THANKS TO: Caitlin LaBar, we have an …
UPDATE: birds are Black-headed Grosbeak
LINK BHG
Sunday, May 7
For May 6 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI=2.51. Events: 1 CSR, 12 H, 9 RERA. Time on 4 hrs 47 min with (max = 16 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 87, 1 event <88% with overall avg., 92.2%. Pulse avg. 52.6, low 48.
John left 5:45 for meeting Bill Weir to travel to N. Bend, WA for a WTA Crew Leader College class in First Aid. I had taken his BP (great at 112/63 pulse, 68) but he got to the end of the driveway, turned around, and came back. 2 of 4 horses were in the yard, rather than the pasture (better grass). They had leaned over a temporary gate and pushed it open.
I called Bill to tell him John would be delayed.
John opened a real gate and told the 2 to get home. They first went to a different gate, turned and came back down the driveway where I waited. I closed the gate after they went through, and John was quickly off toward town.
I contacted Cameron about John’s helping with bottling on Wednesday. I thought the event was on Thursday, but 5 folks are needed and someone could not come then. Next I started washing dishes, and stopped for a Yogurt and Ensure shake. I continued doing some birthday & anniversary animated cards.
I called around about the best prices on products at the two places John plans to stop today on his way home.
He made it home and, thankfully, the horses stayed in the pasture all day. The gate at Naneum Road was closed, so even had they come out again they couldn’t have left.
We are saddened with grief at the unexpected loss of our neighbor, Lorene Swedberg. She apparently had complications after what was thought to be a successful operation, and passed over the rainbow bridge early the morning of May 6, at age 91. Her family, many close neighbors, and friends and relatives in the valley will miss her caring personality and her pretty smile. Lorene took us in as family in 1989 when we moved in across the street on Naneum Road. We have always been included in all family events and have been the recipients of her canned goods, birthday cakes, homemade fudge, jam, her hugs, and shared her children, grandchildren, and now her great grandchildren.
These folks were adults when travel across Washington State involved a buggy ride, a train, and a ferry across the Columbia River. Pullman, home of the Ag. School was a day away. Now it is 3 hours.
Monday, May 8
For May 7 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI=1.11. Events: 3 CSR, 7H, 23 RERA. Time on 6 hrs 18 min with (max = 8 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 89, 0 events <88% with overall avg., 93.1%. Pulse avg. 55.9, low 49.
A lovely start to the day, out in the orchard viewing the start of the cherry blossoms. The Rainier cherry tree is ahead of the others just a little bit. 
Left are the Rainier cherry blossoms; right are yellow plum ones.
I found out the correct email address for the new activities director at Hearthstone, with whom I have to work on planning two events there each month.
I took my Amoxicillin at 2:00 p.m. prior to my dental appointment at 3:00 for a build-up on my top back tooth. Sorry I don’t have a before and after of the decay, but this X-ray below was to check to be sure it was all removed from under the gum and crown. It was.
Number 14 tooth is where the decay was, on the backside of the bridge (right top), and over the lower back implant. I had seen the X-ray when I had my teeth cleaned a couple of weeks ago, but failed to ask for a copy of the digital X-ray.
Afterwards, I went by my bank to get a Cashier’s check so I could pay off the last payment on my 2014 Subaru Forester’s car loan. Now it is mine! The payments had automatically been coming out of our checking account, but the last one cannot and must be paid with cash or a check. There is a Chase bank here in town, so I could take care of it, and they stay open after 5:00 p.m. We are also just into single digits (months) until the house mortgage is gone. Maybe that will have to be done in the same manner.
Tuesday, May 9
For May 8 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI=1.11. Events: 2 CSR, 7 H, 23 RERA. Time on 6 hrs 19 min with (max = 8 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 89, 0 events <88% with overall avg., 93.1%. Pulse avg. 55.9, low 49.
We needed to get some stuff at Super One and pick up one of my prescription meds, and we were on our way to water the plants at Anne’s house, thinking she wasn’t going to be home yet, and we planned to clean the mud (now dried) off her rug we had tracked in a couple Sunday’s ago. However, we saw her at Super One, and gave her the mail and her keys and apologized for misunderstanding when she was returning.
We went by Bi-Mart for canned diced tomatoes with no salt. With us both there, we could each get 10 the maximum allowed (a good price at .59/can). It is odd – the little box holds 12 and holds together when carried. Take 2 out of the package and the result is a juggling act. Go figure!
While there, we also added sale priced cans of pineapple, and regular priced sliced peaches.
I sent out an invite to all music friends about a Bluegrass Concert at the Grange this Saturday night, and Kathleen and Phil decided to go and will drive me up with them. I’m 9 miles away from their house, so I will drive to them and park in their driveway. I thought it was too far out of their way to come pick me up, but actually the way he drove took them close to our road. So, it would only have been a few miles out of their way to stop at my house. From the intersection of Naneum and Brickmill, where they came by, we are only 4.3 miles north on Naneum. Oh, well.
Wednesday, May 10
For May 9 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI=0.92. Events: 6 H, 17 RERA. Time on 6 hrs 33 min with (max = 23 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 87, 3 events <88% with overall avg., 91.6%. Pulse avg. 56.8, low 50.
John left at 7:30 to go help with the bottling of Rose’, made entirely from Syrah grapes. Eric, Tom, and John (3 also pruners) helped the Vigneron (Cameron Fries) and Dylan (son). [Their son is named after the Welsh poet, Dylan Thomas: “Do not go gentle into that good night”]. Afterwards, two of the crew joined the winemaker for a small lunch and a glass of the Rose’. John came home with a case of Rose’ and a case of Roussanne.
I picked up Gloria and we went to the Food Bank for singing, playing, and lunch. She found a loaf of bread she wanted, and I got some peach turnovers (with barely any fruit showing, so we are going to add strawberry jam to the inside. We had a good bunch of folks and a happy audience. The food was good, but the chocolate layer cake was the best part of the meal. I took a planter of Hens & Chicks to Evelyn.
John visited an apple orchard on his way home and took some photos.
The left photo and the right bottom photo show the very close spacing that increases the density of trees in newer orchards. Small trees spaced in rows allows for efficient maintenance, harvest, and reduced labor. This orchard, named, “Prospector Orchard”, is located on # 9 Road off White Trail Rd, owned by McDougall & Sons, as part of the Pair A’ Dice Orchards, L.L.C. Check out the pretty blossoms in the upper right.
{Photos, looking north, were taken at this spot:
47.21837, -119.943032}, if you want to check on Google Earth.
John came home to a bunch of experimentation with cutting rounds from (fire killed) Ponderosa pine trees to help a gal in Kittitas prepare for a birthday party with a rustic theme for her son’s 5th birthday on May 17.
I went out to see what he was doing with the larger ones after he’d brought the smaller ones into the house for me to photograph to consult with the person needing them. It was difficult to make them all completely flat. I counted them and we had 19 of the big ones and 17 of the smaller.
Here is a collage photo of the rounds.
The larger ones are 11″ in diameter and the smaller are 7.5″.
The height is not to exceed 1.5″. My favorite is the smaller one on the bottom right, which shows a cross-section with (3 branches). It’s unfortunate about the cracks, but she is going to fill them with wood glue, if necessary. The wide cracks are from near the end of the log – so John cut 3 feet off the end and started new cuts there. She still got all he cut. She plans to sandpaper them as well, because we do not have access to a band saw; only a chainsaw. 
I took the left shot over our backyard fence of John touching the log for the smaller ones. They started at 7.5″ and went up a little bit, but the bigger ones came from the log to the far right, second log up. The photo on the right is my contribution of packing the rounds into 4 boxes, which I delivered to Kittitas the next day, after playing music in Ellensburg.
She has plans to use the smaller ones to paint on for the 12 kids coming to the party. And, she has promised to send pictures of the party so we can see the final product of John’s efforts.
Today, for the first time, we saw a new bird on our feeders. It appears by its coloration to be a Baltimore Oriole, but ours have thicker beaks than some photos on the web. I captured two sides below.
Their coloration is interesting.
The range of the Baltimore Oriole is shown here: Baltimore Oriole
This does not include Washington State. Out here, the native oriole is Bullock’s Oriole: Bullock’s Oriole
The Cornell site “All about Birds” claims these do not eat from seed feeders. Ours appear to have the beak of a seed eater, so perhaps we are seeing a hybrid. One of life’s little mysteries. We’ll check with the bird-geeks of our local Audubon club (of which we are members). Search using Images for “oriole nest” to see the hanging nest of the orioles. John did take a picture of one of these a few years ago. The nest included strands of orange plastic from a locally sold “tarp” used to make dams in the irrigation ditches. The nests hang on ends of limbs and seem never to be still. Getting a sharp image is hard with the camera we have.
We finished the day by driving the truck back in a rainstorm to pick up a used lawnmower from a student of long ago, Alex. This is a nice to have to cut the high grass in our yards. Our mower has severe issues and old enough it doesn’t justify a repair bill – even if possible.
Since we started using it, John has removed the bag, because with our high grass, it needed emptied too often. It’s a Craftsman made in 2009, with a 6.25 hp engine.
Thursday, May 11
For May 10 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI=0.00. Events: 12 RERA. Time on 5 hrs 34 min with (max = 11 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 87, 2 events <88% with overall avg., 91.9%. Pulse avg. 59.3, low 49.
Time to replace sheets in the music packets. John took out the staples and I assembled, only to realize I did not make enough copies of the added 3 pages of songs. I had to go with fewer complete copies today for our audience.
I heard back from my call last week to the CWU Foundation about the money in my account from which we fund two student Scholarship awards in our name in the Geography Department and in the graduate program, CERM (Cultural and Environmental Resource Management). I needed to check the balance to be sure it would cover this year’s awards ($1,000). It will, but I will need to increase my monthly payments to pay for next year’s scholarships, so I don’t have to make a lump-sum payment at the end of May 2018.
I titled my awards The Hultquist Distinguished Service Award. The award is given to students who also go out of their way to serve others in the Geography Department, Central Washington University, or the broader Ellensburg Community.
I left for music and we had ten players performing and Haley dancing and singing on several songs.
Today we photographed the Orioles. We’ve seen Roufous-Sided Towhees here, and they are cute. None recently, though. 
Here is the closest feeder, with orioles and a redwing blackbird.
Several Birds Feeding at 2 Naneum Feeders
Friday, May 12
For May 11 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI=0.59. Events: 4 H, 12 RERA. Time on 6 hrs 44 min with (max = 7 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 87.5, 2 events <88% with overall avg., 92.2%. Pulse avg. 54.9, low 50.
Stayed home to take care of many things needing done and have only accomplished a few – such as paying bills, washing dishes, arranging various things, just finished evaluating the applicants for our two scholarships. Earlier this week, I set up the account to get the money available for the checks to be written to the student recipients (one graduate and one undergraduate).
Cheered up by a picture of CA Brittany Daisy and her buddy, sent today by his mom, Deanna. What is cool is that she loves him and for him to play with her, but also obeys him as he takes the leash for handling in his mom’s obedience class for the dogs in training with them in Los Banos, CA. She and her husband, Scott Azevedo are special people, to send photos of her training, and gave me permission to print this in our blog. Leo loves training with his dad. 
Daisy with Leo, who will be 2 years old May 17.
Saturday, May 13
For May 12 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI=0.52. Events: 3 H, 1PP, 9 RERA. Time on 5 hrs 46 min with (max = 21 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 86, 4 events <88% with overall avg., 92.4%. Pulse avg. 54.2, low 50.
Took more photos and another video of the fancy birds this morning. John did more reading about them on the web.
Swauk-Teanaway Grange presents our annual Bluegrass Concert on Saturday, May 13, with an outstanding young band from the greater Seattle area, “North Country Bluegrass.” North Country consists of young but experienced musicians – Norm Olsen (guitar), Kent Powell (bass fiddle), Will McSeveney (banjo) and Zach Top (Mandolin) with Michael from Canada on Dobro & Fiddle. 
Their website is: North Country Bluegrass
Their Facebook presence is: NCBB facebook
and a video of them doing Fox on the Run is here:
Fox on the Run at Shelton, WA in 2016 Run Fox Run
Their concert was wonderful, and I will go again next year. This was their 7th year coming to the Grange, and it is the first of their performing season. Their comments were cute and their expressions funnier when they goofed on a pickup or something in the lyrics. Their solo instrumentals are awesome. On their Facebook site one can follow them, their schedule (they’ll be at Wenatchee soon), and they are planning a new CD. The Banjo player and the Mandolin player team together writing songs, and we heard several tonight.
Sunday, May 14 Happy Mother’s Day !
For May 13 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI=4.56. Events: 2 CSR, 28 H, 1 PP, 1 OA, 13 RERA. Time on 6 hrs 21 min with (max = 12 L/min). Sounds bad, but my Oximetry was excellent: SpO2 low 87, 0 events <88% with overall avg., 93.3%. Pulse avg. 52.4, low 49. Keeping my SpO2 high is the only reason I'm on the CPAP overnight.
After noon today, we are going to town in the truck to pick up more sidewalk pieces and carry my viola to see if their son Beck can use it. He is small at 12 years, needs a 13″ one, and this one is a little longer. It won’t work – his is a 3/4 size, but when I saw it, I asked if they could restring my 3/4 size violin to make it into a viola, by adding a C string for the G, and pushing the others up one, leaving off the E. (Highest on a viola is an A). Laura (mom) is going to ask his orchestra leader.
Here’s a brief glimpse of the sidewalk removal and pick-up story.
The largest chunk was too much weight for 4 people to lift, so Johnny got his diamond blade to cut it on both sides, and then used an awl to separate the blocks.
Neighbor Joe came over to help Johnny and John load the heavy pieces. The last right photo above are the 3 pieces in the truck.
In case you’ve never seen concrete sawed, here’s a very short video.
Johnny Sawing the Largest Piece
We went by Safeway for their inexpensive house-brand (Refreshe) colas and 18 ct eggs for .98 cents, and got some fried chicken for a very late lunch and part of a late dinner.
Both stops today took much longer than anticipated. Then, on the way home I got a cell phone call. John pulled over for 10 minutes or so, because when we make a turn the signal drops and a re-dial is necessary. This was a sad news call, so did not want the hassle of a dropped signal.
The call, from Atlanta, GA was about a friend from childhood, who had died 3 months ago; Joyce Davis Fisher. Her husband had been in the hospital himself after her 3 surgeries and death, and was just finally able to call me to tell me. His name is David Fisher.
That was followed by bad luck with my Facebook ID being stolen and someone using my profile picture and cover picture to solicit money from my friends to help me out in some way. It’s called “hacking” and it is a sad commentary on the activity on the web of people trying to scam others out of money. It was definitely not a nice thing to happen on Mother’s Day!
Here’s a cute Mother’s Day comment from a dog trainer we know (Dan Hoke) in WA that he sent to the NWFTC list. (That the NW Field Trial Council, for all pointing dogs organization in the PNW.)
Dan said, “Anyway, with Mother’s Day coming Sunday, I figured Ol’ Marsh, deserved some Flowers or something. I guess I was too late for Flowers. So the Lady offered up that I could get Mom some Balloons. ……… “Sure sounds great”. “Get me a dozen, various colors”. Holy Crap, $63!!!!!! Geeeesh, To say the least, I was shocked by the price! I asked the Balloon Blower upper Gal why they were so expensive, She let out a sigh………..and said, “Inflation.”
Another sweet comment on Facebook from Nevada, from a former student, wishing me a Happy Mother’s Day…
“Awesome! Happy Mother’s Day to a mama of thousands of students!!!!! We love you!”
Hope your week was fine. Apologies for the late arrival of this week’s blog post.
Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan