Many more meetings

Monday, June 15

For June14 CPAP. Reported figures. 5 hrs 30 min with AHI=1.45 Events:8 H. No major mask leaks (max=14 L/min); oximeter on, 8 hrs 53 min AHI =0.90

Our Internet was off and on all morning, went through troubleshooting at home, and then from Kansas City, from where a “ticket” was sent to Ellensburg. Technicians tried from the office here, but need to come check our house wiring and we don’t have time or access right now, so we’re limping along. We’re doing all right (hopefully no downs until this gets out on Sunday). Well, darn.. I should have kept my mouth shut. The Internet just disconnected at 9:47 on Father’s Day as I’m going through proofing this version, so, back to Monday for the parts I can do off line.

We were expecting delivery of the Pella Patio Door between 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. and they arrived a little after noon, today. I got pictures of the process. They couldn’t make it down the drive all the way because of the tall truck and walnut tree limbs, so we had them turnaround in our pasture and come back out the drive, headed out, and they backed just to the offending walnut tree .
PellaDeliveryTruck
2015 June Pella Door Delivery

Turning Truck Around

From Truck to 3-sided Shed

To make room for the delivery truck to get turned around we had to move the old pickup. After the unloading of the door, John went to get the truck and close the gate to the pasture. When he got to the truck he called me over. Pointing into the hay barn he said, “Look at the cart in there, it has ears!” Sure enough…it was one of the little deer, and it was the young buck. Later I got a photo of him across the driveway looking back over his rump.
Deer in shed
BuckLooksBack
We spent the morning and afternoon finishing the blog to publish late! Then I sent a note to the Buy nothing site asking about hats. For John: I would really appreciate receiving respones on cloth hats that cover the ears. John is out in the sun a lot. He has worn out a couple of hats and is looking for a new one. Maybe we need to go to a few yard sales. Store prices have gone up considerably so now he is even thinking of making his own.
Interestingly, Judith L B (to whom we shared a bunch of hens & chicks earlier), said she had one to share. Look below to Tuesday for the hat she gave John, and I picked it up on way home from our lunch meeting.

Tuesday, June 16

For June 15 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 8 min with AHI=0.00 Events: 0 H. No major mask leaks (max=18 L/min); oximeter on, 7 hrs AHI = 0.00

John left at 8:00 for an 8:30 appt with the EBRG canopy store. Our friend from southern Idaho was planning to stop by for lunch.. Suzanne called at 9:15 and at 9:45 was 21 miles from George. She will be at Super One at 11:00. I tried calling John, but the metal building hides cell service, so I couldn’t contact him. I called the business to leave a message for him to call me so he had to walk outside and find a spot to get a connection. He agreed to not come home, so just drove across town, and I drove in from the north. He got there before me. I was next, and Suzanne made it in, a couple minutes before 11:00. We visited a long while before getting something to eat, but I got John a piece of meat lover’s pizza, and Suzanne and I each got a prime rib sandwich with a side of macaroni salad or potato salad. They were so generous with the salad, that I asked if I could have a mixture, half of each one. There was plenty, and they gave me extra meat, so I cut my sandwich in half and shared with John, along with my salads. We had a very nice visit (kind of cool in strong air-conditioning so that going outside in the hot sun felt good).
Suzanne&Nancy
Suzanne Scripter, my friend since 1974 in Moscow, ID, now lives in southern Idaho, and was willing to stop to pick up my award from my donation to the Idaho Open Fiddle Contest, and bring it to me on her way across WA. John and I met her in town for lunch and a great catch-up visit. It’s been almost 5 years since we last saw her. The case I’m holding is a Bobeluck, lined with velvet and has a velvet silk cover for covering the violin. There’s room for 4 bows. I own 3 now. My oldest is not in good shape, but I carry it anyway. The case has Hygrometer and a Humistat, and a string tube, which I found out from Bobbie Pearce (my teacher for 22 summers), who informed me of the donation, says it is for gut strings.

BOBELOCK 6002 Puffy Sport Oblong Suspension Violin Case
Bobelock 6002 'Puffy Sport' Oblong Violin Case
Its features include the colorful (mine is green, not pink) insulated washable cover; arched top for protection of the violin; 4 bow holders; a bed suspension system that keeps the violin stable without pressure to any parts of the instrument, String tube, blanket (silk on the violin side and tan velvet on the other; Hygrometer, Humistat; Shoulder Straps, and is size 4/4 (for a full-size violin). The case has a protective padded and insulated cover, to which the washable green cover is added. Needless to say, I’m extremely happy with my new acquisition.

On my way home I stopped at Judith’s house to pick up the great hat she gave to John to keep the sun off his ears and neck. John says it is a hat used for high alpine hiking, thus the rear sun-scarf. He modeled it below so I could write a thank you on the list to the giver and include a photo.
Twin-Hats

I went back in to Royal Vista to play and sing with The Connections. Only 3 of us were able to be there tonight, two other singers, and me on the fiddle, the sole instrument of the night. I managed to be heard with my new bow. I had rosined it this afternoon and started with it, figuring I could change to another if it didn’t work. It was fantastic. I certainly do like it and the case is very nice too. It is a little heavier than my old one, but will protect my violin and my bows much better I am sure. I think with the hygrometer and the insulation I won’t have the problem of heat and coolness changing the string notes. I no longer have to wrap it in a coat during cold evenings in the house, or warm times in the car. Yet, I still will carry inside with me and not leave in an automobile in the sun.

Wednesday, June 17

For June 16 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 31 min with AHI=0.77 Events: 5 H. No major mask leaks (max=18 L/min); oximeter on, 6 hrs 39 min AHI = 0.75

Whoopee — I contacted Coda Bow folks about my new one and they explained how to find the serial number (it is under the frog); they then can track it, and I can get it registered for the lifetime warranty. John was a big help to me holding it and reading the # after I loosened the horsehair on the bow.

I headed out at 11:00 a.m. for the Food Bank. We only had 4 of us there today, and no extra singers. From there to SAIL exercise, by way of Mountain High Sports looking for another hat for John, using my $20 coupon I won at a donation for cancer bingo game. He wants a Bucket Hat. I did not find what I thought he wanted, so I got the salesman to send me an email with links to possibly hats they could order for what John wanted. More about that below on Thursday. Then by Royal Vista again today, to play music and sing with Karen Eslinger, she on the accordion. Again, with my new bow, I could be heard over the loud accordion.

Came home to the good news my Coda bow is registered, and they sent me a user manual about it.

Thursday, June 18

For June 17 CPAP. Reported figures. 8 hrs 6 min with AHI=0.25 Events: 2 H. No major mask leaks (max=21 L/min); something failed on data input.

For our performance today at Dry Creek (now called Brookdale), I requested a set up for 8, but one person we expected did not show. We did all right with 2 guitars, a banjo, fiddle, tambourine, clarinet, and a singer. Our fan club of residents were all lined up on the front row singing and joking with us. A few more people were scattered about the room, and all had lyrics to follow along on.

On our way back from town, we made a stop at the Mountain High Sports store and ordered this hat for John.
PatagoniaParadiseFishTurkishRedBucketHat
The Patagonia Bucket Hat, named Paradise Fish & Turkish Red. He’ll stand out in a crowd !

I sent another request to the Buy Nothing site, as follows: I would love to request a carrying bag made from canvas or some heavy cloth to hold a camera tripod gifted to me. It needs to be 24″ x 5″. I carry it with me for special events to use the video on my camera to record neat things for people, and put on You tube where they can obtain it. Thanks for anything, and if such doesn’t exist through this group, then if anyone has any upholstery material, perhaps I can have my friend sew me one. She shares her gift of creation of musical-material shirts with me THANKS in advance. 🙂

Haven’t picked one up yet but two people offered the carrier for a fold-up lawn chair.

Friday, June 19

For June 18 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 37 min with AHI=0.39 Events: 3 H, 1 CSR No major mask leaks (max=9 L/min); oximeter on, 8 hrs 41 min AHI = 0.35

Surprise visit from Suzanne on her way back to Idaho. We’ll meet her for lunch again and a visit. Good meal of fish & chips for the two of us, and John had a Moose burger with fries. Good food.
SuzanneJohnNancyAtThePorch6-19-15
There we are Suzanne, John, & Nancy at The Porch (new Ellensburg restaurant).

I’ve been working on the blog alternately with dishes, feeding, and cuddling animals. Then John came in and set the alarm to have me come down into the lower pasture to see the procedure for letting the horses out tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. when they are expecting it and he is on his way back from Mt. Rainier.

Late evening, John picked the strawberries and then watered them. I sorted thru and picked the best to clean and put in pie plates to take with me tomorrow for the potluck after we play music at Briarwood Commons (retirement village). We are short people tomorrow, but have some interesting people coming.

Saturday, June 20

For June 19 CPAP. Reported figures. 5 hrs 23 min with AHI=0.54 Events: 3 H. No major mask leaks (max=7 L/min).

At 11:00 a.m., I need to take off for town to meet my friend Trudy from Moses Lake at Memorial Park. She’s coming to walk in the parade of Dachshunds, an annual affair.
TrudyWithTopdog&Flash
Topdog, Trudy, and Flash his father. We met after the Dachshund parade, visiting for almost 2 hours. We enjoyed playing with the dogs too. Unfortunately, I broke the leg on my fold up lawn chair and spent most of our visit standing. I had fun watching Flash take the lead on the leash attached to Topdog and leading him all around.
Two dogs
FLASH, walking his son. This would have been a hit in the city parade…except she had 3 dogs on one lead. .

At Briarwood today, we wished Megan and Benj bon voyage to Texas.  We have truly enjoyed having them participate in the group, with Megan on the Bass Fiddle and Benj on the violin. It was fun to see how much their little 1/2 year old son loves music.  No surprise.

Here we are:  (no guitars present, which would have helped the beat considerably). although very nice to have the bass and have Barb chording and running arpeggios.
Today, Barb Riley joined us — she is the teacher of a baby’s music class which Benj has been taking Lev to for most of Lev’s life.  See below for some cute videos.   Here our group is.
MeganLevBarbBenjNancyAnneEllen
Then, a photo of a Briarwood resident, Margo, Lev and Megan
MargoLevMegan-1
The video associated with the above picture is noted below, but it is best to watch it without the sound:

Margo Dancing and Lev Enjoying
. . . and after the music — Lev was ready to nurse, but this is really cute.

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

Lev&Megan

On to Briarwood where we’re having our normal meeting with the group but it is a going-away for our newest bass player and her hubby a violinist.

On my way home, after eating a nice meal the residents fixed for us, I went by the northwest side of town to get some Bing cherries for $2/pound, handpicked by young people from one of the churches in town. I bought $5 worth, which was actually 7#, so they were really only 71 cents/pound. What a deal!

John returned from his long day’s trip to the Summer Land Trail at Mt. Rainier, up from Fryingpan Creek. Much time was spent finding appropriate downed trees. In this forest the best is Yellow Cedar about 8 to 10 inches in diameter. It is slow to rot. However, we only use downed trees and many of those are too old to be of use. Lengths of over 8 feet were needed, limbs removed, and bark peeled off. It is all about water management. Steps slow the water as it runs down the trail and drains get the water off, thus reducing erosion and wear. The image at the link below shows the idea, but it is from the web and not WTA’s work.
Steps in a trail -someplace

Sunday, June 21 HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!!

For June 20 CPAP. Reported figures. 5 hrs 30 min with AHI=0.91 Events: 4 H, 1 CSR.. No major mask leaks (max=11 L/min); oximeter on, x hrs xx min AHI = 0.xx

We are trying to get this blog out today, but it’s not looking possible without an internet connection. It bounced on and off but now is off. Will try resetting the modem. Our trouble-shooting software shows the issue is outside the house but we don’t know if that is true or not.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

ANOTHER BUSY WEEK OF CELEBRATIONS

Saturday, June 6

For June 5 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 26 min with AHI = 0.47 Events: 1 CSR, 1H 1OA. No major mask leaks (max=20 L/min).

We were busy in the afternoon attending the end of the year Geography Department Potluck with grilled burgers and hot-dogs, where scholarship awards are distributed. We had a nice visit with many people, and I took a few photos and videos, but I’m only including 4 short videos. The first link is to Trinity Turner, who is the daughter of a music friend, Muriel Turner. I have know Muriel for 2 decades from our summer workshop at WA Old Time fiddlers. The other two are the recipients of a scholarship John and I support each year. It’s interesting that Trinity introduced me to Hannah Hobbs last year, and I have also gotten to know her through her membership in the NW Geography Jobs list serve, I moderate. Many of the students at the party are on the jobs list, and I have gotten to know their names, but they were not students while I was teaching until November of ’09. I retired April 1, 2010.

Brooks Shaw Geography Award-Trinity Turner, 2015

Hultquist Geography Service Award – Hannah Hobbs, 2015

Here we are before the festivities and awards began–Nancy with Hannah Hobbs.
Nancy&HannahHobbs2015HultquistAward
I’m wearing the new musical-themed shirt Ellen made for me, and the pin is the 50-year one given to me for membership in the Association of American Geographers since 1965 (also the year John and I met in Cincinnati).

Hultquist Geography Service Award – Dusty Pinkleton, 2015

HND
Above: . . . . . Hannah, Nancy, Dusty

We had a nice meal and visits with many people from our past. The winner of the farthest traveler to the party goes to the married couple, Joseph & Gillian Stoltman. Joe was a student in the department in the early 1960s. He went on to be a notable Geographer in the nation, teaching, researching, and doing administrative work in Geography in Michigan. In 2012, Joe and his wife donated a $100,000 endowment to CWU with an emphasis on Geography in honor of his old professors who molded his academic life. He was an Ellensburg boy from a cattle ranching family. Next is the video of his award being presented with some shots of him and his wife.

Stoltman Award-Christopher J. Clarke, Brianna McCuiston, 2015

Here are the Stoltmans with their award winners:
Stoltmans
Sunday, June 7

For June 6 CPAP. Reported figures. 9 hrs 54 min with AHI=0.10 Events: 1H. No major mask leaks (max=12 L/min).

John left early for Martin Creek Connector Trail over Stevens Pass. The dogs are out front awaiting him 12 hrs. later. I’m in the air-conditioned house alternately working on various chores.

I received the fantastic news on Facebook after noon today, that yesterday I won two raffle ticket prizes, for my donation (tax deductible) to the Idaho Open Fiddle Contest, while we were enjoying the end-of-year Geography get-together. This win is unbelievable. The prize was a Coda violin bow worth $1,500, and a nice lined case. I will be able to pick it up in Moses Lake when the Washington Old Time Fiddlers meet in Moses Lake for the summer workshop. I cannot attend the full week this year, but I can go over for a day to pick it up.

Monday, June 8

For June 7 CPAP. Reported figures. 5 hrs 27 min with AHI=0.18 Events:1 H, 1CSR. No major mask leaks (max=8 L/min); oximeter on, 7 hrs 44 min AHI = 0.13

Trip to Dr. Cardon with John for our toenail care. Our next is 3 months away. Haircut at 2:00 at Celia’s, a mile away; next will be 7/20.
Late tonight we made chocolate chip cookie dough {“Toll House”}(minus brown sugar we did not have), and put into a large sheet from which to cut squares. Some of these we will take to our Emeriti Geography Faculty meeting in the morning.

Tuesday, June 9

For June 8 CPAP. Reported figures. 1/2 hour only, because the noise, comfort and air leakage to too bothersome to stay on the CPAP. I turned it off and left my Oximeter running for 7 hrs 53 min.

Our meeting was well attended, with five faculty members and their spouses. Our “Toll House” efforts were a perfect match to go with their coffee and with fresh strawberries from another member’s garden. All the guys brought their wives. John actually was a part-time Geography faculty member for 11 years, so he tags along.

From there we drove by the EBRG Chamber of Commerce for me to deliver an old cake pan to a gal who loves Angel Food cake. The topic came up on the Buy Nothing Ellensburg site and she mentioned she did not have such a pan. We have had this for years and it never gets used. I offered it to her.
AngelFoodCakePan
On home, to receive a phone call on my cell, an accidental dial of the last two digits of a number, very close to mine. My cell is 0504 and she was supposed to be dialing 0540. She called about the weight of 4000# of hay, and I had no clue what she was talking about. It was on my cell phone which gets no reception in the back end of our house where I was sitting. I asked her to call me back on my land line, but she didn’t. I figured it must have been a wrong dial, but just out of curiosity, I called the number once in town. It is a small world. After talking a few minutes (she was driving a hay truck near Royal City), we realized I knew her mother (Myrna Schwab) — this was her daughter Lance who works as a driver delivering hay for Stone Wings II and Number 9 Hay (brokers in the Kittitas Valley). She was over near the Royal Slope in the Columbia Basin. I met her mom in 2010 when I was fresh out of rehab trying to build my muscles to get by without a walker. We were both paying $25 for 45 minutes of physical therapy we could do at home, or elsewhere for a lot less. She told me about the SAIL exercise class at the Adult Activity Center. At that time it was $3.00/quarter, for 3 days / week for an hour. What a deal! I had lost track of her because she quit coming to the AAC, and last news we had was that she was not doing well. She recovered and moved to Colville. Now on my cell phone is a message from her daughter with her phone number, so soon, I hope to find the time to give her a call.

I went to town for Jazzercize class. It went all right but I tired myself and need to rest. The session certainly increases our heart rates.

I went back to town to play music at Hearthstone at 6:30. Only a pianist and I were there, plus two other singers. I sing the old anthems and play my fiddle. Our piano players are good singers, but don’t sing while they play. John went to get another load of 2-liter Coca Cola for the special price of $1.25/bottle. Now we are stocked for awhile. The price is 33¢ less than the current house brand – go figure.

Wednesday, June 10

For June 9 CPAP. Reported figures. 8 hrs 1 min with AHI=0.37 Events: 3 H. No major mask leaks (max=14 L/min); oximeter on, 8 hrs 20 min AHI = 0.36

Good night’s sleep on the CPAP, after such a miserable night last night.

Bless John’s heart for rolling the leftover chocolate chip cookie dough into cylinders and freezing for use later. I had no energy left last night or this morning to cook them. Further, temps have been high and there seems to be little need to have the oven and the air conditioner on simultaneously. Well, unless we feel the need for a cookie!
Off to Food Bank and SAIL and hopefully by Grocery Outlet on way home for salsa and dog food. Yes, on all of the above.

Winds have gusted to 40 mph the past two hours, and this Red warning is in effect:
Red Flag Warning
URGENT – FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KOTX
247 PM PDT WED JUN 10 2015

…DRY AND BREEZY THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING…

BREEZY WINDS IN THE KITTITAS VALLEY…WENATCHEE VALLEY…AND OVER THE WATERVILLE PLATEAU…COMBINED WITH LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY WILL RESULT IN THE POTENTIAL FOR RAPID FIRE SPREAD WITH ANY NEW FIRE STARTS. STRONGEST WINDS WITH RELATIVE HUMIDITY AT CRITICAL LEVELS IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 100 PM AND 800 PM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON.

Just now a wind gust went to 44 mph.

Food Bank was good and the whole family of one of our players / singers, came and sat at the table in front of us. His oldest 3 yr old grandson knew and sang all the words to the chorus of Buffalo Gals (5 times after each verse). It was so cute.

The Internet was down most of the day, hampering my tasks a lot.

Thursday, June 11

For June 10 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 25 min with AHI=0.16 Events: 1 H. No major mask leaks (max=17 L/min); oximeter on, 7 hrs 42 min AHI = 0.13

Tried to do some household chores before leaving for the afternoon. Succeeded somewhat. Then left for music at the newly named, Meadows Place, behind the Rehab where I stayed in 2010 to learn to walk again. We had a good turnout, even with some folks being out of town. 4 guitars (actually Laura switched and played her guitar, her violin, and her mandolin) — what a talented gal. We also had a banjo, fiddle, viola, and clarinet.

After playing 22 songs, we went around the building and played for our old Honky Tonk Piano player friend, who was confined to his room (he has COPD). He’s the one that loves playing and singing You Are My Sunshine. Four of us went to his room, and crowded around him, an aide, and the activities director, and sang. My old roommate from the Rehab center (now a resident here) was listening from the hall. Her name is Mae Opperman, and she was my inspiration when I first arrived and couldn’t do anything. She said she was like that, and that I would get better. Her favorite song is the same song. She was in a wheel chair today and being pushed by a sweet 90-yr old named Ruth, who knows every song we sing, and doesn’t have to look at the lyrics on most of them. She loves singing and said she grew up singing around a pump organ with her sisters.

We had a good dinner of leftovers from turkey thighs cooked in a Crockpot yesterday with carrots, tomatoes, and mushrooms, and tonight we added some gold potatoes to the stew.

Friday, June 12

For June 11 CPAP. Reported figures. 4 hrs 44 min with AHI=0.85 Events: 4 H. No major mask leaks (max=19 L/min).

I took off this morning for a thesis defense of a student from long ago, who was actually my teaching assistant. I no longer remember the year, and I no longer have access to the student or class records at CWU. She is a Native American, and her topic was: Washington’s Fish Consumption Rate and Water Quality Standards Fostering Allies to Keep Our Seafood Clean. She gave a very nice presentation and answered the audience’s questions very professionally.

A request came across the Buy Nothing site for empty plastic bottles with caps for a City Library project. I gathered and cleaned the accumulated dust off a bunch — more than half of the 40 needed, and carried a bag today to the library, and then came home and found more that John had packaged, and we delivered them Saturday on our way through town.

John picked more strawberries and I cleaned them. We do have strawberries but only a fraction of last year’s number. A late frost got lots of things just budding out, including the flowers on the Lilac. Tomatoes and summer squash are doing nicely – all had to be obtained after frost killed the first ones, still in their pots.

Saturday, June 13

For June 12 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 52 min with AHI = 2.33 Events: 3 CSR, 1 CA, 14 H, 1 OA.. No major mask leaks (max=14 L/min). Oximeter on for 2 more hours, but I forgot to register the AHI afterwards.

Our day was filled with John on outside chores, watering, picking strawberries, and my cleaning them to carry to a party. I also cleaned and made tiny bunches of red grapes from a couple of large clusters I bought last evening.

Late afternoon we went back to town, by a house to pick up 3 cinder blocks, and on for gasoline for John’s car. Price was up to $2.91/gal. We dropped off more plastic bottles at the City Library, and proceed across the Yakima River southwest to the party, carrying hamburgers for the grill, red grapes cut into small clusters, and a platter of fresh strawberries. The honored graduate of the Resource Management program (member of the N. Cheyenne Tribe of SE Montana), gave beautiful Pendleton blankets to her committee members and two members who were previously on her committee before retiring. I’m sorry I was not, but I did help with proofing her thesis writing this year and I taught her GIS in 2008, so she brought me a lovely mug with a painting on the side of an Indian Blanket, and a beaded pen. We all visited under the gazebo in another former student’s backyard, and classmate of Adriann’s, Jennifer Hackett, who hosted the party with her hubby, Ted.
AdriannKillsnight&Nancy
Above: . . . . . . . Adriann Killsnight and Nancy

Adriann has a beaded Wildcat (CWU Mascot) medallion, made for her by her friend on the Res. She also had on wildcat earrings, but they cannot be seen in the photo.

Another surprise was seeing yet another student from my past, David Borkowski, who also had a class from John and me (taught jointly) about 10 years ago, Wine: A Geographical Appreciation. He was in Adriann’s graduate cohort. He had gone to the farmer’s market in EBRG that morning to get something for the party. He bought fresh asparagus to bring for the grill. Boy, was that great. As he walked in, he saw me, gave me a hug, and said he had a gift for me out in the car. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a card — Gary Cox, Cox Canyon Vineyards, who Dave recognized as having been with in our Wine class together, and now Gary has his own booth at the Saturday Farmer’s Market for his own winery. They were reminiscing about the class, and Dave said he expected to see me this afternoon at a graduation party he was attending. Being the good salesman, Gary talked him into buying a bottle of wine to bring us. He also told him to be sure to tell us they wanted us to come down to their home (and vineyard) to visit. Their operation is about 5 miles down the Yakima Canyon Road, so about 20 miles from us. Their vineyard is about 4 acres, and perhaps they are bottling wine there now. Dave came back and presented me the bottle (see below).
Riesling_Gary_Cox

Sunday, June 14

For June 13 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 34 min with AHI=1.68 Events : 3 CSR, 1 CA, 10 H. No major mask leaks (max=16 L/min); oximeter on,8 hrs 24 min AHI = 1.31

John took off for his field trip (Geology of the I-90 Corridor over Snoqualmie Pass), with his camera, lunch, and hiking boots for the two hikes I could not manage. I stayed home. Longest in line waiting on my “to do list” just went off in an email to New Zealand, a letter of recommendation for a former student for entering a Ph.D. program there. I organized my meds in a container for the morning and evenings of each day for the week and started the dishwasher.

I alternated between chores all day, including fixing strawberries, working on the blog, feeding animals, taking data from the CPAP and Oximeter, and I spent over an hour working off and on with strawberries. Tonight after John arrived home, we put about 36 ounces into the freezer, in small packages.

At one point I came over to sit and rest and change chores to ones on the computer and found our mail from yesterday unopened. Okay, I’m glad I opened it and read it. It was a cancellation notice for our house insurance not being paid (that is done through escrow in our Mortgage through our bank that recently switched ownership. Until this, everything with the switch has been seamless. This afternoon I scanned the notice and emailed as an attachment to both my banker and my insurance agent.

John did not have to drive on the field trip, but rode in one of 3 vans the group took, but still, about half the folks went in cars. He took some photos and showed me tonight, but we figured nothing was spectacular enough to warrant putting them in the blog. He needs a filter for far distant landscape photos. A description of the problem is at this link: Haze Issue

We do not have Photoshop but do have GIMP and an old PaintShop. Maybe later he will try these to get at the haze issue.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Placeholder note

We’ve been busy and John is going on a field trip with local geologist Nick Z and about 40 other folks. Thus, Nancy’s blog will be up late Sunday or even Monday.
Nick’s latest video (almost 19 minutes) is linked below:

Snoqualmie Pass in the Cascade Range

On the news front, Hillary and several dozen others have started talking. Of interest, on this date – June 14,1922 – President Warren G. Harding spoke on live-radio, the first politician, but not the last, to encourage ever greater waste of time by American citizens. Well, someone or more have to listen – do they not? Maybe you!

Cheers,
John & Nancy

This week comes Summer:

Meteorological Versus Astronomical Summer

Sunday, May 31

For May 30 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 4 min with AHI = 0.16 Events: 1 H, 1 CSR. No major mask leaks (max=21 L/min). After SpO2 oximetry data added, AHI=0.14 and oximeter was on for 7 hrs 11 min.

We took care of a few things (John watered the plum trees), and then we left for Costco. We spent lots of money — $358.02, and $23.64 was tax! No tax on food items, but we also bought some stuff that is taxable. John wanted another item for his to-do list, and ceiling fans with lights were on sale —
See: Hunter-Granville

… and he bought two. I needed to stock up on eye drops (Moisture tears), and they were $3 off a pkg. We needed some new scissors and the pack of 3 (Scotch brand Titanium) was about the same price as a single in EBRG.
We made it home and now are resting. John’s round trip to a WTA work site amounted to over 4 hours of driving yesterday, so, I drove both ways today. We didn’t get to talk to John’s sister, as we often do on our way to or from Yakima.

Dinner across the street. Friend/neighbor, Klaus, is back from Laos until September when he returns. It was fun hearing all his stories.

Monday, June 1

For May 31 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 9 min with AHI = 1.82 Events: 3 CSR, 12 H. No major mask leaks (max=21 L/min). After SpO2 oximetry data added, AHI=1.52 and oximeter was on for 8x hrs 33 min. I don’t know what was going on. Most events happened in the last hour & 20 min. And, before awaking at 3:00 a.m., and turning off the machine to get up, my AHI was 0.13, with 1H. Must have been the full moon.

Home today to figure out the tax penalty-lowering request, and to clean up more boxes of stuff. Going slowly, but I remembered to take that important donation to the mailbox for the Idaho Open Fiddle Contest, tax deductible, with some great raffle prizes. My fiddle’s carrying case is on its last legs. Strapping or duct tape is next, but will wait to see if I’m lucky and win the nice padded full sized violin case. My suitcase strap was too large to tie around it. Maybe a bungee cord, but better to donate and hope to win the raffle this Saturday! It’s going to a good tax-deductible cause, regardless.

Nice walk with John to the mailbox, a visit by the strawberry patch on the return trip, and to see a new section of fencing he finished allowing the horses around the pole barn to trim the grass. He will pick strawberries later. If I want a break, I could use my new (free) garden gloves, and help pick, but only after I make some progress on this tax penalty situation. Soon will be our brunch of leftover bacon and omelet.

I’ve been busy mostly talking to folks and trying to review my tax situation to make a logical appeal for a reduction in my penalty. This involves being on HOLD for 40 minutes 4 different times in different locations. I did have a good conversation and result with an IRS agent from the famous Cincinnati Office of the IRS. (Cincy is where Lois Lerner worked.)

Tuesday, June 2

For June 1 CPAP. Reported figures. 4 hrs 18 min with AHI = 0.70 Events: 3 H. No major mask leaks (max=19 L/min).

Rascal awoke me at 5:00 a.m. with a live bird brought to my side. He released it, and he and I chased it through the house. Finally, I caught it when it flew from the top of a door frame into the wall and fell into a pile of clothes. I carried it outside and put in a cushion of grass. It was pretty dazed. I went out 5 minutes later, and it flew into the Mountain Ash tree, so I suspect it will have a little longer life than if I had not interceded. I left out some of the details of the several captures by Rascal in the process.

I was on the phone since before noon, and now at 1:21, I’m still on the phone waiting for maybe another 1/2 hour, to talk to the Balance Due department of the IRS. I just finished going through a penalty abatement process, which was permitted because of our good record. The very good news is my efforts have been rewarded by a one-time forgiveness for the penalty-to-file “parts”. That decision saved us $1,961.56 and was worth the wait and the time researching and presenting my case.

We owe $ 236.50, which is the interest that accrued on the unpaid taxes (I didn’t know I owed), and which I paid when I found out (to the tune of $6,900). I can send it tomorrow and we will be okay with getting it paid before the June 22 deadline when more interest and penalties would occur. It only has to go to Cincinnati, OH, and should be able to get there in plenty of time. It made it to Cincy Friday night, will be delivered today, but they likely won’t be back to work until Monday. I am glad I was not traveling outside the country, and therefore did not miss the message that was delivered May 27.

I did not go to Jazzercise today because I was still on the phone when I should have been leaving, and we had not eaten lunch yet. I did tell my teacher and one person in my class. Thanks for email connections.

Before I got on with the IRS wait line, I broke off a tooth tip – 2 to the right of my front upper largest middle teeth (my eyetooth), chewing a piece of toast (not tough bread at all – but French Bread with a soft crust). I had a call into the dentist for an appt, and finally made a second call and got the only appt before next Monday, at 8:30 a.m. tomorrow morning – on one of our busiest days, but at least John can go along with me and get his new eyeglass lenses. After we make a few stops, I will return him home, and then go back for music at the Food Bank Soup Kitchen and SAIL exercise. John mentioned last week finding a white granite rock on the trail.
#75GraniteRock-DirtyHarry'sTrail-I-90
We drove by Lind Hall (where my CWU era started in 1988) and took the granitic rock to Nick Z. We now think the rock is from the main core of the Cascades but had been moved miles west by a valley glacier.

Be sure to follow this link for the story: Snoqualmie Pass in the Cascade Range

Go in to 7 minutes to see the rock description, but watching the complete video is recommended.

Then from my still active mail slot in Dean Hall, we picked up a small cat’s paw nail-puller left by a retiring/moving colleague. And, I put a new W4 form in to withhold taxes from my retirement funds payback from CWU in intra-office mail, and two other things. I plan to mail the IRS check to Cincinnati via the USPS. I have another academic letter of recommendation to write, but luckily, I can email it. Retired 5 years now and still have such requests.

Wonderful news about Cinder the bear you remember from the Carlton Complex Fire and her going to Lake Tahoe to be treated by our friends, Kevin the vet, and Sonja, our original friend in Idaho.

Cinder One

… and the follow-up came on Wednesday, but I’ll put it here. This is the better of the two, showing the release, and our friend (the vet in S. Lake Tahoe, who treated Cinder), is shown below.

Cinder Two

Wednesday, June 3

For June 2 CPAP. Reported figures. 5 hrs 38 min with AHI = 1.24 Events: 6 H, 2 CSR, 1OA. No major mask leaks (max=13 L/min). After SpO2 oximetry data added, AHI=0.87, and oximeter was on for 8 hrs 5 min.

Arrived at dentist and tooth is fixed temporarily, but looks good with porcelain filler used on teeth, not the usual white temporary faster fix. I will go back for a better build-up, and hope it holds so I don’t have to have a crown. I don’t like them, or the cost (even with insurance). My tooth feels fine, and no longer is rough on my tongue and cheek. From there we went for John’s eyeglass lenses and the office was closed for training. Why didn’t they tell me that when they called, or why didn’t I think to call first, is unknown. On back to the post office where I sent a certified ($3.45) letter to the IRS with my payment mentioned yesterday. I can track it, but it is due in Cincinnati, OH on Saturday, when the office isn’t open, so Monday will still be in plenty of time.

With all the excitement, I forgot to go for my INR today. Perhaps tomorrow. Bummer. The bummer is that we are playing only 9 miles from my house, and have to drive an extra few miles to get to the hospital. As things go, John will need to fill his car with gasoline for his Friday and Sunday trips to work on trail. Right now the price is cheaper in Ellensburg, than in any of the cities he goes near or through on his way to the trails. Lowest here is $2.799/gal. Yakima is $2.739, but not worth the 47-mile drive one way. Sunday he will go through Leavenworth (tourist town) and the only low gas is at Safeway with a discount coupon via buying $50 of groceries.

I finished all the music corrections on 5 songs to take with me tomorrow.

Thursday, June 4

For June 3 CPAP. Reported figures.7 hrs 23 min with AHI = 2.03 Events: 15 H, 4 CSr. No major mask leaks (max=17 L/min). After SpO2 oximetry data added, AHI=1.30, and oximeter was on for 9 hrs 1 min.

I play music at Royal Vista, so John dropped me off so he could go get gasoline, and by Bi-Mart [markets in 2 states, thus, Bi-Mart] to look for some grout. He got back to pick me up at 3:00, but we didn’t get done until after. Then I had to wait for a hand off of my newest musical shirt made by Ellen for me (our clarinet player). This is a beautiful print to add to my collection. She makes it for me for free (probably to repay me for transposing her music into a key she can play for the B. Flat clarinet). She finds the material, buys it, and I give her $20 for the cost of the cloth.
MusicalShirtByEllenFischerForNancy-2
The shirts are 100% cotton and short-sleeved. She has created me a very nice collection. I will wear this Saturday for the festivities at Geography’s end of year BBQ party and student awards announcements.

From there we went to the hospital for me to get my blood drawn for my INR that I forgot to get yesterday, and pick up meds. We went to Super One and got the meds, and then shopped for sandwiches for John to take on his trail work tomorrow and Sunday (two different places). Also grabbed a couple of microwave pre-package dinners – we are rushed because of going to hear a lecture on Rock Glaciers in the area, 7:00 p.m. and we won’t likely make it home until 9:00 or a little after.
On our way home we stopped and picked up the two free 5-gallon buckets (with tops), from a gal close to the end (start) of our road, about 7.6 miles south.

Added another song to my packet to take along today – Leaves – as a request from a resident, because it is not in our usual fare for May / June.

Tonight is Ice Age Floods (IAF); take $20 check for KAS (Kittitas Audubon Society) to Tuck Forsythe who handles dues for both groups. He wasn’t there, so I shall mail it to him. Lectures resume in September. Karl Lillquist talked on rock glaciers of the Cascades.

We finally dropped off the found bound Audubon book of 1971 magazines, for a donation to our local Audubon Society’s next meeting. They put such things on the stage of the meeting room, and encourage anyone interested to take it and donate something to the club in return.

Friday, June 5

For June 4 CPAP. Reported figures. 5 hrs 48 min with AHI = 1.04 Events: 2CSR, 6H. No major mask leaks (max=13 L/min). After SpO2 oximetry data added, AHI=0.72, and oximeter was on for 8 hrs 48 min.

John left about 5:00 for breakfast at a truck stop with WTA crew leaders before today’s trail work on Dirty Harry’s Trail; others going to a different trail a few miles east. I called and fed Woody her morning vittles. My doctor’s nurse called to report my INR=2.6 – right where it is supposed to be. Good.
Now to tackle the in-house projects of the day and check the outside temp so I can close the windows to preserve the cool house. Maybe I should do that right away.

I need to write a letter of recommendation for Utsab Bhattarai (a former student, from Nepal, for a Ph. D. program in New Zealand). I finally started and am alternating with dishes and clothes, because if I don’t set an alarm, I keep working on the same project and it lasts all day, and nothing on the others gets done.

Must clean, cut, and sugar strawberries for our dinner tonight. John picked yesterday. That fixing didn’t happen until after John got home – a bit early. The volunteers were a very diverse group in a physical-shape sense. All were from an internet gaming development company with about 250 employees – DoubleDown Interactive Group. {In that sense, they are all very bright folks.} The trail project is to make a path across a very old scree (rock) slope. One of John’s mates was lifting 80 pound rocks with ease – still at 2 PM. Others were worn out. Time, then, for cold drinks and a snack.

The dishes collected for a couple of days, but the dishwasher was finishing as John arrived. I also managed to complete one load of clothes; a necessity because we both need clean underwear.

I think I figured out the problem with the Down By the Old Mill I took Thursday. It was the wrong copy. I also have a correct copy for Evelyn of I’ll be All Smiles Tonight. I carried all to the others, but thought she had the revised copy we worked on Wed. She didn’t.

Here is the photo of John on the saw at an old log on his last WTA trip. With crosscut saw work the letters WTA mean “We Talk Alot” – then the actual sawing gets passed from person to person – note the 2 others in line. Meanwhile, others might be preparing the next place for cutting.
JohnDoingCuttingBigTreeOverTrail

Saturday, June 6

This afternoon is our end of year Geography party, mentioned earlier (I think), but this day will have to go in next week’s blog. The temperature is warm this weekend, but the party is in a location with lots of shade.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Colors for Memorial Day

Sunday, May 24

For May 23 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 29 min with AHI = 0.80 Events: 6H, 1CSR. No major mask leaks (max=20 L/min).

Took pictures of our Iris and managed to get all my data downloaded. Got the dishes in the dishwasher, and we posted the blog, BUT, I did not manage to change the A and D strings (violin); strangs on my fiddle. Actually, I replaced the worst one, A, that was unraveling and cutting my finger. The D has had a separation for a year, but it seemed appropriate to do them at the same time before it turned into the dangerous mess as the other. I failed. The end on the string did not want to stay on the fine-tuner at the bottom, even though I had it threaded through and around the peg to tighten it.

Wrote an email to Bryce van Parys with Hammond Ashley, and he called me from Sunnyside, and told me he would meet me at Bar 14 parking lot (I-90 and Main St) at 6:20. I got there, (12 miles away from home), and only had to wait 10 minutes. Using workspace in the back of his van, he checked my work, adjusted the fine tuners, and rapidly made them work. What a nice guy. He would not take anything for the help. Said it was right on his way home (he has moved to Ronald, to be between Seattle and Ellensburg, where he does business besides traveling around the state. Today he was in the Tri Cities. He’s the one from whom I bought my nice violin bow. He “services” the students in CWU’s music building, and has a store here in town he frequents usually once a week.

Monday, May 25 Happy Memorial Day

IrisCollage

For May 24 CPAP. Reported figures.7 hrs 41 min with AHI = 0.00 Events: 0 H. No major mask leaks (max=7 L/min).

We went for the canopy today, leaving a little after 8:00 am. John got directions while I was in town, and then altered with his own knowledge to the truck route around Moses Lake. We had a nice trip over and came back a different way. Four people managed to get the canopy loaded onto the truck (I watched). Here’s a collage of the capture and the final delivery to our driveway.
NewGemTopCanopyCollage
Note both side windows lock and open, just as the rear. The fellow with the blue shirt is from whom we bought it, and John is in view looking in the back window (opened). The windows are backed with a sturdy metal grid to protect theft by breaking the windows. We need to get some help wiring the electric lights inside, and making the brake lights show too. There are special clamps to hold truck-caps to pickup beds but we don’t have any. We used C-clamps such as would be used with wood things (glue A to B), as a temporary fix. Another thing for the to-do list.
CollageReturnMemorialDayTrip2015
Above top is the cemetery on the east side of Soap Lake, …
History of Soap Lake, WA
… with a lovely display of large U.S. flags around the entire edge of the property. I took that picture coming east on Cty. Road 20 which was about 250 yards away. The contours are hay and the spigot sticking down on the top right is from a center pivot irrigation system. The wind turbines are along I-90, on our way home. There were interesting clouds all around and northeast of where we got the canopy storms were reported near the small community of Odessa. We had lunch in Ephrata.

Tuesday, May 26

For May 25 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 41 min with AHI = 0.44 Events: 3H, 1CSR. No major mask leaks (max=20 L/min). After SpO2 oximetry data added, AHI=0.41 and my oximeter was on for 7 hrs 19 min.

While we were gone yesterday, our neighbor came for some of the Iris “flags” and sent an email thank-you note today. He did not take them all, so John is picking a bunch I will take to the AAC (Senior Center), when there for my exercise class. I carried a large 5-gallon bucket about 1/2 full. One person in my class took 4 home with her. The bunch was lovely, and there are still a few left to share with my neighbor.

Got some bills paid, copied, and put into the correct folder on my computer receipts.
John went to our neighbor’s Automotive Electric business to try to get help with the canopy’s wiring, but was referred to an RV dealer where they are set to deal with such problems and have the needed equipment and supplies. That’s yet to happen.

We both worked on in house and yard projects today – me less so on the yard stuff. It rained very hard for 1/2 hour this afternoon, making John’s evening chores messy. Still rain, in the shrub/steppe, is good.

Wednesday, May 27

For May 26 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 17 min with AHI = 0.41 Events: 3 H. No major mask leaks (max=9 L/min). After SpO2 oximetry data added, AHI=0.38 and my oximeter recorded for 7 hrs 55 min.

Went by and picked up car-less Joanie and went to the Food Bank Soup Kitchen for music and the meal following. Ken got their car from the repair shop and joined us, so he drove her home. I went by the bank and the courthouse to pick up a Pyrex baking dish (see below) from my friend to whom we delivered the metal roofing and refrigerator. Then to the AAC for SAIL class. Neat that the director put out four large vases of Iris that John picked. They were beautiful. Came on home to work on music.

Sorry I didn’t have my camera with me to take photos of the flowers, but they were spread all over the room, in 4 different vases, so I don’t know how I could have photographed them all.

When I drove in, I knew I needed to be sure my windows were closed. The cottonwood trees are sending snow-like seeds all over the area. Below is a collage of a female tree near our house.
CottonwoodCollage5-28-15-B
Note the image on the left is the entire tree, and the one on the right is a zoomed-in view of the top left of the tree’s hanging seedpods.

Next is evidence of the wind-blown snow-like dispersal.
CottonWoodBlownInCollage
Photo on the left above shows pieces of wind-deposited seeds on the top of a 55-gallon rusty barrel that collects rainwater near our front entrance. The skinny picture on the right, shows the “cotton” shaped like a pair of sunglasses. This is on a spider web attached to the roof that has captured the seeds, and was blowing in the wind (while I was taking the photo). The green background is the Mountain Ash tree in our front yard.

Thursday, May 28

For May 27 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 36 min with AHI = 0.15 Events: 1 H. No major mask leaks (max=15 L/min). Oximeter came off my finger between 3:00 and 5:00, then at 7:00 I left and came back to sleep without either on, and the record is scanty.

John spent much of the morning trying to get the chimney separated from the wood stove. First, he climbed into the attic to pull from there, but that did not work. Then he got up on the roof and pulled the cap and 2 sections of the double-walled flue. The parts above the roof are seriously weathered after 35 years.
JohnWithRemovedChimneyByTheSkyLights
On my way to town, I stopped and picked up two more free 5-gallon buckets. They are nice with good lids. The free part is good too. We can store a few in case someone needs one. Otherwise, they apparently will go into the trash.

Today, we are at Hearthstone for entertaining, and at the end, I delivered a jet stream oven to a friend. She has no kitchen and only a hot plate and Crock pot. We don’t use this (it’s neat, but requires a lot of counter space and time). This will be a nice gift to the gal that gave us the toolbox for our truck – which now is off while the canopy top is on. So another project is a rack with a pulley or some other rigging to make them changeable – with ease.
We got the Jet Stream Oven a few years ago at a clearance sale at REI in Seattle. It works but seems like a lot of bother for us when we have a complete kitchen.
AmericanHarvestJet-StreamOvenColllage
While playing today (with many players: Bass fiddle, viola, violin, maracas, tambourine, banjo, 5 guitars, and a resonator), we found more errors needing fixed in the music. This is getting old, because I’m the one in charge of putting out the song sheets. I thought we had one all fixed yesterday, but today there were more complaints and chord change requests. I even had to change the key on one song and the timing on another from 4/4 to 3/4. Thank goodness for my SongWriter software to assist me.

Came home and found John had moved out the old (1980s) wood stove. He got it on to a piece of plywood and then used rollers from an old broom handle. Amazing … truly. At the moment it is on pallets – soon, but not real soon, it will get rolled into the back of the pickup.
CollageBreeze-Stove&FrontStove
Worked on music and clean-up around the patio door the wood stove came out through. He put the horses in the backyard to thin the tall grass before mowing. I got a picture of the stove and 3 horses in the same photo, but the best one was the youngest horse, Breeze. He is the one most intent on finding weak places in the temporary fence, but looks quite happy.

Here was part of dinner tonight cooked in the tall-sided antique’ie Pyrex dish, gifted to us.
Collage-ChickenFettucineNewAntique'iePyrexGift

Friday, May 29

For May 28CPAP. Reported figures. 4 hrs 34 min with AHI = 0.00 Events: 0 H. No major mask leaks (max=10 L/min). The oximeter was on for 7 hrs 37 min.

We cancelled the trip for the cinder blocks, and I went to CWU, but on the way, I saw a moving sale and stopped. I found a shirt for John, a western one for me (but it is too small, so I’m sending it with John to the trail tomorrow for our friend the crew leader). In addition, I’m sending some boots for working in wet areas, or walking in streams, to share with someone who might want them. They just do not fit my feet comfortably. The boots were given to me. Today, I also got a fleece*** vest, which may be a little large for me, but will fit John, and I only paid $2.50 total for the 3 pieces of clothing.

***Fleece.

On to the last Ruth Harrington scholarship luncheon of this school year, held in the oldest building on campus, Barge Hall. We start the luncheons again in September. We learned today that 15 scholarships are being given this year. They go to single moms and those in need, to current students, and to incoming high school students. Some are for 4 years, but I don’t know how they determine the amount to each one. Today’s menu was a large quiche type casserole, with eggs, cheese, ham, mushrooms, and olives. I wish I had had my fresh salsa to put on it. We had a green salad, wheat roll, and cookies for dessert. From there I went by the bank to sign a form, but it was not ready, so on to SAIL exercise, and back by the bank on my way home. Class was full today (surprise, considering the 80s outside). On my way back, I stopped and finished the paperwork for which I have now gone to the bank several times to complete. I guess the 4th time was the charm. They do have donut holes (fancy ones) on their coffee bar on Fridays; I had some chocolate ones. I had a short wait so enjoyed a half a cup of coffee and the “holes,” while sitting in a very comfortable chair in the middle of the lobby.

Saturday, May 30

For May 29 CPAP. Reported figures. 5 hrs 44 min with AHI = 0.17 Events: 1 H. No major mask leaks (max=6 L/min). After SpO2 oximetry data added, AHI=0.13, and oximeter was on for 7 hrs 59 min.

John went to the Martin Creek Connector Trail in the Skykomish Ranger District, NW of Leavenworth. He’s been there a couple times before and is working with a friend as crew leader known for her banana dance warm-ups. A couple years ago, we gave her my large stuffed Banana from a bowling tournament in Lewiston, ID that I won 30 yrs ago. She’s the one I’m offering the western shirt to – it is a plaid blue/pink/green, with white pearl snap “buttons.” The group John’s assisting with is made up of members of the Boeing Employees Alpine Society (climbers). The trip over Stevens Pass is just over 2 hours and he expects to get there just after 8 AM.

Yay, I read and published my CPAP and Oximeter recordings from last night. I washed a load of dishes, found the lost top to a big clear plastic storage box, put all my meds in their little plastic container for the whole week, and ordered one med I would be out of the next time I load on the weekend. Oh, also ate a lunch of leftovers, and am ready to tackle another box of things by my chair.

Have you seen this full-circle rainbow? Link is here.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

The Usual Stuff

Saturday, May 16

For May 15 CPAP. Reported figures. 8 hrs 48 min with AHI = 0.23 Events: 2H, 1CSR No major mask leaks (max=8 L/min). After SpO2 oximetry data added, AHI=0.22, and oximeter was on for 9 hrs 8 min.

Interesting. John left at 5:33 a.m. and I decided to lie back down and catch some more sleep. I did not get to bed until after midnight, and the alarm for John went off at 5:00 a.m. I managed to sleep another couple of hours, but needed to take my diuretic and Tylenol to start it before having to play music at 2:00. I left 10 minutes early so that I could afford time to stop at a yard sale a couple miles over from us, which is on the way to town. I did not see any signs or activity so I kept going to town. Several miles farther, almost to town, I came to an intersection and saw a sign with the address on it. On my way home, I found signs and the gal running it around the back of the house not seen from the road, out of the wind. She said they had only one box at the end of their drive and someone told them it had blown over, so they put another out. Both were very visible on my return trip about 4:00 p.m. We talked awhile and I bought a $1 divided serving/Pyrex platter, with a little over an inch high sides. Mostly we visited and saw a bunch of Canada geese in the field behind her house.

Back to the day of music. We had a good group, 2 fiddles, bass fiddle, viola, clarinet, and 2 guitars. Many people were out of town or packing to go. The retirement group fixed us a nice meal of salads, chicken-salad sandwiches, and desserts. My favorite was a fruit salad, with cantaloupe, grapes, strawberries, and a bunch of other stuff, but I like those the best. We had muffins and cobblers, and a great almond strudel like cake, strawberry-frosted Bundt cake, and blueberry muffins. The punch was orange with sherbet on top. I didn’t eat a ton, but enough. I probably will not need too much for dinner. We have leftover tender chicken breasts (boneless) that John cooked last night in a batter made from pancake mix. With it we had beets.

Sunday, May 17

For May 16 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 24 min with AHI = 0.16 Events: 1H No major mask leaks (max=7 L/min). After SpO2 oximetry data added, AHI=0.10, and oximeter was on for 10 hrs 30 min, was not asleep entire time.

John was gone all day again to the Crew Leader College, but realizing we had not talked to his cousin on Mother’s Day or since she sent us the Maple Syrup, I called her. Normally, we both are on the line and visit, reminiscing about the past; but today it was just the two of us, and we had a great visit.
His instruction today was Red Cross First Aid with CPR. This is a minimal activity. There is a 2 day class that he should take. After that there is a week-long with night-time training and a not-insignificant cost. The class, this time, included practice with a pretend external defibrillator, as shown. It speaks but does not shock.
defibtech_lifeline_view_aed

I had him take along the backpack I had been given, and found on line the description of the contents. My friend in Alabama in Emergency management was interested in the description in last week’s blog, and wanted pictures. This was a lot easier and more professionally done than I could have. Besides, John had it with him, in North Bend, WA.
HomePreparednessKit-RedCross
When an emergency strikes, be prepared at work, home or on the road with the Basic Emergency Preparedness Kit from the American Red Cross.
Contents:
Backpack with multiple pouches
1 Waterproof AM/FM radio with batteries
1 Battery powered flashlight (2D cell batteries included)
4 AA cell batteries
1 Emergency blanket, 4.5′×7′
Moist towelettes (individually wrapped)
1 Pen light
Food packets, 2,400 calories total, 5 year shelf life (ingredients include wheat flour, vegetable shortening, granulated sugar, salt, water and coconut flavoring)
Water pouches, total of 16 ounces, 5 year shelf life
Procedural breathing mask
Rain poncho (adult sized)
1 Roll of duct tape, 2″ × 30 yds
1 Water container, holds 3.5 gallons
1 Whistle
1 Hygiene comfort kit, including toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, lotion, soap, deodorant, washcloth, comb, and mesh shower bag
1 45-piece First aid kit, including compresses, adhesive bandages, first aid tape, antibiotic ointment, antiseptic wipes, hand sanitizer, scissors, gauze, and latex-free gloves
… and here is a photo of the contents of the First Aid Kit mentioned at the end of the above list.First Aid Kit
The First Aid kit is all that might go on a WTA day trip. For longer trips, the “Blue Hat” Crew Leaders will have more training and more things. Good Samaritan Laws allow folks to give aid up through their training level, but not beyond.

New subject: I sent a request with the left photo below in the collage to the Buy Nothing Ellensburg group, on Facebook. I want a sturdy bag to carry these vintage Maracas for a list member I met through here to join our music group. These fantastic musical instruments are members of our family – Ha ha – I’ve no idea where I got them but think, maybe a garage sale about 20 years ago! So I am not offering them; just loaning and they need protected. Overall size is 8″ x 8″ x 4″. From a web search, we think the origin of these is pre-Castro, when Cuba was a tourist destination.
Collage-Maracas
Heather JB first came through with a lovely purple box but then when I met her, she had found a two-sided padded pocket purse you can see in the right pix, with the Maracas in it. It’s sitting on a carrying bag, I found on the free table at the Senior Center. So we’re all set for Larae to join our group.

I also wrote about a friend, Muriel, that needs support for cancer treatment. I asked if anyone knew of organizations that would donate funds for cancer treatments. The “buy-nothing” site moderators take such requests down but, in this case, it was up long enough that the wife of a former student who survived cancer wrote me an answer, which I passed along to my friend’s family. Muriel will have to be in Seattle for 3 months and needs at least $32,000 over what insurance will cover.
My prime motive in this next bit is to show the ways folks can think of to waste money when there is much real need elsewhere.
I took some pictures (below) of my gift awarded for 50 years membership in the Association of American Geographers. Sorry AAG, but this is a waste. John reminded me of another waste from our government. We haven’t figured a way to re-purpose the holder from the AAG, but we will re-purpose the nice oak frame, from the other certificate. I will show the frame when I reuse it on a pretty matted photo. Now, you just get the collage of the two “honors” with which I’m not impressed. The oak framed certificate is thanks for my evaluating information on their jobs site about jobs that advertise need of a geographer (and they wanted my opinion what geographers are able to do). They sent me $40 and a cute clock after my first submission. The clock sits on top of our refrigerator and the microwave oven has a clock. So does the conventional oven. I could put the cute one in another room but it is not needed in any of them.
AwardsAAG&US-LaborDptCollage
The AAG packet was mailed for $7.15, because I could not be at the Chicago annual meeting. I would have gotten a free luncheon. You can see the certificate for 50 years membership in the Association of American Geographers, in a leather-like carrier. In between the carrier and the framed certificate is a nice gold name tag with my full name, the AAG on top and FIFTY YEAR MEMBER on it. I think I will wear it to the End of Year Geography Department party this year, because most of the students no longer know me, with my being gone for 5 years. As for the wood frame, money, and clock from the U. S. Department of Labor, the term “befuddle” comes to mind.
NOTE: the blur on the images above in the upper right, kinda a light spot. That’s been happening recently in all my photographs the past couple of months. I finally thought to look at the lens, and then told John, who cleaned it with a special eye glass microfiber cloth. NOW – my pictures are okay again. Thank you, my fixer-upper John.

Whoopee, continued cleaning up stuff around my chair and found the missing (only from last week) copies of music for the audiences we entertain. I only had 12 copies with me yesterday, and I knew I had run more. They were in a separate envelope, and now are moved to a better carrying place. John had found a fancy but very dusty canvas carrying bag, I just cleaned it, and hung to dry. When it is ready, I shall put this find in it and get it to my trusty carryall car. I’m still going through boxes of stuff John pulled for me to sort through.

John called at 2:40 and is done for the day, so I hope to see the whites of his eyes about 4:30.

Monday, May 18 – Mount St. Helens’ eruption, 1980

For May 17 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 36 min with AHI=0.13 Events: 1H. No major mask leaks (max=16 L/min), with SpO2 added, 9 hrs 4 min AHI = 0.11

We drove to Yakima for a 9:30 a.m. Subaru oil change and lube that was done by 10:10, and we were given a free car wash (type, normal) worth $9.00 at a place called Spanky’s (I assume for spanking clean), which it was. You can get more attention for your car by paying up to $15. Strange – new car wash to me. I’m used to whirling brushes. Do they have those anymore? I haven’t taken my car through one in years. This one today started with two girls hosing the car all over, windows and body, with soapy water, and then the car is pulled along a conveyor belt and ends by going through sprayed-on clear rinse water. On out to be towel dried by two guys. Such car washing used to be done at the dealer’s place but they remodeled and now send us to Spanky’s. We wonder what their charge is.

On to the Yakima Heart Center to have an ICD check at 11:00 by Toni. My battery has 9% left that should take me to November or December, before alert time. At that point there will still be 90 days of charge, so arrangements can be made for replacement. I will have to have my medications adjusted, particularly the blood thinning ones before the surgery happens. It’s currently unclear whether I will have only the battery replaced, or the whole unit with a different make. John’s and my impression after talking with the surgeon a couple months ago, was that he would just replace the battery in the existing unit, but Toni claims that is no longer done. We’ll see later this year.
We drove by a Burger King and took advantage of a couple of specials, with our own drinks, which we ate under the shade of a nice tree in the (near by) Home Depot parking lot. That must be a regular happening for people’s lunch; as we sat there, we looked around and saw 3 other vehicles with folks doing the same thing. Costco was our next stop for $2.739/gal gasoline, and a trip through the store, where we bought almost $300 worth. About $50 of that was for other friends. From there we drove to Selah, (see more about that town below), and we turned in the final specs and learned the cost of our new patio door, which was ordered and will be delivered in four weeks. John has had the existing one out, but it is now back up – held in by just 4 nails. {Water proof tape and “minimal” expansion foam has arrived via Amazon.com.} We are ready.

Tuesday, May 19

For May 18 CPAP. Reported figures. 5 hrs 56 min with AHI=0.51 Events: 3 H. No major mask leaks (max=12 L/min), with SpO2 added, 9 hrs 6 min AHI = 0.33

Crazy day. Horses broke a wood pole and a couple came out of their pasture again. With lots of grass at that spot, they did not go anywhere. He made them go back and replaced the broken pole with one more stout. I continued working on things and seem to be getting farther behind the more I work. Then we cleaned up and got out of here for both our annual eye exams. Went okay for both of us but was a long wait. People were coming late for appointments. Don’t know why that situation had them make us wait, but it happened. I was scheduled for 2:15 and John for 2:45. We got there right after 2:00 to fill out our paperwork. I was taken in at 2:15, but then waited a very long time for the Dr. to see me, after the technician went through all her measurements with me. During John’s check-in, a gal who used to work at the Hospital’s Lab as a phlebotomist was his technician. When she saw his name she said, “Are you Nancy’s husband? Small world in a small town. John got new lenses that will be put in his old frames. I’m okay for another year, but a membrane is going to require removing in the future. I’m currently approved for the surgery, but I’m not showing the changes in my vision yet, so until then, I will go without. My intraocular lens replacements were inserted in 1997, and I have 20/20 vision with both eyes, without glasses, and my close-up vision without reading glasses. I’m one of the fortunate few, apparently.

Wednesday, May 20

For May 19 CPAP. Reported figures. 8 hrs 27 min with AHI=0.12 Events: 1 OA, when electricity went off 5 min at 5:30. No major mask leaks (max=6 L/min), with SpO2 added, 9 hrs 20 min AHI = 0.11

Off at 11:00 to Food Bank Soup Kitchen for music and a meal following to thank us. We had chicken fettuccine, salad, and a great dessert of cobbler with blueberries, apples, and oatmeal crunchy crust. On to the SAIL exercise class with only 10 members today, but while there, I grabbed some neat stuff from the free table. A cashew candy bar for John, a red carrying bag for me to put a protected carrier around my maracas pictured above. In addition, I got a large numbered calculator free and a pair of colorful socks, brand new packaged. I then drove by my dentist for a new very soft bristled toothbrush, and on to the Royal Vista Nursing home to meet Heather JB from the Buy Nothing group I had shared some hens & chicks with previously. She had a double bag that she thought might work to protect my maracas. I shall put the package together tomorrow and photograph it to send my thank you (again, refer above). Then I went into the building to perform with Karen E (the accordion player). We entertained until 4:00 and made many people happy. On home where John met me at the gate to let me in and put the fence back up across the driveway entrance in case the horses find another weak link in the temporary fence. He needs to get 6 new posts and a gate up before the escaping horse problems end.

Thursday, May 21

For May 20 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 2 min with AHI=0.50 Events: 3 H. No major mask leaks (max=10 L/min), with SpO2 added, 9 hrs 10 min AHI = 0.33

Having all sorts of problems with my SpO2 data today. Gave up and will try later. Restarted my machine, and got it in through the software Sleepyhead but not though SpO2 review. Weird. I have done it the other way since last fall, and now it is not working.

Dry Creek today. They changed their name to Brookdale. We had a strange day, all spread out because a woman was eating her lunch slowly, and we didn’t want to move her, so we strung out on both sides of the table. We had 9 players/singers there, and a large audience of at least 18.

I started corresponding with folks we’ve known for 25 years about an older Gem top canopy for a long-box pickup. They live farther east in central WA, near Moses Lake. This is not the canopy John would like – but it will do and is only about 1/3 to ¼ of the cost of the fancy ones.

Wind started blowing hard right before 6:00 p.m. We’ve heard thunder in the hills today, and a DNR fire truck going east as I was coming up Naneum, plus the helicopters we heard, make me wonder if there is a lightning-caused fire. Now at just before 9:00 p.m. it is all settled down, from gusting at 35 mph to sustained 13 mph.

John has to leave at 5:15 a.m. to get to North Bend for (optional) breakfast with the crews. Most are going to a site where he has been many times. He is going to a place he has never been and where WTA is building a new connector trail, thus the name – Future Dirty Harry’s Peak Trail. See here for more interesting information about the trail and work with pictures.
About Dirty Harry’s Peak Trail

Then go to Google Earth and type in: 47.43425, -121.61193 search, with the photos button on. There are good views from this hillside; click on the little photo icons. Zoom out to see the region, just 38 miles from Seattle.
HatsOffToWTAvolunteers9-16-15NorthBendCrewLeaderCollege
Mt. Si in the background as all the crew leaders lift their hats to Crew Leader College. You can see John in the lower right, sitting on the ground. His glass lenses have the automatic darkening feature in bright sun.

Friday, May 22

For May 21 CPAP. Reported figures. 5 hrs 19 min with AHI=0.38 Events: 3 H. No major mask leaks (max=17 L/min), with SpO2 added, 9 hrs 20 min AHI = 0.21

It is thundering in the hills again. Don’t want any lightning-caused fires.

John left at 5:15 for breakfast near N. Bend, WA with the WTA folks.

I slept in, have honchoed buying the canopy from old time dog friends (haven’t seen in many years) in Moses Lake, to pick up on Monday, Memorial Day. And I have been moving two hoses on our Carpathian walnut trees, using irrigation ditch water on gravity flow. John wants me to move them 4 ft every 2 hours.
Now I need to take my data from the CPAP and Oximeter, enter in my computer for the graphical information, and switch to the stacks of things blocking the back patio door. Much needs out so John can remove the old wood stove, and the new one brought in. The new one will be brought from Yakima and installed by a licensed and accredited team. Hey, it’s only money! Yikes. Nancy’s note: We are saving $800 minimum by having John install the new patio door.

Annie was outside and barked to alert me to someone arriving. I met our neighbor walking down the driveway with a 6.5 # cut of a salmon (front part minus head) he caught yesterday in the Icicle River. That’s a drainage that flows into the Wenatchee River at Leavenworth, north of us. He said it was thanks for the cherries and all produce we give him (but they might be injured from frost this year). Don’t know. It zapped all his and all his flowers, so we are going to share some of our Iris with him for Monday. His mother and others are buried on an elevated bench that we can see from the end of our drive. Others may bring flowers from the Yakama Nation lands south of here.

Below are photos of the storm in Yakima/Selah/Ellensburg last night. Most of the flooding and heavy rainfall was in Selah, and the pictures were taken by residents in all towns, including Moxee. I snagged them from the Internet. The flooding (lower right) is First Street, in Selah, where we just were on Monday.
CollageSelah-Yakima-MoxeeStormMay22-2015
Heard from John at 4:30 that he is at Hyak and the Interstate is totally stopped all four lanes, we guess from people leaving the Seattle area for points east. As I-90 approaches the Cascade Crest on the west side at Snoqualmie Pass there are 4 lanes heading east. After starting down the east slope, one lane goes away and then another. This 4 lanes to 2 in less than 5 miles is usually not a big deal, but on Fridays of a holiday weekend all 4 lanes fill for miles as folks leave the Puget Sound region. He still made it home by 6:00; only about ½ hour delay.

Saturday, May 23

For May 22 CPAP. Reported figures. 8 hrs 37 min with AHI=0.58 Events: 3 H, 2OA. No major mask leaks (max=19 L/min).

Having trouble again, uploading my SpO2 data. John’s working loading the pickup, and today, sometime, we need to deliver some things to Thorp. He finished and we left a little after 3:00. Below are captures of some of our activities, described beneath the photos.
Collage-ChickenCoop&Frig
This is topped by the scene of my visit to the cattle to meet the 14 British Whites–(those white, or black & white, are that breed. The ones with color are a higher % Angus): steers, heifers, cows, and bull, and to view their new irrigation system. The bottom two above, are related to the reason for our visit. Bottom left is their chicken coop (with nesting boxes facing us) that they wanted to add metal roofing over chip-board. The right is the back of our pickup with the sheets of aluminum roofing from our old barn, and an old (but new condition) small refrigerator for their storing eggs. It used to be in my old office on campus, but when I moved office location in 2008, it was no longer needed because we had a departmental refrigerator in our workroom. The refrigerator belonged to me, and we now have no need for it.
Collage-Saturday'sTripToThorp
Above, top left, are John and Larry, unloading the metal roofing. The top right is of our drive along the Yakima River. The bottom left shows several of the large cumulus clouds filling the valley, and the bottom right is of a Lahar along Hwy 10.
For a more geologic explanation by Nick Zentner, CWU Geologist, check this link: (I had not seen this one before, and it has Tom Tabbert, mentioned in last week’s blog, flying his trike over it, up state highway 10, along the Yakima River we drove along today on our way to Thorp).

Our Lahar

Something else to stress me came in today’s mail – a penalty notification on taxes not paid quarterly – I have to address or pay before June 22. I paid what I thought I owed, but it was messed up from taking out too much money from a tax-deferred mutual fund that threw us into a higher tax bracket and our social security earnings have not had any taxes withheld. [approaching retirement – check on that SS tax thingy!] I hope I can describe to an IRS person what happened that caused the miscalculation and get a reduction on the penalty charge. Oh well, Uncle Sam needs the cash – to waste.

I still need to replace two strings on my violin – or “strangs” on my fiddle – the D and A strings are unraveling.

For dinner, no surprise here, we had baked salmon from the Icicle River.
SalmonDinner5-23-15

Nice weather so far today. Big cumulus clouds billowing over the mountains.
Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Routine

Sunday, May 10 Mother’s Day

For May 9 CPAP. Reported figures.7 hrs 57 min with AHI = 0.38 Events: 3H No major mask leaks (max=15 L/min). After SpO2 oximetry data added, AHI=0.29 and oximeter was on for 10 hrs 12 min; I was not sleeping all that time, though.

Finished up the long blog of Fire, Floods, and Flowers from last week. We had all sorts of technological problems, but finally got it published and then made some corrections. Word Press (or our not understanding it) was at its worst today, for unknown reasons. Thanks to John for sticking with it. You got flowers twice in the blog for Mother’s Day, because of the problems posting.

My nose has continued flowing today with a few sneezes. I must be allergic to something in the air. Yesterday was worse, but I was able to sleep through the night. Maybe it’s the Mountain Ash in our front yard in full bloom and humming with bees.

Leftover spaghetti for lunch, and in between the problems with the blog, John moved the horses around the back of our house for a couple hours. Now he’s back out to do chores. I finished making the corrections to the blog, and returned to correcting the music that had something wrong with it. That included 9 different songs. Some are more serious than others and won’t require reprinting, but, seven will, so I will likely do them tomorrow, rather than running 12 copies on my printer. I did scan to .pdf all the music corrected over the past week. One song I had to completely change the key on from G to D (Fraulein), because it was too high for all the singers to sing. Now to number my master copy, so they are easily inserted to replace the bad ones. Eventually, I will take time to collect the .pdfs on the computer so I can send to everyone with a computer to have a good version in their collection. I also share with other musician friends around the U.S. If you are reading this and want me to add you to the distribution list, just ask. Once I have the scores for all our repertoire for two months playing, I might as well share.

Finished most of the prep for getting the corrections run off before Thursday’s meeting of the KV F&F music group. Need to run more pages to replace problems found last week… with chords, lyrics, or in one case the key.

Monday, May 11

For May 10 CPAP. Reported figures. 3 hrs 54 min with AHI = 0.00 Events: 0 H No major mask leaks (max=9 L/min). After SpO2 oximetry data added, oximeter was on for 8 hrs 1 min. I purposefully wore it a short time because of a badly chafed nose from blowing it for 2 days. Lowered SpO2 evident about 6:30 a.m.

I met a geographer friend driving through Ellensburg from Olympia, today, for lunch. It was at a new Japanese Sushi/Steakhouse in Ellensburg. The company was great, but I cannot say that I enjoyed the food or the price that much. I had Shrimp Tempura thinking it wouldn’t be Sushi. Was served with a bowl of soup, and came on a bench platter, with only 3 shrimp (should have had chicken teriyaki and gotten 6 pieces as my friend did), also came with a salad, rice, deep fried veggies with shrimp, and some little sushi rolls. Went from there to print my additional music, and on home, not feeling very well.

Tuesday, May 12

For May 11 CPAP. Reported figures. 5 hrs 55 min with AHI = 0.34 Events: 2H, 2CSR “Small but acceptable amount of major mask leakage” (never saw that message before!) Oximetry data not available because the battery died on it at 3:00 a.m., and the record is incomplete.

We took a dozen hand-picked donuts and a cola drink and went to Hearthstone for the monthly meeting of the Emeriti Geographers’ group. We shared many stories. We left the meeting and filled up my empty tank with $2.65/gal gasoline. Later this week, it went to $2.82/gal. On home, but turned around and headed back to town for Jazzercise. I got there early to fill out a form about my heart health before proceeding in the class. It was rather vigorous exercise today. I was on my way home, having missed a message on my cell phone from John, and he called again. I was a mile away from near where I had been, and he needed a “nut’ for the end of a bolt that lost its on his chainsaw bar holder. I got it and checked while on that end of town for coupons from Burger King, as I had not had any lunch. They had a special of 10 chicken nuggets with large fries for $3. I came home and shared a few nuggets, and half the large fries with John. Now I have to leave in 45 minutes to go back to Hearthstone again to play music with The Connections (a religious music group).

John has been out using the chainsaw to drop several small trees and 2 larger ones. This serves both for fire-break clearing and eventual firewood, after drying. I substituted my corrected music for checking out (for Thursday), tomorrow at the Food Bank. Also, this morning I sorted through all the extras and combined to give to the others on Thursday, some who need only the 7 revised. Others not there last week need the whole packet with the corrected ones they can add. I’m not going to take time to do that. Then one more is our clarinet player who has many of the songs already, and won’t have to change the notes in ones we have changed chords in. I only have to print for her the NEW songs or the significantly changed ones, such as changing the key.

Wednesday, May 13

For May 12 CPAP. Reported figures. 8 hrs 34 min with AHI = 0.35 Events: 3H, 2 CSR. No major mask leaks (max=14 L/min). After SpO2 oximetry data added no change, same timing.

Breakfast this morning was neat: plate This is cornbread with PA family made maple syrup, described in last week’s blog. The egg is from our friends, and the bacon was left over from an earlier meal.

Rained a lot yesterday and last night and still raining this morning. John’s emptied all the barrels and set up more 5-gallon containers to capture runoff from our front roof, which goes on the concrete or the wood deck and bounces back into the alcove at the front porch. Anything of value cannot be put there because of the odd chance it will rain and blow from the east. We have mentioned this front (wet) issue before and think it is now on the to-do list – in another month or so.

I left just after 11:00 for the Food Bank, where we had pasta with Swedish meatballs, salad, and applesauce for dessert. On by the bank and to SAIL exercise class. I came home to work on music chores for tomorrow and dish washing. John worked outside most of the rest of the afternoon, but had spent time inside cleaning house while it rained. He moved a lot of buckets of water today.

Thursday, May 14

For May 13 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 48 min with AHI = 0.13 Events: 1H No major mask leaks (max=4 L/min). After SpO2 oximetry data added, AHI=0.11, and my oximeter was on for 9 hrs 28 min.

Picked up (near the end of Naneum Rd at Vantage Hwy) a 5-gal bucket with a top, from a gal on the Buy Nothing Ellensburg site. She brings them home from her work at the hospital, cleaning floors. This was my first from her, but I will likely get more.

Our group played at Rehab today, and I left there to go by CWU for 4:00 talk in 103 Dean, by a retiring geographer. It was interesting to hear about his last 20 years of research as a cultural geographer. He’s moving to Tennessee to be close to family, fishing lakes, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

One of our guitar players, who lives in the Hidden Valley area, was going to Cle Elum yesterday, and he picked up an Emergency Preparedness Backpack left at the fire station for me from a lady in the regional Red Cross office in Yakima. We met her at the Fire-Wise workshop May 2 and visited for awhile about our community service. I sent her links to the videos I made of the day, (still have more to do), and she gifted me this emergency preparedness collection – a grab and go thing if your are to evacuate from fire or other disaster. John is going to a Red Cross workshop session Sunday 9:00 to 3:00 p.m. in North Bend, WA put on by the WTA for their assistant crew leaders, called Crew Leader College. (He will go Sat., too, but will be doing other things.) This is Basic First Aid and CPR – highly recommended for all assistant crew leaders. John did one a couple of years before I got ill so he is not now certified. (It is supposed to be every 2 years.) It is also, now, part of the Forest Service requirements for becoming a certified crosscut sawyer. Years ago when John did the crosscut certification the first aid training was not required. Holly Chambers is a certified First Aid/CPR instructor for the American Red Cross and will be running the class. She is part of the King County Search and Rescue. John can take (my) Emergency Preparedness Backpack along to show the class. It is full of neat items, including an AM/FM radio (bright yellow so not easily lost) with batteries, a 2-cell flashlight with batteries, water, food, protein bars, and a first aid kit. Duck tape (45m), a collapsible 5-gal water bottle with spigot, emergency first aid guide, emergency blanket, tape & gauze, antiseptic swab, emergency hooded plastic poncho, toiletries including toothbrush, washcloth, soap, body lotion, pocket tissues, shampoo, deodorant, moist towelettes, hand sanitizer, face mask, emergency rations (pressed hard as rocks), emergency drinking water in 1/8 qt., 4 packets.

Friday, May 15

For May 14 CPAP. Reported figures.7 hrs 39 min with AHI = 0.39 Events: 3H, CSR No major mask leaks (max=7 L/min). Oximeter off same time — no after report.

We went to town early for our friend’s yard sale and the one next door. Found a nice western shirt for John for $1 – Plains Western Wear (made in China), sold a few years ago at WalMart for about $14., now no longer available. This appears to have never been worn. shirt Then back to town to Safeway for drinks. John found Pepsis on a special Friday sale, for $.25/can. While there, he bought some mushrooms. On the way, we saw a sign for a yard sale on Vista (up the road from Royal Vista nursing home where I play music). Turns out the yard sale was at the house of a man I recognized (a minister) who comes to Royal Vista to give devotionals to the residents. He follows us in on the first Wednesday of the month, there, and loves our ministry of music as well. We found some stuff at their sale and as we were leaving, we saw a new 1×4 for $1. John picked it up to add to the pile, and the gentleman said, I have some more wood out back that are 2x6s. Off John went with him to look, and I stayed out with our things, but finally figured they were visiting too long and so moved it over near the cashier to go find John. I gave her $4 for two Pyrex dishes and a large measuring cup (pint), a new wooden holder for paper towels, a large roll of shelving paper with a smaller one both for $1, the 1×4 for a buck, and a free bread knife and spatula.

Here’s the going cost for new lumber, so not knowing any count, except seven 2x4s, which is worth over twice as much as we paid for all the wood. Current prices at a local lumber yard are: 1x4x8 pine =$ 3.05; 2x4x8 Doug fir =$ 2.99; and, 2x6x8 Doug fir= $ 4.43. There was much more in the pickup load he brought home. We gave the fellow $10 he asked, and we told them he’d bring his truck back to get them after noon. I was quite surprised to see the amount of lumber we acquired.

Stopping here so John can publish this tonight. He will be gone all day for Saturday and Sunday.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John

Still on the Naneum Fan

Fires, floods, flowers

Sunday, May 3

For May 2 CPAP. Reported figures. 8 hrs 14 min with AHI = 0.61 Events: 6H. No major mask leaks (max=15 L/min).

We are even later posting the blog today than last week, now afternoon.

About 5:00 p.m. at Exit 115, I-90, about 11 miles from our house, we met our friends from White Heron Winery to exchange things. They were on their way home from a weekend at the Farmer’s Market in Seattle where he sells wine and trades other vendors for things they grow or make. We got a loaf of spelt (ground floor) bread and a scone made from whole wheat bread, apples, nuts, and I don’t know what all was in there. We had picked up a lamp with a white heron motif for the winery.

On the way home right off No. 81 Road, about 6 miles from our house, we stopped for a package of dark chocolate baking squares that she was giving away. We will eventually find time to make our Chocolate Crock-Pot Candy and share with her family. This was the same gal we gave our old wheelbarrow too, and it was nice to pull up and see it sitting in the yard.

Most of the day was spent on finishing the blog, but tonight late, John fried some bacon, which I finished cooking in the microwave to make it crispy, while he made a very large pancake with blueberries and pecans. Atop it we had some of the real maple syrup we received from family in PA, and wrote up in yesterday’s blog page with a photo of the special bottle (check back to see last week’s story, if you missed it). We’ve since gotten an email address for a member of the syrup making family, and John wrote some cute memories for me to forward.
Here’s only one paragraph: “The collection and sale of produce from the land has a long history. I remember picking wild strawberries on the hill west of the house. I think your father carried them to Leeper and exchanged for Orange Soda – or some such thing. That was a while ago (60 years?) and I do not recall much about it. I do remember riding bicycles on the road to Leeper. There was a bike with half-circle handlebars, unlike most that have bends or angles. I rode that one. I don’t actually remember being in Leeper on the bikes – but, maybe your Dad returned with cash for our strawberries and then we took the bikes over there to spend it.

I spent a fair amount of time working on music for our group to start anew with this Thursday, and we will play these tunes for 2 months. I’m still creating it. Will have to manufacture a master and go in to make paper copies, so we have some for each of the players, and more for the audiences. I can do those back to back.

Tomorrow is my main work day to make good progress on music. I hope to use Tuesday to go in for the copying because my Wednesday is too full.

Monday, May 4

For May 3 CPAP. Reported figures. 8 hrs 51 min with AHI = 2.03 Events: 18H, 8CSR. 1PP. No major mask leaks (max=8 L/min). All activity was in the last two hours. Weird. After SpO2 oximetry data added, AHI=1.99, and machine was on for 9 hrs 3 min.

Last Saturday we drove north on US Hwy #97. We soon saw this:
WindTowersHwy97Mt_Stuart-scaled

My 8 sec. video of the wind towers in action

Then we passed a locally famous photogenic scene. We did not stop and so are using a photo by David Covert. He was working in the same building I did when I arrived here in 1988. During the last couple of fires David reported on the status of this place. People who did not know kept reporting that it had burned. David actually checked.
HWY97_Old-barn

This landmark was not touched by the Taylor Bridge fire, but many of the trees near it were burned. My next short video:

The Old Barn in 2015

In last week’s blog, I mentioned that any reports on the Fire-Wise presentations/activities would have to wait until I could process the information. It took me an hour just to move the photos from my camera. To upload 12 minutes of a talk took 3 hours and another 15 min one took 4 hrs. While that’s happening, neither of us can use our computers on line, or print anything to our printer. Here’s the start of some, and more are given later in the week.

First – some views on our way to the workshop in the Hidden Valley east of Cle Elum, not far from the Swauk-Teanaway Grange, where the fire crews were stationed and camped. We drove Hwy 97 to get there.

FIRE-WISE WORKSHOP: May 2, 2015

Part I – Carolyn Berglund [about 11 mins.]

Part II – Carolyn Berglund [about 17 mins.]

This is a photo of different types of metal mesh to have on the soffits of your house for best protection. Carolyn Berglund showed us during her talk, and at the break John brought it over to me to photograph.
SoffitWireSize

Part I-Intro Jim Gylling [fire-zone resident; about 9 mins.]

Part II from within Jim’s presentation
[70 seconds of fire fighting information]

Part III Jim talks about large on-site water tanks [under 2 mins.]

Call came today from Lori, a scheduler at the Yakima Heart Center, to make a June appointment with a Physician’s Assistant (PA) for Dr. Kim, and he will staff it (be available for any questions). He is seeing fewer patients (probably because of the time limitation put on him by the system); he usually takes a minimum of an hour with his patients. He only has five days scheduled there in June. July is not published yet for scheduling. I mentioned that I did not want to see a PA, and wanted to see him. He has been with me the entire time and knows all my history since June 2009. He made the decision for my valve replacement, when the team of doctors thought it was too risky an operation for me. His comments were, “We’re going to lose her anyway, so we should take the risk.” John and I were in on the decision-making and aware of the concern.

I talked her into waiting for my 18 May appt with Toni to see how much battery is left, 5 years now having used it. I need to find out if Dr. Pham (surgeon for the implanted defibrillator) discussed the situation of just replacing my battery in the current unit, without making any changes or adding wires. I will take my calendar and check with Lori after we find out the battery life left. I don’t want to visit a PA. I want to see Dr. Kim.

John gave me the info to write the Pella salesman to tell him the outside framing was completely removed, and he hopes we can visit May 18 to finalize the order for a new and fancy sliding glass patio door. Also, the white Subaru is overdue for its oil change. We’ll go by COSTCO for gas and a few things – 8” scissors are on sale – 3 for $7.49, but not much else we need.

Tuesday, May 5

For May 4 CPAP. Reported figures. 8 hrs 21 min with AHI = 1.44 Events: 12H, 5CSR. No major mask leaks (max=15 L/min). All activity was in the last two hours, again. Weird. After SpO2 oximetry data added, AHI=1.43 and machine was on for 8 hrs 24 min.

I spent much time on music and accomplished very little else. At least it is done (or so I thought until the first time through with the group on Thursday). Guess that whole project has stressed me the past few days. I rushed to town before 5:00 p.m. with the copies I had to Xerox for the players and the audience.

Wednesday, May 6

For May 5 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 42 min with AHI = 2.09 Events: 14H, 9CSR. No major mask leaks (max=13 L/min). This was my record high AHI since I started the CPAP machine in Oct, 2014.

Today was my day to play music at the Food Bank, go to SAIL exercise after, and by the hospital for my routine blood draw for the INR (required when taking Coumadin). I had a 35-minute wait. I visited nurses in the Outpatient Services to say hi and thanks again for all their help back in 2009 and 2010, on two different occasions when I had to have daily IVs of broadband antibiotics to fight the bacteria in my blood. Each session was 8 weeks. So, I got to know them pretty well. They still call me by name when I walk into the office.

I decided to call the Yakima Sleep Center and leave a message for the nurse of my Sleep Doctor (Kumar), who told me if I ever had any questions to call. My question was if there was anything to explain the high AHI numbers, and if someone would call me when they could.

Tonight we went to a fantastic lecture on the area in central WA as viewed and recorded and described by Tom Taggert, who owns his own Trike 8.
TomTabbert-2pixCombined

More about that later this week.

Thursday, May 7

For May 6 CPAP. Reported figures. 8 hrs 30 min with AHI = 0.35 Events: 3H, 1CSR, 1PP. No major mask leaks (max=13 L/min). After SpO2 oximetry data added, AHI=0.33 and oximeter was on for 9 hrs.

Note the more reasonable AHI recorded last night. My rationale for my high AHI readings for the previous 4 days is that it is stress related.

I finished two extra pages to take for people for today’s music that didn’t make it into our original copied packets – She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain and I’ve Been Working on the Railroad”. Those are at the end of the packet in case we haven’t run out of time by the time we’ve played all the others.

I made it to Royal Vista with all the music, and people got there on time. We had 7 people show to play, and I was able to distribute the music before all the audience arrived.

I talked to Dan at KVC Cle Elum (doctor’s office) about yesterday’s INR=2.5. That’s good and I don’t have to have it checked for another month, or change my Coumadin dosage.

Once home, I had to take my pills and fill up my box for the week. I was 3 shy of one of the meds, so it has been ordered.

I have continued working on the videos taken last Saturday. Here is Suzanne Wade’s Intro to the day and to Matt Eberlein’s talk, which I don’t yet have recorded to You tube to share:

Suzanne Wade’s Introduction to Firewise Day [50 seconds]

I do have the videos of Ken Bevis from the Methow Valley to share with you about his personal experience with the Carlton Complex Fire, and also he is involved with the DNR’s Landowner Assistance Program with Scott Chambers here in Ellensburg to help people suffering losses from wild land fire.

Part I Ken Bevis Carlton Complex Fire [a bit over 12 mins.]

Part II Ken Bevis — his story [about 16 minutes]

Part III ‘FIRESTORM’ — Ken’s own song [about 8 minutes]

My battery quit and so the song video is compliments of another person, Lynnea Thibodaux. She lives in the fire area, about one mile north of the Old Barn.

John fixed an interesting dinner tonight, made from our asparagus (in a peanut butter sauce with cashews), served on baked potato, with our leftover pork from last night. I had so much on my plate, I only ate part, and we shared the remainder the next day for lunch.

CashewsAsparaguPork

Friday, May 8

For May 7 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 8 min with AHI = 0.14 Events: 1H, 1CSR. No major mask leaks (max=10 L/min). After SpO2 oximetry data added, AHI=0.11 and oximeter was on for 9 hrs 26 min.

We were awakened at 7:11 by a neighbor asking about shared irrigation water. We didn’t get to bed until after midnight, so we were not happy. I stayed up a little while, but laid down off my CPAP and with my oximeter on and slept almost another couple hours. John stayed up but then took an afternoon nap.

John is spraying weeds, building fence, watering, and reported a sad finding: only two of his 10 blueberry bushes are alive; hopefully, they will come back from the roots?

I’m working with bills, filing, updating monthly and daily records, blog, music, and all manner of things, including taking videos from my cameras and posting on You tube.

Here’s the good news, mentioned earlier in the week. I did not have to wait until May 18. Got my call from Lori about Dr. Kim, and she was able to schedule me with HIM, Dr. Kim, my regular Cardiologist on the 14th of July. I’m quite happy.

John will be able to pick up my meds tonight, when he goes in for gasoline, spray paint (photos next week), lawn mower blade/filter/spark-plug, cat food, and doughnuts for next week’s Emeritus Geography Faculty meeting. He also stopped at the (cheap) Grocery Outlet store.

Saturday, May 9

For May 8 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs with AHI = 0.43 Events: 3H. No major mask leaks (max=14 L/min).

John left at 7:00 a.m. for working on trail at Denny Creek (over Snoqualmie Pass) but they worked on the Franklin Falls trail instead. They use the same parking area. As John left, Woody was ready to be fed, so I did.

Late last night I wrote Tom Tabbert asking for links to his great videos he showed us Wednesday night. This morning he responded, from their cabin in Elk River, ID (near our old stomping grounds when we lived in Troy, ID for 15 years).

I’m staying home today (with a very irritating runny nose) and not going to the Bluegrass Jam session in the Yakima Canyon at Big Pines Campground. I need to finish this blog and accomplish other tasks needing done, cleaned up, by the back patio door needing replaced. My time was wasted a lot by lack of an Internet connection to complete the work I planned, so I washed dishes and did other things not requiring being on line. It was very frustrating. Finally, after resetting my router twice, the connection returned.

The first video from Wednesday is mine of Nick Zentner introducing Tom Tabbert, then Tom introducing the night’s program, and the Trike, via video. You’re better to just watch the first 3.5 minutes of the following video, and then switch to Tom’s Channel on You Tube to pick up the original video.

Nick’s intro

Tom Tabbert explains what he flies

ICE AGE FLOODS PART I
LAKE MISSOULA AND THE CLARK FORK DAM
Tom’s video here: LINK. Questions & Answers next. LINK.

ICE AGE FLOODS PART II
EFFECTS ON EASTERN WA
Tom’s video here: LINK. Questions & Answers next. LINK.

ICE AGE FLOODS PART III
GLACIAL LAKE LEWIS AND WALLULA GAP
Tom’s video here: LINK. Questions & Answers next. LINK.

Sunday, May 10 HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY

{Photos below of plants along our driveway (a dry sage brush – steppe environment) blooming this week.}

Columbia Puccoon
{Columbia Puccoon}

Lupine white
{white Lupine}

For May 9 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 57 min with AHI = 0.38 Events: 3H No major mask leaks (max=15 L/min). After SpO2 oximetry data added, AHI=0.29, and oximeter was on for 10 hrs 12 min; I was not sleeping all that time, though.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

More Logging Truck Stories

Sunday, Apr 26

For Apr 25 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 7 min with AHI = 0.70 Events: 5H, 6CSR. No major mask leaks (max=14 L/min).

Late about 1:30 p.m. posting the blog this week. John had to deal with neighborhood kids coming into our pasture and into the enclosure with the horses. Scary, but not so much as hearing later of one of the little boys apparently getting on Ebony, and then falling off. We knew nothing of their presence, having arrived through the woods, onto our property, without an adult. John did not know until they returned with their older sister, who was checking on their story that they told her they had permission from us.

Monday, Apr 27

For Apr 26 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 7 min with AHI = 0.49 Events: 3H, 1CSR. No major mask leaks (max=18 L/min).

Jim Gardner (our friend and Geography Prof at Iowa) is coming for a visit June 23, so I had to change my Yakima doctor’s appointment. All is set for a month later. More changes to the dental schedule happened this week too. This stuff about making appointments 6 months in advance is difficult.

Good news: my blow-up neck pillow reached its destination in Portland, and my Oximeter cord was returned from Illinois. The cord had come in the normal postal delivery, but was being tracked so it actually arrived in my mailbox at 2:05. I finally got it late as we returned home from buying John a circular saw and a Black and Decker Workmate from a friend moving out of the Great Northwest. I also bought a lamp to use as a gift for another friend in WA.
Once home, I tested my Oximeter, first charging it with the new cord. Then I removed the data for one night, that being two nights after it quit working. I will record my SpO2 tonight, 14 days from the night last on. It appears to be good as new (and it is).

Tuesday, Apr 28

For Apr 27 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 24 min with AHI = 0.68 Events: 5H. No major mask leaks (max=16 L/min).

All right! I transferred our Consumer Cellular payment to obtain a better return on cash awards: from Discover (1%) to American Express (AMEX at 5%). Neither card has an associated service fee. AMEX has been the only card taken at COSTCO (and still useful until next spring). The new deal at COSTCO will be with Capital One and a Platinum {blue?} MasterCard. However, (Nancy here), I’m going to wait to talk to the folks at our Costco store, because I found another story different from John’s that pointed to CitiGroup’s VISA card. Also, we were getting 4% back on AMEX Costco’s card when purchasing gasoline, and now the new Mastercard claims only 2%. To counter the loss of charges via COSTCO, American Express is promoting new offers and awards. Thus, the transfer at Consumer Cellular, and also, that card provides 3% back on gasoline purchases anywhere. We already switched to that Simply Cash card, but will continue to use the old AMEX for gasoline until Apr 1, 2016.

I managed to work in Jazzercise today with getting a much-needed haircut after. It was a cardio-planned event and about wiped me out for the rest of the day, night, and next. I felt that workout for sure. I came home and worked on chores and chords, ha ha. (Music prep is necessary for our group change of songs for the next two months — May & June.)

Wednesday, Apr 29

For Apr 28 CPAP. Reported figures. 8 hrs 29 min with AHI = 0.12 Events: 1H. No major mask leaks (max=8 L/min).

Today is the normal day load expected: music at the Food Bank lunch, then to the AAC for my usual exercise class, with an unusual visit to Paul & Gloria, where Paul is in a nursing home, recovering from a hospital visit. They are members of our class, and besides a visit, it was to take along a nice get well card sign by members of the group and another from me to my “favorite veteran.” Paul is 92, and will be back among our group soon. When he returns, Evelyn I will have to play his favorite song for him, “Don’t Sit under the Apple Tree with Anyone Else but Me.” Actually, we may surprise him and do it this week, as this is our day for our whole group to perform at Royal Vista.

I arrived home to more excitement to make my afternoon, and to hold myself in heavy winds to photograph the arrival and delivery of a large logging truck full of burned Naneum Canyon logs to our pasture, via our newly created (uncompleted) access road to our property.
The truck includes a loader/unloader. The driver is named Owen. The fully loaded unit weighed 83,900 pounds, came across our new access road (with culvert) that you have seen in previous blog reports. The truck (weighing 39,500 pounds), carried 44,444 pounds of Ponderosa Pine. That is 22.2 tons of logs!
LogDeliveryViaNewAccessRoadBetweenBarns
A cord of wood weighs different, depending on the species and moisture content and these are not dry. Supposedly, dried wood has less than 20% moisture. Very dry wood is not good, either:
Here is the information.

Below are the videos I took of the unloading process.

Part I- 9 mins. Real log delivery.

Part II – 15 mins. Finish the off-loading.

Part III – 3.5 mins. Shortening the truck w/o logs for traveling.

Thursday, Apr 30

For Apr 29 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 6 min with AHI = 0.99 Events: 7H, 2CSR. No major mask leaks (max=16 L/min). Messed up with doing computer stuff in middle of the night, because of long upload on one of the log truck videos to You Tube. They were 3 hour uploads. Taking them on my newer camera requires more bandwidth than my old trusty other one does.

Today was music at The Meadows (old name was Mountain View Meadows, where we go only when there is a 5th Thursday of the month). It only happens 3 times a year, but they wish for more. We have more facilities in town than weeks in a month. Today we had quite the turnout, about 15, and that is all but 3 of the current residents. The facility is way-down on residents. Those that came were good participants, many singing along. We were at the end of our March/April playlist, and one woman (Ruth) sang all the Irish songs without looking at the lyrics. I commended her and said, “You must be Irish.” She smiled and said she was.
I took two new versions of songs for us to try for the new set of music, starting next week.

Left there and ran by the university for a retirement party for a friend I have known for almost my entire time there. I saw her, gave her a hug, had a small piece of cake, and a glass of cold water being flavored by sliced strawberries. Other water delicacies presented were cucumber (Yuk) and oranges for flavoring.

I dropped by the CWU surplus sale, picked up four 5-gallon buckets, just before closing, and then came home by way of our colleague who is leaving town in order to pick up a 5-gal gas can for sale, and then while there, I helped him tune his fiddle. We played a few tunes together. I wish he had been playing with our community group and me for the past 20 years. On the way out, he gave me a small cable table and a small amount of rolled barbed wire. I wrapped the gas can (John’s insistence) in a big black plastic garbage bag so the vapors would not affect me. [John says: Or fill the car with vapors to blow when the auto’s electric gizmos click on.] I still drove home with the windows opened at his suggestion.

Friday, May 1

For Apr 30 CPAP. Reported figures. 5 hrs 59 min with AHI = 0.17 Events: 1H, 1CSR. No major mask leaks (max=16 L/min).

I am so happy to have my replaced Oximeter cord. It is so much better in working order, and worth the $6.00 it cost me to ship it back to Illinois.

Went early to the activity center today, to be there to meet my newfound friend, Larae, who will be entering the Aviation program at CWU this September. She’s the one who gave me the travel pillow I’m trying to get fixed in Portland. I met her to deliver an unopened tube of Shoo Goo to fix her boots. She will return it when done, for John to fix his camouflage boots when he finds them again. 🙂 I took a container of cut up celery and of cut up zucchini bread with pineapple in it for my contribution to the potluck table. The Center staff fixed grilled (outside on a grill) chicken with cheese atop and I added sliced tomatoes to mine, without a bun. In addition, there were a few salads, most of which I couldn’t eat (because of high Vitamin K), but some fruit, cottage cheese, and desserts. Some lady in the community donated antique pencil sharpeners for the table and we were encouraged to take one. I took one with its sharpener missing because it was a horse drawn carriage. I first had chosen a harp, as I was wearing my musical noted shirt, but when I found out my friend across from me had played the harp in her younger days, I gave it to her and found the other to keep. I picked up one more when I left, an old spinning wheel to give to my spinning friend.
OldSpinningWheel&Horse-drawnCarriage
I will put my carriage in the old glass-doored desk along with my 1950s replica of the horse-drawn carriage of Queen Elizabeth II. I watched that on my friend’s TV, on June 2, 1953. The new queen was only 26 years old then. Her coronation was the first worldwide-televised event. I guess next month, I should dig out my old (colorful) replica, and take its picture for this blog. 🙂

After lunch, I drove north to campus and bought more (six) 5-gal. buckets from CWU Surplus, and returned to the normal Friday exercise class. I read the paper at the AAC and saw a garage sale on Lyons Rd, not that far off Naneum (well so I thought – oops!). I came back by to pick up the “new” Calphalon** 3 qt soup pot from another Tanya in Kittitas, to whom we shared our old wheelbarrow.

** Commercial Aluminum Cookware Company
[John: I thought this was likely a famous European thing, and started looking. Ha!
This cookware began in Perrysburg, Ohio. Just west of Perrysburg is the town of Maumee, the two being separated by the Maumee River. The area was a lake bottom during the glacial period 14,000 years ago – Lake Maumee – and is one of the flatest regions on Earth. You can see this by using Google Earth and go to
41.508565, -83.754714

. . . then use street view (the small orange human symbol) and have a look.
Reading material: The Great Black Swamp
Interestingly, the 2nd bibliography entry for this wiki page is by Kaatz, M. R.; that being Marty Kaatz, a CWU professor of geography and friend; now deceased.] I should have access to the AAG past articles, so I will check later and download his article for free, to read it, and perhaps print a copy for his wife, Carla. Small world, eh?
3qtSoupPotComparison
The black pot was offered on the Buy Nothing list. I put in a request and luckily won the draw with #4. My reason given was to replace our old aluminum soup pan well used from my mother’s kitchen stuff. It is aluminum and almost worn through. My parents married in 1937, and I am not sure when this came into their kitchen, but I have seen it all my life and I’m 71.

Message email from Utsab Bhattarai today, my friend and former student from Nepal. We all had been very worried for his and his family’s well being. This is today’s message. I had heard a day or so ago they were alive.
Hi Nancy, Sorry, could not write you soon…you know there are lots of problems such as electricity, internet and water. Anyways, it’s so terrible everyday in Nepal. We can’t sleep at our homes; people are under the tent and there is no food and drinking water; life is totally disappointing. Luckily, the place where my home is few hour’s drive from the most affected areas so our condition is far better than others in the sense that there is no heavy damage on the buildings. However, the numerous earthquakes that are felt time and again as a regular thing has been a matter of shock and fear to all Nepali. 

By luck, till now our family and family members are okay, but few friends are told to be wounded and one died, which is a very sad news. 

It look like many quakes come in Nepal this time and they will have a serious effects in several parts of the country. Till now more than 6000 dead bodies have been announced. I have a fear in my mind that pretty soon the earthquake might increase its power and bring another serious harm and devastation, etc.
Btw, another thing is: side by side I have been trying to find a suitable PhD program. One of the univs in Australia is being a part of interest at this time. I will tell you more about it sooner and may ask for rec letter as soon as the application process starts or the potential supervisor agrees to support my application. For this I think it should be easy for you to write rec letter for me since you have a common draft already prepared for me at the time of UW. This letter’s content work equally and importantly. Moreover, I will write and let you know about my application related stuffs once I get such hints. I always expect a positive support and favor from you; and I am glad that you have been my appreciable and thankful person.

This time I am praying to God and saying: We want to live so please— NO MORE EARTHQUAKES IN NEPAL…..with a deep hope of being admitted in a PhD program asap. These are my two important wish and dream at this moment. 

Bye now, internet usually does not work at this timing so bye bye….

John said to tell him these large quakes happen in 78-yr. cycles, so he will be safe from concern in his lifetime (we hope). John has been reading about it, and just told me the Katmandu area has moved up 3 feet and Mt. Everest actually lost a few inches. I saw some before and after shots of the devastation, taken from a satellite, but they are easily found so I won’t include any here.

We had pizza for supper, starting with a bought WWII Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen (aka Red Baron) one to which John added fresh tomato and leftover baked chicken breast from last night’s dinner, bbq sauce, and Parmesan cheese. It was stupendously good.

Saturday, May 2

For May 1 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 39 min with AHI = 0.00 Events: none. No major mask leaks (max=16 L/min).

We left about 8:15 for the Teanaway area east of Cle Elum for a Fire-Wise workshop (free) from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30, with a oxymoronic BBQ lunch following. (That description was made when I sent a note to my friend in NJ and put BBQ (ha ha) lunch following). We made it safety there and home by 3:00 probably. John went with the dogs for a jaunt, and they were joined by all 5 horses – in what we call our orchard – that is out front. Now, I see them behind the house where there is a small area with grass. I thought I heard rumbling feet, so he’s let them in there. I only just pulled up the blinds (after hearing the noise), to be able to see pretty horses enjoying a nice day. It will be good to get the landscaping projects done and permanent fences and gates placed. Horses seem to sense that something is temporary and find joy in pushing it down.

Any reports on the Fire-Wise presentations/activities will have to wait until I can process the information. It took me an hour tonight just to move the photos from my camera. To upload 10 minutes of a talk is more like 3 hours, and needs to be done when we are not otherwise using our computers to access the web.

Via 97-year-old cousin Ethel and daughter Pat, we received, from Pennsylvania, a bottle of Maple Syrup made by 3 cousins — sons of Uncle Ed (John’s mom’s brother). If we were “locavores” we would not approve of such long distance shipping of food. However, we are thrilled. We’ll have some with bacon from Illinois, pecans from California, pancakes of flour from Montana, and orange juice from Florida. We do have some locally grown blueberries (ours). We have not yet received a reminder from the Scotch Hill cemetery for a donation that helps to keep our ancestor’s gravesites cared for. Hmmm? Anyway, the area has had white folks settling in since about the first decade of the 1800s. Does anyone know the earliest date of a tombstone in the Scotch Hill cemetery?
Flick Maple Syrup
Sunday, May 3

For May 2 CPAP. Reported figures. 8 hrs 14 min with AHI = 0.61 Events: 6H No major mask leaks (max=15 L/min).

Sunny day, not much wind so far, and John is watering small Plum trees while I am going over the text of this thing, for the next to last time.
We’ve both been working on it, and John just brought the horses up behind the house to enjoy the grass.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan