Category: Weekly report by day

Saturday, Aug 15

For Aug 14 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 3 min with AHI=0.00 Events: none. No major mask leaks (max=7 L/min). Oximeter on 7 hrs 17 min AHI = 0.00

Finished and published the blog, and John picked tomatoes and squash. Now I need to get those delivered, ’cause tis more than we can use.

Our temperatures only made it to 73° today; wind gusts to 40 mph. At least it cleaned the smoke from the valley.

I made it to town by way of one of our players’ front porch to pick up music for another player she had carried for me on Thursday when I thought I might not make it (as I didn’t). On to Briarwood and went in to set up. We had a couple of guitars, a fiddle, a tambourine, and a small, but appreciative audience, who fed us some excellent desserts afterwards.

On my way home, I drove by a house 5 miles east of us to pick up a nice flat pillow to replace my worn-out one; actually, I have alternated pillows to keep my neck pain at a minimum. It’s only apparent when I somehow change my positioning while always sleeping on my back. (I know the danged CPAP machine with facemask and tubing causes the discomfort; so, luckily it is sporadic.). While I was picking up the pillow, I shared some of our garden goodies, partially pictured and described below. In addition, while I was there talking with her dad, she reached around and said, “Can you use this carrier? It is a super neat carry-on type bag, which I might have made good use of when I was traveling by air to conferences and reunions. Now, however, I have quit flying, but I carry around much music paraphernalia weekly to places in town. I mentioned that it would be perfect for that use. The tote is a classy, REXFORD Ricardo Beverly Hills brand, with a zippered side pocket, a good carrying handle, and a nice shoulder strap. I am all set. I checked online and found it is a black, Montecito 16” Boarding Bag, retailing for $80, yet on sale for $40. Wow, what a nice gift, of which I shall make good use.

Our garden delights I shared consisted of yellow straight-neck summer squash, which they grilled that night with their steak dinner. Accompanying that dinner was the described uses of the tomatoes we shared. Below is her thank-you note posted on the Buy Nothing Ellensburg (BNE) site:
Thank you, Nancy! Your Earlygirls are yummy in my bruchetta…and the cherry and pear tomatoes on top of a cracker with fresh goat cheese from the farmer’s market…yum yum again! I love fresh produce! I will probably dream of you tonight!

My collage follows with the description beneath it.

Above, please enjoy Tanya’s presentation of our tomatoes (Early Girl on top), cherry and pear tomatoes on bottom. Not pictured are the Sun Gold ones. Then we have the pillow in the middle and the fancy carrier tote on the right.

Sunday, Aug 16

For Aug 15 CPAP. Reported figures. 5 hrs 51 min with AHI=1.88 Events: 11 H, 1CSR. No major mask leaks (max=16 L/min).

Winds have ceased to nothing. Nothing to report today. We both worked a little and rested a lot.

Monday, Aug 17

For Aug 16 CPAP. Reported figures. 5 hrs 51 min with AHI=2.19. Events: 13 H, 3CSR, 3 PP. No major mask leaks (max=16 L/min); oximeter on 7 hrs 20 min; no other details.

At 11:16 last night my computer was on hibernate and experienced an unexpected shut down. Getting it going again has been a multi-hour project. John is feeling better today and put in a few hours outside working. One project unplanned for was charging the battery in a truck, which has not be started for several weeks. All the little drains make a difference.

Tuesday, Aug 18

For Aug 17 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 44 min with AHI=3.42 (AN ALL TIME HIGH). Events: 4 CSR, 23 H. No major mask leaks (max=13 L/min); oximeter on 7 hrs 7 min, AHI = 3.23. That is my worst, since Oct 2014. The stop in CPAP at 4:00 a.m. was to pick up poop in the hallway by oldest dog. She’s gotten better or I have about her getting out the door before such happens.

John was out for a long while (moving slowly) with horse and garden chores.

I was inside working on music and household chores, and then left for Jazzercise at 1:25.

Wednesday, Aug 19

For Aug 18 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 1min with AHI=1.00 Events: 6 H. No major mask leaks (max=13 L/min); no oximeter data available. Connector cord has stopped working again. I’m not looking forward to the cost of packing and sending to Illinois again. I don’t know that they would replace it a 2nd time, in a year. We’ll see.

Off to food bank, played music, and ate. Back from there to Bi-Mart for my replacement watch for the Casio that died. I now have an Armitron. Have to learn how to set it, but it is smoother to operate than the Casio. The Armitron is priced $5 more. So I had to pay that additional cost and they credited me with the entire price of the old one. From there, I went to SAIL for exercise, and picked up a cherry muffin and two cookies for dessert or breakfast. I went by the house of a new acquaintance from the Buy Nothing Ellensburg (BNE) group, named Kathryn. She had a dozen pears to share, and I shared some yellow squash and tomatoes, and carried her a large black garbage bag full of blouses and pants I was given or I no longer wear because of size or selection preference. This is for the 9/1 BNE clothing share. I have much more to comb through, including going through John’s stuff. Time-consuming because we also have to wash them.

Thursday, Aug 20

For Aug 19 CPAP. Reported figures 6 hrs 51 min with AHI=0.44 Events: 2 H, 1 CA, 1 PP. No major mask leaks (max=6 L/min); oximeter not on.

Success !!! with many things in town today.

We visited today with friends from Michigan, Fred and Ann Joyal, whom we met in Iowa in the early 70s. They see us annually because his step-mom and other relatives are near Spokane. They helped us move across country in 1974 to Idaho. We started with an early long lunch, and visited afterwards until I had to go play music at the Brookdale Assisted Living home. They and John came along for the fun, and then we bid them adieu for their trip back to Spokane. We felt guilty for the long travel time they had to do, but we surely enjoyed our visit. We had a huge lunch at the all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet at the Golden Dragon. The place was filled, a testimony to the excellent food presented. {click image for big one}

From there John and I went to the grocery and on by CWU geography to pick up some donated clothes for the upcoming Buy Nothing Ellensburg clothing share (on my birthday).

We didn’t get home until 4:00 and our old dog had taken himself outside but could not get back in the ramp and was waiting (in the shade) on the back patio, but panting heavily. I felt really bad for him, knowing the a/c was on in the house with the other two dogs, who can come and go on their own power. His eyesight and general health are on a cusp, or something. Sometimes he will come in the ramp on his own and other times he seems to forget that he can. Oh well – he survived. John was extremely tired from his long day and took a nap for a couple hours. I should have done the same, but did not.
Tomorrow he plans to take a truckload to the transfer station (the dump). That never happened, because his illness flared again.

Friday, Aug 21

For Aug 20 CPAP. Reported figures. 5 hrs 34 min with AHI=0.72 Events: 4 H, 2 CSR. No major mask leaks (max=13 L/min); oximeter off; I cannot extract data so there’s no sense in submitting myself to the annoyance of moving from finger to finger throughout the night.

John picked a bunch of squash. Winds blew all night, topping at 45 mph gusts, and still are blowing. I’ve been busy on the computer and switching chores around the house. We talked to our family physician this afternoon (phone). He was checking in with John. He told us to call if he didn’t get better because he was on call for the weekend.

Now John’s out picking strawberries, which I will fix when he returns (I didn’t). We still have some angel food cake left to have them on for dessert tonight. (We never did).

Then, we had a nice phone call from Richard, John’s brother, in San Jose’, CA,. He was concerned about the fires in north central WA and how close they might be to us. Thanks to all our friends across the U.S., who have been checking in. We are away from the activity, but have friends very close and have other friends whose families have been affected. A couple of days ago the number of houses lost in the Chelan area fires was 75, and while most of the fire is burning in inaccessible terrain where people do not live, it also threatens many buildings and houses in places that are not “firewise”. We’ve mentioned “firewise” before, but here is a [link].
We are working on making our space more defensible – it is slow going. We did get a new road laid out and that also made a break in the trees. There are several more to cut down but it is progress.

Today’s grab from Google Earth shows the severity of the extent of the fires around 2 small Washington towns, Tonasket and Omak.

Here’s a link to a broader based map with some photos embedded and videos. [link].

Saturday, Aug 22

For Aug 21 CPAP. Reported figures. 5 hrs 36 min with AHI=0.36 Events: 2 H, 1 CSR. No major mask leaks (max=18 L/min); oximeter not on.

A clever photograph of a local landmark in Zillah, WA came in this morning on our friends’ Facebook account for their winery, Paradisos del Sol. We used to take our class there for a field trip each summer. Barbara Sherman held her hand up and made this photo. The old gas station was previously on an old highway by-passed by Interstate-82, and a couple of years ago, the building was moved to the main street of Zillah, and now operates as a tourist information center.

If you are into history, look here: [Teapot link]

Fires report: A check of the new fires shows a smaller amount near Tonasket, WA. We have smoke in our valley that arrived last evening, and our winds subsided. That may be from increased activity in the woodlands and hills SW of Lake Chelan.

I worked a little on the jobs list I moderate and sent 7 job announcements around the U.S. Last night I delivered another 7, but several of those were multiple listings of GIS jobs in several states. Not all the job announcements are GIS related, but vary all over the disciplines, from biology, earth and environmental science, to forest service, fish & wildlife, parks and recreation, fire fighting, National Parks jobs, geology, geography, and computer science and even Google & Expedia.

I’ve been working on the blog with hopes of publishing today, if John is up to helping edit and get it on WordPress. {Not a chance!}

Our valley is filling with smoke, and our visibility has been down to 4 miles for the past several hours.

About 3:00 p.m., I decided to call the pharmacy to see when they closed, and if there was a refill on the nausea prescription John was given over a week ago. There was not. I called our doctor and was able to speak with him. He said he would call in the prescription (now with refills) and encouraged John to stay hydrated, and if he was not better by Monday, to come back to see him in the office. We hope the results of the culture are back by then to see if it is a known virus, or what.

On my way in, I could barely see the hills on the south side of the valley, from 10 miles away (on Brick Mill Road); I could not see the hills north (behind us) from the same location, which is only 6.5 miles from the hills. See below.

Left is looking south toward a relatively high ridge (Manastash), almost impossible to see today. It is about 10 miles away. The right is looking toward the hills to the north, only 6.5 miles away, but hidden by the layer of smoke. One benefit of the smoke is to make the bees and yellow jackets more docile and, also, scarce. Why this happens seems to be an ongoing debate among bee folks.

On the way home via Bar 14 road, I could barely see the northern hills from about 4.5 miles away, behind the dead tree that (to me) resembles a horse or a horse’s head. I have taken photos of it before, with the hills visible, one of which amazingly I found! The one on the right below was taken 8/3/2012. Today’s shot is on the left. Weathering over the past 3 years is evident.

We’ve had more intense smoke but this is beginning to get a bit thicker, hour by hour. Early morning sunlight is giving everything a reddish cast. Our wind is expected to blow this out by mid-day Monday. John’s voice has been a little husky – illness or smoke, we don’t know. If the smoke goes, we’ll find out. Or maybe not. He is, again, beginning to feel better.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Saturday, Aug 8

For Aug 7 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 23 min with AHI=1.76 Events: 13 H, 1 CSR. No major mask leaks (max=21 L/min).

Finished and published the blog.

Temperatures made it to 91° today.

Sunday, Aug 9

For Aug 8 CPAP. Reported figures. 5 hrs 1 min with AHI=1.99. Events: 8 H, 1 CA, 1 CSR, 1 OA. No major mask leaks (max=13 L/min); oximeter on 8 hrs 20 min AHI = 1.20

Morning found us picking little tomatoes (cherry, sun gold, and yellow pear) to share with neighbors. I went alone to two neighbors while John met a friend at our gate who was delivering two large containers for tight storage away from insects and mice. Thanks, Glenn E., for retrieving them for us from a Buy Nothing site member, and especially for driving them out to our gate! They are heavy cardboard with latchable tops, and quite old (~1980s?).

John was not feeling good all day, and got his gastrointestinal symptoms back. This is not good.

I tried working on cleanup/sorting/recycling and got very little done. About 4:00 p.m., I decided I should install the download of the new Windows 10. Five hours later, I stopped it, because all it was saying was WORKING ON IT and spinning a white dot in a circle within a fancy new Windows graphic. When John did his download and install, just a few minutes along brought a screen indicating percentages of 3 processes accumulating amounts done. My download never got that far.

Finally, about 5:30, I drove 4 miles to another rural neighbor to deliver a viola for a loan to her 12-year-old grandson, who lives with her. Unfortunately, it was not large enough for him. I took along some yellow squash and tomatoes and she gave me some BNE stuff she had picked up for me, and gave me a popcorn popper for the microwave. Now I have to buy an Orville Redenbacher bottom plate to make it pop better and not stick. Only thing wrong is to get one I have to go to Fred Meyer. I never enjoy going there.

Saw (without my camera) 4 very large antlered bucks a couple miles down the road from us. One doe was with them. Guess I need to carry my camera, especially when out in the evening; although the sun was behind them and I might not have been able to get a good photo anyway. I could have gotten one of the ones on the east of the road. Our hay shed buck just has a spike on one side and a short split on the other. He’d rank last on the status chart if he traveled with the group I just saw – they have been there for months now, in that area.

Both feral cats came home for tonight’s feeding. Wasps (yellow jackets) are a problem, seemingly knowing when to appear. Real cold (it hasn’t been) or near dark are best times to avoid them. It is helpful that daylight is not so long now, and that will get shorter-faster as this month ends.

Monday, Aug 10

For Aug 9 CPAP. Reported figures. 4 hrs 20 min with AHI=0.00 Events: 0 H. No major mask leaks (max=14 L/min); oximeter on 6 hrs 11 min AHI = 0.00

Neither of us is feeling energetic. I have done a few things, more so than yesterday. Cleaning dishes, clothes, some stuff on the computer and in the den. Much more to go though.

Trying to go to bed early tonight for an early rise.

Tonight we had 3 ferals come in for dinner! We waited until dark, or nearly so, to avoid the wasps. Problem is the cats’ timing hasn’t reset from when it was cooler and the wasps weren’t so numerous and aggressive.

Tuesday, Aug 11

For Aug 10 CPAP. Reported figures. 4 hrs 40 min with AHI=0.43 Events: 2 H. No major mask leaks (max=9 L/min); oximeter on 7 hrs 34 min AHI = 0.26

Nicole Linares (BNE site member, but granddaughter of one of my buddies at the Senior Center), met me at Hearthstone today to receive the Frosty Snowman and Rudolph stocking pictured in last week’s blog. I gave her some squash too.
Gave one to Macinkos. We had a good meeting of the retired geographers and were done at 10:15 a.m. I was happy to be able to deliver to Ken Hammond, a planning document for Grant County (east of us), written in 1970, that I found in my paperwork clean-up. It was a nice bound document with pictures. He did not have a copy of it and was thrilled. His son, Stuart, a hydro engineering supervisor works at Wanapum Dam – a Grant county project. That’s the dam on the Columbia River that sustained a serious crack last year, requiring lowering the reservoir level to remove pressure and fix it. That lowering seriously affected the recreation access use above the dam, quite a ways upstream, but the good news is they fixed it under budget in a timely manner.

I came home for lunch and then went back to town for my meds, and on to Jazzercise. I tried taking it easier than last week but it still was a lot of exercise for 50 minutes. I took in 4 squash and gave each to different folks there. From there to the bank, and on by our dentist for leaving five more nice squash for the staff. They await and appreciate our contributions every summer.

Now just back with less than an hour before leaving for the 5:00 p.m. BBQ at Royal Vista, Fête #1, held to say thanks to the volunteers and families of and some of the residents. John did not feel up to going along with me. That was a great meal and good chance meeting with our family physician.

Our family physician, since 1988, is Dr. Paul Schmitt, in Cle Elum. He was there being honored as having been the Medical Physician in charge of the facility since 1975. I said hi, and he asked where John was. I told him, and he said, “Get him up to see me.” Thank God for the chance meeting. I was there because of 3 different groups I sing/play with over the years at the facility. We were invited to say thanks for our volunteer service.

Here is a photo of my longtime (since the early 2000s) friend and former student, Glenn Engels, who attended with his mom, who is also a recent member of our music group, Kittitas Valley Fiddlers & Friends, which has entertained there since the 1950s. They are closing the assisted living facility after 65 years of service to the community. The building would require too much money to renovate it to proper standards.

Glenn took this photo as a selfie, on his cell phone. It was terribly hot, over 100, and tables were placed on an asphalt parking lot, but we managed to pull ours over into the small amount of shade of the building (only available for two tables). The food was fantastic, catered with salads (fruit was the best), tri-tip, chicken, sausage and the normal hamburgers and hot dogs (I only had the first 3). For dessert, we had a quality locally made ice cream by Winegar’s, a previous dairy on the northwest side of town, whose land is now filled with large houses in subdivided pastureland. It was still operational for many years after I arrived in town, and a few students in my Economic Geography class did term projects on the operation. Over the years, starting in 1988, I was able to learn a lot about the industries, businesses, and agricultural products of our valley and across WA State. Teaching it annually to 25 people until 2006, when someone else took it over, was a rewarding and educational experience.

Wednesday, Aug 12

For Aug 11 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 30 min with AHI=0.15 Events: 1 H. No major mask leaks (max=17 L/min).

Called at opening, 8:30 a.m., Dr. Schmitt’s office, knowing he does not work on Wednesdays, but made an appt. for John tomorrow at 10:15.

Today is Food Bank Soup Kitchen. It was a sad but special day. We learned that one of our clients who loved singing along, had died of lung cancer. The director asked if we would dedicate a few songs to his memory. We did the whole program of his favorites and appropriate songs, ending with I’ll Fly Away. We sang Amazing Grace, You are My Sunshine, He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands, Do Lord, and others for ½ hour. Many people applauded and joined in singing, and told us how much it meant to them today. It was 103° when I left the building, on my way to SAIL. I stopped off at the P.O. and the bank. The bank was to deliver squash to our favorite banker. It was too hot to get gasoline in my car. By almost 3:00, we reached the high of 105° today. I will have 35 minutes between ending music tomorrow (assuming I get back in time), and going to a 4:00 meeting regarding my experiences at the local hospital. Is this what’s called a focus group?

Thursday, Aug 13

For Aug 12 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 50 min with AHI=0.29 Events: 2 H. No major mask leaks (max=16 L/min); oximeter on 7 hrs 30 min AHI = 0.27

We are seeing Dr. Schmitt today, although John is feeling better. Tomorrow will be 2 weeks John has been sick. Although at the middle of last week he felt better for a day – and then got worse. He did not eat for about 30 hours and then started with a tin of pears – ate a piece and waited awhile. Repeat. After the consultation Dr. Schmitt said he thought John would live. Doc gave us a kit to collect a stool sample, but – not eating = no stool – so we discussed the best sorts of foods to start with and those to avoid. He had us get a 2-day supply of Ondansetron (Zofran) [reduces nausea and vomiting]. John ate a few simple things and not much of those. We got a few bananas and oranges at the store. Looking forward to tomorrow and more regular food. [Weight: we don’t know what he weighed when he got sick. Last September’s weigh-in and today’s indicated a drop of 18 pounds. He claims all the WTA trail work might have lightened him some.]

Today the fiddlers and friends played at Rehab; several people from Royal Vista have already been relocated there. I did not make it because I went with John and then back to EBRG and the grocery store and pharmacy. The timing of things today seemed just too tight and I told others of the players that I might not be able to come.
Then late afternoon, 4:00 to 5:40, I participated in a forum with 11 others about our local hospital’s perception from community members. It was an interesting experience. My favorable experiences were in contrast to a few of the people at our table. The consulting team provided refreshments and an honorarium of $25 cash at the end of the 1.5 hr discussion. Around the table, I knew five participants.

On the way home, I filled my car with gasoline for the least I have paid in awhile, $2.739 / gallon. It was 102°, but thankfully I had shade. I was ready for the temperatures to go down Friday. I also was able to go by our pharmacy and pick up John’s prescription. It was first sent to the wrong pharmacy. No clue why. We have never gone to that pharmacy in town.

Friday, Aug 14

For Aug 13 CPAP. Reported figures. 4 hrs 6 min with AHI=0.24 Events: 1 H, 1 CSR. No major mask leaks (max=13 L/min); oximeter on 4 hrs 52 min AHI = 0.21

Wow, the winds in the past 4 hours have gusted to 31, 40, 45, 48, and topped at 49 mph at 2:00 p.m., and then for the next 4 hours, at 45, 41, 41, and 44. Whoa, Nellie. Glad I am not out in it. All the flying matter and trees blowing puzzled our two resident deer. They were in the parking area just outside our front yard and watched. The sounds were diverse and quite loud too. Trees battled with the wind and won. A cardboard box lost and ended far out in the pasture. The sun guard on the back patio window lost the battle too, but later, John reinforced it and it is still standing Saturday morning (when the wind has resumed).

The Puget Sound area had 650 lightning strikes today. Thunderstorm activity was predicted here. I hope not. With this winds and dryness, we are in a serious fire danger zone. Nothing much happened locally, and we had only a few drizzles of rainfall. The winds stopped before 10:00 p.m.
Fête #2: When John thought he was getting well he brought chicken (boneless thighs) from the freezer to the refrigerator. It took about 3 days to thaw but has now been there long enough. He baked it with a bed and covering of onions. He sliced a yellow squash and breaded (with egged pancake mix) and fried that. We also had red seedless grapes. He’s going to have about 2/3 s of a normal meal (for him).

Saturday, Aug 15

For Aug 14 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 3 min with AHI=0.00 Events: none. No major mask leaks (max=7 L/min)

John made it through the night in fine shape. Today I go to Briarwood and will deliver more squash and tomatoes. This is the venue (Fête #3) who feed us afterwards.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Saturday, Aug 1

For July 31 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 16 min with AHI=1.60 Events: 10 H, 2 CSR. No major mask leaks (max=6 L/min); oximeter on, 7 hrs 5 min, AHI = 1.41

Stayed inside because of the heat, after the morning chores already mentioned at the end of last week’s blog.

Finished and published the blog.

After the temperature went down, I retrieved my gifts at the road, gave some squash to another neighbor and got a dozen eggs in return, and took two pie pans with 7 fresh peaches each to neighbors visiting from Omak. We visited in their parents’ front yard for a good time, until I left and was stung by a bee. It’s still not well, 11 hours later. (It took 3 days to stop hurting, itching, and to completely go down on its swelling, even with the use of ice.)

After retrieving my gifts, I checked them out. The most interesting gift is 2 pieces of vintage brown glass cooking ware, VISIONS by Corningware. If anyone has that and cooks with it, please let me know. The person giving it says she always used the stove top, and never in the oven, nor would she suggest using in a microwave. I have found other descriptions online (all videos are with gas flamed burners) and also prices for the glassware replacements. For the 2.5 quart saucepan I got without a lid, the cost with lid online is $99; a little 7” skillet with a top as I got is available for $42. I need to find out if electric burners can be used. One FAQ site says yes.
Also in the mix of gifts were a couple of knitted hats and a CD holder, plastic sleeves, in a large zipped binder.
High for the day at the airport, 105°, not to my liking.

Sunday, Aug 2

For Aug 1 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 5 min with AHI=0.16 Events: 1 H, 2 CSR. No major mask leaks (max=7 L/min); oximeter on, 9 hrs, 41 min, AHI=.10

101° at the airport just before 3:00; was high for the day.
I had an interesting Facebook message from a fellow (John Mutch) in Boise, ID. He sent it back on July 6, this year, but because he is not my Facebook “friend,” it went into my “other” message box (where I typically do not check). I went there to check on a msg I expected from the Buy Nothing site, and found this:

Hello–I am a collector of Idaho tokens, and researcher of the histories of the businesses that used them. One token I recently obtained was from the Computer Junction in Troy, Idaho. Inquiring with Dorothy Anderson, Troy historian, she recalled that this business was set up by John and Nancy Hultquist. Was that you? If so, I’d like to ask a few questions. I’m in Boise and my e-mail is tokens@gmail.com Thanks!

See tomorrow for more on this story.

Tonight we had a visit from our pole barn resident deer that have made their home there. Our front gate was left open and they came in to nibble on the base of the Mountain Ash tree’s foliage.

Monday, Aug 3

For Aug 2 CPAP. Reported figures. 5 hrs 52 min with AHI=1.36 Events: 6 H, 1 OA & 1 CA. No major mask leaks (max=15 L/min); oximeter on 6 hrs, 6 min, AHI=1.31

John was very sick last night, but maybe we have a handle on it. Need to keep him hydrated, get some food in him, and get his energy level back up. We do not know what germ or bad food we had. It hit him harder than me. He is sticking with soft food and no fiber.

The interesting contact from our past last night sent an an email this morning with pictures.

A fellow from Boise, ID found my name on Facebook and asked if he had the right persons who used to own a business in Troy, ID called Computer Junction. Yep, that was us. He is a token collector and obtained it from and old resident of Troy.

I have worked on compiling information for our friends on rental connections here in town. I used a Facebook site named Community Connect, Kittitas County. People responded with known rentals or people who would be good contacts. The couple returns next Wednesday to check on several I found.

I dealt with the medical supply place in Yakima that provides my CPAP supplies and they will send my 3-month supply of filters, mask, & tubing. Now getting ready to get off the computer and hit some of the stacks of boxes in the den. It is such a very slow process, but I need to speed it up to get ready and make room for the installation of our new wood stove.

Oh, I just arranged to pick up more fresh nectarines free from the gal in town, tomorrow. I plan to take them to the potluck going away for the teens from Minsk, Belarus (remember Chernobyl ?) who have been visiting Ellensburg for 5 weeks (health, education, and social functions).

Tuesday, Aug 4

For Aug 3 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 22 min with AHI=0.31 Events: 2 H. No major mask leaks (max=8 L/min); oximeter on, 6 hrs, 39 min, AHI=.30

I worked on all sorts of things before leaving for town at 12:45. First, by 3rd street alley to pick up a large bag of nectarines and cherries and to leave yellow straight neck summer squash. From there to the lab at the hospital required for my INR reading because of taking Coumadin. My reading I learned late afternoon was 2.3. From there on to Seattle Ave, conveniently across from the hospital to pick up my 36-cup coffee brewer and 2 containers for coffee. Those two belonged to my rural neighbor a couple miles away. We had loaned them to a gal for her mom’s 70th birthday party. I dropped off the two on my way home. After getting them, I went to the AAC for Jazzercise. It is the first meeting of the month, so our $2 fee was due and we changed exercises to a new set. I was a little tired but managed to get through the 50 minutes. I left squash at all my stops today – seems to be a good year for them. Two other stops on the way home happened, both in the same neighborhood NE of Ellensburg. I had picked up some old oval picture frames from the free table at the AAC and gave them (with squash) to a family north of the university. Once home, I cleaned up today’s nectarines, and fixed about 27 to take to the party in a big “Northwest” fruit box. They were very much appreciated, and many people took some home. Quite a few were left because of the abundance of food, but all were distributed before I drove home.

I carried along a large package of big heavy-duty paper plates, and there were a bunch left, but the tables were cleaned off before I got ready to leave, and they were no longer in sight. I have to retrieve them for our party box.

As I left the party the western sky was putting on a show – changing fast. I cursed myself for not having a camera along. John, while feeding horses, noticed the clouds and ran (Ha !) to the house and got back out in time to catch the rapidly changing view. He stitched 2 of the stills into a panorama using Windows Live Photo Gallery. Behold:

Wednesday, Aug 5

For Aug 4 CPAP. Reported figures. 5 hrs 15 min with AHI=0.19 Events: 1 H, 1 CSR. No major mask leaks (max=12 L/min); oximeter on, 5 hrs, 28 min, AHI=.18

Worked on several projects this morning, including helping John pick squash and tomatoes. Left at 11:00 to go to the Food Bank. I dropped off squash for several more people today.

Unfortunately, I missed connections with a BN person, so postponed until next Tuesday morning to give her a special treat for her 8 year old daughter’s August 27 birthday. She will put the plastic snowman on the left into the frosting of her special cake. I’ll have to wait to hear what she does with the little stocking. It’s only as large as the stretch of my hand. The little girl requested a Frosty the Snowman party.

On my way home, I succeeded in delivering two old picture frames to a gal along with some squash for her family. It was a challenge because the address of the apartment complex was not visible on a sign along 18th street. Luckily, I had looked it up on Google Earth and knew the approximate location, and I had the apartment #.

Late afternoon, I was sought as a participant in a group survey of my experiences with the Kittitas Valley Hospital. It will occur next Thursday. That will be interesting. I decided to join the 1.5 hr discussion. Supposedly, I will receive a small monetary compensation for my time and they will have refreshments to keep us hydrated.

John convinced me to go stand in front of one of our blue spruce trees to model a shirt and hat available through WTA. Funny, I had worn another lighter blue one today, he obtained on the celebration of 20 years of WTA trail work (2013). This one is less busy artistically. The WTA logo has a mountain background with trees and the white broad swirl for a trail. This one has the motto “WTA Volunteers to the Rescue.”

Thursday, Aug 6

For Aug 5 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 28 min with AHI=0.31 Events: 1 H, 2 CSR. No major mask leaks (max=9 L/min); oximeter on 6 hrs, 50 min, AHI=.29

Today was the last day we will be playing music at Royal Vista Nursing Home. The company is closing this facility after 65 years. The building is out of date and unfit-for-purpose. Clients are being moved to another EBRG facility or elsewhere. Some people are upset but we wonder if they live in houses that are over 65 years old? We don’t. Rooms at Royal Vista are small, do not have toilets, and therefore, it was a trip down the hall to a shared bathroom.
Back to this Thursday. We had 7 players there, and a cheering couple from Cle Elum, visiting her sister, and singing along. They had a couple of requests. We were able to play Blue Skirt Waltz for the lady, and I asked her husband for his favorite. He said he loved them all, especially church hymns because he grew up hearing his mother play them on an organ in church. So I asked her sister (the resident – there for her memory problems), her favorite old song. She said she couldn’t remember. The husband said, well, she’d probably like, The Old Rugged Cross. Gerald started playing it, Charlie joined in, and I played and sang the lyrics. When we got to the chorus, the older sister started singing along and sang every word. That put her younger sister in tears. She came up to me afterwards and thanked me and said how amazed she was. I told her we see that often, and I was not surprised. That’s one of the rewarding parts of taking music to the old folks in assisted living homes.
I was supposed to loan my Hawaiian shirt to a family for their son to go to Youth Life camp, but we didn’t make connections. I think I will take a nap and then maybe the phone will ring. I slept for almost 2 hours and got a message that she had to pick up her son, and thought she would be too late. Meanwhile her father found a shirt made by her mother 45 yrs ago, it fits the son fine, and he won’t need to borrow mine.
I got very hot playing there today, and the trip was hot as well. I came home to an icy treat by John, with Strawberry soda and pineapple /orange / raspberry sherbet.

We had a late dinner, including some of our own garden potatoes, volunteered from last year and some yellow squash. John is much, much better, and eating and working again, or partly. We managed to print a picture of our 89 yr old neighbor on a Harley with her physical therapist for her son to frame and take to her tomorrow. She’s in the hospital in Yakima to have a pacemaker implanted.

Friday, Aug 7

For Aug 6 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 7 min with AHI=0.98 Events: 6 H, 3 CSR, 1 OA. No major mask leaks (max=21 L/min); oximeter on whole time.

John’s young helper did not show this morning, so he unloaded the rocks he loaded from the front of the driveway yesterday. Then he loaded 15 gallons of sand from the round pen and spread by our front gate so it’s easier to walk-about there to open the gate. I’m happy for the better footing for that chore, when we leave or come back home. He’s fixed a great omelet-like concoction for brunch, with eggs, cheese, red pepper, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, and chopped roast beef. I put some fresh salsa on mine. We had a piece of toast and red grapes with it. Nice. Now he’s napping and I’m delving into a mess of papers.

We had an interesting dinner of salmon (Icicle Creek), with dried plums from our tree, asparagus pieces (also ours), and pineapple (Thailand). John doesn’t like for me to put in meal pictures, but this is worth showing. Not much asparagus is on my plate because it is high in Vitamin K, and these were frozen stem pieces he had intended for a stew.

While his dinner was cooking the last minutes, he looked at his computer and Windows 10 was ready to download. He’s doing it now. It installed without need of input from him in less than ½ hour. The next steps took about 20 minutes. I thought that amazing, having heard from others about their experience. He claims the newer system he has is the reason, and that I won’t likely be as happy. He wanted to stop but at first couldn’t find the correct button. Finally, he found “sleep, shut down, & restart, under POWER, a strange place, maybe. MS has had “shut down” under a START button for many years. I imagine the company had many complaints about that all those years with Windows 7 & XP, and decided to make it Power for power on & power off (my interpretation). I haven’t installed it yet on my machine. I want to see how his goes and then can learn from him, as I have about the power button. And I also have to learn about the panorama thing. He used the recent cloud photo for the “wall paper” and that looks nice. Says he has some more customizing to do. We do not have touch screens so some of Windows 10 is not going to work, any time soon, for us.

Saturday, Aug 8

For Aug 7 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 23 min with AHI=1.76 Events: 13 H, 1 CSR. No major mask leaks (max=21 L/min); oximeter on the entire time.

This morning John picked more squash, watered them, and the plum trees, and we will have many small tomatoes to pick tomorrow.

Do you remember when you first had a refrigerator. John thinks his family got their first Philco refrigerator that made ice and had a freezer before 1950. Below is a web photo that resembles what he remembers (a 1950s model). About 35 years earlier the first home refrigerators came with the coils visible (top, mostly) – gone by the time he was old enough to remember things. They did have an actual “ice box” – unless Peggy and Ethel tell him otherwise. In that case, he’ll retract the “did” part.

John’s folks painted the kitchen (when ?) and the Philco became lime-green or some such. How many folks do you know that painted their refrigerator? Nancy here: I don’t recall the year we got ours, but I remember it was a Norge, and sat outside the kitchen in an enclosed back porch entry of the small 5 room house.
Here some info: Coils on top refrigerator

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Sunday, July 26

For July 25 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 24 min with AHI=1.10 Events: 7 H, 7 CSR. No major mask leaks (max=7 L/min); oximeter on, 5 hrs.

John’s July 25th was a long and tiring trip to Mt. Rainier so his Sunday activities involved only a bit of watering, picking squash, and then together, finishing the blog.

Monday, July 27

For July 26 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 19 min with AHI=2.69 Events: 3 CSR, 17 H. No major mask leaks (max=17 L/min); oximeter on 9 hrs 39 min, AHI = 1.76. I think 2.69 is my highest AHI of record. Must be stress, or clogged airflow from allergies-caused congestion. At least my SpO2 and pulse are where they’re supposed to be. Thank goodness for my supplemental oximeter record; this should be a part of all CPAP machines.

Haircut for me and while away, we got a phone call from west-side WTA friends. She is thinking of CWU in the fall and they were in town visiting with admissions advisers and looking for a place to rent. We drove in and had a nice visit – as usual, near the Super 1 deli in an air-conditioned room. Cool.

Tuesday, July 28

For July 27 CPAP. Reported figures. 5 hrs 16 min with AHI=0.57 Events: 2 H. No major mask leaks (max=19 L/min); oximeter on, 6.5 hrs.

I took data from CPAP & Oximeter, and John watered things and picked more squash. While out he encounter a cattlelady (Mary) about to bring a herd (180 head) down Naneum Road from pasture on the next road north of us. Our gate was closed but next door doesn’t have a workable gate. She said 20 minutes but it was about 40 before the lead rider appeared ¼ mile up the road. John used the time to pick rocks (thrown into a pile for later gathering) and then stood so the cattle would stay away from the open driveway. They used 2 autos, 2 dogs, and 5 riders. As usual the pavement got episodic toppings of cowpee&pies. The latter smell mightily on a hot muffler.

On the way into town, we stopped off to deliver a pair of moccasins that didn’t fit me to a woman on the BuyNothing site; she was thrilled. The rest of the day included a major wearing-out exercise for me at the Jazzercise class. While I was there, John went shopping at the grocery. He spent more time than expected after driving by our dentist’s office to return a write-up on muscle cramps. He got back on time but we went a little over our 45 minutes, so he rested through the cool-downs we were doing. From there we went to get the gasoline for his car we had come to town to get. Price was up to $3.05. Now on Friday, it’s “down” to $2.99/gal.

Stops while still in town, to drop off a Hen & Chicken plant to a gal with 3 little boys. While on that end of town, I picked up my loaned bandanna with crystals to keep cool in hot weather, dropped off some squash to a friend, located another house on the way home to drop off a battery that fit my old Canon camera that broke; there I picked up a computer keyboard for its new owner and we dropped it off, on our way home. I also picked up a pair of jeans to give to another gal I’ll see next Thursday, for her and kids to use with a 4H project of decorating the sheep barn at the fairgrounds. Denim is one of the themes for this year’s request for stable decorations.

Great dinner John fixed from the stuff he bought. First, he cooked a cheeseburger to take for his lunch on the trail work tomorrow, and then with the rest of the ground beef, sour cream, red pepper, and mushrooms, he made Stroganoff. The noodles were Fusilli (corkscrew shaped). We ate more meals from this during the rest of the week, and on Friday, John froze a packet for a future lunch. I must show the results of his endeavors. The only thing we might have added for an extra touch might have been cashews. But, it was scrumptious, with the fresh peaches on the side.

Wednesday, July 29

For July 28 CPAP. Reported figures. 5 hrs 24 min with AHI=0.37 Events: 2 H, 3 CSR. No major mask leaks (max=11 L/min); oximeter on, 6 hrs 36 min, AHI = 0.30.

John was out of here at 5:30 a.m. to work on trail at the Martin Creek Connector Trail, with Evonne Ellis as the Crew Leader. He was a last minute addition because she needed more ACL help (as we heard when we visited with her in Ellensburg two days ago). She was going to have a large group from “O2”, as explained here:

O2: Outdoor Opportunities is a City of Seattle outdoor expedition program designed to expose multi-ethnic teens (ages: 14-19) to environmental education, urban conservation, and stewardship.

Read the above carefully and translate as you will.

I awoke at 4:00, and we both had trouble going back to sleep. After he left, I slept off the CPAP machine until almost 8:30, got up feeling a lot better, and fed the outside cat, Woody. We usually only see her mother at evening feedings, but Woody is here both times. Also fed Rascal, the live-in/out cat, and the doggies. Surprisingly, in recent days the older feral tom we haven’t captured and had fixed, returned. We hadn’t seen him in many months. We had named him Lemon because of the facial expression he has that looks as if he just bit into a lemon.

I left a little earlier than usual and dropped by a place on the way to town, to pick up two gifts from the buy nothing site – one a Panasonic turntable and the other a large foam egg crate pad.

It will be a long day for John. He called me from Stevens Pass Summit at 5:36 p.m. to tell me they worked until 4:30 (much later than usual – it’s an O2 thing), and he would be longer coming home than expected. He was 2 hrs away. He trundled in at 7:40 p.m.

Here are pictures from his day on the trail, with a lead-in thank you from the crew leader, for his presence there: John, thank you so much for coming out on short notice! You not only helped remove massive chunks of wood from the trail, your smile and presence out there helped immensely. Thank you so much for making the trip! 

John begins the day explaining the tools and safe use for the day’s work, to a bunch of O2 members from the urban area, most with borrowed boots that hurt their feet. In the middle, John contemplates removing an ancient stump, and on the right works on it with a Pulaski.
This was a long day, because the group is used to working until 4:30, so they can go from the work site to the showers at the local Forest Service compound. Normally, volunteer work crews usually are on the road home by 3:30. These folks were staying in a campground and would have to come back on Thursday.

Thursday, July 30

For July 29 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 0 min with AHI=1.00 Events: 6 H, x CSR. No major mask leaks (max=17 L/min); oximeter on, 6 hrs 33 min, AHI = 0.92

Today was my trip to town alone. On my way to Mt. View Meadows, I stopped to pick up a bag of goodies from a woman who is moving; it was on my way to town without a detour. We had a nice audience turn out and peanuts and popcorn were provided. When I left, without getting any popcorn or peanuts, the activities director gave me a bag of unsalted peanuts. I was amused to see the brand name Kroger on the package. We used to shop at Kroger’s in my hometown, after the A&P closed. I almost never frequent the Fred Meyer’s in town, but John says they are part of the Kroger brand (since 1999). Kroger’s originated in Cincinnati, OH in 1883. John and I lived in Cincy for two years in the mid-’60s and shopped at Kroger’s. The headquarters building was new in 1957 and was a major building in an old neighborhood. See: Kroger Tower
From there, I went by to get nectarines from Wenatchee, via the gal here in town who gave me cherries and peaches last week. I’m going to take the nectarines this Tuesday night to the going away party potluck for the young people from Belarus, who return to Minsk, next week. Seven of our music group will entertain in their backyard.
A Peach of a name.
After getting the nectarines (and she gave me more peaches), I went to the courthouse to pick up another computer keyboard, and to give that person a bottle of aspirin given to me in the first stop of the day for her. And, from there to another two places to share more of our squash. Later, I received a photo of what people had done with their squash for dinner, tonight (and the other from last week) — in the collage below:

Last week’s use and tonight’s use in a quesadilla. The white layer is cheese.

My final stop on my way home was to deliver 3 computer keyboards for a kindergarten teacher’s use in her classroom. One of the three was a vintage one from us, an old KeyTronics one.

Friday, July 31

For July 30 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 22 min with AHI=2.67 Events: 17 H, 3 CSR. No major mask leaks (max=19 L/min); oximeter on, 6 hrs, 33 min, AHI = 2.60
I have NO clue what’s going on. That is very high, one of my higher AHIs, since October 2014. Actually, Monday this week was higher.

Our high today was a scorching 105° at the airport, 5 mi south, but we only saw 99.8° here. John’s morning chores included working 1.5 hrs with our 13-yr. old neighbor on removing brush from up near the road. He moved a few hoses through the day, and sloshed water on squash plants. Otherwise, we stayed inside. John picked a few strawberries and little pear and cherry tomatoes when it cooled down and cooked some chicken breasts which I made into a salad for dinner.

Afternoon treat was a cool rainbow sherbet float, with orange soda, crafted by John. He was inspired about this on his work on the Icicle Creek trail last weekend, when the Forest Service guard station volunteers brought them to the trail workers at the end of the day (two days in a row).

I forgot until almost bedtime to clean/cut up/sugar the strawberries for tomorrow’s use. Our strawberry crop and onions are downsized significantly from last year’s bounty. The squash like the sun and hot temps – but need lots of water.

Saturday, Aug 1

For July 31 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 16 min with AHI=1.60 Events: 10 H, 2 CSR. No major mask leaks (max=6 L/min); oximeter on, 7 hrs

Another hot day predicted today in 3 digits. John was out early unloading brush before his helpful worker joined him at 8:00 a.m. for another 1.5 hrs. brushing into the back of the old pickup. She plans to use her money to buy a pass that allows riding on all the rides at the Fair, coming to town Labor Day Weekend.

Interruption to look for 36-cup coffee pot to share with a person in town for a 70th birthday for her mom. John helped me lift it from a high place in our garage, I tried to clean the 25 years of dust and bugs, and then walked it to the end of our driveway. She’s already retrieved it and two smaller air pots from the friend who picked up some free stuff for me yesterday on her trip out, and left in place of the coffee pot loan.

The temperature is up to 98° here now at 1:20 p.m. Airport reports higher.

I called our neighbor’s daughter-in-law, who’s visiting, to offer some peaches and squash, but I will not deliver it until later when it cools down. She decided the mom is still in ICU and they will only have the peaches. We can make it a multi-purpose trip to move a hose from the driveway, pick up my deposited gifts, get the mail, and deliver the peaches.

We hit 3 digits an hour ago, at 100.9°, but the airport reported 105° at 2:53 p.m., definitely too hot to be outside.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Monday, July 20

For July 19 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 25 min with AHI=1.25 Events: 8 H, 1 CSR. No major mask leaks (max=16 L/min); oximeter on, 7 hrs 4 min, AHI = 1.13

A crazy running-around day — all day, and that’s with only one trip to town. Mostly I worked on cleaning up materials (lots of paper from back to the 1990s and more recently of the past 2 years. Then we both took off for town with squash, gifts, and our election ballots for the deposit box at the courthouse. [WA votes by mail – or save the stamp and drop it in.]

We received a couple of photos to share about our youngest Brittany female in CA with my friend, her co-owner. Just got the news that the Brittany, call name Daisy, won a prestigious award from the California Brittany Club, for 2014 Juvenile Field Dog of the Year, Cedaridge Kip’s Camelot Shay Tre’ JH (the JH on the end represents the title received for a Junior Hunter from AKC hunting test events)

This award was accompanied by a wooden plaque with her photo.

Some field shots below, from an early morning training session in CA today with co-owner, Jeri Conklin. They were taken by her hubby, Kurt.

This is Daisy, displaying the Shay stare, from her great, great grandmother, DC/AFC/CC Sirius Sashay, who would do the same; and on the right ears flying. Somewhere I have a similar photo of her with ears flying at 10 weeks of age.

Daisy again, on point on the left, and all four feet off the ground on the right.

Tuesday, July 21

For July 20 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 33 min with AHI=0.53 Events: 4H, 2 CSR. No major mask leaks (max=10 L/min); oximeter on, 7 hrs 41 min, AHI = 0.53

Leaving at 9:30 for Yakima. First stop, my sleep doctor. Good consultation and I don’t need to see him for another year. I’m doing fine, and he is pleased with my results and consistency with putting up with the CPAP. I believe he enjoys my questions and my graphs of my progress. While there, John realized he had left his wallet at home, so I had to do all the driving for the rest of the trip. Luckily, I took my wallet so we could enter Costco and buy our gasoline and groceries. We were driving on empty, so good thing.

My experience at the foot doctor was a little painful and of concern. I think this treatment has been going on for nearly 2 years and it was only supposed to take 6 months to a year to heal a fungus on all 5 toenails of only one of my feet. It improved slightly but not enough for my doctor’s or my liking. He cut off more nails from all 5 toes and put in a container to send for another culture to see if maybe something else is at work here and needs a different treatment method. We had tried several topical treatments before switching to the laser. I cannot handle the internal medication option because it messes with my liver, and I am already on too many meds that potentially can do that damage. After that, he provided (subjected me to) a very aggressive laser treatment. It was a lot more painful than ever before; part of the reason being the skin above my toenails was hit a lot with the hot beam. It was painful. After completion, I drove us to Costco for gasoline, lunch, and groceries. It was painful walking around the store. The pain continued for another night and day.

Once in the parking lot and loaded, we pulled out of our space and only went a little way into the shade of a tree so I could take my Tylenol I forgot to take after lunch. I looked in the rearview mirror and a man was coming toward us waving and pointing. He said our front tire was low. How the heck he noticed it, I’ll never know. But he was nice enough to follow and tell us. We drove to the back of Costco to the tire service and John asked their opinion. They found a nail, said we had a slow leak, and added some air, mentioning it was safe to drive back to Ellensburg. We asked where the Les Schwab place was. It’s across from Home Depot.

While we waited we had popcorn, sat, and read a magazine, published by Good Fruit Growers. I was reading a May edition on Viticulture and the associated labor problems with vineyards and other fruit orchards; it was fascinating. John’s monthly edition was all on Apples. On the way home, we discussed our learned material. I looked around on their site and found a funny story

One article John read was about a genetically modified apple that would NOT become brown when sliced. He said he would like that for taking a sliced apple for trail work treats and not have to worry about bringing the core out and back home. This is a GMO apple and some people object.

It took them 30 minutes to take the nail out of our tire, repair the tire, and get us on the road (at no cost). Normal charge for a non-Les Schwab person would have been $14.95. I’ve since been told that a friend got his nail in tire fixed for free in Ellensburg, and on non-Les Schwab tires. That’s a great marketing tool, I believe.
We made it home safely, but tired.

Good grief, it has been windy today, but we just had 48 mph gusts right before 6:00 p.m. Now it’s “down” to 40.

Wednesday, July 22

For July 21 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 40 min with AHI=1.35 Events: 9 H, 3 CSR. No major mask leaks (max=18 L/min). Oximeter accidentally left off.

Off to the Food Bank. Not feeling well from yesterday’s activities, particularly the foot doctor visit. I carried along some gifts for people I met through the Buy Nothing Ellensburg site. First person met me at the Food Bank inside before we played. I gave her a bunch of seashells and a little coral from all over the world. Most of it was from a box I got at a yard sale.

Then we played and sang a bunch of new songs for the group and audience, but all were oldtime songs. The audience enjoyed us very much today. One fellow from CA apparently new in town (I don’t know his story yet), but he asked to take our pictures to send to family in CA. He was interested in stories of older people’s reaction to music, in assisted living homes, particularly where they were not able to communicate in person, yet were able to be influenced by music. He wants to volunteer at places in town, so I have given him our schedule and will introduce him to folks where we play to see if he can volunteer at the places.

John’s computer received an update from Microsoft. To activate such things the computer has to be shut down and then started again. His came back on with a simple message saying the “Personal Profile System system” [Yes, it says system twice.] would not work and you might as well take a flying leap off a high cliff – or something like that. 40 minutes on the phone could not solve the issue and then, in dismantling, John snappled a plastic coupling on an antenna. Off to the shop he went – mid-morning.

Thursday, July 23

For July 22 CPAP. Reported figures. 5 hrs 12 min with AHI=2.88 Events: 15 H, 2 CSR. No major mask leaks (max=18 L/min); oximeter on, 9 hrs 2 min, AHI = 1.66

It was a rough night (sleeping) for me, I got up at 5:00 a.m., and went back to sleep without my CPAP machine. I seem to have allergies (to what I don’t know), but my nose was running and I was congested all night. Lots of sneezing when up, and through the morning. From that change, I slept extremely well for 4 hours. Those hours were superior to the previous entire night, granted it was only 5 hrs.
Interesting full day again today. John was still without computer. It’s like being without beer – he says; I wrote arms and legs. He went out to move rocks, water plums, pick squash, a few cherry and yellow pear tomatoes, and take care of animals. I stayed in trying to work on chores.

About 11:00, I received a phone call that John’s computer was fixed and ready to be picked up. He went with me, dropping me off at the assisted living home (Hearthstone) for music, and going on to Super 1 grocery. While there, he got grapes, pink lady apples, beef roast, and picked up my meds. Once done, he returned to Hearthstone and saw Mary Ann Macinko waving at him. He went over to join her and her husband at their table. After we ended our program, I joined them for a visit. The volunteer staff served cookies and I had lime-flavored water. We left and unfortunately, I left behind my 24 copies of the audience participation booklets. From there we drove north in town to pick up some cherries and peaches from the person I gave a canister and yellow squash to yesterday. She forgot to put it out before she left town, so I will get it tomorrow when in town. From there we went to pick up and pay for the fixed computer. It seems the “Personal Profile Service” error happens enough such that they knew what to do. The minimum in-store charge is $40 and the new antennae $30. They had only promised it by Friday and it was ready before Thursday noon, so that made it seem good. This is one of those “stuff happens” with computers that seems to have no explantion, could happen again, but likely won’t. Good Grief!

We came home by way of CWU Surplus and put bids on a load of pallets and a pile of lumber.

Have to make up an invite (still not done) to send to people in the KV F&F to invite to a potluck for the Chernobyl kids from Belarus’ going away party, for which we will play music on August 4.

Friday, July 24

For July 23 CPAP was off because of my severely chafed nose. Oximeter on 9 hrs, including early work time before continuing my night’s sleep.

My stops today were several. Hospital to visit a neighbor with pneumonia, to exercise SAIL class and delivery of Costco goods and evaluation of old violin, plus giving a contact for a professional who comes to an office occasionally to Ellensburg. On to pick up peaches and cherries from a friend, to the bank, and by another friend’s to deliver a jacket in new condition we can no longer use, from there by Jerrol’s (a book & office supply store in town for 65 years) to spend a free $10 reward coupon.

I found both of these for less than $10 total. The mini bar magnifier is meant to clip to a book and slide down to read. I am not a reader and can read small print anyway without reading glasses, but occasionally on maps, medical prescription warnings, or watch instructions the print is a little tedious to read. So, I thought this would be a nice addition to my glove compartment, where the notebook will be too, to record mileages.

While there, I saw a friend and former student, gave him a hug, and exchanged email addresses. I have a video of him speaking at a retirement party I took and wanted to share.

My next stop was north of town on my way home, to pick up a gift from the Buy Nothing site, where I shared a couple of our yellow straight neck squash. Once home, I sent out the following picture with my thank you, and the giver returned with a picture later in the evening of our squash cooking in her skillet to have with dinner.

This was my collage of choice, starting on the left with the gifted musical note tote bag, a photo of me in my musical note shirt, and ending with the material of another shirt I have in white and navy, made for me by my friend, Ellen.

Saturday, July 25

For July 24 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 4 min with AHI=1.16 Events: 7 H, 1 CSR. No major mask leaks (max=19 L/min); oximeter on, 10 hrs, AHI = 0.70

Wow, John could have stayed home today for a nice cool workday. Amazing. Outside high is only 68° and it made it to 69° at the airport.
I’ve been working on chores, but stopped for brunch, and I fixed a nice large uniquely interesting salad. I forgot to add a boiled egg, but the contents were: Iceberg lettuce mixture with carrot slices and purple cabbage, leftover Panko-breaded chicken from last night’s dinner (John took two pieces with him for breakfast and lunch on his way to and while at Mt. Rainier), a fresh mushroom, no tomatoes because I was too lazy to go pick them, I added halved red grapes, Rainier and Bing cherries pitted (by mouth). I have no clue where our cherry pitter is packed away. I guess for other uses that would not be politically correct or health-department sanctioned. I mixed it all together with Blue Cheese Chunky dressing. Oh, the funny uniqueness came from reaching to the cabinet for ground pepper and sprinkling cinnamon on it, I put that back and grabbed the look-alike jar of pepper and added that to the salad. Once all stirred it was a tasty treat.
While fixing my lunch, I decided to photograph the remaining cherries and peaches in the refrigerator, waiting for use, or more processing for the freezer (peaches). We’ll enjoy the cherries raw.

My day’s entertainment out the back door next to my recliner and computer was involved with pretty bright colored birds eating the remaining Nanking cherries from the trees beside the patio.

Below is a photo collage of the ones I took through a dirty scarred door, and the other on the right is from the web, taken at Bandelier National Monument, in Alamos, New Mexico. Below is the national parks site description. We had both males and females in our trees, but I concentrated on the males.

Western Tanager
Piranga ludoviciana
The western tanager looks like it should be in a tropical forest rather than the park’s forests. The male is yellow with a black back and red head. The female lacks the red head and has a greenish-yellow back. (RT, Photo Credit: USFWS)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~Nancy’s on left; . . . . . . one on the right, by USFWS.

John made it home safely from Mt Rainier’s trail work day — a little damp but okay. The crew (including a boy scout troop) had to walk in a mile to the work site. He brought home a special 2015 WTA tee shirt and a nice hat; we will have to model those later. He was here:
46.869197, -121.630240

There was a rock-fall on the south side of the valley – very noisy. The rain stopped shortly after Noon but cool and damp remained so all stayed wet. On leaving and 10 minutes into the car trip, the rain came hard. Then at the Chinook Pass rest and view area there was just a mist. 15 miles east of the crest all was dry.

Sunday, July 26

Today’s brunch was awesome, made by John. Blueberry/pecan pancake, with fresh peaches on top, and bacon. Now to post this blog.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Sunday, July 12

For July 11 CPAP. Reported figures. 8 hrs 4 min with AHI=0.12 Events: 1 H, 1 CSR. No major mask leaks (max=6 L/min); oximeter on, 8 hrs 11 min, AHI = 0.12

We enjoyed a quiet day at home.

Monday, July 13

For July 12 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 49 min with AHI=0.59 Events: 4 H, 2 CSR, No major mask leaks (max=16 L/min.)

Off early to the Emeriti Geographers meeting at Hearthstone, with our homemade cookies, I made last night, and you saw in last week’s blog, also published on a Sunday.

I have become the self-appointed photographer for special events when the AAC staff is too busy to take photos. I delivered pictures today from the past two weeks activities, and in turn, they gave me some they took July 2, on their camera.

I worked on chores inside the house and John worked outside. Both are continuing efforts.

Tuesday, July 14

For July 13 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 32 min with AHI=0.66 Events: 5 H, 2 CSR. No major mask leaks (max=21 L/min); oximeter on, 8 hrs 25 min AHI = 0.59

What a crazy day of much waiting. We left for Subaru service, got there but had to wait to fill out the registration for a loaner car (a 2015 Forester). They were going to do an oil change and lube and we were to return about 12:30 to retrieve it. We made it to the doctor’s office 10 minutes in advance of my appointment. I filled out all the paperwork, and was told my doctor was running an hour behind schedule. First, we decided to wait and I walked to the entrance to the waiting room to call my acquaintance in Wisconsin on my cell phone. It sadly was almost out of battery, so I went back inside to talk to John about leaving to get lunch instead. We decided to go a couple of blocks to the nearest Jack in the Box. Had no coupons along, so I got a Junior Jack with value fries we shared, John got a big cheeseburger, and I used a free coupon for him for 2 tacos. We ordered with 4 people behind us. They all were served before us, and there was nothing special about our order to cause that. They finally brought it out with an apology, and asked if we would like a free drink. We thanked them, requested a Coke, and they gave us an extra large drink. We shared it for lunch, and then refilled to take back to the doctor’s office. Back there, we checked in and the woman at the front desk forgot to call back to say we were there, but by accident my doctor’s assistant came out to refill her ice water, saw us, and took us in. She was able to give me the ECG I needed and take all the other vital information.

We were with my cardiologist for 1.5 hours. He has upped the dosage on Metoprolol from 37.5 mg daily to 50 mg, to see how I do on it. I am to be on the lookout for lowered blood pressure, lowered pulse, and shortness of breath. This is a trial run to see if he can actually raise it to 75mg with it working all right for me. The significance is pharmaceutical tests for the appropriate dosage to decrease mortality. They found that 75mg worked as well as 150, but other lower dosages were not part of the testing, which somewhat annoys me.

I arranged for a dinner pickup from The Palace in Ellensburg, which gives complimentary dinners on one’s birthday and as well, for an anniversary (only one dinner). I arranged to pick it up after I played music. I pick the Chicken Alfredo because it is easily large enough for two people.

I went to Hearthstone for music with The Connections. We play the second Tuesday evening of the month, from 6:30 to 7:20.

On my way home, I stopped to pick up the meal. When I got home, John added fried red peppers, mushrooms, and cheese to our belated anniversary dinner, Chicken Alfredo Fettuccine (with garlic bread). We each took 1/4 of the tray for tonight. The next night we ate the rest, so it was a nice deal getting 4 meals from only one that cost a generous tip to the server for take-out.

Wednesday, July 15

For July 14 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 42 min with AHI=0.30 Events: 2 H. No major mask leaks (max=13 L/min); oximeter on, 8 hrs 24 min AHI = 0.24
One of life’s little mysteries. My CPAP was off for 45 min. (from just after 1:00 a.m. until just before 2:00 a.m. — with my having no memory of turning it off and on (the only way it could happen).

Something must have happened today, but I don’t have any notes. Shall squeeze some in here now 4 days later. It would have been a food bank play date. We had 4 people participating. They fed us afterwards a pasta with meatballs (but too much garlic for me), a nice green salad, cucumbers & tomatoes in vinegar (I had a few cherry tomatoes, but I cannot eat cukes), and for dessert was a very large homemade cookie with chocolate morsels, and there were many leftovers that I was able to bring home to share with John. From there to SAIL and the YOGA afterwards was cancelled until September. Normally, I go to Royal Vista and joining the accordion player/singer, Karen E., for entertaining. That’s been postponed until next week.

Thursday, July 16

For July 15 CPAP. Reported figures. 8 hrs 29 min with AHI=0.12 Events: 1 H. No major mask leaks (max=19 L/min)

I took time this morning to get a correct count for musicians for chairs. The maintenance person transfers them down the hall from their “Coca-Cola Soda Fountain break room.” Most of our players need chairs without arms. I also had to make some corrections and printouts of two songs for the players.

I managed to complete yet another letter of recommendation for financial aid for an international student to enter a university in New Zealand. Recently was the letter for admission. Now he needed another letter to a different government entity for a scholarship.

We had a good brunch, left the broiler on, but were happy to find it before leaving the house. John went with me to do some shopping, get gasoline, and then pick me up for home.

It was a good day at Dry Creek with a nice crowd and 8 players, one with a new instrument to most of us, a Q chord.

Today John brought in a box of our own little potatoes, volunteered from last year’s garden. The original planting was with potatoes that sprouted in the garage. I guess this evens things out.

Friday, July 17

For July 16 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 50 min with AHI=1.92 Events: 15 H, 6 CSR, 3 VS. No major mask leaks (max=19 L/min); oximeter on, 8 hrs 36 min AHI = 1.74

Time all today was spent with cleaning the den and kitchen, and with John working outside.

Someone wrote about the probable (someday) earthquake and massive waves (tsunami) at the Washington State coast. John says he likes her writing style. Grab a drink – it is long.
We are all doomed!

Meghan, our oldest dog (15) was having problems yesterday such that we thought she might have had a small stroke. Today, however she was much better. Here she is in her favorite resting place, on our love seat in the den, to where we had to lift her past couple of days. Now she is able to launch herself up again. She never quit eating, so that is encouraging.

Saturday, July 18

For July 17 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 7 min with AHI=0.49 Events: 3 H, 3 CSR. No major mask leaks (max=13 L/min); oximeter on, 8 hrs 44 min, AHI = 0.34

John and I did not sleep wonderfully last night. We heard all manner of noises, the worst of which was a barking dog across the creek and through the woods. The magpies and other birds were extremely noisy this morning very early, after 4:00 a.m. He managed to get his breakfast and his lunch and beverages packed and was out of here for Icicle Creek at 6:20 a.m.. He won’t be home until 6:00, so I am in charge. He could be home earlier but would miss out on an ice cream float.

I decided to set timer and switch among boxes and other things. I would move to the kitchen and back to the den, to another room, and back to the den for another box. The strategy did not work completely because I had several interrupting phone calls or emails, all medically related to/with friends of mine.

I mixed more chores of feeding cats, eating breakfast, taking off the data from my CPAP machine and oximeter, fed the dogs, loaded the dishwasher and ran it.

I decided I need to summarize something for Dr. Kumar’s visit next week, but haven’t yet decided what to present. Maybe I’ll just ask questions about what causes hypopneas and CSRs. Why does my AHI range so strangely? Very low for a long while, then a couple days of higher (still not as high as friends I share information with). I have made a few illustrative graphs to show him.

I started with the box closest to me by sorting into appropriate places. Mixed in making an AHI graph for 90 days to show Dr. Kumar. Set up oximetry data for both places on my computer. I’m also gathering change from around the house (but mostly from the box beside my chair), and putting it in another collection place. One of these days, we need to gather it altogether and take to the bank, where they have fast counters and can create rolls of each denomination. If we do that they will just open it and count it again. We did this a few years ago and that was the procedure then. The bank has been bought by a larger one, so we don’t know what will happen now.

I should have written the time I started on sifting through paperwork for recycling into a box and filing some. While working, I was off the computer and on the phone with two people … both involving medical / long-term care concerns.
I am going to have a late lunch now at 2:00 p.m. I’ve got cherry and yellow pear tomatoes that John picked last night for me, leftover Panko-fried chicken, warmed yellow squash/mushrooms, and a piece of sharp cheddar cheese.

John made it home about 5:30 and has decided to go back to the same general location tomorrow. They actually will be re-building a 13 ft. puncheon-bridge over a small tributary of Icicle Creek. We had dinner of salmon from Icicle Creek, given to us by our neighbor up the Naneum. It was very nice with no bones, around the part where the fins are. I wish I’d taken a photo of the piece in the iron skillet. So tasty, but also quite picturesque.

Sunday, July 19

For July 18 CPAP. Reported figures. 5hrs 29 min with AHI=0.00 Events: 0 H. No major mask leaks (max=9 L/min); oximeter on 6 hrs 12 min, AHI = 0.00

John left for another day on the trail, getting out of here at 6:30. He will likely call me on his trip home from Leavenworth about 4:00, when he gets reception. I got up with him at 5:00 and stayed up. I could not get comfortable when I lay back down to rest. Probably will need to take an afternoon nap. (I did for an hour).

On to finishing this blog so that it is ready for him when he arrives and after all the evening feeding chores. He already watered a bunch of things before he left this morning. It’s going to be another warm day. I’ll just stay inside and work on things around the house. It got to 99 here, and only the high 70s where he worked.

For the end of today, I will recap the Buy Nothing Ellensburg activity of the week. Actually, we will end with pictures by John and the description of his day on trail work.

I succeeded in giving away several things on the site, represented in the collage below. Now all I have to do is coordinate with people to deliver the goods, probably starting tomorrow afternoon when we drive to town to deliver about 20# of yellow squash.

Included were a container of plastic eggs, an Almond Roca container, a nice horsey Aztec jacket, and a blanket that folds into a bleachers’ seat pillow.

The real find of yesterday evening was 3 more containers of CANON printer cartridges a giveaway worth about $150 total. What happened was sad, last April when we accidentally clicked on a previously ordered set of color cartridges for the printer no longer working on our old XP machine. We had replaced with an Epson in a different room, closer to John’s new computer, and my recliner across from him & it, where I use my laptop. We should have ordered Epson not Canon. I found a person with a printer that would be able to utilize the cartridges. Once that was done, we thought we had a couple of single blacks in the backroom for the old printer; in fact, we had 3 boxes with various ones, and a complete color box as mistakenly bought. Now we had 10 cartridges to share with this person.

Above left & middle is the final giveaway. Middle & top right is the list of possible printers that could use it. To be entered in the drawing, I requested a picture of the person’s printer so I knew I was giving to someone who would use them and not turn around and sell them on one of the other websites in the county. It ended up going to a friend of one of my friends. Small world.

The trail work involved an easy hike except for carrying large planks — seen as the near-white new wood in the photos below. After 25 years of so wood structures have issues. This one had a hole in the plank and because horses are allowed, someone stuffed a large rock in that hole.

{Open these in a new window for a large view.}
The railings (bull rails) were shot, and so got replaced with new yellow cedar.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Hi all, from John and Nancy.

Saturday, John went to Fourth of July Creek in the valley of Icicle Creek and worked with a small crew of volunteers fixing crossings of small streams for hikers, bikers, dogs, and even horses. We did have a Black Lab puppy come by – with owner.
General info here

Saturday’s task involved brush, rocks, and dirt. The stream was boulder strewn and not wide enough to need to muck around in.
From morning to a bit after lunch was shady – then hot and sunny. John had not planned on going 2 days but the Crew Leader offered a different trail with a gentle slope, lots of shade, and a project using lumber. Temps there Sunday expected to be about 75 for a high – about when we head to the trailhead for ice cold drinks. Here on the Naneum Fan we’re expecting 92. Not much reason to plan on working outside here.

Sunday, John will take a camera. This is very alpine country with nice views that one need not go to the ridge tops to see.
So, no Nancy-Blog for now. We expect to post late Sunday evening.

Nancy & John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Sunday, July 5

For July 4 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 16 min with AHI=0.41 Events: 3 H, 1 CSR. No major mask leaks (max=14 L/min); oximeter on, 7 hrs 34 min, AHI = 0.40

I was concerned about the lack of a ban on fireworks in the county and our dry surroundings, especially our pasture between two houses whose owners normally set off fireworks. I stayed up to watch for fires. Thankfully, only a few firecrackers were set off about 10:00 p.m. and no torchy fireworks. I planned to stay up until midnight to be sure all was quiet. I listened to the Kittitas County Public Safety Live Audio feed (police/fire scanner)–through my computer, until 2:05 a.m., when I decided the firefighters had contained the fire northwest of us on Hayward Hill, (near Howard Rd and Hwy 97). I was concerned about friends in the area, who are building a new house on that hill. It got relatively close to the house site, as seen in this photo (right below) taken by Facebook friend, Cathy Rose. She used a telephoto lens, so the distances are deceptive. The fire burned up-hill in grass toward an irrigation canal, with a driveable path along side, seen as the straight green feature going across the photo. The burn is the dark area, not closer than about 3 football-fields away.

The picture on the right is of part of the fire that burned 300 acres, starting just before midnight. Fire inspectors determined an incendiary device, not related to fireworks, was used intentionally to start it. There was an isolated haystack fire in the valley, two miles from our home, at Thomas and Fairview roads, about 3:40 a.m. (I was in bed by that time), but the firefighters on Hayward Hill saw that fire, and dispatched a unit to protect it from spreading into the dry land in Schnebly Canyon. That’s the picture on the left above, taken by a bystander; see below for more on that fire.

Monday, July 6

For July 5 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 38 min with AHI=0.65 Events: 5 H, 1 CSR. No major mask leaks (max=18 L/min); oximeter on, 8 hrs 40 min, AHI = 0.58

I am dealing with receipts and cleanup in our den. I finished email and recording CPAP & Oximetry data, and took ice-water to Dave (farrier) and iced Pepsi to John, in a red solo cup, our favorite song, once on the charts. Now I’m back listening to the scanner while I work. Interesting all that goes on in the county. I’ve been listening to the scanner though my computer, but the Internet just went down and I lost it. After David left, I drove down to check and photograph the burned hay. The bales are still burning and someone was working with a backhoe, cleaning up something. While standing on the hill, on the eastern part of Thomas Road from Naneum, I took the bottom of the photo collage below and drove closer for the top shot. I turned around and didn’t go by the fire site. John and I drove by two days later and it was burned completely, with only blackened ground left. It destroyed Sam Kayser’s hay for his large cattle operation, at an estimated $35,000 loss. Fire inspectors since determined it was a fire started by spontaneous combustion. Here is a link if you are in the need of something to read:

Heating in hay & spontaneous combustion

In the summer this is always a dry and hot area and the vegetation of the non-irrigated places goes dormant and brown. The hills have grass and sagebrush and higher up there are Pines. The foreground pastures are irrigated but the land is quite rocky and porous. Keeping any of this green when we’ve had a couple of weeks of 100+ temps is difficult.

I decided to nap awhile for some rest. I put my Oximeter on for my hour’s nap, and here is my SpO2 record.

I think I will take this to my cardiologist this week and to my sleep doctor the following week. The blood oxygen saturation level is the top green line, and the bottom blue is my pulse. The spike in pulse about 5:00 p.m. happens when I switch the finger the oximeter is on. Maybe I will take a similar reading made at night with the CPAP machine operating and the last two hours of my sleep without it. Again, the only reason I am on the CPAP is the thought that my SpO2 declines along with my pulse rate during my night’s sleep, and my organs need that oxygen.

Because I had to fast after 8:00 p.m., John fixed an early dinner.

Tuesday, July 7

For July 6 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 13 min with AHI=0.42 Events: 3 H, 1CSR. No major mask leaks (max=21 L/min); oximeter on, 8 hrs 22 min, AHI = 0.36

I went for the fasting blood draw early, but had to wait everywhere. Afterwards, I went to Carl’s JR for their special on a large biscuit with egg/cheese/sausage. While there, I decided to order eight for us to have some for the freezer and for John’s upcoming trips when he needs to have breakfast on the road. After that, I drove by Grocery Outlet to have my coupon $3 adjustment that I was refused earlier, their fault not mine. From there to pick up hard cat food from a friend whose kitties are fussy and wouldn’t eat what she bought. I’m sure ours will not turn it down.

At 2:00 p.m., we went to town for Jazzercise (a quite strenuous session) — wish I had worn my oximeter to record my vitals. John dropped me off and went for gasoline (price up to $3.05), and to BiMart (sale items) for chainsaw oil & cat food. He got back just as we were ending, but we had to wait to meet Bianca after Jazzercise for some neat hanger organizers for the closet, another gift from the buy nothing site. It allows one to put hangers on the hanger and then it is vertically holding several things in the same space.

We went by Grocery Outlet on our way home to use the latest $3 coupon for a $30 purchase. We had the same thing happen with the same cashier, but this time the manager adjusted it and gave us our $3 refund.

Wednesday, July 8

For July 7 CPAP. Reported figures. 5 hrs 43 min with AHI=0.70 Events: 3 H, 3 CSR, 1 OA. No major mask leaks (max=13 L/min); oximeter on, 7 hrs 40 min, AHI = 0.52

I planned to cut John’s hair, but it had to wait until afternoon. He’s out working with Mikala – they unloaded rocks, in the sun, and then moved to the shade under trees for harvesting grass seed. In the fall the seed will be strewn over the bulldozed place out front.

Food bank today, only 3 of us there: all 3 sang, one played a guitar, and I played the fiddle. We had a very appreciative audience who participated and the servers sang and danced as well. It was kind of cool. We played for 1/2 hour, and then were served a nice meal: chicken fettuccini with broccoli, green salad, and cake for dessert. I had orange juice to go with my own iced water. It was quite pleasant inside with the a/c. I carried a bunch of straight-necked yellow summer squash that John picked this morning, packed in a cooler with ice, to give away. I gave 3 to our guitar player who loves the stuff. Then I took the rest to the Adult Activity Center for people there, mostly in my SAIL exercise class. Every squash went home with a person, and there were at least 9 of them. Class went fine, and I got home all right, but the temperature went to a high of 101 in town. We think our high (in the shade) was only 96.
I managed to give John a much-needed haircut. He’s fixing a salmon supper and waiting for the temperature to go down so he can get more outside chores done.

Thursday, July 9

For July 8 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 15 min with AHI=0.64 Events: 4 H, 1 CSR. No major mask leaks (max=8 L/min); oximeter on, 8 hrs 23 min, AHI = 0.48

We had an exciting morning with neighbor’s horse coming over the fence between our properties and in with our horses. Mikala and John spent the first minutes of her work time gathering up her horse and walking her down the road to home. Now they’re doing various chores, emptying the old truck after unloading rocks and going to pick up brush from behind the shed and move it to safer place.

I have to finish my handouts for today’s music, and remember to get some squash packed on ice to leave when I pick up the 5-gallon laundry detergent and smaller food buckets used at a local motel. I got my shower when John came back in the house, so after a bite to eat, I’m ready to take off to play music with 7 others at the Rehab place where I rehabed.

We had a good turnout of audience, and our usual dancer (Helen, 93), using her walker, dancing around in front of us, while singing. I normally don’t hand out music there because most are not able to keep up, and the ones who can, already know the words. A very cool interaction took place with an older gentleman new to the facility. He was singing all the verses to all the songs (without a lyrics packet). We got to “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” and he belted it out very happily. At the end, he said, “I used to sing that at Crosley Field.” I laughed and said, “Oh, I have been there; you must be from Cincinnati!” I think that surprised everyone in the room, and he said, “Yes, I used to watch Pete Rose there.” Crosley field closed in 1970, with a winning grand slam for the Cincinnati Reds by Johnny Bench (catcher). Interesting that it was the first National League Stadium to have lights for night playing. John and I met in Cincinnati in graduate school in 1965, and we left in 1967, with his going to Iowa City, and my returning for 2 years to Atlanta, to care for my mother, and teach at Georgia State University.

Friday, July 10

For July 9 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 41 min with AHI=0.15 Events: 1 H, 2CSR. No major mask leaks (max=20 L/min); oximeter on, 8 hrs 13 min, AHI = 0.12

Mikala was a no show, because of family issues, requiring her to babysit her siblings.
Early morning call, 7:30, from friend back east. I was on my second sleep, but hadn’t actually yet gotten back to sleep. However, I did nap a little for a 20 min. power nap.

John and I both left about 10:20, to go by a yard sale of a friend to check out their tools. We came away empty-handed, but then stopped off at Burger King to use coupons for our lunch to take to the going away ice cream social for Olivia Estill, who actually will be returning in September for another year on AmeriCorps ** service at the Adult Activity Center. We all are very happy to have her coming back. She has been our wonderful leader of many exercise classes (SAIL and Yoga), and of many other projects she’s done for the center. She is quite special to everyone. She is from Louisville, KY and will be returning there for August to visit family. There must be a break between appointments, which are normally only a year of community service.

. . . . . . . . . . . . …… Nancy and Olivia

**AmeriCorps engages more than 75,000 Americans each year at nonprofits, schools, public agencies, and community and faith-based groups across the country. Since the program began in 1994, more than 900,000 AmeriCorps members have contributed more than 1.2 billion hours in service across America while tackling pressing problems and mobilizing millions of volunteers for the organizations they serve. I did not know how they are paid, but I send out job announcements from my Jobs list to people. From my research online, it appears they are paid ~$1,200/month by the government program.

The center had cracker delicacies we didn’t expect and we had our own purchased lunch. I should have taken a picture of the tray of goodies on each table–unique crackers with toppings such as ham & cheese, turkey and cheese, strawberry and cream cheese, peanut butter and apple, pepper jelly on cream cheese, olives on salami, red pepper / cheese / basil leaf, avocado on cheese, and probably others I don’t remember. We had fries with our JR Whopper (John’s) and my Chicken Nuggets – much came home with us. They finished with ice cream. We need not have gone to Burger King – and that took 18 minutes from ordering to being served. I was not happy.

Tonight John picked a bunch of squash for me to share at Briarwood tomorrow. I packaged them in small plastic bags the newspaper comes in. That way people can carry them without being stuck by the hair-like spines on them, which really bother me, but not all people, apparently. As well, I have about 8 pieces of clothing, mostly blouses, to share with the folks at Briarwood, and to clear off our guest bed.

Our neighbor’s horse (Rose) returned tonight. John walked with Mikala back through the gate and down the road to their house. Then he talked to her father who is trying to put up an electric fence. John plans to repair the fence where she is coming through. It is low barbed-wire on steel posts. Rose pushed until the post bent and the top wire came loose and then she stepped over. There are trees and brush there too, so they can’t return that way. The collage below shows the return route out the driveway, and my dinner afterwards.

The left was taken with my telephoto over the limb of the mountain ash tree at our front door. The barn in the background is the Swedberg’s across Naneum Road.
John fixed a great dinner tonight: Coconut shrimp, fried apple & pineapple slices in brown sugar that caramelized, red seedless grapes, our one strawberry, and 3 cherry tomatoes – first of the season.

Saturday, July 11

For July 10 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 20 min with AHI=0.16 Events: 1 H, 1 CSR (alarm went off). No major mask leaks (max=15 L/min); oximeter on, 11 hrs 0 min, AHI = 0.11

John’s alarm was set for 5, but he got up at 10 to, and after helping with a few things, I went back to lie down with the CPAP still engaged. He usually tells me bye when he leaves, but I think he thought I was asleep, when he left about 5:45. I heard the car on the gravel as he left. All the windows were still open. He’s off for Dorothy Lake, west beyond Stevens Pass. After Skykomish he will go south 8 miles on gravel/dust to Dorothy Lake trail. He thawed one of the biscuit things to eat prior to arrival at the trail head.

So much nicer, cooler weather. Haven’t had to close the windows yet at 10:00 a.m. Guess I should just in case. Okay, did, but it still was only 73 in the hallway, and 77.5° on the front porch, our highest reading.

I have been organizing things to take today to Briarwood. I loaded one of the multiple clothes hanger with a bunch of stuff, M to L, to share with the residents. It’s in the back of my car. I should have taken a picture hanging on the door of the guest bathroom. Need to carry out the squash and some jeans too small for John, and my violin will be the last to go when I leave. This is one way to clean house and garments that is easier on me, in one-stop giving.

Okay, I made it there in time to give my stuff to the persons, and set up the rest for others. We had a small audience today, but had a viola, violin, tambourine, and 3 guitars. Small but we did fine and had a nice presentation, meal, and visit. Our menu included soup, chicken salad spread on some little round toast things I took, and a bunch of good desserts, along with great raspberry lemonade. I won’t need much for dinner. Everyone there took home a squash or two, many took blouses and jackets, and the rest I folded and left in the free for the taking cabinet, in their exercise room.

On the way home, I saw a sign for a yard sale on a road east of us 1.5 miles. It seemed worth the detour. I got some small nice stuff we can use, most 10 cents or free, with one pretty butterfly decorated container I will give to my lepidopterist friend, my former student. Oh, I did buy a box of quart canning jars (11) and delivered them to my neighbors on the way home. I got everything for less than $4, and just used the excess change in my purse/wallet. One cool (warm) thing I got was a thick white and brown designs on a wool knitted hat, for a buck. Considering we paid $30 for one for John once at REI, that was a nice purchase.

John made it home safely at 6:20 p.m. from his 251-mile trip. He doesn’t want me putting pictures of his trail work in the blog, but I’m proud of the work he does, and want to show one project from yesterday–midway and completed.

The wall of the ditch to the left was used to supply mineral soil to the stepped walkway. That drainage ditch will keep water off the trail and send it under the completed bridge in the lower part of the right finished project photo, with one of the workers sitting in the ditch to the lower right. The bridge is a slab from a Cedar tree. It fell many years ago and some was split for a project. This piece was waiting there – so they used it.

Sunday, July 12 Happy Anniversary to us, July 12, 1969

I’ve looked for a wedding picture to scan to include, but cannot find it. Maybe next year.

For July 11 CPAP. Reported figures. 8 hrs 4 min with AHI=0.12 Events: 1 H, 1 CSR. No major mask leaks (max=6 L/min).

Today started with making cookies to take to the Retired Geography profs & wives meeting tomorrow morning. We froze the mixed dough from last month and when thawed but still cold, it was easy to work with. I did that while John picked more squash. Then he delivered it to 3 neighbors. One neighbor traded a rose bush she dug from near her steps. She had it in a planter that he will have to return. Then he fixed a super good brunch.

Squash delivered: the biggest and oldest went to the hogs next door; the owners who gave the rose bush, and more to two other neighbors. Cookies ready to pack. Brunch partially eaten. I decided I wanted fresh salsa on my cheese, onion, mushroom frittata, and had already eaten many of my peaches, and small bites of the rest, before taking this picture.

The outside cats must have abstained from food during the heat (but, really, Woody hasn’t). After not seeing Sue for a month, she has been here several nights, and today in the morning. I fed Woody for a second time, as I already fed her this morning early. Her mom Sue came and asked for food – she vocalizes a lot. John was busy digging weeds, and held one for me to photograph to share on the blog. Locals call this goathead or puncture vine. My photo is below but see the link for good images of the pretty little yellow flower and note …

Info about Goathead

… the “etymology” mentioned there – caltrop – and follow that link (click on the word, to access the link that is not obvious).

It was a nice cool morning, much different from the heat of the past week.

Here’s a collage of feline and weed activities. Sue is having breakfast and Woody’s on the left watching John. On the very left she is shown resting in the planter box. Marigolds were there last year, but it is not planted now. The year before were sunflowers, then tulips, and before that was spinach.

Finally, here’s a close up of those awful goathead. The sticker parts are called nutlets. Not nice when the dogs step on one. {Click on this to open large view.}

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Sunday, June 28

For June 27 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 58 min with AHI=1.29 Events: 8 H, 1 OA. No major mask leaks (max=22 L/min); oximeter on, 7 hrs 47 min, AHI = 1.16

Up early but to a warm house that did not cool down as normal overnight. Hallway was 75; outside was 71. By 9:00 up to 83° and at 10:00 already 90°. I fed the small animals, unloaded the dishwasher, filled it again, took care of emails, getting data from my CPAP and Oximeter, and now will tackle the stacks around my chair & computer. Oh, I did arrange for going to Cle Elum to the Belair House where my 92-year-old friend is staying for assisted living with 5 others. Evelyn (banjo) and I are going to entertain them over the lunch hour July 3, with our patriotic / USA songs program. I will pick up his wife in Ellensburg and drive her up with me (35 miles).

I worked on updating music for the July 2 performance at the Adult Activity Center.–
With John’s invaluable help, we finished and published the blog.

Our young-teenage neighbor girl came asking for work, and John has her helping loading and unloading rocks – filling the large hole. She plans to return in the morning at 8:00 a.m.

We were happy to have Sue (Woody’s mom) return for canned dinner after many weeks away. She has had access to hard food in the “cathouse” — so perhaps has been coming in without our realizing it. Tonight, however, we had already fed Woody, and John was out working near the garden and saw her by the red barn. He called her name and she came – conversing with him all the way over to the cat’s loft. Woody came too, and both ate. I wonder if she will be back tomorrow.

On John’s recent trip with Nick Zentner to Peoh Point & Snoqualmie, below are photos you have not seen. First is the photo of the group on Peoh Point, and the collage of views from there and Snoqualmie are below. John was standing next to the photographer, so he is not in the picture. I have made a collage below of the views from that spot and another on the trip.

Group on Peoh Point above

Above is a view collage (left) from Peoh Point with the Kittitas Valley in the foreground and the city of S. Cle Elum and Cle Elum in the center, with Mt. Stuart and the Stuart range in the distance. On the right is the view of some Cascade peaks from the top of a ski run at Snoqualmie Pass.

Monday, June 29

For June 28 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 33 min with AHI=0.91 Events: 6 H, 3 CSR. No major mask leaks (max=11 L/min); oximeter on, 8 hrs 50 min, AHI = 0.68

John got up early and met our neighbor, Mikala (14), at the front gate at 8:00 a.m. for 2 hrs of work with the rock transfer from there to the road repair pit (thixotropic soil out – rocks in). [Sand and organic matter will be mixed with the soft soil and incorporated into the garden-leveling project.] The temperature was 69° when they started and 82° when they stopped. She plans to return for an hour tonight at 6:00 p.m.

I had fed Woody inside the front yard but she was still around when John was returning from the rock pit. Below (2 images split at the tiny white square) she is behind the shovel [left 1/5 of image] and (right side) she has moved to in front of the gate.

I was out front to take a photo of the spring inside the depressible book truck.

Left is the side view showing the depressible shelf. John put a piece of plywood on top, in case Woody jumped up there and might get scared when it depressed. It also was being spit upon by the Black Walnut tree it is beneath.

Very sad the wildfire in Wenatchee that leveled 23 homes located in an impossible place to stop a fire. There is a steep bank covered with brush and grass on the west side of the houses – the direction from which the fire came. With just a little wind fire can burn up a slope easily. Also, the houses fill their lots with no space to get a pumper truck or anything else between the fire and the back of the house.

Here are the Google Earth coordinates: 47.454370, -120.355105
… for the big house in the lower center of the photos above. Go there and zoom in, and you can see landscape trees and shrubs behind and between the houses.
The collage above is merged with a Google Earth grab of the Broadview subdivision area, northwest part of Wenatchee, with five houses on the bottom of each picture. Orient yourself to the 4 white squares in the middle of the other side of the road. The houses on the opposite side of the street were also burned to the ground.

This collage shows the fire that started at 2:15 p.m. and people rafting on the Wenatchee River moved to the side to let the helicopters dip their buckets. The top right shows the raging fire in the distance. Lower left shows a house going up in flames, and the bottom right shows only the foundation of one house.

Tuesday, June 30

For June 29 CPAP. Reported figures. 5 hrs 20 min with AHI=0.00 Events: 0 H. No major mask leaks (max=16 L/min); oximeter on, 7 hrs 59 min, AHI = 0.00

I drove by and picked up five 5-gallon buckets and some smaller ones from a gal at the south end of Naneum Road.

JAZZERCISE at 2:00, antibiotics at 2:30 for dentist, on to dentist for 3:30 appt to have my eyetooth fixed. I was in the chair about an hour & a half. It is nicely fixed with a build-up and I’m hoping stays so I don’t have to have a crown.
HERE IS A PICTURE !! The dentist has to send it to my insurance company.
They sent me a copy too.

This is seen through a blue rubber dam. The yellow is a piece of stuff to retract the gum. The gloved finger above my broken off eyetooth is holding the rubber dam up and showing my red gum. My nose is at the top of the photo. The silver thing on the right side is the frame the rubber dam is hooked to. This contraption keeps the tooth being worked on, nice and dry.

Wednesday, July 1

For June 30 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 18 min with AHI=2.22 Events: 13 H, 3 CSR, 1 OA. No major mask leaks (max=19 L/min); oximeter on, 8 hrs 26 min, AHI = 1.66 Something strange between 3:15 a.m. and 4:15 a.m., when all that activity occurred ??? Wonder why.

I had to dodge a cattle drive, and go 3 miles out of my way, but I made it to the Food Bank in time to meet a “buy nothing” participant, Heather JB, who gave me two unused folding chair bags (to fulfill my request for a canvas bag to store my Tripod). This is nice because they have a shoulder strap attached too. I delivered her two small pots of hen and chicks. She was the recipient of a larger planter of them a month ago. It was a good trade.

Thursday, July 2

For July 1 CPAP. Reported figures. 7hrs 3 min with AHI=0.71 Events: 5 H, 3 CSR. No major mask leaks (max=15 L/min); oximeter on, 7 hrs 45 min, AHI = 0.64

John and I left about 10:15 for town to pick up Carole, the wife of our group’s former first violinist. He died a couple of years ago and we haven’t seen a lot of her after that. She doesn’t play an instrument, but loves to sing.

THANKS to our 14 musicians who entertained the crowd at the Adult Activity Center today for a celebration of the Fourth of July, early. We sang many patriotic or USA songs. We had 2 banjos, tambourine, 2 fiddles, viola, and the rest guitars. We sang 10 songs and had good audience participation for the first half hour of the celebration from 1:30 to noon. At the end, everyone stood and sang the National Anthem acapella, with a beat gently played on the Bass Fiddle in the background, by Dave Perkins. Then they fed us hamburgers or hotdogs (or both), watermelon, potato salad, baked beans, and all the fixings. In the back of the room was a dessert table for when we were done eating. Most of those were pot-lucked by the AAC members. There was more stuff left so I brought some home, in addition to what I had taken that wasn’t eaten.

Top, Nancy introducing the group and the program; bottom, the entire group (14) stretched out playing for a responsive crowd.

Friday, July 3

For July 2 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 36 min with AHI=1.84 Events: 14 H, 2 CSR. No major mask leaks (max=23 L/min).

I left at 10:40 to pick up Gloria Swanson for our drive to Cle Elum. We arrived about 11:35, and visited the residents, staff, and owners. At some point after noon at the Belair House, Cle Elum, we were served lunch (salmon, potatoes, & peas), in a dining room, off the kitchen. We had Evelyn on the banjo and me on the fiddle to sing and play patriotic songs for Paul Swanson and the other residents, and for staff, owners, and a friend who took photos.

Kim Black (one of the owners) took 3 videos on my camera. Another fellow, Steve, photographed us as well, and the group all joined in the singing.

2015 July at Cle Elum, Belair Home

Evelyn Heflen (banjo), Nancy Hultquist (fiddle), with resident, & Gloria reflecting in the TV screen from in front of Evelyn. More residents and staff are behind that you will see and hear in the following videos.

America, The Beautiful

Battle Hymn of the Republic

God Bless America

Saturday, July 4 HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

This collage was designed by Nancy from individual photos shared from her friend, Glenn Engels, which he took ~ 3 years ago at Ellensburg’s Rotary Park.
This year the fireworks have been cancelled – the city had a prescribed burn a couple of days ago on the field – then cancelled it anyway. Thankfully, other small towns did so too. The county did not. Fireworks are legal from 9 AM until midnight. Dumb!

For July 3 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 11 min with AHI=0.42 Events: 3 H.. No major mask leaks (max=19 L/min).

John worked, in the shade, for a couple of hours loading rocks where in previous years he’d dug holes for fence posts. Now they are in the large hole – never to be seen again, we hope. With the temperature up to 98, he’s only going out to move the hoses watering strawberries. He poured water on onions, squash, and tomatoes. We have had squash but no tomatoes.

Finally got my second letter off to New Zealand for my former student’s entry to a Ph.D. program there, and alternately working on various projects, in between working on this blog. The Internet bouncing off and on is making all computer chores difficult.

Temperatures made it to 100° at 2:00 p.m. at the airport. We have 99.9 here, & it’s hot all around.

John placed a large cardboard sheet outside the window by the old patio door. My motor-powered recliner is just inside. It has lowered light level and reduced the heat of hot glass and the dark metal parts. We’ve done this in prior years. He has a plan for something the wind will pass through (lattice panels) that will stand out away from the door – once he puts the new one in. It is now in the garage, next to my car.

And, on one of his many trips out to move hoses today, he brought 2 domestic lily blossoms – one deep red and one almost white, both with yellow.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Monday, June 22

For June 21 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 52 min with AHI=0.13 Events: 1H, 1CSR. No major mask leaks (max=8 L/min); oximeter on, 9 hrs 1 min, AHI =0.11

Over the weekend, I wrote my statement to the court requesting an Exemption from Jury Duty for medical reasons of not sitting longer than an hour. I am mailing it today. Later in the week, I received notice I am exempted from service.

I spent 45 minutes trying to sort out the new AMEX card that was supposed to be on Auto-Pay and was not, so we were charged interest in addition to a late payment penalty ($35) wow, for a total of almost $50. I got a responsive person and we went through my account and all the info was there, but something had not been set up correctly. It is now fixed and the penalties & interest were rescinded.

Rest of the day, cleaning & sorting cherries, washing dishes, worrying with music to hand out this week (and copy tomorrow), to be ready to do the Ellensburg City July 4th celebration on July 2, that our group, Kittitas Valley Fiddlers & Friends, has provided music for more than 2 decades.

Tuesday, June 23

For June 22 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 28 min with AHI=0.62 Events: 4 H. No major mask leaks (max=7 L/min); oximeter on, 6 hrs 55 min, AHI = 0.58

We left for town about 10:15 to pick up cinder blocks, and while there, we were given more wool & cotton socks, and a tin apple basket I need to transfer to a friend in Cle Elum for use at the Grange crafts show. We went by Rite Aid to take advantage of a coupon and great price on Pepsi and Diet Pepsi cans and 2-liter bottles. I got some eye moisture drops for dry eyes on sale too. A few months ago we were in Rite Aid and they set us up with a rewards card of some sort. This time they wanted to change that to a new and better rewards card. Mostly useless stuff as far as we can see. Almost all these store-cards are a pain and simply fill one’s wallet with extra cards that never get used. The nice advantage is if you don’t have your card, you can give your telephone number. Needed to pick up meds from our pharmacy, so succeeded in that. From there off to CWU surplus, where we had put a bid (with my same lucky number involved) on a metal rolling cart. The minimum bid is 5 bucks so we bid $5.66, and won.

John says it was used in the library, and if you put weight on the shelf, it lowers and then comes up as you remove the weight. How does he know that previous use? (Because as he was moving it from the truck, a thin book fell out that had last been checked out in 2004). I think he was primarily interested in the wheels. But this is rather unique. Wonder what we can repurpose it as? John found similar wheels on the web – a set of 4 for $59.04.

Set of 4 wheels

However, the real surprise was this $809.95 beauty:

Depressible Book Truck

It is particle board (aka false wood) while the CWU surplus-sale one is steel. Nancy’s comment: We made a real steal. John says, do you suppose the new digital world makes it unnecessary to truck real books around?

From the surplus sale, we moved on to print my music for handing out tomorrow at the Food Bank and Thursday at the Kittitas Valley Fiddlers & Friends. Now I have to staple and arrange, but the hard work is done that would have taken me hours at home with my computer printer, collating, and 3-hole punching. In addition, I can copy/duplex much faster than on my printer.
We will meet Jim Gardner and Penny Codding at the Cottage Cafe in Cle Elum about 6:00. We determined it has been 42 years since he left Iowa (1973), and we have not seen him since. He and Penny were involved in a 4-day Photographic Workshop in the Palouse, and contacted us about meeting on their way back to Victoria, British Columbia. We look forward to their future trip to the Palouse during harvest. Nice visit and good meal. John and I had our normal favorites, Jim had a meatloaf platter, and Penny had a pot roast platter. I think it is something to consider the next time I go there. The guys had a Roslyn dark Lager and Penny had Chardonnay. I have to abstain because of being on the medication, Coumadin.

Here are the 3 of us, Jim Gardner, me and John taken on my camera by Penny. The wind was blowing hard and blew my bangs right up over my head.

Wednesday, June 24

For June 23 CPAP. Reported figures. 5 hrs 40 min with AHI=0.53 Events: 2 H, 1 CA. No major mask leaks (max=12 L/min); oximeter on, 9 hrs 8 min with an AHI = 0.33

Food Bank. Nothing exciting today but a very low number of volunteer servers, so one of our players joined to help serve; also was a smaller number of people being fed. Only Evelyn on Banjo and I on fiddle, played and sang. We had our fan club sitting at the front table. The food today was chicken casserole with broccoli and cheese sauce, a green salad, and chocolate frosted chocolate cake for dessert. On to SAIL for an hour. It was hot today.

For dinner we had leftovers from last night’s doggie bags. Added some fruit from our fridge: red grapes and Bing cherries.

Thursday, June 25

For June 24 CPAP. Reported figures. 8 hrs 34 min with AHI=0.93 Events: 8 H. No major mask leaks (max=18 L/min); oximeter on, 9 hrs 33 min, AHI =0.84

Got my July, August music all set up and ready to deliver today before we play at Hearthstone. There was some stapling, collating, and organizing with paper clips left to do with packets of 25 songs, printed back to back with 3 holes punched.

Today was a good turnout of audience and players. We had 6 guitars, a banjo, a fiddle, a tambourine, a bass fiddle, and a clarinet. Our repertoire started with patriotic songs, finished with U.S. songs, and we will be playing the first 13 songs next Thursday at the Adult Activity Center’s annual Fourth Celebration BBQ/potluck.

Because we expected high temperatures, John was up early to pick rocks and move them to the big-rock-hole. He watered plants and fed horses and by 11:30, with high sun and not much shade, he came in to fix a brunch. I had cleaned the counters and dishes, cooked bacon, cleaned cherries, and he made some pancakes to go with the leftover strawberries from last night, and fried eggs for us to go along with the meal. Now at 7:00 p.m., he returned to work in the shade. The temperature is 96° at the airport but only 90° on our front porch. We just fed Woody, the outside feral cat, and John left to drive the old truck to the front part of our property (where the fence busting logs and bulldozer stirred things up) to load more rocks. The big hole is slowly filling – a few hundred pounds at a time. We have a Crockpot meal cooking for later this evening, when he comes back.

Friday, June 26

For June 25 CPAP. Reported figures. 5 hrs 24 min with AHI=0.93 Events: 5 H. No major mask leaks (max=11 L/min); oximeter on, 7 hrs 49 min, AHI = 0.64

John left the house very early to pick strawberries (not many, because we have a bad crop this year, for unknown reasons – we think the buds froze). Then watered strawberries and the younger plum trees (with no fruit this year), and we will have no cherries or plums on the older trees either. Late freeze took care of that. The small bed of everbearing berries are starting to bloom again so we will still have small batches of fruit – just not a lot.
We were both dead tired today and took a 2-hr nap. I had had weird dreams last night and not slept well.

In addition, today’s temperatures were extremely high. Some folks in the Kittitas Valley had 105°, but we never saw it higher than 98.6° in the shade.

Saturday, June 27

For June 26 CPAP. Reported figures. 5 hrs 41 min with AHI=1.76 Events: 10H, 1 CSR. No major mask leaks (max=19 L/min).

John left for the White River at Mt. Rainier at 5:30 (car needs gasoline) for his trip. Oddly, the cheap price in Ellensburg is the same as the cheap prices in Yakima. He went to the same place as last Saturday, the Summer Land Trail near the White River at Mt. Rainier. Last week we had no photos, but below is a collage of John (in brown Carhartt work pants we got at the CWU Surplus sale for $1.00), with last week’s logs, cut, peeled, for use to make steps on the trail.

These trail-work trips start at the White River campground on the east side of the park.

White River Region – Mt. Rainier
{The Wikipedia site has a null or stub page that sometimes appears, so if that happens you can search or ignore.}

The work is on the SE side of Goat Island Mountain along Fryingpan Creek.

Where the rocks are!

There is better and more parking at the White River Campground so they go there, spread out the tools and do the safety and tool talk, then carpool to the Summer Land Trailhead. At about 2 miles up, the trail comes close to Fryingpan Creek where there are falls and cascades – and rocks – a very neat spot that almost no one ever sees. They need rocks for the trail work and so go with buckets and a heavy canvas-strap net. Big rocks anchor the ends of the log steps – note these on the left side of the photo on the right (above).
This week we have no pictures until mid-week from today’s work at the same trail. The principal job (but not the only one) was making a turnpike. Here is a photo of one under construction in northern WA. Logs, rocks, and mineral soil are the go-get items.

Trail turnpike during construction

I watered the Carpathian trees – 3 moves of the hose this morning and then once after I got home.

I went to Briarwood for Collette’s potluck memorial starting 12:30. I cleaned some of the cherries and took a platter of them along. Many people and lots of food. More people than chairs. Some of the residents left to give their chairs to family. I decided to stay for lunch, and to visit with some of the residents I have gotten to know over the years. On my way home, I went by Mountain High Sports to pick up John’s new bucket hat pictured in last week’s blog. That shop is located on the street where the Saturday Farmer’s Market sets up, so I could not drive to the front door. I skipped it on the trip into town, but managed to go back to within a block after my meeting was over. It was a block from my dentist’s office, where I parked, to get to the store, and the temperature was 107° (according to the airport), but my car was reading “only” 102°.

I was happy to get home, where the house a/c was turned on, but claimed it was 82 in the hall (it is supposed to come on if higher than 77° and reduce the temperature. I do not know why it hadn’t. I flipped the temperature down to 75 and it is cooling now. It is sitting at 76. Outside our front porch reads 98.8° (in the shade).

John called from the Yakima Bi-Mart store where he went to buy something salty.
I was hoping he would call sooner so I could take a nap. He realized the vitamin & mineral pill he’s been taking at lunch on trails does not have any sodium. He failed to take salt along this trip and will have to add another regular item to his backpack. But what are (the suggested) buffered salt tablets?

Sunday, June 28

Just before publishing this — the temperature reading on the front porch (in the shade) is 103.8; happy to be in the a/c house.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan