I will start with a Joyful picture of musical trees that I left out of Christmas Day’s report last week. The image is quite appropriate for me (music and tree removal around our home) this year. It came from a friend of >50 years, Bob Wittick (Michigan), whom we met in Iowa in the late sixties in graduate school. The Cardinal doesn’t make it out to the northwest but we remember them from our “home” states of GA & PA.
Monday, Dec 26
For Dec 25 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.59. Events: 5 H, 2 PP, 16 RERA. Time on 8 hrs 25 min with (max = 23 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 86 spurious, 0 events <88% with avg., 92.7%. Pulse avg. 53.5, low 50.
I contacted the members of our music group, because on the 5th Thursday this month, we do not go any place for music. It is a holiday for us, now that there are only 4 assisted-living homes in Ellensburg.
Worked on bills a little and worked a lot on music that Evie went through for me. We are getting it improved slowly.
Tuesday, Dec 27
For Dec 26 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.26. Events: 2 H, 24 RERA. Time on 7 hrs 45 min with (max = 14 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 84 seems spurious, 2 events of 87 <88% with avg., 91.9%. Pulse avg. 54.6, low 50.
I planned to go to Jazzercise today, and John went along to go to Bi-Mart for some goodies, and to fill his gasoline tank for our trips later this week.
We checked the bread room on the way, and they invited us to take excess food. I explained we were not registered for food dispersal and they said, No problem – we put this on Facebook for the community to come. We have too much and do not want to see it go to waste. There were vegetables, lettuce, potatoes, onions, squash, tomatoes, and apples. John took a bag of quite small apples (not much bigger than a golf ball) for the deer, but left behind 3 bins of people-sized apples.
I am still working on music with huge help from our new violinist in the group, who is quite the musician, with formal training that most of us lack.
Wednesday, Dec 28
For Dec 27 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.11. Events: 1 CA, 0 H, 3 PP, 20 RERA. Time on 8 hrs 46 min with (max = 14 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 88, 0 events <88% with avg., 92.4%. Pulse avg. 54.6, low 50.
I picked up Gloria, and we went to the food bank, sang and ate, and to the hospital for me to have a blood draw to check my INR. By the time I got home, Cody had called and told John it was well in range at 2.3).
Today was a good day at the Food bank for obtaining stuff that was still in excess. Gloria and I were each given 5 lbs. of Russet Norkotah potatoes; the day before John and I got a small box of Yukon Golds. North Dakota State University developed this Norkotah brand and Russet describes the skin color – brown. These were grown in Idaho.
I came home to more news from my friend, Jeri Conklin, in Lancaster, CA, the co-owner of our Brittany, Daisy (call name). Her official name is Cedaridge Kip’s Camelot Shay Tre’ JH. She has field placements (including an excellent placement, second, in the Western Futurity when 2 years old) and show placements. She was going north in California to be evaluated by a trainer there in Los Banos. She passed her test. Her spirit had been diminished during training to retrieve, and she would not do so, and she was no longer standing high on her pointing. Jeri has been working with her and her desire has returned. She has not been pushing the retrieve, however, because that is no longer required in Gun Dog events in Brittany trials. (I find that difficult to believe, after judging gun dog events at Brittany field trials.)
I am sharing that background before showing you the pictures from today in the field of Daisy and Jeri, taken by her hubby, Kurt. 
This collage is busy, but if you look from left to right across the top and bottom, you’ll see the story unfolding. Top left shows Daisy waiting her turn to run. Middle top shows a Jumbo White Coturnix Quail flushing that she probably thought was a dickey bird. She chased, jumped, grabbed, and retrieved to hand to Jeri. Normally, one would not praise “not stopping to flush”, but in this case, knowing she had previously quit retrieving, made it all okay. Her spirit has returned.
The next collages are her finds of Chukar and handling all the situations just fine. She pointed nicely with head held high, watched intently the search and flush, and held.
Daisy on point and Jeri launching the Chukar. Daisy held for the flush.
Daisy on second point and Jeri searching for the Chukar. She had to go around the tree to launch the bird, and Daisy held and watched.
Third Chukar find. Jeri searched and finally found it and flushed. Far right, Daisy marks the bird, but stays put. Good girl.
All and all a successful trip, so they left her with the trainer.
Thursday, Dec 29
For Dec 28 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.17. Events: x CSR, 1 H, 14 RERA. Time on 5 hrs 54 min with (max = 15 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 89, 0 events <88% with avg., 91.4%. Pulse avg. 53.8, low 50.
John had to feed the animals and put wood (for the fire) in the back of the car to take to the Raclette. I fixed the food we took (cherry tomatoes and two desserts). Only one of the desserts was eaten, as there were very many desserts brought as potluck sides this year. One year we had no bread. Next year I’ll bet the desserts are sparse.
We made it to the White Heron fire-pit at noon. John and 2 others unloaded the firewood and then John moved the car out of the way for new arrivals.
A few photos are below in this blog, but if you want a larger introduction to what goes on at a Raclette, check the link following to a web page I made in 2014, which also has trips back to 2013 and 2012. There is a link even farther back with references to past visits with our class, (Wine: A Geographical Appreciation) to the vineyard and winery. We taught it from 1998 to 2008, and White Heron Cellars and the Mariposa Vineyard were always a field trip. For a couple of years before they opened the current winery, Cameron Fries brought wine and educated our students in the classroom in Ellensburg, at CWU. What great memories we have had with his family through the years!
White Heron Raclette Write-up 2014 and before
The winter view of the vineyard is different from what most people see.
The Mariposa vineyard surrounds their home and winery (not seen), White Heron Cellars. Foreground vines belong to Jones of Washington and likely is their smallest vineyard. Jones is a major family corporation and this little plot has a storied background.
The pruners prune grapevines for about 5 weeks in the spring. Cameron & Phyllis Fries, owners of the property, vineyard, and winery, hold this event for the pruners and their families. They host this Raclette annually – sometimes the end of December, or in January of the new year.
Pruners for 2016 are in the collage below:
Left to right: Erik, John, Phil, Mark, Tom, Bill, & Cameron
Wives of the pruners:
Behind Linda (Bill) and Audrey (Phil), on the left is the wood, some of which John contributed this year. 
Nancy (John)-Phyllis (Cameron)-Lynne (Tom)-Margaret (Mark)
I am wearing a sweater from Iceland, I purchased in Denmark, in the summer of 1965 while on a Geography Field Trip for 9 weeks in Europe. Over the years the sweater had some holes from moth damage, and Lynne repaired (knitted) them for me. She also fixed a hole in the hat I’m wearing, and knitted me some gaiters I wore, but they’re not seen in this photo. Phyllis told her she probably had the colors of yarn in her collection, so the first day of the spring pruning, I am sending my sweater over with John for Lynne to do her special work. The year 1965 is special because that is the year I began in Cincinnati, OH in graduate school and met John there. The field trip was at the end of my undergraduate degree, and it was led by my first geography professor, Sanford Bederman and his wife, Jolayne. It was because of Sandy that I attended the University of Cincinnati, so I credit him with starting my geography career and making it possible for my life with John.
The winery dog is named Altesse, which is a white French grape found primarily in the Savoy wine region of France. Their previous dog, present in 2015, was named Roussanne, another fine white grape (and our Brittany, Annie, is registered as Cedaridge Vintage Roussanne). Roussanne is a white grape grown in the Rhône wine region in France.
Here is a photo of the vineyard animals:
Altesse-2016 Roussanne-2015 Chickens protected by dog.
We watched Altesse chase away a hawk from the chickens during our visit this year. Phyllis & Cameron take eggs to west side to weekend farmer’s markets in three different locations, where they go primarily to sell their wine.
Now for the food fest in the Raclette manner:
Bonfire (some vine cuttings are required) and side dishes
Potatoes (some purple) and sausage steaming over wine and vine cuttings. Tops stay on the iron skillet roasters.
Here is the setup of the Raclette cheese (square this year):
The cheese comes from the Puget Sound or left side of the State, because the proper cheese can’t be found locally. Cameron creates the bed of coals for cooking beneath the cheese, which is skewered on a 3-pronged pole mounted device to move it over the fire to melt – and then to swivel away during “scrapping” or the “racletting.”
This plate shows a purple potato, some slaw, and a sausage with the cheese coming and being scraped down onto Bill’s plate.
Three more plates served, with John on the right.
You have to watch fast the following (only video I took this year) to see the way it happens. This is only 9 seconds and it is a very small serving.
Besides eating, we had fun visiting:
My parting shot of the view from our Raclette site, over the vineyard and down toward Crescent Bar and West Bar. The right shows folks visiting and saying goodbyes around the roaring fire.
On our way home, we viewed a nice sunset with a jet’s contrail, and were able to see the I-90 bridge over the Columbia River – about 35 miles from home.
It was a fun day. We were gone 7 hours and got home just at dark.
Last year (2015), our blog covered the Raclette
Above is last year’s blog entry on the annual White Heron Raclette; I was not very into it because I was still recovering from going in the ditch on our way home from the surgery to implant my new defibrillator (Dec 18 was the surgery, but this trip Dec 29 was for the checkup of the new one). I took more pictures at the Raclette in 2015, but never put a report together for 2015.
I decided to put this for 2016 in the blog as well and not make a separate web page for it.
Friday, Dec 30
For Dec 29 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.33. Events: 2 H, 11 RERA. Time on 6 hrs 7 min with (max = 7 L/min). Oximetry: I hit the button and reset my oximeter before downloading the data. So, we’ll wait for another day.
Quail in New Feeder in Mt. Ash Tree
We are going to visit the LaBar family this afternoon at 2:00 p.m. Rebekah returned for Christmas with her boyfriend, Vincent, and sister, Caitlin, came over from Longview. John and Robin LaBar live about a little over 13 miles from us (not the way the crow flies). We had a nice visit and Caitlin made a great cinnamon/ sugar frosted orange peel cake, served with hot chocolate. Caitlin also brought her 2nd draft of a monumental creation on Butterflies of the Sinlahekin Wildlife Area, in which she has plates of photographs she has taken at museums (Burke in WA and another in OR) and of her own specimens. She has created a unique classification schema of identification with photos of various types of Fritillary butterflies, using topside and underneath (not the technical terms) of the wings. I cannot begin to describe the incredible contents of this masterpiece, and I look forward to getting a copy of the final publication. We will work on getting our living room set up with a coffee table so we can properly display her book.
I had her pose with her book. John helped me lighten the only one taken without a flash that came out well. 
Below is a photo of Bekah and Vincent. Vincent is from Taiwan and lives in Sydney, Australia. Bekah has been a meteorologist in Wellington, New Zealand, but her company is moving her to their Sydney office. 
They did not have a lot of time in the states, and with many people and places to visit, so we were very grateful they shared some time with us. And, a big thanks to John and Robin for giving us packages of some very lean ground beef (best we’ve ever had) from their herd. We have cooked one package, and had a meal of hamburgers one night and then nachos the next. I took photos I will send them, but will not put any more in this week’s blog.
Saturday, Dec 31
For Dec 30 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.51. Events: 4 H, 1 PP, 15 RERA. Time on 7 hrs 51 min with (max = 23 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 86, 2 events <88% with avg., 91.8%. Pulse avg. 54.4, low 50.
Sunny and chilly. 17° upon awakening.
John found a story on the BBC this morning and we followed the links, watched this amazing little girl, an accomplished musician, at 11 years old. She has written an opera, Cinderella, which is being performed (with her playing in it as well), in Vienna.
We searched and found many more videos of her back in time. Here’s just one.
Alma Deutscher at Henley Festival
John changed the newest filter on our furnace, after two months (too long). It was filthy.
I needed to go to town and arranged to meet Ann & Keith for the delivery of a water bottle. Here is a collage of her offer on line and my photo of thanks once home with it. I have taken off the BPA-free sign; I meant to show that. I will use the insulated carrier to keep it cold to take to my exercise classes. Thanks, Ann. Hers was a response to my request on line (Free Givers, Kittitas County) for a liquid container after breaking a large glass accidentally while washing the kitchen window so we could photograph visitors to the new bird feeder. She met me in town to deliver my gift.
Left are her pictures she shared on Facebook to see if I wanted it. It was new and she was not going to use it. The right pictures my insulated carrier I will use for it. I photographed it when I got home, in front of the woodshed outside our back patio door.
While I went to town to meet them, I also took advantage of coupons, get some hard cat food for all the cats (to save us a trip to Yakima to Costco), and to get a good price on soft drinks for John at two different stores. When I got home, I found that John had cleaned out around our wood stove and started a fire. We had piled too much stuff around it and on top of it since last winter. It is 74° in here (the den), and 72° in the hallway. Wow. Now we are ready for minus temperatures predicted next week.
Wood Stove – 2016 in action (short video)
Sunday, Jan 1 Happy New Year !
For Dec 31 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.71. Events: 5 H, 6 RERA. Time on 7 hrs 1 min with small mask leakage. Oximetry: SpO2 low 87, spurious 76 at start that messes up the avg., 4 events <88% with avg., 91.3%. Pulse avg. 56.3, low 50.
Early morning Happy New Year’s e-card (Neujahrskarte in German) wishing us well (alles gate fur).
Lovely card from our friends in Salzburg, Austria, we met in Idaho at the University in the 1970s. Heinz Slupetsky with his family, wife and two girls, has kept up with us all these years.
Normal feeding activity outside and inside. I started the morning working on the last phase of fixing the song Fraulein, with the tremendous help of Evie, our fiddle player. She is talented at being able to transcribe music from a video, and then I can enter it into our group’s repertoire, via the software, SongWriter. Now, I’m set to print the master and get it Xeroxed next week for our first use for Jan/Feb play dates – this one Thursday being at the Rehab where I spent 7 weeks in 2010 (Jan-Feb) to learn how to use all my muscles again and walk. It’s nostalgic to go back to play there now. My first roommate there is back again and not doing very well. She still remembers John and me, but the dementia is taking over her life. I still remind her she is my sunshine, for telling me I would recover and be on my feet again. She was my inspiration there and wonderful she was my roommate. Her name is Mae.
I tried to finish this blog to publish Sunday, but I had too much to finish. John put out a placeholder for the blog, titled Over the Mountain …
Now we will get it published Monday, January 2, 2017.
Hope your week was fine.
Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan