Author: admin

Monday, Sept 16

Worked all day playing catch up and finally published the blog late tonight at 10:28 p.m.
John mowed the backyard grass, shooed a deer over the fence that came over to eat raspberry plants. I wish I had gotten a video of her clearing the 6’ fence.

Tuesday, Sept 17

I need to get out a late call for music attendance to the KV Fiddlers & Friends, for organizing our chair counts for this Thursday (Pacifica Senior Living) and Saturday (Briarwood Commons Retirement Apts.), where they feed us afterwards.

John and I are going to Joanie’s and Ken’s for tuna melts a little before noon, to take the English Muffin bread for their creation with Ken’s awesome recipe. This is an annual invite which we very much enjoy. Normally, it falls on my birthday, but they were out camping this year on 9/1. We shared a few of John’s garden veggies with them today. One of the onions previously given them was used in the tuna mixture.

While in town, we checked our Bi-Mart numbers and did not win, but John also was going to look for a rain jacket for his trail work upcoming. His “Frogg Togg” light rain jacket has gotten misplaced (pant’s whereabouts is known) and he’s scheduled for ACL duty on the wet side of the Cascades in the next few weeks, having already experienced one very wet experience last Sunday. He scored on a 25% off clearing sale and got a nice rain jacket for $25. Then he didn’t have to wear it on the trail work day. The rain was not sufficient to require its use as he has a lined jacket that he has sprayed with “Camp Dry–silicone base” spray.

I stayed in the car in the shade and made a few phone calls to members of our music group (long distance had I called from home; better free on cell phone), to help with planning the count to be at the two events this week.

Wednesday, Sept 18

I worked a little on the jobs-list after being off for over a week. Posted 4 jobs this morning, but have more to do. I have some personal work to do with recent additions to our list (telling them about other opportunities according to their academic and personal interests).

I drove myself to town for music at the FISH food bank, where we played for ½ hour, and we had a lot of folks singing and participating. Singers: Robert, Peggy, Reta, Bob, Richard, Dean (Harmonica), Evelyn (Banjo), Richard drums (drum sticks on cardboard box), Nancy (violin), Joanie (violin), and Rob (Guitar). Our audience was the largest in quite a while, and full of people singing, dancing, and applauding us. That’s always rewarding.

Afterward we are fed – the main dishes being donated from the Ellensburg Pasta Company. Today I did not take my own salad, but had a piece of chicken breast with Fettuccini (only a little because I’m not that fond of pasta), a ½ roll buttered, plums, and dessert (apple cake). I gave my dessert away to a friend. I did not have the mixed green salad because it had greens in it I’m not allowed to have, being on the blood thinner Coumadin. (That’s why I usually take my own Iceberg lettuce salad). For a beverage, I had pink lemonade. I was also able to enjoy a good lunch conversation with a friend from CWU, and others in our music group. I also took tops to several people, and am continuing to sort and keep fashionable clothing for Karen Johnson to take to the Cancer Gift Store in Yakima (for people to buy there; to fund Cancer Research).

I stopped at the bread room on the way home and got two loaves of 3-cheese bread, sliced, for me and a long loaf of sour dough bread for John. FISH will be moving from the area behind the Mercer Creek Church to the new Elmview site out at the Airport, north of town. Luckily, the free bus has extended service out there for Ellensburg residents.

The Senior Nutrition lunch program and lunch for non-seniors will continue Monday through Thursday at the Liberty Theater annex (downtown). It’s being provided on a memorandum of understanding with the Calvary Baptist Church, to use the kitchen and dining room for up to 2 years until the kitchen and facilities are constructed out at Elmview. We are all being spoiled on having china plates, stainless steel utensils, to eat from, and plastic glasses for cool drinks, instead of paper plates, cups, and plastic.

I continued my sorting clothes for the LDS swap sale drop off tomorrow afternoon after music at Pacifica. I am accumulating a lot of donations from several people. It is all free, no limit, and no need to donate to receive. I have published the flyer below.

Not sure how many hours I spent sorting but it was quite a few, and the wonderful thing is I now will have the room back in my car that has been taken by garbage bags full of clothing waiting to be sorted (given by several people). Now it will all be gone, after I drop off at the LDS church on Radio Hill (Brick Rd). All will go to people in the community and all leftovers will go to the Church of Christ clothing giveaway and other free distribution clothing centers, such as Apoyo. I have one more stack to check in the back room, and then I will be done. Currently, I have 6 bags for John to load in my car before he leaves for bottling Mariposa Red. The crew has another 500-gallons to process, bottle, and label. They will break at noon for lunch. John’s contributing sliced salami and cherry tomatoes; pretty much the end of our crop this year.

I marked Sept 29 on our calendar for the Fundraiser Dinner at the Legion to help defray some of the medical costs of Allen Aronica (a veteran of the Vietnam war) to help cover his stay for 20 days in Harborview for repairing serious burns from a gasoline flash fire. He is back home at his Naneum Ranch after several sessions of skin grafting, learning physical therapy to prepare for the healing process to work better keeping the new skin stretched, and for the staff to teach his wife Gerri Miller to prepare the wound bandage dressings, which have to be changed a couple times daily. They will need to return for periodic burn recovery checkups at Harborview hospital in Seattle. Today (Monday, 9/23) was the first visit back for a check-up. I know because I went up the road to put plums on the front porch and saw his relatives around back, so I went over, met them (Arnold & Gail), visited a little, and then left. They have been caring for the house and animals while Allen and Gerri are away.

Some of the plums have now fallen and we are expecting strong gusts (Mon. to 22 mph and Tues. to 36).John picked all that were still on the tree, and gathered the rest – sorting out the bad ones. He wants to dry those without apparent damage.

Tonight John fixed a dinner with a seasoned all-day long slowly cooked beef roast, served with deep-fried onion rings in beer batter, prepared in a cast-iron pot, corn-on-the-cob, and a baked potato with cheese and butter.

Thursday, Sept 19

John left for bottling at White Heron Cellars early to be there by 9:00 start and won’t return until late, just before we have to leave for the KAS meeting.
Here are a few photos taken during the bottling process, taken by Audrey, one of the workers.Pike Place Red Wine for Seattle NW Tasting Room; White Heron John, Phil, Erik – Cameron, John, Garrett, Mark, Rory. Photos by Audrey Seaberg, also on the bottling line.

John loaded 6 garbage bags of clothing to my car for me to drop off at a LDS church clothes swap, this weekend. The leftovers will be given to other community free clothing banks at the end. I’m dropping them off today after playing music at Pacifica.I went to Pacifica today and back home, stopping at my neighbor’s Joanie, 4 houses down Naneum to pick up bags from in front of the gate at her house left for me. (Note: this is neighbor Joanie; the other Joanie is a music group member.)

I called the lady planning the Legion fundraiser for Allen Aronica and introduced myself. Her name is Penny. She was in the high school class of ’66 with Allen. They would love to have 2 Pecan pies donated. We can write a check to Allen Aronica directly for our monetary donation. We are marked down (RSVP) for 2 dinner reservations.

Packed another bag to take to LDS church, use the entrance on the other side of the church from the (unrelated) cemetery. They’ll have 20 people to help me unload.

I walked by a hanger on the door to our guest bedroom and knocked everything on the floor; only starting to replace. I should recycle some of those on hangers on the doors around the room. I’ll probably knock off the one entering my bathroom too. All our closet space is taken. Yeah, that’s the next thing to purge.

We attended the Kittitas Audubon Meeting tonight, and I videoed the presentation by two women resource scientists employed by Puget Sound Energy (PSE), at the Wild Horse Wind & Solar facility. Bios below.

Jennifer Diaz & Haley Olson—on right are maintaining bluebird houses.

Our presenters Jennifer Diaz, Senior Wind Resource Advisor (other job title, Environmental & Communications Manager) and Haley Olson, Senior Resource Scientist, shared the stage, discussing, PSE & Avian Conservation—Our Electrical Grid and Birds.  

Video of their presentation:

Click on the link and pull the start backwards to left, from 30 to zero, to the beginning to view a whole hour and 14 minutes with questions & answers inserted in the video.

Wild Horse Wind Facility – Wildlife Conservation

History: PSE initiated its official Avian Protection Program company wide in 2000, in response to collaborative talks with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, but had taken avian conservation actions starting as early as 1979 with relocation of osprey nests. Program Biologists strive to reduce the interactions of birds with PSE’s electrical equipment throughout PSE’s service area to improve reliability and protect birds from electrocution and collisions with power lines. This is accomplished through partnerships with State and Federal Wildlife Agencies and Wildlife Rehabilitators, proactive efforts to make PSE’s system avian-safe, best management practices to minimize the effects of construction and vegetation management on nesting birds and habitat, and training throughout the company to educate employees about the importance of protecting avian species. We will learn more about the Avian Protection program, its successes and future challenges, from Haley Olson, the Senior Resource Scientist who is responsible for implementing it.

Jennifer Diaz, Sr. Wind Resource Advisor, is responsible for managing all aspects of the environment and natural resources across 10,000 acres of rangeland and shrub-steppe habitat at the Wild Horse wind farm, and will share details about wildlife conservation there. When constructing the Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility, Puget Sound Energy (PSE) voluntarily added a conservation easement to safeguard 7,000 acres of shrub-steppe habitat and in partnership with the Trust for Public Lands and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), PSE also preserved 18,000 acres of undeveloped open space, helping to maintain enough wild lands to support elk, mule deer, bobcats, badgers, hawks, sage-grouse, and now wolves!

Rocky Mountain Elk & Mule Deer

Wolves present on the landscape – Two wolves named, the Naneum Pack, had 2 pups born this year. The far right photo was taken through binoculars.

Top photo…The most number of Avian deaths occur nationwide caused by windows. The visitor center’s windows were causing a problem being on both sides of the building, as the birds thought they could fly through. They treated the windows to keep the birds away, yet people can still see through the window with human eyes. Birds are deferred by what they see.
Bottom is the study of the corridor existing between two leks of Sage Grouse: here (red arrow), and south on the Yakima Training Grounds.

Top photo shows the removal of noxious cheatgrass, completed by PSE, with a before and after example 12 years apart on the same piece of road up to the visitor’s center. Bottom photo shows the cactus rescue project conducted to remove the barrel cactus during the construction of the wind turbines, to a safe growing area, and replanting them after construction was completed. The snake habitat was enhanced around the visitor’s center, as seen on the walkway entrance from the parking lot to the building.

This paragraph is my assessment of the offerings inside the visitor’s center. That building houses a wonderful resource of exhibits, books, and educational projects & displays, completed by local students from Ellensburg, and enhanced by PSE with guidebooks and comfy chairs to sit and read. Beautiful atlases and picture books of shrub steppe vegetation, wildflowers, and birds are shelved for use there. Tours occur twice daily and on special occasions. It’s a tremendous community resource.

Friday, Sept 20

John left for WTA trail work at the Commonwealth Basin PCT at 7:45 a.m. (the Pacific Crest Trail, going north from Snoqualmie Pass; this is called WA – PCT Section J)

I’m staying home today to take care of things, except I will in run the several bags of dried baby, teen, and adult clothes to town to the LDS church donated from Joanie Lee, and another two bags of adult clothes from me. Joanie had cleared them out of her house (because floors were being replaced while she was out of town for a week), and she put in the back of her truck in plastic garbage bags. Unfortunately, we had a rainstorm and all the bags had wet clothing. I told Joanie I would dry them out – and I did.

Saturday, Sept 21

John left at 6:45 a.m. for his WTA work party on the PCT. He got home after 4:30 p.m. but had to stop in Ellensburg for a bag of horse feed for Myst.

On my drive to town, I passed Allen Aronica and Gerri coming back from town. I had read this morning on YOU’RE PROBABLY FROM ELLENSBURG… Facebook site, that he had gone to his first-time-back meeting of the morning coffee klatch since his incident. He was so happy. Here was his morning comment:

It has been a good morning so far. Wound care was a little later because that was because I was visiting with some of the coffee crew I haven’t seen since the accident and neighbors. Always good to see everyone. It’s a Good Day.

I made it to the clothes swap at noon at the LDS church on Radio hill for a walk-around search for a couple of long-sleeved shirts for John (I found several nice ones in new condition), absolutely no clothing for me, and I searched for 3 nice white blouses I knew would fit Amy (that were in one of the 12 bags I had donated). I found them, plus a black one, and carried them by her house before going to fill my car with gasoline, on my way to Briarwood for music.

She will be at Briarwood but cannot make it to the morning swap because of being at Paint Ellensburg with her baked & decorated cake. I will donate another bag to the swap. I’ll see Amy and Haley at our play-date at Briarwood, and the ladies will be feeding us two kinds of soups: Tortellini with cabbage by Lee & Bean soup by Jo Ellen. They also plan to have a dessert table. I’m taking in a large container of red seedless grapes all washed, a package of fruit bars, and a box of Hazelnut individual creamers for their coffee. Bean soup & Tortellini soup with rolls, and a dessert table.

Here is the lemon & lavender cake Amy made for the Gallery One Fundraiser today for a dessert auction. This cake won a $225 bid donation to the Gallery in Paint Ellensburg. Pretty neat and beautiful piece of artwork! And she still managed to come play with us at Briarwood, and bring Haley along, who danced to Irish Washerwoman and sang T for Texas with us at the end, especially leading the group in the yodeling part. I wish I had her on video doing both.

Before dark, John did a few outside things, and I brought in 4 pairs of shoes I was drying in the sun, before they get rained on tomorrow. He’s likely to experience another muddy wet day on the WTA work party as last Sunday.

We had a supper tonight of our tomatoes, bowl of soup with smoked turkey added, and some asparagus John grew – cooked with cheese.

Sunday, Sept 22

John goes out on the trail again today – a storm is moving from south to north across western WA. If it mostly stays there, the crew might luck out and get damp rather than wet. And that is what happened. John only went a total of just over 2 miles. LeeAnne (crew leader) went up higher with sub-crews. She goes up and down keeping an eye on things and passing out treats – like small candies, nuts, and fruit leather. They think she did 7 miles today (John = 2), and yesterday she did 9, John did 3.

From Caitlin LaBar: Success!!! A lovely lady emerged this morning! It is one of the Hemileuca hera (Hera buckmoth) I reared this year, those caterpillars that took forever and resulted in me driving all over the place to get sagebrush. Some populations have a two-year life cycle, overwintering as eggs and pupae, but some will complete the cycle in a year. This late into September I had all but written them off as going to overwinter as pupae, but maybe a few will emerge and the rest will overwinter.

Monday, Sept 23

Still here on the first day of fall, having not yet published our weekly blog. This beautiful photo awaited me today, taken early this morning by my photographer friend in the valley.

Another magnificent picture by Lise McGowan, capturing the lovely landscape view from the Kittitas Valley dominated by Mt. Rainier {about 65 miles}, with enough snow at Paradise for snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and snowboarding.

John started his day picking plums, and I delivered a few pounds up the Naneum Fan to the Allen Aronica household.

I returned home to a great brunch provided by John. All I had to do was crisp the bacon, sit down, and enjoy – a blueberry/pecan pancake topped with peaches, with a side of coffee.

I’ve been responding to emails, and now switched back to finishing my draft of the blog, late going out this week, again.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Sunday, Sept 8

Leftovers from a week ago at the BBQ at Meadows Place.

Meadows Place 9-8-19 Music & Circus BBQ for Community

Selected—Videos of The Last Rider Out Trio Musicians, Sunday, Sept 8, 2019, at Meadows Place with other activities shown:

The Last Rider Out Trio musicians (intro by Jack Jenson)

Boy Visits with Horse

Have I Told You Lately that I Love You?

Circus Tour—Ending with Heart of my Heart

Darktown Strutters’ Ball—with dancers

Hey! Good Lookin’—with dancers again

Ragtime Cowboy Joe

Monday, Sept 9

John did not go on his planned hike today because of the weather forecast of storms in the hills.

We left about 5:00 p.m. for town to go to The Palace for my birthday dinner that has to be used before the end of the month. Considering I did not get the card until 9/7 and that we have to be in town tonight, this was a good option. We made it to dinner, and met a woman there at the adjacent booth for two, whom we had known in our past through working with the Children of Chernobyl program in the U.S., here in Ellensburg. We shared a conversation with nice memories of the program that has ceased.

We left there to be at Hal Holmes center and set up my video camera on a tripod before the 7:00 p.m. meeting of the Kittitas Field & Stream club. We are not members, but we know the speaker, Jim Huckabay, and wanted to hear his presentation, “African Adventure—IV.” He has traveled there three times, previously. I believe they consider him family. Jim fields questions after his presentation (below); poses with two kinds of African Antelope—a Klipspringer & Reedbuck, and Boomer (his rifle).

Once you click on this next link, pull the start back to zero. It is starting 13 minutes into the show.

African Adventure – IV by Jim Huckabay

Huckabay’s presentation was followed by a thank you from Trip (& Beckett) Landon’s family who received a scholarship from this chapter to attend the Boy Scout Jamboree in West Virginia, held at Summit Bechtel Reserve, with over 10,000 acres of space. This year’s attendance was 50,000 scouts from 153 countries. It is held worldwide, but this year was in the U.S., and this was the last year both brothers could attend. If you want to learn more about the location, visit here:

Website Summit Bechtel Reserve in W. Virginia

Immediately below is the link to Trip’s report on their trip this summer.

Trip Landon ~ His & Beckett’s BSA Jamboree from Field & Stream

We know the Landon family, so I contacted Laura, the boys’ mom, about the Boy Scout Jamboree of 2019. The details are that they both (Trip as a leader and Beck as a scout) needed to raise a large sum of money to go on the trip. They approached the Field & Stream club and asked if they would contribute toward supporting their trip. The club donated $1000. A lady on the Board of Field & Stream (F&S), was aware of the associated sustainability tree-house and asked the boys to mention the F&S club on the etching they would hang there; hence the activity pictured on their thank you card. Below are the photos making up their thank you “card,” which Trip presented tonight to the President of the Field & Stream Club:Beckett, Trip, Beck hanging their plaque, pictured on the bottom.Trip Landon presents thank you card to Bill Essman.

Tuesday, Sept 10

This morning I need to review the agenda, the minutes of the last meeting, and the budget pages before attending my 1:00 meeting today in my first official capacity as serving on the Senior Advisory Commission for the City of Ellensburg Adult Activity Center. I had to be there by 12:55 p.m. because their clocks are 2 minutes ahead of the actual time. They have tried to sync their two wall clocks and it won’t work.

I went by the hospital lab for my INR check on last week’s low reading. It was up to 2.1, but still have to have it rechecked in 2 weeks to be sure my dosage is properly adjusted. I checked numbers at Bi-Mart and we did not win anything.

I went by Safeway for my Atorvastatin ($14); lowest price in town via GoodRx (cash transaction, not using insurance), and to Super 1 for a few tablets of Hydrocodone (10mg) for shoulder pain used sparingly and also for a 90-day supply of John’s Levothyroxine 88 mcg. The cost on John’s Levothyroxine was much higher than I expected. I checked with my insurance (Kaiser Permanente) and found they have raised the co-pay charge from $5/month to $20/month. See tomorrow’s comments on that.

Wednesday, Sept 11

We are going to the Food bank for music, and while I play, John will go to Fred Meyer for a super price on his canned soft drinks, getting them for 20₵/ can. He came back to retrieve me, and we left directly from there for Costco for essentials and some things for our neighbor.

In the morning, I began researching the pricing of our medications. Steve (from Customer Service Kaiser Permanente medical insurance) helped me sort out prices of meds and where the best price was. I have that information now stored in a Medical information folder on my computer.

Because of yesterday’s price shock, I checked with GoodRx for their price of Levothyroxine 88mcg tablets for 3 months. I moved our prescription for John’s Levothyroxine from Super 1 to Fred Meyer Pharmacy to be able to take advantage of a decrease in price for 90-day supply by ½, from $40.39 to $20.13. That will save us $80/year on that one medication. Amazing. One really needs to keep up on these things, but it’s a full-time job. We now deal with 4 pharmacies to get the best prices on our meds: Super 1, Safeway (through GoodRx), Kaiser Permanente mail order which gives one month free when the order is for 3 months, and now Fred Meyer Pharmacy (GoodRx). This inconsistency bothers us both and we don’t understand the reason it happens; but we will play the game and figure the least expensive place to buy every 3 months, before refilling.

Thursday, Sept 12

We had a morning visit from Doss Roberts about our neighbor, Allen Aronica currently in Harborview with severe burns, from a gasoline explosion fire. There is a need for a fund raising dinner for Allen and Gerri. Plans for that are, as yet, unknown.

I took a nice shirt to Amy (one of our musicians) that is too big for me. I hope it works for her as I really like it. We were both at Meadows Place today and we had 7 folks (Gerald, me, Dean, Amy, Sharon, Charlotte, and Minerva) present with a nice appreciative audience.

I planned to record our performance but unfortunately I didn’t have a full battery charge and it only recorded a few songs, without the one I most wanted. Oh well, here is a smaller version of our group than usual doing most of the first 6 songs. I’ll try again Thursday this week at Pacifica.

Kittitas Valley Fiddlers & Friends, Meadows, 9-12-19, intro only

Friday, Sept 13

John left at 6:40 a.m. for his WTA work party on the Talapus Lake trail. He says the work is actually on a short connector trail between Olallie Lake and Pratt Lake trails, a bit over 3 miles from the nearest Trailhead that is called Talapus Lake that they will pass at the 2-mile mark.

We had been invited to an early Thanksgiving dinner at friends in Ellensburg, because by then, they will have traveled to their winter home in Quartzite, AZ.

I went early at 4:00 p.m. with my violin to Joanie and Ken’s for English Country Garden and dance music with Joanie (violin) and Andrew (piano). We played until 6:00 p.m. John arrived at 6:00 for dinner after returning from his WTA trip, and feeding the livestock. We are taking two bottles of White Heron wine (Roussanne and a Merlot/Cabernet blend). Our dinner included, roasted turkey with potatoes, dressing, corn, green beans, salad, tomatoes, roll, pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, and 12 people around the table with interesting conversations all evening.

On John’s trip home, he saw a collared Mountain Goat on a rock cliff along the side of the road, 4 miles east of the multi-million dollar crossover near the I-90 wildlife crossover. The animal may have been on of those removed from Olympia National Park – thus the collar. She/he was about 15 feet up on the cliff, seemingly watching the west-bound flow of autos and trucks.

We have an email request in for info from a CWU friend’s wife who actively is involved in the research associated with those wildlife crossings, but they must be out of town, so more details wait for a future blog, when we find out. I asked Tony Bynum if he had any photos in his collection. He sent me a ton. I picked these below for effect. Mountain goats, Tony Bynum, friend and wildlife photographer

The one in the center is priceless. It has to be a good feeling to click the shutter on that, after making the effort to get into the goat’s rocky environment.

Saturday, Sept 14

John left at 6:45 a.m. for his WTA work party on the Talapus Lake & Olallie Trail. I don’t really have any details to report for this day. John says: Friday and Saturday work accomplished much in a muddy section. Sunday does not look good, weather wise.

Sunday, Sept 15

John left with nice weather here, but where he is headed rain is expected. He had my flip cell phone along, which I had queued to his Bluetooth to allow him access to an emergency phone. His “Smart” phone quit working – saying it has no Sim Card. We have yet to figure that out, without reception at home.

Got my Discover NEW card’s Number written into my Discover Card statement on the Credit Card Info folder in Documents.
Need to change my auto-pay accounts to the new number. Discover Card had to be cancelled and a new one issued. Our electricity with the Public Utility District (PUD), being local, ought to be the easiest. I will call that in Monday morning and Consolidated Communication (our landline & Internet DSL service). That literally took an hour to change, and had to be done on-line on their website, without being able to have an agent take the card change over the phone. That’s a lousy policy they instituted last August a year ago. I already sent an email note to Culligan, and they called this morning and it was fixed in short order over the phone (to Spokane, WA) on their dime.

It started raining earlier here, but now it’s coming down in buckets. Our normal line of 5-gallon buckets on the drip line in front of the garage are not all set up. John’s off on WTA trail maintenance and probably in a worse situation, with mud and flowing water as they try to fix drainage issues.

I am expected at a retirement party this afternoon for Susan Donahoe, from the College of Education at CWU. She is also our neighbor on Naneum. John cannot make it back in time, so I’m going alone, but with my camera to visit and take photos. It’s being held in the Clymer Art Gallery, so I’m going to attend in my Wearable Art top over a yellow silk blouse that Susan brought back to me from her six months away on a sabbatical leave in Japan. I met old friends and new there tonight. I was able to see her daughters and grandchildren who have reached 21 (the twins) and also in height with her daughter, Simone, who is quite tall. I probably haven’t seen the twins in over a decade. You can follow a link with a few photos and see Simone in the photos.

Meanwhile, here is a photo of Susan and me tonight at the gallery, right after I arrived, taken by her grandson, Clayton.Nancy and Susan at the John Clymer Museum & Gallery

Clymer Museum & Gallery, Ellensburg, WA

My Jacket is a Bob Mackie Wearable Art Designer Blazer

I got it freely given from an estate sale of a woman in Ellensburg who died. I received one other fancy flowered white blazer/jacket. The one above in the retirement party photo I specifically wore for the location, an Art Gallery.

Here is the link to all the photos taken on my camera at the retirement party.

Susan Donahoe’s Retirement Party, 9-15-19, at Clymer Museum & Gallery

As expected, John and the entire crew got wet, muddy, and cold today. Miraculously, after a ‘standing lunch’, the rain slowed, then stopped. They did come off the mountain an hour early, had cookies and drinks, visited some, and changed to dry clothes.

Some were changed before John and LeeAnne and a couple of others made it to the parking area.

A tree, about 10 inches through at its base, fell across the trail between Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. That was just 20 minutes from the trailhead, so the fresh crew took care of that – hardly slowing them down.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Monday, Sept 2 Labor Day

Staying home today again, tying up loose ends of many projects.

Tuesday, Sept 3

We need to take me by for a blood draw INR; heard this afternoon’s results were lower than ever (1.4). I finally figured out I had not put the Coumadin in my medicine container for the week, and missed noticing that until today, so we have adjusted my dosage and I will go back next Tuesday for a recheck.

This morning we went to the Ellensburg Community Clothing Center (ECCC) for long-sleeved shirts for John. We found him two white shirts, and ended up finding some other bargains. I got another pair of almost new Brooks Addiction walking shoes that fit. Found a couple of embroidered flower jackets to wear to cheer people at music events. Also, two pair of socks.
From ECCC, I went next door to the Dentist and traded a toothbrush I don’t like (still in the package) for a smaller one I prefer.

We went to Bi-Mart to check numbers but did not win today.
John went to Super 1 for cocktail sauce for him to take with boiled shrimp (for their lunch break at White Heron bottling). While there, he got a lot more stuff, including some strawberry yogurt for me. I stayed in the car and talked on my cell phone to a bunch of folks whom I needed to contact (by long distance). It doesn’t cost to use my cell phone, but from home, the long distance calls are pricey by the minute, and we have no cell phone reception from home.

John also stopped at Grocery Outlet for their best price on a 1.25 gallon container of vanilla ice cream. The store has a stack of empty wine boxes that work nice for short term carrying of frozen things. This time John got one from an Oregon winery. More on that later.

Once home, I completed watching the video of the Open Government Training presented by the Attorney General’s office in Olympia, and I wrote my requested note to Katrina, the AAC Director. Now I have passed all the tests for becoming a Senior Advisory Commission member at the Ellensburg Adult Activity Center. Our first official meeting with me on board is next week.

Wednesday, Sept 4

John left for bottling Roussanne at 7:35 a.m. Didn’t get home until very late, after 6:30 p.m. Long day. He only brought home one bottle of wine, but it was a special one, bottled just for sale at Pike’s Place Market in their NW Tastings room over there on the 5th floor, overlooking the harbor. It should be a winner for tourists to take away as a souvenir. I particularly like the label.
[John says: the label machine did not like the label. For reasons unknown these are a fraction larger than the regular (old) ones. After bottling over 1,200 standard wine bottles (250 gallons), we switched to this Pike Place label and, with great frustration, managed to do 3 cases (36 bottles).
The machine is, in principle, adjustable. More in 2 weeks on this issue.]
The wine is a white, Roussanne. For the Market it is called Pike Place White Wine.
That makes things a bit simpler insofar as label regulations are concerned. The Market folks provided the photo; a standard motif. Cameron took a nice photo of vendors and activities inside, but that was turned down.

John took the empty Oregon wine box into the winery. His phone, wallet, and car keys – with only the keys showing – sat on cases of wine. Near the end of lunch one of the vine pruners [Mark & wife Margaret] came to get a case of wine. Cameron – not knowing of the box’s contents – moved the keys and proceeded to put bottles, upside down, in the case. With only moments to spare before this case would have been carried out, John walked in and noticed what was happening. The folks live 45 miles from the winery. No harm, no foul – as some say. Whew!

I slept until 8:45, gave food to cat-Sue and called Cle Elum PCP’s office with message for Lacey, Triage nurse. I did forget to put in my Coumadin last week, starting Thursday or Friday to Monday, so Tuesday night I took 2.5 mg and will take 5 mg tomorrow night and return to 2.5 the rest of the week. I skipped 4 or 5 pills and that would have caused the decrease in INR. I had reviewed every other food or drink option, so I checked the medicine dispenser, and found the problem.

Got a note from WTA about the ‘thank you’ card I received and wrote a note back copying to Kara.
FISH Food Bank music (Evelyn is back). We had a large turnout and a lot of fun. I visited with a gal and her friend I had never met. Turns out he was a new CWU geography major who had just requested being on the Job announcement list serve I manage through Google Groups. Such an amazing coincidence!

Then off to Super 1 to buy more Pepsi Colas at the .25/can price as John got yesterday, only to find out the last day of the sale was yesterday.

Thursday, Sept 5

I went to the Rehab today for music. May have 8 players after all.

John went to Surplus Sale at CWU & bid low on several items. If no one else bids higher and he gets one or more, he’ll need the truck to pick them up. Over the coming weekend he has to find a place to store the wood we brought home a month or more ago. We’ll hear Monday if we “won” any of his bids. These awesome photos are in Yellowstone, taken by Tony Bynum

I’ve known Tony Bynum for a long time, since I met him as a student at CWU in the Geography Land & Studies department for his undergraduate degree and after in our CWU graduate program in Resource Management, where he earned a Master’s Degree, culminating with his thesis defense with adviser, Kenneth Hammond: “Bynum, Anthony (Tony). 1997. Learning from management failures: The Taneum Watershed Restoration Project.” LD5771.321 .B93 1997

A Personal Look at Tony Bynum

To see his professional photography, visit this site: Tony Bynum Photography–Galleries, Conservation Projects, More

Called in my refill of Hydrocodone, 10mg/Acep today. Hope it gets through properly. Will check before leaving the pharmacy, because last time they filled for 5 mg Hydrocodone, not 10 mg.

I just spent a long time in the back computer room, removing a whole filing drawer full of stuff left over from my years of teaching (back to 1999) of tests, some lecture notes and overheads, and other final projects, all graded. We used to have to keep all that stuff in case someone complained about their grade (as definitely happened). My view always was that I graded fairly and they earned the grade they received. It will all go to recycling (i.e., now the dump). Some geography books were in there, which I can take to CWU and put on the “free for the taking” table for people to grab.

John will need to move the stuff I extracted and put in a chair. Boxed, it is too heavy for me. Then I unloaded two plastic boxes that held hanging file folders to house by month of the year, all receipts for a year. Then I can put those years into the newly cleaned out filing cabinet drawer for safe keeping, in case we are ever audited.

Now I can use the cleaned out plastic ones for the current year’s receipts and previous year. I have only two such organizing boxes, but they are quite handy. I found them both at a yard sale for only a couple dollars several years ago. I had never seen them before, and I haven’t since, either. My next step was loading the empty boxes with hanging folders and a file folder for each hanging file. Now I’m set for reorganizing this year and into the future.

Friday, Sept 6

This is a selfie John took on a time-lapse exposure. That is: set the camera on a log, run for 9 seconds, turn around, look composed.

John left at 8:00 a.m. for his hike to Talapus Lake and Olallie Lake and will return about 4:00 p.m. He’ll only be hiking in about 3 miles – apparently an “easy” hike (guess that means not a lot of elevation gain)? Next weekend WTA volunteers will be tackling wet areas on the way to a recently rebuilt log bridge across the outflow from Olallie Lake. They will be making “turnpikes” such as shown in this photo. He should get photos of that bridge on his hike today and he plans to go within view of Olallie Lake, but not to go down to the lake. I’m looking forward to his photographic tour of the trail today.

Google Photos of John’s Hike 9-6-19 to Olallie Lake
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Change locations:
Above: Three butterflies and a dragonfly by Elise Schlosser, NJJohn’s butterflies & rabbit brush on Naneum Fan and chicory plant

Also began the day by loading the dishwasher, shoeing Collared Doves away, letting in the house cats, and retrieving the food bowl. The weather outside is overcast and threatening, with possible thunderstorms happening this morning. Then before 1:00 p.m., I reversed and put the cats back out again.

The blocked calls have started today with my first call from Sears. Yesterday, we received 3 phone calls early morning, afternoon, and late evening. They won’t give up, trying to extend the service warranty on our couple year old chest freezer. They won’t back off, so I blocked the number. I still am curious what happens on their end with the call arrives and is blocked.

Been on the phone with Cle Elum nurses off and on all morning, and was unable to get through the phones again until 1:25 p.m.
First was a call from Chelsea’s nurse Amy, with the message Chelsea had approved my Hydrocodone 10 mg, but while she had me, she said we needed to schedule our wellness visits (a week apart) in December. I was surprised because I thought we were already scheduled in November. She said not according to their records. So she was going to transfer me to the front desk to scheduling. She could not get through the phone system, so I started trying, and I couldn’t either. I first pressed 1 for scheduling and received the message, “no one is available at this number to accept your call, please call back later.” So, I dialed again because it usually allows a person to leave a message. Same problem. So then I pressed 8 to talk to an operator. Someone answered and said she would have Laura return my call.

Once I finally had my phone call returned, we were scheduled for our first appointment on Nov. 22 and the next week was not available because of being the day after Thanksgiving, and they’re closed. So it was put off until Tues, Dec 3. Now we are finally scheduled for our wellness visit and our annual physical. It gets later and later every year. Thus, the change of bad weather increases.

Saturday, Sept 7

Get my video camera’s SD card cleaned up and charged batteries in both cameras.
I had a salad for lunch.
Worked on organizing, filing receipts, and paying bills.

Supper was shrimp and Progresso beef pot roast & veggies soup with added veggies from garden and freezer.
Just started raining hard. Hope it is over by mid-day tomorrow or we are in trouble.

Thunder. Need to get to bed, before the electricity goes off. It never did here, but Seattle area had storm issues. The football game was delayed and finished with Washington losing by one point.

Sunday, Sept 8

Today is a BBQ and music by The Last Rider Out Trio (Sharon, Charlotte, and Griff) at Meadows Place. John’s going too and is my chauffeur and supply carrier. My cushioned chair, card table, cooler with our drinks). Left at 12:25 to be there by before 1:00 start to set up under the tree on the hill above where they will be playing (I’ll hopefully be in the shade there). The temperature is only 68 and the wind gusts are 35 mph. When we got there the group was already playing music, and the parking was filling up fast. We parked at the end of the parking lot out front, and stayed until about 2:30.

I took photos and videos but I did not have enough time to process them, so will put all in next week’s blog.

Hope your week was fine.
Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Monday, August 26

John picked some plums for about 45 minutes before leaving for his hike. Cool morning temps = no yellow jackets. I slept through that harvest. John picked Yellow Shiro Plums (3 boxes-one layer) before leaving for Hansen Ridge Trail Hiking Trip at 9:30 a.m. Expected John home at 6:30, but he got here at 5:00 p.m.!

My favorites from his day on the trail (not shown in his Not So Nasty News column) are here:Top: Hydaspe Fritillary butterfly on a Pearly Everlasting plant butterflies love for late-season nectar. Bottom, the Old Milwaukee Railroad above the exit road from the Hansen Ridge Trailhead and the one of Mt. Rainier was taken at ~4,000’; 3 miles up the trail. Top right shows a cedar branch with its distinct structure and color, with Alder in front.

We want to thank our Lepidopterist friend, Caitlin LaBar, for the rapid reply today of the information mentioned above. In full she said, after we guessed Fritillary:

It looks like a Hydaspe Fritillary to be specific, probably the most common species in the Cascades right now, very few other butterflies flying up there this time of year. If John saw any that were smaller and more of a yellow-orange, that would likely be a Mormon Fritillary.
Oh, and it’s on Pearly Everlasting, butterflies love it for late-season nectar.

Below is the Google Photos link to the photos from John’s Hike 8-20-19 to Hansen Ridge, and also a few photos from LeeAnne Jensen (crew leader) for the 8-30-19 WTA work party there, on which John was an ACL (Assistant Crew Leader).

John’s Hansen Ridge Hike

I changed shoes to my Brooks Addiction and the support is much more helpful than the slippers, for in-house activity.
John made it home sooner than expected, at 5:00 p.m.
Supper: Grilled chicken with onions, baked beans, tomatoes, red grapes.

Tuesday, August 27

Need to work today on taxes, sorting and filing, so I can submit a form.

John went to town for me to check out Bi-Mart number for free gifts (none), by the AAC to deliver some Shiro plums, and pick up feed bags left for us by a lady who regularly gives us empty bags, and to pick up Sharon’s guitar stand from Hearthstone, where she forgot and left it last Thursday. All accomplished; thanks, John.

Called Sirius XM – took too long on the phone, but now have access in car and online as well.

Wednesday, August 28

I have to honcho FISH Food Bank music today. Arrive by 11:15. John drove me (in my car) and we left early, at 10:35. Dropped off some yellow plums to Louaine. Then on to Amy’s to leave some, and by the rodeo grounds on Chestnut to Meadows Place and Briarwood to deliver some for the residents.

From there John drove us to the Liberty Theater Annex and came inside with all the load, including another box of plums for the players/singers, of which we had a few, mostly singers: Robert (from the audience), Reta, Bob, Richard, Dean (Harmonica), me (fiddle), Richard (drummer on cardboard box), Rebecca (audience). We did all the songs in Book IV except two (Whispering & Sweet Rosie O’Grady).

John toted my violin, box of plums, and my red lunch bag) into the building for me. Then Robert (who’d already set up the chairs) retrieved the music books and music stands from the back closest, and John helped me unload Evelyn’s music she left behind for the group. We started a little early and went for > 1/2 hr. Our wheelchair dancing caregiver wheeled Mary Ann forward in front of us and danced for You Are My Sunshine, and one other song. Everyone in the audience (including us) enjoy their contribution. They were both smiling and singing the whole time.

John left, planning to return at 12:35 to pick me up to go home. From there he went to CWU to Dean Hall to look for a topographic map of the area where, on Friday, he will be working with WTA (Hansen Ridge), the place he hiked Monday. Monica was kind to make colored copies of parts of it for him. On his way back, he stopped and filled my tank with gasoline. I’m very grateful!

We came home and John fixed us a bowl of Progresso Lasagna soup. Not bad; our first taste of their new soup just put on the market. We normally eat their Chicken and Wild Rice (with veggies) soup. He had to buy 8 cans to get the 99¢ price.

Our temperatures today started cool with clouds but it’s rapidly increased to 88° now at our house at 2:35 and 91° at the airport.
A/C just came on at 3:06 p.m., outside home, is now 89.1°.

We worked this afternoon on projects, and had a nice supper: meatloaf, tomatoes (tiny Cherry ones), yellow squash from our garden as well, cooked with onions (also our garden), and hash browns; interesting combo.

Figured out tonight how to put a grave accent on a letter in a friend’s name: é so I could properly spell his last name in an email address.

Tomorrow thank goodness is a BYE day for our music group (5th Thursdays we do not have an assisted living home left to go to). Small town sort of thing. Only happens 3 times/year.

Thursday, August 29

Finished up the Income Tax form with signatures and attachments and got it to the Kittitas, WA USPS office, (only 10 miles away) for certified delivery, receipt requested, which includes tracking on both, and the postage for sending (total $7.60). All done, receipt in my wallet with tracking numbers for both. After Labor Day, I need to start tracking.

While there I went an extra 0.6 mi to check by Gibson Produce for corn (nice, 50₵/ear). They sell WA wines there, so I inquired for Cameron Fries, if White Heron might be added. They love to have local wines, so I got her information and email and gave both to Cameron. I imagine it’s worth a stop and if it sells, great; if not, we can pick up and bring back over when we visit White Heron.
Kathy has had a produce place for a long time. This is the 3rd location we know of. She is in an old gas station that has lots of parking and the space she needs. They still have drive-up pumps out front.

Local Kittitas Valley livestock follow:My views coming and going to Kittitas, WA – Llamas, Fairview Rd

John requested my looking up a digital version of a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) article, published, Monday, Aug 26, “Snapping Southern Gothic.” He was off his computer and wondering whether more pictures were stored with the article on the website (often they are). When I accessed from my laptop, it did not recognize me, and would not connect me to the entire article until I subscribed. My subscription is current.
I called and found out a new way of getting access to previous editions, and to verify indeed that my subscription was up-to-date. I access it by going to wsj.com and down to the very bottom of the page, click on News Archive and select the date of the paper. Then search for and find the article by name.

Friday, August 30

Welcome to the Ellensburg Rodeo, 2019Destiny H. Buck, in Yakama Dress, photo by Jeff Hocker.
{John says: Destiny may be a member of the Wanapum Band of Native Americans, from along the Columbia River. The Yakama Nation is headquartered west of the Yakima River. At the moment we don’t have a contact to confirm either idea.}

John left for Hansen Ridge WTA Work party at 6:35 a.m., at least 10 minutes early – for the distance. The road in is a 5-mile nightmare of potholes and rocks.

I slept in 2 more hours.

The only thing I have from John are two Google Earth maps of the area where they worked and had lunch. They were not high enough to see Mt. Rainier, but John saw it on his hike Monday. However, he needed a filter to be able to see the mountain better in his photos.This gives a perspective of where John and the WTA crew worked today. Many of the crew worked close to the trail head on brushing, and then joined the rest of the crew farther up the trail for lunch.

If you go to the Google Photos above (Monday) of John’s hike 5 miles into Hansen Ridge, at the end are a few photos of work sites on the trail tread getting rid of the rocks in the bed of the trail, completed today.

I unloaded and am loading the dishwasher; went on all day.

The next video I found on a friend’s Facebook site from my elementary school days at Garden Hills, in Atlanta, GA. Her name is Beth (Lindsay) Boozer. It’s definitely worth a view, even though it has some birds pictured we do not have in the West. I remember many of them from living in the south.

Amazing Planet Video on Birds (Need Facebook account to see)

I spent time tonight trying on and packing a garbage bag full of clothes that don’t fit to take to the Clothing Center as a donation. I heard that the Ellensburg Community Clothing Center has too many clothes, and so I’m going to donate these instead to the Church of Christ Clothing Center (also freely given to anyone).

Saturday, August 31

We planned to go to the Ellensburg Community Clothing Center to look for some light long-sleeved shirts for John. Did not go because Gayl Curtiss responded to my late night inquiry that they were closed for the Labor Day Weekend.

Brunch today was a pecan-filled pancake with strawberries on top, tomatoes, and crispy bacon.

I guess we both worked on the computer the rest of the day and not much else, along with washing dishes, and John watering plants, trees, and garden.

Tonight we experienced the Northern Lights in our valley and there are reports on line from the Seattle area as well. This photo was taken by an Ellensburg resident north of our valley.Northern Lights by Lia Simcox over the area burned by the Taylor Bridge fire of 2012 (hence the dead trees in this photo).

Sunday, Sept 1 * * * MY BIRTHDAY! * * *

My early birthday celebration was calling our 101 yr. old cousin in PA, Ethel Reynolds, visiting for Sunday lunch at her daughter, Pat & Ken Berlin’s home in Brookville. Sunrise in the Kittitas Valley by Lise McGowan, 8-30-19
Lise describes: These great morning sunrises just last a couple of seconds! “Morning Spotlight”. Have a wonderful and blessed day!

Afternoon, 2:40, we are each having a piece of chocolate frosted birthday cake with strawberries for an afternoon snack. That will make Pat Berlin and her mom Ethel very happy to hear.

We stayed home today; answered the phone and emails wishing me Happy Birthday, inside with the a/c on. It was hot outside. I am getting a ton of birthday wishes on my Facebook account, but I’m going to wait until later to thank everyone at once. I don’t have time to respond individually to all the wishes. Facebook has my birth date, and they started off in the middle of the morning (about the time I was born, at 1:00 a.m.) by sending a balloon filled animated message with my profile picture (me in my flag vest):

A few people sent pictures for their “birthday” wish for me. I didn’t include most of them because they were basically pictures on birthday cards.

The next was from David Covert, his photo of the old barn up on Hwy 97, south of the Lauderdale junction. Barn scene photographed by my friend, David Covert, Ellensburg. Each birthday, he sends me a different photograph of our area.
In sepia, it looks quite vintage, to go with my love for the landmark, and my age, now 76. So, I’m dancing and singing to Seventy-Six Trombones Seventy six trombones led the big parade
With a hundred and ten cornets close at hand.

The second line brings back memories of my father, Thomas H. Brannen, who played the Cornet in a Military Band. I still have his Cornet, and carried it to football games through my high school years. I was able to play a few notes … dah dah dah dah ta dah with clarity.

Supper tonight was carrot, lentils, ground beef, casserole with mushroom soup, and French-fried onions baked on top. I had mine with a tomato and 2 yellow plums.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Did you have a map with symbols to alert you to a thing that would remind you of that area? Georgia had cotton or peanuts. Iowa – hogs. Pennsylvania had the Liberty Bell. Washington State had a fir tree. Kittitas County (center) has 15. John found this ‘very busy’ map while looking for 2019 information about the State’s agricultural harvest. Looks to be a great year.

Meanwhile, our yellow plums need picked and the red with yellow blush type are not far behind. We started with 5 types, now 4, and they ripen about 2 weeks apart.Our side yard, photographed today (8-25-19)

I meant to include photos-while-hiking. John hiked the Denny Creek Trail and took an early morning image of Keekwulee Falls {Chinook word meaning “to fall down”}. At Melakwa Lake {“mosquito”} John met Jay Schram, a WTA Orange Hat with whom he frequently works. So right side photo is of John by Jay at the 4,500 ft. alpine lake. There’s a link below to the Google photos of John’s hike Aug 13 last week, as promised. There are ~40 photos.

John’s August 13th hike from the Denny Creek Trail to Melakwa Lake

Please view the link above before moving on to view the next link, which has some of the photos from the WTA work parties on Aug 16-18th at Denny Creek, taken mostly by the crew leader (Blue Hat) LeeAnne Jensen, with a few others from Assistant Crew Leader [ACL] (Orange Hat) John Swiggert. The Green Hats are volunteers, some on their first day of trail work. John H. is an ACL but wasn’t taking any photos.

Below is the link to John’s Friday column in this blog, “Not So Nasty News, Aug 23rd,” with story about 3 WTA work days, which we couldn’t report last week because no pictures had yet arrived.
John provided a description of a project tackled on the trail. Numerous folks cut brush on all 3 days, but we’ll skip photos. The trail starts in an area where logging took place a hundred years ago. His explanation starts with that and links to a video (newer) and many photographs (historic). After all that, he gets to the trail repair project.

Refer to John’s, Not So Nasty News – August 23rd

Something else from last week:

Kittitas Audubon Annual Potluck Thursday, 8/15, 5:00 – 7:00. Here John is visiting with Kristin Ashley also her sidekicks, behind them, Teri Anderson from Audubon (Seattle), and Emma Lemert, helping Kristin with promotion of the Shrub-Steppe Celebration, Sept 14, at the Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility and Renewable Energy Center.

Photos at Aug 15 Meeting KAS Annual Picnic

If anyone else took photos that night you would like to share with others in the KAS, this link is shareable, so you can upload your photos. Or, you can send to me and I will add them.

Sunday, August 18

John went again (3rd day in a row) to Denny Creek WTA trail work crew, leaving at 6:53 a.m. I slept in until 9:00 a.m.

My goals today were to finish washing dishes, spend a couple hours finishing the blog, and put receipts into the TurboTax software.

I didn’t get very far, and it’s almost time for brunch. Several interruptions included an email from Bob & Suzy West that Suzy’s mom, Burniece Orcutt died yesterday at 2:30 p.m. I’m glad we got to visit our last time playing music at the Rehab center, 3 weeks ago. She wasn’t feeling well then but came down at my request, to listen to the music. She and her husband Lee (deceased now), I met at the Senior Center in the early 1990s, when our group went on Friday afternoons to play music for the ballroom dancing group of seniors. Interesting, because it wasn’t until the late 1990s that I met Bob West as my student at CWU. He is married to one of the Orcutt clan, Suzy.
Suzy is one of 12 children. They adopted us into their family for all major holiday events or any celebrations at their house in a rural area north of Kittitas, WA on Fox Rd. We were also invited to other family members’ houses for special things.

Today, I learned of errors in Jacquie Lawson database & received emails from there (the United Kingdom) this morning. While fixing one, I found another item from our Idaho past, about Jack Hemingway’s death, and took time to research that (story below).

I had sent an anniversary card to friends from long ago, who now have moved to Boise, ID and are teaching there, Dawn (Tjemsland) & Victor Estrella. Dawn was my CWU student long ago, and we have worked on projects together about San Leandro, CA, where she checked out my remotely sensed imagery on the ground and took photographs for me. They used to live in the Bay Area, and when I went to an AAG (American Association of Geographers) conference there one year, I stayed in their house, and road the BART metropolitan rail system to get back and forth. They occasionally come to Ellensburg for a visit, and when they do, they time it to stop for lunch (our treat), on a Thursday, and we borrow an Accordion for Victor to join us at our assisted-living home that week. It’s always fun to have him play with our group.

I got on Facebook to see what they were doing for their anniversary and found they were in Hailey, ID and the Sun Valley, ID area celebrating. They posted photos with this lead in: “Road our bikes from Ernest Hemingway memorial in Sun Valley to downtown Hailey.”

This is a great example of a Rails to Trails project to conserve the scenic beauty of the forest and rivers, building walking & biking trails on old railroad right-of-ways. The Big Wood River was important in the Hemingway family’s lives near Ketchum, ID. Below are on a few photos taken on their bicycle ride. Top photos show the river crossing; bottom photos show the eulogy at the base of the Memorial, beside a nearby stream.

The Memorial Statue was created in 1966, by Jack, for the family. This quote was a 1939 eulogy Ernest Hemingway wrote for a friend killed in a hunting mishap: “Best of all he loved the fall, the leaves yellow on the cottonwoods, leaves floating on the trout streams and above the hills, the high blue windless skies; Now he will be part of them forever.”Memorial with Ernest’s sculptured bust atop monument;
photos by Melissa W, and Kristi (obtained on-line)

This research reminded me of our connection to the Hemingway family. We once sold a Brittany pup from our house in Troy, ID to Jack Hemingway. I’m not sure how he originally found out we were Brittany breeders, but it may have been while John was managing a bookstore at the Moscow Mall (in Moscow, ID), where we had been teaching at the Univ. of Idaho since 1974. They used ½ of our position to hire a new Assistant Dean and department head in the Geography Department there. It was John’s choice to have them keep me on half time teaching, and for him to step out and get another job (hence, being the manager of a bookstore). There, he invited book authors in for signing parties, to autograph their books, sell books, and gave the opportunity for fans to meet the authors. John invited Jack to come to the Idaho panhandle.
{The book was: Misadventures of a Fly Fisherman: My Life with and without Papa } They must have talked hunting dogs while he was there.

He loved his Brittany from us, and kept in excellent touch about all his antics and hunting trips, plus they visited us every time he was in the region. One thing he taught his dog was to go down the long driveway at his house in south-central Idaho, and retrieve the morning paper to his hand. It was delivered (thrown out) at the end of the driveway.

I knew that Jack was older than us, but not that he had died, until while searching for his name I found his obituary with this information: John (Jack) Hadley Nicanor Hemingway, angler and conservationist, born October 10, 1923; died December 1, 2000. He died with complications from open heart surgery in New York City.

The year we met would have been in the mid 1980s.

Gave Annie her ½ pill Rimadyl at 1:00 p.m. Fixed brunch finally finishing late at 1:45.

Change of topic to our temperature examinations. Morning sun causes the house front to warm.

At 10:53 a.m., house is 70° & outside is 77.5°; at KELN is 75°.

At 11:53 a.m., house is 70° & outside is 79.9°; at KELN is 78°.

I missed any more temp reportings. We are keeping track of this because a climatologist at UW Atmospheric Sciences Department is in contact with us about the Ellensburg airport (KELN) weather station reports. Many weather reporting sites are at airports and look like this:The temperature sensors will “read high” at times and need attention (fans replaced?). Our airport (KELN) is 175 miles from the Pendleton office of the NWS. They don’t appear to be in a hurry to come north to check on this.

You may see a similar set of instruments at your favorite airport. Image below shows where to look at Atlanta’s Hartsfield:At 2:53 p.m., house is 76° & outside is 83.1°; at KELN is 86°.

At 4:20 p.m. at airport 86 via Hungry Junction Road in John’s car. KELN was 87° at 3:53.

Now here at 4:23 outside is 83.5° and the a/c in house is at 77°.

John got home at 5:00 p.m., pretty tired. They were 1.5 miles in from the trailhead. A lot of rocks and dirt got moved. You may have already looked at his report, which I noted at the beginning of this blog, but if not, … go for it. His report explains, with photos.
a click here will take you there

He put a pizza in the oven for us with our cherry tomatoes, grated pineapple, ham, and whatever was on the pizza to begin with. He probably added onion as well – we have many.

We didn’t have any dessert, but worked on finishing up the blog, and got it published at 11:00 p.m.

Monday, August 19

I called Jennifer at The Law Office, about onions delivery by John today. Done – John delivered in the bucket she had brought us large apricots earlier.
Much work on projects the rest of the day.

Tuesday, August 20

I worked all day on taxes, sorting and filing. John would have done all his normal chores.
Our friends checked our Bi-Mart numbers and we won nothing, but they won a 44-ounce bag of Trail Mix. John would have loved that gift!

Wednesday, August 21

I needed to know my costs for Medic Alert database, for the bracelet I wear 24/7 for my medical details (allergies, and contact to my medical records), if ever needed by an EMT. It took me a large amount of time on the phone, trying to find out the simple thing I called for. So much security for no apparent reason. I did not have details and needed them.
It costs me $119.99 for 3 years ($40/yr), next to need renewal is 3/20/2020. Finally found out I was getting it in 2013 for one year (higher price), but in 2014 switched to 3 yrs, and renewed last in 2017 for 3 yrs, hence the ending and time for the next renewal is March, 2020.
My password had expired (for unknown reasons). Juanita finally changed the password back to what it should be. No one knows why it expired because I used it last year. I now know my username is my ID number (which is engraved on my metal part of the bracelet. My password is now set to what it was (which both John I will know without doubt or looking anywhere). When my life calms down and I submit my TurboTax form, I will get on to update my medical record.

I just figured out my timing for FISH music today. Arrive by 11:35. Leave home at 11:00 – load the 2 bags of containers, violin, red bag with ID and drink. Hope my head stops aching.
It did and the day went perfectly. I drove my car to the food place at the back of the Liberty Theater, John went with me, and helped unload. He then drove my car to other necessary stops to deliver and pick up stuff, coming back to pick me up after 12:30 p.m.

We had unloaded two bags of bottles for C.M. Bechard, and a bag holding a plastic container with 64 ounces of cherry tomatoes John had picked, 7 brown lunch bags to pack them in to give away, my Ensure/Yogurt drink, violin, and red bag with my entry card for Senior Nutrition (a federal program the Food Bank gets money from to fix the community free lunches (Mon -Thur). They had finally set up the computer screen to accept our FISH ID number for our time playing music (counts our time there volunteering), but I forgot my number to enter; my time was recorded by Lindsay. I need to remember to take that next week. It’s been 8 months since we had to check in that way when we were at the FISH Food Bank behind Mercer Creek Church. I couldn’t pull it from my memory bank, but I have it written down, and will use the proper screen login next week. It stores the time entered and the time of checkout, name, and reason (playing music on Wednesdays).

I am completely in charge next week because Evelyn Heflen is going away for next week to Lake Tahoe on a volunteer work “mission” for the Sierra Club. I don’t know all the details, but it’s a nice vacation opportunity for her and mutual friend, Karen Johnson, to experience. I suggested some memories I have of my visits there, and encouraged them to do the scenic drive around the lake, stopping at all the view points and interpretative centers from the hills above to the wetlands below. They have one day off for their own pursuits.

Back to today’s happenings. I was the first to arrive, and found that Robert (from the audience), had already set up our chairs. He then went down and brought down the metal music stand and then retrieved the cart filled with our music and folding music stands. Evelyn brought in the rest of the books, in a separate wheeled container, which she is going to leave for the rest of the group to use, next week. When I got the carrier that belongs to me, I found that in the past 3 weeks while I was away, after having my foot injured, someone had unraveled the tie for tightening the top of the carrier bag. It was completely out of the holder around the top of the bag, and had been thrown into the bottom of the bag. I couldn’t thread it back in, but when Ken & Joanie arrived, I showed Ken (Mr. Fix-It) the problem. He worked on it quite a while, but succeeded fixing it better than when I bought it at a yard sale several years ago. It is from Hawaii. It’s a cloth bag with top, zippered pocket in the rear, and comfortable large handle to pull it behind (on wheels). We store it at the other end of the building in a closet off the main social room (near the Kitchen and place for hanging folding chairs).

I called the eye doctor after finding that tax medical deductions for eyes, are covered when itemizing medical deductions on income tax. I have been unaware of this, because somewhere on the web I read it was only for out-of-pocket costs not covered by insurance for dental needs and medical (services, medications). However, very recently, while inputting information into TurboTax computer software, I found it does allow and ask for all things associated with the costs for eye care, including glasses, exams, surgery, etc. Once home today, I called Valley Vision, and talked with Gillian to see if she had access to past records for us. She is mailing all our summaries by year to me going out in Thursday morning’s mail. I should have it by Friday or Saturday at the latest. (It arrived in Saturday’s mail).

Our temperatures today have mostly been cool (clouded over) in the 70s. Very nice. One high at the airport was 81, but their sensors have been reading high for days; on hot windless days mostly.

Thursday, August 22

Started the morning with several calls for yearly tax records from Sullivan Dental (received), Yakima Heart Center (no out of pocket; all covered by insurance), Darrell Tew Oral Surgery (received – paid over $2000), Canyon View Physical Therapy (all covered by insurance), Cascade Foot & Ankle (received totals; tallying totals now), KVH Cle Elum Clinic (all covered by insurance), Orthopedics Northwest (is postal mailing them); only charge was for CD of Shoulder X-ray, $16. Rest was covered by insurance.

Today was the play date for the Kittitas Valley Fiddlers & Friends. We had a small player turn-out, but a noble one, at Hearthstone, and everyone in the audience very much appreciated our being there. We had guitars, Charlotte, Sharon, Manord, & Gerald, Harmonica, Dean, Fiddlers, Nancy & Joanie, and Tim on his Cittern, a special type of Mandolin. We enjoyed having a large audience, with lots of singers.

Friday, August 23

We both worked on projects all day.

At 7:11 p.m. we heard 3 or 4 gunshots tonight from across the creek. We have no clue. {Skunks? Coyotes? Cougars?}

Saturday, August 24

I slept in until 8:00 a.m.

I worked some on dishes and many other chores, but I intended to work all day on taxes (haven’t really gotten there until almost 3:00).

John and critters went out for morning chores. Until 12:45 today, it was clouded over and relatively cool.
Temperature data from KELN today was:
11:53 a.m. 74° w/ NW Wind 23 / Gusts 33
12:53 p.m. 77° w/ WNW Wind 23 / Gusts 32; home 74.8°
1:53 p.m. 78° w/ W Wind 26 / Gusts 35; home 75.4°

I wrote the Sept 8th at Meadows BBQ on the calendar (Sunday, 1:00-3:00). Sharon’s group of three is playing music. It’s being held outside in the parking lot. Be sure to take my comfortable padded chair for finding shade in the parking lot under a tree. I’ll get there early for the best spot for me and my car.

We had brunch of eggs, sausage, cantaloupe, and English Muffin bread toast (my favorite).
Back to taxes. I got my new Microsoft Suite Excel spreadsheet working for calculating a column (or row) of totals. I had not tried any of the new version which has changed from the old 2003 version I once had on my computer. That was a milestone.

We continued working much of the evening. Had a nice supper of a loaded salad. Mine included Iceberg lettuce, smoked turkey cubes, cantaloupe, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, pistachios, small red grapes, blue cheese dressing, with Cheez-its for croutons.

Sunday, August 25

Check on Sirius XM soon.

Find out if Medical Insurance Premiums are deductible as an expense. If Long Term Care is, they should be, and I have that data on my monthly bank statements!! YES!! The $400 something dollars we pay Kaiser Permanente is our out of pocket cost, paid out of our checking account withdrawal monthly.
Also, all medical mileage can be deducted, which I knew.

Backed up (at John’s great suggestion), my current TurboTax form on a separate flash drive to store away from the house. I am also backing it up on my external hard drive always connected to my laptop.

John fixed a nice supper tonight; fried onions with fried breast of chicken, red grapes, tomatoes, cauliflower, and broccoli.

He went to bed early to get up and go tomorrow a.m. on a hike.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan