Sunday, July 6
Warm one again today. John has run the dogs, watered and fertilized the blueberries, and now is picking strawberries. The Internet is bouncing on and off, so it’s good we got the blog out late last night. This will encourage me to get off the computer and do other necessary sorting / cleaning / recycling in the comfort of our air-conditioned house. Sadly, the temps are up and the birds have found the cherries. Two different neighborhood families were supposed to come pick but did not show. Instead, two other older neighbors joined us, for a couple hours. I hope there is a breeze tomorrow. One of them may come back for more picking. (He did, thankfully, and helped pick for others who cannot). John removes the limbs from on high, cuts them into small pieces, and we take the cherries off. We sit in the shade. Wind was blowing and keeping us cool most of the time. [At the airport 6 miles to the SW wind gusts as high as 36 mph were reported. We have a ¼ mile of thick trees and other vegetation to protect us and we are 500 feet higher.] This process is the only way of harvesting many of the cherries and shortens the tree for the next time. We do not have ladders high enough to reach the tops of the trees. But that is the way it was done not long ago.
But that is the way it was done not long ago. Cherry picking story here. New trees are shorter.
We have more cherries than we can harvest for our friends and us; but wild things approve. Below a video shows the pruning process on our oldest Bing tree. We still have cherries on it a week later. It is probably 25 feet high. John has taken more than four large limbs from that tree as of July 11.
Video link: First step of harvest.
John is in the tree; center at bottom. Finally, we came in before 2:00 to get a late lunch, sit in a comfortable chair, and relax, before we have to process strawberries (and eventually cherries). We figure we picked and packaged 17 to 20 pounds of cherries.
Monday, July 7
I got some movies and more photos. John picked strawberries for 1.5 hrs while I slept in, and I joined him at 8:30 to pick cherries. Then we both picked this morning with our one neighbor back from yesterday. Now John is napping and we will have to process strawberries and cherries this afternoon. Fine, because it is too hot at 92 to be outside. Went to 94 today, without a lot of wind as yesterday, but some. I will use this space to summarize the process described this week on our harvesting of cherries.
First, saw limbs from tree. You have seen the first part above, but there were a couple more limbs from the other side done later in the week. Here are links to those two ten-second videos. One large limb in the first video and of a smaller one fallen on top of it, minutes later. If you look carefully, you can see John in the middle of the tree.
Have a look here. These are quick; don’t blink.
A second, smaller limb.
John is in the tree – that’s a scarecrow holding a plastic pail in the background, right side. Now that you’ve see those, I shall outline the procedure below, to help your interpretation of my comments for the rest of the week, even though some of these photos were taken later this week. After the large limbs are pulled over near the picking station, John cuts them into smaller branches, and then further into pieces easier to handle. [Next 4 photos do not enlarge well; sorry.]
{Above photo replaced with sharper image; click above to see}
The final product on the picking table with John’s WTA saw award shown as the implement for pruning large limbs from the tree tops. [Try enlarging it and the next few.]
Tuesday, July 8
Good deeds day. Dropped off cherries to neighbor, cherries & strawberries to friend in town, box of cherries to the Senior Center, and on to our Emeritus Geography Profs meeting, where we shared more strawberries and cherries with the donuts and coffee offered by the Brooks. We were gathered in their home, on the bluff adjacent to the Yakima River.
We saw a blue heron flying upstream and heard The Osprey Story. Their daughter was visiting and went out and lay down on the deck. A loud noise awakened her — SPLAT. It was a fish dropped by an Osprey. The bird looped around and came to the deck and picked up the fish. The view from the deck includes a large tree – left off the photo – with bare (dead) limbs. That became the lunch spot.
This afternoon we pretty much stayed indoors. The high temperature was 98, right before 3:00 pm. John napped through some of that. I had to go back for music tonight in town, so I planned to coordinate with a trip to the grocery for the last day of the sale on Butter Pecan ice cream, and Cheetos, and picked up a dozen donuts while there at $2 off a dozen. They had a good selection. Then, I went by the Palace Cafe to pick up our anniversary special dinner. During the month of July, only, we are entitled to one free dinner (choice of Chicken fried Angus Steak or Chicken Alfredo Fettuccine). We always get the latter, add to it, and both eat from the embellishment of one original serving. Also included are very small slices of zucchini, little chicken pieces, and mushrooms; comes with 2 French garlic bread slices. I expected to be charged $19 + 8% tax. The bill was only for $17.99, but I gave the waiter a $5 tip, because he was kind enough to give it to me to go, when they are not supposed to. I brought it home, and John picked a fresh yellow squash, fried it with mushrooms, and we had a piece of leftover fried chicken from last night’s dinner, cut it up to add to the pan, and that we microwaved to get to the right temp after we stirred it all together. It was scrumptious, and there is some left over for John’s lunch tomorrow when I am at the Food Bank Soup Kitchen, playing music and eating afterwards. Now for dessert is Turtle Creamed Pie with raspberries for John and strawberries for me.
Wednesday, July 9
John is picking Rainier (or Royal Anne) and Bing cherries for other friends in town. I’m going to deliver them and then on to the Food Bank Soup Kitchen and then to SAIL exercise class. I received cookies as a thank you for the first delivery of cherries. On to the food bank, where we were served an excellent Irish stew (with lamb) prepared and donated by the relatively new business in town, Cornerstone Pizza (north of Safeway). The stew was complemented with veggies, green salad, and a pineapple upside down cake. From there, I went to my friend’s office to work on music for our group; then by the gas station to fill my car, with $3.949 / gal gasoline. It is 10 cents / gal cheaper in Yakima, but Yakima is also 50 miles away, with no trips planned.
This afternoon, I photographed a pair of deer gleaning leftover leaves and cherries from our harvest activities. The photo has the front of the pickup, black plastic pipe as a temporary fence, an iron pry-bar leaning on a plum tree, and a bit of a white chair.
The pickup hides the picking table – an up-side-down galvanized metal water trough.
Thursday, July 10
We had to wait in the sun for over 1/2 hour to deliver our 61-key electric keyboard to a gal coming from Port Townsend through EBRG on her way to the WA Old Time Fiddlers Workshop in Moses Lake, WA. She’s saving our making a special trip over before I go over for my class, Monday morning. Then the keyboard can be set up ahead in the classroom and will be ready to go. On her way over on I-90, she was delayed by two total stops in normally 70+ mph traffic — one for a collision clean up and the other for a flat tire. We made it with minutes to spare to the REHAB for music. A resident funded a birthday for himself with 2 large party cakes and ice cream. After the music we all celebrated. Chocolate, white cake, and vanilla ice cream was lunch. John went shopping after letting me off with a cooler full of bags of cherries to give to members of our group. One member had cookies for us. Afterwards, we unloaded the remaining 6 bags of cherries on friends that live on the road between EBRG and home. Late afternoon I was so very tired that I took a nap (so did John). Just 10 minutes after I went to sleep, someone called. I talked for 5 minutes and went back to sleep, but I really didn’t because my old 14-year old dog kept running around the house panting, going in and out the doggie door, and making my rest impossible. Finally, John was resting better than I was, so he got up at 7:00 p.m. and started doing stuff in the kitchen, letting me sleep. I zonked out until 8:20 or so. I helped feed dogs, cat, and us. I think I will have dessert soon and go to bed again. (I did, and had no problem going to sleep).
We’ll worry in the morning about picking cherries, and I hope I’m up to helping strip them off the branches. We pick with the stems on so that they last longer, but it also is more time-consuming and tiring on the hands and fingers. I was quite happy today to get a significant part of my hard drive backed up today, with MY DOCUMENTS folder and MY PICTURES folder, where more of my recent activity resides.
Friday, July 11
Interesting day for sure. John started picking cherries earlier than I did. I didn’t join him until a little after 8:00 a.m. In the shade of the cherry trees we sorted out the bird, wasp, and ant damaged ones. The wind causes some bruising and other damage and tangles the stems around each other and other parts of the trees. We tossed any blemished / bruised ones or ones without a stem. We worked until a little after Noon and then came in for a BLT. Cleaned up some, changed clothes, and took all the cherries we picked this morning to town to give away. Actually, we stopped at two neighbors on the way in, who are unable to pick their own. Close neighbors who are capable are welcome to come pick with us and take home all they pick. Thus far, only one family has taken us up on the offer. Next are pictures of the bounty, in the back of my Subaru, with my guard rabbit. 
We drove to town — first dropping a load (probably 10 pounds) off to our former secretary who retired, for her to share with 8 members of her family coming over this weekend. On to another former student and his mom, who is visiting, but we missed them, so left it with someone at the front desk of the apt. complex in her refrigerator. Sadly, she was only there until five and I couldn’t get in touch with them to tell them to be there before five. I later heard they will pick them up Monday morning. On to another drop off place where next week John can return for apricots from her tree, and then by to get a large cold drink, before our next stop (with cherries) to visit with a friend who has moved back to Maryland. Very nice afternoon visit with her and the couple she is staying with, until next week. Home to more chores and lots of heat. We had a high of 100 today. In the evening, I went back out front and saw a deer browsing the downed cherries and branches. His picture I captured is rather interesting. It was a very dark picture in the shade with the eyes reflecting, but I clicked on a “painting” effect and this photo was created. Otherwise, I would have erased the photo.
Saturday, July 12
In 1969, we married in Atlanta, GA. Wow — that means we have known each other 49 years. That is not as long as several of my friends and also several of my married friends. One musician here in WA is 84, has been married 64 years this year, and has known his wife for over 70 years. [If you missed it, go to the top and click on the heading on the left with the 1969 date. John put that together Saturday night and it got posted just after Midnight.]
John’s already been out this morning and picked 3 pounds of raspberries and currently is picking cherries. I decided to tackle inside tasks instead. The temps are up to 69 now, heading to highs again today. I’m going to work on this blog, on dishes (already unloaded and loaded one load. We’ll have to sort raspberries from yesterday and today soon. I need to pack for my week away next week. Plenty to do and also take the photos of the past few days off my camera. Then I felt guilty and joined him for more picking.
We are back in… John too. It’s 102 at the airport, and 96 on our front porch (in the shade). John brought in the rest of the limbs in two boxes for us to do in a/c comfort. We probably have picked 20 pounds today. I picked 6 pounds into a bucket, and John has used low cardboard boxes. A few more pounds left for later. It got to 104 at the airport 5 miles south of us, but we don’t think we broke 100 here.
My young Brittany got her third leg of her Junior Hunter competition today, handled by Jeri Conklin. Here is that photo.
I spent a bunch more time working on a recommendation letter and application reference form for a student who was my advisee and teaching assistant 8 years ago. We have kept in touch, and he is a very nice guy (from the Sudan, but an American citizen now). Such requests still arrive from people longer away than that (the 1990s).
Sunday, July 13
John picked 2 pounds of raspberries this morning. We need to deliver some cherries around the neighborhood, or get to work freezing some. I need to spend time packing to leave for Moses Lake. Temperatures all week here and there are excessively high ~ 100° both places. Meanwhile, and on a related air flow, back East, it is cooling off a little.
We heard the good news before 9:00 a.m. that my Brittany passed the last leg of her Junior Hunter title. Message from Jeri via I-phone from the field, “She is a Junior Hunter, pending AKC approval. Pictures will follow later with ribbon.”
That means her AKC registered name will be Cedaridge Kip’s Camelot Shay Tre’, JH (call name is Daisy).
Here is today’s photo: on the left is Jeri with Daisy, and on the right is Roy with her dog, Dice. They both finished their JH today. NICE.
Hope your week was fine.
Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan