Monday, May 18 day in 1980 of Mount St. Helens Eruption
Tonight, I watched the programs mentioned yesterday in last week’s blog, so will not repeat them here. If you are interested, scroll down to May 17, below for the links. They are in replay mode now, but well worth watching if you missed seeing them.
Early morning visit from our remodeling contractor, Walter, about our flood plain development permit we received last night at 9:50 from the county. He will take care of the necessary footwork with officials. We do have the signed paperwork to proceed.
My next try is to enter a song sung by Patrick (age 6) that his mom was taught in elementary school. She was only 5 when it erupted, but remembers singing it every May during elementary school. She taught it to him, and he sang it for us, with the sign off, I love you! in the same tone as Professor Nick signs off all his geology livestreams. This song is appropriate for the 40th anniversary of Mount St. Helens eruption today. All the listeners to Nick Zentner’s Livestreams have gotten use to appreciating and looking forward to Patrick’s excellent questions about the topic of the lecture.
You will have to click on the link below, and it will likely download to your computer an mp4 file, which you may have to “Open File”.
Patrick’s Mount St. Helens song
Need to send a message to the Zentnerds with the Slow Earthquake suggested readings & videos for tomorrow night.
John visited Washington Tractor today to deliver paperwork to Matt, the technician, and stopped by Safeway for our lunch today and for the freezer. He bought two bags of Monday specially priced fried chicken (thighs and legs).
Here are some photos of the new tile flooring (still boxed up) for the new room.
You can see this if you go into the EBRG Umpqua Bank and look at their floor tiles.
Let’s take you along on our trip around the property to enjoy flowers, wild and planted.
First set:
Cold-desert Phlox, Pink Phlox (best guess), or similar;
Phacelia;
Lupine, white;
Bitterbrush (yellow blossoms) (often called Antelope bitterbrush)
Arrowleaf Balsamroot and insect on flower on our way to the old red barn.
Top: a photo of a Siberian Pea Shrub, of which we have several adjacent to our old barn. Getting close-ups of the Orange-belted bumblebees [Bombus ternarius] was an impossible task with them flitting around a lot and the wind blowing. The noise was amazing, but I could not capture it on my camera (in the video below). Still I encourage you to turn up the sound and see if you can hear them.
Bees Humming in Siberian Pea Shrub
John has watched them with no wind and claims they are fun to see. They get loaded with pollen and nectar and will tumble over backward, right themselves, and head to another blossom. They don’t seem to mind being watched. The plants, however, have tiny thorns and do mind if you reach in. Not recommended.
Ended with a walk to John’s tulip garden (inside a chain-link fence to protect from resident deer). Those on the left (cream and pink) are the last to bloom, about a week after the purple ones – the penultimate bloomers.
This bridge goes across an irrigation ditch (gravity flow) that allows us to water trees, shrubs, flowers, and vegetables. Pasture too, if John gets energetic, from the ditch.
The Livestreaming lectures this week by Nick Zentner, came off successfully as planned:
Tuesday, May 19
Up early for Walter arriving with drywall filling the back of his truck. He got it in just before rain.
I was up early to take my special weekly pill on an empty stomach, and then eat a meal 30 minutes after swallowing. John helped me fix my breakfast — scrambled eggs with cheese, also peeled me an orange, and cut two small slices of the round loaf of sourdough break I could toast. I also fixed my coffee, which I normally have first thing when I awake. But, taking the pill on an empty stomach, doesn’t allow any coffee, tea, or milk, but requires 6-8oz clear water. I had all that with Apricot preserves on my toast, for my breakfast. Didn’t need much at all for lunch. I’m used to having only a brunch.
John Ebenal sent this on Facebook taken of a well-camouflaged butterfly in the Reecer Creek hills a few miles west of us. 
Desert Marble butterfly blends in well, photo by John Ebenal
There is much on Caitlin LaBar’s site about these: Desert Marbles! – 2016 and the wildflowers that were blooming.
I’ve spent time editing a session from Sunday a.m. to send to the group watching the Nick from Home lecture tonight. It’s comments I collect from the pre-show live chat, an hour before the actual lecture starts, because those comments never are seen until he starts his camera about 12 minutes before the start. I like to let him know what was said prior because often people log on and address something to him, which he won’t otherwise see.
Alternately, I’ve unloaded the dishwasher, planned to soak and reload it, take photos of the construction in progress. Now the rain stopped, and the sun is shining. John’s outside again working on various yard projects. I’m multitasking and staying home.
‘Nick from Home’ Livestream #46 – 5-19-20 Slow Earthquakes starts 11 minutes in
We had a late supper after the show – mostly leftovers. Fried chicken, watermelon salad, orange slices, Rose of Syrah wine, and a fudge hot chocolate sundae with sauce over strawberries onto Neapolitan ice cream.
Wednesday, May 20
Sent the PDF for suggested readings to Zentnerds.
Wind gusting to 55 mph
‘Nick from Home’ Livestream #47 – 5-20-20 Lahars in Washington starts 6:30 minutes in
Thursday, May 21
Didn’t get the suggested readings out until 10:30 a.m. for tonight.
I had a nutrition drink to tide me over.
I videotaped John and 2 workers (Willie & Tristan) loading the refrigerator on the back of the old Chev ’80 pickup, to carry around back to the patio, until it can be loaded into the newly remodeled room.
From front yard porch to backyard patio
The videos of the loading procedure out front and the unloading out back are below.
1-From front porch to ’80 Chev truck
3-Unloading fridge to back patio
Tonight’s livestreaming lecture by Nick:
Friday, May 22
I sent out Hot Spot Volcanism suggested background material to prepare for tomorrow morning’s Nick from Home lecture.
I need to finish editing the comments from the Slow Earthquake lecture to get to Nick and others, because for some unknown reason, the live chat comments were not available on replay. They were there during the presentation.
I try to capture the pre-show comments and the first part of the after it starts ones, but unfortunately that day, I did not get them all. They come in fast and furiously. On a replay, one can pause to read, so not being there caused problems for Nick to review afterwards.
Brunch: John had leftover Lasagna (it was too spicy for me last night), and I had a grilled cheese and ham sandwich.
No livestreaming video lecture from Nick Zentner tonight; his day off (along with Monday). So in the time slot at 6:00 p.m. PST, we’re going to enjoy music virtually, with our study group member, Kathy from Australia.
Kathy Williams-DeVries from Brisbane, Australia, introduces us to her Recorders & music
Supper was chicken patties, shrimp, fried onion rings, and ice cream.
Saturday, May 23
On for capturing comments and conversation around the world at 8:00 a.m.
‘Nick from Home’ Livestream #49 – 5-23-20 Hot Spot Volcanism starts 4:20 minutes in
Supper: Spaghetti, corn on the cob, & ice cream
Sunday, May 17
Started late on pre-show viewing comments
‘Nick From Home’ Livestream #50 – 5-24-20 Bing Crosby Geology starts 3:00 minutes in
Bing was from Spokane and crossed the State on his way to Hollywood (1925) and fame. Al Rinker (piano) was his companion. Washington did not have good cross-State roads because of the State’s complex geology, rivers, and mountains.
Brunch: Bratwurst and scrambled eggs mixed with cheese, with two pieces of English Muffin toasting bread covered with Apricot preserves, small bowl of peaches, with beverage, orange juice mixed with orange PowerAde.
The contractor and his wife showed up mid-afternoon. He wants to apply textured paint on the ceiling. It is old sheet rock and he thinks it needs a primer. They did the 500+ square feet in about 2 hours.
Supper: Banana and grilled cheese & ham sandwich. John added an ear of corn and salted roasted almonds.
Hope your week was fine.
Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan