Sunday, Jun 2
Recap: the party last night was a lot of fun. We arrived early, carried stuff in, and showed off our new car. Everyone who sees it loves it and wants one. Food (hamburgers and hotdogs were supposed to start at 4:00), but not everyone was there until closer to five. That put the awards off until everyone ate. We added 2 Pecan Pies to the dessert table but there was so much food only one was eaten so we brought the other home. The Geography Department’s awards were announced during the gathering. One of the awards (actually 2 this year) is named the Hultquist Distinguished Service Award – sponsored and named after me! Here is the description of this fantastic award. I got last year’s winner to join the photo (click for big size). Last year, he was off fighting fires as a Hot Shot, sky jumper. What a happy group – don’t you agree?
Jessica Giblin, Nancy, Taylor Steele, and Jeff Bortner
Today, the wind has been screaming for the past many hours. My day started with finding that a person in Romania at 5:47 a.m. hacked my cedaridge@gmail acct and sent crap (bad links) to everyone in my address list (lots, since 2005). I found out that I have many replies that capture every email sent, even if I reply to someone’s list with people on it I don’t know, their names are put into my address book. I have changed my password, and am cleaning up my files before sending a note to everyone in my address book (many bounced and I don’t want them to bounce again). I have decided to let it ride and just clean up the file. Most everyone has responded or ignored it. Several friends early on reported it to me because it was so unlike email links I send, having no explanation or introduction.
John worked on irrigation issues this morning. Mountains wear away making sand. Water carries sand and makes unhelpful deposits. We are close to the steep hills of Naneum Canyon and the water – much appreciated in a land averaging 8 inches of precipitation each year — carries much sand. Here’s a look (from 2011) at what happens when rain on snow with warm temperature gets the water rolling off of the hillsides. Here is a picture -essay of the area before the fires of last year. The State lands start about 2 miles north of us and extend for many miles. A few years ago the State, Feds, and private land owners managed (after several years of meetings) a series of swaps to aggregate a very haphazard ownership pattern. So this is the area that is the source for our water and the sand that comes along for the ride. This settles in the ditches where there is a lessening of the grade and the worst place is at the lower end of our property as the water goes onto the neighbor’s place. Yesterday John shut water off in that ditch by sending it to our east side with part of that going to neighbor Louaine’s small pasture with the apple tree. The 35 mph winds were topped a half hour ago by 39 mph ones. It has slowed down a bit, but only to 36 mph. Finally before bedtime, was slowed to 15, and no gusts.
Monday, Jun 3
Early up from bed and back for another couple of hours to be ready for a phone call about a “gig” this weekend. We have a graduation party to attend Saturday, and a surprise birthday party for an 80 year old, who likes fiddle music. I only have myself to “offer as a fiddler” –and will be joined by a mutual friend on the clarinet (playing the first violin part), and another friend on guitar. Rest of the day was full of things to keep us both busy. I had to take care of making appointments for my echocardiogram tomorrow, and a follow-up appointment next week, back in Yakima, on Tuesday. Must go for a fasting blood draw in the morning before I go for the echocardiogram. Bummer. Then I had to worry with a bunch of stuff on email, and paying bills, so I walked for my exercise up the drive to put a letter in the mailbox — a donation to a Brittany Specialty show. Last year I contributed and WON the $250 gas-card prize. This year the prize is larger and worth more money – although of a different sort. It is a 6-gun wooden cabinet with room for 6 cases of wine and wineglasses, plus a piece of art (a flying pheasant) on canvass on two side doors. They are $700 on the web, with $100 delivery charge. Whoever wins it has it delivered to their house. After the 100 yard trip out to the mailbox I trekked around the gardens and pasture edges. Near our mailbox is native buckwheat. Search the web with the term “Eriogonum compositum” with images selected. A lot are bright yellow (Sulphur), but ours are more the white and pink colors shown in this site.
Here is my best photo for the effort.
Our Iris are new this year, obtained from my friend a mile away who cuts my hair, and shared a number of different ones with us; planted here last year. So far, only two colors have bloomed. I think we have some yellow and other colors, or variegated ones. The wind makes taking pictures of flowers and garden plants frustrating. That’s why we used a web link for the buckwheat. Well, that and the Strawberries are still all green leaves, with a few white blossoms.
Tuesday, Jun 4
Well, today was an interesting day that started too early, on a fasting blood draw prep, so I couldn’t have breakfast (nothing but water) before leaving for town. Before I left I had early morning phone calls and emails to deal with, and had to get my shower. Got there, checked in for both places I had to go in the hospital. Went off to the first (the lab). I didn’t have to wait too long, and they drew several vials of blood for many tests wanted by my cardiologist. Because I was 45 minutes away from my next appointment (for the Echocardiogram), I went to the hospital cafeteria for breakfast. At just before 10:00 a.m., it ended up being brunch. I only had two choices for breakfast specials that had been prepared and kept warm — Eggs Benedict and a stack of 3 large pancakes with two large pieces of bacon. I decided on the Eggs Benedict, and to re-heat it they had a microwave. While there I saw a gal who had been the “cleaning” and set up person for Outpatient services, whom I got to know back in 2009 and again in 2010, when I had to go for 8-9 weeks for daily IV for the bacteria in my blood. I walked by her on my way to the microwave and stopped to introduce myself, and thank her for all her special attention when I was there so much. She was thrilled to be told she was appreciated, and thanked me. Then on back to the Radiology dept. Earlier they had told me they would give me an images CD that I would have to deal with. They used to, but no longer, send to medical folks outside their system. My cardiologist is in Yakima, 35 miles from them, but he is having an assistant go over the tests with me and so they need to evaluate it before seeing me. The Doc is going on vacation and duty time in the hospital cardiac unit – so he needs it now! Where’s the digital records technology when you need it? My blood pressure was increasing with the response I was getting. So, when I got to my echocardiogram technician, Bill, I explained and the need to get the images delivered, ASAP.
He was cool and said, no worries, I will make you a CD to carry to your appt next week, but this afternoon I will send it to them electronically. That’s what I originally asked for from the appointment maker, at the hospital, who said it wasn’t possible. So I wrote my doctor’s nurse an email, for her to be on the lookout for my explanation directions of getting the image videos from my web site, today, as well as the note that the results of the Echocardiogram from the technician, so that Dr. Kim can evaluate it. She called back and told me they had lost their IT man, and couldn’t receive the information from Bill. Plan B. She was going to a supervisor’s meeting to see who could obtain my sends (it was a straightforward 9 minute download), to get on a computer my doctor could view. Short story, it happened.
Scoop on blood pressure, at the start today, my BP was 132/72. I asked Bill to take it at the end before I left the room. He did, (don’t know if he recorded it on the records, hope so, because it was 115/70 ! ) I wanted Dr. Kim to know that. I wish we had taken my BP at the end of my appt with Dr. Kim last time.
Wednesday, Jun 5
Morning catch-up sleep and chores. Leaving for Food Bank Soup Kitchen music, then SAIL class, and a haircut on my way home. Morning spent with getting photos from June 1 Geography Awards to the people who would appreciate it (the students, and a few faculty members). I took 3 videos and a bunch of pictures. Now I have a zipped file for anyone who might be interested, and it can just be downloaded from our website, because it’s too large to email. That’s a pretty nice feature. (It was the same way I delivered the radiograph imagery to my cardiologist. Today, I drove home directly from SAIL class, because it was too hot to leave my violin and food-bank-acquired bread in the car while I got a haircut. My hairdresser only lives a mile away, so it was fine to come back home, dump the stuff, and head on over there. This afternoon I have been sitting in an a/c house (temps outside are 87°), working on my computer. Tonight, we are going to go to town for another Nick Zentner Geology of WA lecture. Tonight it is on the Wenatchee Area and the Ice Age Floods influence there.
Thursday, Jun 6
This morning was rushed with getting music ready to give two people for our Sunday trio performance. John went along with me to Royal Vista, dropped me off, went across town for the Thursday special 12 hr sale (groceries), and by Bi-Mart for duct tape, blue jeans and a couple of other odd things. We had a fairly good attendance today, but didn’t expect to play for a party (with food) saying good bye to the Activity Director (for 19 years). Julie (a friend working at Royal Vista) saw John outside and told him he was invited for food inside after we ended playing at 3:00. It was good. 3 cakes (I had a piece of carrot cake), after having crackers, cheese, salami, strawberries, cantaloupe, pineapple, and nuts. Quite a spread and nice because we had skipped lunch. Supper was smaller by necessity, and followed our trip to town again for another geology lecture, this on the formation of Lake Chelan. It was quite good. Winds started at 5:00 p.m. gusting at 31 mph, blew all night, and into the morning.
Friday, Jun 7
Another windy day of several this week. Today I almost was blown off the road driving home. We were having 43 mph winds at the time. They were higher today than yesterday, with figures such as 30, 32, 36, 37, then 3 hours of 43, 44, 43, and back to the high 30s, still blowing, at 9:00 p.m. I started by going to the potluck at the Adult Activity Center for the main dish of Gyro sandwiches (but made with ground beef). Many good salads, fruits, and side things. I ran around town for shopping errands between the end of that and my exercise class. In addition, I went by the Chase bank to pay our first month’s payment on our loan on the new car. Next month it will automatically come out of our checking account, and I won’t have to worry. I was late getting home, and had a bunch of chores waiting. Finally, John encouraged me to assemble brownies to take tomorrow. He got some of our walnuts and roasted them. I cut a few up and added to the dough, and then we left some to put on top of the chocolate frosting. I think I will use that, but may change my mind and use a butter cream one. Nope, I think the half walnuts will look better on the chocolate frosting. These are special, our own homegrown Carpathian walnuts.
Saturday, Jun 8
I will not be going to graduation ceremonies as I did starting in 1989, and never missed a year until I was in the ICU in 2009. I haven’t been back since retiring. Later today, however, I will go (with my brownies and John) to a party in a city park following the ceremony. A family is throwing a party for two sons. The older one was my student; his younger brother is graduated from Geography this year, and I met him 2 years ago at that year’s potluck party like the one mentioned above. The family has invited us, ‘cause we’re special.
Hope your week was great.
Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan