May 31, 2017 Back To Work, Work, Work!

Lupine & balsam root on
our south ridge.

Deer brush now in bloom.

Giant paintbrush blooming
on the south ridge.

Tuesday 5/30. Well, the long weekend certainly was relaxing while it lasted, but today it was back to the real world.  Before breakfast JB was out mowing with the tractor while the wash was going, so I could hang the clothes outside without having grass and dirt blown all over them.

After chores and lunch, we headed down in JB's Jeep, pulling the trailer in order to gather downed small trees and large branches along our road.  The dogs rode down and then I walked back up with them, gathering as we went.  When we would come upon a tree, JB got out and cut it, except for the last one which I cut.  The trailer was filled before we even got half way back home.  Having only walked about a mile, both the dogs and I were glad for the ride home.

We noticed a pile of bear scat as we drove down.  Didn't think much about it until we arrived back where it was and the dogs discovered it.  I chased Jesse away, but didn't get to Dinga in time to keep her from rolling in it. . .

Even after that hike, Dinga and I went on our regular afternoon walk.  The deer brush is blooming now and its fragrance is phenomenal!  Unfortunately, it will only last about a week.  I wish I could capture it in a jar to delight in the rest of the year.  The lupine is blooming Up Here now with all the other wild flowers.  Definitely my favorite time of year.

After dinner we cleaned the bear scat off of Dinga with a great hand-made dog soap that I have.

The sky was mostly overcast by noon, and the day was hot and muggy with a high of 78.  The clouds threatened rain and the thunder storm that was in the forecast.  The storm arrived a little before 6:00 pm with some big boomers right over our house.  Torrential rain blew in about 1/2 hour after the light show began.  The whole experience lasted about 1-1/2 hours.  Our highest wind gust was 17 mph, but down in the canyon Larry and Elsie had 31 mph.

Wednesday 5/31. It is 52 this morning with a light overcast.  We are going to make our semi-annual garbage run today.

Thought for the day: "I tried but it didn't work" is a lot better than "I wish I had tried."

May 30, 2017 A Very Relaxing Weekend

In Elsie's garden.

Jesse with a new
friend.

The huge, old lilac bush
down in the canyon.

Wednesday 5/24. We spent most of the day mowing and weed eating, JB on the tractor and me with the weed eater. Then I had to fix the tarp on the hen house which had not been tacked down well enough to survive yesterday's wind.  It's not going anywhere now.  The wind was still blowing today, but only to 12 mph.  Our high for the day was 58.

When I checked for eggs after lunch, there was a humming bird in the hen house.  The only way it could have gotten there was through the little door that the girls use.  I held the people door open and it quickly found its way out.

After dinner we drove down to Larry and Elsie's to visit and go over things for my house sitting.  Sat on their porch chatting until after dark.

Thursday 5/25. It was 44 and partly cloudy this morning.  I spent the day getting ready to leave.  I had a long list of items to do, including making more humming bird syrup and baking cookies.  I was on my way by 4:00 pm.

Friday 5/26 through Monday 5/29. A very relaxing but hot weekend in the high 80's and low 90's.  In the evenings I watched TV, bingeing on The Big Bang Theory and Law & Order: SVU, among other programs.

Saturday and Sunday I drove home for a couple hours each day to see JB's nephew and his 9-year-old son who were visiting.  Other than that, I did my house-sitting chores of watering, feeding the chickens, cats and dog.  Then I just vegged on their porch with one of the cats on my lap.  You cannot make a lap at their house without a cat finding it in a very short time.

I was home by 3:00 pm Monday afternoon.  A great weekend, but good to be back at Rose Camp.

Tuesday 5/30. It is 68 with a few thin clouds about.  Going to be another hot one.

Thought for the day: Churches are good for prayer, but so are garages and cars and mountains and showers and dance floors.  Anne Lamott in her book Plan B

May 24, 2017 Summer Weather

Our "park" on the
south ridge.

Monday 5/22. We spent 3-1/2 hours working on Miss Kitty today.  It took us 2-1/2 hours just to get the front storage box out.  Just how many screws are needed to hold it in?!!  Somewhere some engineer is laughing his ass off. . .

JB spent a while on the phone with a shop in Omak that fixes Arctic Cats, so it sounds like just finding out what is wrong is going to take a lot more time.

It was a beautiful day with a high of 76.

Tuesday 5/23. It was 60 with clear skies this morning.  I left early for Down There and was back by noon in order to beat the predicted high of 90.  JB was doing chores and working on Miss Kitty.

This was definitely our hottest day with a high of 80, but mid afternoon a wind blew in bringing a cold front.  By 9:00 pm it was gusting to 22 mph Up Here and 26 mph at Larry and Elsie's.

I am going to be house sitting for Larry and Elsie this weekend, as I always do on Memorial Day.  Their son gave them a signal booster for Christmas, so if I can get a signal I will post on Friday and Monday as usual.  If I can't, my next posting will be on Tuesday.

Wednesday 5/24.  With the arrival of the cold front, our temperature this morning is 38 but the sky is blue.  Cooler temps will prevail over the weekend.

Thought for the day: Your freedom is the most expensive thing you own, even if you didn't pay for it yourself.  Anonymous

May 22, 2017 Surprise!!

Our porch.

Chicken gifts!

My crown & wand!

Friday 5/19. Rearranged the porch this morning to keep the coolers out of the sun as much as possible.  Then after lunch we cut, moved and stacked "old" wood.

It was a magnificent day!  Perfect for working outside.  Lots of sun and a cool breeze, with a high of 65.

Saturday 5/20. It was 48 this morning and mostly cloudy.  Right after breakfast JB got the tractor going and began moving dirt onto the swale we created last year.  I raked the dirt and stomped it down.

After lunch we put a tarp over the roof of the hen house to keep it cooler in the sun.  Then JB mowed the west end of the south ridge.  It always looks like a park up there when he is done.  I refilled the wood cradle.

A dark cloud drifted over a few minutes after JB was done mowing and dropped its load.  Then the sun came back out and we had a high of 65.

Sunday 5/21.  It was 52 and clear this morning.  Just right for sitting on the porch with my coffee.  We leisurely got ready for the fish fry at Larry and Elsie's and left a little before 1:00 pm.

We arrived to find balloons, a Happy Birthday banner and most of our canyon friends!  WOW!  No one had ever thrown me a surprise party before!  Such a wonderful afternoon it was.  I even got a crown and wand.  Lots of great food, friends and conversation.  And gifts - I was so spoiled!  It was the perfect day for such a party with a cloudless sky and a high of 83 at their place, and 72 at Rose Camp.

Larry and Elsie had told us that Larry's fishing trip was a bust, when in fact he caught quite a lot of fish.  This deception so they could say the fish fry would be just the four of us since there wasn't much fish!  I was still overwhelmed by the time I went to bed. . .

Monday 5/22. It is 58 with a clear sky this morning.  Am still feeling spoiled.

Thought for the day: The best vitamin for making friends: B1.

May 19, 2017 Adjusting To 70

Moving the refrigerator.

Wednesday 5/17. A great day of sunshine, calls, cards and gifts!  Could not have been a nicer day weather wise.  And we actually got some work done.  Took the refrigerator off the porch with the tractor, and placed it by the battery room where we will bury it for use as a small root cellar.  Then JB took three tractor bucket loads of small wood to the wood shed where I stacked it.

JB made German pancakes for dinner, and I pigged out on chips and dip while watching Burn Notice.  Perfect end to a perfect day.

It is interesting that when looking in the mirror yesterday, at age 69, I thought, "You are really looking your age, Girl."  However looking in the mirror this morning at age 70, I was thinking, "Hmmm.  Not too bad for 70."

Thursday 5/18.  It was 40 and partly cloudy this morning.  We had a leisurely breakfast and did the dishes, then left for Down There about 10:30 am.  Ran a couple errands, then ate my birthday lunch at Applebee's.  A little more shopping.  Stopped in to see Larry and Elsie.  Then we were on our way back home, stopping on the way to visit their little dog and let him out.

Certainly looking forward to the fish fry at Larry and Elsie's on Sunday.

Our grandson turns 13 tomorrow, and my nephew graduates from high school in June with a track scholarship to WWU.  Hmmm, maybe I am getting old. . .

Friday 5/19. It is 48 and not a cloud in the sky this morning.  Probably going to work on getting more wood in the shed.

Thought for the day: A woman is like a tea bag - you don't know how strong she is until you put her in hot water.  Eleanor Roosevelt

May 17, 2017 70 Years On Planet Earth!!

Snow on the dwarf
waterleaf blooms.

Monday 5/15. We left for Down There at 7:30 am as planned.  Dropped off JB's Jeep and did some shopping which included the Glaze Bakery.  I had a $10-off coupon that was good if you spent $20 or more.  I did not realize how much pastry one can buy for $20!!  In my excitement to shop there, I locked my keys in the car and we had to call AAA for help.  It only took about 20 minutes or so for the tow truck to arrive.  Just enough time to sample the wares. . .

Then we went to Costco and bought a new "refrigerator".  Actually it is labeled as a 125 quart cooler, but to us it is a refrigerator.  Also bought 40 lbs. of ice for it ($4), and we were on our way back to the canyon.  Clouds had moved in and the sky was overcast by the time we arrived home, having left some goodies in Elsie's fridge and stopped by our other neighbor to drop off doughnuts.  Our high for the day was 52.

At Larry and Elsie's I also said goodbye to Buster, which was so very difficult. . .  When Elsie called on the radio at 9:00 pm, she was crying and Buster had crossed over the rainbow bridge with the help of a very kind vet who came to their home.

Tuesday 5/16. It was 36 and overcast this morning.  Another early start today as we had to pick up JB's Jeep and I had a 10:00 am doctor's appointment for my annual physical.  It was raining when we left home at 8:00 am and we slid a bit sideways down the driveway, but the bill for the repair was actually $100 less than their estimate, which was a nice surprise.  I passed my physical with flying colors, and by the time I was finished, the sun was shining.

JB drove straight home with his Jeep, and I did a little leisurely shopping.  I also stopped in to see Larry and Elsie at their shop, and commiserate.  Then I went to Costco to purchase a smaller cooler for all our drinks - milk, juice, etc.  Everything from the refrigerator actually fits in the large cooler, but I just thought it would be easier with a separate one for drinks.

As I stopped to pick up our mail, hail began slamming down and I drove up the canyon in quite a hailstorm.  I stopped in to see Larry and Elsie's little dog, who was obviously very distressed at the absence of his life-long friend.  His whimpering almost got me crying again.

My Jeep couldn't make it up our driveway, so JB drove down in his to pick up me, the cooler, and groceries.  We had hail and snow all afternoon, with a few loud claps of thunder.  And, once again, the ground was white.  Our high for the day was 46.

Wednesday 5/17. It is 34 with wind gusting to 12 mph and not a cloud in sight on this morning of my 70th birthday!  70 doesn't quite compute, but I am thrilled that I made it this far and living in the only place I want to be.

Thought for the day: Birthdays, better than the alternative. . .

May 15, 2017 Snow & Visits

Saturday morning's snow.

The Anna's hummingbird
I rescued.

A good start on next
winter's wood.

Friday 5/12. Crazy weather today.  Hail, rain/snow mix, and a little sun.  All in all a very gray day with a high of 48, but the sky was clear by 8:00 pm, so at least we got to see the stars.

JB made bread that we used as hot dog buns, so guess what we had for dinner!

Saturday 5/13. It was 36 and overcast this morning.  Snow began falling around 9:00 and we received 1/2" by noon.  It was all gone by late afternoon.

After lunch we drove Miss Kitty to visit Buster's owner and see the house he is building.  Very nice visit, but Miss Kitty overheated again.  It has to be the thermostat, so JB has some research to do.  But this afternoon he baked some cranberry pound cake, which was just fine by me.

Just as I was going to feed the dogs, I found stunned hummingbird lying in front of the door.  I picked him up and held him for a while to keep him warm, then got a little box and a towel to put him in.  I set the box on top of the fridge and a little while later he was gone.

We had several claps of thunder in the late afternoon, but fortunately not right overhead.  

Around 8:00 pm, Larry and Elsie drove up for a visit and brought a hanging basket of plants that she makes for me every Mother's Day.  It was a good visit but with some sad news.  They are going to have to put their dog, Buster, down on Monday.  He is 17 years old with very bad hip problems and a tumor on his chest.

Sunday 5/14. It was 40 and mostly clear this Mother's Day morning, but clouds soon moved in and we had sun and rain showers on and off all day with a high of 52.

I had pound cake for breakfast while JB washed the dishes.  We all went on the morning walk, but most of the day was spent inside.  The dogs and I went on an afternoon walk in a light rain shower.  It was a nice, relaxing Mother's Day.

An unexpected thunder storm moved through in the late afternoon bringing 1/4" hail.  Not very big, but very noisy on our metal roof.  And it left the ground almost as white as yesterday's snow.

Early tomorrow morning we have to take JB's Jeep in to be fixed, so I plan on stopping in to say goodbye to Buster on our way back. . .

Monday 5/15. It is 34 with clear blue sky this morning.  We plan to be on our way Down There by 7:30.

Thought for the day: If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.  Cicero, Roman philosopher