Saturday, June 23
We didn’t have this photo for last week’s blog, when you learned that John went to volunteer trail work at Granite Mountain Trail. 
The first part of the trail is in forest and parts are rutted. It is a hikers-only trail, so we can do things that are not allowed on bike and horse trails. One thing is to install steps with “fill”, in the up-trail side.
Rocks or logs can be used for the step. On this small section of trail we needed 4 steps, and two of them would work with logs and two others with heavy flat rocks. If we can’t dig into the sides of the trail, logs won’t work.
Some trees will deteriorate rapidly, say 5 to 7 years. Others will last 25 or 30 years. Near our site was a Yellow Cedar that had been pushed over a few years before to nearly horizontal, but was very straight, with a base diameter of about 10 inches.
We trimmed limbs off part and stripped off the bark. This is easy in spring, almost impossible in fall. Bark allows water and insects to better damage the wood, so we take it off. It smells wonderful, and some say like raw potatoes. Maybe, but to me it smells like fresh Yellow Cedar.
In the photo (near to far), Mike, Mela, and Bill are peeling bark from about 12 feet of tree, for two steps.
A bit more information is found here: About peeling bark from Cedar
From experience, I can tell you that when the task is short, this can be fun. On the afternoon of the 3rd day, it just seems like work. {John}
Sunday, June 24
We were late getting the blog out by associated problems with computer, WordPress, and me. {Nancy}
Monday, June 25
I sent out the call for patriotic music this week on Thurs. & Fri. at an assisted living home and at the pre-July 4th event at the senior center. Planning is very involved for the audiences at both places, and a chair count is needed, plus directions for details.
Last Friday, I drove by Airport Storage during a high windy time to where I dropped off our already read Wall Street Journals for a CWU business student (who works there). A bag with office supplies (that had my sunglasses case in it) fell out of the back door of my car and things, including receipts starting blowing away into the sage and gravel. I picked up the heaviest items (boxes of file folders and hanging folders) and then chased the other store receipts down the block. The shopping bag itself was slammed up against a short bush. The receipts blew about 50’ down to a cross fence and stopped there. I didn’t miss the eyeglass case until I got home and took off my prescription sunglasses. So I called that gal and asked when she went to pick up her papers, to please look in the gravel close to their paper boxes and spot where I parked. She said she would, but she missed seeing it. HAPPILY, it was there today, not too far from where the car was stopped. It’s triangularly shaped and light, and had been rained on and pushed through the sand and gravel getting dirty, but was only 3 feet from the pavement, and easily seen in the gravel because I knew where to look. So I got it, and later cleaned it up to reuse. The lens cloth inside was not hurt and the dirt cleaned right off. I’m happy to have it back, because it is a Costco special carrier that folds up for pockets, which if I had done, I wouldn’t have lost it.
I called Safeway about Coumadin, but they needed a refill update from the doctor, so it is forthcoming.
On my way to SAIL exercise, I finally managed to get to the bank with my PATR checks from the local Co-op that are reported to the Internal Revenue Service and have to be added to the form for 2018. I’m not sure it’s worth the effort for a < $10 savings / year from purchases. With the new tax forms we may not have to do this. Another thing to check on.
Tuesday, June 26
Today I had to get to Dollar Tree between 1:00 – 1:30 and over to AAC to the last meeting of our “Just Dance” class. I was going to the $ store to pick up two helium-filled balloons and a weighted holder to give to our AmeriCorps teacher, Nicole, at the AAC, to thank her for her contributions this year.
A good number of folks showed up for the last class, and I got one of the other volunteer staff members to take our picture with Nicole holding her balloons. She was appreciative. We were appreciative for her 2 months of teaching us a bunch of special dances, in the last program of the year called, “Just Dance.” We had been through many dance teaching programs she assisted with – from Ballroom, Line, and Swing to this finale. 
Katrina (AAC Director), Jackie, Nancy, Victoria, Nicole, Connie, Bev, and Chuck. The heart shaped balloon says “You’re So Special” and the other one said, “It’s Your Day.”
We reviewed about 8 different dances we’d learned and I danced every dance. I was very tired at the end of the hour.
I went by Bi-Mart to check numbers and buy more Granny Goose potato chips, at a very good sale price ($2.99, for a huge bag).
I called Cle Elum to change my prescription for Coumadin refill to allow 180 pills at one time. I’m on it for life, and the price is cheaper.
Wednesday, June 27
This was a full day, and it’s only going to get worse tomorrow and Friday. Started by finalizing those plans for music for the next 2 days. Our group, I’m organizer for, the Kittitas Valley Fiddlers & Friends, is performing music (Pre-4th of July with patriotic and USA songs, and also our May/June fare tomorrow at Hearthstone, an assisted living home. Friday (more below) is a presentation over lunch at the Ellensburg Adult Activity Center (AAC), our local senior center.
The first thing of the morning was contacting all the music group for each day, with different instructions, as different people are coming both days with a few overlapping.
Then I made (with John’s help cutting chicken cubes) my salad to take for lunch today at the Food Bank Soup Kitchen. He also helped me carry my load of stuff to the car. I got a parking space near the front door, and even had two fellows offer to carry my instrument and bags. I followed behind with my pillow. Chairs there are shaped strangely, and it helps one’s back to have a pillow for support.
Activity today started with music at the FISH Food Bank, followed by SAIL exercise at the AAC. I was still tired and achy from yesterday’s hour of dancing at the AAC. But, I limped through.
I now need to organize and sort out the music for tomorrow (all the audience copies). Not surprisingly, residents are often having a cup of coffee or possibly finishing a meal late, and our music copies end up with food stains. I took white paper and used Scotch “magic” tape (not easily seen) to tape little pieces of paper over the stains. Using white-out would have taken more time and been expensive. That chore took me over an hour to process ~59 copies. Many were fine, but some had five pages needing cleaned up. Only two pages (seriously wet and crinkled) had to be replaced with a newly printed copy. Sadly, we will use these copies in the presence of coffee and cookies on Thursday, and a full lunch meal on Friday, so before next Thursday, I will have to restore a few more copies on twenty of the full copies (with all the songs for July in them). The majority to be used Friday only have the first 13 songs, so that cleanup can wait.
Thurs, June 28
The first thing to start off my crazy day was a change in the plans for tomorrow by the AAC. Our location within the building has been changed, so all my prior instructions had to be rewritten, and given out today to those who would be playing tomorrow. I got a sheet written, printed, and packed for the trip. Last minute changes are not appreciated to deal with when a dozen people are involved. Hearthstone – today, and I will have John’s help loading all the music stuff inside. His bottling wine trip was canceled – – until next Thursday (?).
John timed the playing for tomorrow, at about 26 minutes. He also helped me give out the first song sheets of only 13 songs, then retrieved them at the end, and replaced with others for May/June playing that we finished with.
While the switch was occurring, Evie moved to the Grand Piano, to accompany the group on a song we have started doing at places with a piano accessible. Of the 5 places we visit monthly, three assisted living homes get to enjoy a jazzy version of “Just a Little Talk with Jesus”. Some day, I need to record that.
After we switched music, we continued and invited Haley (5 yrs old) to join us for two songs that she sings along with us: Hey! Good Lookin’! (sings most of the verses and all the chorus). Ends with T for Texas (singing parts of verses, but entertains us all with her yodeling abilities throughout). Occasionally, mom Amy needs to promise ice cream to get her to stand in front, lower the music stand, so everyone can see her. She’s as fun to watch as to listen to, because of her enthusiasm and expressions. Below are pix of her popsicle reward today, and a glimpse this week at her first red/white/blue outfit she wore. 
Note the complete dressed-up to the toenails Miss Haley with her reward after she got home. I also had on my flag hat, pants, and jacket, but left my sequined flag vest for tomorrow’s performance.
Before coming home, there were various chores around town.
Friday, June 29
We left at 10:35 a.m. and got there about 11:00, in time to get a parking space in the lot and help with set up, putting out music for the 67 people expected today, minus all the players, who already have our music.
This was an event, ahead of time celebration for the 4th of July, because the AAC doesn’t want to compete with all the other activities the elders have to choose from. Also, the staff is free to do other things too with the center closed for the 4th.
We came straight home because in the rush to leave and take everything, John didn’t pick up his wallet, and he was driving because we were going to fill his gas tank. I had not taken my wallet so I didn’t have my credit cards. So, no gas and no shopping.
However, I was rather worn out, so just came home, worked on processing the video from today, and on the pictures John took, starting with the outdoor grilling of hamburgers and hot dogs, and also people inside, and of our group, Kittitas Valley Fiddlers and Friends performing from about 11:35 for an hour. We played instrumental music while lunch was being served, and did 14 other songs after everyone had been served. The audience had the music lyrics and there was good singing by the attendees. We played patriotic and USA songs. At the end we stood and saluted the flag, and everyone sang (acapella) no instruments – only the lead off 5 notes or so, Evie played, so we were all on the same key.
Here is the video’s location. AAC: 4th July celebration
If you read the description on the video, you can see the best place to start is actually 3 minutes, 13 seconds (3:13) on the tape. Each song sung has the best starting point listed if you want only to watch a few songs (e.g., “Red River Valley” begins at 22:00, “There’s a Star-Spangled Banner Flying Somewhere” begins at 24:50, with “Take me Out to the Ball Game” starting at 29:38, and the ending is the National Anthem, 30:55.
I cropped the best parts of the photos and will send to everyone I have emails for at the Senior Center, to all the musicians, and to the staff. Below is the link to the photos of the day:
Google Photos link to AAC event 6-29-18
Meanwhile, here is Haley in her second patriotic dress of the week that she wore to the AAC event. 
Amy & Haley, Haley swirling, Haley & Connie after AAC 4th July Celebration
This afternoon, John picked a gallon Ice Cream bucket full of sweet red cherries to take tomorrow to the crew for after-work treats, with cookies and drinks provided by WTA. He had me clean them and pull out any bad ones (nibbled on by birds), and get rid of the chaff. He picks them nicely with their stems intact so they stay fresh longer. After I had a very large Pyrex circular bowl full, he put them out on paper towels to dry for packing in a bucket, which will be inside a box to which he can add bottles of ice.
Saturday, June 30
John was out of here at 5:40 a.m. for his WTA work trip to Snoqualmie Lake Trail. He first will stop off nearby from the trail where he lost a new garden knife in its sheath from placing it back in his backpack, but apparently missing the entry. It was nowhere to be found in his things in the car. It’s a $36 knife, which helped peel the bark from a downed cedar tree to saw into 6’ sections for use as stairs on the trail renovation (see above for last week’s Granite Mtn. trip). He will have about a 10-minute walk to the spot off the trail, where he had his stuff. Hopefully, no one has found it and taken it. Unfortunately, his trip was unsuccessful. Meanwhile, John found another replacement for less cost. I think I will suggest he put his name inside in case it is lost again and a good soul finds it and returns it (at least to the WTA in Seattle).
I got up long enough to feed 3 cats who were patiently waiting for their morning vittles.
Then I picked up the dry food when 
they were done because the Magpies come in and eat it, while making incredible noises arguing over it.
Then, I was still very tired so I went back to bed and slept in. I needed it after the past week that wore me out.
Here is a great post by Anthony Watts this morning on Facebook. Facebook is the only link I have to this..
Southern Granny Ain’t Never Missed the Weather Forecast
I got busy working on chores for the blog this morning and it’s finally time to stop for brunch at 12:30 p.m. I didn’t finish until 1:30 because I took out time to make it special and to take photos of the parts I put together. I decided to have eggs (but had to track some down in the outside garage refrigerator, sausage patty, already cooked that I had to warm, make my eggs over easy with grated cheese atop, slice my gifted oatmeal rolls (story below), and toasted two of them, adding strawberry preserves (also gifted). Then I added some of our Rainier cherries (not quite ripe enough yet, but still beautiful and tasty).
Here is the plate:
Double Roll slices with strawberry preserves, both made by Roberta Buum, eggs, cut up sausage, and Rainier cherries from our tree.
The “rolls-preserves” story is that last week John picked strawberries, I sorted through and culled bad ones out for us to clean, cut, and sugar for desserts, and took 4+ pounds to Roberta Buum in my SAIL exercise class last week for her to make strawberry “jam” for her family (grandchildren and children) for Christmas presents. She made it over last weekend, and this Monday, brought me a jar of the delicacy along with a Rubbermaid container full of her homemade oatmeal rolls. Today, I put the jar in with the remaining rolls for my photo take. The close-up is one piece of two rolls I sliced, toasted, and covered with preserves for my brunch. 
Homemade strawberry preserves and oatmeal rolls
I continued working on details about the video I’ve already listed above in Friday’s description. Roberta was also there to enjoy.
Czar (cat) and Annie (dog) kept me entertained. Czar spent most of the day sleeping on the ledge above the cats’ ladder to the hard pellets, which also covers the bowl of their special treat, Friskies Party Mix. The next set of photos is of Czar, with a second set of the two of them, cat and dog, side by side. 
Czar’s favorite spot on front porch with access to the hard food bowl, right outside the den window, by John’s computer. Different positions and then a querying look bottom right, “Why do you care?”
Later in the afternoon, he was back there, but Annie wanted out. She went out and lay in the gravel past the Mtn. Ash tree to watch the quail. Czar joined her and they both watched:
^^^^^^ Companions: Cat, Czar and Brittany, Annie
Still later, I put Annie out front to wait for John’s arrival. In the shade in front of the shed where John parks his car was the 3 yr. old buck, with antlers still in velvet. He often rests in that sheltered spot during late afternoons.
I took these photos from inside the front door. 
The black stripe is a pole support on our front porch. Right is zoomed in when he turned his head and is not in sharp focus.
John called as he was pulling out of the Truck Stop near Edgewick, on the way home, from his trail work, near North Bend. They started getting rained on at the end of the work day. He got back to dryside Ellensburg for gasoline, and called me, so I could give him the best place to buy. He got his gasoline for $3.23/gal, and went by Grocery Outlet on the way home, buying some huge strawberries for a good price that we can clean and sugar for our freezer. Our garden supply has dwindled to almost nothing. He also bought me a head of Iceberg lettuce, and some other stuff, and he carried away two empty chardonnay type (fat) wine boxes with the insides intact to share with a friend who will use them for storage of wine bottles. Then he came home to feed horses and give Annie her expected run around the pasture with Czar joining them for the journey.
Sunday, July 1
We started with morning computer chores, feeding the cats, and now he’s out for morning walk with Annie, moving hoses, and all the things he has to manage, with the wind still whipping until 10:00 p.m. tonight. High gust today has been 43 mph.
He’s returning for us to clean and cut ½ the strawberries he bought yesterday, and then will fix brunch, and after eating, we’ll do the rest of the strawberries later after John works on editing the blog and transferring it to WordPress and I put the pictures with the text on our shared jump drive.
I have to finish sending the photos taken Friday to a share link on Google Photos to add to this blog and send to the AAC members I have email addresses for, and the staff (for posting on Facebook on the Ellensburg Adult Activity Center’s page).
My next chore is to get the entire July music together to send to the music group for them to be ready for performing the additional songs to the first 13 we did last week, to round it out to 25 songs, last ones are instrumental; we do if there is time.
Hope your week was fine.
Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan
John advising a rock moving project. 
Horned toad along Manastash Ridge trail, SW of EBRG.
Ellensburg, WA west side of S. Pine St up from Mt. View Rd 
Interestingly, and ironically, John was across the valley working on trails to remove noxious weeds (mostly Knapweed). 
Haley in front of Jerrol’s with cup of Root Beer Float Ice Cream
John has since cleaned the printer heads. The Magenta print was sloppy – better now.
Nicole, Kasey, and Darren before the talk
Elaine, Judy, Teacher-Jessi (AmeriCorps), Ann, Joyce, Shirley, Murl, Sandy, Isabel, Madge, Nancy 
The buck is getting better antlers this year. A fenced in Syringa.
Old building now renovated as Morgan Middle School, Ellensburg
Nick Zentner – Sharing Geology 
Locations: left: Mt. Rainier from the footbridge across the Nisqually River.
Across the Nisqually River for the hike in to the work site. Note the crew is not carrying tools. They were cached after Friday’s work, then brought out after Sunday’s trip.
Splitting Cedar rails for “Check Steps” for placement across the trail. Orange hat in the right photo is Aaron, of the National Park trail crew. Green hat is a WTA volunteer. Left photo – driving steel wedges into the end of the log. In the right photo both are using cant hooks (aka Peavey) 
Left photo is an early photo with a test-placement of a step. See photo below for that with John (orange shirt) and a volunteer. Terry looks on. Over many years, the tree roots became uncovered and boots and water cut deep into the soil on the left side. On the right, the finished set of steps (7 total) are placed and filled with small rocks (first) and soil.
A project requires planning and coordination. That’s the Blue Hat’s responsibility. In the photo below, our Blue Hat (Hannah) works with Terry (note straight rake handle and level) to determine the placement of the 2nd check-step.
There is a wet area where water seeps up into the trail from the surrounding forest. Years ago a drain was dug across the trail and a slanting log laid across – seen in the foreground, partly covered with muck. That filled in with forest litter, wet soil, and small stones.
This now graces our kitchen window over the sink.
It shows some wear, came without chairs, but did come with an insertable piece. John wants to know why those are called a “leaf.”
Baby birds of some species
Above map, by Manastash Mapping, of Ringold Formation field trip 6-10-18. Handouts made possible by Ellensburg Chapter members of the Ice Age Floods Institute. 
This is from the color handouts of the field trip notes, which are on line (see link below). The Hanford site is across the Columbia River (west). We learned on the field trip, this is created by Google Maps (not Google Earth), and requesting 3D. We have not tried that yet. Has a lot of promise, as can be seen in the handout below. Take a peek at it. You’ll need it to help interpret the videos taken at each stop which will be reviewed in next week’s blog. 
Photo shows her 3 trophies (cheeseboards) and each came with 2 wine glasses with an etched Brittany head.
We both went out to see the flag blow in 44 mph gusts. It’s still fluttering. The flag kit came with 3 small screws to attach the pole receptacle to a wall. It needed a much more substantial method. Two by sixes and large lax screws, plus braces, are in place – for now.
Washington Tractor’s sales rep (Janie) with John. The handle bar attachment is in travel mode, lowered and swiveled down. Note the size of the unit by comparing to the back of the pickup bed. His next chore will be to create a way to carry it on the luggage rack on top of his Crosstrek for the trip to Spokane or elsewhere.
Once home, here is the end of the unit and the right shows John attaching the handle to a carrying harness.
As a guest lecturer for the local chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute, we enjoyed Lydia Staisch’s presentation on the Ringold Formation, Sedimentology & Provenance: Implications for the ancestral Columbia & Snake Rivers.
Toter (background) with Beth in blue jacket and hat. Brusher in foreground. What we’ve ordered. Middle photo: Blue hat here is Holly demoing drill. Colleagues stand at right angle to worker and help keep a vertical hole. Right: Full view of Stihl FS 240 brusher.
Closer view of Toter at work, carrying 3 large posts.
Image on the flag of our Pineapple-Lemon Cake
They all hatched for the 3 preschoolers. A windy day and they didn’t want to leave, but liked the lemon sugars, and the rose. 
Mallory & Josh with Baby Daphne <> John, Mary Anne, Lillian, and <> Elaine with part of the crowd behind. 
Mallory Triplett- Graduate student, Nancy, Caleb Valko, undergraduate
Purple Lilac foreground, background Crabapple. Right image – Flowering Crabapple, has very small fruit, not a mess. 
Oregon Grape (yellow, foreground) with Lilac blooming and Carpathian Walnut in progress of leafing. Right: Mountain Ash near our front door
I went to play music and then went to the dentist, for a 4:00 p.m. appointment for my teeth cleaning. 
Top of Porcelain Doll – Bottom – Full Standing View 
Left photo by Fred Newschwander ~ 20 years ago. This is what it looked like when we arrived in 1989. Now the wood is more weathered; the right photo was taken 5-27-18 by Nancy Hultquist. The location is south of Thomas Road west of Naneum Road, on the left, before the first curve. 
Beaverslide Full of Hay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Beaverslide Stacker Empty
{Photo by Ed Moore, hiker.}
On the left, John (orange) is up-slope talking with hiker Ed Moore. Niki, lower right, is near another log piece. In front of her is a shovel. The old tree broke above the shovel handle and landed in the trail between Niki and John. The right photo shows damage to the steps; also shown in the first photo near John’s feet.
Sunday, May 27 
Meet Czar – our 4th feral to send through the system for spay/neuter. He showed up in the winter, and I notified Nancy at VCC that we’d be needing to borrow a trap. We first thought he was female and started calling him Sally. He would run in the other direction for the first couple months. He would come in and eat but not stay around if we tried to talk to him through the window. Eventually we realized he was a male, so changed his name to Salazar. Now he is simply, Czar. He tamed himself, coming in mornings and evenings for food, and sleeping around the premises. He loves being petted and is a companion cat with the others following John around doing chores. He rolls in the gravel drive, meowing loudly, to be petted. He allows us to pick him up and carry him 50’. He now has taken to spending days on the veranda of the cable table in our front yard, where we also feed the birds above and the quail come in the fence and eat off the ground. The cats (surprisingly) are ignoring the birds. He follows the shade around, and is there to say goodbye when we leave and hello when we return, or come to the ledge by the front door of our house, when he is hungry. We were able to pick him up and place him in a crate loaned to us by VCC. Nancy and Noella accepted him for their recent trip to Lynnwood, with a bunch of other cats in their car. They had him for a few days before their trip, last Sunday, and for overnight until we picked him up in the morning. We and he so much appreciated the care. Now you see his clipped left ear and he got all his shots and a dose of tapeworm medicine. We now have protected the unspayed females in the neighborhood. Please everyone, consider doing likewise. Nancy will come trap cats for you if you cannot. They are providing a wonderful service which we all need to support. Thanks again. 
Donation of Gazelle (I bought at a yard sale decades ago for $5) – They sell new for > $120.
Wednesday, May 16 
My plate with salad I brought; students left, AAC members right and end; then right, showing my bellbottoms, on outfit Katrina (AAC Director) asked me to wear to the Senior Prom, and she took the photograph. She likes that “suit.” 
Lady in white, Corrine, student helper with Ernestine (I know from other places in town, who had her Prom Night 2018 Prop facing the wrong direction and was saying whoops! Middle photo: Carol in her Elvis T-shirt kisses him; Nancy w/Anne in her Chocolate Kisses T-shirt from the Hershey, PA tour, which is no longer as neat as when John and I took it a 1/3 century ago, and got to walk across metal stairs and walkways right over the vats of chocolate and to be down and see up close the kisses dropping and coming off the conveyor belt.
King Peter & Queen Judith; Joanne; Connie; Joe with Poker Chip award. 
Photos by Blue hat, Lisa Black
Compare with left side photo, above.
We had to find it a new home, and took it off the trail a dozen feet. Still, it wasn’t very happy with us.
My favorite above is a newborn. Then are 3 babies with mom. A Tri-heron taking off. Photos by Maude Buzcek, included with permission. Please do not share or copy any part or the whole. 
Mercer Cr. is the culprit here, B St is north of 15th, and the right photo is taken north of Mercer Creek Church.
Two of Great White Egret preening; a Snowy Egret; a Cattle Egret carrying a twig for nesting material; young Egrets Sky Gazing. All photos by Maude Buzcek, with permission.
Baby Egrets and the two right photos are of Wood Storks
Kittitas Valley Storm, night before last, Mikka Jameson photo (permission to use). Photographer says, “This was taken from the Currier Creek Development off Old Hwy 10 west of Ellensburg, WA.”
Roseate Spoonbill landing, two flybys, and one with babies in nest near Rockledge, FL. Photos by Maude Buzcek.
Reptilian Tussle _^^^^^_ ^^^^^_ Big Boy (standing is knee high on a person)_^^^^_ Gator in late afternoon, Viera Wetlands. Photos by Maude Buzcek.
North Umpqua’s Born To Tri MH (call name, Trina) Photo by Karen Barrows.
John & Will at Boulder Cave Trail, whole crew at Edgar Rocks, and large rock tipped out of the trail. About 10% was sticking up in the center of the trail, like a little pyramid. Green Hats have it balanced on end, ready to help it off the trail. 
At end of our driveway, the mixed view from Naneum Rd.; orange/yellow tulip; and yellow/orange daffodil.
Unique setting for these daffodils; the ones in the background are seen in the right photo. 
Main daffodils near house: yellow, white, and white with orange center.
We received 2 of the wide mouth matching clear tall glasses and the butter dish; right, the double camping chair. On my way there, I also stopped by another house to pick up some empty plastic flower pots, mostly small.
Two groups of Crepe Paper Flower Makers before and after lunch.
Jacquie tosses ball one direction and Shirley tosses in the other, with Nicole supervising.
Shirley grabs a few pieces from Ed, and Curtis tries his hand at knocking open the 2nd Piñata.
My setup, first hit, and follow through. Very short video below. I handed my camera set already on video to David Douglas and he recorded the first few seconds of mine. 
I made a stopover at a large yard sale on Mt. View Rd, where I found an incredible deal on jeans for John. They are brand new still in the package—priced at $59.50, but I paid $2.00 each for two pairs. The find of the century! 
Back by way of BiMart for Party Mix for all the cats, but I had to get a rain check as they were out. The price was right, but the date of their next shipment is unknown. The sale goes through 5/13, but I’m covered. 
You can read his story on his website, 
In the field (5 stops), Lookout Mt landslide, Yakima River Hwy 10 near EBRG, and current Rattlesnake Ridge, Union Gap.
Daisy an alien flower
Viera Wetlands, FL on her trip there this week —- an alligator, taken from 10’ away with her handheld camera.
Tricolor Heron, in ditch drain; Black Bellied Whistling Duck making a precarious landing; Great Egret & Glossy Ibis flyby; Cattle Egret getting twig for nest. 
Shari is behind Jessi and shows the woven sashes by Shari, who demonstrated her talent. I knew Shari at CWU when we both were teaching and served on a university-wide committee together about Service Learning Activities for students. She was an Art Education professor and I was in Geography Dept. & the Resource Management program. I later met her dad at a local assisted living home, there with his cat, when our Fiddlers & Friends group went to play songs. He has since passed on. It was later that I met her when she joined our SAIL exercise class at the AAC.
I led the audience (& gave them lyrics) singing Jambalaya, and You are My Sunshine. About 36 people participated. 
The area is 25 miles west of EBRG, but 37 miles from Yakima; the dog-leg route John has to travel.
They gave everyone a name tag and a nice CWU neck lanyard strap. I tried to wear CWU colors. The pie (bottom right) is ours. I got these photos before people starting coming in that Ruth had to greet. There were 17 tables of 8 each, and some folks sitting on the side. Must have been 150+ pies brought in for the celebration. 
I saw many people there I have known through the years at CWU. It was a lot of fun. So many pies and many I never have tasted. I made home about 3:30. 
The mounting-arm (appx.=blue in diagram) fits back into a housing under the motor. The wheel is folded up during tilling, and down – as shown – for travel.
I showed John my problem with the fluoride treatment I have to do on my teeth, last thing before going to bed. It was prescribed by my dentist, requires a prescription, and they sell it there at a lower price ($15) than at any pharmacy. It’s Prevident 5000 toothpaste gel in a 3.4 ounce container.
Janie, Washington Tractor, is in today and tomorrow expecting John. With the riding mower fixed, we are getting a 15 gallon pull-behind sprayer. This has a 5 foot wide spraying boom and a hose for spot spraying. Weeds are a serious issue on the Naneum Fan.
Perhaps we won’t have a taste this weekend. We’ll have to wait for the right ambiance and meal ingredients. 
Part of the fence has been taken down and internal partitions, stakes and so on have been cleaned out. Then this little area was tilled. Photos above and below (left) show the part that will need a fence, several of the beds, filled with the newly tilled material – silt, sand, leaves, horse apples, pine needles, and more. The wood for construction came from a friend (the 2 x 4s); they were her porch – the crosspieces are slats from pallets. 
Our house and shed are in the background. John is leveling the boxes, and filling with soil and more sand. Tomatoes and squash will also be in this garden that gets full sun, but it is still too cold for those. After I took these photos, he sprayed the weeds there.