Sunday, Apr 1
We published last week’s blog tonight at 10:31 p.m.
We already covered stuff in the blog about our Easter Sunday.
I heard late about the closure of I-90 Snoqualmie Pass road because of amounts of snowfall dumped in winter storm, closed in both directions all night from Ellensburg to North Bend.
Bad accidents and one fatal.
Monday, Apr 2
We awoke to a snow covered ground day after Easter, but John checked the weather at the vineyard and left for pruning. The wind continues to blow.
I worked on a problem with March/April music, Beautiful Dreamer, and sent it off to members of our music group for Thursday’s playing of the KV F&F at Rehab, needing a count for chairs. I added an announcement about a performance this Saturday in Ellensburg for dancing and music. See the story below on Saturday this week.
Fixed myself a brunch of eggs, ham, toast, zucchini nut bread, and shared leftovers with Annie.
I went to SAIL exercise and at 2:30 by Seth Motors to pick up John from leaving the F-350 for a complicated 60,000 mile fix-up. It is not at that mileage yet, but some vehicles has a tendency to blow spark plugs and cause major damage. Time-wise it was ready for regular service.
Tuesday, Apr 3
John left for pruning at the Mariposa Vineyard, after 7:45.
I called Chad at Seth’s about estimated pick up time of the truck. We hatched a plan.
I had a huge bowl of two bran cereals for breakfast with a lot of peaches. Later I finished with sliced oranges and zucchini-pecan-pineapple bread.
John called and I waited for him to get to a stopping place off the state highway from Quincy to George, so I could give him a phone number at Seth Motors to check on when the truck would be ready for pickup.
I took off for Swing Dancing class at the AAC late but got there in time to sign in and visit with a few folks before the class started.
April 3, ’18 Swing Dancing’s Last Dance
This was the only video of the day. I spent the first part of the class dancing with Evelyn Heflen. We should have demoed our technique in the middle of the circle for the SAIL class the next day, although my muscles were still aching from the workout the day before.
John drove back to Ellensburg, did some other chores in town, before he went to get the truck to drive home. He left his car there so we could get it this afternoon when we drove the truck back to the Washington Tractor dealer to leave our riding lawnmower for maintenance and to pick up our new tiller. John has hauled silt, sand, and horse manure from our place into this older (sunken) garden plot. Then last year we got bags of leaves from a lady, and wood shavings from a stump removal at another place. It needs some high Nitrogen fertilizer and several tillings to make a garden of it. This year will be big Strawberries, Tomatoes, and Butternut Squash. That’s half the space. The rest is in “continuation mode” and all the material is beyond just a shovel and rake. Thus the tiller. See it below.
Here’s John with his Sales Rep, Janie, watching the tiller be loaded into the truck. It had to be tied in place and all we had was an old dog lead. 
Janie and John
Our trip went well, but we didn’t get home until after 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday, Apr 4
John left for pruning.
I called the staff at Cle Elum to complain about my refill requested from my pharmacy and request checking on the one for John’s that was supposed to have been ordered from Super 1 several days ago. Neither for John were in their system. An urgent refill on both is supposedly is on its way. Later, I checked at the doctor’s and it had been sent down. The pharmacy have the medicines on hand. Nice thing is that if the pills are about to run out, and a refill is required, the pharmacy will give you some to tide you over until it is filled. We didn’t have to test that case. When you are 15 miles away, planning ahead is a better idea.
I also learned that my Atorvastatin prescription had been rewritten for 90 tablets and sent in to Costco Pharmacy. Although I told them that it had to be written for 90 tablets, they sent it through as only 30 on 3-23-18, and I didn’t know until we were 50 miles away that all I could get was 30. I lost $6 on that deal, and obviously, I was not happy. NOW, it should be fixed for my next trip down to Union Gap, WA; however, I will check before I pay.
I went to Food Bank music, taking empty containers for food to bring back for my neighbors any leftovers from the excess food there (donated by the Ellensburg Pasta Co). There was enough for 3+ meals sent back with me, and I delivered it on my way home.
From there I went to SAIL exercise class and sadly, met the daughter of a fellow SAIL class member I have known since 2010, with the very sad news that she is nearing death. Several of us had visited her in the Rehab, where she remembered us and was happy to see us, and planning to be back. She had left there yesterday for home and hospice care. Her daughter was bringing a thank you card to the Senior Center class for all our kind thoughts and prayers, recognized me in the parking lot, and gave me the card for delivery. Her mom had stage 4 Cancer and only a short time to live. Mickey passed the next morning.
I sent Lise McGowan the video of Nick from his museum lecture I took, and I called Sadie at the Kittitas County Historical Museum, to see if I can get the one they taped put on a flash drive, or if they will put it on their museum page, which outsiders could get to. The answer is that it was a live broadcast during the talk, seen on Facebook, and they have no way of giving me the original.
I will give you the link below but it has some problems. The advantage is it is stationary and in the middle of the room in front of the screen. I was sitting behind, having to deal with the windows of the building, and the camera in the way. But, my video, while jumpy at times, follows Nick around the room and zoomed in on many of the slides. You already have that link to mine from last week’s blog on Thursday. Personally, I think it is the better video of the evening.
If, however, you wish to view the stationary one, via Facebook, you will need an account. Suggestion is to jump ahead to around the 7:15 p.m. mark because the museum started the video early and cannot edit out that section.
Facebook Link to Nick Zentner’s talk at the KC Historical Museum last week
Thursday, Apr 5
Morning I spent a lot of time on the phone about bills, and some time on music changes to hand out today. John spent a lot of time outside in the mist with Annie, and then came in and fixed a nice brunch (ham, cheese, mushroom omelet; orange slices; and toast).
John did not go pruning, so he was able to come along and help me get to music at the Rehab, for a huge turnout of players and audience. We started playing 15 minutes early and ended a few minutes after 3:00. Long hard day, and I was happy I had taken a pain pill to get me through. John made a trip to Super 1 picking up needed groceries on a special Thursday (mostly produce) sale, and he was able to get his prescriptions I managed to honcho yesterday.
I drove us to campus because my car has the CWU Emeritus Parking permit. We visited a lot with friends and enjoyed the talk very much. We got our normal front row seat so I could videotape the proceedings. There was a planetarium visit afterwards, but we skipped that.
Here is the program we enjoyed very much.
Andrew Fountain Ice Dam Failure of Glacial Lake Missoula, 4-5-18, IAF
Check out Andrew’s fantastic web site:
Questions & Answers 4-5-18 IAF Mtg CWU
Friday, Apr 6
John stayed home from pruning because Cameron will be in Seattle at Pike St Market working on plumbing in their new shared place with a couple other businesses.
I took my Nikon camera to attend the AAC’s first Friday of the month event, Spring Fling. Menu: Open face turkey sandwiches, gravy, mashed potatoes, gravy, and mixed veggies. I thought of taking a small salad in case the veggies weren’t appropriate for my need not to have stuff high in Vitamin K. I should have taken it and didn’t. The veggies were mostly green peas and broccoli. So I skipped them and gave them to my neighbor. Here is a link to the photos I took and put on Google photos so those without Facebook accounts could access them:
I took my lab orders for Dr. Lisa Stone (Endocrinologist in Wenatchee) and had those drawn between my lunch and SAIL. I found out the hospital is no longer charging for medical record printouts. I wish I had known that before paying $10 last year for some.
I returned to the AAC for SAIL exercise. Then home by way of Grocery Outlet for ice cream.
Saturday, Apr 7
You all have heard our stories about John pruning wine grapevines every spring for many weeks at Mariposa vineyard west of Quincy, WA on a hill overlooking the Columbia River, where the river makes a 90° turn south at West Bar & Crescent Bar.
We have known the owners Cameron & Phyllis Fries since 1998, where they started their winery in George, WA. Before we started taking field trips to the winery and paring it with food in their amphitheater, Cameron came to our classroom to share his information and provided a wine tasting in the classroom in Ellensburg. We were teaching a summer class, “Wine: A Geographical Appreciation,” at Central WA University. Part of our content was the wine production itself, in conjunction with all the cultural, regional, economic, agricultural, biological, regional, and physical geographic factors involved in the process world-wide. We combined lectures, videos, and local field trips to vineyards and wineries in the Columbia and Yakima River valleys. We taught the class for 10 years, until I was sick in 2009, and we had to cancel the Summer ’09 offering of the class. You have heard follow-up stories of our personal visits to events at the winery and of the field trips with two vans of students.
I want to share White Heron Cellar’s story of a “new” tasting room and distribution center in Seattle at Pike’s Place Market. They are located on the 5th floor. The photos below show part of the story, and the space is shared with two others: a meat market from Cle Elum and a chocolate company from Seattle. 
Two night photos and a sunny day from the 5th floor, Northwest Tastings
On this link above, look under Specialty Foods, and then Wine for Northwest Tastings to see other photos of the tasting room, and a description, which I revised to date: “We are a collaboration space between White Heron Cellars, Soulever Chocolates, Glondo’s Sausage Co., and soon local cheese mongers. Offering wines by the glass and bottle, dairy free and vegan truffles, and cured meats. Glondo’s is now offering charcuterie boards. Stop by and enjoy the warm atmosphere and the great view!
Websites for those there now are:
White Heron Cellars
Glondo’s Sausage Company
Soulever Chocolates
It had rained all night, and much of the morning, but finally the sun came out, and John and Annie got to do some work before the rain started (sprinkling) again. John’s out for one last time, and then we will grab a bite to eat before driving to town for a performance we both want to experience.
Marte (caller) Sono, Vivian, and Jay
It’s an evening at Hal Holmes with Vivian Williams and her band “Not4Sissies” (Vivian, fiddle; Sono Hashisaki, fiddle; Jay Finkelstein, guitar) playing for a contra dance, 7:30 – 10:30 p.m. Our friend Marte Fallshore is the caller, and her husband, Dale Brubaker, we have known for a long time. Marte is a musician as well (Bass Fiddle) and Dale (Fiddler). We attended from 7:15 to 8:45. John and I visited with friends we knew there, watched the dancing, and listened to the music. With severe arthritis in my left shoulder, there is no way I can do the moves necessary with some of the steps, because I cannot raise my left arm up to my side, or over my shoulder in any direction. I took videos while we were there for your viewing pleasure. Several friends were there dancing, and I have their emails, so I will send them the coverage.
Contra Dance, First Circle Lesson with Additional Steps
2nd lesson with a few additional steps
3rd lesson with a couple more steps
Last Short Lesson with Star & Dosido
Sunday, Apr 8
Morning start with outside feeding chores (all the cats checked in early for attention and vittles), and they arrived last night when we returned in the dark, from our trip to town. After feeding the horses, John has other required outside projects he has created for himself with his gardening efforts. Annie is his helper, but now back in the house with me, lying at my feet. She gets bored if not out moving around the pasture and yard; as well, it is chilly this morning, cloudy, and is expected to be windy. Rain may happen somewhere in the county, but John hopes not here.
I’m alternating clean-up work and transcribing videos from last night. I have some other chores to tackle today, after finishing the blog draft.
John will be back in for a brunch, late morning. I hope the sun peeks in on the proceedings. My hopes were answered.
We are not scheduled away from home today.
Tried out the tiller – 
Second Try Tilling Naneum Garden before Stalling
We found we had a stalling problem after a short while tilling.
John thinks he has found the reason. He was raking the hay where the tiller was parked and found a bolt (new), like others on the tiller. He did not find the nut, but came in to check the user’s manual again. He’s going back to take a photograph. We thought of all sorts of maybes, but we may be on the trail of the cause. John took a picture of the hole that goes through the drive-train. The bolt fell out in the shed, so maybe the nut was never put on. We do not think damage was done, but don’t know. He’s writing a documentary to send to WA Tractor via email, because by the time they arrive tomorrow morning, he will be on his way to pruning vines.
More next week.
Hope your week was fine.
Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan