Tree flowerings

Sunday, May 25

Slept in and got another OUT of AREA call to wake me up. I have responded to two more in the past few days and they are from different callers. Dang, I hate that. I wish there was a button to push to stop them before answering. Answering and requesting the “don’t call” category does not work. Most times I don’t answer.
Other thing for the morning was printing a legal document for a neighbor and delivering it to our mailbox (okay on Sunday). The Internet is down again, so I’m happy I retrieved it early this morning from an email. I also got a request from my student of the 1990s to write a letter of recommendation on LinkedIn, and to sign a paper for my signature to support her in an ad for another WA county for County Assessor. Been doing other clean-up paperwork and stacks, intermittently. Oh, also throwing in music things — now changed the timing on one song I have been working on. Need to check it out with my fiddle. The software doesn’t give the best rendition, and I will have to be leading the singing and beat. I’ll have to wait until tomorrow to get to my violin — its buried under some stuff. The case makes a nice surface on which to pile clothing as we come in the door.

Monday, May 26 Memorial Day

We started the morning with a loose horse. John cannot find the horse’s escape route, and the others with him could not either, remaining on the opposite side of the barricade so opening a gate and directing him solved that problem. John watered onions, strawberries, and blackberries; then he mowed in various places to lessen the fuel load along the edges and/or reduce weed seed production. Mostly I spent my time on the computer reviewing a legal document and creating financial paperwork. Some work on music for Kentucky Waltz. Some time washing dishes. I have done a few emails, and need to work on more. Next, I’m tackling receipts and filing or tossing. Well, instead, I did more financial planning, and sending job announcements to the jobs list — also got cat food ready for all the 5 cats. We think only 2 made it in tonight for dinner, but sometimes they come after we stop looking. The food is always gone in the morning, and the dry food is available in the “cat house” 24 hrs. Another late night’s dinner for us– chicken, veggies, and potatoes. We don’t have much for dessert, and I’m tired so may go to bed a little sooner than last night.

Tuesday, May 27

Another crazy busy day without leaving home. Thought about going to town to Bi-Mart, the bank, and the last day of the sale at Super 1. I wasn’t planning to leave, but some things in town seemed to be calling. “Nancy, do this!” Changed my mind after talking to my banker. Don’t have the time to make a special trip to town, when I can take care of all things tomorrow, when I’m there for two other things. Many chores in the house and more on the computer. Speaking of which, I have to put my Dept of Labor questionnaire in its postage paid envelope and into the mail tomorrow. I forgot today. Late afternoon, John invited me to bring my camera and go for a walk through our property. It was enjoyable although breezy and chilly. Nice little bubbling waterfall in the irrigation ditch, various colored Iris, a few shots of the garden — strawberries mostly, and the hole created last week by the heavy gravel delivery truck, with two horses viewing it after John marked it to keep them from tripping in it and falling, the ditch had a yellow flowering weed Cinquefoil. We have several types of evergreen trees but just 3 of Pines. They are flowering and here are their pictures (click each for large view):
Lodgepole Pine
Lodgepole
Note on the Lodgepole – lower left – there is a rubbing off of the bark by a Mule Deer. The deer like the smaller diameter trees that bend so if we really want a tree in a particular spot it has to have some sort of protection.
Ponderosa Pine and wild cherry shrub
Ponderosa, with wild Western Choke Cherry in the background. On the site, scroll down to see photos – some with Butterflies.
BlackPineFlower
Austrian Black PineNote: the name is a link.
We widened a spot in the pasture where the ditch flows and it makes a swimming hole for the dogs. Here is what it looks like:

This is just 25 seconds long but after I stopped and walked away the Brittanys (3 of them) went in the water. It is only a foot deep so there isn’t much swimming space. Yet. We’ll try to get a photo of some of the other things when the wind stops for awhile. The white and yellow Iris are just now budding. We have variegated white/purple, purple, purple with white petals, and blue. Too bad we cannot get them all at once.

Wednesday, May 28

Food Bank music and SAIL. What happened to the day? Once home, I mainly worked on different tasks inside the house. John was starting beef stew in a slow-cooker as I left. That cooked for 8 hours and makes the meat very tender. We went to bed later than either of us planned. Spent a lot of time replacing 2 pages in the stapled booklet of songs for the audience. John help with the un-stapling (Using a knife because I don’t have a staple remover, and then re-stapling. Happily, I brought a couple of pieces of Bundt cake from the SR Center for his (and my) reward.

Thursday, May 29

We go to Mountain View Meadows Assisted Living home, only when one of the few months in the year has a 5th Thursday. I made a few last minute copies of music to take — and made a special packet to give to Jay (elderly resident who plays honky-tonk piano and loves us). I took along Kentucky Waltz to try with the group before we started. We had a small turnout in the audience. Apparently, some people were too sick or tired to participate, one was off at the doctor (we asked for her because she’s the aunt of one of our players), and the head nurse said the facility was down on the number of residents. For musicians, we had a clarinet, me on the only fiddle, 2 banjos, and 4 guitars. Interesting – we may have to change the name of our group from Kittitas Valley Fiddlers and Friends.

I had finished my Labor Department questionnaire Monday but forgot to put it in the mailer. Finally, I got it done this morning, right before the lady from North Carolina called to check on my progress. I have a passel of things to do and take to town today, and John is going along to go by Grocery Outlet for cat food. I called and they have the 39¢ cans of fish-stuff we feed to the outside cats in the evening. Happily, our inside/outside cat has resumed eating it instead of the 50¢ cans. They all have hard food available 24/7. John dropped the mail at the EBRG PO and filled my car with gasoline, plus dropped by Bi-Mart & Super 1 and just got back as we were ready to leave. We then went to the CWU surplus sale, where I bought a staple remover for 50¢ and John put bids in on two large 44 gallon plastic barrels – that are closable. (If we get them, he will use to deliver water to trees and flowers at the end of the driveway – uphill from the ditch. The minimum bid is $5 so he bid $6.27, thinking others might stay closer to the minimum. Sometimes such things go for $10+ but John says those bidders need a barrel worse than he does. Our Internet is down again. It’s been dancing off and on too much recently. There must be a loose wire somewhere.

Friday, May 30

Still dealing with Internet problems and now this afternoon have a repairman coming to check on the situation. Apparently, it is more difficult than replacing the filter on the telephone line after it splits from that going to the modem. We have no idea what is going on at this level of shifting signals – maybe on a dark and stormy night John will investigate; or maybe not.
We just got through going through our DSL problems. Back on now, but in this dirty/dusty house, we likely will lose it again in the future and our provider (Fairpoint) no longer gives replacement modems. They now cost $60. Or, if installed, $80. We installed the last one after picking it up free in town. The technician wiggled around some of the wires in the box on the back of the garage, and went out and adjusted something at the road. It has continued to be up since he left. I hope it stays so. Dang — 9:32 and it went down again tonight. Phooey. I’m getting fed up with this. It was back on within 5 minutes; thank goodness, it has stayed on since.

Saturday, May 31

Today, I slept in, and one of my greetings on early morning mail (on Facebook) was pictures of my co-owned Brittany, Cedaridge Kip’s Camelot Shay Tre’ (call name Daisy), from Jeri Conklin in CA. She has returned home from a Russian cruise and the puppies are thrilled to have her back to fill their pool. Daisy is on the left.
Tre'ThreeBrittsInPool
John left at 7:00 a.m. for the Pratt Lake Trail for WTA to work with about 30 folks, including a small Group Health contingent. WTA tries to have an assistant crew leader for every 5 or 6 people and for some reason this weekend generated a surplus of volunteers. Next weekend will be worse as the 7th (Sat) is National Trails Day and it is being promoted by all the hiking clubs. Today’s work is west of Snoqualmie Pass – about 80 minutes from home. 3:40 p.m. and he just called and said they were just a little late finishing and he must go through town to get gasoline for tomorrow’s trip. The price of gasoline is up again – summer driving – but not crazy high as a few years ago some said it would be. So much for experts. In Europe, because of taxes, gasoline averages about $9 per gallon. That would severely damage both recreational activity in the spread-out USA and likely kill much of the volunteer work people do.
The temperature went to 81 today, so I turned on the air conditioner. I have been working on several projects, but needed to get this blog ready for him, so that when he arrives, he can put it and the pictures, and links, into Word Press. I can edit once in there and publish, but I don’t know how to do the complete starting set-up. Before he can start on it, however, he’ll need to do the chores with the horses, exercising the dogs, and feeding the cats. I can help on only the fixing cat food part. I’m sure he’s going to be very tired after his long day.
I hear him arriving — at 5:20 p.m., so will wrap this up.
John goes to the Martin Creek Connector Trail Sunday for WTA to work with 2 dozen of the Boeing Employees Alpine Society (BOEALPS). The trailhead is about as far from most WTA Puget Sound members as it is for John. It is in the mountains where the early Great Northern Pacific RR came down the west slope of the Cascades where now there is a hiking route called the Iron Goat Trail. On the left side of the site, check out the History link.
These trails have great historical context because of the western railroad’s contribution to the region. John says “and it is new trail and fun to work on.”

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