Sunday, Apr 22 Earthquake ! on Earth Day morning near us
John found out from people on the field trip that we had a small earthquake (M 2.7) at 5:00 a.m. north of us in the Naneum (actually in the Wilson Creek drainage). He looked up the details Monday and found he had been within 0.2 mi of the epicenter years ago while exploring the region. The closest I have been is on horseback at Walter Flat, ~5 mi E. in the Naneum drainage.
John was gone all day on the field trip, mentioned in last week’s blog, but here is a photo taken by Nick Zentner on the trip, with John present. Most photos he’s not in because he was taking his own of the landscape. The other 3 pictures are diagrams from the trip that were presented in their field notes, and were stops on the trip.
In the field (5 stops), Lookout Mt landslide, Yakima River Hwy 10 near EBRG, and current Rattlesnake Ridge, Union Gap.
Monday, Apr 23
I scheduled our annual physicals on the same day (in Cle Elum) for Nov 20.
John took the old ’80 Chevy truck to town today to pick up the new tires (filled with foam) for his garden cart. Maybe this will end our repeating need to repair flats.
I made my own trip to town for stops, to take the plastic-foam packing peanuts by to the Bee Lady, to the pharmacy for two prescriptions (amused at the low cost of one – 45 pills for 82¢) and at other stops, on my way to and from SAIL exercise class.
Tuesday, Apr 24
Morning chores and ate with John before taking off around our long rural block for my haircut at 12:30 with Celia. I did not go to the 2:00 p.m. swing dancing class today.
We both completed many chores (John in the yard; me in the house and on the computer).
Since today (until Saturday) I was unable to access a Google Group (Northwest Geography Jobs) I have co-managed (since 2010). It’s not letting me access the command link, “manage” underneath MY GROUPS. I have tried restarting, logging out of all Gmail accounts, but I cannot get the normal way in by going through googlegroups.com. Therefore I could do nothing with my membership database: add, delete, check to see who’s on the list, or change delivery options. I use this group daily, so this failure was a real problem. I tried GMAIL HELP Forms on line to no avail.
I received a cute photo of our dog in CA with Jeri Conklin:
Daisy an alien flower
Wednesday, Apr 25
John packed asparagus for me to take by two older friends who share their cooking creations with us. We don’t have enough asparagus to share with others, because we have been eating a good serving every evening with our meal and it is usually available for 1 pound of picking every other day. John saw some commercially cut and sold in the Naches area. These usually have a lot of stem that is not edible. He only picks the nice young tender heads. That is the only produce from garden right now.
I got my salad ready to take to the noon lunch at the Food Bank where we play music for ½ hour. I prefer my healthy salad over the pasta.
On my way to SAIL, I stopped off at our insurance office to drop of the paperwork for our payment of our property’s house and buildings insurance, which we now have to cover because the escrow is no longer making the payments from our checking account after we paid off the 30-yr loan in February.
After exercising, I came home to get out the “final” call for count for chairs for tomorrow’s music and sent PDFs of information some can print, and print for those who cannot.
I had a bunch of stuff to attend to with music and with Emeriti meeting plans, chores, emails, and the problems with my jobs list access on Google Groups. That was not resolved until Saturday, 4/28 !!
Thursday, Apr 26
I sent the count to Hearthstone via email for a dozen chairs and printed some songs to take for those without computer printers.
Worked much of the night on the challenging song, Leaving on a Jet Plane. It was not written correctly in the book I had the score from (from the 60s). I had to compare it to my own memory and to different people singing it on YouTube, and get some help from Evie on transcribing the ending which was not in the book.
To cheer myself up, and to get your attention, I grabbed the following pictures off Facebook sent by my friend since the 6th grade in Atlanta, GA. She is a photographer, now living in Michigan. I have posted her photographs in previous blogs over the years, with her permission. Her name is Maude Buszek, but I grew up knowing her as Nancy Johnson, and I was Nancy Brannen, so our nicknames for others were Nancy J and Nancy B. We visited places around town singing duets and playing guitars. Her dad worked for the Southern Bell telephone company, where we were regular entertainers at their luncheons, meetings, or conferences.
Viera Wetlands, FL on her trip there this week —- an alligator, taken from 10’ away with her handheld camera.
She took other wetland wildlife too, as viewed in the collage below:
Tricolor Heron, in ditch drain; Black Bellied Whistling Duck making a precarious landing; Great Egret & Glossy Ibis flyby; Cattle Egret getting twig for nest.
Friday, Apr 27
I go today to a scholarship luncheon at CWU on the 3rd floor boardroom of the SURC (Student Union Recreation Center). I took my container for a sandwich makings, and also took along Mary’s soup ladle to return to her, from last month’s scholarship luncheon. I had to park 3 long blocks away because all the parking spaces in the CWU lots were taken with a large convocation of music students from all over the state there and also for a rally for first amendment rights. Outside and inside, people were assembling everywhere. “the right to peaceably assemble” – seems fitting.
I carried in some daffodils and tulips for the table. I stayed only until shortly after Noon, said hi to the hostesses and two early arrivals, and took my sandwich insides (described below) on to the Senior Center (AAC) for the Talent Show. I had my fiddle, music to hand out, lunch, and my home purified drinking water.
I was unable to use my CWU parking sticker as well. They sell parking for $5/day and spaces were all taken in three large parking lots. I got there with a few daffodils and a tulip, left my violin wrapped up in the car, and took in my empty carrier for food. I put together sandwich makings (piece of turkey, salami, ham, tomato slice, and cherry tomato, Swiss cheese, and potato chips, no bread, and took with me. I drove on down to the Senior Center and was about 15 minutes late arriving. I was the last person on the program at 1:00 p.m. I took some pictures, and was able to view the ending talent acts.
Shari is behind Jessi and shows the woven sashes by Shari, who demonstrated her talent. I knew Shari at CWU when we both were teaching and served on a university-wide committee together about Service Learning Activities for students. She was an Art Education professor and I was in Geography Dept. & the Resource Management program. I later met her dad at a local assisted living home, there with his cat, when our Fiddlers & Friends group went to play songs. He has since passed on. It was later that I met her when she joined our SAIL exercise class at the AAC.
I led the audience (& gave them lyrics) singing Jambalaya, and You are My Sunshine. About 36 people participated.
After it was over, I stayed to eat my lunch (described above), which I had brought from CWU and then I stayed for our SAIL exercise class. We didn’t have a lot of people there today, but we had fun. At the end I took a video of 2 people of a trio doing an exercise to Y.M.C.A. music, for their talent which they executed before I arrived. The two I took were Connie and Nicole, and the 3rd (Jessi) left for a late lunch after leading our SAIL class. From there I went to Briarwood to deliver the rest of the daffodils and tulips. They are in the office for people to enjoy, and two friends there (Lee and Betty) each will take a few for their apartments.
I captured two videos during the actual program.
Katrina with her Jazzercise Talent
Judith & Peter Singing & Dancing
After SAIL class I videoed another – Redo by two of the Trio’s Talent
Connie & Nicole Exercise Routine to Y.M.C.A. music after Talent Show, this one without Jessi
I came home and am resting. I’m tired. Probably need to have a snack of mixed nuts, after I get out of these clothes and then I need to remove the photos & videos from my camera.
I removed them, but didn’t process them all yet.
Saturday, Apr 28
John, for a WTA trip, left at 6:35 for Boulder Cave with Lisa Black as the Blue Hat (Crew Leader) and John the orange hat (Assistant Crew Leader). They each had their own teams who worked apart on the projects, finishing at 3:30. John made it home just before 5:00. Boulder cave is noted for its interesting geology, and wintering population of Pacific western big-eared bats. Once there were more and they stayed through the year. They do not tolerate human activity, so the trail is closed during the winter. It is a very popular place for day use picnics, playing in the Naches River, and the short and easy hikes.
Our postal mail was not delivered until 4:33 p.m. I had been expecting him (after Noon) to drive down the driveway with a package too big for our large post box. He was supposed to honk his horn, but didn’t, and luckily, I put Annie in the front yard, figuring she would announce his coming, and that she did.
We each worked on different projects tonight and now I know last night we did as well. This morning, I read John’s column this week, which he wrote last night: (be sure to read it)
This week’s not so nasty news April 27th . . . LINK
It has so many interesting animal stories, I decided to go back and add the wildlife photographs (taken by my friend) to the blog entry on Thursday.
I received a nice 10-minute phone call from John on his way home. He should be here just before 5:00. The mailman has not yet come down the drive with a package (large ‘whole house’ water filters). If he took it back to town, I’m reporting him. Annie and I were here waiting all day for him. He’s safe, it was delivered late.
John got the ingredients together for his mom’s pecan pie I have to deliver tomorrow to the special recognition for Ruth Harrington’s scholarship fund. I have been a lunch-time member of the 4th Friday group for 30 years. I helped him assemble some parts of the pecan pie, and it is cooked and ready to go to the Pie Social tomorrow.
Now John went for some shut eye, as he leaves in the morning by 7:10 a.m. for Edger Rocks Trail work.
The area is 25 miles west of EBRG, but 37 miles from Yakima; the dog-leg route John has to travel.
Sunday, Apr 29
The rest of the WTA crew had been directed to Boulder Cave, but the work there was completed on Saturday. John went directly to Edger Rocks trailhead (leaving later) and still had a few minutes before the others arrived at 9 AM. The day was used for trail maintenance, that is grub hoe and shovel work. Not much to see. Next weekend, the crew will go higher. The physical aspects are more interesting and the views better.
I’m home to get ready to leave for the celebration of Ruth Harrington’s pie social commemorating a Million Dollars raised since 1973. The social was for all past participants of the breakfast, lunch, and dinner groups. That was written up in a previous blog. She also requested pies from folks there (including one from John, a pecan pie from his mom’s recipe). I will carry it in before the 2:00 starting time, so it can be cut into “small” pieces. Those that come can have a variety of “small” tastes, from the many pies. Our first Pecan pie contribution was in 1988, when I joined one of her groups my first year here. So, I have been an active member for 30 years! John was still in Troy, Idaho, so it was a long distance delivery via my weekend trip.
I’m including a few comments on the day, with a few pictures. I’m going to send ones I took to the Alumni Office and the Foundation, so they can use them to round out their own photographer’s shots. I talked with two photographers, and one said she was having trouble taking pictures in the darkened room. I had no problem with my camera (and did not have to use a flash).
Here are some of me, pies, and Ruth.
They gave everyone a name tag and a nice CWU neck lanyard strap. I tried to wear CWU colors. The pie (bottom right) is ours. I got these photos before people starting coming in that Ruth had to greet. There were 17 tables of 8 each, and some folks sitting on the side. Must have been 150+ pies brought in for the celebration.
I left early so will have to find out what all happened.
There were still people waiting in line for pie and many pies still in the back ready to be brought out. After the eating was completed there was going to be a pie auction with money proceeds to benefit the Scholarship fund.
Here are 3 photos with some of the contributions. There were many more.
I saw many people there I have known through the years at CWU. It was a lot of fun. So many pies and many I never have tasted. I made home about 3:30.
John called again from near Yakima to tell me he was an hour away. He arrived home just after 5:00 p.m. Annie was certainly ready for him. I finished loading the dishes, and started them, so now I’m back working on finishing up the blog draft to give him to review and edit, so we can get it published before Monday’s sunrise.
Hope your week was fine.
Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan