Feb 28, 2014 What a Month!

With no new snow or wind, the paths
are staying clean!

Wednesday 2/26.  Two trips down to Miss Kitty in MAX during the day digging her out.  Then a third trip at 7:00 pm to meet Larry and our new on-the-grid neighbor, Dave, at Miss Kitty.  Larry brought up his small generator/jumper and finally got Miss Kitty started.  We hooked up a chain to MAX and between him pulling and Larry driving, she drove out of her hole!  Then I took over driving her and followed JB on MAX with Larry and Dave in Larry's side-by-side (he hasn't named theirs yet!) following me.  With some work we got Miss Kitty all the way up to our hair-pin turn just below our driveway.  It is going to be quite a learning curve to be able to successfully drive Miss Kitty in the snow. 

One of MAX's chains had come off again, so  Larry, Dave and I walked up to the house, while JB drove Max.  Our one extra axle for MAX is an OEM one and the hole for the bolt is a fraction of an inch too small.  So Larry took it back down to enlarge it with his drill press.   

What do you do when saying "Thank you" is not nearly enough?  Having friends and neighbors you can count on is such an incredible part of life, and so very necessary when living Up Here.  We are indeed blessed.

We finally received our valentines when JB went Down There on Monday and picked up the mail before picking up Miss Kitty.  A little late but just as appreciated.

No snow today and our high was 28.

Thursday 2/27.  It was a slow start to this morning, after the past several days.  The temperature was 20 when we got up at 8:00 am, and the sky was overcast.  After a late breakfast I brought wood in while JB took the dogs on their morning walk. 

After lunch we finally got outside to get the chain back on MAX.  The reason it keeps coming off is because we could not pull up the tensioner.  A couple hours of completely cleaning out around it; soaking it in WD40; and wiggling it, did the trick and JB was able to pull it up.  Now the chain should not be able to come off.  So thankful we did not end up with a broken axle.

By 2:00 pm the sun was shining and there were scattered patches of blue sky.  Our high for the day was 32, and snow and ice were sliding off both sides of the house most of the day, building up the berms.

We didn't have time to get down to check on Miss Kitty, but I am sure Jesse is peeing on her tires plenty enough to keep the wolves away.

JB is going Down There tomorrow for groceries, errands and a new battery for Miss Kitty.  Then on Saturday, we will work on getting her up to Rose Camp.

Friday 2/28. It is 24 and overcast this morning.  Again the clouds have sliced the mountains down to hills and it looks as though we may end the month with more snow to add to our total of 40.5".  What a month!

Welcome back, Peggy!  And thanks for your kind words.

Thought for the day:  Be slow to fall into friendship, but when thou are in, continue firm and constant. Socrates

Feb 26, 2014 As Always, The Universe Provides

Dinga and Miss Kitty

Monday 2/24. This morning's break in the snowfall didn't last for long, but the flakes were larger and it snowed all day again.  JB got on his way at 9:00 am with both of us hoping that this is the vehicle we need.  Meanwhile, I did the dishes and laundry, read my book and waited for his call.

When I took the dogs for their morning and afternoon walks, I also cleaned the solar panels.  They were almost covered in ice in the afternoon, but I knew that as soon as the sun would shine through the clouds, it would melt.  I certainly couldn't scrape it off.

My Aunt Nene sent me an email regarding the Sportsman's Show.  She said that it was quite the event when she was growing up in Spokane (late 1920's to late 1930's).  One year there was a monkey for sale at the show that she wanted her Mother to buy for her.  When she wouldn't, Nene cried and cried.

It turned out the the UTV was exactly what we wanted and more.  Larry actually went with him to help check it out as he has a 2011 Arctic Cat.  It is a 2006 Arctic Cat Prowler XT side-by-side with a fully enclosed cab, a winch and a snow plow.  Even snow/mud tires, so no chains needed except for ice.  Everything we wanted but never dreamed we could afford.  It almost drained our savings account and added to our Visa debt, but definitely worth it for $6500.  Since it is a "Cat", we have named her Miss Kitty.

Now the only challenge is getting her up here in the middle of our winter.  JB drove her up to where our road turns off the main canyon road with no problems, and then, cut the turn a bit short, and got buried.  The cause being that the snow plow is too heavy.  He finally called Larry, who also has a winch on his Cat, and he came up to help.  They got Miss Kitty unstuck and were able to drive about a half mile down our road before she got buried at Water Corner.  Larry drove JB back down to get MAX, and JB came home.  We will drive MAX down tomorrow and try to get her out.

Tuesday 2/25. It was 13 and overcast this morning with another 2" of new snow.  So far this month we have received 40.5"!!  Almost 3-1/2 feet in just 24 days!

We read the papers with breakfast.  The Parade Magazine from 2/9 has the Beatles and Ed Sullivan on the cover with the caption "50 Years Ago Today."  OMG!  I remember watching them on the TV when I was a dreamy-eyed sixteen-year-old.

The dogs excitedly came with us as we rode in MAX down to Miss Kitty.  We dug her out, and ended up having to dig out MAX twice when JB was turning him around.  Only inches off the groomed road, the snow is very deep and soft.  We couldn't get Miss Kitty started, so we went back home for lunch at about 11:30 am and to pick up the jumper cables.

We relaxed and warmed up, then left the dogs at home when we drove down the second time.  They were worn out.  We still could not get Miss Kitty started.  The battery seems to be the Arctic Cat's only weakness and it was quite cold.  However, we were able to get the snow plow off.  Then we finally called it quits and got back home at about 3:00 pm.  Since Miss Kitty had been sitting for a while before we bought her, although she had only been on the market for a week, she most likely needs a new battery.  

After talking to Larry on the radio this evening, we have a plan.  Larry will leave a special "self-contained" jumper on his porch this morning, which JB will go down to pick up.  Larry will also pick up a new battery for us and bring it up.  We'll get Miss Kitty Up Here yet.

We had a relaxing evening with Downton Abbey. 

Wednesday 2/26.  It is 17 and partly overcast.  The clouds have cut the mountains down to hills, but even as I write the sun is winning and it might just be a sunny day.  We'll leave for Larry's at about 10:00 am.

Thought for the day: If it isn't one blessing, it's another. 

Feb 24, 2104 MAX

Standing guard at the outhouse.

Friday 2/21. Howling wind all night!  I finally fell into sleep, but JB says he only got a wink or two.  But, as I said, it is blessedly quiet this morning, so we were able to work on MAX most of the day.  It clouded up a little and our high was 33.  

Right after breakfast we were out to MAX.  Got him jacked up and resting on the wood.  Took off the track and the three wheels, but then couldn't get the bolt out that holds the axle in.  We have replaced all the other axles at least once in the last five winters.  This is the last old one.  So we squirted it liberally with WD40 and let it stand while we took an early lunch.  We definitely have a new rule for using MAX: NO one drives him without FIRST checking all the chains.  To do this we have to take the seat out, but we just have to live with the fact that MAX is high maintenance.

Finally got the bolt out after lunch and installed the new center rod and axle.  One of the chains has come apart, but is looks easy enough to get back together.  We worked until 3:00 pm and then called it quits.  I'm afraid I was not very patient today, rather bitchy actually.  Poor JB, but we should be able to finish up tomorrow, hopefully in time for JB to drive MAX down the road to groom it.

Since the wind has formed a bit of a crust on the snow, the squirrels are able to scamper right across the top of it.  But Dinga cannot and lets her frustration be known with much barking.

Haven't seen any snow mold yet this year.  The snow just hasn't been around long enough.

Pizza and a movie night, so we watched Gosford Park which was written by the same fellow (Julian Fellows) who writes Downton Abbey.  And, of course, Maggie Smith absolutely makes both of them work.

Saturday 2/22.  It was 14 and overcast this morning and a light snow began falling about 9:30 am.  Working on MAX while it is snowing is not a problem, and thankfully there was no wind again today.

My frustration level would not be nearly as high when working on MAX if he weren't our only means of transportation up and down in the winter.  I actually enjoy the challenge of such mechanical work and the feeling of accomplishment when we are done.  I just do not like the pressure of having to get it done so quickly.  And today we had to figure out how to get the broken chain back on.  Sometimes I think that between the two of us, we have one, very good working brain.  We finally got the chain on, the correct solution being very simple.  Hindsight being 20-20. . .

We had everything fixed and back together in time for JB to drive the road.  Larry and Elsie had taken a drive up to the short cut last night, as they thought they would, and there was really no drifting to speak of.  And their tracks helped JB.

Sunday 2/23.  It was 16 and snowing with 1-1/2" of new snow on the ground.  With MAX in good working order, JB left for Down There and the Sportsman's Show at 9:1 am, AFTER we rechecked all the chains.  He and Larry went to the show together, ran some errands, checked out a used side-by-side UTV that JB will call about tomorrow.  He had a very enjoyable day and was home by 3:30 pm.

It snowed all day and we had another 2" on the ground by the time JB returned home.  I had taken the dogs on their morning walk only to arrive at the panels, huffing and puffing, and realizing that they needed cleaning and I had not brought the scraper.  So back to the house we went, and back up the south ridge to clean them.  Then I brought in two loads of wood, which I just started getting from the second 10' row.  After that it was just a relaxing day for me, letting my muscles rest and recuperate.  

The snow was very fine in the morning, more like shavings from creating larger snow flakes that fell later in the day.  But it was so nice to see it falling vertical instead of blowing horizontal.

Since JB was gone this morning, we had our big Sunday breakfast for dinner and then it was time for Duck Dynasty.  Watching the episode Red Neck Road Trip, JB almost fell off the couch laughing.  Laughing to the point of crying.

Monday 2/24. It is 13 and overcast this morning, with 3-3/4" of new snow.  It was snowing when I got up, but it has stopped for the moment.  JB is going to call about the UTV and then hopefully go Down There to see and possibly buy it, with some fiscal finagling on my part.

Thanks to Beth for her tip on giving corn to the chickens in the winter.  I know that Larry and Elsie do that, but she had read that giving them some warm food helps also.  Sounds like Pennsylvania is having a nasty winter also.

Thought for the day: Most of us lead far more meaningful lives than we know.  Often, finding meaning is not about doing things differently; it is about seeing familiar things in new ways. Dr Rachel Naomi Remen

Feb 21, 2014 Enough With The Wind Already!

Taking a well-deserved nap.

If only we could get Dinga to clean
up her mess.

Wednesday 2/19. When JB took the dogs on their morning walk, his foot prints from his 7:00 am foray to the panels had almost been erased.  Fortunately he had driven MAX up and around the south ridge again yesterday, so he had slight indentations to show him just where to walk without sinking to his knees.  When the dogs stepped off the tracks, about all that was visible was their head and tails.

I saw a remote-controlled truck with a snow plow on-line that someone was using to clear the snow off their deck.  Now, that's what I need!

We rescheduled JB's nephew's visit for mid-March, depending upon Mother Nature's approval.

I took a break from the more serious tomes, and read Janet Evanovich's Sizzling Sixteen.  Always a hoot!

Our frog was serenading us today.  I am amazing that he is still awake in all this cold weather, especially since we put in the vents under the house.

The snow stopped falling about 11:30 am when the sun and wind finally chased the clouds away, and then they both stayed around to gloat.  For today's laundry, I washed my delicates in my hand washer, then just put them in the washing machine for a rinse and spin.

After lunch JB planned to drive MAX down to groom the road again, but got only about 100' down the driveway before realizing he had a broken axle.  Yesterday it sounded like the chain was loose and he was supposed to tighten it before leaving. . .  Well, so much for dozing while watching the snow fall.  Thank goodness it wasn't snowing or blowing today.  He drove his Jeep down to MAX, thinking he could pull MAX up to the parking place, but that did not work out.  So we just took the tires and one track off, which was a big project, having to take the big pieces of wood and other necessary items down to MAX when we jack him up, etc.  Then when JB tried to back his Jeep back up to it's parking spot, he could only get it up half-way because going back up, gravity was working against him.  Sometimes I feel like we are two of the three stooges.

We had begun re-watching season one of Downton Abbey last night and continued tonight.  Something relaxing and soothing.

Thursday 2/20. It was 21 with a light overcast and very windy when we got up.  Some of the paths are just small indentations in the otherwise flat and windswept landscape.  I thought for sure MAX would be just a big, white mound in the road, but it is a little sheltered from the wind where he is parked.  The tarp is still on him, but there is no way we will be working on him unless the wind lets up, which it did not do all day.  I can only imagine how the snow must be drifting on the road.  Snow is even blowing through the slats in the back of the wood shed, and drifting in there!

Instead, we dug out JB's Jeep and he was finally able to back it into the parking place.  A very short sentence, but a long, arduous project.  I brought in firewood and JB shoveled the path to the battery shed.  Then, after lunch, he and the dogs took a nap while I started a new book and defrosted the refrigerator.  Being housebound so much, we are drawing up plans for our main summer project: a shed for the tractor and in which to work on MAX.

I really am getting so tired of the wind.  Never even in Chicago have I experienced so many days of wind, and today it is not merely gusting, but very strong and sustained.  Enough already!!

JB had wanted to go Down There on Sunday to attend the Sportsman's Show with Larry, but I'm not sure that is going to happen unless there is no wind tomorrow and Saturday.  No need to go down for supplies.  Being low on peanut M&M's does not really constitute an emergency.

Friday 2/21.  It is 21, clear and blessedly quiet this morning.  The snow is covered with pine and fir needles and cones, and small branches.  It looks as though some of the shoveled paths had never existed, and the snow is half-way up the garden fence.  But it is quiet.

Thought for the day: I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery.  Thomas Jefferson

Feb 19, 2014 Names of Places

JB having just turned MAX onto the
main canyon road.

Monday 2/17. Not only were the two major passes closed this morning, I90 was closed from North Bend to Ellensburg!  Seems like all those SUV owners did NOT know how to drive in the snow. . .

The sky soon cleared and we had sun beaming off white mountains.  Crazy dreams and not much sleep last night, so I took a morning nap.  The wind picked up around noon, releasing more snow bombs that literally caused white outs.

The paths had filled up again.  JB and I are going to really build up our muscles this winter.  Shoveling snow is not my favorite workout.  I can only hope that our snow blower will be working next winter.  No, let me rephrase that: our snow blower WILL be working by then.  Elsie says it takes her so long to get theirs started, that she just shovels!

I grew up thinking that one had to be busy and productive to make the most of one's time.  But after having been retired Up Here for almost six years, I find that sitting on the couch and watching the snow falling, then nodding off.  Then waking up and watching some more, and nodding off, is a thoroughly enjoyable way to spend one's time and doesn't at all feel wasted.

After lunch, JB and I took MAX down to groom the road and left the dogs at home.  It was a bright and sunny drive and we saw lots of deer tracks.  We were able to accomplish our task much more quickly without the dogs, and I didn't take my camera because of the wind and blowing snow.  We got pummeled by a few snow bombs, but mostly it was wash blowing off MAX's tracks as we sped along.  When we got back home, I hadn't even got the first load of wood before the next flurries blew in.  Don't really have to pull the wood sled now.  More like restrain it.

It stopped snowing about 4:00 pm, but kept on blowing.  Our high for the day was 32.  We have become so used to the noise of the wind, that when it stops, the silence seems even louder.

Tuesday 2/18.  This morning broke overcast and 24.  We only received a trace of snow yesterday.  Either that or the wind blew it all away.  But today the air is quiet.

Listening to our short-wave radio can be a kick.  There are some real characters out there that we hear from Illinois, Georgia, Kentucky, Texas, Arizona, etc.  Some real idiots also. . .

Knowing that we were going to get more snow today, JB and I left with MAX and the dogs after breakfast to groom the road.  It was snowing when we arrived at the main canyon road and then all the way home.  I brought in three loads of wood, but we didn't bother shoveling the paths.  The snow fell all day, with a short break between storms at about 5:00 pm, at which time the wind started up.

During the time we have been Up Here, we have slowly put names to places on our road.  Some due to experiences and others because of what it looks like.  Here are some of them, going east to Rose Camp from the main canyon road: Rocky Road, Drop-Off Hill, Shady Lane, Mushroom Corner, Water Corner, Water Lane, Cougar Corner, River View Corner, Bear Straights, O Sh*t Corner, Cherry Lane, Wood Spirit Hill, Sandstone Corner, Rope Gate Corner, Puddle Lane, Spring Corner, Spring Lane, Short-Cut Turnoff, Rocky Hill Drive, Hair-Pin Corner, and, finally, our driveway.

The wind was still howling when we went to bed, but I must be used to it by now because it did not keep me awake.

Wednesday 2/19.  This morning it is 19 and snowing, of course, with 3-1/2" of new snow.  I can see a patch of blue sky though, and the sun is trying very hard to make it bigger.

Thought for the day: A new take on an old adage: "Teach a man to fish and he will eat for the rest of his life.  Give him someone else's fish and he will vote for you."  Compliments of my cousin, Terry, and The Tea Party's website

Feb 17, 2014 Even More Wind & Snow!

Where is the path I just shoveled
yesterday??!!

And that doesn't look like the
path that JB shoveled!

Friday 2/14. The wind started gusting about 9:00 am and soon blew away the clouds and falling snow.  With the sun shining, water began running off the south side of the roof almost as if it were raining.

I finished my Michael Connelly book with a loud, "Oh My Gawd!  JB, you have to read this book!"  It's the fourth in the Lincoln Lawyer series, and riveting like all his others.

After lunch JB drove MAX down to groom the road by himself.  He saw deer tracks and large cat tracks along the way.  And didn't have to go slowly for the dogs, or stop for me to take pictures.

More snow arrived from the southwest just as we started off on our afternoon walk.  There was a snow storm to the south of us and blue sky to the north.  The flurry ended shortly after we were back inside, but the wind continued as it had all day until well into the evening.  Our high for the day was 34, turning snowy paths into slush.

I am making a menu and a list of things to be done before our guests arrive on Wednesday.  One thing I always try to remember to do before JB's nephew visits is clean the top of the refrigerator.  He is about 6'5". . .

I have noticed lately that I no longer get nauseous when eating breakfast too early or having too much.  The only thing different in my diet is nuts.  A few weeks ago I began eating a handful of almonds and peanuts every day, of course the peanuts are chocolate covered.  Well, chocolate is good for you also. . .

Tonight is a Full Snow Moon - how appropriate!

We watched the movie, Killing Them Slowly, with Brad Pitt this evening.  JB was a bit disappointed as it was rather slow.  But you often have to have your thinking cap on when watching something by those Weinstein brothers.  It was a great statement about corporate America and our government.  At least that's what I got out of it.  Well, and of course, Brad Pitt.

Saturday 2/15.  It was 21 and overcast this morning, and again our slush of yesterday is our ice of today.  Three major storms with plenty of snow and wind are in the forecast for all this next week, with a flood watch because of warming temperatures in the low lands.  The avalanche canon on Mission Ridge was at it again.

Our son called on his way back from his Mardi Gras meeting.  His group's parade is this Friday, with their ball right afterwards.  He will again be riding on a float and throwing out beads and other goodies.  He has to purchase these himself and we were lucky enough to be in Mobile during Mardi Gras several years ago.  We had driven down from Chicago and got to go to the huge warehouse where he purchases all the beads.  OMG!!  There were so many different kinds!  I bought some to bring back for friends and family.  Didn't even have to take off my top. . .

The once-empty "in" box sitting at the end of our kitchen counter already has more recipes in it.  We have subscribed to Taste of Home magazine and I have been cutting.  Now I just have to start cooking. . .

Snow began falling in earnest at about 10:00 am and by noon we had at least an inch.  3" by 3:00 pm.  When it was time for our afternoon walk it was still snowing.  JB slogged up to clear off the panels while I shoveled the pathways around the house and to the outhouse.  Then I went in to feed the dogs while JB shoveled the paths to the battery and wood sheds.  Our high for the day was 24.

I emailed Elsie to let her know we would not be coming down this evening as planned because of all the snow.  They called us on the radio saying that they would be coming up!  They have a side-by-side ATV that Larry has chained up on all four wheels.  They made it up easily and we had a great evening of marbles, even though the guys won both games.  But they were close!

While we were playing, the wind started really gusting.  By the time they left a little after 10:00 pm, it was quite nasty outside.  They don't have doors on the ATV and had to clear out a lot of snow before getting in.  About ten minutes after they left, here came their lights back up the driveway.  I thought for sure there was a tree down or a huge drift in their way.  But, no, Larry had just forgotten his little cooler for his beer.  Everyone has their priorities. . .  I asked them to call when they got home and about 25 minutes later they did.  I guess it was a pretty wild ride.

Sunday 4/16.  This morning found us with four inches of new snow from the past 24 hours and lots of drifting.  It was partly overcast and 20.  Most of the pathways we had shoveled yesterday were completely gone.  When he first got up, JB went up to the panels to clean them off, sinking down to his knees in places on the non-existent paths.

We had a light wind all day and the sun shone for most of it, causing yesterday's snow to slip off the roof in chunks.

JB drove MAX down the road to groom it.  On their way up last night, Larry had seen large cat tracks crossing our road by the spring, but all signs of activity from yesterday were swept away.  Fortunately there were only a few places with any significant drifting and JB was soon back Up Here.  He also drove up to and around the south ridge to make it easier to walk up there.

We both worked on shoveling out the paths again today.  Really getting our workouts this winter.  Afterwards JB took a nap.  I started a new book and then went online.

Elsie told us that she had read in her "chicken" magazine that it is good to feed them something warm when it is so cold out.  So she buys them steel-cut oats and makes oatmeal for them in the morning.  Her "girls" seem frantic with joy when she brings it out to them.  No wonder their eggs are so delicious!

After I brought in the wood, the dogs and I went on our afternoon walk.  JB made some excuse about having to get the chicken in the oven to roast.  The wind had formed a light crust on the snow.  Not quite thick enough to hold up the dogs, so every time they strayed out of MAX's tracks, at least two of their legs would sink all the way down.  I had to stay in the tracks too or find myself up to my knees.  Our high for the day was 32, but I didn't notice any melting.

Snow was falling when we went to bed, and from the look of the porch, it had been coming down for awhile.

Monday 4/17.  26, lightly snowing and 3-1/2" - 4" of new snow.  All the trees are white again and the only movement is snow sliding off the roof.  The wind is gone.  Both main passes across the Cascades are closed this morning.  Sadly, we are going to have to reschedule our nephew's and grand-nephew's visit.

Thought for the day: As long as men are free to ask what they must, free to say what they think, free to think what they will, freedom can never be lost and science can never regress. J. Robert Oppenheimer



  

Feb 14, 2014 And More Wind!

Before. . .

. . . and after tilting the solar panels.

Wednesday 2/12.  With these "warmer" temperatures it is very easy to get the house too warm, but it's such a relief not to have to set the alarm to get up in the middle of the night to restock the fire.

I often go around the house, and even the sheds, clearing out the cobwebs.  And in the mornings I have to clear them out of my head.  Why is it we always see their webs, but never the spider?  Has anyone ever actually seen a cob spider?  And how in the world do they get inside my head?!

The snow is starting to get slushy, especially where the sun hits it.  Sure don't want to get back into the melt-&-freeze cycle where so much of the ground is covered in ice.

JB's nephew is bringing his six-year-old son up to visit Rose Camp on the 19th and we want to be able to get them and their gear Up Here on MAX with no problems.  So JB drove MAX down our road again today to groom it.  When he returned, we went up to the solar panels to tilt them up halfway.  We tilt them four times a year, two up and two down.  We are about a week late this time, and now they will have to be cleaned more often, as the snow will not just slide off of them.

The wind blew all day, decreasing incrementally as the day wore on.  By late afternoon it was just a strong breeze and after sunset it completely died out.  Our high for the day was 37.

The sun is now far enough north so that we can see it as it sets.  It is no longer setting behind the trees to the southwest of the house.  This means that daylight lasts until we are finished with our 5:30 pm dinner and no longer eating when it is dark out.  Yes!!

I keep in touch with my Mom's two best friends, even though she has been gone for more than 18 years.  One of them, Pat, called me this afternoon and it was so good to talk with her.  We spoke of her other friend, Hazel, who will be 98 years old on the 20th.  Pat reads my blog and seems to really enjoy it.  Hazel doesn't have a computer, but I keep her updated throughout the year.

I started another book that JB had given me for Christmas, The Fifth Witness, by Michael Connelly.  One of my favorite authors.  I also had to cook up a pot of chicken broth for the dogs, but I got started too late, so they ended up having some canned chicken with their dry food, much to their delight.

The sky was a clear palette for the almost-full moon and it shone brightly on the snow.  The stars were shining crisply in the cold night.  Don't know if it's my imagination or they really do shine more brightly on cold nights.  They just seem softer in the summer.

Thursday 2/13. We had a short snow flurry at about 7:00 am, then the sky quickly cleared.  It was a normal 25 degrees out, but there was definitely a wind-chill factor.  Once again the wind blew all day, disappearing shortly after sunset, and our high was 31.  Yesterday's slush is today's ice.

Before I got up JB noticed two deer walking up our road.  The dogs were inside and didn't see them, so JB was able to watch the deer saunter up the east slope, nibbling on branches and rose hips along the way.

The avalanche control canon was booming away on Mission ridge this morning.  I took a late morning nap and Jesse slept on the bed with me, using it as a good excuse not to go on the morning walk with JB and Dinga.  He does not like that canon, even though it is obviously far away.

After lunch I gave JB a long-overdue hair cut and beard trim.  It turned out to be a bloodless affair, but I think he is going to be chilly for a while.  Then he baked some french bread which he used for a french toast dinner.

Weather permitting, we will ride MAX down to Larry and Elsie's Saturday evening for some marble competition.

Friday 2/14.  Happy Valentine's Day!  At Rose Camp it is 21 and snowing lightly with another 2-1/2" of new snow on the ground.  JB had to clean that full amount off the tilted panels this morning.  And the avalanche canons are booming again at Mission Ridge.

Thought for the day: Fearlessness may be a gift, but perhaps most precious is courage from cultivating the habit of refusing to let fear dictate one's actions.  Aung San Suu Kyi, Nobel Peace Prize winner