Nov 25, 2013 Busy, Busy Weekend

The deer we saw on our Friday
morning walk.

RJ's bottle wall

Friday 11/22. JB left at 9:00 am as he had planned.  Even with such a cold temperature (10), his breath did not show as he carried his gear to the Jeep.  Must be the complete lack of moisture in the air.

The varied thrush are back.  Ten degrees and these little guys are Up Here feeding!

I hope the dogs appreciated my sacrifice of leaving our cozy, warm cabin to take them on their morning walk.  We saw a deer down the south slope of the south ridge, which really made it all worth the effort.  A very light overcast was forming and my cheeks were rosy cold when we got back.  I also brought in a load of wood.  Am using the sled for the wood now as it glides nicely over the frozen ground.  On Wednesday, I finished the first row of wood in the wood shed.  The first two rows are about two feet shorter than the next five rows.

And speaking of frozen ground, I am sure that is why it seems colder than the thermometer indicates.  The cold is radiating up from the ground, not just from the surrounding air.  Our high for the day was 20.

Classmates.com finally snookered my into joining for two years with their half-off sale.  Kind of fun to check up on fellow classmates, even though I hated high school.  I was such a shy little mouse.

I worked on Christmas cards all day, with a nice respite when our neighbor to the south came to visit. Chatted and caught up for more than an hour.  Very enjoyable.

I had leftovers for dinner and spent the evening in the loft making more Christmas cards.  When I finally went to bed, I set the alarm for 2:00 am to feed the fire.

Saturday 11/23.  I was up at 7:00 am to prepare breakfast for RJ.  Baked a banana coffee cake which I served along with bacon and eggs.  We had a very nice, leisurely chat and I planned to go down and see what he's been working on in the afternoon.

It was another clear, cold morning with a temperature of 10, but it had warmed to up 18 by the time I took the dogs for their morning walk.  Once again I spent most of the day in the loft making Christmas cards.  I have used up all the old cards that will fit on the new ones and am creating from scratch.

I drove down to RJ's cabin at about 12:30 pm on the short cut.  Very easy to go up and down with everything frozen.  I spent a couple hours there visiting and checking out his major change.  He had spiral stairs winding around the middle pole in his living room going up to the little loft.  Unfortunately they blocked out most of the light coming from the loft windows.  So he took out that middle pole, and moved the stairway to the side.  Now the room is bright and seems three times as big!  And, no, taking out the middle pole will not be a problem with the roof as he has plenty of support in other places and all the support beams meet around the top of the pole which is still there.

After dinner I watched Narnia: Prince Caspian.  Entertaining, even if not as well done as the first Narnia movie.

Sunday 11/24.  Having a heat wave this morning - 17 degrees out there!  And clear, of course.  No moisture in the forecast until next weekend.  Since I really did no chores yesterday, I hit the floor running today.  Washed the dishes, did laundry, wrapped JB's presents, vacuumed and generally cleaned house.  Sandy called and chatted for more than a half hour.  A great start to my day.

JB arrived home about 2:00 pm after running some errands in town.  He also had a good weekend and both events at the winery were a huge success.

Monday 11/25.  It's even warmer this morning - 20!  Dinga was very restless during the night and kept waking up JB, so I got up at 7:00 am and made the coffee before blogging.  He slept in until 8:00 am.  

Just have about 10 more cards to make, which I will finish today.  Then tomorrow I have to go Down There for a few groceries and craft supplies.

Thought for the day:  We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiastic about.  Charles Kingsley   

Nov 22, 2013 Deer & Cougars and Bobcats, Oh My!

Fall colors in the Wenatchee River Valley,
as seen from our north ridge.

Wednesday 11/20.  Since JB won't be Up Here on Sunday morning, he made muffins, eggs, and bacon for breakfast this morning.  We eased into the day and did the dishes after he took the dogs for their morning walk.

After lunch he drove his Jeep down the frozen driveway to get the game cam card.  So many deer on it, including a buck with a 3x3 rack.  AND two cougars (probably the same one twice) and a bobcat!  No wonder the dogs have been going nuts lately.

Our high for the day was 20, so it was a good day to be inside making Christmas cards.  I always start with the kids' cards because they are so much more challenging.  Of course they probably don't really look at the card once they discover there is $5 in it. . .

Fascinating new Mary Jane's Farm and National Geographic magazines, as usual.  There is an interesting article in Mary Jane's about winter health and how connecting to the earth for just twenty minutes a day can make such a positive difference.  Time magazine has a section devoted to the year's top 25 inventions which are quite incredible.

We watched the movie, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, this evening and were both riveted the entire time.  So very well done, and makes those people whose lives were directly affected by 9/11 so much more real.

Thursday 11/21.  It is all of 11 degrees this morning with a glacial blue sky.  I set the alarm for 1:00 am and got up to feed the fire.  Set the alarm again for 5:00 am for JB's turn, but he actually got up at 4:15 am to let the dogs out.  So glad it was his turn because Jesse stayed out until 6:30 am!  I let JB sleep in and I got up at 7:30 am to make coffee and greet the day.

Our resident frog was serenading us this morning.  I would have thought with these temperatures that he would be huddled down and hibernating.

I continued making Christmas cards.  Am into the adult cards now and they are all going to be different this year.  They are usually the same, but I am recycling old cards into new ones and am having a lot of fun doing it.  Just hope I don't send one to someone who previously sent it to me. . .

JB actually went outside this afternoon and started up all the vehicles.  He put some anti gel additive in the tractor and got it going.  Seems diesel engines are quite different from the standard gasoline ones.  He also got packed and ready to leave first thing in the morning.  Our high for the day was just 20 again.

RJ is at his cabin for a few days and will come up to have breakfast with me Saturday morning.

Larry and Elsie have invited us to Thanksgiving dinner again this year, which I so appreciate.  Am really looking forward to it and will bake a pumpkin something to take.  This year we will be able to drive my Jeep down to their place, instead of MAX like we had to do last year.  We have dry weather in the forecast for all week long.  Very cold, but very dry.

Friday 11/22.  OMG!  It is only 10 degrees this morning and the sky is still an icy blue.  I feel like I'm an icy blue, even though it is cozy inside.  And that is only because I got up twice to feed the fire.  At least JB will have dry roads on his journey to west of the mountains.  He has to go over two mountain passes to get there.  I plan to stay inside and finish my Christmas cards, and feed the fire.

Thought for the day:  It's a shallow life that doesn't give a person a few scars.  Garrison Keillor

Nov 20, 2013 Tis the Season

A view from the peak.

Monday 11/18.  It was a slippery ride down our road this morning.  The Jeep's rear end kept trying to catch up to its front end.  Took me a while but I made it down safely.  Got all my errands done in time to meet Nancy and her daughter-in-law for lunch.  Then it was off to her doctor's appointment and shopping at Costco.  It is always so much fun to watch people who haven't been there for a couple years or are there for the first time.

Got home just before darkness settled in.  Again, I am sure I dug the ruts in our driveway a little deeper.  It was warm Up Here with a high of 34.

Tuesday 11/19.  Wait a minute!  Weren't the Halloween costumes just coming out in the stores?!  Now Starbucks is using their red holiday cups, eggnog is in the stores, and Thanksgiving is next week.  Yum!  I love the taste of the holidays!  

My bladder woke me up at 2:00 am.  Didn't need to feed the fire.  Wasn't cold enough.  The wind kept me and Dinga awake, so I got up and fixed a cup of cocoa with eggnog, and read one of the newspapers.  Finally back to bed at 3:30 am.  Dinga does not like the wind and will come snuggle between us on the bed when it is really blowing.

When I got up again at 8:30 am, it was partly cloudy and 35, which turned out to be our high for the day.  Just a breeze was left from the night's wind.

I defrosted the refrigerator and freezer while reading the magazines and papers.  Then washed my lingerie in my hand washer and put them in the washing machine for just a rinse and spin.  That saves a lot of water and time running the generator.  I did the first load of wash since July on Saturday when the wind was really blowing, which somehow causes water to back up into the bath tub.  Go figure.

Had to get outside after lunch, so the dogs and I went for a hike up to the peak.  The breeze had turned so icy that my cheeks ached by the time we returned.  I brought in the firewood, and took a quick walk to the north ridge.  Too cold with the wind coming up the canyon to stay there.  I went back inside to warm up, then a little later JB took the dogs for their afternoon walk.

By the time we had dinner, the temperature had fallen to 27.  It's going to be a cold night.  The forecast for Friday Down There is 19 for a high.  We are usually 10 to 12 degrees cooler that they are. . .

Wednesday 11/20.  It is clear and 15 this morning.  Brrrr!  JB is leaving Friday morning to visit his Mother and help his brother with a winery event Saturday evening.  He will return home on Sunday and pick up our turkey.  With the cold settling in, our muddy road should be fairly frozen and easily transversed.

Thought for the day:  If things get better with age, I'm nearing perfection!

Nov 18, 2013 Wind & Snow

Jesse in his favorite cold weather place.

Friday 11/15.  A light wind blew all day.  I stayed in during the morning to make a pot of chicken broth for the dogs.  Also finished making Christmas presents and wrapping them.

After lunch the dogs and I hiked to the top of Erno's road, which is the property to the northeast of us.  Lots of deer tracks and possibly some elk.  After returning home and warming back up, we went for our normal afternoon walk.  By then the wind had really picked up and become icy.  Our high for the day was 32.

We had a heavy dusting of snow by 9:00 pm, and it was still snowing half an hour later when we went to bed.

Saturday 11/16.  Blue sky with a temperature of 22 and about 3/4" of snow greeted us this morning.  And the wind was still blowing.  We probably would have had three or four inches of snow, if it weren't for the wind.  The trees are white, as are all the trunks on their northwest side, which is the direction from which the wind blew in the snow.  Looks like the mountains really got dumped on.  With the sun shining, the air was full of glitter.

I baked cheese and garlic biscuits for the dogs.  They actually tasted pretty good, so if we ever get really hungry. . .

We had a high of 24 for the day with 20 to 25 mph sustained winds all day long.  JB took the dogs on both their morning and afternoon walks.  I only ventured out to bring in the wood.  I do NOT like the wind or the wind chill factor.

I am still trying to adjust to the time change back to standard time.  I can usually deal with the Spring ahead quite easily, but it always gets me when we Fall back.

Our son wanted to get rid of his expensive cable bill and came across a TV antenna which can be built for under $5 out of a UHF/VHF transformer and wire hangers.  He built it and says it works perfectly!  So we are going to see if we can rig one up.  Like us, he will just buy the TV series he no longer receives.

It is amazing how much brighter the night is with snow on the ground, with or without a moon.  And, speaking of the moon, when I got up at 6:00 am to let the dogs out and feed the fire, the moon was just setting.  Beautiful!

Sunday 11/17.  It was overcast and 24 this morning.  Light, fluffy flakes began slowly drifting down about 8:30 am.  JB had just taken craisin muffins out of the oven when I got up at 8:40 am.  Within an hour, the sun was shining.  An hour later the snow was falling again.  And so went the day.  Often the sun would be shining on the panels while the snow was falling on the house.

JB and I both worked on our computers.  I finally made a new supply list, and also worked on my Christmas card list.

Larry arrived about 2:00 pm to visit and deliver their notice that the combination on the gate will be changing, which they do every three or four years.  Yes, we live in a gated community.  

By the time we went on our 3:30 pm walk, the sun had disappeared.  Our high for the day was 30, and most of the snow is gone.

Monday 11/18.  It is 32 and overcast this morning, and there is no remnant left of the snow.  It is going to be a slippery ride Down There.  I would have much rather had an icy cold start to the day.  At least there is no wind.  Am going to town to run errands, meet Nancy for lunch, go to the doctor with her and then to Costco.  Somehow whenever I start a list of things to do Down There, it takes on its own life and just keeps growing. . .

Thought for the day:  I don't know where my ideas come from.  I will admit, however, that one key ingredient is caffeine.  I get a couple of cups of coffee into me and weird things just start to happen.  Gary Larson

Nov 15, 2013 Waiting for the Snow

Sunset over the Columbia River.

Wednesday 11/13.  The sun soon chased the clouds away and it was a glorious day.  So, so much for just cleaning house.  I finished wrapping Christmas presents and boxing them up for mailing.  Dishes and vacuuming were the household duties I accomplished, then it was outside and into the sunshine.  We had a high of 40, but there was an icy breeze so it never really felt that warm.

We ran the well pump, which we hadn't done since Friday, so it took about 30 minutes to fill.  While that was going on, I used my garden watering can to move about 18 gallons of water from the rain barrel behind the wood shed to the one on the corner of the porch.  Then I took the dogs for their afternoon walk.

And speaking of birthday cards (as I was in my last posting), my Aunt Nene sent a hilarious one to JB that had a photo of a monkey on the front and said:  "Close your eyes.  Pucker up.  And kiss another year goodbye!"

We have started watching the 5th season of Burn Notice again and are looking forward to getting the last one on Black Friday.

Thursday 11/14. The day started off overcast and 29, with 10" to 12" of snow in the forecast for this weekend.  Nancy's son may be driving her down in a snow storm tomorrow.  But today's grey sky soon melted away to the sun, and by 11:00 am we had blue sky.

Today is Nancy's birthday and when I called her she was not feeling well at all.  So I wished her a "Happy Crappy Birthday!" and we had a good laugh.  I will meet her and her daughter-in-law Down There on Monday for lunch and then Costco after her doctor's appointment.

After a nice, slow start to our day, JB worked on the snow blower.  He actually got it started twice but couldn't keep it going.  That's an improvement though.  I worked on some small Christmas presents, then took the dogs on their afternoon walk.  

Friday 11/15.  It isn't snowing yet this morning, but it is mostly overcast and 27 with a breeze.  When my bladder got me up at 3:30 am and I fed the fire, the moon was shining through the loft window and into the great room.  With all that moonlight, the dogs decided they wanted to go out.  They didn't stay out very long, thank goodness, and I was soon snuggled down back in bed.

Thought for the day:  You cannot protect yourself from sadness without protecting yourself from happiness.  Jonathan Safran Foer

Nov 13, 2013 Change of Plans

Some color from Down There.

Monday 11/11.  Down to the hospital to see Nancy again.  She seems more alert today and we had a good chat.  Then it was off to get my annual mammogram, run a couple errands, and eat lunch.  Jack-in-the-Box has pumpkin spice coffee.  Yum!  Back to see Nancy again.  I just don't see how she can be released tomorrow. . .

I was back home by 3:00 pm.  A very grey day and a very muddy road.

Larry and Elsie ventured up our sloppy road to visit about 5:00 pm.  So good to see them.

Tuesday 11/12.  It was warmer this morning, 32 with a light drizzle and fog.  All the snow has turned to mud.  (I love today's date: 11/12/13!)  JB and I left at 10:00 am, taking his Jeep as we needed to fill a couple gas cans and we can leave the top half of his back door open when driving home with it.  Our first stop was to see Nancy and she indeed is being released today.  Her daughter-in-law will come to pick her up, but she will call me when she arrives home.  At this point, we plan for me to take her home after her operation in a couple weeks and will stay with her for a few days.

I dropped JB off at the dentist and picked up a few groceries, then went to Hobby Lobby for a few craft items.  I never get a cart when I go there.  Just too many temptations. . .  JB called to say he was done just as I was walking out.  So I picked him up and off we went to the post office, pharmacy for pain meds and the gas station to fill up the gas cans.  Even with the back window open, we could smell the gas.  We drove up through the clouds and into the sunlight the last mile.  So glad we pulled in some power today.

We were home by 3:00 and met by a couple of very happy dogs.  I must admit that going Down There three days in a row is a bit tiring, but it was definitely worth it to visit Nancy and help her get through this.  She is a survivor (16 years cancer free) and has a great sense of humor.  She is two weeks younger than JB and for years have had an ongoing battle to see who can send the most outrageous birthday card.

Coming back up our road was worse than going down.  I am pretty sure that we dug another foot down in the rut on the steepest part of our driveway.

Poor Nancy didn't get home til 7:30 pm as there was a mix up on one of her medications and they didn't get to leave Wenatchee til after 5:00 pm.  It is an 80 mile drive to Brewster from here.  She has to come back down on Friday and again on Monday for doctor appointments.  I will go down and take her to lunch on both those days.  Maybe Costco too, if she is up for it.

Wednesday 11/13.  It is partly cloudy and 32 out there this morning.  Definitely have to clean house today, but that may be all that gets done.

Thought for the day:  It's not how old you are, but how you are old.

Nov 11, 2013 Up In the Clouds

Valley fog on 11/2.

Friday 11/8. It turned out to be a beautiful day, with a high of 37.  Lots of things to be done inside though, including cleaning out the wood stove.  Always such fun.  I also worked on crafts and cleaning out my craft area.  JB spent some more time in his shop organizing.

I took the dogs on a short hike after bringing in the wood, and later JB took them on their afternoon walk.  I didn't see any wild life, but he saw two deer.

At the forest health seminar, the organizers recommended the web site www.fs.usda.gov.  It is full of great information and on-line classes.

It was Hawaiian pizza for dinner and then a movie.  Yes, I know that in Chicago, ham and pineapple does not qualify as a real pizza, but we are in Washington. . .

Saturday 11/9.  Mostly cloudy and 23 this morning.  JB saw a buck and two does on the morning walk.  The dogs spooked them a little down the south side of the south ridge, but did not chase them.  (Yes, I am jealous!)

I did some overdue work on my computer, then began wrapping Christmas presents.  I want to get them all mailed right after Thanksgiving.

Tiny snow flakes began drifting down around 2:00 pm, and by 3:00 pm the fog had risen up from the canyons.  Our high for the day was only 28, and I cut our afternoon walk short as the pogonip was just too icy.

I have started a Sandra Brown novel, Lethal.  Excellent, as always.

Sunday 11/10.  Fog and 25 this morning with 1/4" of new snow.  We have about 1/2" on the ground now.

My Aunt Nene called at 9:00 am to tell me that my cousin who lives in Brewster had been taken to the Wenatchee hospital Saturday evening with a kidney stone.  I was able to leave a little after 9:00 am to go see her.  I am the only one in the area that she knows.

Regardless of the circumstances, it was good to see her.  We visited for a while, although she was still quite groggy, then I left her to nap while I ran some errands.  She was still asleep when I returned but quickly woke up.  We chatted some more and then I left for home about 2:30 pm.  I have to be in town anyway on Monday and Tuesday, so will visit her both days.  JB has to have two teeth pulled on Tuesday.  If she is not released until Wednesday, I will drive her home and stay a day or two.  If she is released on Tuesday, her son, who also lives in Brewster, will pick her up and I will drive up on Wednesday.

On my drive down the mountain, I soon realized that we were not fogged in, but rather we were in low cloud cover.  The road was a little slick going down, but was more slushy driving back up.  Our high for the day was 30.

JB had baked blueberry scones while I was gone, and then made macaroni and cheese for dinner.  Wonderful comfort food!

Because of the clouds, I had to run the generator to type my blog this evening.  I may have to in the morning, too, when I post.

Monday 11/11.  It is 28 and overcast this morning, but it is a normal, high cloud cover and we are not socked in.  Will leave at 9:00 am to go Down There again. 

Thought for the day:  Sometimes when things seem to be falling apart, they may actually be falling into place.  Donna Chnupa, Guideposts