Author: admin

Monday, Feb 16

One of my photos to start this week: Mt. Stuart watches over an old homestead on Bender Road, not far from home.There is a story for each of these old places. Unfortunately I haven’t a clue. This one has cattle in the yard and a view of the wind turbines in the distance.

I called my dentist to be sure I could come in on Wednesday for my crown seats. They are still hoping the public health department allows this to include finishing work in progress as they are cancelling all cleanings and fillings, and only can be available for emergency dental work. Keeping my fingers crossed because I need my front teeth back to be able to eat more easily. I’m very tired of soft foods and soups, and not being able to use my front teeth for fear of losing the temporaries. Three weeks of not chewing has been tough.

Two more cancellations of CWU events. One was a lunch this Wednesday at a downtown restaurant, and the other was for the 2020 CWU Foundation donors and scholarship recipients for an evening of appreciation on Thursday, May 7, 2020 which included dinner. We are invited each year because of our donation of two scholarships through Geography and the Cultural & Environmental Resource Management Graduate program, known as The Hultquist Distinguished Service Award.

Access to all Scholarships through CWU Geography

John went to town for two different store purchases plus dealt with fan issues in the heater/cooler of his Crosstrek. On his way in, the heater fan was not working, so when he got to Bi-Mart he turned off his car and restarted it, and it still didn’t work. I gave him the number for Stewart Subaru and he called them. Talked to a technician who said they would have to have him come down to fix it. He has an appointment Thursday at 10:30. While there, he will go to Costco for food. They are out of toilet paper and disinfectants, neither of which we need.

Nick Zentner proposed on line 9:00 a.m.: “Hello from Ellensburg. Thinking seriously about doing a geology livestream from home each day this week at a set time. A live Q & A with a theme each day. Do you have suggestions for time of day and/or subjects to discuss live? I need to learn how to do this – not sure if best to do Facebook Live, or YouTube Live, or? Thanks for your interest.”

He proceeded with it, and now has completed several to date this week: they are excellent and details are explained below on how you can participate, live or after the presentation has occurred, by viewing the stored version.

Nick’s public presentations fell victim to virus concerns.

Related are Evie’s Homeschooling activities.
In “Art Class,” her daughter Franka (13) was tasked with creating an amusing owl animation with a new program on her ipad and then converting it into a gif.
Nancy here – I’ve captured 3 photos from the animated gif to share: (first sent to Australia to cheer up a friend who had to cancel his 4-week trip to the US & Canada, because of the COVID-19 issues). We had planned to meet him in Seattle the end of May. Tuesday, Mar 17 Happy St. Pat’s Day

John left at 7:30 a.m. for the Mariposa Vineyard and wine grapevine pruning. He’s also delivering many wine materials (books, magazines, glasses, and all sorts of related things, such as VHS tapes by Jancis Robinson on the worldwide wine industry. We last taught “wine” in CWU’s 6-week Summer School session of 2008. Nothing from CWU about a 2020 summer session, yet!

We’ve been to a concert by the 3 ladies pictured below. They have gone virtual also.
The Gothard Sisters are a dynamic musical group of three sisters who play contemporary Celtic music. Through 10 years performing, touring and writing music together, the optimistic style of their music and performances continue to resonate with their fans, building a loyal international following.
Music Genres: Americana, Celtic Classical, Celtic, Irish, Irish Folk, Scottish Folk, Folk, Classical, World Fusion
Band Members: Solana Gothard, Willow Gothard, Greta Gothard
Hometown: Seattle, Washington

I hope this stays below for a week to March 24, but go there now to be sure you don’t miss this performance by WA’s own.
(Pull the start button back to the beginning of the video)

The Gothard Sisters: Free Concert Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day

Just to encourage you, here are the songs performed by The Gothard Sisters:

Flying Sails is by the Gothard Sisters Midnight Sun is by the Gothard Sisters Toss the Feathers / the Blarney Pilgrim is traditional Double Drums is by the Gothard Sisters The Wild Rover / Winds That Shake the Barley are traditional The Bandit is by the Gothard Sisters Paddy’s Green Shamrock Shores is traditional Alaska Set is by the Gothard Sisters — intermission — Hummingbird is by the Gothard Sisters Scarborough Fair is traditional A Capella Dancing is by the Gothard Sisters Mazama Mornings is by the Gothard Sisters (featuring the An Daire Irish Dancers of Wenatchee, WA) Danny Boy is traditional Three Little Birds is by Bob Marley Chasing the Sun is by the Gothard Sisters — encore — Country Roads is by John Denver

After the intermission, don’t miss the second piece of an Acapella (no instrumental music) Dancing [Tap] followed by a great story of the new name for a mandolin, and a visit by a team of 4 Irish Dancers on stage with them doing their Mazama Mornings song.
Meanwhile, I’m coordinating two of my favorites into today’s blog, which I videotaped from my laptop’s screen, while playing.

The Wild Rover – Celtic Folksong

This song (above) is one of our favorites in our March music, which we are not getting to play with the COVID-19 closings. We hope this is not a permanent decision, because the residents love our monthly music sessions.

The next two are the same, with the short version being just the ending.

The Complete Celtic Drumming Song

Short Drumming Song –Just the Ending

I traveled a mile around our rural block to the Winingham’s home where Celia cut my hair (she’s cut it since I arrived in town in 1988), and I took Bobby the article from John he’d found in the WSJ about a man’s Land Rover, as Bobby restores and rebuilds old military jeeps. He has one 1943, they drive in parades, and now is working on a Ford model jeep from the same year (my birth year).

Came home to a 1:51 call from my dentist. I’m having my appointment to set my crowns, but it had to be moved up to 9:00 a.m. (to get everyone in for follow-ups). Going to bed much earlier tonight.

Just receiving an expected cancellation (via postponement to a future date) from Nick Zentner for all upcoming April Downtown Geology Lectures and all the lectures and field trips of the local Chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute.

That reminded me of the March 4 death of a serious player in the Ice Age Floods story, Tom Foster, who left Earth at 60 years of age. He was the photographer who published a massive amount of information with photographs on his website,

Discover the Ice Age Floods (website by Tom Foster)

Tom Foster Obituary

2012 photo of Foster, Taggert, & Zentner

Description of above: contains a photo of Tom Foster (photographer), Tom Taggert (pilot of Ultralight Trike), and Nick Zentner (Geologist). Within it is a video which doesn’t come up very fast, so I found a better YouTube link to it. See next:

Moses Coulee and the Ice Age Floods – Part I

Yesterday, John’s trip to Bi-Mart and Super 1 contrast very differently from this afternoon’s trip my friend reported back to me after 5:00 today. She said, “My shopping went pretty good. No toilet paper or paper towels at Bi-Mart or Super 1. No dish soap at Bi-Mart. No bar soap at Bi-Mart, but plenty at Riteaid. Surprising the meat department at Super One was almost empty, with a little bit of pork left. All the pasta was gone, but plenty of canned food. Plenty of milk and cheese, low on eggs. Didn’t go to any other stores, we have everything we need for several weeks.”

I responded online to the 2020 Census form. They claimed it would take 10 minutes, but all must be done at once; if you stop, you have to redo it from the start. So much for that. It took me 43 minutes, but I documented all the pages and answers, for what that’s worth (probably nothing).

Other interesting information about our town and businesses opened with their details:
Chamber of Commerce Business Info for Kittitas County

Everyone’s life style and activities are being affected by this COVID-19 issue, and probably will be for some time.

Wednesday, Mar 18

John left at 7:45 for White Heron. Before he drove away, he came back to make a super suggestion and brought me two Reece’s peanut butter cups to eat before I left for my dental appointment. Great idea!!

I arrived at the dentist at 8:50 a.m. for my new crowns to be seated. Thank goodness it went smoothly and I was out by 9:55 a.m. I am so happy I should be able to chew again.
I left there and made two short stops and came on home to fix me some lunch.

John got home at 2:30 p.m. after going through town for gasoline ($2.559/gal at Pilot – less by a lot than any other station in town). Then, he came back by Grocery Outlet, the store that is frequently out of things. They have an odd business model.

John’s going to be out in the yard working in the garden area. He’s been making the soil ready to plant onion sets which were delivered Monday, a week earlier than wanted. They come from southern Texas and a much warmer climate.

I’ve been dealing with a bunch of different chores all afternoon, and not completing many. I did get a shopping list ready for John to take with him to Costco tomorrow after he gets his fan fixed at the Subaru repair garage. I hope it doesn’t cost us a lot of money. Would be nice if it is covered by the warranty.

We had a few interesting emails today, one from our friends in Australia.

I found out more about the plans at CWU for teaching this spring quarter. I’m glad I’m no longer on the teaching faculty. They decided today to extend spring break to two weeks, so the faculty members could get all their courses put online. They just got through with this week being finals – all online. Not all faculty members are up-to-speed on online class preparation or presentation. Some classes with labs do not lend themselves to online scenarios, or not easily, if at all.

John finally left for bed, and I’m not far behind at 10:20 p.m.
Better than a sunset to end tonight is this celestial creation photographed at 11:30 p.m. in the Yakima River Canyon by EvieMae Schuetz.Open shutter for 117 seconds reveals celestial beauty, by Evie Schuetz. She has a star tracker connected to her camera.

Thursday, Mar 19

I lost a little sleep – cat issues; no fun. Their rhythm sometimes doesn’t match mine.
Horses have been fed and John will be leaving just before 9:30 for Yakima.

I’m sending the following around: for Nick Zentner’s Washington Geology presentations.

Free Livestreaming Geology Lectures by Nick Zentner

You need to Subscribe to his YouTube Channel to be involved. Once you hit SUBSCRIBE, also to the right of that, click on the BELL icon and choose ALL for all notifications to Nick’s videos.

Currently, two have happened and one more is tonight, 3-19-20 at 6:00 PST. Follows another two this weekend, 3-21 & 3-22. I’ll put them all here for this week.

BE SURE ON EACH VIDEO TO PULL BACK TO THE LEFT TO START AT THE BEGINNING

3-17-30 Nick Zentner: #1 volcanoes, Starts 15 minutes in

3-18-20 Nick Zentner: #2 Earthquakes, Starts 12 minutes in

3-19-20 Nick Zentner: #3 Ice Age Floods, Starts 12 minutes in

The topic tonight is ICE AGE FLOODS (IAF), which is near and dear to our hearts in Washington State, where our topography was totally influenced and carved into scablands of coulees, by them (the IAF). If you are in Australia, check our time to get it live and/or watch the stored lectures later. I do not know how to write comments or questions from my laptop, and not sure I want to, but just read those that come across. I have not yet been able to watch one LIVE – hopefully tonight, but there are viewers worldwide that I can see on the chat side and am able to read their comments. It’s quite educational and fascinating. Many parents are using these for home-schooling and children are watching, during their time not going to school.

Comments from a question on this #3 lecture last night.

HOW DOES THE VOLUME OF LAKE MISSOULA COMPARE TO THE
GREAT LAKES? The CAPS are on purpose, so that the lecturer can see the questions better on his laptop screen.

Answer (I looked up afterward) and fed back to Nick.

The Great Lakes volume is 5,439 cubic miles
Glacial Lake Missoula volume is 503.8 cubic miles
The Great Lakes are the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total area, and second-largest by total volume, slightly less than the volume of Lake Baikal (5,666 Cubic miles)

3-21-20 Nick Zentner: #4 Ancient Rivers, Starts 7 minutes in

3-22-20 Nick Zentner: #5 Ellensburg Blue Agates, Starts 12 minutes in

UPCOMING NEXT WEEK:Here’s an hour lecture Nick did in 2017 you may wish to follow:

Ancient Rivers of the Pacific Northwest

When I first wrote this paragraph, it was before the Thursday lecture (#3-Ice Age Floods), when he announced he would continue for the weekend. I had written: I do not know at this point if Nick will continue past tonight, but it is helping him get ready for teaching his spring quarter courses, online, which they are required to do, instead of meeting on campus. The university has extended spring break to two weeks from one to give more time to the faculty members for course preparation in the new (for most) online format. Of course, that means they have to cancel their trip plans for spring break. Via e-mail, I have talked to some at CWU and some in other states.

My mammogram and bone density tests at the hospital were just cancelled. I was afraid that would happen. Worse than mine is my friend’s cochlear implant which was scheduled soon in Spokane, but has been cancelled. Several friends’ teeth cleanings have been cancelled. Many (all?) meetings are cancelled.

John called from Costco. They are wiping everything down and yes are out of TP (WHY?) and other cleaning things. He had to leave his car for 3 hours of work, and they gave him a loaner to drive, which he’s told you about below in his “Not So Nasty News” Friday column, so I shall omit the details here and send you down to his description. It’s worth a read. He brought home all the supplies he went for (plus a few more).

Friday, March 20

I called Sandy & Jolayne on their anniversary today!! a 17-minute wonderful visit to wish them a happy 60th anniversary. They are fine and in good health, just losing stamina, but aren’t we all!
They are in their upper 80s. Sandy (Sanford H. Bederman was my first geography professor in college in 1962, and responsible for my going to Cincinnati to graduate school, where I met John.
Also, Sandy and Jolayne were the organizers and travel leaders for a Geography of Europe Field Trip for 9 weeks, in the summer of 1965. My last activity at Georgia State. Graduate school in Cincinnati started that fall.

Another load of dishes soaked first in 11:55 a.m. soaking—need to get them into the dishwasher and put another load to soak in the sink.

Played games with the cats – Just got the cats out of the back jade plant room. 11:22, and took my Acetaminophen. Czar out front. Rascal currently in bedroom, but has eaten and drank and the window is open if he has to go out.

Other things accomplished: Loaded my medications for the week. Delivered to my neighbor Louaine the Medjool dates John got for her yesterday and picked up the money she owed me.

“The Medjool tree when loaded with dates” is worth a look. Search that in quotes and use “images” for a look.

For an afternoon snack, a couple of Reece’s peanut butter cups.

Pasta Pizza. In Nick Zentner’s lecture last night, he talked of the theory of a Pasta Pizza. To each her own, John says:Haley excited about her idea and making of a macaroni & cheese pizza.

24-minute call with sister Peggy from Ohio, calling to check on us. She and we are fine and everyone back there as well. She’d talked to Kit, at the AFB in CA, quarantined from The Grand Princess cruise ship.

Saturday, Mar 21

My chore while John was gone was to clean up the kitchen dishes and get them washed from the past couple of days. There was no room in the washer!

John off to town for horse feed; normal place he goes was out of one of the things needed, so he went across the street to Old Mill Country Store and we think got 80# bags or rolled grain for much cheaper; need to check. Both places were busy.

I wrote Nick Zentner and he responded about Thursday night’s livestream lecture.
No music at Briarwood today. Locked out by COVID-19.
3:16 p.m. now, after a 23-minute interesting call to geography instructor Elaine Glenn.

We finally opened a new 5 Terabyte External Drive for me to set up with my computer to back up and free up space on my C drive, which is nearing capacity. We bought it several months ago, but I have been too busy to get the job done. Getting the drive out of the excessive packaging was a knife and scissors chore. I’m not sure I could have ever done it. I found the cover we bought separately from Amazon at the time, and once found, the instructions came in 10 different languages. English worked for me. I now have it setup in the carrier, but still have to install it and back up the stuff on my computer.

Safeway had ground beef on sale, large package only. John made meatloaf for supper, served with mashed potatoes and the hardest canned pears we have ever tried to ingest. Maybe we will use them to cook in a pear cobbler dessert. Eating as a fruit on the side was somewhat like an unripe pear from a tree. We both had to cut the pear halves with a steak knife!

I watched tonight’s livestreaming of the Ancient Rivers lecture.

Sunday, Mar 22

Here are some follow-up videos to the Geology Story.

Nick & Tom Foster 2015 Glacial Lake Missoula Video

Ice Age Floods, Lake Missoula, Bonneville Flood and the Columbia River Basalts

You want to watch this before the Livestream lecture next week by Nick on Liberty Gold.

Liberty Gold and the Yellowstone Hotspot

I’m going to stop this now because you can reach ALL of Nick Zentner’s presentations at his personal website:

All Nick Zentner’s Materials at Your Fingertips

You learned above about the Gothard Sisters gift to their fans; a free concert on the web. I decided to donate ticket fares for two people to them in thanks for providing entertainment safe in our homes for a week after St. Patrick’s Day. The link to their concert is in this blog, and if you missed it, go up to Tuesday, 3/17. You can watch it free for a week, until Tuesday, 3/24, but I think I would be sure to do it by Monday (tomorrow). I have had several notes from people all over the U.S. that they enjoyed it. They heard about it from an email notice I sent.

Crazy afternoon. We had lunch and then called our cousin in PA who will be 102 tomorrow. Think of that. Born at the time of the 1918/19 “Spanish Flu.” Nice conversation. We called her after her afternoon nap, about 4:30 her time. She’d also had a call from Kit Hultquist who is looking forward to being released from the quarantine at the AFB on Tuesday. Ethel had a couple of new-to-us family stories, and we talked for ~27 minutes.

A new (new) story came from Kit, quarantined, and with food delivery. The delivery was supposed to be 2 bags. One was to be hot, burger and fries. One had the tomato and lettuce. The cold stuff was delivered, and the person left. She thought it strange, but ate the lettuce and tomato. Then, the person came back with the other bag. John thinks this is a good metaphor for the whole coronavirus mess.

A heavy load of clothes is washing. It is still running; took over an hour. New washers are strange things. They are slow and make funny noises. Now some of it is drying.

I figured out how to fix my Landline to unblock a previously wrongly blocked phone number I thought was a SCAMMER.. but was a friend.

I have been doing other chores trying to get ready to sit from 5:50 for over an hour watching Nick Zentner’s livestream lecture tonight. I missed the start and need to reload to be able to see that. I watched tonight’s livestreaming of the Ellensburg Blue Agates lecture.

Ending with a night shot by Evie Schuetz:The Milky Way taken over the Badger Pocket School of yester-year, by Evie. This old building was for sale when we came to the Valley. Someone has turned it into a house and home. We passed.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

The latest: Washington State has gone completely nuts
“ OLYMPIA, Wash. — All bars, entertainment and recreational facilities have been ordered by the state to close across Washington and restaurants will be limited to take-out or delivery orders only, . . . Retail outlets will have reduced occupancy. Retail outlets include gas stations, banks, hardware, stores and shopping centers. ”

Our weekend started with the COVID-19 issues and many announcements of closures locally and State-wide. For the sorts of places where I go, these seem sensible. Generally, though, we’re not sure massive multiple closures are good decisions. An emphasis on the elderly in senior living homes and those with compromised immune systems from medical reasons are the largest “at risk” group. Yet Washington (the State) has closed schools for 6 weeks and universities are going virtual (distance learning). Nevertheless, Central Washington University is having students stay here in the dorms and apartments.

The following link will take you to a week old story about how the Seattle area got to this mess:

Life Care Center of Kirkland, WA –hot bed of COVID-19 cases

Two-thirds of the deaths in the USA are from this part of Washington State.

Monday, Feb 9

I’m starting with two special moon photos, one from today (Monday) with comparison to one from Tuesday by the same photographer, Lise McGowan. I think the juxtaposition and closeness of the moon within a 24-hour period is amazing.Top: Mt. Rainier with Super Moon by Lise McGowan, from our valley. Lower: Same with changed proximity and sun on the mountain.

I stayed home today to deal with a multitude of issues.
I finished my letter about our donation of bikes we discussed and showed photographs of in last Saturday’s blog.

Back to virus issues. Sister-in-Law, Kit, was on the cruise ship Grand Princess, which was infected. We talked to her for 6 minutes until son David called. We got a little visiting in. She had a cloth napkin, but they used cardboard containers to deliver a nice chicken dinner, with mashed potatoes and good oriental salad. They are feeding them well in their rooms on the cruise ship quarantined at sea off the west coast. They have also forgiven their charges at the gift shop, and brought more things in to give to the passengers. She received a $10 necklace tonight. They are all eligible for a free cruise ship trip in the future, but Kit nor any of her family members want any part of that offer. We think a return of their fare in cash would be more appropriate.

I’m ending today, with a striking sunset this evening, taken by my friend, Sharon, from her home in Seattle, looking west at the Olympic Mountains, with the sun setting behind the “Brothers” – the two peaks.

Background from the web (Wikipedia): The Brothers are a pair of prominent peaks in the Olympic Mountains, located in the Pacific Northwest in Washington State on the boundary between the Olympic National Park and The Brothers Wilderness.
The south peak, rising to 6,842 feet, is 192 feet higher than the north peak, and are visible from west Seattle. In 1856, surveyor George Davidson named these mountains in honor of two brothers of Eillinor Fauntleroy, his future wife. He called the southern peak Mount Edward and the northern peak Mount Arthur. Sharon Jenson took this from her house at just the right moment.

Sharon is the bass guitar player in our Kittitas Valley Fiddlers & Friends group playing in assisted living facilities. She drives all the way over to be with us. This is quite a trek and often a white one in the winter, coming across Snoqualmie Pass through the Cascades. She occasionally takes a snow day off, but her dedication is amazing to us, and we love her presence in our group to keep us on the beat. However, all our admissions to the places are prohibited because of the COVID-19 issues. That may last through April.

Tuesday, Mar 10

More full moon shots early this morning by a different photographer.Worm Moon views from Ryegrass Hill east of Ellensburg, by Cindi Crawford Ackerlund

First thing today was my taking our voting ballots by the courthouse drop box. Washington State is almost a 100% mail or drop-box voting area.

From that stop, I went to a Senior Nutrition lunch for chicken & dumplings with carrots, fruit, and blueberry cheesecake pie, while concentrating on drinking lots of water for my blood draw.
I continued drinking my water through the Senior Advisory Commission meeting at the AAC (our City Senior Center) that began at 1:00 p.m. That meeting had a lot of discussion about precautions throughout the city and county for the COVID-19 issue. They have already started wiping with sanitizers all surfaces in the bathrooms, chairs, counters, etc., after every event (cards, exercise, coffee, computer room, & restrooms).

After that meeting, I went by the new Jackson St. KVH Medical Arts Center, named Kittitas Valley Healthcare after the original Valley Clinic adjacent to the hospital. It’s the one people recommended when I arrived in town in 1988. I called, then, about an appointment, and they wanted me to come in and pay $25 to have my medical records folder started there. I thought that was ridiculous, so I searched and found the Cle Elum Family Clinic (also part of the KVC Hospital) and started with Dr. Paul Schmitt. I remained with him until he retired a couple of years ago. He’d also accepted John as his patient.

My favorite phlebotomist, Kim, from the hospital lab has been transferred to the new KVC Medical Arts Center Lab. She was at lunch from noon to 1:00, so I waited until after my AAC meeting.

Cancellation of activities are increasing in our city and county. Our music group is cancelled from two assisted-living homes this and next week on Thursdays. More community events include: A field trip by the CWU Retirement Association members for a Brewery Tour of the CWU Craft Brewing Research Lab cancelled. The downtown St. Patrick’s Day celebration and a fundraiser for the FISH Food Bank.

I wrote Gloria Baldi asking about how we would be notified if they decided against having the Kittitas Audubon monthly meeting next Thursday night. She got back to me that today they cancelled it. Guess I was experiencing mental telepathy. Later tonight, the email came out to all the members.

Wednesday, Mar 11

Dropped off a winter hat we found in my mom’s stuff in the garage, to Carol for her grandson, as I drove by her house on Wilson Creek Road. I was on my way to play music at the FISH Food Bank Open Table lunch feed, Mon-Fri, at the Liberty Theater Annex. Six people came to entertain the folks today at the lunch, but it is now canceled for the immediate future. I carried along one of my protein drinks, but ended up having spaghetti sauce on noodles, some fruit, and a good dessert of cherry/pear cobbler. It was really quite tasty.

Today, however, we found out, beginning Monday, they will no longer have these lunches for the community, for Senior Nutrition or other community members. That means no music from us either. It’s likely to go to two months, although they will reevaluate in 2 weeks. However, by the end of this week, things have been canceled (all schools) until April 24.

While in town, I picked up 2 medication refills for John at Fred Meyer Pharmacy.
I went to the Pilot Dolorway station to fill up, paying the lowest price in town again (using a credit card, not cash), because we get 4% rebate on gasoline purchased anywhere on that Costco VISA card. Paid $2.659/gal.

It was a sunny day, but extremely cold and very windy (during the 3 hours I was out and about, the average wind speed was 30 mph and the gusts were 44 mph); hard to open doors, not be blown off course walking, and/or buffeted while driving north, with the winds blowing from the west. Our temperatures are going quite low this weekend, into the teens at night.

John’s been after me to show more of my own photos, so I shall add some today. On my way home, I took a few photos of interesting subjects.

This below is the closest to my home on Naneum Road, and this was the first time I have ever seen Bald Eagles sitting on the ground and not in a tree, maybe to get out of the wind. This was the second instance of seeing grounded eagles, driving north today. I stopped to take this photo (from my car). See below.On the left is a Bald Eagle being buffeted by the wind. My title is a Bad Hair Day. The right shows two eagles on the ground with cows and calves in the background. I thought the calving was over, but perhaps, they are still anticipating and looking for food. Views are toward the west.

Earlier, I was on several roads (Bender, Sanders, & Brickmill) getting home and will post some of those photos below.The Old Brick Mill (1879) for which the road is named, where it is.

Continuing with my photographs of barns:Top: Barn on Sanders Rd; Lower: Barn on Brickmill Rd

I left a message about the missing INR data on my records at KVC (taken Tuesday mid-day). No one knows why, but it won’t be posted on the data portal until Thursday morning at 4:57 a.m. (It made it there, finally). Lacey called me about my INR from yesterday. My INR was great (2.9)! I don’t have to go back for a month.

We no longer have to go play music on Thursdays at assisted-living homes. All are canceled (because of COVID-19) for the month of March and that probably will extend through April.

Thursday, Mar 12

About 3:30, we found some “throw-up” with a worm in it, probably a roundworm (because I assumed parasites and that was the closest to the images displayed online)–turns out it was an Earthworm! I had taken a photo, called the vet for an email to attach the photo to them, and we’re waiting for an appointment for Annie, after they showed the photo to the doctor. Dr. Dan called to say what it was. Annie digs for voles and probably that’s how she ingested the earthworm.

She also needs her nails trimmed, so it could have been a multi-purpose trip for John to deliver her. We found out about 4:30, it was not a parasite, so we’ll wait for a nail trimming appointment. (We didn’t, because we awoke to 5” of snow). Her nails have needed to be done for some time, and John has loaded a crate in his car to transport her in. Maybe Monday.

Friday, Mar 13

Five inches of snow meant a lot of time for John brushing paths around the house, to the hay barn, and to the corral to feed the animals.

I’m sending the following via email out to folks I know but posting it here in our blog for further reach to others who read the blog and may know of people’s emails I do not have in my reach.

Mis-information about coronavirus on web exists; be careful when browsing.
ALERT to those with Smart phones allowing download Aps. If you are following the web about information mapped by country of the COVID-19 details of the spread, via confirmed cases, or deaths, do NOT download & install any software to view it (via aps or anything needed to allow your computer to view). No software needs to be down-loaded to see the data!!

The best safe website is John Hopkins University & Medicine–CORONAVIRUS RESEARCH CENTER. Below is a map 3/13/20 that I captured to show the information presented, and you can find this by following the link:

John Hopkins Univ. & Medicine–Coronavirus Research Center

I retrieved this map Friday 13, 2020 but now it’s been changed on the next image by adding a link at the top for FAQ information. That decreases the amount of room to display more countries for comparison. John doesn’t care for this site, but he is a curmudgeon.Above is the newest map (retrieved 3-15-20) no longer shows data across the Atlantic Ocean with the increase in size of circles. You need to zoom in (with the + sign lower right of the map to get details and you’ll see from looking at the Pacific NW, that the data are no longer very readable. For this map above, I zoomed into the United States and part of southern Canada.
I’m sorry I sent out the link on Friday, because it’s now difficult to interpret 2 days later, except to see the confirmed cases are rapidly increasing, which everyone already knows.
The other problem is that the continent outlines don’t show up well on the initial map (until you zoom in to see the Conterminous United States). Note also, these data are changing rapidly, and the accuracy from countries around the world is questionable.

I’m going to leave this map discussion now, by showing one other map published 3-13-20 by the New York Times for the U.S. It is probably closer in accuracy (at least on Friday), to what was known, than the world map.
We’re not leaving our house today.
I managed to renew magazine subscriptions to Smithsonian until 2022, Natural History until 2021, and Discover until 2022 (check on this in a couple weeks), and put all into my magazines records folders. We have cut back on several subscriptions this year.

Regarding “Time Shares” that we once enjoyed: Today, I made contact with Stoneridge Resort in Blanchard, ID and Pend Oreille Shores Resort in Hope, ID, about signing our Deeds of property back to the resort. We no longer use these, and haven’t been able to for many years. We have also been storing unused weeks in a “space-bank” to allow trades and usage by friends. We had been sharing with many folks, but now they have slowed their travels as well. John adds that we will no longer own out-of-state property. Such things complicate estate issues. The financial burden was not overly burdensome, still it will be nice to not have to deal with these. The current ones we have spaced banked have had their maintenance agreements paid, so we will still have access to give some away. If you are reading this and can travel before May 31, 2020 and have a place to go for a week (costs to make the transfer of ownership for the week to you are ~$400 for a condo anyplace in the world!

I’m going to take a break, soak some dishes and eat a Reece’s Peanut Butter Cup.

Messages keep coming in. Today all our city activities have been suspended: includes the senior center (Adult Activity Center) and the City of Ellensburg Library. Now all the places I regularly attend are no longer in operation. With my age and health – that’s good. Also sad.

John worked a lot in the living room sorting and cleaning boxes of stuff. I need to go sort through a couple plastic bins of clothes, to separate all my seasonal stuff such as Christmas and Irish for March; none now needed – At least the St. Patrick Day green things. There’s also plenty of stuff in the washroom to clean up and sort out. More boxes to go through throughout the house and then the outbuildings. Receipts to file. The list goes on. I’m slowly getting all the upcoming bills paid, and thankfully most are already on automatic payments each month (medical/dental insurance), or some yearly, such as property taxes, car insurance, and long-term care insurance.

Saturday, Mar 14

No new snow this morning. Sun is shining.

I just started a folder in my Documents, named COVID-19 Keepers, and added a good perspective from an American in Milan, Italy received this morning from a high school friend I’m still in touch with. I spent time on Facebook this morning reading about local reactions, closures of the university, economic impacts on the community, plus mental anguish by lack of social contact, and decided I would not spend time there, and only respond to emails directly to me. I need to spend my time at home more fruitfully and organize, clean, and toss.

I called COSTCO in Union Gap to see if John could cash my rewards coupon in the Wenatchee, WA. YES! But, it is 60 miles out of his way, and there is nothing there we absolutely need, so he will not go. The idea was to go for a day of pruning at Mariposa Vineyard, and to deliver boxes of books, magazines, and other found items regarding wine to Cameron.

Amazon wanted a password – surprise! First guess wrong. Second guess was correct. John bought some collection bags for our Kenmore Vacuum canister, plus replaced a missing nozzle brush. Now the problem is the size & shape of the fine-particle filter. Seems not to be available.

Now we have snow again, big flakes, and John is napping, but we don’t have as much as yesterday when we got 5”.

I managed to wash a load of dishes, and we each had different kinds of soup for lunch, with added chicken breast meat. Mine was Chicken Noodle soup and Johns was a Progresso Lasagna soup.

John awoke from his nap, and put up the leftover soups. Now he’s fixing a piece of pecan pie (in honor of Pi day). I managed to find a special pretty large birthday card to fill out and send in plenty of time to reach our cousin, Ethel, by March 23, in Pennsylvania for her 102nd birthday celebration! It’s a big card with a cute kitten on the front, and plenty of room to write a large 102 on the inside of the card. She has macular degeneration and difficulty seeing well. But, her mind is sharp as a tack! And her health is good. We’d say she has good genes, and daughter and son-in-law to visit her.

This announcement came via email today. I am sharing with you to enjoy, especially because our own Community St. Patrick’s Day Celebration in Ellensburg, WA was canceled. Many of us have attended, and several musicians I play with were to be involved this year. Gothard Sisters St. Patrick’s Day Video–FREE on their website

We had a good 12-minute conversation with Kit at Travis AFB. She has 10 more days there. She has a large room like a motel room with TV, microwave, and kitchen, and food is delivered to the door by people in hazmat suits, masks, and gloves. When the “passengers” go out for fresh air (and she can visit friends), they have to wear masks. I did ask if it was a special mask, known as an N95 respirator, and I think she said no, it was just a plain mask. The respirator is thicker than a surgical mask. The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) does not recommend the N95 respirator masks for public use, at least not at this point. They need to be reserved for medical workers with COVID-19 patients, as those masks can protect against the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). Those were distributed freely in Ellensburg during our wildfires that got so close twice a few years ago.

Sunday, Mar 15

This morning I asked someone in the know if the CWU dorms were being closed, as I hear they are in universities in California. The answer for us here is: “They are keeping the dorms open. I’m guessing they will have protocols for students in the dorms, but we know nothing yet.” I’m happy to hear that, because there are many international students as well as those away from home by a significant distance. Where would they go?

Here is another related story from a person in Oxford, OH at Miami University. I had connections there in the 1960s with my computer mapping projects, via a new professor at Georgia State University who came from there to Atlanta, GA, where I was teaching, 1967-69. Here is the comment regarding COVID-19 closures: “All restaurants and pubs in Oxford and in the State of Ohio ordered by governor to close at 9 tonight. Carry out or delivery only!”

I learned of a new HOAX and Fake news report yesterday, which became rampant 3 days ago, mostly on social media. Saturday, 3/14/20 at 3:00 p.m. we received our first message, with exactly the same wording from a person we’ve known since the 1970s. I searched the web on the first sentence: (“This info is from my friend that works for CDC that passed this along to his family and friends.”)

The following link came up at the top of the list:

Hoax & Fake News: Self-Check for Coronavirus (my words)

We have done our morning chores; the sun is shining, and we have been concentrating on a letter to send to our Professor friend from our days in the 60s at the University of Cincinnati graduate program in Geography, Bruce Ryan. He lives in Australia, and was planning a trip to the United States to attend the college graduation ceremony of his grandson, in early May, and to coordinate visits with other friends and relatives across North America. We are on his list to meet him in Seattle during the time he is there May 21, 22, and 23 to have lunch and a visit with his granddaughter, a student at the University of Washington. With all the COVID-19 restrictions on travel worldwide, it sounds unlikely he will even be allowed to leave Australia. They have just announced a 2-week quarantine for getting back in, so that’s not going to help.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Monday, Mar 2

Let’s start this week by meeting Lawrence through the new lens of Evie Schuetz.Lawrence, the llama, from Fairview Rd in our Kittitas Valley, a close-up by Evie Scheutz through her new lens allowing intimate encounters with animals.

I had to do lots of things around town today. Started at the FISH Food Bank lunch, visiting with folks and enjoying an interesting lunch: Chicken/cheese/carrot/spaghetti casserole (very good), peaches, slaw, juice, and chocolate fudge cookie. From there I went to Safeway for one of my medications, and while there bought us some ground beef on sale for our supper. On down the street to the Ellensburg Library, where I donated a book, Birding in Washington. They gratefully accepted it to add it to their collection. That is the building our Kittitas Audubon Society meetings are held each month, supported by the library. On to the AAC (Senior Center), with more rice (5#) to be used in making Easter bunnies as you saw in last week’s blog. Also, I donated a magazine with a lead story about the Tulip Festival in Mt. Vernon, WA, to which the center is taking a busload of members. On the road over (~160 miles) this can be passed around to help pass the time.

I went by the lab at KVH (hospital) for an INR blood draw. It was high 3.2, so I did not take Coumadin tonight nor will I tomorrow, because of Amoxicillin I’m taking tomorrow at 12:30, before my 1:30 p.m. dentist appointment. Antibiotics raise it. I should have eaten more slaw today, which might have lowered it! After the lab work (and picking up a nice small spray bottle the size of a very large pen, to sanitize my hands and door knobs), I went a block down to Briarwood to deliver NIKE padded flip flops to Kris in Bldg 10 (next door to my friend, Pennie). Checked on Pennie’s health while there. We had a nice visit.

Called Deborah tonight about the Harley Davidson boots and will drop them off tomorrow on my way to the dentist for her to try. They worked for her, so that is good.

Tuesday, Mar 3

I have to remember Amoxicillin at 12:30 for dental appointment and also pain pills. They get me into a position that works for them but my neck, back, and left shoulder don’t find it so. Took my shower.

I took a coffee table book about Mexican Gardens, Landscapes & Mexican Soul to donate to our dentist’s office’s waiting room. Here’s an image, prettier than the one below of my two front teeth crown replacements:Front and back covers of the rather large book.

John found we had 3 books from this publisher – artistic photography – and we have no recollection of whence or from where they came.

Now my reason for being there was to prep the crowns on my front two teeth (whiter than the rest) with a chip out of one. These were the teeth injured in a rafting accident when I went through rapids and the head of the raft and the front end reached up and hit me with a metal bar, breaking my teeth. Back then in 1978, I was fitted with two porcelain crowns. It’s quite amazing they lasted so many years.Top with the chip is now replaced with a temporary taken from the way it was before the chip came out. Bottom two are choosing the shade of the replacement on the new crowns to be seated on March 18.

Dental insurance will cover part of the cost of both, but I have paid via credit card, $875, for my new front teeth. And its not even Christmas.

from Wikipedia about the song

Wednesday, Mar 4

Asked for different top on my meds at Super 1. Do not want push down and turn. I want the flip up top or unscrew. (NON CHILD PROOF) form will be in my records next refill to sign. Dawn’s checking on John’s as well.

Went to FISH Food Bank, and we had 7 people there to entertain the lunch crowd with music from 11:30 till 12:10 p.m.

Took some photos on the trip home, and ran into County Property assessor (comes every 6 years) talking with John when I arrived. John was able to ask about building permits on the upcoming planned reconstruction. (I think the fact that we are remodeling an existing structure should not be considered a new “building”, yet we realize a building permit must be secured.) John went in later this week, and it is sadly more involved than that. I cannot begin to explain the stipulations and requirements we are going to have to go through.

I need to get ready for Thursday music at the Rehab tomorrow, where we’ll be starting our first playing of March/April music. Don’t need to charge the battery in the mic for Rita to sing because she cannot come tomorrow.

Look what I found by accident today from a post last year about The Ellensburg Song (2-25-19), a song for our local community:

The Ellensburg Song

Some history on the song, taken from comment on the YouTube published version.

The Ellensburg Song. Written by Rod Goosman, arranged by Don Clausen, Performed by the Fourth Grade All-Stars with soloist Jenise Clausen. Originally recorded in 1987. This illustrated version of the song was created and produced by Home Video Studio-Ellensburg at the request of Mr. Goosman.

Twelve 4th grade students (1987) were the voices in the choir singing The Ellensburg Song — the twelve selected were from the three elementary schools.

Don Clausen says: This was a fun project, funded through a grant. Being a music teacher in the city, I used this as a “teaching moment” at Washington Elementary as an example of “home grown, home written” music, which we’re ALL capable of doing. As this emerged via the grant monies, I used my “tech gear” to sequence the tracks and hired local sensation Garey Williams to lay down the drum. We then rented the hall at Hertz and bussed in all 4th graders to sing the song while Sam Albright from Creative Fire Recording came in and taped it. Finally, through an audition process each music teacher selected 4 “all stars” to meet, rehearse and record the final with Jenise Clausen on lead vocal in the studio. As a reward to all 4th graders, they received a copy of the massed choir version and the final “all star” copy on the reverse. We all were pretty proud, especially Rod Goosman!

Thursday, Mar 5

We played music today at Rehab facility – 10 came: Gerald, Charlie, Evie, Nancy, Sharon, Charlotte, Dean, Marilyn & Maury, Amy.

Afterwards, I drove down to the DOL office and picked up the new auto tab for the Crosstrek. A site that used to be a Drive-in Theater now has a real movie place, and a south side annex for State license things. Easy parking and nice folks inside, plus the money spent there and not at the office at the Courthouse, stays in the county and does not go toward Ferries on the west side.

Friday, Mar 6

This came out today on the Cliff Mass Weather blog about bird migrations and is worth following. Cliff is a University of Washington professor (meteorology) in the Atmospheric Science division.

Weather Radar Shows Spring Bird Migration

Here’s another great shot taken in the Amazon Forest (someone passed to me on Facebook). This is from Our Earth. The Menelaus blue morpho is one of thirty species of butterfly in the subfamily Morphinae. Its wingspan is approximately 12 cm (4.5 inches), and its dorsal forewings and hindwings are a bright, iridescent blue edged with black, while the ventral surfaces are brown.

Not so good news about a member of our family (John’s brother’s wife), who is on The Grand Princess {2,422 guests and 1,111 crew members, with 54 nationalities} quarantined off San Francisco. Here is an early link (much has changed in a few days); now they are planning to relocate the passengers in the U.S. and Canada at Air Force Bases:

Cruise Ship Off Calif. Tested positive for Covid-19

She is fine, but this is not going to be a fun 2 weeks.

I left home for the AAC (our Senior Center) for a lunch event and with it to play a game of Wheel of Fortune. We had a great time.

You’ll have some photos of our “party” in a Google Photos link below, along with another story I put in below here, about a photo I took on my way home.

Lunch and then a game of Wheel of Fortune & pix of Irish Things

AAC Wheel of Fortune Event, 3-6-20

On my way home, I stopped and took a photo I have been meaning to take for a long time:This is an old loose hay stacker from long ago in our Kittitas Valley – Found on the Kittitas Hwy, just up from Bull Road, and on the Bull Family farm.

The first is not a video but a story. I hope you can read it.

Antique Hay Stacker in Iowa story (with Tractor)

Here is a video and there are more on line, if you search.

Video with a newer version stacker & Clydesdale horses

Saturday, Mar 7

This is the first Saturday of the month, and we planned to go by the IOOF cemetery to deliver and talk to them about bicycles (open 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.). John loaded up our three very old bicycles, but still in good condition, to deliver to the Repair Café at the IOOF cemetery work building.

However, we were wrong – no one was there. I have now checked and it is the second Saturday of the month. Oh, well, we found a maintenance man on the premises, and he had keys to the building and helped us move the bicycles from our truck inside. I will see about notifying the people that are in charge.

Tires are flat and at least 30 years old. Otherwise they are in good shape, never having been left out.

These were taken inside the Repair shop building

While in town we went for gasoline for the lawn implements and chainsaw (non-Ethanol gasoline) available at Midstate Coop. Then we took the truck out to the new Pilot station on Dolorway with another tank for regular unleaded gasoline for the old 1980 Chevy pickup truck that is no longer invited into to town. Filled the Ford pickup while there, for $2.659/gal, significantly less than the price/gal in the city. This place is on the west edge of town at the west interchange of I-90. While there, I carried a pair of flip flops inside to donate to the place. I believe I mentioned last week they provide shower facilities for travelers, and provide soap, shampoo, and towels. I talked to the manager about bringing them by and donating. They were happy to get them. I came home to clean more in our back bedroom, and found another pair, so the next time out for gasoline there, I’ll take them.

After the Pilot station it was almost noon, and I had had no breakfast, so we decided to go by Burger King for our lunch, and call from there. When we tried, we could not reach her. We await a call in the morning by relatives in PA. They might have luck. Not much to do on a quarantined ship except eat, sleep, and use the phone. We left a message and gave her our landline number. I should have just called her when I got home, so she had the number in her phone and could reply.

Today was an all types of weather day with sunshine, snow, rain, and clouds, but not much wind, for a change.
The sun came out again, but John decided to stay in the house sorting and cleaning in the garage and living room (while the light is coming in the west side windows). The garage is chilly.

Sunday, Mar 8

Lise McGowan’s photo with her explanation below:

Super Worm Moon over Kittitas Valley is actually at its fullest mid-day March 9th. Farmer’s Almanac: The most common name for March’s full Moon is the Full Worm Moon. At this time of the year, the ground begins to soften enough for earthworm casts to reappear, inviting robins and other birds to feed—a true sign of spring. Roots start to push their way up through the soil, and the Earth experiences a re-birth as it awakens from its winter slumber.

There are many alternative names for the March Moon. One such name was the Full Sap Moon, as this is the time of year when the sap of sugar maples starts to flow. Other names included the Crow Moon and the Lenten Moon.

When one of our animals wanted out last night, I noted the bright moonlit night, because we had no outside lights.

The last comment above regarding the moon’s relationship to the sap of Sugar Maple trees got my attention from a comment this morning from our sister Peggy back in Ohio who drove from Parma, about 40 miles, to visit a festival in Burton, OH today for maple syrup time. Pancake and sausage breakfasts with pure Ohio maple syrup. They were charging $9.00 a pint for syrup. Trees are tapped with buckets but some had plastic bags. I had not seen that before. Peggy’s comment had me searching for more content about the plastic, and here’s what I found. The first below is only an intro to the places to visit.

Northeast Ohio Tourism with Maple Syrup Industry

Some interesting videos: (again, more on line if you search)

Plastic tubing video 2015 – closer view of tube tapping

5 Tap Beginners Tubing Kit Installation – Roth Sugar Bush – Maple Equipment – Maple Syrup 2016

We had a call from Kit Hultquist from the quarantined cruise ship. I talked for only a minute because I wanted to have John in the house so we could have a 3-way conversation. When he comes in, I’ll call her back and she can reconnect with us. We never got reconnected tonight, sadly.

I just walked to the front of the house because I heard noises I couldn’t explain. It was John loading rocks into the back of the old Chevy truck. A few are specimens from far flung places. Most are rounded basalt, some with significant Lichen growth. He expects to use some of these in the new front landscape.
The sun is shining and the temperature is 50°.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Item #1: SCAPPOOSE

Never heard of Scappose, Oregon? Me neither.
The name “Scappoose” is of Native American origin, and is said to mean “gravelly plain.” This apparently refers to sediments along the edge of the Columbia River about 20 miles north of Portland.
So Scappose made the news because of a traffic accident that was filmed by a “dash-cam” pointing out the back of a pickup truck.
Is this a “dash” camera?
It is safe for viewing, although folks get injured, you won’t see that.

The driver of the pickup saw the errant auto approaching and moved to the side of the road. The head-on crash happens behind him.
The other interesting thing is that if the following auto – the one hit, not the hitee – had stayed in the lane or moved left into the passing lane the impact would have been avoided.

Next, I found the photo above on the Wikipedia site.
The picture has 2 cameras pointing forward with different zoom of the scene. But what is the 3rd thing on the lower left?

Item #2: from Tacoma

An unoccupied storage building and a pickup truck collide. There was no information on the driver or the reason. The truck needed assistance getting out while others were determining how to save the damaged building.

Item #3: Flu mask fashion

Or just stay home. Photo is from 1919 in New South Wales at the time of the “Spanish flu” – although Spain was not the source, many there called it the French Flu. Others say it started in Kansas. The major troop staging and hospital camp in Étaples in France was identified (1999) by British researchers as being at the center of the Spanish flu.

Item #4: Be my guest

A lot of strange things are done in Ohio.

Bride, brother, and brother’s guest. The llama, Shocky, was not allowed inside the venue.
LINK

Item #5: Also about guests

Officials are working to bring the guests and crew of the 951-foot Grand Princess to a non-commercial port. Sister-in-law Kit is on that ship and has made contact with sister Peggy in Ohio. We’ll call from the car while in town on Saturday.
Perhaps when Nancy is ready with her weekly summary on Sunday evening we will know a lot more.

And that, for this week, is the not so nasty news.
John

I encourage you to go back to last week’s blog to Feb 19 to read the paragraph before this link, so you can find the moving tribute I wrote about the Truck Driver’s Friend, which was one of Eric Johnson’s Heroes videos that appeared 6 months ago on the KOMOnews site. Directions are there for finding it once you are in this all-stories site, below:

ALL of Eric Johnson’s – Eric’s Heroes Stories

Another belated photograph I missed posting is this by Lise McGowan last Friday, Feb 21! So, I will start this week with this gorgeous scene posted from their skiing trip to White Pass:Rainier from the southeast. While speaking of skiing, skip down to Thursday to see another skiing related picture of Rainier from the northeast.

Monday, Feb 24

Been working all day on household and other planning chores. Because of the cold temperatures and wind, John has primarily been working in the house, cleaning up. I filed some income tax receipts but have a bunch more to go. Called the dentist for an interpretation of my upcoming dental crown (front teeth) work. Handled some packaging of things to leave around town various places. Deliver my softball glove. Deliver some coffee mugs & another thing to Geography. Deliver some rice to the AAC center for pickup (that story will appear tomorrow).

Called about our property taxes for the year, and they are all set to be done at half year segments (April & Oct) from our bank account (no service charge). Will arrange tomorrow for 2003 Ford Truck license tabs. Need to get some greeting cards in the USPS post office tomorrow to ship to friends on the west side—for anniversary celebration, get well, and birthday wishes as well (for both).

Loaded all the dirty dishes but still have space for more tonight. John took down a large tarp over a window (too much sun) on the west side of our living room. He’s been going through boxes in there today.

Got my dental appointments to crown my two front teeth and a dozen Amoxicillin sent down to Super 1 Pharmacy. My appointments are Mar 3 and Mar 18.

Tuesday, Feb 25

I have spent incredible time (well over an hour) since arriving home from town after 3:00 trying to change the credit card on my Consumer Cellular auto payment on AMEX credit card. This is crazy. Short version of all the danged things thrown at me just wanting to talk to an agent at the # given, with offers for cruises, flights, medic alert necklaces. Finally, I called a different number and then had a 15-minute wait for an agent. I have done nothing wrong, it’s the fault of the AMEX company for continuing to accept the auto renewal on an old card expiring 3/20, they’ve been using for 3 yrs – of which we were unaware. Supposedly, it now has been corrected.

Did a ton of stuff today including going by the Ellensburg Community Clothing Center to donate several bags of clothing and a bag of shoes. While there I visited with the helpers, and looked around, knowing I did not need to bring anything back to our house. Still, I found a nice heavy shirt for John and an insulated vest, for being out working in the cold wind. After finishing there, I went by the Senior Luncheon program at FISH for lunch. It was a nice “homemade” meatloaf with mashed potatoes and carrots. I enjoyed the lunch.

Took 15# long-grained rice by AAC to leave for a lady from a crafter’s guild at the St. Andrew’s Catholic Church to make into bunnies (holding rice) for their Easter sale. (see photos below). The rice came from a forgotten storage. We did steam 3 cups and it seemed fine, just 13 years old – and we have newer.Rice-bottomed rabbits for crafts spring show at St. Andrew’s.

On by Bi-Mart to check numbers, winning nothing but resupplying Fisherman’s Friends cough drops.

Wednesday, Feb 26

An Albino Bald Eagle from Keith Simpson of Halfmoon, New York. These were taken out his back door! Halfmoon is north of Albany, and NE of Schenectady, NY. Albino Bald Eagle, by Keith Simpson (permission ok)

Played music at FISH food bank lunch. I ate a little of the spaghetti sauce on noodles, and a bit of chicken fettuccine {little ribbons}, a couple forks of slaw (I’m not supposed to eat cabbage), some fruit, and packed a tiny piece of peach cobbler to bring home, which we shared for dessert with a piece of chocolate cake.

I went by lady’s home to whom I gave a bicycle helmet. She gave me ½ dozen clips. Does anyone recognize these and what they’re meant to be used for? If so, please tell me! Clips are in the middle, others in bag, with Idaho memories. We have many connections to Wallace, ID in our past.

Another incredibly involved day. Delivered box of Macrame’ items to my friend’s front yard; went by CWU with coffee mugs and new large mailing envelopes to add to office supplies, plus a box of plastic name tag holders for conferences (ID for persons attending). Came home and took photos of our bicycles.

Thursday, Feb 27

Our day to play music at Hearthstone today; meet people at 1:30 p.m. to hand-off things found in our garage needing new homes: Set of Poker Chips & two card decks in a container; Mexican Sombrero hat, dog food pans and a leash.

We had a good turnout of 11 instrumental players – and a very appreciative and involved audience. Our audience sang along and given treats of carrot cake with icing, tea or coffee. When done, we stayed and visited with the residents and among ourselves. Charlotte, Sharon, and I stayed the longest, enjoying our cake (their coffee), and my coffee mocha (hot chocolate added to my coffee cup!). We visited about a lot of things, one of which what Sharon’s husband’s skiing trip recently to Utah, and another to Crystal Mountain in WA, for a beautiful view of Mt. Rainier, and the White River. John has been on many WTA trail maintenance trips to the White River area to repair damage from snowmelt that takes out bridges and trails. Sharon sent me this photo for John, knowing Mt. Rainier is one of his favorite places.Mt. Rainier & White River photograph by Jack Jensen.

The White River entrance, unseen, is 3/10ths of a mile to the left of the island. The road to Sunrise is on the right side of the river in this view.

Friday, Feb 28

Evie’s new lens: A Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-f/6.3 G OSS:With which she took these today.

Noble pair of Bald Eagles photographed by Evie Schuetz, 2-28-20

Flight Takeoff & another perched in tree, by Evie Schuetz.

Here were my photos today.
My valley photos-Mallards on pond; hay for cows; rickety barn remains on No. 81 Rd.

Saturday, Feb 29

John was up early and couldn’t get back to sleep; now after all morning chores in the wind, he fixed brunch and is napping. He’s been working on the house and outbuilding cleanup. He is also preparing to have a gravel road circle around the house. The “Firewise” planning project encourages easy access and lots of non-fuel area. An old-old camper {last used in 1994} was in the path and did not load easily, but it is now moved.

I’m trying to help with getting a few things re-homed. Many more items are now (temporally) under the hay shed.

Today, went to the 2:00 p.m. matinee at Morgan Middle School Performing Arts Center for the “State Fair” musical [Link to history]. I know Beckett, (played the paper boy), who invited me personally. Beck borrowed my ¾ size violin and converted it to a viola to use in the school orchestra.

Here is the flyer advertising the musical shows. Today was the last day.

Although I took my camera, any videos or photos were not allowed. It was an excellent performance put on by the Ellensburg High School students. Amazing their singing and acting abilities. The play consisted of two acts and intermission with Midway opportunities to enjoy. I saw many friends there.

John stayed home to handle marking and brush cutting for a new road around our house for forest fire protection. The current driveway is a straight in-out affair, and fire fighters want a 2nd outlet with road surface and turns sufficient for a pumper truck.

Evie Schuetz captured some fantastic photos of Golden and Bald Eagles just a mile down Naneum Rd from our house, at 9:00 a.m. this morning, using her new lens. I think you’ll agree these photos of eagles fighting over sharing breakfast of placenta from new born calves are detailed delights.

2 Bald eagles sharing, rt Goldens coming in for theirs & newborn calf in the background of that picture. Both by Evie Schuetz, 2-29

Golden Eagle flying in for the fight with a Bald Eagle, by Evie Schuetz.

Nice contrast on ground & tree; photos by Evie Schuetz, 2-29-20

Mine that I took on the way back home from the musical do not compare to Evie’s, taken 8 hours earlier down Naneum Rd, only a mile down Naneum from my angry clouds, just north of Thomas Rd and own house less than ½ mile from Thomas. So close, yet so far away. Mine are more landscape and skyscape photos. I’m happy except not with my attempts at close-ups of eagles in trees.

First, happy clouds & then cattle Rader Rd; and finally angry clouds on Naneum Rd north of Thomas Rd. Followed by a pastel sunset. Despite the “angry” clouds the weather has been good for the herds and the babies. Just a bit cold in the mornings.

I set up gifts to a friend for her new grandbaby born a month ago. Gave slippers on Free Givers of Kittitas County and NIKE padded flip flops on EBRG ISO & Free. Offered water/wine glasses on both above sites (but no takers yet). We acquired a whole bunch when offering the summer wine class.

Sunday, Mar 1

Multiple activities today: mostly working on the blog, but also on dishes, tax receipt filing, organizing photos, paying bills, setting up medication pick up tomorrow, giving away things on free sites and finalizing delivery of several things tomorrow when I must go to town for my monthly INR. I took care of a few emails (personal and the Geography jobs list and the Earth Science weekly send).

John dismantled old composting pits – wood pallets enclosing a space. Except for prunings from Raspberry bushes and a few like things, the pits have only had the wood to work on. A fine mess.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Monday, Feb 17

Morning start, a beautiful view of the Stuart Range from the I-82 rest area on Manastash Ridge.This lovely photo was taken this morning by Evie Schuetz

Up early to leave after >5” new blowing snow to meet my friend Glenn at Briarwood to go to Yakima. Our mission for the trip was to return expensive items his mom bought and never used, from Costco and Lowe’s. We had a very busy and tiring day, but accomplished a ton. Returned $500 worth of stuff total of both places. Cash at Costco was nice; gift card at Lowe’s was better than nothing (first reaction by employee because of having no receipts). I asked to speak to the store manager to explain the situation.

I was up too late last night finishing up the blog. Our return trip on I-82 this afternoon gave us the view Evie photographed, but with different lighting.

Before meeting Glenn, I tried to arrange with my dentist for an upcoming appointment and an interpretation of the dental insurance paperwork I received about what the dental insurance planned to contribute to on the two new front teeth crowns. It made very little sense to me. Office did not return my call. Surprised they would be taking off President’s Day. (They called me the next day; just very busy in the office.)
I was so tired when I returned that I only took care of a few things, and had to lie down for a nap. The nap went to almost 3 hours.

John stayed home and moved snow off where he doesn’t want slush or wet/soft spots in the driveway. And he continued cleaning out the “stuff.”

He went to bed early; I didn’t get there as soon as planned. I did finish the details for records and sent to my friend Glenn, and stored in my folder for him. I still owe him some comments about our conversations on the trip down and back.

Did accomplish washing a dishwasher load tonight.

Tuesday, Feb 18

Top photo is another by Evie Schuetz of Guye Peak on Snoqualmie Pass. The bottom one is a “street view” panorama 360° from the top of Guye Peak, viewable in Google Earth Pro (free software everyone should have on their computer).

To get the bottom view around:

Guye Peak Photosphere via Google Earth

Michael Gunn explained this to me about those views (as above):

“There’s a few Photosphere views around there and everywhere else. Just hover the Street View man over the area and look for the dots. Those are Photospheres.”

I put out more offers of free stuff, and delivered dog feeding pans. Delivered 6 yellow plastic cups and 2 tumblers to another person who provided smaller sized clothes to me in 2017 when I lost weight.

Checked our numbers at Bi-Mart, won nothing but met a woman who arrived in town the same year as I (1988) and has a number starting with 184 as I do. Checked on 4 step stools with wooden tops, but they were no longer available in the store. So sad. We should have bought one when we saw it a couple weeks ago.
Do more ads for free give-aways. I did the Cuisinart pans on the Buy Nothing East Ellensburg site and have a taker.
Delivered the bicycle helmet to the gal today south of Helena, and visited with her and her neighbor Mike (a geology student atCWU back in 1990, who worked with Bentley, and knows Nick Zentner.) It’s really quite a small world.

Wednesday, Feb 19

Today, I was busy in the morning, and left for the food bank music about 10:45. Beautiful sunny (but very cold) day today. Not windy, thankfully. John stayed home sort and move stuff out of the house. Much of that is labeled “dump.” He was just finishing eating a late lunch when I arrived home. He’s out working again, but will be coming in soon to get ready to drive to town for a hiking trail meeting. We’ll go pick up some Burger King specials for our supper, and eat before the meeting starts. I’m not videotaping anything tonight. The meeting is about the
Manastash Ridge Trails involving community members and two State Agencies. John, as a volunteer, worked 4 days last spring. WTA will oversee 6 days this year. John does not get involved with the planning, but this was an informational meeting. We saw many long-time friends there. Trail work will be at the end of April and first week in May. We left home at 5:40 p.m., went by BK for a Whopper for John and a Crispy chicken for me, took our Pepsi, and went early for a front row seat.

We didn’t get home until 9:20 p.m. to 2 outside hungry cats, and two cats and a dog inside the house, needing out. Tried to catch up on a few emails, and set up the plans for chair count for playing music tomorrow at an assisted living home, Pacifica Senior Living.

I missed seeing a message from a newly made Facebook friend this year, Sid Peterson until Saturday, when I was checking messages for another reason, and found this:

From Wednesday, 10:42 p.m., on messenger through Facebook, for private messages:

Nancy, I saw your post about your old softball glove and would love to have it. I collect old gloves baseball and softball. My cousin who is a sports camera man for KOMO 4 in Seattle is teaching me how to refurbish and recondition old gloves. He is the camera guy for Eric’s little heroes. (Love that show). If you haven’t found a home for the glove I would love it. Cheers

Continuing with the story I had not heard of the “show” Eric’s little heroes, so I looked it up on my Facebook account and found this tear-jerker. I have to go back and look at the others, now that I’ve been made aware of them.

Warning, this below is only available to Facebook users:

Eric’s little hero’s story: The Truck Driver’s Friend

Updating my comment Sunday night—I have been able to reach Sid Peterson for Eric Johnson’s actual KOMO video link so I don’t have to go through Facebook for those of my blog readers who do not have a Facebook account.

Here is that link, but you will have to search for The Truck Driver’s Friend. This below goes to all Eric’s Stories through a KOMOnews site. Look at MORE ERIC’S HEROES, and then down to the OLDER ones on the site for this one, 6 months ago: Eric’s Heroes: Boy with autism forms a special bond with Safeway driver. That’s the first one I watched on Facebook, which got me hooked.

ALL of Eric Johnson’s — Eric’s Heroes’ Stories

Here’s the photo of my old softball glove from grade school days through high school competitions.Nancy’s glove used mostly for being a pitcher (fast ball); I’ve now found a fantastic home for it where I can keep track of its restoration and story. Note: update 2-25-20, after delivering my glove to Sid. His comment was: “It’s in great shape and is awesome.” That made my day.

Thursday, Feb 20

Today was our normal day to play at an assisted-living home, 3rd week is the old Dry Creek facility, now Pacifica Senior Living. We had a large turnout (Gerald, Nancy, Manord, Kevin, Sharon, Charlotte, Dean, Minerva, Marilyn & Maury, Evie, Amy, and a very fun and appreciative audience.

On my way home from playing music at Pacifica, I delivered a gift to the front porch of her house, a friend who had surgery out of town almost two hours, and was returning later. Also, I picked up a dozen eggs and two magnetic clips to close dog & cat food bags of kibbles. Day before, I had delivered some old quality stainless steel dog feeding pans and larger watering pans for my friend’s dogs, from our stash in the 1970s when we ran a dog boarding kennel in Troy, ID.

I got ready to go to the Audubon meeting tonight with my cameras and tripod.
I had previously called in a pick-up for 6:00 p.m. from Burger King for their special Mix & Match special (Whopper for John & Crispy Chicken for me (total=$6.50), and we had it for supper while waiting for the room to be unlocked to set up my videotaping filming process of Jan Demorest and Steve Moore’s trip to South Africa, presented to the Kittitas Audubon Society’s monthly meeting.

Kittitas Audubon Society

From the Hooter Newsletter: February, 2020

I took the immediately following photos and descriptive text below directly from the newsletter but added some more below.Plant Safari: Finding Unusual Plants and Birds in South Africa
Presenters: Jan Demorest and Steve Moore

South Africa is an excellent destination for fans of natural variety. Most people go on a safari to see and photograph the large mammals that make Africa famous. The natural wonders don’t end with the animal life, as green and snowy mountains, vast plateaus, lonely beaches, and scorching deserts contain habitats for unusual and colorful birds and a large variety of strange plant life. This region is where familiar house and garden plants such as geraniums, aloes, jade plants, and African daisies grow wild.

At the Cape of Good Hope, the Mediterranean climate has fostered the growth of one of the most biodiverse plant communities of the world – thousands of species found nowhere else. Traveling northward from the Cape, the land becomes arid and a habitat for a large variety of succulent plants, those with leaves, stems, or roots that can store water through a hot summer, reminiscent of the cacti of our deserts. But these succulents are unrelated to our cacti, with aloes replacing our agaves, Euphorbias and tree-aloes recalling our Organ Pipes and Joshua trees, and spiny geraniums echoing the chollas of our southwestern deserts. Close to the ground, tiny stone-like succulents endure the desert heat to bloom early each spring and carpet the landscape with a show of flower color; these are the ice plants, most of which are endemic to South Africa.

In September 2018 – springtime in the southern hemisphere – Jan Demorest and Steve Moore of Ellensburg joined a “plant safari” of a dozen folks to explore the western part of the country by van, from the Cape to the Orange River. Our leader and organizer was a botanist from Argentina living in Florida. We spent two weeks focused on the unusual plants, frequently on hands and knees on the ground, but since we’re birders too, often went off chasing colorful birds with camera in hand.

For variety and a complete contrast, we spent an additional week in the eastern part of the country, but hardly staying at a quiet resort town in lush subtropical coastal forest. This trip was partly to see the iconic animals. We visited two game parks and boated with hippos, but also found a colorful variety of birds even among the trees in the town. In summing our experience, we could say we saw a world of detail in two small areas of the country but hardly began to know the place.

You’ll see from the videos below, about the various aspects of their trip to South Africa to view mostly plants (succulents), dessert flowers, etc., but they threw in some birding, hiking, and animal preserves plus a visit to the Diamond coast as well.KAS President, Judy Hallisey introduced Jan and Steve below:

Introduction of Speakers

Next is their presentation:

Jan Demorest & Steve Moore: Desert Plant Safari to South Africa

Followed by a short Question & Answer session, but they’d been responding throughout the evening:

Short Q&A (Questions and answers)

Friday, Feb 21

Dropped off a bunch of stuff to a friend’s porch in Ellensburg: world atlases, a box of frames in box, and an old world globe.

I went to our senior center for a Forget-Me-Not Bingo event, with lunch. Students from the Center for Leadership and Community Engagement (CLCE), sponsored it with help from the Ellensburg Adult Activity Center combined as a lunch event. Lunch started at 11:30, and consisted of a choice of 3 types of chili: meat, vegetarian, and chicken, all on a base of cornbread. Toppings of cheese, sour cream, chips, and for our sweet tooth needs, a bowl of chocolate candies. I took my camera and collected photos of the event (see below in link). I put them into a shared album, so I hope their photographer, Rollie, will be able to add some photos, or send them to me to add if he cannot.

You’ll get a nice introduction by looking at the still photos in the link below:

AAC-Forget Me Not Bingo, 2-21-20 hosted by CWU CLCE students

I left there and went to Kittitas to deliver several items. I gave 3 Rubbermaid leftover cups to Vicki, and John has since found another matching one while cleaning out our old pickup camper. I went by another friend’s house with a special red insulated cooler. Closer to home I left a large box and two large bags of packing peanuts for a neighbor, a couple miles away who grows lavender. {John says: The natural number line doesn’t extend far enough to count all the things needing a home.}

When I got home John showed me the insides of a chest of drawers that got severe mouse damage. Found one small photo of my father, and some of his cuff links and tie clasp, in addition to two Mercury dimes.

Now taking photos off my camera from the AAC.

Saturday, Feb 22

It is calving season in the Kittitas Valley. Bald Eagles know this and show up in advance of the birthing. They go to the big pines on the mountains to spend the night and come down in the morning to inspect the ranches. Somehow they share information about which herd has started with the new-borns. Their interest is the afterbirth/placenta. For a few days we did not see any. Then Evie Schuetz found them in the Reecer Creek drainage, 5 miles to our west.
Top an adult; bottom a juvenile. (I have never seen this age coloring plumage before.) Photographed by Evie Schuetz.

Interesting morning with John in Ellensburg. We drove my car to fill up with gasoline (nearing empty). We delivered 2 Cuisinart pans this morning to Abby and Karolina (Kittitas Hwy) where I got my “colorful” Nike bedroom shoes last year. They will take other baking items for the kitchen “. . . such as casserole dishes or baking dishes would be great.”

On to Mid-State Co-Op for Sr. Equine Grain and Rolled Barley. On out Dolorway to the gas stations at the other I-90 exit near the roundabout. There’s a new PILOT station there with quite a complex including Arby’s and Cinnabon. We pulled in for our first visit and filled up for $2.58/gal, a lot less than anyone else in town. I hope that is not a come-on trend, and their prices will remain lower, even after established. It does look as if it will be a benefit to our Ellensburg economy, especially adding 50 new jobs to our community. Having some of the amenities provided for travelers, 48 truck parking spaces, overnight truck parking for times when the pass is closed, drivers’ lounge & game room, public laundry machines, and 5 showers (even providing towels & soap freely to anyone needing a shower). Maybe this is a place for me to donate my rubber flip flops for shower takers.

John loaded 3 (of many) bags of aluminum cans from our old camper. These had been put in white plastic garbage bags years ago, that plastic has morphed into confetti – generating additional work. The camper was last used in 1994. There is an old truck canopy in that area, over odd pieces of wood. Everything is to be moved, and a gravel driveway created. More on that in March.

John took a large sombrero to the big stack under the hay shed. He now has brought it into the house for taking to its new owner next Wednesday, along with 2 other things, and another person will be coming by for some glass canisters. John says: {Staying sane by knowing I will never see these things again.}

We had steamed rice, chicken in wine sauce, mushrooms and onions for a nice supper. I like Lima beans so we heated a can of those. We are about ready to have chocolate cake for dessert just ~ 9:15 pm and go to bed earlier than usual. John will go now, and I’ll try for one more hour, but might not make it.

Sunday, Feb 23

John said no more sunrises, but here is a unique one:Denmark Pond on Fairview Rd. photo by Evie Schuetz

Nephew Eric called and left a message with a question about his dad’s place of birth. Richard was the second son, and 11 years older than John. We know some of these things, have much of it written and filed (somewhere), but it is easier to call cousin Ethel.

We did call Ethel at Pat’s (Sunday dinner time) and had a nice long conversation. Ethel was there at the beginning, being 102 this spring. Richard was born in the place her parents were living at the time – there was a doctor in the town. We gave Eric’s phone number to Pat and they can try a call when Ethel is rested.

We had a bit of snow this morning. Very large flakes, did not obscure the weeds before it quit. By afternoon it was gone. Our weather folks think there might be a foot of snow at Snoqualmie Pass by Monday Noon. At 10 tonight the DOT camera shows lots of snow already, but it is open with restrictions.

This was a long work day for both of us, but we had a wonderful hour’s call (on her dime) from our sister (Peggy Hultquist) in Parma, OH about the family history.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan