Winter—getting closer

Sunday, Nov 10
Today has been another workday; also communication filled. Late last night I changed my Facebook profile photo from the Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer that appeared last December after someone stole my identity with John’s and my photo on the profile, and I decided to display an inanimate object (a stuffed Rudolph I donated to the Adult Activity Center). I surely hope the theft does not happen again. Meanwhile, I have had over 50 comments and/or likes. The photo was just of me in my patriotic sequined waving flag vest, holding my violin, which you saw the entire photo of, in last week’s blog. Rather amazing all the responses. I enjoyed every one.
Thanks to you blog readers who also responded about our pictures and John’s award.
John has spent a large part of the day working on apples — sorting out the bad ones, packing some into the extra refrigerator he moved a few weeks ago into our garage. In addition, for a couple hours he has been cleaning, cutting, and cooking apples with cinnamon, to make into applesauce. He has two large circular roasters with 3 lbs of apples in each. Next chore will be to put up some apple pieces in the freezer for pies. Of course, the majority of our time preparing was searching far corners of kitchen cupboards for the favorite pan (big oval aluminum one left over from my mom’s belongings) we have used for years. It has disappeared from view — probably packed in a box out of sight in the garage. We found two lids to fit it; now need the bottom!! The uncomfortable part of the search was getting to the back of two VERY POORLY designed kitchen cabinets with blind space inaccessible in two corners of the kitchen. WHY didn’t they put in a circular turning set of shelves? We found stuff we don’t even remember having. I have to learn how to get on Ellensburg Swap, to offer some of the antiques for sale. I have one old antique angel food cake pan with little sides on it to put a knife under the bottom of the cake to remove it, or so I thought. Searching on the internet, I found some people call them cooling vents.
I had a bad experience trying to get down to search and should have gotten a sturdy stool, but instead I sat on a cardboard box half full of cat food, and it collapsed, sending me down onto the floor. Dumb move. On my way down, my head behind my ear hit the cabinet door beneath the sink. My muscles hurt awhile and I had trouble getting up but made it. I felt I pulled my neck, but sat awhile, and got okay. Only later the next day, did I realize the spot I hit was very tender. Still is (and I’m writing this on Tuesday night). My muscles that were stretched hurt for 3 days.

Monday, Nov 11 Veterans Day
Well, what happened today? We drove to town and delivered more apples. John continues with daily dog exercising, feedings, and now trying to put things in good places to spend the winter. Hoses go one place, buckets another, horse manure into a pile near the garden for composting with old corn stalks, tomato plants, and squash vines – and so on. Rocks, sand, wood and piles of brush get moved about – a little at a time.

Tuesday, Nov 12
This morning was an early morning leave to participate in the Geography Emeritus Professors morning “coffee” at the Copper Kettle. A good turnout brought almost 2 hours of story-telling, remembrances, and other BS. I carried in two books written by two men around the table and gave them a new-condition copy of their book from my holdings (no marks in either). I hope their family will appreciate having them. One WWII vet told of being interviewed by a UK film team for a documentary about his foot trip across Europe and passing via the Dachau concentration camp on the way to liberate Munich a few miles to the southeast. (He is also the owner of the orchard where John picked the apples.) Then we went on to the problems of over withdrawal from the eastern part of the Odessa Aquifer.
We returned home to await the Sears repairman to install our new door handle for the range. Last night I said no to the continuation of the service contract from Sears. The range was fixed and leveled. Thank goodness, no more leaning cakes. John says he has paid for someone else to do this, so why should he. We have lived with that for 2 years. Now, I know how to level if the occasion ever occurs, but it shouldn’t. [She claims to know how, but I will have to do it – John.] Well, Nancy, here. I can show him how, because I watched the process; he didn’t. Tonight, I must go to play music (religious) at an assisted living place, Hearthstone. For sustenance, John and I just had the last of the apple pie he recently created. Another one will now have to be made. I’m shutting down for now while I search to find some Christmas music for our lyrics book editor, Evelyn. FOUND IT! Whoopee.

Wednesday, Nov 13
Early arrival of the Trane (heat pump) repairman for its tune-up. It’s been many years since this was installed when the old house unit died. We have been cleaning the filters every 3 months or so (in our dishwasher). He arrived just after 9:30, and didn’t leave until 1:30. It was very dirty. :-), but we live in an extremely dusty environment, with John and the dogs tracking in dirt. He bought the business a few years ago, so this isn’t the same person we purchased from. He says we should notice a quieter operation that will be more efficient. No doubt. We are scheduled to have a return visit in 6 months, in May. It should be lower priced than this today. It cost $205 today, but the State & County added on tax of $16.40 for – what exactly?
I left for music at the Food Bank about 11:20, and then went afterward to SAIL exercise class, on to get my meds at the pharmacy, and then to deliver more apples sorted into best, good, and use-now types. Did more work on web page for WTA Park Pointe tonight. Not done yet, so check back next blog. It’s getting close.

Thursday, Nov 14
Wow..this turned into a crazy day. I did get a bunch of chores done, and got to town for music and then afterward for a rehearsal preceding tomorrow night’s recording session in Cle Elum (hoping for NO snow, as is called for). I delivered apples (the rest, about 40 pounds, we will keep). I got home late (almost dark) to find our Pump water pressure tank fellow in the driveway talking to John. He came by (on his way home, NW of us), to check if our water problem had resolved itself. While he was here we shared about 12 pounds of our remaining apples in the outside (garage) frig that his wife requested, after hearing we offered him some last time and he didn’t take them. When he visited last week the plan was to by-pass both the conditioner and iron removal units, and then bring them back one at a time. When both were off, the water system started to act properly. After 3 days John turned the conditioner on – and still all was good. Earlier today John filled the trough for the horses, about 60 gallons worth. That worked well – in fact, better than in the past 5 or so years. (light-bulb just came on in brain) John (after a bit of reading) now thinks the iron unit has been failing for some time but it has a valve to vent excess air (air gets pumped in so Oxygen can combine with the iron and get flushed out). Apparently the media in the tank (little pellets of something) finally lost the fight and the air started to push into the water going to the storage tank. It too was old and failing and the combined problems crashed the system. We had promised to call the repairman when we had news but he swung by before we could do that. That unit is still by-passed and will remain so. We may have to replace it later. For the moment we have a working water system and a nicely working heat pump. We are ready for winter. Well, not really.

Friday, Nov 15
We searched for some stuff for a neighbor, but didn’t succeed in finding it. Now John’s out doing chores before the snow falls. It is now snowing on the pass, but hopefully not where I’m going – 30 miles in that direction but no elevation change. I leave in a half hour, and now, the cameras show no snow. I’m scheduled to go to a recording session in Cle Elum tonight, starting at 4:00 p.m. and it could go until 8:00. (Follow-up) – I did stay longer and went to dinner with my friend before returning home and got here a little after 9:00 p.m. It rained the entire trip (better than snow).

Saturday, Nov 16
Today is an early morning grocery sale (ends at 1:00 p.m.) with a few good prices on things we use .. and then we’ll drop by the CWU surplus sale. Woke up to snow and a closed I-82 (to Yakima), because of multiple accidents; so very happy this is not Monday when we have to drive down early. They canceled a concert tonight at the Grange because the group from Seattle didn’t want to come across the pass in winter storm warnings. Hello — just thinking of it now? Maybe should have considered scheduling it earlier in the fall?
We were leery and worried about going to the Nov 1 event in Seattle, but lucked out. Normally, we won’t travel there after October ends, for any reason.
Back from town and we shared my leftovers from last night for lunch. Sunny now and warmed up to 47 degrees just before 1:00 p.m. and now in the past hour, went down to 44. Oh, my. It’s been windy all day, and the temperature is supposed to go to 30° tonight. At the surplus sale, I put in a bid on some chicken wire (roll), two blue water barrels (~40 gallons; new), a 4′ wide closet with doors, to which additional shelves could be added and the mirror removed and put elsewhere, and a large paper mache sun-looking thing for our friends in Zillah who named their winery Paradisos del Sol. Will be interesting to see if we win our bid on any of them. We think we bid low – and did last month, not hitting on any of several bids.
Winter has been put on hold for another week after a brief attempt – but the mountain tops and ridges above 4,000 feet are white. We can see it but the little that we got has gone.

Hope your week was fine.
Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan