This-one: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/Cougar_closeup.jpg
Not these:
http://www.empireonline.com/images/features/movie-stars-who-should-try-tv/Demi-Moore.jpg
Sunday, Nov 25 Lots of sunshine and no trips away from home required today. We did not sleep in, but started work rather early. John has been working on the doggie/cat door structure, and I spent time documenting the progress, among other things. He also went “up the creek” (without a paddle) to adjust the flow in the water diversion for the irrigation ditch we use. He wants to lower the flow before freeze-ups – little ice dams that send water out over the field where it makes a sheet of ice. These overlap and make unwanted uneven surfaces that are a danger for us or for the horses, dogs, and deer to navigate.
http://www.americanpoems.com/poets/robertfrost/12117
The surface of the water in the ditch freezes while the water continues to flow underneath. Then it pops up and starts to flow on top. Then it turns solid. A similar thing happens with lava flowing downhill . . .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xExdEXOaA9A
. . . where the exposed surface cools and turns black. In our case the dark water turns white. Ain’t Nature grand?
I’ve added to the pictures of the continuing projects, which you can follow here:
http://www.ellensburg.com/nancyh/LandscapeChangeNaneumFan.html
Today, I made some leftovers into a good lunch. John will likely use some again tonight, but he used a previously baked potato and made fried ones to go along with meatloaf, Jarlsberg cheese slices, & biscuits. Our appetizer consisted of cut apples and D’Anjou pears. Tonight I took John’s suggestion and linked to a web page by a great photographer, Ken Rockwell, and I expect it will help me fix my problems with the color balance and contrast on my Canon compact camera that has been making pictures with a blue overtone. Thus far, I have not been able to follow his explicit directions with my camera. John says it ought to be simple so perhaps he can help.
Sad note tonight that another friend in town died. I have known and worked with him since 1988. Marty Kaatz was a geographer here since the 1950s. He and I worked on projects together and he and John hiked in the Cascades and went on field trips. He took one of my GIS classes late in life and assisted several of my students with their local thesis or project work. He will be missed.
Monday, Nov 26 We decided that we would stay home today and go after dark to Costco in Yakima. We are almost out of cat food and the only days this week available were today and tomorrow. I skipped my exercise class today, worked on stacks of things, paying bills, and all such fun stuff. John likes to be home during the daylight hours and those are getting short. By Dec. 5th we will have reached our earliest sunset, about 4:13 P.M. but the latest sunrise (7:48) isn’t until 2 days after Christmas. The bottom line is that for the next 2 months we will only have a little more than 8 hours of daylight (much of it cloudy and cold). You can get your location’s Sun and Moon table here:
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/RS_OneYear.php
For the trip to Yakima, we were late leaving because his trip up the creek to downsize the irrigation took much longer than he planned. We were so busy today we skipped lunch, not even having any snacks. When the horses and outside cats had been fed, we took off for town, stopping by the hospital lab for my INR finger poke. I had the pin prick one that gives instant results. It was a 2.3, within the range desired. Only problem was it took much longer than usual. When I arrived, there was one person ahead of me and it was going to be 10 minutes max. However, there was an emergency call from ER needing a blood draw. The phlebotomist . . .
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phlebotomist
. . . (night time; only one in the lab) had to respond but the patient was not ready so finally she told them she had people waiting and she would come back (they’d taken the patient for a Cat Scan, after requesting her immediately by a personal walkie-talkie connection). That set us off a bit more, but the trip down was nice, clear, with no rain or snow, and a bright full moon, which made it a great trip. There was little traffic and only a few people in the store. It was set to close at 8:30, so we had time, getting there about 7:00PM. After we shopped, we ate. We shared a large piece of pizza (combo with 5 things on it), a Polish sausage, refillable Pepsi, and a large “very berry sundae,” made from frozen yogurt (w/tons of strawberries). All for $5.57. Not bad for two people’s dinner with dessert (and no expected tip). Then off to the gasoline part of the lot. The price was only $3.21/gallon; the cheapest in Ellensburg is $3.53. Go figure! Why? Local paper had a letter to the editor about this issue a few days ago. On home, by way of our neighbor to drop off purchases we made for her. Now we’ve both been spending time on the computer, and it is within minutes of when we can go to bed.
Tuesday, Nov 27 Nothing on tap for today, away from home, but we have been very occupied. Between other jobs, John’s been working on the doggie door, also known as a SAAEIHO – the self-accuated animal egress/ingress household opening. So far all materials used have been recovered from other projects (except a few nails). Prices of purchased SAAEIHOs are about $80 and up, way up. For example:
http://www.petdoors.com/pet-doors/manual-pet-doors/for-sliding-glass-door.html
I spent at least two hours on the phone with various projects. I had to determine which way to proceed on dental insurance before Friday, but it turns out I have to wait till May to finalize the end of a private dental insurance policy and the start of a group policy through CWU (outside of open enrollment which ends Nov 30). I spent some time working on emails regarding a number of different things, including the death of my friend, and also some plans for our music group. In addition, I spent time on the phone with Duluth Trading Company to buy John some “fire-hose” heavy-duty work pants, and for both of us a fleece thing to put on a baseball cap to keep our ears covered. John fixed a great pizza tonight. It was a Costco multi-meat one (5), and he added cheese and tomatoes. We could have added onions too, but it was great without. Forgot to say, we had it with pieces of D’Anjou pears. Really a nice treat. John came back to the kitchen at 8:30 and made a chocolate cake. We still had frosting left over from the brownies he made last week. Before lights-out, we had a nice piece of cake with some cherry/nut ice cream.
Wednesday, Nov 28 Back to the normal Food Bank scheduled music, with SAIL exercise after ½ mile away. We are expected to have 10 days of rain (better than snow, I guess), but difficult to do outside chores. Well, so much for that forecast. I went to town for my two appointments, Food Bank music and SAIL and got snowed on leaving the FB. I figured it was really snowing at home, and I was right. We didn’t play the entire time at the FB because it was so cold we couldn’t finger our instruments properly. So we played about 8 songs quit, and ate. They had a sausage pasta, artichoke/onion thing, which I gave away thinking vitamin K in artichokes was high and I couldn’t have them. I just looked it up, and found that it is low. Last week they had Brussel Sprouts, which are high in Vit. K, but I don’t like them anyway; never have. I got home this afternoon and started working on Frosty the Snow Man. It was nowhere near as straightforward to put into music as I thought. I’m still working on it. The copy I had only had a couple of verses and not the part where Frosty has to hurry on his way, saying, “Don’t you cry, I’ll be back again some day.” Also there were other phrases that needed to be added and the music rewritten. John fixed a late dinner of baked chicken and potato. We had just finished when a former student called and needed counseling. We talked for an hour. Just put in another hour on the music with a break for dessert. Now it’s time to reset the furnace (the programmable thermostat needs reprogrammed) and get some sleep. One day this week, maybe it was this morning, our neighbor called with the news of a Cougar sighting on the end of our property where our horses can go and where John exercises the dogs.
Thursday, Nov 29 Back to the normal Fiddlers & Friends music, this week at Mt. View Meadows. I’m happy John’s going along to go to get his driver’s license renewed and to pick something up at the hardware store, and check other stores. I worked all morning on Frosty the Snow Man (my new arrangement to add the missing music and words I remember at the end of the song. They are not in the version I have copies of from the past. And, there is another verse missing (Frosty the SM is a fairy tale they say. He was made of snow, but the children know how he came to life one day). I must enter it because it is in the wrong key for our singers to sing. Once I have it in the music software, I can transpose for our clarinet player or change to any key for the group.
The trip to town was almost successful. John didn’t have to wait to get his driver’s license renewed. Did not take long to take the eye test and answer associated questions, and have his picture taken. They cost $45 now, but last for 5 years. His trip to the $ store wasn’t totally successful as the waxed paper was a brand X of unknown quality, but he picked up some potato chips that we have now tasted and they are fine (yet interesting). They are advertised as cheddar and sour cream, which from another manufacturer’s (Lay’s), have the same colored chip throughout the bag. However, these are different colors for the cheddar (orange) and sour cream (yellow). John doesn’t agree with my theory, thinking it is just quality control, but we’ll likely never know. His trip to Ace Hardware was less useful. The two things on sale, advertised in their flyer, were out of stock (Dewalt circular saw blades and drill bits). I will go back tomorrow and get them (supposed to be in tomorrow’s shipment).
Our play date today had a good turnout. We had 2 guitars, 2 banjos, clarinet, mandolin, 3 violins, singer w/o instrument, and singer with tambourine. For one of the banjo players, this was her last day with us. She is going to leave next week for Saudi Arabia for a job teaching English as a second language to women. I plan to attend her masters defense Monday. She’s getting her masters degree in the Language Department.
We sort of skipped lunch today, just snacked on chips, but tonight had leftover chicken thighs (cold), heated a previously baked potato, and had some slices of Jarlsberg cheese. I had a slice of banana nut bread, with a bite off one side (John’s), and I buttered it and made a sandwich. It passed for date nut bread with cream cheese. It might have been date nut bread instead of banana. It was quite good. I brought it from the Sr. Center yesterday afternoon. They put out nice goodies to have with coffee they have on all day. I don’t have coffee while there, just water or my lemonade (Crystal Light).
Friday, Nov 30 We were awakened at 4:30 a.m. this morning from a call from Lifeline Support that our neighbor had fallen and not responded to the unit. We were called because we are the first on the list, and I guess they couldn’t reach the home phone (although they really didn’t say that). They had sent a policeman out, and we were supposed to go meet them and let them in the house. I told them the door would not be locked, but they said I had to push a button on the unit to inform them he was being taken care of. Then they didn’t leave a number. I called his wife right away, but the line was busy. John got dressed and I was getting ready to go along with him, because I was the one talking to them. I kept calling thinking she was on the phone talking with someone. It finally went through, but no answer. So we were on our way out the door, and she called. She’d gotten the call but nothing was wrong with her husband. She said the phone said a phone was off the hook, and it said it again while we were talking. How the heck my subsequent phone call went through is beyond me.
She was alarmed to hear the police may be arriving soon, but I was happy to give her a warning. That might have frightened her worse than my wake-up call. Turns out the cat knocked the unit onto the floor from the side table, where he had put it beside his bed. I told her about hitting the button on the unit and that I would return the call to Lifeline Support.
The only reason I could is that I JUST took on a new telephone plan for 2 years that decreased our DSL cost and comes with caller ID and call waiting. That’s how I knew the number to call back, but it took me awhile to figure out how to retrieve it. I then couldn’t get back to sleep for 1.5 hrs. She had taken one of the phones to bed and it was “off the hook. Later that morning, she said indeed a huge vehicle (probably an EMT one with a portable bed) showed up at the door, and she apologized to the medics. They said it was all right, that they needed to come check on every call. I was happy I was able to warn her. I guess once Lifeline gets an alert they call the EMT unit first and the neighbors later. So there wasn’t anyway to stop the EMT folks. We are 10 miles and about 20 minutes from the Fire Station. Traveling on our roads means lots of slow turns as they have right-angles from the old land survey system. . .
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Land_Survey_System
and from going around streams and such things. Go to this Google Earth location — 47.036928, -120.467633 — and zoom in to see how Brick Mill and Naneum intersect. Early in November someone speeding south on Naneum went through the fence, across the canal and stopped near the white plastic pipe. The police painted the tire skid marks with dashed orange lines and I happened by the next day when the landowner was repairing his fence.
Scholarship luncheon was at CWU at noon. On my way there I stopped at the Campus Police and Parking to get a form to fill out for my Emeritus parking sticker. They have given out Red ones for 20+ years, and they feel they may being misused, so are requiring the retiree to come in with ID and car registration to get a new one issued for only two years. All red ones will expire Jan 1, 2013. I lucked out and found a parking space (with my red marker) just across the street from the place our luncheon was being held. They served us baked potatoes with all sorts of different toppings. Very good. While on my way to SAIL exercise, I stopped by Ace Hardware for John’s saw blades and drill bits. They did not have the bits, so I asked for a special rain check and they put in the order from the warehouse. I will pick them up for the sale price Monday afternoon. Our neighbor saw the Cougar coming across our property again, and called, but I was in town, and John was outside.
Tonight we went to the annual Christmas party put on for anyone on campus (this is the event of the season) by the Anthropology and Geography departments on the 3rd floor of Dean (for those of you who were at my retirement party). There was food of all types, many appetizers, but much more. We were able to make our dinner from attending. The only problem was that the plates were too small, but twice through was allowed (even more). We had tasty meatballs, a full ham, Chinese noodle dish, little sausages in a great sauce, various salads I cannot eat, several plates of deviled eggs (I dearly love), fried pot stickers, cabbage rolls, Vegan stuff on one end of the table I ignored, crackers with all sorts of goodies, and other specialties. A large dessert table had pumpkin pie, several kinds of cookies, a special layered thing of which I had two pieces (they were made with gram cracker crust, creme filling, chocolate chips, a butterscotch layer, with a nut crumble on top. I don’t think it had coconut, but perhaps. It was sweeter than many people like, but I have no problem with sugar. There was a nice sherbet non-alcoholic punch I drank.
We had nice visits with former students, current faculty members and spouses, and Emeriti faculty members. It was worth the trip to town, and particularly nice that it was clear, no rain or snow, and with a bright moon for coming home.
Saturday, Dec 1 — Wow, a new month has arrived and we have so much to do before the end of the year rolls around. Today, John moved hay from the storage shed into an old horse trailer and parked it way down in the pasture. Moving the feeding places around keeps the horses from doing excessive damage to any one place and, also, they have to move quite a ways to the heated water trough. That helps to keep them exercised in the winter. He took the truck and chainsaw (and camera) to where the Cougar was sighted (2x) and cut a few smallish trees (nice firewood size without required splitting). No cougar. It was sunny much of the day and cloudy later in the afternoon, but never rained or snowed until about 10 P.M. I worked on several editing projects and still have more to do. I played with this blog throughout the day, and am almost ready to send it to John to go over with his magic touch, and post. I have added a few pictures to the end of the story listed at the top on Landscape Change. I forgot to take pictures today of the current state of the doggie/cat door. It has a newly added (last night before dark) temporary (but usable) ramp. John has yet to add the In and Out swinging doors, letting the animals get used to the new structure before they have to push on the swinging doors. Those will be added in a day or so and heat loss to the great outdoors will be much decreased. It is good that our temps have been very moderate because of the winds from the direction of Hawaii. Still coming with the rain. Ski areas are getting snow. Mount Baker claims to have a 6 ft.+ base. Cold will come, as it already has to much of the northern latitudes. It is 30 below in Fairbanks, Alaska tonight. Ouch.
Hope you are warm and that your week was a good one.
Nancy and John
Still on the Alluvial Fan