. . . another week, the same things – music, kittens, food, chores – only different.
Sunday, Apr 22 We didn’t have any away-from-home commitments today. I sliced and diced the time on the computer, did a few chores and visited with the kitties.
Monday, Apr 23 Nothing much today either, but getting ready for tomorrow which will be a very full day. This morning we went out again to play with the kitties, and I had spent time last night on the web reading several different explanations of how to determine young feline gender. If I got it right (and I believe now at the end of the week, I did), we have 4 males and one female. We carried a tennis ball and they sort of played with it. Today I managed to make a replacement CD of my 50th h.s. reunion CD of music of the fifties. Ours we use for our SAIL exercise class started sticking last week. Now we have a new clean copy. In addition, we visited with the kitties and also made arrangements for the kitties’ future and hopefully for trapping the mom and getting her spayed and vaccinated (the local Kittitas County Friends of Animals will pay all but $10 of the costs). Now we have to capture her (and hopefully the two from last summer as well. John’s done a lot of outside working including pruning two apple trees. These were planted when the house was built (not us) and may have died back to a grafted root. They have not produced much fruit and mostly have been ignored. John pruned them severely last year and then a more standard version this week. We don’t need them as we live in one of the World’s best apple regions. Apples are plentiful and either cheap or free for the picking. At the following site, put your cursor over the apple type to read about it:
http://www.bestapples.com/varieties/index.aspx
In an apple orchard there is a need for a different sort of apple for cross-pollination. These are sometimes crab apples and not harvested but in the spring when the orchard is in bloom the contrasting colors tell of careful planning:
The following link explains how an apple orchard has to be configured for commercial production. And may also explain why our trees have failed in their mission.
http://www.fruit-trees.org/pages/apple-trees/apple-pollination.php
So, back now to my tax things. I have been communicating with former professor friends to see how they handle their professional expenses, once retired.
Tuesday, Apr 24 Started with a fasting blood draw and 1.5 hours of my time to drive to town, and wait to have 5 vials taken. I will be anemic !. Home to eat 1/2 each of a blackberry and cherry Danish pastry. Back to town (with John) for lunch and a Massage at 2:30, and he went shopping during that time. My shoulders were really worked over today and it relieved pain and gave me more range of motion. I went in the evening to hear Jazz violinist, Christian Howes, free at the university, picking up my 86-yr. old friend Lois (who has macular degeneration, but loves to go to events, anytime). We enjoyed ourselves immensely, but we were embarrassed at the turnout of community or CWU folks. He played solo for the first 20 minutes or so, and then a group of students came and joined him on stage, as a Jazz Combo. There was an awesome bass fiddler (who also later played a bass guitar), a fantastic drummer, a cool (and small) young man on guitar, and a young woman pianist. They only had an hour together practicing in the afternoon. It was simply amazing the improvisation and the music they delivered (with no music score). Christian Howes was the star performer and commentator. He played an electric violin, including classical music (Bach) — in his style, and of other composers. He would record a background beat, then a channel on the fiddle, and then would play them both back, while he coordinated, sometimes harmonizing with the previously recorded music. It was amazing and well done. He is really talented. He mostly played jazz, but included rock (such as the Beatles’ “Yesterday”), and he also does gospel, but didn’t tonight. He came out in the front to speak to people on their way out. I signed up on his email list, and he also had CDs for sale for $15, but as I stood there, he looked up at two students, saying, “special price to the students of $10.” I left and went to my car, picked up a $20 bill and went back. I asked if he had another CD, and he reached down in his backpack, and produced one. I jokingly said, “I was your student tonight.” Would you please give me the student price on these two? Yes, he would. So, I have “Heartfelt” and “Out of the Blue”. Here are some links to follow to his talents; be sure to listen to the videos. Now his hair is shorter, but I recognized him when I walked in the entrance to the concert hall, as he was taking flyers out for the entrance table. He thanked us for coming, and I thanked him for coming to entertain us. I think it surprised him that I knew who he was.
http://www.resonancerecords.org/release.php?cat=RCD-1016
Here is the best — A bunch of YouTube videos:
www.youtube.com/christianhowestube
One of them is a little girl (Camille) playing a conventional violin melody of Pachelbel’s Kanon with Chris doing a backup accompaniment on chords.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmlnlfFtRxg&feature=autoplay&list=UU8F8hYmxpH3MvxCOb57wfbA&playnext=1
There are many more videos on a number of interesting topics to check out on the YouTube link.
Wednesday, Apr 25 Interesting day. I visited the kittens both in the morning and afternoon. Went to play music at the Soup Kitchen, Food Bank, and were video-taped while the two of us played and sang, “Five Foot Two.” We had a large lunch—the menu included: Large meatballs in a great sauce, served over a half of a hoagie roll, green bean/tomato/corn salad, slaw with dressing, and a fruit salad. On our way out, Evelyn and I went out the back door through the bread room, where they encourage us to take lots of bread. I found 5 loaves of my favorite English Muffin bread from Super One. Twenty years ago it sold for 88¢ and now it is 198¢, so we only buy it on sale – a good sale. Last week they had a special for $1.78; but that’s only a 10% discount. Not good enough. Apparently, that was the case for others as well, and they must have made too much. They gave it to the Food Bank. One’s date was April 24, and the others were the 25th and 26th. We will start with the oldest and freeze the rest. Boy, that was good pay for our music, plus we got a meal too. Then I went on to my exercise class, and from there, on home to play with the kitties. I spent time on the phone with a lady who wants 3 males. She had searched all over town for orange kitties, and my neighbor told her we had several. Go figure. Dinner was steak, potatoes and gravy. Then raspberries and a chocolate donut for dessert with a little ice cream for me and more for John.
Thursday, Apr 26. I went to town for music at Hearthstone, and John stayed home to work on fence posts and gate moving. He checked on the kitties early morning and they were up on the bales of hay. We went out in the afternoon, and two were way over on the top of straw bales. We moved them down as it was kind of cold. The other 3 were over in their nest. They played awhile and went to potty in the hay on the floor. Guess we need to take them a litter box. John went back out right before dark, and 4 of them were two bales up, and the other was sitting on the lower bale, looking at John. He put them all back in their nest and we hope they stay there to keep each other warm. It is supposed to be cold tonight. A heavy wind was blowing all day, highest gusts were 44 mph, and it made things really cold, even with the sunshine. John fixed us a nice dinner: pork roast with gravy and onions, peaches, and brown sugar-candied (marshmallow) yams.
Friday, Apr 27 Today started with a trip to school for a scholarship luncheon at the SURC (Student Union Recreation Center), and the parking lot was full. Most people were there for a state competition for music ensembles. We had salad and Foccia bread with interesting toppings, and brownies and lemon bars for dessert. All came from an expensive bakery in town, called Vinman’s. I went on to my exercise class and then home to relax before seeing and playing with the kitties. The lady who is going to take 3 of the males came for a visit and was impressed and definitely will be giving them a home, possibly as early as next week, which we figure is their 6th week. I took a couple of pictures and two videos and put them on YouTube. I made a web page today and here’s the link: http://www.elixant.com/~nancyh/OrangeKittiesNaneumFan.html
Saturday, Apr 28 John’s going to cut up a couple of trees in our neighbor’s hay field. Beavers cut them off and carried away the parts they wanted. There ought to be a law of nature: Cut all you want – take away all you cut. No such luck – they leave the biggest and heaviest portions. For me — nothing planned for today or this weekend, except a friend who wants one of the kittens is coming Sunday afternoon. She spoke first so gets to pick. We made a deal. Pick one, get one free. Oh, wait. The first is free too. I don’t know how anyone could choose. They all are sweet and friendly, like being held and petted, play with each other, eat, drink, climb hay bales, and tussle with their siblings on the square of rug they now have. This morning we added a litter box to their barn area, that increasingly they are climbing out of. So we have homes for all five. Now to keep from having additional cats, we have to capture momma and the 2 yearlings, Woody and Little Sioux. I picked up 2 ‘live-traps’ from a local group and they will help with or arrange for things after that. They take local unwanted cats to a neuter/spay clinic on the west side (aka the Seattle area). Had we not found homes for the little ones they were going to take the kittiens to a west side no-kill shelter and find homes for them. I just hope we can capture the three adults. They will take care of all vet care and a rabies vaccination. Our one bill for Rascal was $99 in 2010, and there was an earlier visit to the vet and the charges I no longer remember.
Hope your week was a good one.
Nancy and John
still on the Naneum Fan