. . . responding to birthday wishes, and no nap, Nancy continues:
Also, while visiting Caitlin’s butterfly site, I found a photo of a Pacific Tree Frog that must be the kind of frog we photographed near the rusty-red of our house siding (color of the frog seems to reflect the environment) – or he did spend 2 days in the rust-colored water of the rain barrel. Schnebly Canyon (her site) is the next canyon east of us. We have seen “ours” again but we haven’t managed to get a photo.
I was right about many wishes for today. I finally turned off Facebook and responded to all email wishes, and now will turn off the computer and tackle other things to celebrate my birthday. Last night John fixed me my birthday dinner and we had half last night with the rest to come tonight. It was a stir-fry of chicken with a Mandarin sauce, pretty cut-up Golden Health winter squash (orange), cashews, and our onions. I don’t think I took a photo of any part of my birthday dinner to be able to share.
Yikes, this morning I heard from a former neighbor (same birthday as mine) that she is in Renton, ready to go in for open heart surgery. I didn’t know about this at all. Another friend’s companion dog died. Sad day. Good day too, however. Heard from a Brittany breeder in California, that a great grandson of a puppy from our breeding won the Open All Age event in the Oregon Brittany field trial. I don’t have the details. In the 1980s, we spent many Labor Day Weekends at that trial outside of Madras, OR.
John was late getting home, but I got a call from the trail head from Alan (WTA’s Field Programs Manager) wishing me a happy birthday, but then he handed the phone to John whose own phone failed to connect from the location. Once John was home, we delivered squash and tomatoes to 6 people around our 5-mile rural block, and received a birthday cake and Apricot Jam in return from our close neighbor. I had also taken her some plums (the last of this year) and some little orange Sun Gold cherry tomatoes. During the evening, I followed up on receiving a $30 credit code from forestertestdrive.com I was given after my test drive. It is “spendable” at SierraTradingPost.com. I found my birthday present and only had $1.50 left on my credit. I seriously doubt they have anything that cheap, so I’m happy with a pair of wool socks and a pair of fleece boot-type socks, nice for wearing to people’s houses in the winter to allow removing snowy boots outside the main house, in the mud room. I wish our house had a mud room. They are very nice. The first one I saw was at my Aunt Marise’s house in Guyton, GA.
Monday, Sept 2
This morning started out very slow for me, sleeping in until late, after being up for almost 18 hrs without a nap on my birthday yesterday. This morning I have responded to a few of the wishes on line and have a ton more to do. I don’t plan to have this computer on much today while going through more stuff in this house needing sorted, recycled, and tossed. I made very good progress yesterday and need to continue. Tomorrow we each have an annual physical that requires a trip to Cle Elum (30 miles up the road, or west toward Seattle).
Tuesday, Sept 3
Off early for the Dr.’s office; leaving before 9:00 a.m. My appt. was 10:00 but we both had to fill out incredible histories required once a year. So much for the digital age. That ALL should be in a database and shared between the hospital and the doctor’s office ALL of which are in the same system digitally. Now, it’s all part of Kittitas Valley Healthcare (KVH)– our doctor’s office is called the KVH Family Medicine – Cle Elum; the Hospital is now just KVH (used to be KVCH-Kittitas Valley Community Hospital). They merged all the doctors in both towns. WHY can’t they just ask if anything has changed in the system? Probably took us 15 minutes just for the paperwork. We both had good results. My weight and height was unchanged from last year. BP was only 110/62, and that’s after driving all the way there; pulse 60 (John’s is much lower–44 this time). Usually, my BP is up at the first reading in a doctor’s office (white-coat syndrome). Because it is an annual exam, they require us both to have fasting blood draws, and I had to have a Thyroid check. The dosage I’m on (none) is fine. Previoulsy, after my operation, my Thyroid required medication, but it has healed. My pill for cholesterol was ordered by my Cardiologist, and upped to 80 mg in May. I don’t need it for cholesterol (mine is okay), but somehow it is healthy for people with heart problems (maybe to prevent plaque build-up) ? My reading was less than ½ the recommended concern, so my family physician had me half my intake to 40 mg. I intend to report back to the nurse of my cardiologist, because I’m not due to see him until December.
They actually called me in at 9:55, and I was done in less than an hour, so John was able to go in early. We both received our flu shots, with no reaction. Our doctor doesn’t need to see us until next September. Then off to the Roslyn Brewery for a couple cases of beer — one to share with the son of the fellow we bought 82 bales of hay from this summer; the son has done most of the loading both times (for first cutting and for second). John has to unload it all on this end, into our barn, but he can take his time doing that working only in the cooler parts of the day. Then on to the Cottage Cafe for my birthday lunch with discount (it can be used any time of the year, but we don’t often get up there). They’d sent me two $10 coupons for my birthday, with one misspelled as Huffquist. I was honest and notified the manager on line, and took it to the waitress to return. She said, no problem, you can use them both, one for John and one for you. Well, that was a good deal and a big surprise. John chose the Black and Blue Salad; made with strip pieces of tender steak (cooked in Cajun Spice), tomatoes, black beans, roasted corn, and chunks of Bacon and Bleu Cheese crumbles on the top, all on a bed of fresh greens, tossed with a tomato-bacon dressing. I had my favorite, the Corned Beef Hash Skillet. It’s made of layers of well-browned hash browns (the best), corned beef hash, two eggs, over easy, all layered and covered with melted Cheddar cheese. With it came a large English muffin, which I split with John. The portions of everything there are so generous, that we only eat half there, and we bring the remainder home. Last night we had it for dinner. Occasionally, I will eat mine for breakfast the next morning.
Before eating and feeding the horses and cats, we picked a tomatoes, 3 ears of corn, a few squash, and a lot of blackberries (of which I don’t have a photo). John had one of the ears of corn with his leftover salad. We were both picking tomatoes, except I became the handler when he had to get on the ground to reach underneath. I could pick a few from a standing position. He picked all the squash and I took photos, and then I helped some from the top with blackberries. They are the thornless kind, but I reached down to cradle a bunch of berries, and screamed from a sharp pain on my left hand’s ring finger. It hurt really bad for the rest of the evening, but didn’t bring blood, yet turned red. John suggested I must have put my hand on a bee and got stung. Never saw it, but surely felt the pain most of the night.
Here’s the results of our harvest before getting injured in the thornless blackberries patch:
Back to another misspelled Hultquist story. John’s dad worked in the purchasing division for Owens-Illinois Glass Factory in Clarion, PA. His name was misspelled on many things arriving there and his secretary saved many such labels. One year at Christmas she gave him a small waste paper basket on which she had pasted all the odd spellings. The family’s favorite was Mr. Piecrust. Odd, but true. So Huffquist is tame – cross the T and get the L at the same time and you have ff rather than lt.
Wednesday, Sept 4
John left early for a place this side of Snoqualmie Pass for another WTA work party. It is on the Pacific Crest Trail, near Mirror Lake. In case he sees picturesque scenery I gave him my old camera that can ride in a case on his belt. This was our best choice, because my new one, while easily handheld, is too large to fit in the easy-to-carry case. And, it’s own case doesn’t have a large enough connector for his belt. His camera is big and he dislikes carrying it on work trips. Here is a view he liked.
An alpine lake has become a marsh-ringed pond on its way to becoming a meadow via the processes of natural eutrophication.
Today, I packed up veggies to take to the Food Bank and to the SR Center. Phew. It took me awhile to sort, pack, and carry out the two kinds of tomatoes and yellow squash, and I took a separate package for Drue Robinson, the daughter of my recently deceased 87-yr old friend (with macular degeneration), who went all over town with me to events over the past several years, since I met her in our exercise class. Drue met me toward the end of class at the AAC, and I was able to introduce her to all the people in the class, and she brought along her computer with photo memories back to her mom Lois’ childhood. About 12 people pulled up chairs or stood to watch the show. It was a special remembrance, and what she used at the memorial downtown. Several of us had not been able to attend the service.
Thursday, Sept 5
Played at Royal Vista today. Only a small faithful group there: 2 guitars, banjo, 2 fiddlers, timbrel, & another singer. We had an appreciative audience. They served us drinks and buttered zucchini nut bread afterwards, and in the parking lot at the end as we all were leaving, I delivered tomatoes (Sun Gold and Early Girl) and two kinds of yellow summer squash (we’re getting to the end of it). Then on downtown, to the grocery, to pick up a few items on the special Thursday 12-hr sale. Part was getting sandwich meat and cheese for John’s sandwiches for WTA work parties. Another special was $.68/bag of English Muffins (limit 2) and a dozen eggs $1.18 (limit 1). Found some good prices on Taco Sauce mix and large taco shells made from “whole” grains and also standard Corn taco shells — we’ll compare them.
We have had a lot of rain and thunder/lightning in the near distance tonight for the past hour. It is still coming down. At one point it was coming off the roof so rapidly, it was missing the 55 gallon barrels and the other 5 gallon ones, but now they are all full. The wind (32 mph gusts) was blowing rain back under our front porch onto the wheelbarrow load of veggies John picked this afternoon while I was gone to town.
We had had a half inch of rain in the past 4 hours and it is still coming down; most rain in awhile. Actually, it is slowing considerably, and we are headed for bed. John must rise early tomorrow and get on the road. We hope it is not raining on the trail workers but in the Cascades hope is not a plan. Actually rain or a recent rain gives them a good idea of where to place drainage dips and ditches or other trail structures. Anyway, this storm involved a massive low pressure system so part of the time the winds came from the east and southeast. We were intrigued by the results of the counter-clockwise circulation system because of the differences from our normal west-to-east air flow.
Friday, Sept 6
John left at 7:00 a.m. for the Pacific Crest Trail near Mirror Lake. On my way to the potluck, I stopped at a yard sale. Pretty cool find. John has been asking for small aluminum tongs and an additional grater. Didn’t find tongs yet, but found two antique graters that are metal in two different sizes. Good I didn’t have to pay an antique price :- ) Talked the lady into both for the price of one ($2) from her utensils box. Found a similar pair but not as nice on Etsy (vintage items) on line for $8.00 plus S&H. Here is a photo of what I got for us:
To use or to hang on wall?
I went to the AAC potluck, 11:30 for BBQ pork ribs, rolls, & a bunch of side dishes including various kinds of potatoes, corn, salads, grapes, etc. I took a container of our cut-up red tomatoes (fresh this morning). Part of our entry fee to the free meal, besides a potluck item to share, is also to bring 4 cans of non-perishable good for the F.I.S.H. Food Bank. I took 4 things: Kidney Beans, low salt stewed tomatoes, corn, and some of the Taco Sauce mix I bought yesterday. Went by Super One for meds and Danish pastries from my rain check on last week’s prices. And speaking of rain — It now is raining hard here again at 2:30. I came home early and skipped the exercise because my left ankle was hurting. Started yesterday, and I have no clue what I did to it. No memory of turning it, stepping on it wrong, hitting it, or anything unusual.
John got home just before 5:00. They again lunched at Mirror Lake and visited with 2 of the PCT thru-hikers passing up-trail from Mexico to Canada.
Here is a poorly done composite photo of lunch there 2 days ago, with a different set of workers but the same Blue hat crew leader, Zach, on the left.
passes by Mirror Lake.
Once home we went over our day apart, while eating a Danish pastry (split lemon/raspberry), and decided they were too doughy for our likes; we prefer more Croissant type bases as from Costco. Tacos tonight for dinner. Pretty good. Going to bed without dessert, earlier than usual.
Saturday, Sept 7
Today, John left at 6:05 a.m. to go northwest over Stevens Pass and after trail work he will stop at one of the Wenatchee River Valley’s road-side orchard outlets. It’s been cool and overcast here all day and somewhat drizzly up and down the Cascade Mountains. He’s in big trees today and so will be somewhat protected. Two of his favorites are Cedar (it’s not really) and Noble Fir because of the big upright purple cones.
I have worked on the blog and a web page to attach about John’s Shaggy butterfly story. Go back to the previous entry (link at the top of the page) if you missed that.
Also, I managed to put together a great chef salad for my lunch. I am sure I’m the only one in the county, the state, and maybe anywhere in the USA to have had this combo. I thought to take a photo after I had eaten most of it.
It had lettuce, our red and gold tomatoes, ham, Muenster cheese, and the croutons were the crowning touch, little H. K. Anderson pretzels (nuggets) filled with peanut butter, originating in John’s home state of PA, however, coming to us via Costco and the Kirkland brand. The originating company no longer provides tours of the facility, but they are located in Lancaster County PA, in the town of Intercourse. I’m sure as a kid you heard all the sayings about the names of towns in that county, including Blue Ball, Bird in Hand, Climax, and Paradise… and probably others I have forgotten.
John’s fruit stop was not very fruitful. He was too late and had to pick out things without a guide and then pay via sliding bills through a small hole in the side of the building. Pears were 10# for $8 so he got 2 Bosc, 3 Scarlet, and 13 regular Barlette pears. Pluots were $1.50/lb. and he got 4 pounds. Unless he can get an exceptional deal on apples he doesn’t buy any because we have another source (more on that in a few weeks). So with no one there to provide info or to bargain with he spent very little time or money. Pluots are a cross and usually have red flesh but not a free-stone, that is, a pit from which the flesh is easily pulled away – so, pretty, tasty, and not so easy to eat.
I received an email request from Evonne, the crew leader for tomorrow at the Snow Lake Trail asking if John would please join them. This came in at 5:40 tonight, and John wasn’t yet home. Is there any way that you can talk John into a last minute sign-up with us tomorrow?? Big day out on the Snow Lake Trail! [By big she meant lots of volunteers sign up and they are short of assistant crew leaders.] He smiled when I told him but he’s been so busy with chores since, that we haven’t had a chance to talk or for him to respond to her, or to do the on-line sign-up. That got done. Evonne was not feeling very spiffy what with a bee sting and Benadryl so John gave her the camera and she took some photos of the work and the area. We’ll leave that for next week.
Hope your week was fine.
Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan