Category: Weekly report by day

Monday, Nov 19

Staying home today to prepare medical records and questions for taking to annual physical in Cle Elum tomorrow for John and me both. Accomplished and packed to go.

Tuesday, Nov 20

I drove my car to Cle Elum and we filled with gas after our long doctor’s appointments. We used our credit card for $3.06 / gal, 10 cents / gal higher than the cash price, but we get a 4% return for a cash rebate once a year from Costco/Citi card, so it’s perky to use the card and it saved us more / gal than buying at the cash price ($2.96 in Cle Elum). We were there, not Yakima, where the Costco price was $2.99 (and we’d have gotten a 4% return there). The Ellensburg price was even higher.

We left (12:20) for the Annual Wellness Visit, as Medicare calls it. at. I drove and we went via I-90, with no problems. There is a little snow visible on Mt. Stuart (9,415 feet), but in the next few days we are expecting it have a whiter top to last through winter. We arrived in time for our check-in, and had to fill in a bunch of paperwork. We both weighed in and started on our questions & answers.

The Wellness Visit seems to be designed to cut Medicare’s costs by discouraging tests that were often done in a “annual physical exam.” If, during the 1st visit, something suggests a medical issue, then going back a week later for that seems to fit this description: “Preventive vs. Diagnostic .

A service is considered preventive if you have no prior symptoms of the disease. In some cases, Medicare only covers preventive care services if you have certain risk factors. On the other hand, diagnostic services tend to address symptoms or conditions that you already have. The classification of services as preventive versus diagnosis is important because it affects what you owe for them. You typically need to pay a copay, coinsurance, and/or deductible for diagnostic services.

I don’t remember the order of the things done but the basics were vitals: blood pressure, temp, pulse, and an SpO2 reading. Checking medicines, asking if refills are needed, and a list of questions that included some we already had filled in on the sheets given at the start. Most of those are about smoking, alcohol intake, last exams (eyes, dental), immunizations, and questions about your outlook on life (I interpret as seeking to find depressed folks or serious threats to society, or possibly ones with cognition / memory / behavioral problems. As usual, John and I were turned off by the form’s “marking” placement, and presentation of options.

John objects to the phrase about “using alcohol.” Reader’s Digest has a post titled “12 Ways to Use Rubbing Alcohol” and that one doesn’t mention paint removal. The other form of alcohol, the one of the medical question, is considered by many to be an acceptable “food” that one drinks or adds during food preparation.

At least they had filled in our correct address, phone numbers, insurance details, new card numbers, but missing were any data from the old system (such as year of retirement, or year of starting coverage). Those had 2018 dates.

Here is a good information source of what to expect, and it explains much of the stuff behind several of my comments above.

Screening Tools for Medicare Wellness Annual Visit

This document includes the following table, which shows the 3 words possible to give at the start of the clock routine drawing, which will need to be recalled later in the “interview” (administered by the nurse).This year my words were those in Version 2. John’s were Version 4. She gave his first, and I put my fingers in my ears, because last year, mine were spoken first, with John listening, so he remembered one of my words and only 2 of his. This year she wrote my words down on a piece of paper to show me. We both remembered all three this year. Next year, I’m going to study this table before going for my test. Last year we were both surprised by the “draw a clock with specified time”, and I goofed on mine. Not this year. (Interesting thing to me was they did not change the actual time, which is published in the screening tests above, and was exactly the same as used last year (one would think…). They may need a new test soon, because many folks rarely see this type of clock. Most are digital.

Our time with the doctor was quite useful. We discussed all the things we wanted (except for one thing). I wanted him to review my chest X-rays from Feb 20 & Mar 20, this year which were interpreted by another medical person (P.A.) in this facility, because our usual doctor was not available. He had correctly determined I had Pneumonia, but on the second follow-up X-ray, a month later, he mentioned he saw a hiatal hernia (HH). John was not with me and I was unable to see what he was seeing on the X-ray. I wanted a second interpretation from my PCP, but the X-rays were part of the “old” record computerized databank reporting system and no longer available in the new. I have experienced none of the symptoms of a HH. We’ll just start from scratch and now have a chest X-ray each annual visit, or not, as the Doctor wants.

We both had ours today, after blood draws. Next week we will get the evaluations of the X-rays displayed to us and go over the blood test results (which I have already downloaded and printed from our hospital medical records reports). If I want, I can also go to the hospital and request CDs of our X-rays. It’s a free service. I need to find mine from February & March this year, which I received before the medical records were lost in the transfer to the new medical records system. Actually, ‘lost’ isn’t the correct term. A new records provider did not want the old material transferred to their new (clean) system. The local clinic can re-enter items as desired, but not use automated digital transfers. Or something like that.

We also talked about other issues, of refills, and concerns. As well, I was scheduled for yearly mammograms (rather than every 2 years) and for another colonoscopy. My last one was in 2010. John has another year to go before his next one. Our doctor is recommending 5 yrs especially if we have had polyps, because they can be precancerous. If a person doesn’t have polyps, they can go 10 years between. I am sure that recommended time span has changed in recent years. In previous colonoscopies I have always had a couple of polyps, but my timing had been 10 years until this year. Hopefully, I will have none and can return to the every 10 years check, as my Doctor just did.

John’s concern is red blood cells (RBCs), or rather lack thereof. His RBCs stick together.

Link to Rouleaux.

[picture how the coils of a Slinky seem to be connected; pull on one coil and the ones on either side move also]. This is not a new thing; he just wants an update and more information.

Wednesday, Nov 21

I play music at Hearthstone today; need to be there by 1:20.

This morning, I saw an announcement for a free pickup bed liner base, and sent John off to get it. It is for a Ford but might fit in our old Chev ’80 PU. If not, and if we cannot think of another use, we can pass it on. The new free liner given to us today.

Today, he’s taking the trash to the Transfer station (aka dump) using the Ford PU with the canopy. He managed to get rid of more than 500 pounds of stuff and paid just under $20 to dispose of it. Snow was falling on his way back. That trip will provide some space in all our freezers.

I left at 12:45 for Hearthstone to play music. We had a good player turnout. 12 people, plus our little yodeler singer, Haley. Had a fairly good audience, of the regulars, but some were missing probably because they were already on their way to their family Thanksgiving celebrations. A few of our players had similar travel issues.

The older ladies I was going to take are not feeling up to going, but two of them came to hear the music. We started early playing December winter songs and a couple of Thanksgiving songs. Evie played the piano, I the violin, and all the others played chords. Then at 1:55 we began one more song (Mission in the Air), as the whole group has music for it, with Evie staying on the piano. Then she moved back behind the group to play violin.

The audience consisted of residents and they were served coffee and gingerbread cookies with a white frosting. Family members came along from the musician group, and sang along as well. They were there to leave directly and go to the Community Thanksgiving Dinner which followed at 3:20 at the old Armory building near the Fairgrounds. Part of the story is here: Link: costly transition from Armory to County use Don’t miss watching the video, and near the end you’ll see the big meeting room which many of us have used since it was finished.

I was surprised at how many of our group went to dinner; we sat at the same table. In addition, my new found Persian friends, were there, two tables away, whom I saw as I was leaving. I sat down and visited with them on my way out the door. The young gal you have seen in last week’s blog because she videotaped our Veterans’ Day performance on Nov. 9. At that time, I had not known of or met her husband and his mom, or they would have been invited too. However, I did invite them via email earlier this week, and they came. They converse among themselves in Farsi, but speak English well. The younger two speak without any noticeable accent. We had a nice visit and I didn’t get home until dark. John had already fed the animals. I will likely see the family next Wednesday at the Food Bank. I will know them much better having met them today and visited.

In informing the people invited today, I had sent a copy of the flyer advertising the event and knew about the free taxi rides being offered by a community member, Steve, who owns the business. When I went out the door, he was there, so I stopped and thanked him. I came home and wrote the following note to the Facebook site for Community Connect Kittitas County. It has been well received with 68 likes, 17 loves, comments, and several shares. I hope the message gets back to Steve.

A big thank you to Steve at K.C. Cabs, 509-312-9315, who provided FREE rides to/from the Community Thanksgiving Dinner, at the Armory – from 3:15 to 6:45 p.m.
On my way out the building to my own car, I saw him sitting in his taxi. I knocked on his window, he rolled it down, and I thanked him for providing the service. That is an exceptional gift. The dinner was also free to the community and put on by the City of Ellensburg and FISH, with the help of many local volunteers. Thanks to all involved.

I knew many of the people eating and the volunteers serving. The staff and volunteers of the Senior Center are part of the City of Ellensburg, so right in the middle of the activity. I even got involved with delivering “dressing” for the turkey dinner from Hearthstone whose cooks made it, to the Armory. John and I also donated 6 turkeys to the event. Commercially approved kitchens around the city cooked the food as a donation too.

We had a tiny few flakes of snow today, but friends and relatives back east had snow in inches. This collage below comes from my friend Elise in New Jersey, of autumn leaves (and even ferns) with 8” of snow covering the ground. New Jersey: fall colors on 8” snow, by Elise Schlosser

Thursday, Nov 22 HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

We awoke at 6:30 to our cat Czar wanting fed. He has learned to come in the swinging door (in a window, via a ramp) and sleep overnight quietly in the living room under a chair and stay away from Rascal, also an in&out neutered male.

He meows and comes from the living room when he’s ready to be fed (outside on the front porch, or a bowl of Party Mix underneath his chair in the living room). Note: He can go out on his own, but would have to go around the house to a heated water bowl.

Now it’s after 9:00 a.m.; all 4 cats have been fed and John just left to feed the horses. There was snow on the pass, early a.m., now bare and dry, but no snow here. May rain this afternoon.

John returned and made a cookie sheet of candied Carpathian walnuts to take today as our contribution. With sugar and butter added, a pound of dry walnuts becomes a pound & a half of fancy food. He used walnuts he harvested from our several trees.Candied Carpathian Walnuts

I found a nice Christmas tin to carry them in, and so our friends, Suzy and Bob West, who invited us to their family Thanksgiving dinner can have some there and take some home, we will give them a Ziploc bag of their own to be sure they get some. They were the only “family” allowed in to the ICU at Yakima Regional Hospital to see me when I was so sick starting on the day after Thanksgiving in 2009. No one else was allowed to visit besides them and John for 55 days. A couple of my students sneaked in the first day before the nurses found out I was being visited.

Family was allowed in, but none are nearby, so the hospital approved Suzy and Bob West to be “family.” Suzy worked at the close-by college and came almost every day on her lunch hour (they live west of Yakima past Wiley City). Bob is closer to my age but was my student who was graduated in 1997 from Geography. Suzy’s family I have known since the early 1990s when I first met her parents coming to dance Friday afternoons at the Senior Center, and our group played music for them. I worked my class schedule on Thursdays and Fridays around going to play my fiddle with the group at assisted living homes and at the Ellensburg Senior Center.

There were 12 kids in Suzy’s family. Bob is into music and CDs, and fixed me up (allowed by the hospital) to have a CD player and music while there. They introduced me to the Mannheim Steamroller group, especially their Christmas Album because I was there from Thanksgiving through December and into January a week.

Here is a link to one of the CDs he gave me. The group is still performing in 2018. This album below is one I have that plays for 34 minutes.

Mannheim Steamroller Christmas

On a related musical note, here is an amazing Thanksgiving wish from the two musical mountaineers who hike with their ‘piano’ (keyboard, weighing 45#) and violin to heights to share their music.

Here is today’s entry on Thanksgiving.Find at this link (only for people with Facebook accounts):

The Musical Mountaineers: Anastasia & Rose

It’s worth it to make an account with a fake name or in your dog or cat’s name, so you can get access if you don’t want your own name displayed there.

With this video was posted poetry to go with a beautiful violinist (Anastasia), playing for her piano player/ice skating friend (Rose) to dance across the Alpine pond.At 3:15, we are leaving our home and driving SW about 20 miles to the Orcutt family’s Thanksgiving Dinner, with many people expected to be there to greet and dine. The festivities begin at 4:00 p.m. The home is a large open style log type with internal dividers in the common area.

I failed to get a photo of Suzy and Bob West. So many folks, good conversations, and a ton of food. I did not even capture pictures of all the counters of food. Missing is stuff around the kitchen counters: stuffed mushrooms, dressing, Suzy West’s yam casserole with brown sugar & pecans, mashed white potatoes, gravy, platters of turkey, numerous baked veggies such as green bean casserole and corn. Rolls and butter. Punch, cooled bottles water, and other beverage delicacies.Matriarch Burniece, Jennifer, John, Kristy and grandson Clayton.Some of the salad bar, with a view of my plate on the right. Top center of my plate is Suzy’s awesome sweet potato casserole with pecans.Parts of the dessert table. Left is a trifle (which sadly I did not get to taste). It was all gone by the time I got there. I’ll be sure next year to take a taste as an appetizer. John’s candied Carpathian walnuts are in the can beside it. The other picture has the edge of one of several pies, gum drops, lemon bars (also I missed out on), and another type of fudge.

We got home a little before 9:00 p.m. Rained on us going but not returning. We did drive slowly in a few places through thick fog, but home safely with four cats ready to eat.

Friday, Nov 23

I went to the Kittitas Neighborhood Pantry and to take clothing to the clothing bank, but had no way to contact them, so I drove over and back 21 miles to Kittitas to read the sign on the door they were not open the day after Thanksgiving. I had a small garbage bag full of clothes to donate, which I’ll just take back next week, the last day it’s open until spring.

Saturday, Nov 24
We are invited to the Swedbergs for a late Thanksgiving dinner, which will be my third this week. Dale Swedberg, Aalin, Luken, Kathy, Erica, red Xmas dress & hat Kathy made for her granddaughter.Nancy, roasted turkey, Erica, Adam, Julie, smoked turkey, John
No photos of all of the meal but finished with desserts, chocolate pear cake, pumpkin pie, rhubarb cake, and chocolate muffins. We shared a few of our candied walnuts with the folks and gave what was left to Ken. Laura gave away as much of the two turkeys as anyone wanted. I took a good amount of the smoked one, and Ken was kind enough to carve it for me into a large Ziploc bag. I use that in my Wednesday salads, each week, or in sandwiches or salads with John. We will make good use of it.
We left in time to get home just before dark to feed the outside animals.

Sunday, Nov 25

I slept in this morning, after watching Czar spend the night on Annie’s bed (blanket and comforter on the floor in the den). I let him out the front door at daybreak and moved his hard food on his “ledge.” He and Rascal are getting along better inside the house, almost ignoring each other. Rascal will hiss as he walks toward him, but Czar just quietly moves by, on his way to the water bowl in the kitchen.

I was supposed to go over to Swedberg’s to sit with the great grandfather (Bob Swedberg), so his son, Ken, can get some recreation time in Yakima with his friend at a movie. No one in the family was available to help, so I told him I would. Meanwhile, this morning, he called to say a friend Beth up the road close to the Naneum Canyon would come for the entire time and I did not need to. I was relieved, especially after John came in to tell me that our horses found a way out of the fence on the south end and were at two of our neighbors’ places. He has retrieved them and now is on his way to fix the fence.

I’m continuing to work on things in the house, and no longer charging the battery and packing up my laptop to take to the neighbor’s where I would not have had access to the Internet. Also means I can finish inside house chores needed completed and get my brunch.

We are getting this published early today and will be able to get into bed at a decent hour for a change.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

I promised in last week’s blog on Friday to send a link to photos taken that day, at the AAC Veterans’ Day early celebration.

AAC Veterans’ Day early celebration, Nov. 9, 2018

I will wait until next week to send more video links of our music. Those are still not all processed. We now have through 15, and I left off at 3. Below, you’ll see the corrections to #2 and #3, which were labeled incorrectly with wrong links.

Go back to Nov 9th for corrected 2nd and 3rd links
Now for the current week:

Sunday, Nov 11 Colorful blueberry-pecan Pancakes & Egg made to look like a flower.

Photo of our holiday brunch, above a photo of some of the Quail having their own lunch of Black Oil Sunflower seeds. They are on a 5 foot high “table” just out from our kitchen window.

One can see the brush pile at the end of the driveway, a good hiding place for the quail.

Monday, Nov 12

I went to SAIL exercise class today and by a gal’s “farm” to take some egg cartons and drop off a pot of Hens and Chicks. She introduced me to her hens, only 5 months old who are all named and friendly, and gave me a dozen small eggs.

Tuesday, Nov 13

I had a call at 8:30 a.m. from Lacey at Cle Elum that my referral had been sent. I called at 9:20 to report that to the KVC hospital Cardiopulmonary unit where I have to take my Pulmonary Function Test, and they worked me in today. It took awhile to get it processed, because of protocol and referral complications electronically, but thanks to Vanessa here at the hospital and Lacey at the other end working together, it was accomplished and she called me to tell me I could come in today at 2:30. I did, and had Jim Allen (man in charge of the department) for my technician. He’s been in this part of the medical profession for over 30 years.

On my way to check in, I checked my numbers at Bi-Mart, dropped off a donation check for six turkeys at the Community Thanksgiving Dinner, to Katrina, the director of the Ellensburg AAC (Senior Center), one of the major groups putting on the annual celebration for our town. Several of us will go directly from playing music at Hearthstone, Wednesday, next week, to participate in the dinner, starting at 3:30.

Then I went to the hospital and home by one more stop, not getting home until almost 4:00.

I continued working on finishing up the Google Photo link to all the photos taken last Friday, Nov. 9 at the AAC.

We have eaten, I have showered, and now am uploading the photos.

But I have to get to bed soon, because we must leave by 8:30 a.m. for our first meeting in town tomorrow at 9:00.

Wednesday, Nov 14

Today was a long day. Started early to be ready to be out for town in two separate cars. Because of the icy rain we left about 8:20 and drove a little slower than usual. We needed to be there in time to set the table and be ready to roll.

I had started assembling my lunch salad with John’s help last night cubing smoked turkey breast and an apple, and I put the lettuce into a bowl, but waited until this morning to add Blue Cheese dressing and mixed it all up. I neglected to put in my bag of Cheez-its for my croutons, so went without.

Our first meeting was at Hearthstone, with a bunch of retired Geography professors and I invited two guests who I knew would be interested in the main topic of discussion. They are sisters who are residents there: Gloria Swanson and Shirley Strong. Geographers and sidekicks who came included Ken Hammond (Jo), Dee Eberhart (daughter Cory), Jim Huckabay (Diane), Lillian Brooks – now a resident there, and John and me. The management (Laurie) provided coffee and tea bags, and I retrieved hot water and Hot Chocolate mix from the adjacent room. Lillian brought her nice creamer in a bottle, not powder.

I brought some crispy cookies (probably harder than they should have been, so I won’t choose them again). Guess we should have made Chocolate Chip cookies, or brownies, or something different. I had pretty plates with balloons on them and napkins with colored balloons to cheer people.

From there I intended to go to the Food Bank, but it was 11:10, and I saw as I was 4 blocks from Hearthstone, that my tire pressure warning light was on, so I called John and told him I was going to Les Schwab to have them checked. He said he would meet me there. They found all four tires were each 5 lbs. low. Supposed to be 29 in the front and 30 in the back. They added air pressure and off I went (I knew the warning light would take a few blocks to turn off, and it did).

John left me and went by the hardware store for a special deal on a few bags of Black Oil Sunflower Seeds. Even our small birds like them, but John also got some other seeds for them.

Once I got to the Food Bank, I had to park a small walk from the building where I usually park, but I did stop and leave my violin and bags of stuff inside the building and then went back to move my car. As I was entering the building it started raining again. It rained hard while we were inside. But, thankfully, it stopped by the time I left.

From there on to the AAC for SAIL exercise. I used the facilities to check my email and got all checked in for class. We went the entire hour, and I came home.

John was receiving hay and helping unload bales when I got here. He got 90 bales today, and will get more tomorrow.

I worked on some music I needed to fix for the audience tomorrow, and continued working on computer needs. Also washed a load of dishes. I guess I’m going to have to do a load of clothes soon.

Tomorrow is another full day. I have to play music at Pacifica, and meet John in town (I don’t have time to carry my violin home), to be back by 4:00 for a lecture by two geographer friends, Elaine Glenn and Sterling Quinn (on Israel and Brasilia trips they took this summer), given for Geography Awareness Week. Then we’ll go by BK for a couple of Crispy Chicken sandwiches and fries, on our way to the Kittitas Audubon monthly meeting. I’m going to video the speaker so I need to be there early. Helps to be there by 6:30 to assure a front row seat.

Thursday, Nov 15

We ended up having the largest number of players ever, come to Pacifica today, fifteen.

We had 90 more bales of hay delivered at 11:00 a.m. today. I left before 1:00 for town.

John drove in to meet me at 3:30 at Grocery Outlet because I have the parking sticker to park behind Dean Hall on campus; otherwise, it costs $5.00 to park. We are attending a lecture by Elaine Glenn and Sterling Quinn on Israel and Brasilia at 4:00 p.m.

This was a family affair. Elaine Glenn presented first on Israel and Palestine with her husband there for support.

Elaine Glenn_Israel & Palestine

Sterling Quinn presented next on Brasilia with three of his children on the front row.

Sterling Quinn_Brasilia, A History & a Visit

With a team ending, Quinn & Glenn, fielded questions for discussion.

Sterling and Elaine respond as a Geographic Team

From there, we moved my car down to the Ellensburg Library, to leave it while John and I went in his for our supper. I had wrapped my violin in two coats to help it make it through the long cold stay in the car. I should have just brought it inside to the last stop, especially because that went so long from 3:10 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

We made it back to the Kittitas Audubon meeting way early, so I went into the library and used their computers. I learned that having a library card is now free. Previously for 20+ years, one was not available to us, because we are not in the city limits, even though our mailing address is Ellensburg, WA. Nice to know that’s no longer the case. I wonder if that also applies to the City Swimming Pool entry. We still cannot vote in City Council or other city elections, but we do pay taxes to the schools because, while in town, the districts are not the same as the EBRG boundary.

Our next meeting was the Kittitas Audubon Chapter’s General meeting with the normal stuff (passing around dead birds), and various announcements, and finally, a presentation by Joe Buchanan on a study of Short-eared Owls in the Western states.

They are seen widely, but not much is known about how many there are, nor if the numbers are up, down, or steady.Photos from The Cornell Lab of Ornithology: All About Birds

Joe Buchanan, Volunteer Survey Short-eared Owls in U.S. Western Region

Ending Commentary

Friday, Nov 16

I don’t know what happened to the time today, but it evaporated.
I did spend time with paying bills, and working on email, and calling a couple of people, considered going to town, but decided I had too much to finish at home than to take several hours away. I was able to get some paperwork ready for next week’s medical visit (annual physical), and to arrange a note to our paper deliverer and make a comment to the regional manager of circulation for the Wall Street Journal.

Meanwhile, I got the cost for the hay we were buying and I had to write a check today because this, the 3rd delivery with 95 bales, is the last for this year. Previously, in the past 2 days, we had 90 bales, and then yesterday, 95. John had to help unload it because Mario could not get a helper. I wrote the check, and we should be good through next October. After helping with the hay, John stayed out to get some things ready for winter – arriving this coming Wed or Thur, as rain or ice. He intends to cover the strawberries with mulched leaves, by Monday.

I left cat food out tonight, and a raccoon just visited. John heard it crunching next to the window he sits near, thought it was our cat, Czar, but looked out and saw a black nose, and then shooed her/him off. The blinds were down so the raccoon didn’t see him sitting there by the window. It was only 8:30 p.m., but mostly we have all the food brought in by then. Need to improve our timing.

Saturday, Nov 17

I was up early to feed the cat and went back to bed and slept in. I should have put my computer on sending up a video, taken Thursday, which is going to take much of the day. I still have more to send. The one going now is on my Nikon camera, which is much higher resolution, and requires much more bandwidth. I prefer using my old camera, Exilim, which goes up faster. Still it is not as fast as people using their Smartphones on a T mobile carrier.

I must get ready and go to Briarwood today. We expect to have 10 players, a big bunch!

John fixed a nice brunch: Raisin/sunflower bread toast, over easy eggs, sausage patty, and canned peaches.

I went to Briarwood, and was surprised by the large last minute turnout. We had 12 folks present: Roberta, Tim, Charlotte, Amy, Dean, Nancy, Charlie, Gerald, Kevin, Marilyn, Maury, and Haley. We had a nice large audience as well, and they fed us well. We had a great hot soup (two bean types & ground beef), with a roll & butter or saltine crackers. A table full of desserts (cookies – several varieties: peanut butter, corn flakes sugar, frosted sugar cookies with green & orange frosting in the shape of a pumpkin), some other crispy cookies (almond, caramel, gingerbread), Raspberry Jell-O with cut grapes and apples, a pumpkin cake, cheesecake with cherry pie topping and whipped cream on top, if wanted. I think that’s all.

Here is Lee Kiesel, our awesome organizer, taking the tops off the delicacies to be served. Out of sight is the hot apple cider and the hot soup, rolls, butter, and saltines over on the counter and another table. It was quite the spread, and I needed no supper tonight. Our harmonica & singer, Dean is standing behind. She is planning for December 15, a Christmas Buffet. That will be something special.

I don’t know all the things John did today in my absence, but one of them involves our old Pace Arrow motorhome, which no longer runs. He made wood boxes to fit over the busted vents in the roof, and is considering creating an entrance through the side front window to allow the feral cats (Woody especially, and maybe her mom Sue, and also Czar) access to inside from the weather and to have food, water, and a closed space above freezing.

I did bring home some cookies to share from Briarwood today. We’ll have them for dessert and go to bed. I stayed up until late to finish sending a video from Thursday afternoon to YouTube. I still have two 10-minute ones to send up, but thankfully from a different camera, so it should not take over 2 hours. This went until midnight.

Sunday, Nov 18

Nothing on the schedule today except finish the blog and get to the record-keeping. In order to complete the blog, I had to upload two more videos to YouTube, and that took much of the morning, slowly down the response time of our computers.

We did sneak in a brunch with eggs, sausage, toast, and pears.

I do need to go over my paperwork (labs, PFT test, questions about refill directions). I have my meds printed out as a table because I don’t wish to package all of them in their little bottles, as requested. Get Dr. Wood to write me a referral for a PFT this time next year, now. I just had one this week. Talk to him about increasing the dosage to 10 mg hydrocodone + 325 Acetaminophen. Ask for an interpretation of Hiatal Hernia in my Chest x-rays in March 2018, after the first for Pneumonia, by Rob Merkel, and more follow-up on Thyroid tests annually from a medication I’m on (and the reason for the Pulmonary Fctn test.

Our sister Peggy called from Ohio and we had a nice conversation for 45 min., but both our phones were almost out of battery, when we hung up. When her phone call originally came, John was walking out the door with the dog, but luckily he heard the ring and came back. The dog stayed out on her own, for most of the time. We covered many topics of conversation about her life and about upcoming plans for the weekend after Thanksgiving with some of their older brother Ken’s family.

I did complete the send for organization for 3 upcoming days of our music group events and I telephoned the ones without an email connection.

Now John’s fixing supper, and I’m finalizing the blog for him to edit and get into WordPress. I found 2 errors in last week’s blog on Nov. 9, which I noted above at the very beginning of this blog. If you followed the 2nd and 3rd videos for patriotic things, they were not correctly notated. That all has now been fixed.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

As we work on this tonight reports from around the country are claiming snow, and some serious winter weather. Locally, the snow is 50 miles northwest and 2,000 feet higher. There is none in our week-out forecast. The rest of you, take care.

Monday, Nov 5

I reported into the AAC that I could not make it to my SAIL exercise class today. Meanwhile, this morning, the director called me to update me on all the plans for this Friday’s Veterans’ Day celebration (early) when our Kittitas Valley Fiddlers & Friends is playing patriotic music as part of the program.

We needed to be down in imaging at the Yakima Heart Center for me to have an Echocardiogram administered by Angie. My appointment was 11:00 a.m. I had to have an IV administered with DEFINITY®. “It is an injectable cardiovascular ultrasound contrast agent comprised of lipid-coated echogenic microbubbles filled with octafluoropropane gas that enhances clinicians’ view of the left ventricle of the heart during an echocardiogram to aid with diagnosis.” I had it last time as well, with no side effects, but to be safe, John drove us home. We stopped at Jack in the Box, just two blocks from the Center, for a small lunch, on our way home. Shared a burger with other stuff on it, fries, and a drink.

Needed to get home to for my haircut appointment. John went to Costco while I was having the Echocardiogram performed. He also filled my car with gasoline, inexpensive (relative to Ellensburg prices), at $3.19/gallon.

Once home, I drove a mile to my neighbor’s house on Thomas, who has cut my hair since I arrived in Ellensburg in 1988. Then she was working at the Band Box Salon across the street from Lind Hall where my office was located initially. When we bought our house we bought close to hers in 1989.

Late afternoon (3:20) I finished assembling all my meds for the week. You guessed it, I had to order two more I was running out of. I only have one week of another (now ordered and received).

Finally, after supper, we published the blog for last week, almost 10:00 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov 6

Spoke with Vanessa at Respiratory Services about my pulmonary function test (PFT), before the end of the year. She will check the system for my last visit and get back to me, at home.

Pulmonary Function Test details. Jim found on the machine that I had one in Dec 2016, and then on 4-14-17. (I think that’s strange, but I am okay to be done the end of this year).

I put a call in for a referral from Dr. Wood to get one before the end of this year. A triage nurse will get back to me today about that. Once the referral makes it into the system Vanessa will contact me about time and date. This is to check my lungs to be sure they are not being scarred by the Amiodarone medication (taken successfully for atrial fibrillation, since 2010).

We went in today, and accomplished many things, including dropping off WSJ papers to a person who works near the airport. By the courthouse to drop off our Election ballets in the deposit box, on to Safeway to load up on savings: Country style sausage rolls, John’s colas (regular & zero), Nancy’s PowerAde Zero – with a coupon at a reduced price already 69₵ each that brought it down to 49₵ each. I should have calculated that savings in the store and I’d have bought some more. Heck of a savings! However, checking the receipt, I see they missed giving me $1.00 off for the second five. Also, we bought several sausage rolls, and were charged the incorrect price. I have a copy of J4U digital coupon and the receipt, so I will have to make another trip in to get my refund. They will give it to me, but sadly, that will take more of my time and gasoline. I’ll just have to keep it until my next need to go to Safeway. It is not our preferred grocery shopping destination. The pricing, discounts, coupons, and digital stuff is a pain. From there we dropped by the Senior Center and dropped off my Apple Corer/Slicer for them to use on the apples for this Friday’s lunch and program. While there I picked up the proposed program itinerary, and am adjusting our group to that.

We dropped off at Super 1, where John went for Iceberg lettuce for me, and to look for smoked turkey, and I picked up 3 of my meds. Another problem ensued when I got home and unpacked the meds to find they had not quartered my Amiodarone tablets. One more trip back in tomorrow. Phew.

From there to Bi-Mart to check our numbers (nothing won), and return for replacement my wrist Omron blood pressure measurer that quit working. Amazing their return policy. While there, John bought some tulips, 3 (18 pack) cases of cheap beer at half price, and I found 75% off on packages of 74 small wrapped candies (from Halloween). We paid $2.50/bag for a bag originally sold for $9.99. We left to come home by Grocery Outlet on our last stop because of buying Ice Cream. I also bought some syrup for pancakes. I went for the cheapest in town of Golden Griddle syrup, only to find the same thing from Best Western for $1 cheaper.

Wednesday, Nov 7

I fixed my lunch salad (with John’s help cubing smoked turkey breast and cubing an apple), and took care of some other telephoning regarding a referral for a PFT, and some needed quartering of the pills I picked up yesterday that weren’t done.

I went to the Food Bank for music, then for my blood draw, and on to SAIL exercise. Afterwards, I went by Bi-Mart to pick up the instructions for my BP monitor, which were in the box they put my broken one in to send back. It has the place to put the serial # and register it on line. Now I need to do that.
I came home to transfer the videos John took Sunday, over to our external hard drive so I can send to YouTube from there and not use space on my C drive. I need to do similarly with the stuff on my Nikon, from Saturday night. It all takes time.

While that goes up, I need to work on the intros for the 13 songs we will do Friday at the Veterans’ Day luncheon and celebration.

The next videos all go back to Sunday, Nov 4, 2018

Mattawa Ash Fall Tuff Field Trip Videos with Nick Zentner

Stop 1 Selah Creek Rest Area
Stop 2 Hwy #24 near Cold Creek
Stop 3.a Mattawa Pumicite Quarry
Stop 3.b – only 1 min; worth it Cougar Mtn Basalt
Stop 3.c In wind and dust

Thursday, Nov 8

John left after 7:30 a.m., for bottling Roussanne at White Heron, taking along some roasted and candied cashews and almonds (from Mixed Nuts at Costco), and a bag of Cheddar cheese & Caramel Popcorn.

I left a message with Roberta at Meadows Place for 12 chairs today. One player stands, so we have a Baker’s Dozen.

The temps got very cold here last night, and Czar was in early for some attention and food. I slept in and then did a few chores. He was still around when I removed the hard pellets from the front porch because of the Magpies screaming and streaming in. I was able to take him some canned food and he cleaned the plate. I wish we had a heated place for him to sleep.

John got caught a traffic accident and made him an hour late arriving home, after dark. He has written about it in his column Not So Nasty News (below). Please check that.

I have been working tonight on music for tomorrow at the AAC.
I only have 36 audience copies left to distribute. We started a couple years ago with 50.

Anne wrote tonight she will be there tomorrow. Just got back at 3:30 p.m. today from a long car trip back East to New York.

Friday, Nov 9

Early celebration of Veterans’ Day at the Senior Center, which is officially named, Ellensburg Adult Activity Center, and that is the name of their Facebook page, if you are inclined to visit.

Off at 10:30 for AAC. It all went fine with several surprises, but nothing bad, and we had probably the best (early) Veterans’ Day celebration there ever. My estimate is over 60. We have many photos. John took pictures, I took a few, and a new friend (from Persia) came and videotaped much of the AAC program. I think among the 3 of us we will have many nice ones, and the videos Allie_Adi took that I have received are awesome. I have only seen the first 6, and I’m sharing five below. As she sends me more links, I will post them in order, as taken. We thank her from the bottom of our hearts for helping document the event.This is our new friend, from Persia, Allie-Adi, who shared the day with us and her talents of videotaping from her Smartphone. We have 5 to share now, with more to come in the future, when she has time. She is a Freshman at CWU in the Department of Construction Management. I met her at the FISH Food Bank where I will see her every Wednesday.

A few photos from Friday are up there already, but mine have not yet been sent in. I’m still working on them Sunday night. They may get posted Monday when the staff returns, and after I get them the link.

The 1st: Early arrivals, and John

Presentation of Colors and Pledge Allegiance to USA Flag and at end, everyone singing, “God Bless America”, with Karen Eslinger on accordion, leading us.

The 2nd: Presentation of Colors and Pledge Allegiance

The 3rd: MC David Douglas invites the Navy personnel to step forward

These are the only videos I took on Friday: (beneath the photo taken by the AAC)Dean Allen (our harmonica player; flag behind head) & other Navy, Nov 9, 2018.
David, on the very left is the master of ceremonies, and an army guy. On the very right in the audience above in the picture is the “apple family” — our friend Dee with family. He about got his feet frozen in France during WWII.

The next video (taken by Nancy) has more of the interviewing of the Navy veterans.

Navy veterans

Below is the Army contingent, with Dee Eberhart, the orchardist, mentioned above in the Navy vets’ picture (in the audience far right) bottom. Below he is second from the left in the Army veterans, and MC David is on the right.This video is ONLY of David Douglas. The interview with the others may be on our friend’s tape I don’t yet have.

David Douglas (Army), Nov 9, 2018 at AAC Veterans’ Day Early
Army vets

We also watched this song/video, but here is a web link:
John Conlee – They Also Serve

Then we had the Retiring of the Flags, and I was asked to play taps (with a battery operated very loud trumpet) I had to hold toward the ceiling so as not to blast into anyone’s ear drums. After that we ate, and then we eventually played music for a singalong. Here we are.

This was our first singalong song:

America by Fiddlers and Friends

Nine of our group, Kittitas Valley Fiddlers & FriendsI’ll share a Google Photo link with all the photos on it, in next week’s blog.

I went by the Kittitas Neighborhood Pantry on the way home to show my patriotic outfit to the ladies there. Ida, said that her two sons served our country in the war. She gave me a hug and thanked me for being part of the early celebration today and for coming by to share my flag vest and red/white/blue pants.

Saturday, Nov 10

We stayed busy with John outside and me inside. He dug a hole for a gate post. I’ve worked on the photos and links you have encountered, so far.

Sunday, Nov 11 Happy Armistice Day!

I grew up calling it that, and here is a wonderful quote from Kurt Vonnegut about that name change.

Sent to me by my former student, Casey Stedman, now a Training Officer with the Association of Spaceflight Professionals. He sent this quote today via Facebook.

“I will come to a time in my backwards trip when November eleventh, accidentally my birthday, was a sacred day called Armistice Day. When I was a boy, and when Dwayne Hoover was a boy, all the people of all the nations which had fought in the First World War were silent during the eleventh minute of the eleventh hour of Armistice Day, which was the eleventh day of the eleventh month.

It was during that minute in nineteen hundred and eighteen, that millions upon millions of human beings stopped butchering one another. I have talked to old men who were on battlefields during that minute. They have told me in one way or another that the sudden silence was the Voice of God. So we still have among us some men who can remember when God spoke clearly to mankind.

Armistice Day has become Veterans’ Day. Armistice Day was sacred. Veterans’ Day is not.

So I will throw Veterans’ Day over my shoulder. Armistice Day I will keep. I don’t want to throw away any sacred things.”

Kurt Vonnegut (PFC, US Army)

John started his day by setting up our flag at the end of the drive. No wind to blow it today, however. Sun was well up, so he was a little late. He took it down just at sunset.

I started my day by calling Gloria to wish her a Happy Birthday on her 93rd year of existence. She’s amazing. Still walking around on her own, and not taking any prescription drugs (only an aspirin/day). She always complains that she can never receive mailed birthday cards (not because it is Sunday this year), but because in other years USPS claims a holiday. This year there will be no mail on Monday. Twice bad.

I called Dee Eberhart tonight to catch up on Friday and thanking them for coming, and also to coordinate with him about his schedule, letting him know we would be meeting at Hearthstone with the retired geography group and who were coming.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Nancy’s title was: “Never a dull moment in our lives”, but that doesn’t fit on the WordPress title line – so I shortened it.

Monday, Oct 29

I am not sure why people don’t follow my mom’s suggestion of never calling someone before 9:00 a.m. or after 9:00 p.m. We were rudely called at 7:28 a.m. It always scares me receiving a call so early from someone I know well, but upsets me, especially when it is not necessary at all and later this evening would have been okay. On that upset note, I’m up for the day.

We need to sort apples to take to town today for the upcoming Veterans’ Day celebration at the Senior Center (AAC). While sorting, we boxed two small boxes of apples for another friend in town, and John packed a small box of English walnuts for another friend, which we delivered along with some other items for her daughter and friends with young children. When John and I delivered the apples to the AAC, we stayed for my SAIL exercise class.

I called for either of the triage nurses, Cody or Lacey, at my PCP’s office, about having my chest x-rays from Feb 2018 available for review regarding a Pneumonia diagnosis, but a PA’s noting I had a hiatal hernia (HH). He pegged the Pneumonia, but I’m concerned about the HH seen (that I couldn’t see), and happy I’m not having any symptoms; yet, I am requesting a re-evaluation of the X-rays by my regular physician at our upcoming annual physical wellness tests (Nov 20 & 27). Lacey returned my call and assured me she would approach it with my MD and get back to me with the verdict. She did a couple days later. It will be possible. I’m grateful for her help outside of her normal calls to me to report my INR results, from monthly blood draws checking my Coumadin dosage.
I have my lab records in order to request a follow-up on my Thyroid annual blood test as requested by Dr. Lisa Stone, the Endocrinologist in Wenatchee whom I saw originally the end of 2017. In April this year, I had a follow-up set of blood tests, which she reviewed, and suggested having another done the end of this year. I also have to set up my annual PFT (Pulmonary Function Test) to check my lungs to be sure they are not being scarred by the Amiodarone medication (taken successfully, for atrial fibrillation, since 2010.).

Finished assembling all my meds for the week.

Tuesday, Oct 30

Staying home today to tend to details for this week, the past, future.
It is cool, with sunshine and a slight wind that calmed down as the day proceeded.
I did take some photos of the fall colors of our Mountain Ash tree out front, with many of the yellow leaves having been blown away.Top photos were taken today, Oct 30, but the bottom photo was on 10-24-18 without blue skies.
→ [John says: If I cut the berry bunches off and throw them over the fence, the deer will eat them. At this time of year birds ignore them. They know (How?) the pretty fruit is sour (has an acid, Sorbic, I think). The fruit will hang on the tree during the winter and becomes more to their liking. I am trying to find out what happens. During spring, birds will find the fruit and over about 4 days, it will all be eaten.]

Nancy, again: Wonderful brunch John made with an omelet creation loaded with protein and veggies. Here is a shot of the pan minus today’s portions. With my smaller piece, I had toast with Apricot jam.Day-before-Halloween omelet: chocked full with cubed smoked turkey, colorful peppers, tomatoes, purple onion, cheese, 6 eggs.

John and Annie left for yard and barn and fence work, and I stayed behind to sort the plates, cups, and other things left over from Friday’s luncheon, and to wash another load of dishes. I’m working on various other chores. I need to combine some photos to send to Audubon folks, and create a Google Photos link to send, from last meeting Oct 18, with the video you have already seen in blog, with another short clip of the speaker’s humor.

Here are the “set-up” photos of the Kittitas Audubon talk of Ken Bevis, Oct 18, which was in last week’s blog (see there for the video of his presentation); meanwhile, check the link below.

Photos during setup, talk by Ken Bevis, Kittitas Audubon

I needed to cut John’s hair, eat dinner, and finish the link sending to the Ice Age Floods (IAF) group. John came in at dark and took a nap. We ate a late dinner, and put off his haircut until later. We had chicken, cauliflower, seasoned fries, and shared a baked Honeycrisp apple.
Used some of our new honey from Kauai, HI that was brought back by a friend.

Wednesday, Oct 31
HAPPY HALLOWEEN !

Halloween Card from the Naneum Fan (non-animated)
(See link below to the Jacquie Lawson real thing (with animation) I sent to a few people and then captured the one I sent to John, but I wanted to share the link to a neat card and story from Jacquie Lawson, to our blog readers who might not have been on the original list delivered Oct 30th.
The link is below, please follow: but, PLEASE BE SURE to IDENTIFY yourself on the reply, because it will only come as if from us to us at our joint account, where we are notified a person saw it and replied. Thanks! It is culturally and artistically very interesting. Yes, I realize this is now LATE in coming.
Spooky Halloween Card – 2018

I fixed my lunch salad and sent off the note of planning for tomorrow’s retirement/rehab music.
The Food Bank was special today on Halloween when many dressed up in “costumes”. We had pumpkins (me, sorta), a witch, a cute little hat (Evelyn) the banjo player, and other things on different people serving the Senior Nutrition program folks.
The tables and centerpieces were decorated, and one can be seen below in the second set of photos.Here I am in my Pumpkins in Love sweatshirt. Note my hat (actually John’s rain hat I gave him), and Evelyn’s cute little hat atop her head. My necklace has a few lights that turn on. I removed the blinking option (gotten on the first 2 switch clicks).
We had a special request from the Senior Nutrition Lunch table for I’ll Fly Away, and then at the end for Amazing Grace. In between we did all sorts of different songs in our normal weekly folder.
I took my salad and added to it a cup of fruit cocktail mixed with yogurt, given to the Sr. Nutrition table. I also brought home a big pumpkin cookie to share with John for our dessert tonight. They had tables all decorated and we had great fun with the folks there.

Afterwards, I went to the Activity Center (Senior Center) for our SAIL exercise class. These were on my camera, the others above were taken on a “client’s” Smartphone and emailed to me. Left is at Food Bank, taken with a flash (behind the table centerpiece), and right is at the AAC (Sr. Center) after my SAIL exercise class. The pumpkin weighed 127#. Members could guess the weight to win it.

I came home to cut John’s hair. It didn’t take me as long this time because we didn’t wait as long between haircuts; I think I did it in 24 minutes, and without leaving cowlicks.

I’ll end the day with my friend’s Halloween costumes, which truly supersede mine. First, the 5-yr olds, Ladybug Haley with her butterfly friend, Carly, and then a night costume for downtown, Ghost Haley. Their kindergarten allowed no masks, (hence the left photo costumes).

Following are two other friends – Sonja Willitts (known since 1977 in Idaho) now in S. Lake Tahoe, CA and the Ghoulish hand art on Amy Davison’s face (the mom of our friendly ghost, Haley). Amy is our band’s flute player, fiddler, penny whistle, and miniature washboard contributor. Quite the talented gal and also an artist, & baker, who does weddings, parties, and other special events.Sonja Willitts and Amy Davison in Halloween dress.

Thursday, Nov 1

John was up early in the rain to feed the animals, open the gate, and drive to White Heron for bottling (Red Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot). He carried along some Jarlsberg cheese to share with at the tasting after the bottling crew finished their work for the morning. Others brought apple-chunk infused sausage for the grill, salad, soft cheese, and crackers. They drink a bit of the wine they worked with, and John brought 3 bottles home. He and I got home about the same time ~ 4:00 p.m.

I worked on cleaning dishes we keep dirtying, and shooing away the Collared Doves and Magpies. Once in the kitchen I slammed the window (I often do) to scare them, and ended up starting John’s “sleeping” computer. On my way to the front door to slam it to get rid of them, I “slept” his computer again.

I’m getting ready to leave in an hour to go in to the Rehab to play music with 9 others. Ended up being only 8, because one had a migraine and didn’t make it. My early morning call-in for the chair count was met with a strange response. I finally called again after leaving a message on voicemail for the Activity Director, to ask for the Assistant Activity Director I have known since I was a patient there. She told me the Activity Director was not there today; why the original operator put me through to voice mail is unknown. Carol took care of setting us up and having the dining tables removed and enough chairs available. I arrived early to help.

I rushed home to turn around and go back to town with John for a 6:00 p.m. meeting at the Kittitas County Historical Museum, and a presentation from our neighbor, Allen Aronica, about his Native American family background in our valley. Here is the flyer for tonight.I videotaped his presentation. I videoed it but my first battery ran out of power at the end of a little over an hour. I replaced it and lost a couple minutes of interesting follow-up on one of the family cemetery stories.

Allen Aronica, November 1, 2018 The Kittitas People (main talk)

Allen Aronica, when battery was dying, just 2 mins

Allen Aronica, Comments and Questions after his Presentation

Here is a link to the Schedule and home page of the Kittitas County Historical Museum, so you can check for next year’s 10 planned lectures.

Kittitas County Historical Museum Description

I am currently working on an email list to send to Kittitas County Historical Museum folks that I know were there that night, or might be interested in seeing Allen’s presentation. I have not yet sent anything.

After his talk, we picked up two crispy chicken sandwiches at Burger King, not getting home to eat until after 8:00. Actually, I didn’t look at the time.
John went to bed at 10:35 and I’m not far behind.

Friday, Nov 2

We plan to sort apples in the morning to take to the Kittitas Neighborhood Pantry at by 1:00 p.m. We did and went. We did not weigh them in, but we figured it was > 50 pounds.
They had us go through for a few things – some mushrooms, a yellow pepper, a couple of pears, two desserts (brownies frosted with cream cheese frosting & 4 eclairs), two little packages of cat treats, and two cans of peaches. From there we went around to the clothing bank to deliver some Honeycrisp apples to the volunteer workers. While there, I picked out a pair of white corduroy slacks for me I’m wearing tomorrow night with my black WTA emblem shirt, and a pair of brown corduroy slacks size 8 for my banjo playing friend (see her photo above on Wednesday).

Saturday, Nov 3

We need to make an early trip to town to Super 1 for a special sale {8 am to 8 pm} of baking items. Because of limits, we’ll take two carts. We made quite a haul. Four dozen eggs at 88₵/carton; 4 cake mixes and 4 Fudge brownie mixes at 68₵ each, 4 brown sugar (light & dark) packages at 88₵ each, 3 White Bleached Floor at $2.38 each, 4 Butter package @ $2.48 each, and 3 Boneless Bottom Round Roasts for $2.98/lb.

Early afternoon we will take off for the annual WA Trails Assoc. (WTA) Volunteer appreciation event & awards for various trail maintenance workers. It is being held in a different location, north of the city, at the Mountaineers Program Center. We still had to deal with Seattle traffic, a bit more than most Saturday afternoons because of a university football game.

We had an unpleasant rainy trip over the pass (better than snow, however, which would have kept us home). We left just before 3:00 p.m. and arrived about 5:30 p.m. John drove my Subaru to North Bend, WA, where we paused and changed drivers. I drove the rest of the way with John as my navigator co-pilot. We make a good driving team, from 53 years together, beginning with driving my ’35 Ford that I drove to Cincinnati, OH, where we met in graduate school.

On the trip home, I drove the entire way, in about 2 hours, 10 minutes. It was tough driving and wore my arms out holding the steering wheel tightly because of standing water on I-90. I was very tired and sore before getting home, but we made it safely about 10:30 p.m. We were able to enjoy some butter pecan ice cream on a cream cheese frosted brownie. We did not stay for a piece of cake at the WTA dinner.

I spent a lot of time backing up on an external disk drive all the movies I have taken over the last year on my little Exilim camera, and charged both batteries, so John can put it on his belt to hike on the field trip tomorrow.

At the WTA party, I had my Nikon camera along and videotaped many of the award presentations and a few other tidbits. The disadvantage to using it, is the bandwidth increases dramatically to upload the video to YouTube. So, 4 minutes of movie costs 2.5 hours of upload time. Such is life.

Even though I was very tired, I still stayed up until after 1:00 a.m. (non-daylight saving time).

Sunday, I will work on uploading the videos, but will cover some of them here, because they occurred tonight. I still haven’t downloaded all I took from my camera because I need to free up some space on my computer. It’s reaching its capacity.

WTA Preliminary Statistics for 2018 Trail Volunteer work, presented by Jen Gradisher.

Title slide (only estimates through October, more figures arriving) showed ~150,000 volunteer hours of work on 254 trails, by ~4,500 Volunteers.Trail Programs Director, Jen Gradisher

WTA Trail Volunteer Statistics

I’m using John as my model for when all of the ACLs were asked to stand. We were on the front row, so John is turning to face his many “Orange Hat” colleagues.

Hats off to ACLs 2018
presented by Zach McBride, Puget Sound Field Manager

Crosscut Saw Award, presented by Tim Van Beek, Volunteer Vacation manager (‘week longs’) to the only one present tonight, Jim Langdon. This is WTA’s best award [a 2″ slab of Ponderosa Pine with an engraved segment of a crosscut saw], for reaching >500 days working with WTA trail crews. John will likely never reach that, but he did make it to >300 this year and will get a label to put on his orange hard hat. He has completed all the previous milestones receiving nice award gifts, in addition to making good friends along the way.

Top WTA Volunteer Award – Crosscut Saw Award

Sunday, Nov 4

John left for Nick Zentner’s Field Trip to the Mattawa Ash Fall Tuff, to be there soon after 10:00 a.m. to get a seat in the lead CWU Van with Nick and Karl. He succeeded. The trip visited 3 sites where volcanic ash fell about 11.8 Million years ago. The source was southwestern now-Idaho, where the Yellowstone hot spot was then located.Left was taken on the field trip; John in brown jacket walking up the one mile trek with others; Right was taken on Nick’s spring reconnaissance trip, better than with the blowing dust of Sunday.

I stayed home because of the 30-minute plus uphill hike I am not able to do. We both realize that. I cleaned off my camera memory for John to make videos of Nick’s talks, and he took his own camera for still photos along the trip.

It’s getting dark at 4:33 p.m. John had called from Mattawa, at 4:14 that they’re on their way home. I imagine it will be very dark before he arrives. He was standing in an orchard waiting for the leaders to return to the van. He got home about 5:30 p.m.

I don’t have enough space left on my C drive to transcribe the videos I took last night, let alone what John took today, so all those will have to wait.

We first have to leave in the morning for me to get an Echocardiogram. And, John will go to Costco, fill my car with gasoline, and buy a few groceries and anything else that looks interesting.

This won’t be published until late on Monday. I’ll save Monday to start week 2 with for November.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Monday, Oct 22

We had a lot on our plate today. We’d finished the blog last night at 11:00 p.m., but then added a link after it had been published.

This morning we had to get ready to leave for the day, but first, John had to meet our farrier in the driveway to hold our horse, Myst, for her feet trimming. They were done in time for us to take off for town after 11:00 a.m. to pick up a friend (Kristin Ashley) in Ellensburg, and drive to Cle Elum. The haze was really bad because of a high pressure system hanging over our region until Tuesday, and no winds predicted to carry it away.
Kristin works at the nearby Wild Horse Wind energy site, and gives tours. She says when there is no wind, people ask more questions.
The drive to Cle Elum on I-90 usually is picturesque, featuring Mt. Stuart (as I have shown previously in this blog), but today, it was totally grayed out in the haze.

We got to town, picked up Kristin, and our first stop was at the KVH Clinic for John’s and my Pneumonia (PPV-23) vaccines. There was a slight delay in signing in and getting a nurse to provide the shots, but it allowed us a little time to visit before leaving Kristin in the waiting room. We were happy to be met by Triage nurse, Lacey, who often calls me with my blood test reports every month. I had never met her in person. We left and drove to the other end of the small town to go to the Cottage Café. We had $20 off our meals there from our Anniv. in July and my birthday in Sept. We had already used John’s January coupon. Nice thing about that restaurant is you can use your birthday or anniv gift anytime during the year, not just in the month your birthday or anniv falls, as is the case with The Palace in Ellensburg.

Our trip home we took by way of Lambert Rd, the Teanaway River, Taylor Bridge Rd, Hwy 10, with views of the Yakima River and geological features.

My Photos Link to our Fall Colors Trip

Tuesday, Oct 23

I decided to get up early and begin planning for this week and the next two, that I have put off. I also decided against going to town today. I hope I don’t win a big (or little) prize at Bi-Mart. You have to be present to win on Tuesdays.

I have accomplished several things for Friday’s luncheon, but still have a bunch to do (wash and dry apples to take for eating and for giveaway). John took me out to sort what I wanted. He and Annie are back out tending to other things in the yard and barn, while there is still daylight.

We had a good brunch to tide us over. I managed to order some meds for John, make some phone calls, and do a bunch of organizing emails, charge my FitBit, count out some of the utensils and plates needed for Friday’s luncheon. I got some more stuff from the car to add to the mix (cups and decorated plates), but still have to make Crystal Light Lemonade to serve as the beverage. John fixed the labels on the 2-liter cola bottles to indicate the contents.

I’m now taking a break to write the AAC people in charge about the upcoming Nov 9 Veterans’ Day celebration planning.

Continued working the rest of the afternoon and evening in the house, and John outside on numerous projects. One thing he did was cart old dried cottonwood cut to fireplace size to the road with a big FREE sign. Someone stopped and took some, so he replenished the stack a couple days later. We have plenty of Ponderosa pine, if we need to fuel our wood stove.

Wednesday, Oct 24

Today was a normal Wednesday: get my salad ready for taking to the Food Bank, where I play music with others, and stay after for the meal. While there I greet the Senior Nutrition table (mostly filled with people I know by name at the Senior Center). They love our music and always sing along (from the opposite end of the building). A couple of them also follow from there to participate at the AAC in the SAIL exercise class. Several of the musicians also have joined the Senior Nutrition program and we have to sign in with our electronic card for ID. The gov’t provides this service, helping cover some of the costs of nutritious food, and oddly enough, age or income is not a factor. Ironically, the original pot of money funding this was provided by the Tobacco companies. I also carried in several pair of slacks to give to Evelyn to try on, from the smallest ones given to me (down to size 8).
From there on to SAIL exercise class and then home to tackle things needed completed for Thursday and Friday. I did run by a couple of places with deliveries and to pick up my medications.

Thursday, Oct 25

Slept in until 8:00 a.m. Awoke to a message my dessert baker is ill and cannot make dessert for tomorrow’s luncheon. I called and talked to my friend Pennie at the Super 1 Bakery, and she has set aside in their cooler, a cheesecake sliced into 16 pieces with toppings of plain, caramel, chocolate, strawberry, and orange. I’ll stop by to retrieve today after I finish our music at Hearthstone, and while there, I’ll pick up two medications for John. Then John and I will turn around and go back to town for an Ice Age Floods chapter lecture about the Manastash Anticline (rock layers bend up). This one is in Juniata County, Pennsylvania; Route 322.I will videotape it. My camera is all charged up and ready to roll.

First, my report of our music at Hearthstone. We were short a couple who were sick, but had a good bunch there and did a fine job.
Dean Allen (our harmonica player & singer) brought his little brown jug and told the story behind it, right before we sang the song, “Little Brown Jug.” It’s a quite old bottle (maybe to the 1850s), originally with “stomach bitters” in it. The old label is still almost intact. Dean has written up his story on how he acquired it, but I will save that for next week, and just add a teaser of photo of parts, now.Top of label is on left and middle of label is on right.Raised letters on the glass bottle and a handwritten note about Dean Allen’s first haircut, 75 yrs ago, taped to the bottom of the bottle. More of his story to be continued …

We went by Burger King for a special offer on two Crispy chicken sandwiches, and I got nervous waiting forever for them to deep fry the chicken. I returned to the car and told John I wondered if they had to go out back and butcher the chicken before fixing. I had waited ~ 15 minutes! Hence, we were late getting to our normal front row seats, but kindly the people there ahead of us all shifted over to allow us to be on the end in front of the screen to which the speaker planned to point. The 6 folks only had to move one seat to their left.

The speaker was Harvey Kelsey, Research Associate in Geology at Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA. His topic was the Manastash Anticline (which forms the south side of our Kittitas Valley).

The full title of his talk is: The story of a Yakima fold — the Manastash anticline — and how it informs backarc deformation in the Cascadia subduction zone over the past 15 million years

His abstract goes into more detail, and more detail in the video:

The Yakima folds of central Washington are prominent anticlines that are the primary tectonic features of the backarc of the northern Cascadia subduction zone. What accounts for their topographic expression and how much strain do they accommodate and over what time period? We investigate Manastash anticline, a north-vergent fault propagation fold typical of structures in the fold province. From analysis of cross sections, the crust has horizontally shortened by 11% (0.8-0.9 km). The fold, and by inference all other folds in the fold province, formed no earlier than 15.6 million years ago as they developed on a landscape that was reset to negligible relief following voluminous outpouring of Grande Ronde Basalt. Deformation is accommodated on two fault sets including west-northwest-striking frontal thrust faults and shorter north- to northeast-striking faults. The frontal thrust fault system is active with late Quaternary scarps at the base of the range front. The fault-cored Manastash anticline terminates to the east at the Naneum anticline and fault; activity on the north-trending Naneum structures predates emplacement of the Grande Ronde Basalt. The west-trending Yakima folds and west-striking thrust faults, the shorter north to northeast striking faults, and the Naneum fault together define the deformational framework in the backarc of the Cascadia Subduction Zone.

My video follows – please, realize it is “unlisted” and not publicly shared on YouTube. You must have the link to reach it.

IAF Ellensburg Chapter-Harvey Kelsey, Manastash Anticline

The Apple Corer-Slicer arrived in our mailbox and John brought it to the house. Our mail mostly comes between 3 and 5 PM – this was near the end of that. Talk about cutting it short. We cleaned it and took it along to the luncheon on Friday.

Friday, Oct 26

I worked on packing the stuff I need to take tomorrow to the luncheon. John fixed the apples to carry along. He’ll help me in with all my stuff: two boxes of apples, brown lunch bags to take away 3+ apples each (Honeycrisp & Gala), a box with cheesecake, two 2-liter bottles of Crystal Light, plates, utensils, apple corer/slicer, plastic ware, container of Cheez-its, serving things, and more. I carried a bag full of the lighter of stuff. Luckily, we did it in one trip with my trusty old pull luggage carrier to stack upon, and having the parking lot just behind Bouillon. The elevator dumped us out just one door away from where we were headed.

Here are pictures, including of a gift we received from Bobbi Broderius’ family. They used one of our timeshares to exchange from our PNW ownership to one in Kauai, HI. Bobbi, Nancy, Amy – Table setup for Scholarship Luncheon “from both sides now!”

Hand-carved wooden turtle from Kauai, served as guard for Ruth Harrington’s scholarship fund and is seen above at far end of our table.

Amy McCoy’s daughter, Madelyn made us her special corn muffins to complete our dinner. She is a senior in high school. Mom Amy added honey butter, and made the crockpot of chili with all the sides. Thanks to Monica Bruya for bringing the veggies (carrots, celery, orange pepper) – not pictured below, to add to our festive table.Madelyn’s corn muffins, Amy’s chili, onions, sour cream, cheese, missing veggies, Cheez-its®; my corn muffin with honey butter. Desserts/sides: Hot Apple Cider & festive straws (Amy), cored & sliced apples by John, Caramel apple dip (Amy), varied Cheesecake (Nancy & Super 1), Halloween candy corn & decorations (Amy). We found the apple slicer worked best on the smaller apples. With the big ones, seeds and endocarp (?) have to be cut away.

Do you know the history of candy corn?

Candy corn – stacked thusly, it does look like an ear of corn!

Photos from Luncheon Today

John and I had picked the apples from the Eberhart’s Orchard, on 4th Parallel Rd, after the commercial pickers left. We doled out 3+ apples to those there in the little brown paper bags, and we sent the remaining sliced apples with Ruth to her 1:00 p.m. group today. John returned in time for a bowl of the wonderful chili and corn muffin, and then helped me clean up and carry home our stuff. Thanks to Amy for all she did for the day.

Before coming home, we also made an unusual stop (for us) at Fred Meyer to check out their good price (88₵) for a 2-liter bottle of Pepsi if you bought at least 4 or more. We bought 6 of each (Pepsi & Pepsi Zero). While there we bought 8 PowerAdeZero for me at the best price currently in town, 69₵/32 oz. John had seen an ad in the paper for Fred Meyer having Red Baron pizza for $1.99 limit 5. That’s a great price, but it required a digital coupon. Not having a smartphone, we could use (John’s was home), and we were traveling in my car with my cell (not smart), so I asked if we could work out the price somehow. They figured it out and we went away saving $10 on 5 pizzas.

Saturday, Oct 27

I was very tired from this week’s activities. John got up before I did, but I slept in late to recoup.

We had an incredible brunch put on by Chef John. We shared a totally blue-throughout pancake filled with blueberries. It was topped with peaches, and served with two sausage patties; no room on the plate for eggs. This should get us through the day.

I’ve been busy washing dishes, many left over from yesterday’s luncheon fixing and serving.
John and Annie come and go – doing things. The weather is threatening to rain as it gets darker. Soon the cats will be arriving for their evening vittles.

I have spent much time on the computer as well. I have finalized the send of the Earth Science Weekly to 100 people of what Mark Francek (Geographer extraordinaire) sends every week. This week’s version came at 5:04 a.m. this morning. I was asleep.

Much of my time today was spent finalizing two recently taken videos to distribute to those interested.

I just looked out and saw two cats, so I added some hard food to their bowls. When I went out, I heard John mowing at the end of the driveway. Now as I was adjusting the drying of the dishes, I heard him coming down the drive on the riding lawnmower. He says he ran out earlier and had walked back for gasoline, but while here, he raked walnut tree leaves. He’s tired of that. Some years the wind blows them away, but once wet, they make a ground cover that doesn’t move much. They will end up in the garden as fresh organic matter.

I’m now finalizing another video to send out for review. Just got it sent.

Soon, we have to feed the cats their canned food. John is still out tying up loose ends, as the cold and dark season approaches. Sue (yellow cat) just came in the rain, and had some hard food and a few bites of pâté (paste ?) and bits.

I did take some photos today of the wooden turtle from Kauai, HI. We still have yet to find out the type of wood – probably is Monkey Pod wood or maybe Koa. Actually to my eyes, it looks like Myrtle wood, but I don’t know of that being grown in Hawaii. However, there are over 800 varieties of trees grown in Hawaii! Turtle’s underside – flash vs. no flash – to better see, Kauai 2018

Note: if any of our friends wish to utilize one of our RCI timeshares, we space-bank them ahead for 2 years (and they have to be used or are lost). We cannot travel together any more, and stay away for a week. But, we are happy to share a week anywhere in the world for the cost of the exchange fees. Right now that is $400/week for anywhere in the world that one is available and the sooner the better you make the reservation, the better your chances. Please contact us well in advance for exotic places. If you pick a place with a few hours’ drive, I can save you the guest certificate fee by driving along with you and checking in, spend a night, or two, and return home. Please do not hesitate to ask. I used to use them to go to Geography conferences and would stay the week in neat places, sharing with friends. Once we had 6 people in a unit in South Lake Tahoe. Other places I went included St. Augustine, FL, Honolulu, HI, San Francisco, CA, and Whistler BC, Canada.

Sunday, Oct 28

I was still tired from the past couple of week’s activities, so after going to bed late and listening to the rain all night, I slept in. Started working on the blog and photos to get ready.

John went out for morning chores before it started raining, and returned to fix an incredible mix of things for our noon brunch. I’m calling this the Naneum Fan Special, and I had to take a photo of my plate to share:Naneum Fan Special by John: Two eggs over easy topped with white cheddar, hash browns, sausage patty, our own strawberries are hiding half a pancake, stuffed with chopped pecans.

Before the rain today, John got rid of the rain from yesterday and last night, by starting the siphoning of water from barrels on our front porch. House is not designed well. There is a roof-valley that dumps right at the front door. There are no rain gutters, and if there were, they would likely ice over in winter. Heating tape up there and in gutters might work. Might?

Sun came out and John thought he could go out for activities, but at 2:00 it is raining again, but the sun is still shining, so somewhere in the valley there is a rainbow. We can’t see much from the house.

Minus a rainbow, I will tell you a nice saving a reptile story from my friend, Elise, in New Jersey. She’s always sending me wonderful close-up photos of wildlife, flowers, insects, and landscapes from her trips to a nearby park. This just came through ½ hour ago.

I saved a copperhead today!  He was on the side of the road, leaving the park, but this road is narrow, so when 2 cars pass, you have to move all the way over, which would have killed him.
 
He was big, about 2.5 feet +/-.  Someone pulled over, got out (I guess to see if I needed help) and told me, “Ya know that’s a copperhead right?  He’s a big one”.  I said yeah, I know, but he still does not deserve to die; I am just trying to get him off the road…with a really long stick!  He was so sluggish because it was 49 degrees.  He tried to strike but in more of a leave me alone kind of thing. 
 
So I found a really long, like 6-7′ stick and left some branches on it to block him.  I got him on the stick and in the brush (it was about a foot embankment for him so he probably would not have made it).  I do hope he gets to a warm place.  It’s not that I like venomous snakes, but still…I do like reptiles, though.

For supper: Onions from the garden as beer-battered rings, baked chicken, and Butternut squash.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

The year is near being used up — get busy.

Monday, Oct 15

To cheer up this post, I will start with two lovely photos from my longtime friend, Nancy J (Maude Buszek, photographer) with two photos she drove from Michigan 3 hours southwest of her home to take photos at an historical farm in Shipshewana, IN.

This is from Amish country, the 3rd largest concentration in the USA. Two of Maude’s farm views – Buttermilk clouds and a disk harrow.
{search ‘images’ for horse drawn disc harrow}

Our day in WA started very early by publishing the previous week’s blog at 12:12 a.m. We both slept in later than usual.

The morning was filled with normal chores and new ones. One thing I had to do was load my medicines for the week, when I realized I was running low on one. I had already planned to go pick up two I ordered last week. I was surprised to have the new request waiting for me when I went in after calling the same day.

Today, apple sorting is first on the agenda, when it warms up a little. John drove his car up to our front gate, so I had access to the landline as I was expecting a call that actually never came through. While we were sorting into boxes to give to the Senior Center (AAC), our neighbor Louaine, Roberta B, and Amy, we got a phone call from Mary Ann M. thanking us for the apples we took her on Saturday, saying she had shared them and everyone was thrilled. We had offered to bring her more, especially because her granddaughter likes to make applesauce and dehydrate them. She was letting us know she would love to have some more for another friend. So, we added two more boxes for her.

We left for town, dropping off a box with our neighbor, and then on to the AAC to give them a large box with 3 different kinds, mostly Honeycrisp, which we had not taken previously. We retrieved all 3 empty boxes today. I stayed for SAIL exercise and John read news using the WiFi. Meanwhile, they repacked the apples in small brown bags – one of our ill-thought purchases at Costco. On the way out in the parking lot, we gave a box to Roberta. This coming Saturday, John will be going to her backyard to retrieve English walnuts she has collected. He will take our own containers so we don’t have to return hers.

We had to go by the pharmacy to get two of my prescriptions, and while there, John picked up a few other groceries we needed. We drove on to Mary Ann’s house, dropped off apples, and on to fill his gas tank. Luckily, we found the least expensive in town at Circle K for $3.36; the 7-11s were both up to $3.50 & 3.54! John talked to the man filling their pumps, asking where the gasoline originated. He said it was sent by pipeline from Billings, MT to Moses Lake (50 miles east), where he had picked it up.

Add the ending stop by Amy’s to deliver apples and go north of town to drop off WSJs to a gal that works at airport storage and is a business student who appreciates receiving them.

Lindsey Babcock of the Bureau of Land Management called at 1:17, 10/15/18 while we were gone, left a number to return her call, in Spokane, but it was after her work hours when we returned, as they close at 4:00 p.m. She wanted to interview John about a trail maintenance WTA trip he was on recently at Fish Trap Lake (9/29). I spent a bunch of time searching for a connection by email and finally found one. She is the District Manager at the Spokane Office of BLM. I managed to get a message forwarded to her to call us in the morning after 8:30 a.m. I ended up finding a web link still published on the web which produced a 404 error, so I reported it to the BLM contact who forwarded my email to Lindsey. It was a win-win situation. She was actually in Portland at the main office. I had found the original news release of when Lindsey was hired in WA in 2015.

Two weeks ago in the blog I posted a link to the Yakima Herald article about one of John’s trips to maintain trails. I also shared it on my Facebook page, and it was commented on by several students, from our past, but the most interesting was from a young woman who knew both John and me as her teachers. She now lives in Leavenworth. I might have mentioned this previously, and that she wrote back her interest in hiking. So, next year, John will coordinate to stop and take her along – if the timing works. Meanwhile, another friend who works for WTA as a crew leader, also lives in Leavenworth, so we have introduced them.

Tuesday, Oct 16

I’m not going to town today, but will stay home to get well.

This morning started off with a 7:52 a.m. telemarketer call from Jacksonville, FL (EST – we are 3 hours earlier in PST). It just rang once and hung up.

Last month, our music group was forced to sit in a weird arrangement and we had issues with hearing and timing. Terri (the activities director at Pacifica Senior Living) where we play this week, presented the dilemma about our music group’s positioning to the Executive Director about the need to move the two heavy tables we are not allowed to touch. She asked for my emails to be forwarded to her (I offered that option to Terri on Sunday). They promised to fix this. Their staff will be moving two heavy granite-topped tables so we can set up in front of the piano.

I ordered the Chevy (1980) truck’s license sticker, but it had expired so I had to pay for it and speed up the delivery by picking it up at the courthouse. I’m not quite sure why that is required.

Wednesday, Oct 17

John left at 5:45 a.m. for Soaring Eagle, a King County Park, 17 miles east of Seattle. He took Gala apples (some washed for the crew) and a separate box for LeeAnne, the crew leader. She got a Butternut squash too, ’cause she cooks.

I put out dry food for the outside cats. When John went out with Annie (in the dark) to open the gate and start his car, he passed Czar, eating near the front door; the companion cat he is, he walked all the way up the long driveway with them in the dark for John to open the gate and he came back with them to the front door. That activity always amuses us.
I took another dose of Tussin Dm because of congestion, and went back to bed until 8:30.

I had previously decided I would skip SAIL exercise today, but this morning, I decided I would not go to the FISH Food Bank for noon music either. John left me some egg omelet and sausage that he took from the freezer. If I had gone to play, I eat there.

I called the doctor’s office in Cle Elum to confirm plans for when we could go in for our Pneumonia shots (PPV-23) when nurses were available (best times are before 11:30 or after 1:30), so we have to figure our timing around that for combining with the need to go with our friend to the Cottage Café on Monday.
I didn’t call until 3:30, and reached her.
Worked on dishes, emails, and charging batteries and phone, and John called to say when he was leaving and would be home.

He was within 3 minutes of the time expected (5:00). Except for the 2 ends, the trip is all on I-90. Unless there is an accident, the timing is easy to calculate.
His trip to the trail work was good, but a bit chilly at the start. No hills. The park (Soaring Eagle) is on a large pile of glacial material left 13,000 years ago when the ice melted.

Thursday, Oct 18

Slept in until almost 9:00 a.m.
I set up the email list for contact with the Scholarship luncheon (new group this year), for putting out an announcement Monday for our Friday hosting event (Amy McCoy & me). I completed that chore, so Monday’s job is ½ done. Now to write the memo to go to the group members. Oh! I have to select apples and make 2 jugs of drink, plus pick up a dessert my friend Amy is making for me to take.

We played at Pacifica today. I requested of Terri, 11 chairs. It went well with the new set up. The staff had moved the tables and cleared a lot of room for us. It’s probably the best it has ever been, except we miss the old Classic Coca-Cola chairs they disposed of when they did away with their old soda fountain memorabilia room. I’m sure that is the worst remodeling decision by the new management they could ever make.

As soon as I could get away, I drove to the AAC with a hand full of brown paper lunch bag size bags, for them to use for putting in produce people donate and bring in to give to the members. That’s how our donated apples we picked across the valley, and before that our plums, and other produce were distributed. Pre-bagging makes things simpler for the staff.

On the way back I went by the Courthouse for the truck license tab with my receipt from paying on line yesterday. It was an easy transfer without a very long wait. I found 27₵ in the parking lot when I got out of my car. One of the pennies was bright and new looking, so there was a little girl coming to get in the car next to me, and I handed it to her, with good wishes. It is a thing I learned long ago as a kid—that if you found a penny it was good luck, and if you gave it away, it took luck with it to the recipient as well. It does make people smile, and that’s good.

From there I drove to Briarwood to take 8 large apples to Lee Kiesel – ½ were Jonagolds and ½ were Honeycrisp. She is going to use them to fix something special for serving Saturday at the meal they fix for us following our playing music. Only five of us can be there to play (small number). She plans to make cabbage & Tortellini soup (see the write-up on Saturday for the rest of the story), and there will be other food. They put on quite a spread every month on the 3rd Saturday.

I delivered the plums (dried) and packaged that I bought at Costco for my friend Gloria. She and her sister met me downstairs at Hearthstone with money and I gave them change and the goods.

We went back to town for the Kittitas Audubon general meeting to a very nice presentation: Ken Bevis: Forest Wildlife, Stewardship – Plus a Few Songs.

It was a fabulous performance tonight.  I videotaped it and will share (after I get permission), with a few friends and also with people from Kittitas Audubon (KAS) I have emails for (and here eventually as well).
Okay, got it: so here is the link . . . {If it does not start at the beginning, pull the slider back so it does. }

The fellow is a kick: a musician, a scientist, and bird lover.  I bought a CD from him of songs he has written and recorded.  It is worth the $. He was singing alone tonight, and none of those songs are on the CD. It has much more involved songs, and with other instruments, and singers, although he is still the lead guitarist and singer. He sang songs tonight with his talk about Bears, Bull Trout, Hummingbirds, and other critters.  Ken is an entertainer, talented, and presented a good talk about forest health, wildlife, and trees.  His style is unique and enjoyable; you’ll see in the video what I mean. He definitely keeps one’s attention.

John and I didn’t get home until 9:00 p.m. and we hadn’t had supper or fed the cats.  I managed to feed two cats but the other two must have filled up on dry food and left for their favorite sleeping place (wherever that might be).  Actually another showed up to eat the rest of the food left on the one plate. I fixed myself a nice salad, and John had a baked potato, leftover chicken (an already baked thigh), and some of my Cheez-its I use as croutons.

Friday, Oct 19

We both slept in this morning, but I stayed lying down longer than John. Early, I did take care of feeding hard pellets to the outside cats.

I got dressed to go to Kittitas. I went by way of Thomas Rd to Fairview, and there was a loose black cow on the side of the road. I always call 911 to report such a sighting, and they are grateful, sending out some deputies to find and notify the owner. I know the owner on the south side, but not on the north. Our horses have been out on the road once, were reported, and I have spoken with deputies about ours previously. It’s a nice gesture for law enforcement to be so supportive of the open range area.

My trip was to take two boxes of apples John packed into the back of my car, to the Kittitas Neighborhood Pantry. There I got carrying help from a client. They weighed in at 61# total (a box of Galas @ 39# (actually a smaller apple) and a smaller box of larger Honeycrisp apples at 22#. They were very much appreciated and we were asked to bring more back next week. So we will.

I’m also going to take some already washed to give at least two to all dozen people at Ruth Harrington’s Scholarship luncheon which I’m co-hosting on Friday.

While there, I went around the back to the clothing bank and found two pair of slacks in my new size. One is a purplish red cotton, and the other is a light tan pair of light corduroy; both are rather neat. While there, I donated some time helping sort the jeans and slacks into the proper size stacks. They become mixed up and disheveled incredibly fast. I moved one size 22 from the 16s, and an 8 from the 22s. The 14s had several different sizes mixed in as well. I never tackled any other stacks, because I had to get home. Two ladies volunteering were happy for the help and they could use more.

On my way home I went from Fairview to Rader, to the corner where the large Lavender farm is. She has requested on the Buy Nothing East Ellensburg site before that she needs packing materials so I always share ours from Amazon. This was a large load of air-filled bags that was big enough for a white garbage bag. I had removed them from the large box I used a week ago to take the CPAP machine and all my supplies to loan to Suzy West.

Tomorrow I’m taking some slacks to Briarwood to share in their laundry room giveaway shelves (after I offer the people there for our music to check and take out any to try on). If some go unclaimed, I’ll pick them up and carry them to Kittitas.
Currently, they have more than will fit on their shelves in Kittitas.

Saturday, Oct 20

John plans to go to town this morning with plastic bottles and glass to recycle and tubs and buckets to hold walnuts. They are in the lady’s containers now, but John doesn’t want to have to go back again. He also bought some gasoline without ethanol and additives to use in our yard/garden equipment. I forgot to say one of his chores the day before was mowing the grass on either side of our fence along the county road. That helps to reduce fuel for fire started by passing vehicles, and it makes the approach to our place look better.

The purloined walnuts have messy black husks from a bad case of Walnut Husk Fly. { LINK; with photos – Yuk! }
We have managed to keep ours somewhat under control by cleaning them up quickly – even taking walnuts off the trees before they would naturally fall. The link suggest how to do more, so next year that will happen. The husks are get messy and black but that doesn’t damage the nut. John has about half of them cleaned (about ½ bushel) and doused the remainder with bleach infused water.

I drove to town to play music, visit, and partake of the Briarwood buffet.
It was an interesting afternoon. We only had 5 players there (Maury & Marilyn, Gerald, Me, & Dean), but a full house of wonderful singers to be our chorus. We even sang Happy Birthday to Katie and Betty there, for Amy’s yesterday, and Lee pointed out that we didn’t remember to sing for me last month, so I was also included. Afterwards, they served us a delicious feast. None of us will need to eat any supper tonight. The main course was very hot soup made by Lee Kiesel (in photo with me below). Ingredients included Italian sausage, carrots, tomatoes, cabbage, with Tortellini. We had rolls with butter on the side to have with the soup. Everyone there agreed it was Lee’s best soup ever, and she said it is even her favorite. She was sorry that Roberta Clark wasn’t able to be there, because she had apparently told her she wanted to taste her version of that soup. I don’t know those details, but I will give Roberta the message.

They had their normal large dessert table in the place where they usually have salads, except you’ll see the Honeycrisp apples with the special dip were placed on that table.  In addition, at the end, we were served a hot crockpot Cherry Crisp topped with a lot of vanilla ice cream, and with our meal a cup of hot apple cider also in a crockpot. You can see why I called it a food fest!
They always decorate with a seasonal theme (on the wall, the plates, napkins, and tables). It’s a class act, and we certainly appreciate their efforts.

Dean brought his little brown jug and told the story behind it – a very, very old bottle, originally with Stomach Bitters in it.  The old label is still almost intact. I missed getting a photo of it and will have to remember next Thursday to take my camera and add it to next week’s blog, along with the entire story about where and how he acquired it. I’m sure he will continue bringing it through November, while we are still including the song, Little Brown Jug.

Here are a few captures of the day:Maury, my plate, Marilyn, & Gerald, other residents waiting to eat.
Desserts with Honeycrisp apples and Jo Ellen serving Cherry Crisp with ice cream.End of crockpot cherry crisp, served with ice cream and hot cider with our whole meal

At the end, a resident, Aaron took our photo:A little out of focus, but it is touchy to go only ½ down to focus on my camera and then follow through. I often mess it up myself. This shows me with Lee Kiesel, who was the one who made the wonderful soup and cut up the Honeycrisp apples I took her, made a fabulous dip (cream cheese, with puffed marshmallow crème, & pineapple juice). She and I enjoyed eating more apples and dip than anyone there. Beforehand, we were talking about my pants matching her shirt, and now that I see this photo, I realize she is a little shorter than I, and the pants were too short on me, so I have put them in a bag to take her. She wears the same size. I have another pair of slacks that match the green, but I think her pants match the pink in the shirt better. How funny. I do have a pair of “pink” pants, so I will not have to take hers.

Sunday, Oct 21

We are having sunny fall days. John has been outside removing a few rocks and old firewood of Cottonwood and Poplar. He made a “free” sign and piled some of the wood near the road. His sign is on an old plastic sled and he used funny spelling and spacing. The sign is odd and so is he.

I have been inside all day working on various projects, including this blog, listening to my new CD from Thursday night, processing the video, photos from recent takes, washing dishes, cutting produce to freeze, and other non-exciting things.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

John wrote a two-part follow-up to the Liberty Lake Bridge Project from the last couple of weeks. It’s a nice pictorial educational discussion.

The specific entry links are below for the future, or just scroll down from this week’s blog post:

(1) Cedar Grove — Part One

(2) PART TWO: CGB Project
Yep, John wasn’t consistent in naming the parts, a few days apart.

Monday, Oct 8

We started by visiting the foot doctor for both our toe nail clips we get periodically, funded by Medicare. Next one is in January, so that will cost us because of the roll-over of deductibles that restart the beginning of the year. Today was covered.
From there, we went to the senior center to use their Wi-Fi to download some updates to John’s “Smart” phone, which requires a Wi-Fi access. John’s phone was initially set-up there so as we walked in, it immediately connected. Our home Wi-Fi is not connected to the outside world.

While we waited for Katrina to get done with a meeting, I asked John to take my picture in another “new” outfit. Here I am:What’s behind my head; my new plum pants; the Swan gourd.

It took 10 minutes but we got it done, and something else was updated as well. We each had a computer in the AAC’s computer room, while we waited. John was able to check on the progress of the hurricane over western Cuba, headed to the panhandle of Florida. I was able to manage some emails on several accounts. We left for lunch and returned for me to attend my SAIL exercise class. John had taken along my birthday present book on WA Geology, so he had a good read while I had a good session. We stopped by Super 1 on the way home. It was raining nicely for the rest of the afternoon.

Continued all night and filled our barrel out front, under the roof’s valley.
The next morning, I took a photo of the clever barrel setup John engineered from free barrels given to us on the Buy Nothing Facebook site. First picture is John’s start of the water flowing for the demo, which had operated through the night from roof runoff.The video that follows demonstrates the cleverness at work of “engineer” John, reforming these plastic barrels given to us in damaged condition. The short white one had to be cut off to be useful. The taller one is bottom up, with the bottom cut out.

Barrels Capturing Roof Runoff at our Front Door

Connection from our past with a student from the 1990s at CWU.

In last week’s blog, I shared two newspaper stories about the day John went to the woods to assist with WTA trail building near Roslyn, only 35 miles from our home. I shared on Facebook the first story from the Yakima Herald, and got a couple of comments. The most interesting was from a student from the 1990s at CWU, who knew both John and me. We knew her by one name and she now goes by a different first name and her last name is her married name. She is interested in hiking and will be interested in working with John in future projects when he goes through Leavenworth (where she lives) on his way to WTA projects past Stevens Pass. He can pick her up on his way through and take her to the work site. She wants to give back to help with the trails she so much enjoys using.

Tuesday, Oct 9

John left at 11:30 to pick apples and I left at 11:45 for Costco, but came back by way of Ellensburg. John picked a bunch of Jonagolds and Galas. At the Eberhart Orchard he found lots of apples and a nice view of the Kittitas Valley. Our place is way across, about 12 miles, at the center line of the car.I filled my car with gasoline at only 3.19/gal (in Ellensburg it’s up to 3.35/gal). John has to fill up tomorrow or Tuesday. Oops, just checked the Costco price. It’s up to 3.25/gal. We are usually 10₵ higher up here.

I picked up both our meds, had a sandwich for lunch and brought ½ home to John (Baked Turkey & Provolone). The Wests introduced us to that the last time we were there for lunch with them. Also got some Sunset Plums/Prunes for my friend Gloria.

I took pictures too. The drink is not Coke, rather it’s PowerAdeZero. I took in my insulated bottle holder.My half sandwich, with my bottle of PowerAdeZero – The pointy hill is now called Pushtay. It was changed from a name some thought was derogatory, and the State accepted a change proposed from the Yakama Nation, the Wanapum Indians and U.S. Army. If you want to know more about this one and many more, there’s a book with the subtitle of How Maps Name, Claim, and Inflame, by Mark Monmonier (a geographer). LINK

Wednesday, Oct 10

I was up at 6:30 and stayed up because of being worried about so many things I have left to do before Friday. I didn’t get to the main one, but made a dent in all the rest.

I went to FISH Food Bank for noon music and then to SAIL and by Amy’s to drop off some garden/orchard stuff.
John’s going to unload apples and work with his walnut harvest (Carpathians, not black), and not pick apples until tomorrow.

I wore another pair of pants of the new bunch, a navy blue pair by some company with only 3 initials (EHL). [John says: This is one of those companies that bought another via a huge debt, and then filed for bankruptcy a year later {1995}. EHL = Eddie Haggar Ltd.]
With them I added a nice smaller fancy dressy sweatshirt in light blue. I took my camera along to the AAC for SAIL and asked one of our new AmeriCorps folks, Roxanne Laush, to take my picture in the same place I took hers yesterday. Optical illusion. I’m really not smaller than Roxanne, but I wanted more of my outfit in the photo so that’s what I got. This is another new outfit with smaller clothes size, both gifted.

Thursday, Oct 11

Called Roberta’s cell phone requesting 12 chairs for KV F&F playing at Meadows Place. A baker’s dozen actually came to play: Amy, Charlie, Dean, Evie (stands), Gerald, Kevin, Laura, Manord, Marilyn, Maury, Minerva, Nancy, & Sharon.

John and I planned our schedules so he would meet me at the Senior Center after my music. He delivered 2 boxes of apples for the staff to wash and dry. They have clay (white Kaolin) sprayed on for insect control, and where sun is intense, for lessening of sunburn. [Web photo]

I wrapped up my case with the violin to keep it warm. We went in John’s blue car to focus on picking Honeycrisp apples. Some are very large, and some have issues. We got about 15 odd boxes – some wine boxes, but others too.

I came home and spent a lot of time cleaning off the table that housed the CPAP machine so I could get to the parts and the power cord to clean up. Need to sort and pack the other supplies and put all in a box to transfer to Suzy when she comes from west of Yakima, to visit her mom. Mom is now in an assisted living facility in EBRG.

Friday, Oct 12

I talked with Cody at our Cle Elum doctor’s office. She checked on medication conflicts with Robitussin Dm cough syrup, none, so then I called around to find the best price. John is going to town to deliver some apples to a couple people and to go by Bi-Mart for getting the liquid to treat my cough that has gotten worse, plus with added congestion. Bi-Mart was the only place that had the 8-ounce one I wanted, (others only had 4 oz), and theirs was $10.99. If I doubled the 4-ounce price from Rite-Aid, it would have been $14.29; Super 1 would have been $13.96. Bi-Mart wins, and I will get the larger bottle. John got there and realized they had the GoodSense generic version of the same exact cough syrup bottle for 3 bucks, $8 less !! – it’s named Tussin Dm. That is really quite incredible, but it’s doing the job well and I’m grateful to John for looking.

While at Bi-Mart he also bought a bunch of 40-lb. bags of Black Oil Sunflower seeds, at $17.99 each. This is way down from the ones he bought a week or so ago, in the mid-$20s range, at a feed store. Also, Bi-Mart’s normal price on them is $24.00.

While in town, John is dropping off some apples to our friend, Mary Ann Macinko, and we will take more by next week for others of her friends and relatives. He also took a big box by to our new neighbors, who recently moved to Ellensburg. We met the mom and her 3 daughters, but have yet to meet the dad, who was at work.

I stayed home today to get well and go through paperwork. I made a few phone calls, worked on the computer, the dishes, and forgot to make a couple of phone calls I needed to, even after remembering to make several. Guess I needed to make a to-do list to follow today, to keep me on track.

Saturday, Oct 13 . . . . My parents anniv., 1937

I slept in after getting up the first time and putting food out for the cats at 6:30. Once up, I check our joint email and found a note from our friend, Suzy West, that she would be coming up to visit her mom in Hearthstone today, so we await a call this afternoon to go in and meet her after she makes a trip to the parents home (now with one of the kids there) to pick up some stuff.

I’ve been finishing packing up my CPAP machine and all the supplies for her to have to try out and use. I no longer need to use it, because my heart is providing sufficient SpO2 to my blood during sleeping time (the only reason I was put on it).

While working on the “stuff”, I got a call from a gal in my exercise class, and I just put her on speaker phone and kept talking. My cold symptoms are much better after using the cough syrup John got for me yesterday, and I’m still taking it when needed (only once today).

John is busy building a structure in our little once-red barn. It is a raised platform, about 6 feet off the dirt floor. The bags of bird food will go there and not have mice get into them. Is hope a plan? Anyway, it is starting to get near freezing in early morning if the sky is clear. Apples are there now, but will have to be moved into the house or garage soon.

I have fixed my brunch (eggs, sausage, tomato, toast), and John has returned to eat his lunch (re-heated pizza). We await a call from Suzy, that came at 3:30 and I managed to locate John to drive to town. We returned a couple hours later. 

First stop, Super 1 parking lot to turn over the box of CPAP stuff. We gave her about 15 pounds of apples, with 3 different kinds. 
The back of our car when we left for town, had things for several people. Pictured are the apples and the CPAP box full.One apple box went to Wests, other to Mary Ann Macinko, and the right box was the CPAP machine and parts, plus supplies.

After the delivery in the parking lot, we went to Bi-Mart for three more bags of Black Oil Sunflower Seeds and some of my Fisherman Friends cough drops (original strength, menthol).  
Then on to Briarwood to deliver some clothing to a lady and her husband. I have known her brother through music since the 1990s). And, one more stop at the Pacifica Senior Living Apartments on Mountain View, to drop off apples with Mary Ann.  She has many friends and relatives in EBRG, so may take more to her is she unloads these.

Sunday, Oct 14

Day began with emergency events for neighbors and for one of our outside cats, Czar. John took care of opening the gate and feeding the horses, and now is driving our neighbor to KVH to pick up his brother’s van, after the brother drove himself in with a heart attack last night. Brother was carried to Yakima, and is now doing well – we guess – after procedures in the Cardiac catheterization unit. However, yesterday, the well brother’s truck blew its radiator when about 50 miles from here. Problems galore for this family.

On John’s way out, he spoke to one of our outside cats, Woody, and yelled at me to come feed her. When Czar heard his voice, he meowed from behind the door of our shed, where he spent the night (John was in and out of it working yesterday afternoon). I should have realized that, when I didn’t see him this morning. He is always by the front door waiting for his dry food, as early as 6:30. The only one to appear was Sue, and I had fed her as well as the inside/outside cat.

Then we got some brunch and John put the boxes in his car, and we went over to the orchard to pick apples. We started with Honeycrisp, but they were not in the best of condition. Some are quite large – softball size +. We filled half the boxes, and moved uphill to the Galas. We had a great fall day. Now we’re back home and offering some to another neighbor farther up the road. Tomorrow, we will take some to the senior center and to a person who I know from there and from Nick Zentner’s field trips and lectures. She’s the one who will be giving us some English walnuts this coming week.

All cats ate something tonight.

John baked an apple/blueberry pie that now should be cool enough to eat. It’s time.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

We will start this week, with a photo depicting the end of a week of work by WTA folks. This was a “build a bridge” project. The “Day 6 Crew” on the new, but not completed bridge.
John has agreed to flesh out the project and post on this coming Wednesday. John was there on 4 of the 6 days.

Monday, Oct 1

Crazy day today for 3 hours when we both when to town for supplies (and to put gasoline in his car). We made two stops before he let me off for my exercise class, where I managed to find the gal with the birthday, last Friday, and gave her the belated card and gift.

After class we went to a few other places, first a carport to look at a box of slacks (size 14) that a woman had offered me. I was reticent taking more than two pair to try on, because I don’t even remember being in a size 14. Once I got home and tried a pair on, I was elated. They fit! Both were still brand-new with price tags attached. One is “plum” color and made by Alfred Dunner and the other is a light green, called Sage Heather, by Donnkenny. Tomorrow I shall return and get more of what I left behind today. For the next stop, we had a tough time finding the bus barn at the high school, but finally found it and left an insulated bag to gift to a woman who drives school bus there. She received it later, and wrote me a thank you note that it would work just fine.

On from there to the vet to pick up Annie’s meds left the last trip there a month ago, (they are no longer needed) and to drive from there on the Reecer Creek connection several miles to get a couple of long-sleeved gifted T-shirts from a former Free Box site member who gave me in June 2017 a bunch of weight-loss materials and cook books. I was able to thank her again and tell her I had passed them along to a friend on loan, and I was down 31# since she gave them to me. I was expecting only two shirts, and she gave John 4 (her father had died and no one in their house could wear them).

Came home to a bunch of other demands on my time that I still have not fulfilled.

Tuesday, Oct 2

Made the mistake of getting up with John at 6:30 and not going back to bed. He was off to near Roslyn, WA (30 miles) in the Teanaway Forest, riding with Bill Weir, for a WTA event.
One of WTA’s main supporters is Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI), headquartered in Seattle. ( REI on Wikipedia )
The company’s annual leadership meeting was in Suncadia, a nearby resort and housing development. About 50 WTA crew leaders directed the work of nearly 300 VIPs of REI. This was the largest group of “volunteers” ever for WTA (with help from others, though).[Oops! WTA crews are not supposed to do full over-the-head swings of tools such as this one, a Pulaski. However, with knees bent he is not likely to destroy his shin, just the tool. ]

Below are links to newspaper articles in the Yakima Herald and Ellensburg’s Daily Record. The neat thing about this is the mention (and pictured in the Record) of Darcy Batura, who was my student, back in the day, at CWU, in the Cultural and Environmental Resource Management Graduate Program. It was a Masters of Science degree program with professors teaching the classes and monitoring thesis research from several departments on campus, including Anthropology, Geography, Biology, Political Science, and Economics.

Yakima Herald: New Trail System Underway with Massive Volunteer Effort

Daily Record: Volunteers come together to build first trail in Towns to Teanaway project

Wednesday, Oct 3

John set his alarm for 5:30. WTA was starting work at a park SE of Seattle, on land once having underground coal mining. They worked on a trail that went by an air-vent shaft.Photo from the web.

I went to the Soup Kitchen, SAIL, home to print for the guys and me for our music books for Oct/Nov and our practice session tonight at Evie’s in Kittitas, WA (10 miles from my house). We worked on the new music intros, tempo, checks for chords, and other glitches.
I ate some bran flakes with my banana to tide me over until I can get home from the session after dark, for dinner fixed by John.

John harvested all the butternut squash, while I went to play.

Earlier in the day, I was in new clothes that are smaller than any I have been wearing. The two photos below are of me in size 14 slacks and size M blouse. These (and more) were given to me by a woman on one of the three free Facebook sites in our town. The giver was given two boxes of clothes from the estate of a woman who probably could best be described as a “clotheshorse.”

Almost all of the slacks still had the original price tag attached. Or, I guess one could say she was a kleptomaniac. I don’t think that was the case, because she had notes attached with a hat pin and straight pins, with notes such as “needs shortened.” The blouses were clean but did not have attached price tags. Nothing looks worn. Material ranges from rayon to polyester and other stretchy materials. I haven’t even tried all the 14s on yet. I think I have 4-5 more (different colors) to try on. In the box were a number of size 12s and a couple of size 10, and one size 8. I have thus far given the 8 and 10s away, but have to work on giving the 12s. Prices on the slacks run as high as $40.00.

Here are two photos of me in the first two outfits I wore this week. One today and another Friday, both at the Senior Center (AAC). The one on the right I’m not wearing my usual smile, as John was taking the picture with my old camera that he doesn’t like to use. I didn’t know he was taking the picture yet, and the good one was out of battery.Nancy at the AAC 10/3 and 10/5

Thursday, Oct 4

I spent the early morning worrying with last minute copying of music, still need to finish Laura’s, and marked the Intros in the books I control (for me and for Charlie & Gerald). I fixed my breakfast and took my huge dose of Amoxicillin an hour before my teeth cleaning. It is covered by my dental insurance, every 4 months, so that is nice. I got a fairly good report but need to concentrate more on my back upper teeth.

I called in 11 chairs for KV F&F today this week, for these folks who came to play: Laura, Minerva, Sharon, Nancy, Dean, Charlie, Gerald, Evie, Marilyn, Maury, and Manord. We had a good audience turnout with better than usual audience participation.

John drove me back to town to let me off to play music. Jessica’s tire pressure light was on, so he stopped at Les Schwab for free air. He got gasoline, bought 40 lbs. of sunflower seeds, and check out the beef sale at Super 1.

I need to take meds, fluoride my teeth and get to bed.

Friday, Oct 5

John and I took care of morning chores but I forgot one of mine that affected my ability to film and document the event at the AAC (our senior center). I left the charged battery at home.
They made bread sticks and had a special package of chips, called Nut-Thins, made with almonds & rice, mixed with cheddar cheese. These came with a mixed salad based on iceberg lettuce, which I can eat. Hot “homemade” vegetable soup was served last and was appreciated by all. Here is the package described above that everyone was given. The lunch and talk is free with a yearly membership.I took two cameras, to capture the crowd and to videotape the speaker, Brett Bleggi, on Winterizing your Gardens, but I failed in my intentions because I left my battery charging and it was not replaced in one camera, and I did not recharge my other camera enough to take a long video, so we had to just listen and enjoy the program without recording it, completely. I probably have 15 minutes of the presentation captured on video. I took some stills of the audience. I will send a report to members who have shared their email with me. The handouts discussed were from the Kittitas County Extension Office housed on 7th Ave in the old Armory building. Anyone can go by there and pick up helpful gardening literature. The ones he brought to our event included “8 Tips to Prepare Your Garden for Winter” and “20 Things to Include in your Vegetable Garden Journal.”

Our new AmeriCorps staff at AAC for the next 10½ months:
Deborah (Deb) Boudreau
Roxanne Laush
were busy serving us.

John loaded several Butternut squash (~30 lbs.) to take to the Kittitas Food Pantry. We also donated bags of dry beans. And we visited the clothing bank to thank Davelynne for the jeans again (with John present in his WTA logo shirt, for the donation to trail workers who show up with short pants and are not allowed to work in pool-side gear).

From there, we stopped by our neighbors’ house, south of us about 6 miles on Naneum Rd, to drop off a large pot of Hen & Chicks.

I then went to Maury’s house (28 miles) where a bunch had a music Jam for a couple of hours. Maury plays a dobro in our group. Got home after dark. A long day for me.

Saturday, Oct 6

Chores for John were outside with yard projects such as moving squash from cart to covered pickup, gathering Carpathian walnuts (Black ones are mostly hanging in the trees), and other mundane tasks.

I mostly dealt with computer things and house cleaning and organization. Too much time spent fighting with the videos taken at the senior center getting them to You Tube. Also threw in follow-ups on music needs of the group who were at Maury’s Friday night.

Sunday, Oct 7

I checked my car for previously printed Practice copies for Sharon and Kevin. Just one copy of Chinese Breakdown and Dill Pickle Rag, and 2 of the first one with the piano.
I just spent 20 mins. entering all my meds for the week, (except for starting on Wednesday), after picking up the Allopurinal at Costco, this coming Tuesday. Also have to pick up John’s Tamsulosin. He’s on a lot fewer and (by far) less expensive meds. He only takes 4. I quit counting mine.

John is out for chores at 47°F, and at 11:00 a.m. it is up to 50°. Allen is scheduled to come for his Butternut squash when it “warms up”. He usually comes in an open 4-wheeler, and showed up before Noon. He took a big one for the fun of it, and some smaller ones to use for the two of them. John explained how he cuts, fixes, and freezes for later use. Only a turkey roaster would be large enough to cook a half of one of the 17 pound ones.The above photo was from yesterday when John was wiping off, drying and storing the squash in the covered pickup bed.Allen lives a mile north and closer to the hills.

John and Allen were talking about all the cougar activity up north of his place, where they feasted on a herd of 300 deer a few years ago. The one that has been there this year seems to have moved SE and the folks down there were/are not thrilled. Allen saw a 3 or 4 pt. buck on his way down to our place this morning. His cousin Nick (a just south of us neighbor) has seen about 50 turkeys at one time.

John continued working outside until dark. He moved some tree-poles from down past the pasture and found the remains of one of the Merriam Turkeys which a coyote might have killed and taken away. Hope it wasn’t a cougar.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Monday, Sept 24

We did get the blog finished today at 12:40 p.m. and published it, before leaving for the day in Yakima. I drove both ways, returning late (after 5:00 p.m.) to bring John home, change hats – and went down the road again.

A review of my Yakima Heart Center visit: It started at 1:45 with a device check on my ICD, and the good news, everything was fine from 6 months ago, and the nicest news was that I have a battery life left of 12 years. My ICD has not had to use much power to adjust my pulse because it has been working fine on its own. My first one only lasted 5 years, but it was replaced with one of a higher technology.

Then we changed to the waiting room for the cardiologists, instead of imaging, and didn’t wait too much longer until we were called in. I weighed in at the lowest weight I have had there in quite awhile. I was 30 pounds down from my May visit of 2017 (and this was with my clothes on); I did remove my shoes. I was checked in by a technician, and we had to wait about 20 minutes for the doctor to appear. I did not have a preliminary ECG (which my former cardiologist always had done every visit). But he retired, and I guess that is not a priority of his replacement.

I didn’t have more than 20 minutes with my cardiologist.  He was pleased at my condition, and only ordered an echocardiogram (in the next few weeks) to see if my heart has improved (the ejection fraction).  He assumes by the sound of what he can hear that it has, but he also knows all the stuff I’ve been doing, and he acknowledged John’s comments that he sees no symptoms of my having any troubles.

He asked for a follow-up appointment in four months. I guess I would like to have it before the end of the year because my deductible has already been met. We’ll see if my request is approved. First things first. Get my echocardiogram.

I brought John home because he had many things to do, to set up for multiple trips this week (and he was gone Sunday). He is to go T/W/T and Saturday. He will leave at 4 AM, be just inside Idaho at 7 for gas, and to the trailhead by 7:25. Saturday will be closer and of a shorter duration.

So, I turned around and went back to town to dinner alone with two other couples, another fellow I know who is a musician (piano & keyboard), and a fellow who just lost his wife. I knew her better than I knew him, but he was the Director, Financial Services at CWU for many years. Cancer took her away, but they had a nice last 6 months traveling all over the world to places she wanted to visit.  They had even previously spent time in Antarctica and South Africa.  He was also a farmer in the valley in the 70s before going to work at CWU. Neat guy. He was at dinner because of being friends with our friends originally, I think, through Search and Rescue. 

I carried my violin and a bottle of wine. Three people had been playing (Piano, flute, violin) before I got there; I played two songs, and took my violin back to the car and picked up a bag of goodies for Haley and Amy. We had a sort of homemade Shepherd’s Pie (with pastry instead of mashed potatoes on top) for dinner, rhubarb cherry cake heated, ice cream, and wine (I took a bottle of Malbec, and that’s all I drank of the 3 different ones there (all reds).  I left about 7:30 and it’s now 8:25 and I’m going to bed soon.  I am tired.

Tuesday, Sept 25

Up early with John at 3:30 a.m., went back to bed after he left at 4:00 a.m. for another day at Liberty Lake. I slept in until 9:50, realizing I truly needed the rest, and after a few organizational chores, I finally got my first coffee at 10:50.

Jeez, 12:45 p.m. medical update for Tues, 9/25/18 this week. Regarding our history of shots for Prevnar 13 (PPSV-13) and Pneumovax 23 (PPV-23) from the day before, my PCP’s nurse checked and found I had the PPV-23 in 2010 and then in 2015, I had the PCV-13. John had the 23 in 2009 and the 13 in 2015. Current recommendations from my Primary Care Physician (PCP)’s research is for this year 2018, get the PPSV-23 again, but not follow up a year later with the 13 (Reason: we have both had both shots, but the original 23 was not given a year later). Today, I called, talked to our Pharmacist Leslie, who said last week she would order PPSV-13 for both of us, when she gave us our flu shots. I wanted to tell her my doctor’s decision, and request she order instead the PPSV-23 for both of us. She searched her cooler, not finding any, she tried to order the PPSV-23 for us. The system would not allow it. So, she is going to look into it further, and then I will report back to my PCP’s triage nurse, Lacey. As of the end of the week, she had not gotten back to me. She said she was really busy. But, I would like to get the protection ASAP, so I will call the pharmacy again Monday.

Another medical issue for me (right eye laser surgery for future):
This is information provided by my friend (a PA) who just had her surgery yesterday while I was going to my medical appointments. Her name is Roberta Buum, and she is my friend from the SAIL exercise class, the IAF Geology lectures & Field trips, plus a member of the Kittitas Audubon chapter. Here is her information for my future needs, when my right eye starts showing the symptoms of needing lasered to remove the film over my retina that appears after my having intraocular eye replacement surgery in 1997. My left eye was done last year, and the right one will need to be done when the symptoms appear. My last visit this year still did not show it in the Optimap yet, as being within my vision field. Roberta’s surgery was done at Pacific Cataract and Laser Institute in Yakima. I asked her for their complete information, because I wish to continue with my second eye at a different facility. My original surgery was done in 1997 in Yakima, but that doctor has retired. This group comes highly recommended by others. Here are her provided details. Their address is: 3900 Kern Road. It is right off 40th, just past North Star. Ph: 509-966-1356 or 800-888-9902. They basically repeated the exam done by Valley Vision a week before the surgery so you could probably bypass Valley Vision altogether. A Dr. Gibb did the pre-op exam and Dr. Ford did the procedure. (Her report to me this morning, made me request the details, because she had reported in the following statement (we had been discussing this surgery recently in our exercise class). She said, The surgery was a success! The world is a much brighter, clearer place this morning!

I added 5 people to the jobs list. That requires logging off all my Gmail accounts and initializing with the one used to manage my database on Google Groups: jobsnancy@gmail.com . Normally, our joint account has precedence for administrative duties.

Wednesday, Sept 26

I awakened at 3:20, to John’s alarm. I stayed up until he left at 4:00 a.m. and went back to bed, but could not sleep, so I got up for 1 hr+, took 2 Tylenol, and went back to bed until 9:10 !

Fixed my salad for today’s lunch at the Food Bank, and packed a birthday present (green water bottle) for Carolyn but she did not show up for SAIL exercise. So, I’ll take it next Monday.

Here is a blast from the past for a WTA trip to Talapus Lake John made. These are the finished photos (from crew leader, LeeAnne). John will describe them.These were taken on a wet day when I was not there. Note the umbrella over the backpack – upper left, right photo. The 2 pictures are from the same spot but in opposite directions. This is a new section of trail I and others carved out of the forest in a wet section. I helped clean out plants and rocks, leaving a sunken path. Others “rocked in” the sides and filled it. The top is gravel, brought up 1.8 miles in 50 pound sacks by pack animals.
Thursday, Sept 27

I called into Hearthstone for 9 chairs for our music group.
We had a good turnout, players and audience: Tim, Roberta, Amy, Sandy, Nancy, Dean, Gerald, Kevin, Sharon, but we had trouble with our hearing each other and our timing was messed up in a couple of cases. Most of the audience I’m sure didn’t realize it.

We stayed for cake for a celebration of life and had a fire drill rudely interrupt us, so I carried my cake home and shared with John. It was a strange day all around.

In order to cheer myself, I will share some great bird photos from my friend from 6th grade, Nancy Johnson (now Maude Buszek, in Michigan), where all these photos were taken.Great Egrets and adult Sandhill Crane with juvenile meets Egret

Wonderful reflections to soothe the soul:Roseate Spoonbill with Sandhill Crane poses In the middle photo, the bird dropped a leaf and scared himself; right image: preening.

Friday, Sept 28

I went to scholarship luncheon at 204 Bouillon with my $60 Ruth Harrington donation check to the CWU Foundation. We were served Lasagna Crockpot casserole, salad, and apple crisp w/ ice cream. Did not make it out of there in time to go by AAC for tail end of Friday activity event pictures, because a few of us had an interesting discussion in progress.

Went on to Kittitas to deliver clothes and yellow summer squash to the Neighborhood Food Pantry and Clothing bank. On back by an intersection about 3 miles from my home, to leave a box with packing plastics in it for a woman to use for shipping.

I came home to tackle more projects. John was home today and caught up on both in and out chores.

Saturday, Sept 29

John left about 5:15 a.m. for Fish Trap Lake Trail, 30 miles SW of Spokane. It was on a BLM site, for National Public Lands Day (NPLD). This WTA work day had an early start at 8:00 a.m. (usually 8:30), and they ended early because of celebrations with NPLD T-shirts from 2017 and 2018 given out, along with sandwiches, chips, various other snacks, and drinks. John said the new trail construction through the shrub-steppe was relatively easy, but the wind was whipping up the exposed ground, and the working conditions were very dusty. We think they were digging down into the deposits of volcanic ash from Mt. St. Helens’ 1980 eruption. This area received more of the stuff than we did in Troy, ID. They worked through a wooded section and John used a saw (18″ pruning) to clear downed limbs and small trees. He de-limbed a larger tree but left it for a BLM worker with a chainsaw.I took the left-side photo by propping the two shirts on the back of my recliner, not the best picture, but you get the idea. They are nice T-shirts. Right side is from the web.

I slept in after feeding the outside cats. Now busy with chores, and the first is related to gifts from people current & past. I put a request in for John for a long-sleeved T-shirt to wear under a short-sleeved 2018 WTA Logo shirt this coming Tuesday at a special work party event with WTA and REI staffs at Suncadia. An offer came from a woman who in 2017 donated a bunch of Low Calorie Recipe books and weight-loss materials to me when I was trying to lose the weight for my heart’s health. It was nice to touch bases again so I could thank her for her donation, and explain that I had lost the weight needed and passed along (loaned) the books to a friend in need.

John picked ~1.5# blackberries yesterday, and today I will rinse, drain, and pack into a bag for the freezer. Need to do the same with tomatoes and peaches, but clean and cut them first. I also washed dishes, worked on the blog, put off updates on music plans for next week’s KV F&F group, and accomplished a few more things, during cleanup in our den & kitchen.

John stopped at Ritzville for gas and called after getting back on I-90. The call was at 3:22. He may be home by 5:30, but will call again. John did not call when I anticipated, so I called him. He was driving by Kittitas High School, about 10 miles south. He got home at 5:07. He holds his speed to below 75. About 85% of the traffic is going 80 mph.

I managed to put in all my meds for the week, and need to arrange to get some Allopurinal (which is from Costco), so that means a trip down toward the end of the 2nd week. But the price is right, no coupon needed and it costs $16 vs. $24 in Ellensburg for 180 tablets (I take twice daily). We always seem to need a few things from the store, and their gas is the least expensive. We take the car with the greatest need for fuel.

We had a salad for supper. John went to bed early, and I stayed up too late.

Sunday, Sept 30

John will be home today for a change, and he slept in. I couldn’t, after first time up early, and not being able to return to sleep, I just got up and washed a load of dishes, and started on things needing tackled and hopefully finished today. I figured I could take a nap later on.

It’s cold outside (in the 50s) and he came in complaining that winter has arrived. He checked the garden and the Butternut squash, hoping that they will ripen before the frost gets them. We need them to be able to store for future use.. . . . . . . . . . . . .{Shown smaller than actual size.}
The hat is 12 inches, stem to stern. They need to be tan/brown, and they are not. Some smaller ones are tan. There are several this big or larger, and they should have stopped growing sooner. Something to investigate.

I canceled the Emeriti meeting set for Oct 10 because too many of the regulars had conflicts. We’ll try for Nov.

Our new Medicare cards came in yesterday’s mail, and John is making scans of them with our Kaiser Permanente cards, and our WA State driver’s license. The Medicare cards have a new non-SS number. You likely got a new one, or will soon.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Week 1 September 2018

Monday, Sept 3
. . . … HAPPY LABOR DAY …

We rested a little, but basically worked on many different projects.
Some of this day was already written up in our previous blog.

John picked squash and tomatoes for me to share on Tuesday, when I leave for town for errands.

Tuesday, Sept 4

John left at 6:00 for the Dingford Creek Trail,
returning tonight after 5:00 p.m.
Only a couple of photos to show from near Pumpkin Seed Falls in the Cascades, east of N. Bend, WA.Top left: Sadie lunching at work site, where teams of 4 over three days raised the stream crossing about five feet and capped it with flat-topped rocks. Top right: Pumpkin Seed Falls (rock) a bit short of water.
Bottom left: 2 of the crew doing a last inspection. Bottom right: 10 feet of trail build up and tread repair – ’cause we were there.

I slept in a little longer but was up by 8:00 a.m. Washed a load of dishes. Then worked on finishing the blog photos. I spent time on the phone with Consumer Cellular checking to see if they had access to tracking the package I sent on Friday. I did not have a tracking number to follow. I have to wait until later in the week to see if it made it there.

I also received a call from Sears that our washer is in, but John cannot pick up until later this week.

I called in the non-delivery of the WSJ, from Saturday, but nothing was published on Labor Day. Now later I realized we did not get a paper delivered today, so I’ll wait to see if we get one tomorrow. Also, requested the missing paper copies be sent [from Chicopee, MA]. Supposed to come in 3-5 business days, but nothing has come yet, and we are out into 2 weeks missed deliveries. It is a normally a 6-day/wk (except holidays) delivery.

I took yellow summer squash and tomatoes to our neighbors to share with their extended family and a caregiver. While there I picked up some Bartlett pears. On to town where I dropped off some more squash. Those folks were not home, but I will see them tomorrow at lunch. From there I went on to Rehab, with a package to leave for Gerald Gordon, in his wife’s room. She was sleeping so I did not interrupt her. I went on back down the west wing to visit Burnie Orcutt, and to tell her our music group would be there this Thursday at 2:00-3:00 in the dining hall. She was happy to see me and we visited. She already heard from her daughter Suzy that we’d shared a steak dinner last Saturday for my birthday. We had a nice visit. From there, I was off to check my number at Bi-Mart. Didn’t win anything. On by the hospital to pick up another care and service report form. By to check the price on gasoline, and to the bank to cash a check (refund from overcharge at the foot doctor’s office, for John’s last visit). I wondered why we were being charged for a Medicare visit so late in the year, and I wasn’t, because our deductible should have long been paid up. From there to Safeway to replace a spoiled piece of white corn-on-the-cob. No questions asked. Then off to get gasoline… at $3.14/gal best price in town—at 7/11. From there, to Jerrol’s to spend a $10 off coupon during my birthday month. I looked around ½ the store and could not find anything I wanted. I was standing looking perplexed and a nice young gal, Beth, asked if she could help me find something. I told her my wishes and she suggested ordering a book of my choice. I had told her I looked at that section and others, but couldn’t find anything I wanted. The closest thing I found to something of interest was the Geology of Grant County. That county is east of us, and I wanted one on the Roadside Geology of Washington (state). I told her that I wanted the latest edition, which they did not have the last time I checked (last fall). She checked her computer and found they had the 2nd edition that I wanted. She told me to wait, and she went searching. She came back with a copy. I guess when I asked for it previously that must have triggered them to get it in the store. But, I had not specifically ordered it at the time. Now I’m the proud owner of a new copy of the book highly recommended by Nick Zentner. Price there was $26.00, so my $10 off coupon got used on something of interest to both of us.

Allen Aronica showed up looking for a cage to fit an Emu. It was being “herded” to a neighbor’s place but it had a different idea. They caught it but we could not help.
While he was here, I gave him a gift (the painting) I picked up free in Kittitas, WA on Friday. Allen is a Native American (our neighbor since 1989 a mile north on Naneum), and a member of the Kittitas Band of the Yakama tribe.Nancy presents painting (1979 by Norma Burnam). Background are Carpathian walnut trees, and our 11 yr. old Brittany, Cedaridge Vintage Roussanne.

Finally published last week’s blog tonight at 11:38 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept 5

John was up early to get ready for the Culligan man to come evaluate our system.
I stayed around until almost 11:00, and left for the Food Bank to play music. I left after 1:00 and came home to help John get ready to go pick up the washer. The Culligan man had only been gone 15 minutes when I got home about 1:30. We still have not heard back from salesman & water tester, Jose’, about our needed purchase, but there’s really no rush. We have a month of cleanup in the garage to make room for a new unit to manage removing the iron and iron-bacteria in our water.

Nice visit over lunch with Karen Johnson and her friend Nancy Edwards (I have pix of both and first met Nancy and boyfriend Craig and the ending BBQ for the Kittitas Audubon Society. Need to get those out to them and the KAS folks. I have to do it before the Sept 20 meeting. See below on Saturday for link to all.
We had a fair number there today for music with 3 singers and 4 instrumentalists. I sat with 4 other musicians and we had lunch, after we had played for ½ hour. John fixed me a hamburger, with cooked onions and a larger one of our tomatoes sliced. I had lost much of my lunch salad when the top opened on my container and filled my carrying bag with Bleu Cheese dressing.

Tonight for supper, we had a nice pizza, with our stuff on it (Ailsa Craig onions, & tomatoes), and from the store, Pepperoni based pizza with mushrooms. Added a bit of sauce, extra cheddar cheese, then topped with Parmesan.

Thursday, Sept 6

We received delivery of our first WSJ in two weeks. Maybe they finally got it straightened out. Funny thing, we also missed receiving the last 3 editions of our local newspaper, the Daily Record, and received all three last night with a letter of apology from the Daily Record Circulation Manager that the carrier had dumped all the copies rather than delivered them.

We heard from Allen Aronica that they caught the Emu and got him home to his new place up the road from us and over Naneum Creek north of Charlton Rd. Allen’s neighbor tries to “rescue” animals but she hasn’t the resources to do so. Years ago, John helped get a donkey to her, using our horse trailer.

I ran off a new song for us to practice at the Rehab today, called “Meeting in the Air.” This is our first Thursday of the month when we go to the place where I was “incarcerated” for 7 weeks in 2010 out of the ICU, needing to regain the use of all my muscles that atrophied after no activity from November 28 through my valve replacement the end of December 2009.

A resident there now is a wonderful lady Burniece Orcutt. For a number of years we would go to her home for part of Christmas Day. She is now in rehab for physical therapy to regain balance. Daughter Suzy West will be joining her today to come to our performance. I went by on Tuesday to visit with Burnie, and to remind her we would be there, and not to schedule a PT appointment during the 2 – 3:00 p.m. hour. She and her husband used to dance (with our group playing) at the Friday afternoon ballroom dances at the senior center in the early 1990s. Sad thing – our accordion player for many years is now there as a resident with Dementia, and unable to do most things. She still sits in her wheelchair with the group, smiling occasionally, and keeps time to the music with her hands.

John went to Sears in the truck to have them load our washer. Ellensburg Sears is very small and locally owned, but handles sales of appliances and garden/lawn equipment. Sears, as a major company, is headed down the toilet bowl of history. The local store will have new arrangements if it wishes to stay in business.

Friday, Sept 7

John left at 6:00 a.m. and I slept in past 6:30. I found the tracking number for my package I sent to return my smart phone, after I learned today by email it had been received in Portland, by Consumer Cellular and they have credited my account for $135.

I talked to a fellow I know at the Daily Record (DR), who told me the rest of the story about non-delivery of our local newspaper over a 3-day period. He said they went to the delivery person’s home and she had some papers bundled in the back of her car. Then someone checked at Super 1 grocery dumpsters and found the rest. Wow. I thanked him for our delivery, told him of my problems with WSJ delivery and that I didn’t even realize I wasn’t getting the DR. I asked him how they figured it out, and he said their phone was ringing off the hook, so they began the search.

I wrote White Heron’s Cameron & Phyllis we would be coming Sunday at 1:30 and we were being joined by friends from Cle Elum.

I had brunch at noonish. Large tomato, 2 eggs over easy with cheese, cut ham, and toast with apricot jam. Ready to take meds and get busy.
I loaded more into the dishwasher. Fed Party Mix to Rascal.
No other cats in sight at the time.

I did remember to thank the 3 folks who mailed me birthday cards via USPS—Peggy, Pat, and Ethel.

I spent from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. sorting stacks of mail receipts, music, and other things we print off in 2 years, and recycled almost a box of paper. Have not yet filed them by month. Still working on things found to correct, update emails, and addresses. When we never stay home, things accumulate.

John called at 4:00 from N. Bend**. Expected home at 5:30; he arrived a few minutes after without calling. He is finding the new phone as confusing as quantum physics.
**Edgewick exit, actually, a truck stop, motel, & restaurant. Between 1912 & 1919 there was a small community with a post office. Then came the Boxley Burst {link}.

Annie spent a lot of time in the backyard on the concrete in the sun and in the shade.

Tonight we had a late supper.

Saturday, Sept 8

I emptied the dishwasher and worked on stacks in the den. We had brunch and John picked produce: blackberries and tomatoes.
I wrote to the Emeriti Geographers, postponing our meeting for a month or two.

This is the link to photos from the Kittitas Audubon’s Summer Picnic

KAS Annual Picnic, 8-16-18

Sunday, Sept 9

Going to White Heron: I got some plates, napkins, clear plastic cups, and stainless steel flatware ready to take for the 4 of us, and put my camera in.
We were preparing for the Chef’s Extravaganza, in conjunction each year with Quincy Farmer Consumer Awareness Day. We attend this event at White Heron Cellars (& Mariposa Vineyard) every year to celebrate my birthday (a week late).

On our trip over via I-90, we drove by at the very beginning of a fire in the median.Our first photo at Renslow Trestle [old RR, abandoned], later fire shown in median and across westbound lanes, closer, and no WSP or firetrucks had yet arrived. We slowed slightly but went on before traffic began to back-up.

Brush fire off I-90 near Kittitas burned 100 acres

We made it by and got over to White Heron about 12:45.
Visited with the owners and some of the pruners, and with the cooks. I spent about 20 minutes with my cell phone and John’s new ‘smart’ phone, talking to Portland to the provider to download the newest version of the operating system. It finally got done before our friends arrived. John was inside tasting with others.

I ran around with my camera documenting the day. Those photos have not been completely processed, just enough to end this blog and I’ll give you a link to follow, next week, to all I took. Pre-partying in the winery. Nancy & John & current selections.My staked out table with view, and later in use with food.Our table’s food, smoked pork ribs, w/ blueberry-peach garnish Our friends: Jack & Sharon ^^^^^^^^^ Nancy, Altesse, Sharon
Columbia River and basalt cliffs in the background. Closest behind Sharon and Jack is the Mariposa Vineyard, wherefrom all the grapes come in the White Heron wines (as on the table). With our dinner we had a bottle of Trinidad Red.Cameron Fries, Nancy, Sharon^^^^^^John, Phyllis Fries, Nancy
And yes, Cameron really is quite large – used to be 6′ 7″

We’ll end there (even on this Tuesday, September 11, 2018) and begin next week with Monday of this week, when we hope to publish, again.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan