Marching into March

Monday, Mar 2

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

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

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

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

Tuesday, Mar 3

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

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

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

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

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

from Wikipedia about the song

Wednesday, Mar 4

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

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

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

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

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

The Ellensburg Song

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

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

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

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

Thursday, Mar 5

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

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

Friday, Mar 6

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

Weather Radar Shows Spring Bird Migration

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

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

Cruise Ship Off Calif. Tested positive for Covid-19

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

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

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

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

AAC Wheel of Fortune Event, 3-6-20

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

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

Antique Hay Stacker in Iowa story (with Tractor)

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

Video with a newer version stacker & Clydesdale horses

Saturday, Mar 7

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

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

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

These were taken inside the Repair shop building

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

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

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

Sunday, Mar 8

Lise McGowan’s photo with her explanation below:

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

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

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

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

Northeast Ohio Tourism with Maple Syrup Industry

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

Plastic tubing video 2015 – closer view of tube tapping

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

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

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

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan