Tulips, between strawberries, onions, and asparagus. You’ve previously seen the purples that bloomed ahead of the shorter ones. Happy they hadn’t been windblown away.
Sunday, May 5
We published the blog at 9:02 p.m. and went to bed at 10:30! You’ve already heard about that day, in our last week’s post, but this one has some photos from John’s WTA trail work here in the valley, shown on Tuesday, when the final report arrived, including photos for the whole past weekend, with additions from workers.
Monday, May 6
I sent out the KV F&F note about scheduling for this week, and tried requesting feedback for the whole month again. Got a few more added.
John worked outside a lot today. Sprayed weeds and watered strawberries, onion, flowers, and trees.
I went to town for a Silver Sneakers exercise class and was extra cautious about taking it easy, after how hurtful I was last week. I opened up the “hatch” back of my car for a gal to leave a bunch of feed bags. She’s done that before, when she is in town and I’m at the AAC. Easy transfer that saves me a long drive to Badger Pocket in the SE part of our valley. They filled the back of my car. We use them for various trash bags to take to the transfer station and once John used to bag noxious weeks to remove from a local trail.
From there I drove to the new location of the FISH Food Bank lunches, now being held at the Liberty Theater in the back room, accessible from Pine St. We were vacated from the back of the Mercer Creek Church facility on 14th and B streets, for our lunches, but the food distribution for community members remains there, until new facilities are built with a kitchen and room for serving. We are not privy to future plans.
The Food Bank Senior Nutrition lunch menu was especially good today. Dan was the cook and it was in the new location I needed to check out for going on Wednesday to volunteer playing music and setup a place to keep our own music stands. Today’s meal was Pulled Pork (nice & tender), served on rice, with Cole slaw, and a bowl of peaches and pears. I didn’t take a dessert. Once home, I finished the Chocolate Chip cookies John brought home from the trail work yesterday.
On the way home, I went by our bank, and deposited 2 checks: another returned one of $127 from a procedure I was charged for after my deductible had been met. I realized that at the time, but didn’t have any choice except to pay it. Luckily, the Yakima Memorial Hospital’s account department is honest and refunded the money. The second check was from the local Co-Op and is part of a reported PATR for income taxes, so I had to deposit the $5.12 for the record to put in my tax file. Then I stopped at Safeway for their Monday Fried Chicken special. In the checkout line I was visiting with a gentleman in front of me in, and when I looked at his face, I realized I recognized him, and asked his name, because I couldn’t remember from where. He told me, and I returned mine, and said I think I know you from the university. He said he is a retired geologist. Of course, I said, well I am a retired geographer, and we shared the same building.
We enjoyed visiting further after realizing our past connection.
John just returned from putting the license tab on my Forester. He realized the paper showed the car still had a lien on it from the original purchase. (It has long since been paid off). I called Chase Bank and found out I had to go by in person, with my registration and social security number to request the lien transfer, and then I will have to go to the Department of Vehicle licensing to have it re-titled. I asked if there was a charge and he didn’t think so. If there is, I will request Chase Bank pay for it. It should not be on my tab, in my opinion.
We are having fried chicken for dinner, with butternut squash casserole by John, and I will finish the rest of the salad I carried along today and didn’t need to eat at the food bank.
Well, I suppose I should tell another bank story; this one is my current bank. February in 2017 we paid off our 30-year mortgage loan on our house. That meant we had to start arranging for our property taxes and insurance. I went to my Umpqua bank and set up a recurring payment for every 6 months for the value of taxes owed. This year, the Kittitas Treasurer’s Office notified me that I could have my taxes automatically paid through my bank at their office. I didn’t realize that the taxes had changed (gone up), nor did I realize the recurring payment did not apply.
After I had deposited my checks and got home, John said, did you have them tell you the balance in the account. I had not requested it, so I got on line and looked at the past month’s figures. There were two withdrawals marked to the Kittitas County Treasurer’s office for similar amounts in the same month. The one for $892.65 had been 4/16/19, but there was another deduction of $913.99 drawn on 4/30/19. A call to the KC Treasurer’s office alerted me to what had happened – the bank was acting as though they still had to pay but took the money from the checking account rather than an escrow account that had vanished. I called my bank, and asked how to alter it. Brandy helped me through the cancellation process, and now all is well. Come October, when the $913.99 is due, I will only pay the difference, $21.34. That was simpler than being refunded the $$ by the county. I have cancelled the reoccurring one for last year’s taxes, and all should be well. I’m glad I reviewed the activity and found the problem.
Started the washer with clothes and my red bag with blue cheese dressing spilled inside it. That was from a leaky container of salad I carried for lunch. It all made it through just fine.
Tuesday, May 7
Had my morning shower, drank a protein drink, so that I had something in my stomach, took my Amoxicillin at 10:00 a.m., and left ~ 10:15 for a stop at the Dry Cleaner. I arrived around a couple of blocks to the dentist before 11:00 and was invited back to start the process. Meant to go by the bank, but forgot, and will save for tomorrow.
My dentist visit went the entire time. I am happy with the results, but have to hope the temporary stays in until I return May 28 for the crown. The crown will be gold, rather than porcelain, because gold is sturdier, and the impression for the new crown it is rather thin from being taken on the old tooth that had worn down significantly. I do not know how long that one has been in my mouth.
I finished too late at the dentist to eat at the Senior Nutrition program, where they were having Chicken with gravy today.
Therefore, I went directly by the Chase bank office in Fred Meyer with my Forester Registration to speak with banker, John. He was off at lunch and when he returned, had 2 people waiting, so the manager listened to my story when I said I wouldn’t wait until 2:15 and he gave me a 1-800 number to call to process the information I needed to remove the lien on my Subaru Forester, that was never returned to us after the loan was paid off 2 years ago (in May). Now the paperwork is in the mail, and when it arrives, I will need to take it and my registration by to the correct office.
While at Fred Meyer’s building, I was next door to Goodwill, where on Tuesdays Seniors get 10% off purchases. I went to the head guy, Jay, and told him the reason I was in search for music stands. An employee standing with him heard our conversation, and she said she would go check in the back. He walked with me to the place any would be on the sales floor. Sure enough, there was a sturdy fold-up metal one, for $4.99, & with my senior discount, it was $4.49. After figuring out how it worked, I bought it, and he pulled out his little notepad and took my name and phone number, saying he would call me when one came in. Nice service. Now I’m busy printing my name to attach to the stand and to the case of another smaller one I have. I’m taking the two of them in a wheeled carrier to collect others from people in the group, so that we can leave them in a backroom standing collected in a corner, and not have to cart them maybe a block from a parking space downtown.
These Nick-Links arrived today from Nick Zentner, the last one of this season is here for the first time; I will put all in here for anyone who might have missed it. The first three have been out for a while.
Nick thanked us all for attending and reminded us the “downtown” series will continue next April at Morgan Performing Arts Center, our new location. Below are the locations and each is followed by a brief description of content.
1-Supercontinents and the Pacific Northwest
Montana’s Belt Series featured. Tales of supercontinents Rodinia and Columbia. Glacier National Park.
2-Plant Fossils in the Pacific Northwest
Palm Fossils at Blewett Pass and Petrified Tree Trunks at Vantage featured. Includes excitement of finding George Beck’s original journals from the 1930s.
3-Supervolcanoes in the Pacific Northwest
Water moved ashfall into a 30 foot deposit (now lifted and exposed) near Mattawa; southeast of us. This is now known to have come from a significant explosion of a volcanic hot-spot. This ash is tied to Bruneau-Jarbidge Caldera in Idaho. The video includes a visit to Nebraska (ash went that far), and central Oregon.
This is the latest you have not yet been told about from me (the professional copy) – you have already received my personal front-row videos of Nick in a previous blog.
4-Hells Canyon and the Ringold Formation
Connection between Ringold sediments and Hells Canyon development. Includes fish fossil work by Jerry Smith. Also, new zircon work by Lydia Staisch.
Change of subject: to WTA trail work in our Kittitas Valley.
Here’s a great report from Beth Macinko on the WTA work on the Manastash Trail that happened this past weekend.
Thank you everyone for coming out to work on Manastash Ridge on Sunday. You built 400 ft of new tread and did the finish work on 200+ more feet for the Westberg Trail reroute – this reroute will avoid the steep grade sections on the original trail that are causing erosion and vegetation loss. Thanks for working hard to move all that dirt from the steeper side slope to make a nice level tread. Your work will make the trail more sustainable to support generations of hikers and the health of the ecosystem.
Congrats to Jennifer for earning her hard hat today with five work days! Many thanks to Elizabeth for 100 days of trail work with WTA, thanks for bringing your enthusiasm to work parties all over the state! Special thanks to Leighton, Henry, and David for making this your first WTA work party. Thanks to Craig, John S. and Mark for gaining more experience with new tread construction. And thank you to George, Jennifer, Elizabeth, John H., Tim, Jill, and Alan for coming out both days, 1100 feet of trail was built over the weekend, over half of this reroute section.
As Alan mentioned, this work party earned you 8 hours towards a Discover Pass. Volunteering on state lands for 24 hours (3 WTA work parties) earns you a free Discover Pass. Once you have completed 24 hours, you can email volunteer@wta.org, and let them know which work parties you’ve been on. Attached is a link to a shared album with photos from both Saturday and Sunday this week, you can see the trail progress and feel free to add your own photos. Happy trails, Beth
Link to the photos from the weekend:
WTA work May 4 & 5, Manastash Trail, 2019
From that are some favorites, with 3 flower ones below on Saturday’s post.
Here are a few of interest to me from Beth Macinko on May 5th, Sunday.
These and one below shows the fantabulous Kittitas Valley from the new trail on Manastash Ridge. Right side, orange hat is Jill – a CWU grad that had friend Ken Hammond as an adviser in 1986, before I arrived. John has orange hat and orange shirt.
The photo on the right, taken on the hike IN, carrying all the work tools – by Elizabeth DeVos. Note, John’s orange hat is hooked to his backpack. Two tools are the maximum for carrying and gloves are a must. When actually working, a hard hat is also required, as are boots and long pants. New volunteers get a new green hat on their 5th day; with name or nickname.
I came home to a bunch of deadlines, after running around town doing errands. Went by the dry cleaners, and have my fingers crossed the shirts will be okay for pick-up on Thursday, after I play music at the Meadows Place.
I had to sort out medical bills not covered by Medicare because the deductible (for John) had not been met. I have been in to see doctors enough already this year, that mine is paid up. Also needed a snack after missing lunch. I had not made it out of the dental office in time to go by the Food Bank for a planned meal.
Printed name tags for music stands and for the container to store them at the new location. Thanks to John for his help in adhering them in the right places.
Wednesday, May 8
Got the attendance finalized for KV F&F tomorrow at Meadows. We ended up with 11, with 3 folks making it up from the Yakima Canyon Bluegrass jam.
On my way to the Food Bank (Liberty Theater), I stopped at Umpqua Bank for 3 colorful Frisbees so we could go some not-too-hot day to one of the Disc Golf city parks in town, with another family. It’s supposed to be a lot of fun, but I need to read up on the rules (on line, with demonstration videos). They were given to me by Brandy. John and I both were Frisbee throwers from the beginning of meeting each other, and we also taught our first Brittany, Wisty, to jump up and catch them. She was good at it. We got her in Iowa in 1971. I wish we had had a video camera then to have captured the actions, but all we have now are neat memories.
Food bank music for the first time at the new venue, at the back of the Liberty Theater, in the room managed by the Calvary Baptist Church, Pastor Stephen. Monday, I got a tour from a church member, Steve, when I went in to see the set-up and asked about a secure place for us to store music stands so we didn’t have to haul them in every time we play. Many of our members are just singers and didn’t have their own music stand, so several of us (Evelyn, Joanie, and I) combined our extra pair to come up with 6. Our harmonica player brought his own stand, as did our guitarist. It worked just fine. We had 9 players. Everyone there in the audience thought the music sounded better than in the old place. It’s probably because the floors are a nice heavy tile and not carpeted to absorb the sound.
I took my camera today to get a photo of me taken by Joanie in the new dining area (with a full kitchen and industrial dishwasher), wearing a shirt she gave me last week. I received many compliments on it, especially the embroidery on the neckline. The collar on my right is not set right, but you can see the new venue, and in the back of the photo, the kitchen and serving line.
Fellow in red hat is Bob, one of our singers; and me, after music.
Today’s menu was macaroni and cheese with chicken that all I talked with said was very good. I had my own salad, so I did not get a plate, but I did take a bowl of fruit (peaches, pears, apricot, pineapple, and a maraschino cherry). Dessert I also took, but brought home to share with John. We haven’t tasted it yet, but it is a yellow lemon looking cake, with white frosting topped with almond slivers. All who had it at my table loved it. It was made by a volunteer who always is there on Wednesdays and makes desserts to share. I took a Ziploc bag to bring home whatever was there today for dessert. After we played, put up all the equipment into the “back” room, there wasn’t much time to eat and still make it to my exercise class on time. It doesn’t help that the AAC clocks are set 5-6 minutes ahead of the actual time.
I went to SAIL. The new daily schedule program was finally available, delivered just today during our class. I brought one home, went through it, and hung it on our fridge. It covers activities, events, and trips for three months offered by the AAC.
On my way home I stopped at Bi-Mart for some Progresso soup on sale, our favorite: Chicken with rice (and a whiff of wild rice), and veggies. It was priced nicely at 3 cans for $5.
Thursday, May 9
Today’s music was at Meadows Place. We had a dozen players present and a large involved audience.
I went by the dry cleaners to pick up my silk shirt 
and John’s WTA orange shirt. His is a cotton shirt with an iron-on patch from a WTA promotion of 2 years ago. We did not want to put this in our washing machine. He has orange polyester shirts to work in and washing is okay for those.
Also went to Super 1 for some smoked turkey (planning ahead for my salads); then to Joanie’s to return a carry bag and offer some clothes to her in exchange for what she gave me earlier in the week. She invited me to stay for dinner, but I had two other stops before coming home, so I declined.
My first stop was going back to the cleaners to ask about a button missing on the bottom of the silk shirt. They do have a catch thing that will retrieve buttons that come loose during the dry cleaning operation. However, the fellow behind the counter didn’t have access to the drawer and wouldn’t until tomorrow morning. So I left my shirt and said I hoped they could locate the matching white pearl button, but if not, then a white one that would fit the buttonhole would be fine.
Friday, May 10
Awoke to an early morning call from the Dry Cleaner’s. They found a button that would work and have sewed it on my yellow silk shirt. Will pick up Monday.
Hot weather is not far off, so it is time for an inspection and tune-up of our heat pump. Darren, from Brad & Burke, will come on Friday the 17th, at 8:30 a.m. John wants to remember to spray the outside unit for wasps, and make it safe for Darren, who has a reaction, if stung.
John went to meet Ric Gearhart on Clerf Rd to pick up 20 wood pallets. The old Chevy truck doesn’t have a canopy, so he took it. I went along to take some photos and meet the fellow who gave us the pallets and thank him. These were under hay, outside. Now he has a shed.
Ric outside with some; more are in the shed in front of the truck. They are in
good shape, and a few have clean fresh wood that can be used for a neat project.
The internet has lots of ideas, like a box.
Once home, I took a photo of the load. They did a nice job of putting them into the pickup bed. I counted roughly ~ 23.
Different sizes and shapes makes counting not straightforward.
I’m switching back to a message I received this morning on Facebook, which I accidentally saw. I do not have time to see all things that come across my timeline in one day.
Jennifer Lipton, whom I taught with in Geography at CWU, sent it about an award ceremony for the College of the Sciences. Here’s her comment (about two students I know); others were included I do not know.
Awesome evening at the College of the Sciences award ceremony, with my amazing graduate student in our Cultural and Environmental Resource Management graduate program Beth Macinko and fellow co-Director Pat McCutcheon. Geography student Caleb Valko has decided to go to grad school at UNT for his Masters after I connected him to my fantastic UT Austin Geography friend, Dr. Matt Fry! 
Pat, Beth, Jen, Dean Tim Englund ^.^.^. ^.^. ^ Caleb with Jen.
I spent a lot of time this afternoon, going back to my old Toshiba computer I hadn’t used in a while. I needed to find backups of a previous year’s tax data to use with the TurboTax program. My Dell had an incomplete background folder that needed to be on here (the Dell) to give the history needed to move forward to the software. That meant I had to find my external CD/DVD drive I had bought to use with the Dell (because they do not have CD options on new laptops). Then I had to install the software to run the drive on the Dell.
The process took a lot longer than expected, using a lot of C drive space. I’ll have to back up and delete some of the unneeded things. I don’t like the time to take to do this. Thankfully, once installed, it returned some space on the disk.
Got that done. Now am installing Turbo Tax. I finished and got started but have gone as far as I could without looking up some receipts to put new numbers into the template.
Saturday, May 11
A wedding of musical friends
Humor at beginning – collaring and the rings shared during vows
Today I planned to drive into the Yakima Canyon to the 1:00 wedding friends, Maury & Marilyn. I made it there in time to get a seat but stood through the ceremony, videotaping it.
Wedding Ceremony–Marilyn & Maury, Big Pines, 5-11-19
After ceremony, Marilyn’s daughter Tammy sings Love Songs
Maury’s grandson Liam sings, ‘Old Man Look at My Life’
If you’d like to hear the songwriter, Neil Young, sing his song, and tell his story of the origins, check out this link. The entire lyrics are posted with the video. Liam might appreciate this. (I don’t have his email to share, if someone in the family can, please.)
After the wedding, I drove to Costco (21 miles, r.t.) for filling my car with gasoline (@3.249/gal). Circle K in EBRG is the lowest at 3.399. So, the price went down in EBRG from yesterday, and I only saved 15₵/gal instead of the expected 20₵. Still worth the trip, as I needed Acetaminophen. And the drive was beautiful today, down and back. I traveled back to the Big Pines Campground and visited with the family & friends. I took my fiddle, but they were on a rest break, in the shade, and had already served their wedding cake. I got there in time to get a piece with frosting, and brought some of the second layer of 3 small pieces back to John without frosting, which had been left on the tray. He likes chocolate cake and I think got some of the raspberry layer on the top. Visited for about an hour and had another photo made on my camera, by Tamara, with the newly married couple and me beside the tree which provided the nice shade which kept us cool for the service. The temperature was 89 in the canyon, but thankfully with a light breeze. 
Marilyn, Maury (changed from his bib overalls), & Nancy without her John Deere wide-brimmed straw hat for the sun we escaped by this wonderful shade tree. Maury & Marilyn met in the canyon here a year ago at this Bluegrass Jam event and chose this as the site of their wedding. Several years ago, John and I met Maury for the first time here as well, inviting him to join our Kittitas Valley Fiddlers & Friends music group. The rest is history.
On my way to and from Costco, via SR 821, Yakima Canyon Road,
I passed and missed some great photoshoots on the river, of boats and fishermen (& fisherwomen), but I did take some photos on my return trip from Costco: 
From my Economic Geography teaching days, I love hops fields and the stories accompanying growing, harvesting, and transporting them to users, in different forms. These vines are new in the Pomona area on State Hwy 821. Right photo is farther upstream on the Yakima River with a boater. Many fishing. It is a catch and release stream through the Canyon.
The green hills were lovely, but most of the Arrowleaf Balsamroot golden flowers were past their prime. They were perfect our last trip down. Here are flowers reserved from earlier this week.
Manastash Ridge Trail flowers by Vikram Bisht (member of the WTA work crew); Maryhill vicinity south of Goldendale: Phlox and Arrowleaf Balsamroot near the Columbia River, by Jack Powell.
Arrowleaf Balsamroot Plant Description
Sunday, May 12 Mother’s Day
John’s out working before the temperature rises too high. Mostly, he was watering plants in the garden, primarily strawberries.
He came in for brunch, and we have finished a nice Mother’s Day meal of eggs, summer sausage (fried slices), peaches, orange slices, and English Muffin bread toasted with apricot preserves.
Temps have risen in the house to 74, front porch 79 in shade, 76 at the airport 5 miles south, with 27mph gusts to cool things some. All our windows are closed, with no a/c turned on.
Hope your week was fine.
Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan