Author: admin

Monday, Nov 2

I slept in, but we need to go to Yakima Heart Center for today for two routine visits for me for a device check and an appointment with my cardiologist. While there, we’ll make a Costco run.

I started early with hot coffee and then added a nutritious protein milkshake of chocolate Ensure with peach yogurt.
Printed my immunization record and added info for Dr. Krueger.

Morning call from Ellensburg Animal Hospital about Annie’s medication. We just cancelled it. Long story, but they “by law” cannot refill a prescription from 2019 without another visit. She’s doing fine without it (it was a pain med). She’s not showing signs of needing it any longer.

John has been outside feeding horses, opening the gate, getting the paper. Temperature is freezing.
Need to send the current blog published last night to a few people whose photographs I used. We’re leaving here about 11:30 for Yakima.

John drove us to the Yakima Heart Center for my appointments. The first was for 1:00 p.m., for my ICD device check (good, with 12 yrs. battery life left), and the cardiologist followed at 2:00 p.m. ECG given at the beginning by his technician. That went fine, and I just received a transcription in the mail on 11/7, in time to acknowledge it here. ECG was fine and unchanged from the last time (6-mo interval between appointments). I’ll have a Pulmonary Function Test (PFT) in 2 weeks, and those test results plus my blood tests for thyroid & liver will be ordered by my PCP and sent to him yearly. At my spring appointment next year, I will have another pacer check and an echocardiogram the same day in the new location, “Heart Central of WA” on 64th Ave., near Walmart on W. Nob Hill Blvd., west of town. This is a new center being created from about 20% of doctors and staff. It is related to one hospital closing in Yakima and the remaining one consolidating functions unto itself.

From the Yakima Heart Center (next to Memorial Hospital, now owned by VA Mason from Seattle), we drove to Union Gap, WA to the Costco store. Did a lot of shopping for us and our neighbor. We had to load up on paper products (TP, Kleenex, Paper towels), sugar, canola oil, pancake mix, some things we get only there for the better price (dog food, Kirkland brand “almond drink”, bacon, their fantastic “Christmas” Fruit Cake I like so well. There was a good price on 24 containers of Yoplait yogurt (31₵/container). The Hershey Company, responding to the diverse lock-downs around the Nation, have introduced packaging to encourage more consumption at home. There was a package of 30 of 3 different types of Hershey chocolate candy bars @ 50₵ each. We’d been paying 80₵ in EBRG.

Brunch: Bacon, eggs, fresh pears, and I had 2 pieces of English Muffin toasting bread, while John had French fries.

John went out to mow on the other side of the irrigation ditch, near the road.

10 robocallers thus far today from two different numbers in White Swan. Just had the last. Times started a.m. at 9:30.
Go tonight to Kittitas Pantry, a little before 6:00 to get donation receipt for 16# cat food, John delivered last Friday before 1:00 p.m.

Worked on sending requests for background research papers and links to web resources for Friday’s lecture this week. Contacted Chris Mattinson, about Friday topic background materials. Received help from Jerome (Geologist) in BC, at the Vancouver Island University, in Nanaimo. Got one research paper back from Chris. I added his email address to the Bcc: list.

Supper: Sandwiches grilled cheese with crumbled sirloin tip roast, cinnamon pears, yellow apples, fried onion rings, and French fries. Dessert: Nanaimo bars with blueberry swirl ice cream.
The total number of robocaller connections for Nov 2=13.

Tuesday, Nov 3

Strange wake-up to a fiery a.m. sky at 6:27 a.m. with cats at the front door wanting food.
This captured from Badger Pocket vicinity just before 7:00 a.m.Incredible sunrise photographed by Keith McGowan, published on his wife, Lise McGowan’s Facebook page. Lise provides the majority of their photos posted, but this is a winner in my book!Sunrise capture by Lori Waters from Ellensburg at 6:39 a.m.

I went back to bed and slept in until 8:20 a.m. (through a rude 7:22 a.m. -5107-robocaller from White Swan, WA which is blocked and only rings once. We got 4 calls this morning from different numbers (the 4 digits, following the time): 8:27-5145, 8:49-5108, 9:14-5145, 9:54-5145.

Slept in until 8:15 and John helped me get my medicine tablet out of the new container. Took and set timer for ½ hour, but the timer did not work. Luckily, I was paying attention to the time and set my computer timer to notify me. I had previously plugged in my external backup drive for its weekly backup at noon. Chocolate Ensure shake with peach yogurt.

Today is our day for many important errands. Reviewing those here. We’re using this symbol to indicate stops: ∞∫∞ First stop, by Eva Frink’s porch to drop off a thank-you box of John’s onions, pick up a cat litter box she’s giving us, and leaving her a couple of egg cartons. ∞∫∞ We were able to skip Bi-Mart because Connie B. checked my number and called me before we left to tell me. ∞∫∞ Went by the AAC to pick up my Bingo cards for Game Day with CLC this Thurs. ∞∫∞ On by Amy’s & Haley’s with some things to share. ∞∫∞ Went by Jerrol’s to pick up my Roadside Geology of Alaska book that arrived late in the afternoon when I was in earlier that day expecting to pick it up. Then down to Fred Meyer to get Red Baron pizzas for $2.50 each. ∞∫∞ From there out to Pilot Gas Center to fill John’s rig ($2.399/gal). ∞∫∞ On from there around the round-about to the office of the local gravel and concrete place with his question about landscape rock, and while there, I was able to use their restroom. ∞∫∞ From there back a neat route to Dry Creek Rd right to the location of our next stop to deliver groceries to a family. ∞∫∞ Back by Grocery Outlet for our gallon & 1/4 Ice Cream tub of vanilla, because it was nearing last two stops before home. ∞∫∞ On from there up Water St. to pick up the two 35mm slides we left last week to be transferred into digital images to share with the Hultquist family, and pay our bill, plus hand off 3 onions as a thank you. The trip to Jade Cove probably took place in 1963, in Aug/Sept. Look below in the blog to see the digital images with an explanation. ∞∫∞ On to our last stop off Wilson Creek to leave a donation of a box of 4 place settings of flowered dishes for Naomi’s Hope to give to women who have suffered domestic violence or another crisis in their lives. (See credo below).

Afternoon snack: heated brownie bar with cup of coffee.

Mentioned above was our picking up our two 35mm slides. Peggy Hultquist and brother Richard (30) in 1963 at Jade Cove along the California coast, south of Dick’s location in San Jose. Dick was working as a rocket scientist for Lockheed Missiles and Space Company at Sunnyvale’s Moffett Field.

Peggy (22) and brother John (19), in the photo below.
John went by train, starting in Pennsylvania, then the San Francisco Chief out of Chicago. Later, Peggy flew out and we bummed around some more. There are lots of photos somewhere, and Peggy recently found two slides. An EBRG fellow did the digitizing for us.

Supper: Pizza by John with a little help from Red Baron. Appetizer, cinnamon pears from Louaine. My dessert was strawberry ice cream.
The total number of robocaller connections for Nov 3=12.

Wednesday, Nov 4

Before 9:00 a.m. our landline had 5 robocallers. This is irritating. First one came at 7:22 a.m.! My mom always told me not to call anyone until after 9:00 a.m. in the morning.

The technicians finally came up from Pendleton, Oregon to fix the Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) at the KELN Ellensburg airport. It has not been reporting any figures for the past few days. Such things are often near runways for your flying safety. Watch for one, if you are flying.
Morning milkshake of chocolate Ensure with Vanilla Bean yogurt.12:27 pm, Reecer Creek, Irene Rinehart Riverside Park, from the Middle Bridge, photographed by Glenn Engels.

Warmer today, with no wind. John worked a lot outside and I worked inside.
Lunch: Progresso soup, chicken with wild rice, carrots, diced tomatoes, and Cheez-its.
Late afternoon snack for Nancy: 2 Reece’s peanut butter cups. John had his right after his lunch.
Supper: Pork, rice & onion gravy, with fried breaded cauliflower. Dessert: Brownie bar heated, with strawberry ice cream.

Need to do some tax receipt filing tonight. I never had time today between other projects I was working on included loading the
dishwasher, emailing background scientific papers to the study group members for Nick Zentner’s lecture this Friday where we have a guest lecturer, who is the chair of Geological Sciences Department at CWU—Chris Mattinson.
I have decided, for a time, at the end of each day to report the total number of robocaller connections: Nov 4=14.

Thursday, Nov 5

7:12a.m. robocaller from White Swan, WA. Slept in until 8:15 a.m.
Hot coffee and chocolate Ensure shake with strawberry yogurt.

Washed my hair in the morning to be ready for Celia’s haircut.
Got bottles packed for her with WSJ auto stories for her hubby, Bobby. This is a series of “me and my car” as told to reporter for the Wall Street Journal. Involves the owner, the car, and the history thereof.

Pick a birthday card for Gloria Swanson to get in the mail next week before Nov 11 when there’s no postal mail delivery.

NOON to 1pm: Game day AAC led by the Center for Leadership & Community Engagement (CLCE) at CWU – Bingo via ZOOM. We played several games, and I won a horizontal Bingo, a vertical Bingo, and two of us won a Full Blackout card game. When done in person at the Senior Center, they have actual raffle tickets to give for winning games, and then prizes donated from town businesses are given and people put their raffle tickets into cups, near the prize. A couple years ago I won an Ellensburg Rodeo Baseball cap I like and a gift certificate somewhere from the chamber of commerce.

It rained this morning and may this afternoon too.
My lunch was chicken flavored Ramen pasta soup with added cooked chicken breast meat and Cheez-its.

Get $cash ready.. Pack up bottles for Celia, and newspaper articles for Bobby, and present of stuffed pink pig for Celia. Haircut at 2:30 p.m.

This morning I contacted Ken Hammond’s son (an avid bowler) about bowling trophies, we’d uncovered in our stash. I have more somewhere. Late afternoon, I received a call from David Hammond (no more bowling trophies given out in leagues not in at least 10 years. No trophy place left in town.) Guess I’m stuck with them. Found one that went back to 1959/60 for me in the American Junior Bowling Congress (AJBC). I was 16. I worked across the street from my house in Atlanta, GA, at Broadview Plaza Lanes, started $1.00/hr. and increased to $1.50. I did every imaginable job in the business. Opened and closed sometimes, because I lived so close to the plaza location and had keys.

Supper: French fried onion rings, thinly sliced sirloin tip roast in onion gravy, fried battered cauliflower with cheese, round seasoned baguette toasted crackers. Dessert: Tart cherry pie with Phoebe strawberry ice cream for me; vanilla for John and the cats and dog.
The total number of robocaller connections for Nov 5 = 14.

Friday, Nov 6

Up with a hungry cat (Sue) outside at 5:00 a.m., 6:00 with the dog. Woody arrived later in the morning. Stayed resting until almost 9:00 a.m., but was interrupted with robobcallers yet none during the 7:00 hour as in the previous two days.

Made two orders this morning first from ECP to be delivered next Thursday AM – a load of landscape small river-rocks (called oversized washed; 1.5 inches up to 5), probably $200+ on credit card. John hopes they will include some colorful flatish rocks. Me too.

Unsure the timing of this from Waste Management, a large metal dumpster 30 cubic yards paid $500.06, in advance and will only be charged the amount of the final pickup and delivery. The receipt is stored in my computer photos for Nov 1st week.

Today, Nick Zentner is joined by Chris Mattinson, as his guest lecturer on his rock research specialty. Chris is the chair of the CWU Geological Sciences Department and also his neighbor.Green rocks photographed by Nick

‘Nick from Home’ #90 – Exotic O: Green Rocks

Lunch: John had dinner leftovers and I had a protein drink of chocolate Ensure with peach yogurt. Was going to have afternoon leftover soup from yesterday, but decided to wait until tomorrow for it.

During the show I had two Reese’s Peanut Butter cups, and a class of Strawberry-Lemonade PowerAde.

Over ½-hour putting my medications into my weekly dispensing tray, with John’s help halving some of them.

Supper: 3 things: side dish of chicken & BBQ sauce & Macaroni & cheese (like a baked chicken pie); chicken stir fry with onions and red peppers, butternut squash baked with pecan halves. Dessert: heated tart cherry pie with vanilla ice cream. Sunset by Tom Harbaugh at 5:00 pm from Brickmill Rd

The total number of robocaller connections for 11/6 =14.

Saturday, Nov 7

Up at 8:00 a.m. to start the cold day, (still below freezing), after being up at 4:00 to feed Woody.
John and I watched about 10 deer walk through our pasture gate and up the driveway. He walked Annie up the drive and get a birthday card into to the mailbox for pickup to my 95-year-old friend, Gloria. Cle Elum is just 30 miles away, but it won’t go there directly. Hoping for a Monday delivery, but John thinks Wednesday. Veteran’s Day is a USPS holiday. She never gets mail on her birthday; maybe it will make it there before. I’m hopeful.

Got all my suggested background reference links emailed to the study group members, with the link to the lecture for tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m. Sent before 11:00 a.m.

Dialed phone in GA of my first geography teacher to wish his wife, Jolayne, a happy birthday at 1:17 p.m. today, but no answer. Maybe they went out for an early birthday dinner. She and he (Sandy) were our chaperone leaders in 1965 for a Geography Field Trip to Europe for 9 weeks. Tried calling later but no answer, so perhaps they are off visiting their son’s wife.

A little before 5:00 tonight, John popped us some popcorn and buttered it. Nice treat.
Supper: Chicken soup with added chicken from last night’s stir fry and diced tomatoes and all sorts of things. Very tasty and full of surprises. Also had some panko crusted fried shrimp, also good; dessert was warmed tart cherry pie topped with vanilla ice cream.

I’m loading the dishwasher, and working on emails.
The total number of robocaller connections for Nov 7 = ZERO. Guess the scammers do not work on weekends. What a nice reprise from the past week of too many interruptions. {John wonders if many were election related – now over.} Nancy’s comment. Election day was Nov 3. We got them (a lot) after that day.

Sunday, Nov 8

Up at 6:00 a.m. with Woody and Sue wanting fed. I was late getting out there for them this morning. Back to bed for more rest.
Up 8:00 started 8:18 collecting pre-show comments.
Having a hot cup of coffee to warm up.

Nick’s morning talk lasted for 2 hrs. ~900 viewers worldwide; temperature was 37° in his backyard at the start of the lecture, and up to 40° at the end. Still pretty chilly.Tomyhoi Peak is one mile south of the Canada-US border. {Picture}
Gary Paull’s perspective of the rugged “foothills” in the Eastern Cascades titled lecture this morning. Gary is a photographer extraordinaire, which you will see in the Cozy Fort in today’s last part of the video lecture before Q&A. Check it out. Gary gifted (in a previous show) this image as a framed picture for Nick & Liz’s home wall. There are no annotations on that photograph. This was for help with the lecture today.

‘Nick from Home’ #91 Exotic P-Eastern Cascade Foothills

Didn’t get my milkshake of chocolate Ensure with French vanilla yogurt fixed until the end of Nick’s session. Now enjoying it. John will be coming in around noon to fix breakfast.Our view ability today.

Breakfast: Bacon, blueberry pancake, cinnamon pear, and Bartlett pear shared; coffee for me.

36-minute call talking to our cousin, Ethel Reynolds, 103, in Brookville, PA. She is so wonderfully alert and with the world around her. Caught up on much family stuff, as well as many other topics about our world! She’s amazing. A friend brought her a plate of pork and sauerkraut she grew the cabbage for and made! The woman’s mother was named Ethel, so she always calls our cousin, “Mom.”

Supper: Sauce with meat and spaghetti.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John

Monday, Oct 26

John says: “Nancy and Elise introduce autumn colors today. My hometown of Clarion, PA began an Autumn Leaf Festival in 1953; I don’t remember it. Soon after the town and the College combined home-coming week with the Festival. An outbreak of influenza at Clarion College slowed the growth in 1957. In 1962 a young lady from our neighborhood – a year ahead of me in HS – and now in a sorority wanted real “autumn leaves” for their float. Another neighbor, with a Jeep and small trailer, and I visited numerous trees not far from town, and a colorful float was made.” Link to History
Autumn Leaf Festival in Clarion, PA postponed this year, by COVID restrictions. Usually held in September.

Autumn colors in New Jersey – Photos by Elise Schlosser

I realize Poison Ivy is not the normal photo pictured in autumn leaves photos, but Elise took it at the same time and I was drawn to it, because of my past history in GA with poison ivy on an adjacent lot to the house where I grew up in Atlanta, GA. I was extremely allergic to it.
I knew to avoid it when in the woods, but I never saw the red-colored leaves of it, probably because we received a lot of rain in Atlanta, GA. I looked that up and found this explanation online: Poison Ivy with red stems and/or red leaf edges are less common, but hardly rare. When poison ivy doesn’t get enough water, the leaves will turn red.

Back to now: I slept in, but I need to go to Yakima Heart Center for two routine visits for a check of my implanted defibrillator and an appointment with my cardiologist. While there, we’ll make a Costco run.
Printed my Immunization record and added to info for Dr. Krueger.

Morning call from Ellensburg Animal Hospital about Annie’s pain medication (TRUPROFEN – chewable tablet 100 mg). We just cancelled it. Long story, but they “by law” cannot refill a prescription from 2019 without another visit. She’s seems to be doing fine without it. She was only taking a ½ tablet a day, first a.m. & p.m., but recently, only ½ a day.

John has been out to feed birds and horses, and confirmed the temperature is freezing.
Need to send the current blog to 3 people whose photographs I used. We’re leaving here about 11:30 for Yakima.
I’m having an Ensure chocolate shake with peach yogurt, and John’s having bacon and fried potato.
Supper: Sandwiches grilled cheese with crumbled sirloin tip roast, cinnamon pears, yellow apples, fried onion rings, and French fries. Dessert: Nanaimo bars with blueberry swirl ice cream.

Tuesday, Oct 27

Slept in until 8:25 and John helped me get my medicine tablet out of the new container. The company changed what was an easy peel back method to a more difficult one in my opinion. Thanks, John. I’ve taken it and have to wait a half hour to eat. So, I set up my backup drive.
Today is our day for several important errands.

I will review those briefly below. We’re using this symbol to indicate stops: ∞∫∞ First stop, to drop off two 35mm slides from long ago of John with his sister and brother at Jade Cove in CA to transfer to a digital image we can share with the family. ∞∫∞ By another friend’s house to leave some things. ∞∫∞ I took the paperwork to the WA Dept. of Licensing, for a handicapped yearly parking sticker, for use on CWU campus, and was surprised it was issued right away. ∞∫∞ Next to Bi-Mart to buy slippers for John, as his fell apart, and to buy some cat food on sale. While there, I bought some OTC ointment for my “dry skin” that Dr. Krueger recommended, Eucerin cream. ∞∫∞ Next, we’d both decided to go to Super 1 Pharmacy for our 2nd Pneumonia shot (supposed to be a good thing if we get COVID virus; makes it a lighter case), but it was to be only for me. (I called ahead and found out) that they were not marked with our names, so they gave away all but one dose. They ordered another for John and he will get it another time, but his name will be put on the serum and he’ll be called. I received mine today. ∞∫∞ Next, I went by Jerrol’s to pick up my Roadside Geology (RG) book that arrived last week. It’s RG of Southern CA.

Set up the stuff for the study group tomorrow to send to newly added members.
We ate dinner late but this sunset was taken by a friend who submits many photos to the Kittitas County Visual Delights Facebook site, and she’s given me permission to include them.
This was taken late in the evening-she called the fading sunset. The bottom two clouds earlier on other photos submitted looked like salmon swimming upstream. Photo by Barb Bailey.

Supper: Stew heated, added fried long sausage split, half yellow apple, half cinnamon pear, Cheez-its; dessert was another of the Nanaimo bars with blueberry swirl ice cream.

Wednesday, Oct 28

Morning sunrise 7:23 a.m. by a friend south of us with a better view than we have.Lovely sunrise at 7:23 a.m. by Sid Peterson

Before 8:00 a.m. robocaller (blocked) so rang only once.
Warmer today, and sunny. John worked a lot outside and I worked inside.

He left with the Ford truck, with canopy, to drive to town for supplies: grain, cat food, returned to Bi-Mart loafers too small, for slippers that fit, and was able to get his 2nd pneumonia shot.
I got off the note to the study group about this, but now am listing some research paper links.
Talked to Summer at Cle Elum Clinic and reported John’s 2nd Pneumonia shot received today, and she updated his immunization record.
3:01 Blocked another robocaller from Colville, WA (690); 3:14 Jeez, another robocaller from Darien, WI.

John called from Bi-Mart and will be here about 3:50 p.m. So I need to get Annie out to great him. She’ll be happy.
Supper: Hamburger with cheese, sliced yellow apple, last of the summer squash fried with onions. John grew the last two. Dessert: shared two small Nanaimo bars with blueberry swirl ice cream.
I did a lot of tax receipt filing before and after supper.

Moon rising photographed by Lise McGowan, in our valley

Thursday, Oct 29

Morning call from Gerald reporting in fine today. John’s now out taking care of the animals morning feeding. Sunny day, still chilly temperatures.

NOON to 1:10 pm: Game day AAC led by the CLC at CWU – Jeopardy. Dress in orange shirt/jacket via ZOOM. Neat; I was on the winning team (we played with volunteers). Our team had 4000 points vs. the other with 1,200.

Had a late lunch of leftover Oriental flavored Ramen pasta soup, with added cooked chicken breast meat and Cheez-its.
Was 66° at airport 2:00 p.m. but due soon for an update.
Outside house was 56.3° and at airport 67° at 3:00 p.m.; our sensor needs relocated – or theirs does.

I need to post for a cat litter box (open, no top). Posted request on Buy Nothing East Ellensburg, Kittitas FB Free site. And on Ellensburg The Free Box. Just got my first offer from the lady who gave us the child’s gate, Eva Frink. We’ll pick it up next week (Tuesday). And, we need to carry her the empty egg cartons.

Supper: Spaghetti sauce with ground beef, mushrooms, onions, diced tomatoes covering spaghetti pasta. Strawberry Lemonade flavored PowerAde for Nancy’s drink. Dessert: Nanaimo bar with blueberry swirl ice cream. End of those.

Friday, Oct 30

We completed our voting ballots this morning, and John drove to the Courthouse to deposit them in the Ballot Box. On from there he went to Kittitas, to deliver a 16# bag of cat food to the Kittitas Pantry, as a donation. They repack it in smaller Ziploc bags for clients.

2 robocallers today; blocked for future calls.
Geology stuff: #88 – Exotic M: San Juan Islands, 2:00 p.m. went very long today, until 3:45 p.m.! Good program.

‘Nick from Home’ #88 – Exotic M: San Juan Islands

Added another study group member today.

The local paper reported on a need: I talked to Peggy Beals via email about donation to the Ellensburg Community Clothing Center to help buy a new more secure drop-off bin for clothes. She gave me the address to mail my check, and we got the check in the mail. Also, mailed another check to pay for our reconfigured plumbing in the new utility room and the well “shocking”. So, that’s behind us.

Lunch: John had bacon and fried potatoes. I had a late lunch, a bowl of chicken soup, with cooked chicken breast added.

Saturday, Oct 31

Woody was ready to eat on the front porch at 5:00 a.m. So I fed her, took my Acetaminophen, and went back to bed.
Set some of our clocks back an hour to daylight saving time tonight. A couple more need doing.
John took mail for pick up to the mailbox.

Early a.m. I had a Chocolate Ensure Shake with Vanilla Bean Yogurt.
Brunch: Bacon with Blueberry Pancake.
John went to feed horses, and I finally finished loading the dishwasher. Phew. Started it at 6:00 p.m.
Two more robocallers blocked today (within a half hour of each other).

Supper: Fish, Sausage, Cheese Biscuits – Dessert: peach pie with sea salt caramel ice cream.Lise McGowan’s Masked Halloween Blue Moon not to happen again on Halloween until 2039. Last time it happened was 1944. The mask is very appropriate for our 2020 pandemic year!

“Blue Moon” is now used when there is a 2nd full moon in a month. Rarely do atmospheric conditions cause a blue colored moon. But it does happen.

Sunday, Nov 1

Moon is setting as the sunrises in Kittitas Valley this morning:Taken early 11-1 by photographer, Tamie Schaut published on Kittitas County Visual Delights site.

Two more robocallers blocked today (within a half hour of each other).
Up before 8:00 a.m. to follow the geology pre-show comments.
Nick’s 9:00 a.m. lecture, went long this morning for ~900 viewers worldwide—1 hrs. 51 mins.

‘Nick from Home’ #89 – Exotic N: Western Cascade Foothills

Having a hot cup of coffee to warm up, and sipping a French vanilla yogurt in chocolate Ensure milkshake.

Brunch: Small (& simple) Philly cheesesteak sandwich (Costco purchase) shared with John, with a cut-up pear.

From last week’s 3 yr. old Birthday Party for Natalie Sandman:

Our entry into the family was in 1974 because of Brittanys and attending all-breed pointing field trials and shows, and our friends, Karen & Bob Oppie, also Brittany breeders. Top left is Karen Oppie, Nancy & John Hultquist, right is Karen’s daughter Chris Sandman, grandma holding Nora (1 yr. old) and Natalie in front opening one of our gifts, sharing with Nora a smaller version of a Unicorn. Bottom photos, Natalie with homemade cake by a family member, Christina Frantz and someone else.

We were treated to much food before dessert: pizza, fruit, and appetizers, hot coffee, or cold drinks.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Monday, Oct 12

It rained most of the night.
Starting this morning with an October image from the Super 1 grocery store entrance by my friend in Kittitas, WA:
Captured the fall scene on a nice cold morning, from photographer EvieMae Schuetz.

At 9:00 a.m. it’s cold (50°) and breezy (38 mph gusts), but sunny. The horses are way down in the 7-acre-pasture at the south end, standing in the lee of the trees to cut the wind. John drove his pickup with hay down to them to feed there.

Here’s the morning view from the GOES West Satellite:The visible brown area is dry central Washington.
I have several projects to complete and then, I’m switching entirely to filing and organizing tax receipts. Never made it until late night, and now need to change folders. I did the rest of the ordering, but had two things from a different month I have to refile.

Brunch: I had leftover chicken soup and also a milkshake with Chocolate Ensure and blueberry yogurt earlier this morning.

Supper: John fixed a stir-fry of chicken breast meat, with gravy, onions (our own), mashed potatoes, corn, and carrots.

Ending with a photo I just saw today, that was taken Sunday in the hills NE of our home on Colockum Ridge, south of Wenatchee,Photographed by Kevin Dwight (my friend & former student)- Larches (Tamaracks) turning yellow, 4600′ Colockum Ridge, 14 mi. NNE, 10-11-20
That ridge on the south side is NE of our home and would be the way Kevin drove to where he took his photos.

If you like helicopter rides, you may enjoy the following video by Wenatchee woman named Maria, who lives on the north side of the ridge, and who pilots a helicopter we’ve been along on trips with, with her sidekick Nick Zentner describing the geology seen below. This one is a survey of the fire damage from an arsonist set fire that swooped up the canyons of Colockum Ridge in July 2020, and you will see its proximity to her home she’ll point out as well. And, there are more comments below her video. You can stop the video and read about before or after you watch it.

Wildfire Damage, Helicopter Survey (12 mins)

Tuesday, Oct 13

Miles and miles of clouds. Raining again here this morning. Cats never appeared for their Monday a.m. feeding, and now their dinner table is inaccessible until later this afternoon, probably.
Early a.m. arrival of contractors to put the rock face siding on the bottom of the house along the new concrete at the front door.

Our trip to town has been delayed in its intended starting time. No problem, as John cannot work in the rain, anyway. Will give me time to start loading dirty dishes to soak and to unload the dishwasher’s clean load.
I took my weekly medication tablet on an empty stomach and hooked up the Backup Plus drive for its noon backup.

We did not win anything on our Bi-Mart numbers today. John drove and took extra set of his keys for me to go back to the car at different stops, and make phone calls from his car in the parking lot. Stops are separated below by ∞∫∞. He drove me by the Senior Center (AAC) to drop off materials from the game day last week.
∞∫∞ Then, we were off the KVC Medical Arts Building, south of AAC, across from Super 1 Grocery. There I received a blood draw for my INR (monthly) and also my Potassium (quarterly). ∞∫∞ From there we continued to Super 1 Pharmacy for our Flu Shots. The paperwork required was very involved and time-consuming, but we got our shots from our favorite Pharmacist. She’s given us our shots for many years, and I have known her as a fiddle player with our group, earlier until she started working full-time. ∞∫∞. After that, John went shopping for groceries, and I went to customer service with a receipt from last Tuesday, for Reese’s peanut butter cups for which I was overcharged higher than the on-sale price of $.78 for some of them. The cashier was surprised, but agreed, and handed me a $2.20 cash refund. Normally, I check my receipt while still in the store, but I didn’t last week. Then I went back to John’s car to complete some telephone contacts. He bought some boneless sirloin tip roasts at a great price/pound. All he bought were at a sale saving prices. ∞∫∞ From there, John drove us to Midstate Coop and bought a bag of Senior Horse Complete grain and a 40# bag of Black-Oiled Sunflower Seeds for our birds. ∞∫∞ To Safeway, for Just for U bargain coupons that end today, and got some other on sale items. We got 2 dozen large eggs @ 99₵ ea., Bananas for 56₵/#, Red Seedless Grapes for $1.70/#, and PowerAde at 49₵ ea., by buying 5 bottles.

Lunch: Leftover chicken stir fry with onions, gravy, corn, and red seedless grapes.

3:00 p.m. the winds have increased for the past two hours to 40 mph gusts. John is sitting in a chair across the room from me resting, and the winds are hitting our house very noisily. The contractors finished their work and left before they got knocked down putting up our house siding. They accomplished a lot in the time here this morning. Finally, one of our outside cats has made it in for food this afternoon, Woody. Her mom Sue hasn’t shown up yet.

John and I just spent 16 minutes in a frustrating conversation with Citi Bank about our Costco credit card, trying to replace his credit card lost (?) Aug 4, that we’d put a hold on. Now we should get a replacement card in the regular mail in a week or less. After originally telling us that, the card came priority delivery via FedEx in 2 days.

The very same day, later in the afternoon, we got a phone call from our neighbor who works at Fred Meyer that our card had been found Aug 4 at their store. He noticed our name and called us. He doesn’t get them until they’re over a month old. So, we thanked him, and told him to cut it and dispose of it. Interesting.

At 7:15 I took 2 Acetaminophen and have to figure the remainder to take before going to bed of two 2 smaller Mg ones.
Supper: beef stew with biscuits atop, including added chicken meat, carrots, potatoes, with Cheez-its on the side, and red seedless grapes on the plate around the heated stew.

Nice sunset tonight from the west side between storm clouds:Water is Puget Sound; the land in the background is Fox Island. Photo by Pat Jack, long-time friend at CWU, who now lives in a condo, in Tacoma, from where she took this photo.

Wednesday, Oct 14

Morning call 8:20 a.m. from Haley in the Coumadin clinic KVC-Cle Elum, INR=2.1 (monthly), Potassium=4.3 (quarterly). I asked her to update our immunization record on the Hospital’s Medical portal, to record yesterday’s Flu Shots for each of us on 10-13-20; I checked and our last pneumonia shot was 10-22-18 (it’s the first dose, so we only need the 2nd). That’s ordered for us both, and Tuesday (our pharmacist’s name) will give it to us on Oct 27.

Started first thing this morning, loading dirty dishes in dishwasher.
John’s back out working again. Shorter day length and some not so nice weather has cut into his exertions. He’s starting to cut calories to compensate.
Need to send papers from Jerome to the study group.

Brunch: Bacon, blueberry/pecan pancake.

John worked outside on various projects moving lumber – – sorting out a few of the better discards (side planks and others) and piling the rest for a 5-mile distant neighbor. [Fellow that removed the concrete slab with a big backhoe.]

Supper: Long-roasted boneless sirloin tip roast, onions, and baked potatoes, with a bowl of red seedless grapes.

Thursday, Oct 15

After a late night staying up, I slept in until 9:00 a.m. and then have been doing double time ever since with emails and telephone calls.
Started with setting up my computer for the day, receiving a phone call from a friend about her medical emergency of having congestive heart failure and looking for the cell phone # of a mutual friend to give her, writing an email to another neighbor about coming down today to cart home some firewood. We had a morning visit from FedEx to deliver John’s replacement lost credit card, and a phone call to arrange filling a drug prescription to pick up next Tuesday. I did email the study group the 2 scientific papers from Jerome in BC to prepare for Nick’s Oct 23 lecture on Wrangellia Exotic Terrane.
I sent the next email to the Zentnerds study group, both To_& Bcc_ lists, and to other friends interested in Native American Culture, and especially our Native American storyteller and legend spreader, Randy Lewis.

John reads this link daily (wattsupwiththat) and asked me to send this to Randy to see if he was aware of this: about the Ancient North American cultures and/or the history of the domestication of the dog). It’s probably reflected in your native American storytelling of legends.

Shaggy Dog from Watts Up with That

Finally, here is the link you might want to follow to learn more about Randy Lewis, himself. After reading the “biography,” then visit to the right, the link to his video there, and then follow the icon to get to the other YouTube links of videos by Randy.

Overview of the man Randy Lewis

Once there, you’ll see this:

and to the right, you’ll want to click on the icon to the right of his first video’s name header, the 4 lines with right arrow after the words: Randy Lewis Seattle Civil Right… That will access all 9 videos in the playlist for Randy.

Robocaller blocked again from Colville, WA (we receive so many from that exchange that I know the 509-690 prefix by heart; yet, it always comes from a wireless caller. Blocked another from same prefix as this, 29 min later with another Colville number.

John loaded a month’s worth of firewood into the neighbor’s truck. He was cutting with the chainsaw and she showed up early, so she got less than he had intended. He was also cutting a few pieces with knots to take to one of the bottlers for “turning” pieces. He had some Black Walnut, Carpathian Walnut, Mountain Ash, and Poplar.

He is now fixing lunch. He’s having left over onions and sirloin tip meat from last night’s dinner. Later this afternoon, he’ll be getting our new slicer set up, to slice the roast into thin pieces that I can chew. And, he’ll take a plate for the bottling crew’s lunch after bottling Malbec, next Tuesday. That will work nicely, but had he realized he’d be going there he’d have waited to cook the roast. Now he’ll have to freeze it today to use next week. Will have 2 Reese’s Peanut butter cups for my afternoon snack.

John’s back to the wood culling (the milled wood) as some was left 12 feet long. Some odd pieces he cut for firewood, but most of the rest is being carried off by Pat, who said he fired up his wood stove this week. We anticipate below freezing temperatures next week.

Just had a phone call from Katrina about foot care at the Senior Center. She hopes to have us scheduled for Thursday Oct 22 at 10:15 & 11:00. She will let me know by tomorrow. She’ll send the material we need to bring via email. Yes, both happened, and I’m very grateful for the special treatment.

I’m busy with activating John’s new CitiBank (Costco) credit card that came via FedEx today. Unanticipated, so the driver had to hang it on the fence. I’ve first had to update my records on the computer in a folder under Credit Card-Info. It’s now activated. Apparently, the first time you use it, you have to swipe it, and after that it becomes a contactless chip card (touch and go).

Need to work on proofing Janet’s Word document, then, put time in the kitchen on dishes, and have my snack, and get some tax filing done! Guess what did not get done.
I worked and made good progress on unloading the dishwasher and putting up all the silverware and stainless steel flatware. Time to get my snack for the next round. OK, it was a DARK chocolate one instead of the regular. Interesting.

John just returned inside from his latest chain sawing project, but it is completed now before rain and snow gets it wet. Now he will return to landscaping – rocks, dirt, gravel.
We’re about ready for a heated popcorn feast John is fixing. My second snack of the afternoon.
John set up our new meat slicer and is thin slicing the sirloin tip roast from yesterday’s slow-oven roast. We will have some for supper tonight, and then freeze some for later.

Call at 7:30 p.m. from Walter Davenport that he is delivering the rock wall siding that needs to be attached on the porch house front. He’s coming tonight to deliver it, and John will get on his boots to help unload the sheets. Willie and Jesse will first finish a job in Cle Elum, and then come down here.

Supper: Thin-sliced sirloin tip roast, fried onion rings, cinnamon pears (gifted by our neighbor, Louaine).

Imagery below is from a sagebrush/steppe part of the region 25 miles southwest of us.

These two photos were taken by Jessie Walling (my friend and former student) on her trail running journey this evening. Evidence of the wildfire’s destruction is consistent with the fiery sunset colors.
The Evans Canyon Fire started on the afternoon of Aug 31, 2020. Photos from the week are on the web if you search-up images with – – Evans Canyon Fire. And if you look back to our weekly blog during that time you’ll see our views from our valley.

Friday, Oct 16

Dark and dreary here. Beautiful sunrise elsewhere in the valley.

Published in KC Visual Delights. Gayle McIntosh’s photograph from her back porch looking east from Hwy 97; posted by a son. I neither get up early enough nor have the viewpoint from home to take such gorgeous scenes.

I won the Wheel of Fortune Game Day at the Senior Center. 1600 points, next was 950, and lowest was 650. Sad because the lowest started ahead of us all, and then the wheel spun a bankrupt. We all had a good time, regardless. We played it on Zoom.

No Nick lecture today at 2:00 p.m. He’s back in Wisconsin visiting his mom and sister.
Cheryl Paul’s birthday is today; I called her and sang happy birthday to her voicemail.
Call from Susan Donahoe that my voter ballot was not in her mailbox. I’ll wait a few days to see if it shows from farther down the road. Then report it lost. John’s was delivered fine yesterday. Didn’t have to wait long, as it was included in delivery today with no explanation.

Brunch: Bacon, eggs, Cinnamon Pear (shared with John), eggs over easy with cheddar cheese, and I had a slice of English Muffing Toasting Bread, with Apricot Preserves atop, made as gift by my neighbor Ken.

John’s afternoon on yard projects were affected by the high wind gusts:

Supper: Appetizer, cheddar cheese in Fritos Scoops. Progresso soup with beef added for rest of meal.

Saturday, Oct 17

Up and down a lot through the night, so ended up sleeping late.
Cat fight on front porch; unsure who was involved but Rascal was the aggressor. Likely Woody – she dislikes Rascal which is befuddling. Czar was inside sleeping on his blanket.

Morning greetings from Gerald who is doing fine, and had talked with Maury and learned they were fine as well.
From LethaLee sent the link for Nick’s October 23rd Friday afternoon 2:00 lecture, but that channel is not showing up dated links on mine. Checked out later after a restart of my computer, and it is still not listed. However, I can access the URL.

I finished an email to Jana Goodey and sent it, and then work an hour or a few pages on the thing for Janet Lane on COVID-19.

John’s out working for an hour, and will come back in and cook some pork sausage we don’t know where we got. It is one pound in a “not for sale” wrapper from 2017.
Worked on proofreading Janet Lane’s COVID -19 chapter of a book on the use of GIS and sent her what I have as of today, to be sure it was useful and understandable.

John retrieved the afternoon mail and it included a statement from Costco about my enrollment. It was misleading, but I opened it and found a certificate inside I need to take there to cash for only $33, our next time at Costco. It reflects the excess bonus of 2% on purchases through the year only on Costco goods within the store. We get another much larger check in February, for reward paybacks for using the VISI CitiBank card to buy gasoline at a 4% discount, among other perks such as using it at restaurants. We’re on automatic renewal (Dec 1) for the next year’s business card membership. We haven’t been doing much because of Panic2020, so these perks are reduced.

I read through John’s Not So Nasty News this afternoon and found a nice link to the story of the lemur stolen from the San Francisco Zoo. He re-opened his report and it is there now.

I worked on filing some tax receipts and will do more tonight before going to bed.

Brunch: spicy pork sausage patties someone gave us with a Blueberry/pecan pancake topped with cutup nectarines and maple syrup.

Supper: John created from some leftover Chicken Alfredo, our main dish for tonight. He added red & yellow bell peppers, pepperoni, cheddar cheese, cashews, & I’m not sure what else. I washed and destemmed some red seedless grapes. I also had two different kinds of crackers with my supper.

Sunday, Oct 18

Slept in again, but not soundly. Awakened throughout the night with various interruptions including rain at 3:20 a.m., so I am kind of slow starting, on a dreary overcast day.

Restarted my computer this morning hoping it will correct some of the errors I’ve been having accessing data.

John went to feed the birds, and the horses about 9:35 a.m.

10:23 a.m. a call came from Gerald Gordon, my 90-yr old friend in Thorp, and we had a 10 min conversation. Then at 10:36, he called back and said he had a gift for me, and started singing every word of the song, It’s Just a Little Street Where Old Friends Meet, in his beautiful voice he has not at all lost with age. We had been talking about getting together with our group in a jam session and having him play again with us (as our lead singer). I know that will happen and it will be healing music for us all.

Load my gift cards for Jerrol’s bookstore) in my wallet for Tuesday. I suppose, also, I will take the ones for Winegars’ (local ice cream), although the ice cream one will just be in my wallet for when we run out of the 5 quarts we bought last week.

Fixed a protein drink for this morning. It was one of my Strawberry Ensures mixed with strawberry yogurt.

After restarting my computer this morning, I logged into the KVC medical portal for Nancy’s records and succeeded, but I was unable to find my Immunizations record, as I had found John’s yesterday on his account.

Brunch: Spicy sausage, with two eggs over easy covered with melted cheddar cheese crumbles; John had potatoes and onions (his own little white ones, called Sterling, that will store for 8 months), and I had a cup of coffee.

John went up to the irrigation ditch today in 40mph gusts, to fill the dog & cats watering bucket. There is also a similar pail outside. We’ll soon have to switch to the heated bowl. He had on his bucket hat, and the wind blew it off his head into the ditch!

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan