. . . … Pretty Flowers on the Naneum Fan …
Here are some photos from this past weekend on John’s WTA trip to Boulder Cave and Edgar Rocks.
John & Will at Boulder Cave Trail, whole crew at Edgar Rocks, and large rock tipped out of the trail. About 10% was sticking up in the center of the trail, like a little pyramid. Green Hats have it balanced on end, ready to help it off the trail.
Monday, Apr 30
John has been planting bulbs of various types of flowers. Dahlias have yet to appear, and gladioli bulbs are still hiding in the garage. Here are some pictures I took this week.
At end of our driveway, the mixed view from Naneum Rd.; orange/yellow tulip; and yellow/orange daffodil.
Closer to the house are other flowers, some tulips, but mostly daffodils, and several flowers not yet in bloom.
Unique setting for these daffodils; the ones in the background are seen in the right photo. 
Main daffodils near house: yellow, white, and white with orange center.
We published the blog for last week at 12:55 a.m., making the deadline before sunrise.
Our farrier came to trim Myst this morning.
I scheduled our annual eye appointments on the same day for June 5, Tuesday morning. This is at a clinic on the west end of EBRG.
I stayed home today from SAIL to work on music.
Our cherry trees are blooming. If not much rain, wind, or freezes – we’ll get cherries this year. The Shiro (yellow, round) plum is blooming with others showing signs.
Tuesday, May 1
I will not go to the 2:00 p.m. “Just dance” class today; too much left to do on music prep.
John has captured a couple of yellow jackets on the inside window where the cat and dog have their door to the outside. Parts are a little warped there and a space allows the insects to get in. Another thing needing to be done. Ate brunch, and
John went to help move a couple of trees that fell at our neighbor’s. He got his chainsaw gear together, but he didn’t have to use that because the water is going beneath the trees. We are in the midst of spring melt and there is too much water. The irrigator (with cattle there) needs to minimize the flow from the diversion on Naneum Creek.
John continued with inside and outside tasks, and I worked mostly on music for 3 players and 19 audience copies. I have to replace 5 new songs at the end of the packet and replace the cover. John was a huge help removing staples tonight, and re-stapling after I made the changes.
Wednesday, Apr 25
Busy day mid-week: I got my salad ready to take to the noon lunch at the Food Bank where we play music. On my way to SAIL, I took Roberta Clark’s music book she left behind at Briarwood, and put it on her front porch.
From SAIL, I picked up my prescription from Super 1. Then on my way home, I picked up two glasses and a glass butter dish (freely given), as well as a double camping chair with a place for drinks on a tray between. We can use it for the upcoming potluck Geography end-of-year awards dinner on the lawn at CWU.
We received 2 of the wide mouth matching clear tall glasses and the butter dish; right, the double camping chair. On my way there, I also stopped by another house to pick up some empty plastic flower pots, mostly small.
Thurs, May 3
John left for bottling Amigne at White Heron. He brought home two bottles of that and two of Malbec (the previously bottled variety). Amigne is a very rare grape, most is in the Valais region of Switzerland, and a little is at White Heron.
I’m going to Rehab for music and afterwards by the Food Bank with egg cartons they need for a shipment of a pallet of boxes of flats of eggs (now in their walk-in cooler). Dozen-size egg cartons are preferred, but 18-ones taken as well.
John bought some tomato plants at Bi-Mart today and some yellow crookneck squash.
We had a raccoon figure the way across the structure to get over the fence and come to our front door. It was set up for the 3 outside cats. We’ve had dry food for them under the overhang of the porch. The spot is accessible by a sloping pallet with a ledge. We thought they had been going through a lot recently. So, we will not leave out food after dark. John heard a noise out front, looked out the window tonight, and saw the raccoon. [We’ve seen her/him/it just twice. About 15 years ago we saw a couple of them here, but none until today].
Earlier I had looked out the front door window and thought I saw a strange cat earlier, but it was dark in the yard and I couldn’t really tell. I don’t think it was the raccoon, but I suppose it could have been. We have now brought all the hard food inside. The cats are usually only there during the day, so we will only put it out then, but also pick it up before we leave the house late, not to return until after dark.
On a related note, Sue (orange) has brought dead mice to the front door on a couple of mornings. Perhaps she thinks we are trading with her because we pick them up and carry them away.
Friday, May 4
John stayed home to do yard and garden chores. I went to AAC for the Cinco de Mayo celebration. I was the volunteer designated photographer so I arrived early for a good seat and set out my stuff I had brought along for my lunch (a great chef salad).
At the party, before and after lunch were two opportunities to participate in crepe paper flower making or tossing a ball into cups.
Two groups of Crepe Paper Flower Makers before and after lunch.
Flower Making (Beginning)
LINK
Demo with Explanation of Crepe Paper Flower Making by Jessi
LINK
Jacquie tosses ball one direction and Shirley tosses in the other, with Nicole supervising.
Lunch was an Enchilada casserole with Jell-O on the side. Many activities inside. Outside was a Piñata experience conducted by Nicole with 2 piñatas she hand-crafted STURDILY.
A number of people went out to the parking lot for the “breaking” of the two Piñatas. They were tough enough to give everyone who wanted a chance to make a mighty swing.
First Attempt by Victoria LINK
Joe Gets First Piñata Down
LINK
Then Ed passes out the candy from the first, and others keep trying for the second reward.
Shirley grabs a few pieces from Ed, and Curtis tries his hand at knocking open the 2nd Piñata.
My setup, first hit, and follow through. Very short video below. I handed my camera set already on video to David Douglas and he recorded the first few seconds of mine.
Nancy’s First Try (13 secs) – Penultimate Event!
LINK
In between that event and returning for SAIL exercise class, I drove to Kathryn Carlson’s to pick up egg cartons and shopping plastic bags for her donation to the FISH Food Bank.
At the end of SAIL exercise class I asked Jessi to take this photo of me in my shirt from the material my student, Clement Otu-Tei bought for me from his home country, Ghana, Africa and gave to me. He used to call me “mom” so I thought this was appropriate to send as a thank you. My friend Ellen Fischer sewed it into a shirt for me. It is a heavy smooth cotton material.
I made a stopover at a large yard sale on Mt. View Rd, where I found an incredible deal on jeans for John. They are brand new still in the package—priced at $59.50, but I paid $2.00 each for two pairs. The find of the century! 
Back by way of BiMart for Party Mix for all the cats, but I had to get a rain check as they were out. The price was right, but the date of their next shipment is unknown. The sale goes through 5/13, but I’m covered.
Came home after SAIL by way of 3rd avenue and saw another Garage sale sign with directions to Grasslands, an east side subdivision of EBRG. Donations to go to people going to Brazil to build a community center. I got a few free things there, and paid $3.00 for several others. Most of it I’m giving away. One free thing is a clock with a marble base for John, but we will have to hunt for a short 1.5 v battery. We have only longer ones.
We left a little later than we wished for the concert, but it was late starting. Folks started in formed lines, but soon there was just a milling about and the lines dissolved. We visited with friends we knew and with those we didn’t. The room was not full, so getting in early made little difference.
It was an interesting presentation.
You can read his story on his website, LINK
He can only use two fingers on his left hand, and the little finger and ring finger curve downward.
Billy McLaughlin’s Unique Guitar Recovery from Dystonia
LINK
It was dark when we came back from the music building, and the cats were waiting to be fed again (Woody & Czar). They all ate before we left, but we left out hard food for them. The raccoon returned after we were home, but John chased it off, and it never got to the food.
Saturday, May 5 HAPPY CINCO de MAYO !
John left this morning just before 6:30 a.m. for Naches area, Lost River Trail & Edgar Rocks.
A volunteer, Rebecca Emery, made the startling connection that John had hired her when she was 16 – back in Moscow, Idaho – to work in the bookstore he managed. John knew her mother, Carla, once well known for the Encyclopedia of Country Living. There is an entry for ‘ Carla Emery ‘ on Wikipedia, and the books are still sold.
So, about 33 years later, Rebecca and John got to work (on trail) together for two days.
Today, I worked on a number of projects with deadlines and finished only a few.
We received 4 six-inch white plastic irrigation pipes about 30’ long (quite old, but okay) from our neighbor.
Sunday, May 6
John left just before 6:30 a.m. for the Lost River Trail. He went early to get a head start because Lisa (crew leader) and Rebecca (the only others for the day) hike much faster than he does. It worked well – he got to the tools, got them out of their hiding place, and did about 10 minutes of work before the others arrived.
I arranged to get Czar through the KCFOA (Kittitas County Friends of Animals) to be neutered in Lynnwood. I’m picking up the “crate” and the paperwork from Nancy Hoffman at Tuesday noon. She lives on Strange Rd. We are to take him to the shop behind their house (her husband’s, Paul) accessible from the Vantage Hwy. on Thursday evening. They will keep him until Monday at 5:00 a.m. when they leave for the west side, with several cats to be neutered or spayed.
It started raining this afternoon. Shortly after John started his drive home, rain began on Hwy 410. At Yakima the traffic increased. Things got more sane when he got off I-82, south of EBRG.
The Lost River Trail is noted for ticks. They seem to drop out of the sky. Ones on John’s bright orange shirt were easily spotted and knocked off. I checked when he got home, and found another in his hair.
Hope your week was fine.
Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan