we have been counting down to for eight years.

Thought for the day: Tomorrow: that mythical time when I get everything done.

January 18, 2017 A Political Rant & Saying Goodbye

Thick rime on my lizard.

High valley fog on Monday
(looking west)

Monday 1/16. The valley fog was very high today, but it never did invade Rose Camp.  JB spent a lot of time on his computer emailing his brothers.  His Mother is in the hospital and now qualifies for hospice, as she has to have a morphine drip.

I spent more time on my crafting, going outside as little as possible.

I used to really enjoy going on Facebook and seeing photos of our grandchildren, nieces and nephews.  But with a few "friends", relatives and celebrities still posting political crap, it's not so much fun.  I just cannot believe the noise the liberals are still making.  In the eight years that the emperor has been in office, we conservatives (I am not a Republican) have made less of an uproar than the libnuts have made since the election.  After the previous two elections did we riot, burn the flag and otherwise rant?  No!  Well, it's over.  She lost.  He won.  Give it a rest already.  The Democrats asked for this by making her their candidate.  Those of us in our right mind had no choice (whether we liked Trump or not) but to vote for him.  He is not a corrupt, lying, self-centered, lifetime politician.  And I am quite positive that he will never leave a foreign dignitary, let alone a leader of a foreign nation, waiting while he eats dinner.  Trump loves America and wants to make our country better.  He believes in this nation built on Christian values.  And his wife will not need more than 40 consultants to help her learn some class and how to act like a First Lady.  The emperor and his wife were an embarrassment to all Americans, and I cannot wait until Friday when they are officially gone.

What really stuns me is some of the mean-spirited, lying, no-basis-in-fact postings that the young people are posting.  Purely emotional and just a confirmation of the spoiled state of many of the millennials.  Very scary.

It is similar to the beginning of the Iraq war, when some of the air battles were on the news.  People would yell "hurray!" when an Iraqi plane was shot down.  All I wanted to do was scream, "This isn't a movie!  Don't you realize that someone just died?!"  I really think that many Americans have lost touch with reality.  They have too much "stuff" and think life should be easy.  That they are entitled.  One can only hope that those of us who have had to work for what we have will persevere.

Well, that felt good.  My stress level just dropped way down. . .

Tuesday 1/17. It was 14 and overcast this morning.  A heat wave!  There was a little valley fog, but it stayed way down.  Our high for the day was 18, but it never really felt that "warm."

The representative from the hospice came to see JB's Mother this morning to make arrangements to have her moved, but, after seeing her, decided that she may not even survive the ride.  Her health has radically declined in the past 24 hours and she may have just hours or a day before she is gone.  So she will stay in the hospital in a private room that has places for family to sit and sleep.

The predicted frozen rain began falling around 4:00 pm, often mixed with snow.  Certainly glad I don't have to drive in it.

Wednesday 1/18. It is 18 and overcast this morning, with a light snow falling.

Thought for the day: I once asked God what I could give Him.  "Your problems," He said.  "I've got everything else."  Robbi Lionel Blue 1930-22016