Keeping track

Week 1 September 2018

Monday, Sept 3
. . . … HAPPY LABOR DAY …

We rested a little, but basically worked on many different projects.
Some of this day was already written up in our previous blog.

John picked squash and tomatoes for me to share on Tuesday, when I leave for town for errands.

Tuesday, Sept 4

John left at 6:00 for the Dingford Creek Trail,
returning tonight after 5:00 p.m.
Only a couple of photos to show from near Pumpkin Seed Falls in the Cascades, east of N. Bend, WA.Top left: Sadie lunching at work site, where teams of 4 over three days raised the stream crossing about five feet and capped it with flat-topped rocks. Top right: Pumpkin Seed Falls (rock) a bit short of water.
Bottom left: 2 of the crew doing a last inspection. Bottom right: 10 feet of trail build up and tread repair – ’cause we were there.

I slept in a little longer but was up by 8:00 a.m. Washed a load of dishes. Then worked on finishing the blog photos. I spent time on the phone with Consumer Cellular checking to see if they had access to tracking the package I sent on Friday. I did not have a tracking number to follow. I have to wait until later in the week to see if it made it there.

I also received a call from Sears that our washer is in, but John cannot pick up until later this week.

I called in the non-delivery of the WSJ, from Saturday, but nothing was published on Labor Day. Now later I realized we did not get a paper delivered today, so I’ll wait to see if we get one tomorrow. Also, requested the missing paper copies be sent [from Chicopee, MA]. Supposed to come in 3-5 business days, but nothing has come yet, and we are out into 2 weeks missed deliveries. It is a normally a 6-day/wk (except holidays) delivery.

I took yellow summer squash and tomatoes to our neighbors to share with their extended family and a caregiver. While there I picked up some Bartlett pears. On to town where I dropped off some more squash. Those folks were not home, but I will see them tomorrow at lunch. From there I went on to Rehab, with a package to leave for Gerald Gordon, in his wife’s room. She was sleeping so I did not interrupt her. I went on back down the west wing to visit Burnie Orcutt, and to tell her our music group would be there this Thursday at 2:00-3:00 in the dining hall. She was happy to see me and we visited. She already heard from her daughter Suzy that we’d shared a steak dinner last Saturday for my birthday. We had a nice visit. From there, I was off to check my number at Bi-Mart. Didn’t win anything. On by the hospital to pick up another care and service report form. By to check the price on gasoline, and to the bank to cash a check (refund from overcharge at the foot doctor’s office, for John’s last visit). I wondered why we were being charged for a Medicare visit so late in the year, and I wasn’t, because our deductible should have long been paid up. From there to Safeway to replace a spoiled piece of white corn-on-the-cob. No questions asked. Then off to get gasoline… at $3.14/gal best price in town—at 7/11. From there, to Jerrol’s to spend a $10 off coupon during my birthday month. I looked around ½ the store and could not find anything I wanted. I was standing looking perplexed and a nice young gal, Beth, asked if she could help me find something. I told her my wishes and she suggested ordering a book of my choice. I had told her I looked at that section and others, but couldn’t find anything I wanted. The closest thing I found to something of interest was the Geology of Grant County. That county is east of us, and I wanted one on the Roadside Geology of Washington (state). I told her that I wanted the latest edition, which they did not have the last time I checked (last fall). She checked her computer and found they had the 2nd edition that I wanted. She told me to wait, and she went searching. She came back with a copy. I guess when I asked for it previously that must have triggered them to get it in the store. But, I had not specifically ordered it at the time. Now I’m the proud owner of a new copy of the book highly recommended by Nick Zentner. Price there was $26.00, so my $10 off coupon got used on something of interest to both of us.

Allen Aronica showed up looking for a cage to fit an Emu. It was being “herded” to a neighbor’s place but it had a different idea. They caught it but we could not help.
While he was here, I gave him a gift (the painting) I picked up free in Kittitas, WA on Friday. Allen is a Native American (our neighbor since 1989 a mile north on Naneum), and a member of the Kittitas Band of the Yakama tribe.Nancy presents painting (1979 by Norma Burnam). Background are Carpathian walnut trees, and our 11 yr. old Brittany, Cedaridge Vintage Roussanne.

Finally published last week’s blog tonight at 11:38 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept 5

John was up early to get ready for the Culligan man to come evaluate our system.
I stayed around until almost 11:00, and left for the Food Bank to play music. I left after 1:00 and came home to help John get ready to go pick up the washer. The Culligan man had only been gone 15 minutes when I got home about 1:30. We still have not heard back from salesman & water tester, Jose’, about our needed purchase, but there’s really no rush. We have a month of cleanup in the garage to make room for a new unit to manage removing the iron and iron-bacteria in our water.

Nice visit over lunch with Karen Johnson and her friend Nancy Edwards (I have pix of both and first met Nancy and boyfriend Craig and the ending BBQ for the Kittitas Audubon Society. Need to get those out to them and the KAS folks. I have to do it before the Sept 20 meeting. See below on Saturday for link to all.
We had a fair number there today for music with 3 singers and 4 instrumentalists. I sat with 4 other musicians and we had lunch, after we had played for ½ hour. John fixed me a hamburger, with cooked onions and a larger one of our tomatoes sliced. I had lost much of my lunch salad when the top opened on my container and filled my carrying bag with Bleu Cheese dressing.

Tonight for supper, we had a nice pizza, with our stuff on it (Ailsa Craig onions, & tomatoes), and from the store, Pepperoni based pizza with mushrooms. Added a bit of sauce, extra cheddar cheese, then topped with Parmesan.

Thursday, Sept 6

We received delivery of our first WSJ in two weeks. Maybe they finally got it straightened out. Funny thing, we also missed receiving the last 3 editions of our local newspaper, the Daily Record, and received all three last night with a letter of apology from the Daily Record Circulation Manager that the carrier had dumped all the copies rather than delivered them.

We heard from Allen Aronica that they caught the Emu and got him home to his new place up the road from us and over Naneum Creek north of Charlton Rd. Allen’s neighbor tries to “rescue” animals but she hasn’t the resources to do so. Years ago, John helped get a donkey to her, using our horse trailer.

I ran off a new song for us to practice at the Rehab today, called “Meeting in the Air.” This is our first Thursday of the month when we go to the place where I was “incarcerated” for 7 weeks in 2010 out of the ICU, needing to regain the use of all my muscles that atrophied after no activity from November 28 through my valve replacement the end of December 2009.

A resident there now is a wonderful lady Burniece Orcutt. For a number of years we would go to her home for part of Christmas Day. She is now in rehab for physical therapy to regain balance. Daughter Suzy West will be joining her today to come to our performance. I went by on Tuesday to visit with Burnie, and to remind her we would be there, and not to schedule a PT appointment during the 2 – 3:00 p.m. hour. She and her husband used to dance (with our group playing) at the Friday afternoon ballroom dances at the senior center in the early 1990s. Sad thing – our accordion player for many years is now there as a resident with Dementia, and unable to do most things. She still sits in her wheelchair with the group, smiling occasionally, and keeps time to the music with her hands.

John went to Sears in the truck to have them load our washer. Ellensburg Sears is very small and locally owned, but handles sales of appliances and garden/lawn equipment. Sears, as a major company, is headed down the toilet bowl of history. The local store will have new arrangements if it wishes to stay in business.

Friday, Sept 7

John left at 6:00 a.m. and I slept in past 6:30. I found the tracking number for my package I sent to return my smart phone, after I learned today by email it had been received in Portland, by Consumer Cellular and they have credited my account for $135.

I talked to a fellow I know at the Daily Record (DR), who told me the rest of the story about non-delivery of our local newspaper over a 3-day period. He said they went to the delivery person’s home and she had some papers bundled in the back of her car. Then someone checked at Super 1 grocery dumpsters and found the rest. Wow. I thanked him for our delivery, told him of my problems with WSJ delivery and that I didn’t even realize I wasn’t getting the DR. I asked him how they figured it out, and he said their phone was ringing off the hook, so they began the search.

I wrote White Heron’s Cameron & Phyllis we would be coming Sunday at 1:30 and we were being joined by friends from Cle Elum.

I had brunch at noonish. Large tomato, 2 eggs over easy with cheese, cut ham, and toast with apricot jam. Ready to take meds and get busy.
I loaded more into the dishwasher. Fed Party Mix to Rascal.
No other cats in sight at the time.

I did remember to thank the 3 folks who mailed me birthday cards via USPS—Peggy, Pat, and Ethel.

I spent from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. sorting stacks of mail receipts, music, and other things we print off in 2 years, and recycled almost a box of paper. Have not yet filed them by month. Still working on things found to correct, update emails, and addresses. When we never stay home, things accumulate.

John called at 4:00 from N. Bend**. Expected home at 5:30; he arrived a few minutes after without calling. He is finding the new phone as confusing as quantum physics.
**Edgewick exit, actually, a truck stop, motel, & restaurant. Between 1912 & 1919 there was a small community with a post office. Then came the Boxley Burst {link}.

Annie spent a lot of time in the backyard on the concrete in the sun and in the shade.

Tonight we had a late supper.

Saturday, Sept 8

I emptied the dishwasher and worked on stacks in the den. We had brunch and John picked produce: blackberries and tomatoes.
I wrote to the Emeriti Geographers, postponing our meeting for a month or two.

This is the link to photos from the Kittitas Audubon’s Summer Picnic

KAS Annual Picnic, 8-16-18

Sunday, Sept 9

Going to White Heron: I got some plates, napkins, clear plastic cups, and stainless steel flatware ready to take for the 4 of us, and put my camera in.
We were preparing for the Chef’s Extravaganza, in conjunction each year with Quincy Farmer Consumer Awareness Day. We attend this event at White Heron Cellars (& Mariposa Vineyard) every year to celebrate my birthday (a week late).

On our trip over via I-90, we drove by at the very beginning of a fire in the median.Our first photo at Renslow Trestle [old RR, abandoned], later fire shown in median and across westbound lanes, closer, and no WSP or firetrucks had yet arrived. We slowed slightly but went on before traffic began to back-up.

Brush fire off I-90 near Kittitas burned 100 acres

We made it by and got over to White Heron about 12:45.
Visited with the owners and some of the pruners, and with the cooks. I spent about 20 minutes with my cell phone and John’s new ‘smart’ phone, talking to Portland to the provider to download the newest version of the operating system. It finally got done before our friends arrived. John was inside tasting with others.

I ran around with my camera documenting the day. Those photos have not been completely processed, just enough to end this blog and I’ll give you a link to follow, next week, to all I took. Pre-partying in the winery. Nancy & John & current selections.My staked out table with view, and later in use with food.Our table’s food, smoked pork ribs, w/ blueberry-peach garnish Our friends: Jack & Sharon ^^^^^^^^^ Nancy, Altesse, Sharon
Columbia River and basalt cliffs in the background. Closest behind Sharon and Jack is the Mariposa Vineyard, wherefrom all the grapes come in the White Heron wines (as on the table). With our dinner we had a bottle of Trinidad Red.Cameron Fries, Nancy, Sharon^^^^^^John, Phyllis Fries, Nancy
And yes, Cameron really is quite large – used to be 6′ 7″

We’ll end there (even on this Tuesday, September 11, 2018) and begin next week with Monday of this week, when we hope to publish, again.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Monday, Aug 27

. . . … would have been my mother’s birthday …

Started early by driving Annie to the vet; arrival, 7:30 a.m.

Back home and John fixed breakfast of sausage, eggs, toast, orange slices.

Now he’s getting Myst ready for trimming at 10:00 a.m.

We will go to town at 1:00 to get me to the AAC for exercise class, taking yellow summer squash for giveaway, and John took a book to read so we could go together afterwards for stuff on sale at Safeway. We cannot pick Annie up until after 4:00. We have several other stops in town.

The vet will call our home with a report on how the anesthesia and tests went—around 11-noon. They called but said they were delayed by other surgeries, so they wouldn’t get to her until later afternoon. They finished about 2:15 and called my cell phone. We were driving from one stop after the exercise class, when the phone call came. The technician said she was still groggy and it would likely be until 4:00 before we could pick her up. So we went on to Safeway and to two other stops before driving out to the west side of town to the vet, getting there about 3:45. We took care of paperwork and bill paying, and soon she appeared. Wow! I wish I had a before and after picture. She was a hairy mess when we left her, and now she looks like a puppy. They literally shaved her body. She will be a lot happier and us too.

They completed several lab tests, and we have to wait for a couple to be returned after analysis at another lab. They did a pre-op lab to be sure she could withstand the anesthesia. Sent off the labs for testing her Thyroid, and her need for taking Phenobarbital. Those last two were over $120. Wow! I was overcharged for the pre-op but I recalled what it said on the approval form I signed and they returned $10 cash. Glad I looked closely at the itemization (and remembered correctly), as I did not have a copy. John heard it across the room as well, said to me and to another person with her dog.

Annie is 11 years old (born in 5-9-2007)—our only Brittany left with us. Her AKC registered name is Cedaridge Vintage Rousanne (SR43508804 09-10).

We were gone from 1:00 to 5:00. While in town, we stopped by Bi-Mart and the hospital to drop off the Care & Service report, and two other places.

Tuesday, Aug 28

I stayed home to tackle many tasks today and not all are listed here.

• Called Critter Care with comments and questions. Annie weighed 61# and has gained 8# since last there 2 years ago. We have put her on a low-fat pellet food to mix with what she has left, and then will totally switch to that.
• Called Gloria about going with me tomorrow to SAIL
• Had a call just before noon from the vet regarding Annie’s lab tests. She was below the normal range [15-40] with a 6 and we will take her off all Phenobarbital for a month, and reevaluate. Her Thyroid test was normal at 1.6 within the range, 1.0 – 4.0. So that’s good. I requested that as an additional test because her mom was on Levothyroxine for the last few years of her life. We had not seen any symptoms, so it was just precautionary.

• John picked Starking plums getting 10# from one tree and only a handful of Bubblegum plums. I compared them tonight and like the Bubblegum a lot. Hopefully, we will get more next year.
• Called Consolidated Communications Customer Service to report a problem with a $92 charge Aug 1. Turns out it was related to their own problem of saying that my Discover Card on file had expired. It had not, and then they changed it, and I paid for 2 months missed. They had charged me a service charge of $6 for the bad card which was not expired, and their fault. I have been credited for the charge at my request.
• I then asked to be transferred to Technical Support, and reached Stewart in SC where I reported our continued loss of DSL and router problems. He saw all of the previous problems documented and requested immediate attention by a repairman today, or tomorrow morning.

• Request Complete Blood profile with next INR for the Sodium component in my blood. Sept 12 in preparation for my Sept 24 appt. with Dr. Kim. Put call in today to Cle Elum KVH clinic, but because it was not urgent, I was not called. Got the response I wanted the next day, so it should be set to go.
• WSJ problems again. Thought we had it corrected after losing copies in July. Next is my email about the first telephone call, and the subsequent addendum. 8-28-18, reported to Jess in the Philippines (1-800-JOURNAL–(1-800-568-7625)) that we had no delivery Aug 23, 24, 25, but had a paper delivered Aug 27 with no back papers, explanation, or apologies. We also did NOT have a delivery this morning Aug 28, and I will try reporting to support@wsj.com and request information from the regional carrier (out of Seattle, WA), where your delivery office is.  Our previous carrier I knew but have not contacted her. Perhaps it has changed to a different delivery person. PLEASE HELP.  We want to receive both the printed copy and the digital version, but not only the digital.  The name is Nancy B. Hultquist, delivery address has not changed in many years, is 11041 Naneum Road, Ellensburg, WA – with phone number: (509)-925-3304 unchanged since 1989.
• Contacted (via email) Culligan on Fruitdale Rd in Yakima that we wanted someone to call us tomorrow morning before 10:00 a.m. to talk about adding an iron removal system and perhaps adding additional filtering. This is meant for before 10:00 a.m. on Aug. 29. We will be here during the day on Thursday, Aug 30, but no time on Friday, Aug 31. Please use the only phone line (landline) we have for reception at our house. Thank you!

Wednesday, Aug 29

John went to the dentist for teeth cleaning and took along $ to get my Prevident fluoride toothpaste.

I left earlier for the food bank music because our normal member who sets up the music stands and the chairs and then goes to pick up the pasta for lunch was not there today, but on the west side visiting his children and grandchildren for the weekend. I needed to help with our setup and also to show a video of a tribute to friends of the fellow who died. She and the others do not have a computer to view and were interested. I just showed it on my camera.

We had a good number there today for music with 3 singers and 4 instrumentalists. We also sang Happy Birthday midway through (to me). Lori flashed the lights and then called my name and I led off the song in the key of G. Everyone in the room sang. It was cool. Three people asked afterwards how old I was, and I said, ¾ century, 75 years.

I sat with 4 other musicians and we had lunch, after we had played for ½ hour. I always take my salad, but as a member of the Senior Nutrition group, I now register with my membership card there, and I can participate in the healthy food. Today’s was cottage cheese with pineapple or white grapes. I chose white grapes to go with my salad I made and brought. Also I got a piece of homemade brownie to bring home.

I left as soon as I could to go pick up my friend, Gloria Swanson, at Hearthstone, to take along to SAIL class. She was in the class starting in 2010 and that’s where I met her. She is now 92 and still going strong. They have their own SAIL class at Hearthstone, so she does not have to come along to the AAC. She always went with me to the Food Bank lunch on Wednesday. It is not as easy for me to pick her up to take her there because before, her house was right on the way. Now it is on the south side of town, so I have suggested she ride the Hopesource bus, to the Food Bank, and then join the others that come from there to the AAC for SAIL, and then be picked up to be taken back to Hearthstone. We’ll see if we can make that work after the Fair & Rodeo are over.

I carried a box of onions for Joanie (she’s a fiddler with our group) & Ken that they picked up from my car at the end. I had run lyrics sheets for La Marseilles in French & English for SAIL class to have to follow 3 of us sing it in French. See below.

After eating, I left early to pick up Gloria at 1:05 to get us both to the AAC for Jessi’s last day, taking along my camera. Below is one link to all photos taken.

SAIL Final Class with Jessi Broderius – August 29, 2018

Thanks to AAC Director Katrina for taking these photos and video on my camera.
La Marseillaise – Anne, Nancy, Sandy, in Final SAIL w/ Jessi

A video of our song, the French National Anthem, in French, is below. We always had questions at the end of every class, and this was our answer to the question, “As a younger person, what song did you learn to sing in a foreign language?” This was my response, which I learned and memorized in the 7th grade in Georgia. Two of our class members agreed to join me today, and I provided copies to all there of the lyrics in French and English.

La Marseillaise – Anne, Nancy, Sandy, in Final SAIL w/ Jessi

On my way home, I delivered a box of onions, a few plums, and other stuff to the Davisons.

We have a new router, Comtrend8D9F and my computer works, but John’s second right hand monitor quit working. He just figured it out after the guy was gone – the tech apparently turned off the monitor switch while replacing the router (right next to it). It’s back on, and he fixed the correct information in our Epson printer so we can print again.

I tried to wash clothes, and the Kenmore washer broke. We cannot get one today, but one is being ordered and John had to drive in to pay in advance ($751) for picking it up from the store on Wednesday afternoon to bring home to install. He’ll have to remove the truck canopy before then.

I spent all day working on computer things, because I did not have to go play music today at an assisted living home as it is the 5th Thursday of the month and a BYE day for us. We get 3 / year.

Friday, Aug 31

John left very early for Dingford Trail work, west near North Bend, with LeeAnn as the crew leader. After last week, he had made a nice sectional description of the trail to take along and show to the crew at the trail head and safety talk that precedes every WTA work party. He did take a photo at the talk with it in the back of the truck, but I added the photos below it instead because they better fit the day. On the long trek driving into the trail head, they found a tree had fallen across the road, blocking their access. As a trained WTA crew, they stopped, cut, and removed it.The tree rested on both sides of the road, so the middle part bowed down. This is called “top bind”, and as the cut is made the wood will pinch the saw blade. At the moment this starts, the cutting stops and a wedge (yellow plastic) is inserted into the cut (kref). This holds the cut open and allows sawing to continue.
Left photo, sawyer Emily has Krishna sawing while she sets the wedge. Right photo, with wood under the saw, Emily completes the cut. The saw will drop onto the piece of wood and not be damaged by the rocks of the road.

If you want to see more pictures from this day, and 3 more from Sunday’s outing to the same trail, please follow this link: photos are from John’s new phone, except for the top photo.

WTA, Dingford Creek Trail, 8-31-18 & 9-2-18

The first 3 photos are actually from Sunday’s trip, Sept 2, but the rest of the trip Aug 31, makes up the rest of the day, only taken on John’s phone and other trail pictures for the whole weekend’s work will arrive this week.

From there I dressed and left for Kittitas, WA to go to the USPS office there, knowing it would be fast and no long line waiting as in Ellensburg. They open at 1:30 from lunch, and I had two other things to do in town.
First was across the street from the Elementary school where I went for 22 years to W.O.T.F.A. Summer workshops for a week. I was picking up (freely given) a set of cup and bowl of Thomas the Train for my little conductor 6 yr. old friend in Roslyn. He’s the one I mentioned previously about writing a song saga about steam locomotive.Thomas the Train – Gift for young train lover & musician, Miles.

I picked up and then went on down to the Pantry (free for clothes it is open Fridays from 1-4, and also Wed 1-3). I managed to get some jeans for a disabled couple who cannot drive and who need unusual sizes. It was a helpful stop. In addition, I got some more jeans for the WTA crew, to have for people who arrive in shorts, and I picked up a pair of nice brown jeans in my size. I’m wearing them to an event this coming Sunday.

I also received an oil painting of a Native American on a horse (painted in 1979) that I’m going to give to my neighbor, Allen Aronica, of the Kittitas band of the Yakama Nation. I still need to contact him, but he is occupied with the Fair and his Native American involvement.

Then on down to mail a package at the Kittitas, P.O., with no one in line, and nothing required but to hand over the package. Upon reflection, I realize I should have asked for a receipt. Oh, well, I hope it arrives, as it is will be a $135 refund to me for the Smart Phone I returned, because of no reception as expected at home. I still get reception at the far end of my house on my flip phone.

From there, back to Ellensburg, to Bi-Mart, but sadly, the Moisture Drops for my eyes has not yet been delivered from the warehouse. Next stop, Super 1, for two heavy boxes of Classic Cokes for $3.99 each. Off to Safeway, for a bunch of items, all on Just 4 U sale prices: colas, sausage, cheddar cheese, iceberg lettuce, and corn-on-the-cob.

John called from on the road at Snoqualmie Pass. They were an hour late returning from the trail, and he is in a slow traffic jam on I-90, stop & go at 5mph. No idea when he will get home (it was 7:00 p.m.).

I walked up the drive with Czar (cat) and Annie and because she was going nuts without him here. She wanted in the ditch and I can get the mail and paper while there.

It seems the delivery person (Jennifer) for the Wall Street Journal has flown the coup. Erratic delivery started a couple of months ago, and now there are none. The WSJ folks haven’t been much help in solving this, but they do offer to extend the subscription. For that to work, they have to solve their delivery issue.

John called from Sanders / Hannah road at 6:43, only 10 minutes away. I’ll let Annie out. Now they’re going for another walk to feed the horses.

Nice supper with a late dessert (Marionberry pie). Lots of stuff going on today and tomorrow, Sunday, and maybe I can rest on Labor Day.
First another story of something that happened in our valley that’s rather unbelievable – we have an exotic bird in our midst. An Emu pictured in our Kittitas Valley on Lower Green Canyon Road. He is an escaped rescue bird, but now has showed up in our neighborhood several miles to the east. Story to be continued. He/she has been tracked to a nearby place, but there remains the issue of capture and removal.

Saturday, Sept 1 MY BIRTHDAY !

Scary – Google search from Midnight started wishing me Happy Birthday all day!

Thanks for my birthday telephone call from Bruce & Michelle Seivertson in California and for one from sister Peggy that came the day after while I was still partying over at White Heron.
Michelle and Bruce are going to Chico for a 75th birthday party for people in his high school graduating class. From there they will ride the train to Anaheim for a trip to Disneyland.

I’m looking at all the greetings coming through on Facebook, and it will take longer than I have today. I have had videos sent, paintings, and tons of messages. I’ll snip a few of them to share, and do a combined thank you tomorrow or late tonight for all in one thank you send to my timeline friends.

We plan to celebrate my special day, ¾ of a century, at Yakima Steak Company with friends, Suzy & Bob West, from west of Yakima. The restaurant we had gone to in the past with them, The Black Angus, has now closed.
Parts of our dinner and us:We had two loaves of warmed bread, appetizers 6 prawns to go with the stuffed mushrooms, classic salad wedge part sliced, the 12-oz NY steak with mashed Yukon Gold potatoes and sautéed green beans (for each couple), and I did not get a photo of my special birthday dessert: a heated very large chocolate/chocolate chip cookie heated in a round crock-type dish, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce atop.

Birthday presents in addition to dinner. I have a new (used) set I picked out of brown jeans. You’ll see them in photos tomorrow at my continuing birthday celebration at White Heron Cellars, west of Quincy, WA, which doesn’t start until 4:00 p.m. I’m driving myself over because John will be back at a WTA work party in the Cascades east of North Bend, WA.

Here are other gifts (mostly cards) except the Irish T-Shirt.
Top left is from my friend JW Harrington, a photo of a painting he painted. Top right was a cute musical video with animals playing instruments. Lower left is from the family of a sweet student from CWU who we have kept up with, and the bottom right is a liver & white spaniel card with a note and an Irish T-shirt to wear in our March 2019 performances when we dress in the green. The card is signed by Joanie, Ken, and Rosie is their dog. Joanie is my twin fiddling partner 2-3 days/week when they are in Ellensburg, but are leaving soon for 6 months in Quartzite, AZ.

This next collage has a gift on top from my neighbor Ken of his homemade Apricot Jam, and below is my only request, for a new sink stopper, and John got me 3. This and a gray and white one.This baby blue is my favorite and almost matches the new (used from Goodwill) spatula/scraper I bought when our old one broke!

John figured out how to use the printer’s key-pad to insert the password so the printer would recognize the in-house Wi-Fi of the new router. It is less than intuitive. Gives you a keypad and says enter password, but no way to know how to get to numbers vs. capital letters vs. lower case ones. Doing this once every 3 to 5 years is not enough to remember the procedure.
Now we both can print from our computers again. Thanks for another nice birthday present from John.

For those of you with Facebook, you can view this for the explanation of what is in John’s weekly column, “Not So Nasty News” about the rescue of a 55 lb. injured Springer Spaniel with a 6-mile hike down on the back of a woman hiker (Tia) who is very small herself. Check this out: (this is a Facebook link, so you have to have a Facebook account to view it).

Good Morning America Story about Boomer the Miracle Dog

Sunday, Sept 2

John left at 6:00 a.m. for WTA again at Dingford Creek. I got up and fed 4 cats all of whom were hungry.

I went back to sleep until 9:15. I think I really needed it.

Checked weather: Last night, it went to 44° and expected high today here is 79°. It was in the lower 80s at White Heron.

I visited the Facebook page to make colorful thank you note for all the wishes for my ¾ century goal, to save time of liking or replying.

This is the thanks I posted on Facebook for all the many hits yesterday, 9/1
I added a comment beneath it, saying:

Thank you all for sending special wishes by phone, by email animated card greetings, by messages, by timeline hits, and by going to my birthday dinner in Yakima (just 4 of us) – that included friends who were allowed as “family” visitors during my long stay in the ICU at Yakima Regional with my heart issues in 2009. I’m happy because of all the many supporters out there in my life-time friendships.

For my brunch, I fixed 2 eggs over easy, cut up a large tomato, a couple of plums, had a small slice of ham, and ½ English muffin with Ken’s apricot preserves (his birthday gift to me).

I watched a video on the basics of playing Pétanque.

EPA Pétanque Training

Following up on the meaning of EPA, I found this:

Pétanque England (PE)!

Pétanque, also known as boules is a sport that is enjoyed by all. We have members of all ages and we cater for everybody from those who enjoy the game socially to those that want to compete internationally at elite level.
Formerly known as the English Pétanque Association [EPA], we are the National Governing Body for the sport in England and are officially recognised by Sport England.

I had to get things ready to take to White Heron. Packed sausage with 25 washed Starking plums, decided on my garb for playing a French game (from Provence) and ended up with a brown French beret, to go with my brown birthday jeans, and a long-sleeved white/brown shirt.
I left about 2:56 for my trip to the Pétanque party at 4:00 p.m. at White Heron. John won’t be home until late (as Friday night) and by the time he got there it would be dark. So, he took care of nightly chores, and fielded the phone call from our sister Peggy wishing me a Happy Birthday.

Here are some photos from that evening and afternoon: visiting, followed by Pétanque, some individually, and then two teams competed – 3 people/team. I was on the winning team, so that was another gift!! It was my first time to play and I actually made some points for our team. This was our setting: overlooking the Mariposa Vineyard toward the Columbia River and West Bar at the bend where it flows south. Top line: First couple to arrive Jenny & Bill, right are the owners Cameron & Phyllis Fries, and some appetizers: Dates with Brie Cheese, Hummus dip with tahini (ground sesame seeds), and Baba Ganoush dip (eggplant with tahini); then our offering of plums and a roll of Italian Dry Salami.

The first Pétanque game was individually played by Carl and Nohomi on the small court beside the Mariposa vineyard and the White Heron Cellars winery. I took a video of them:

Nohomi & Carl Playing Pétanque, September 2, 2018

Then we visited and ate more before we had dinner. We visited with the chef and his family who will be here cooking next week for Farmer’s Awareness Day at 2:00 on Sunday, September 9th.

I handed my camera to Audrey, and requested her taking some photos of me playing.Nancy’s form – setup swing & follow throughs-Left, my very first throw. Middle, a later game’s follow through. Right, my last game’s follow through.Nancy setting up trying for the winning point – Winning team !!
Phil, Nancy, and Nozomi. Other team was Cameron, Bill, & Carl.

Then, we ate dinner, and I left for my drive home in the dark arriving home after 9:30 p.m. I had a great time.

I spent most of Labor Day working on finishing the blog and putting out Google photos from earlier things last week. John has to leave Tuesday morning at 6:00 a.m. and so he went to bed before I finished this blog enough to have him proof it, edit it, and put into WordPress for publication. It’s my fault for the lateness. I was too busy celebrating the past several days on the long weekend.

Then tonight, we spent time following the sad story of a serious Motorhome wreck just past the first eastern Ellensburg exit (Canyon Rd), when the motorhome left the road, with two fatalities and 7 others (2 adults and 5 children) some air-lifted to Harborview in Seattle in serious condition and others taken to two local hospitals. A tire blowout caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle. His wife and 6 yr. old granddaughter died, one 8-yr old survived with no injuries (amazingly). Only two people were wearing seatbelts. The family members are from Snohomish, 20 miles north of Seattle. The motorhome was 40’ and pulling a closed trailer about 15 feet long.
Because of where the vehicle left the road it went through 2 guardrails and hit a rock embankment of a ditch. A few miles later it would have gone into a dry swale and not doing a serious crash.

Possibly this link will be updated – the most informative of several:

Motorhome Crash

John says “People drive way too fast.”

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

The link below goes to Google Photos from the Aloha going-away party for Jessi Broderius from the AAC (our senior center).

AAC_Aloha Party for Jessi Broderius, August 17, 2018

Below is the link to all the photos John took at the Rotary Cowboys’ Kick-off (Fair & Rodeo) Breakfast and Farmers Market last week starting a little before 7:00 a.m. A few added from Amy taken of our mascot, Haley, who won the Cutest Cowgirl award for the 2nd year in a row.

Kick-off Breakfast, 8-18-18

Monday, Aug 20

I published the blog very early today, after losing all sorts of time with computer and DSL issues. This morning my Word quit working. At 10:00 a.m. my whole computer froze, so I restarted. This technology is driving me insane.

I think this morning, I will add photos from my neighbor, Ron Swedberg, of a Great Horned owl, his brother Ken saw in the window of their old barn. By the time Ron got there the owl had flown into a pear tree, but he saw him and captured these photos. So, Ron, Ken, me, you. The Owl and a few others like her hoot most every evening from nearby trees.Photo by Ron Swedberg

I left for town to deliver plums to Briarwood and to the AAC, where I will attend SAIL exercise class.

This next link will start your week off on a happy note, especially welcomed. It’s from our long-time friend (since 1974), Robert Oppie (Bob) who sent this note with it:

I have long been intrigued by words and the power they possess. My rendering of the below.  A one-minute clip filmed in Glasgow Scotland. Not a joke, not religious, not political; full of wisdom and special.  Bob

The Power of Words
{John says: If true, great. Filming had to be from a reenactment so the cynical person would wonder about the coin tossers – few before, many after.}

Tuesday, Aug 21

I called Kittitas Valley Healthcare (KVH) Medical Records about having my records for lab draws there from April to present sent to Dr. Antony Kim at the Yakima Heart Center. The department I need is Health Information Management, before 4:30 p.m. Here’s my story and situation behind my request:

My appointment is scheduled for Sept 24 and they will need the records received in advance. My request involved the need to get all lab records sent to two doctors, because my PCP (Norman Wood) Cle Elum KVH supervises the cardiologist’s requested heart medications and required monthly blood draws, but both doctors need the records without my intervention. I used to be able to request records to be sent to both at the time of service, but now it is not allowed. If they have gone to electronic storage of medical information – – Why can’t each place get to my records and view them?
(I know the answer – it’s because each medical facility is associated with a different hospital – and it is the reason I wear a MEDIC ALERT bracelet.)

I reached Cindy (in that office) this morning, explained my needs, and she will set it up and with the lab to add Dr. Kim’s name to all work to be sent on my lab results. In addition, she will send all my labs that have been done since April to the Yakima Heart Center. I thanked her, but then decided I would do more.

I called and requested of Jill, at the front desk, to mail me a care evaluation form so I could put in a good word for Cindy with the administration. The form arrived 8-24-18, and is a Care & Service Report that provides for feedback on our service-exceptional care you received from our staff-or to file a grievance. I will fill it out and take back to the front desk for processing. I’m happy I knew previously of this form.

Wednesday, Aug 22

Called in John’s Levothyroxine refill request and I picked it up while in town today.

I printed copies of It is No Secret to sing as a tribute to Bill Bolman who was a volunteer at the food bank, and also a fan club member of our music group, at the food bank and at Briarwood, where he resided. This week is our visit there (3rd week of the month), and we will sing and play and eat. That actually turned into a much more of a tribute memorial, which you will experience if you look at this Saturday’s post.

Right before leaving, we contacted by phone, Consolidated Communication to report our problems with losing our DSL (sometimes three times a day). The tech support (in Tennessee) listened and decided to call for a technician to come to our house. We gave him the phone number, and expected the tech to call before showing up. He did not call, but John was here, and the technician supposedly fixed it. I came home while he was still here, but leaving. John told him if he had come tomorrow, neither one of us would have been here. Our land line was clearly on the work order and we were told he would call first. It’s nice to have it back working again, and I hope it continues. (It did not. Same old drops and re-connects several times a day.)

I worked on several projects before leaving at 10:55.
One thing I did this morning was to change from wearing my FitBit to a regular watch to wear in the shower, because the FitBit is only supposed to be splashed, not to experience running water. I was rushing to leave, and neglected to change back to my FitBit, so the benefit of my exercising today, steps, aerobic time, etc. was not recorded.

After music at the food bank, I went by the hospital for my monthly required INR & potassium blood draw. I called ahead to the AAC to let them know I was coming but would be late, and why. Turns out I wasn’t that late arriving.
When I was called late afternoon at home, with my test results (INR 2.1 and K 4.5), I asked about when John’s test was scheduled in Sept after 2 months of increasing the dosage to 88mcg. Cody looked it up for me and I put it on the planning calendar in the kitchen. Nice communication with the Coumadin team at KVH Cle Elum. I suppose I should issue a Care & Service Report on them!

Thurs, Aug 23

John left at 5:55 a.m. for the Stevens Pass WTA work crew, but sadly received an email canceling it at 5:45 after his computer was turned off and he was outside packing things into his car, feeding the horses, and opening the gate.

Cancellation: Air quality remains in the unhealthy category at the pass today in addition to the red flag warning blowing gusty, dry winds into that area. Due to these conditions I feel that it is best to cancel the work party today.

Nate Schmidt – Crew Leader
PCT – Stevens Pass

I received a phone call at 7:20 a.m. from the Blue Hat (Crew Leader above) that the WTA trip was cancelled, but there was nothing I could do. By the time I got the phone call and message, John was past Leavenworth, into the Tumwater Canyon.This is not a place for cell phone reception.

If I had known previously (from the email), I could have called him while he was on Hwy 97 or in Leavenworth, where some stretches have reception. So, he didn’t know until he got to Stevens Pass (about 2 hrs), and found no one at the trailhead at one of the ski area’s parking lots. He called me. Sadly, I told him what I knew. Cells work at Stevens Pass, and sometimes at White Pass (road to Mt. Rainier), but not this past summer. No explanation for that. Do they only turn that on during ski season?

The only redeeming thing was, 12 miles east of the Pass, a cougar stepped out of the brush from the downhill side of the road, bounded across at a safe distance in front of the car, and went up the bank on the north side. (See his note in this week’s Not So Nasty News). He’s never seen one in the wild. He stopped at the Forest Service Regional District office to report his sighting. The wildlife biologist wasn’t in, but the person thanked him and told him she would report to the staff, who would be grateful for his information. There is a Christian camp ½ mile away, in the direction the cougar came from!
From there he stopped by
Smithson Ranch fruit stand and purchased 3 ears of corn and a bag of Starkrimson® pears.

The peaches he bought last week were Starfire, but today only a few were left, and these were too ripe (left over from the shipment he bought from last Thursday).

He got home in time to fix us a brunch of eggs, sausage, toast, with sliced fresh peach and our sliced fresh plums.

Today is my day to play music at Hearthstone. I have to leave early to take a photograph at the senior center. I made my stop and took my photograph of the backdrop that Jessi made with pictures with ~40 people & her at her party last Friday.

Here I am today, in my Ellensburg Rodeo baseball cap I actually won there at the AAC in a raffle a couple years ago. The western shirt was given to me by my friend Joanie, and then she served as my seamstress to tailor (using darts) to allow me to wear it after I lost my weight. I think it was originally a 2X. The silver Ellensburg Rodeo button I’m wearing is from 2008. I’m standing in front of the back drop containing a number of photos of Jessi with admirers at her party, an Aloha going away for sending her off to her new job in a Senior Center in Coeur d’Alene, ID. My photo with Jessi, is at the lower right side (bottom row). This below was taken at the same time on my camera and shows more of my “dress” there that day. Nancy with Jessi, last week (Aug 17) at her Aloha party.

Seeing this photo again, made me remember the Amber Necklace I had on above the white one. The white one was make from seashells for the Hawaiian themed party, but the Amber one is my favorite and picked up on the gold and amber colored flowers on my blouse. I have had that for 25 years, given to me by a former student at the Univ. of Idaho, after she left and was teaching in Montana. She met me in San Francisco, and shared my timeshare there. As a thanks, for our week’s stay there for an Association of American Geographers’ meeting, she gave me the necklace she’d bought in Lithuania. The Balkan Sea region is well known as a repository for Amber.Map centered on Baltic Sea. Amber is sold in Latvia and Lithuania, but mine came from Lithuania.

I’m still working on finishing the photos taken on two cameras (the AAC’s Nikon and my own). I only took 18 on mine, but took 6 videos as well. The rest were taken using the AAC’s camera.

Today’s mail brought the paperwork for my next appointment at the Yakima Heart Center, September 24, 2018. It is with two different persons: (1) a device check technician to evaluate my ICD, followed by a 6-month appointment with my cardiologist, Dr. Antony Kim. It is nice they accommodated my request to combine them to save us a 99-mile round trip for one of the appointments. The device check usually takes less than 15 minutes, and they take me directly from there over to the cardiology side of the same building.

Evie and I were the only ones able to make the Grand Re-Opening Event at Pacifica, and both of us stayed much longer than either one of us had planned. I have one picture from there (at the very end) in my outfit I planned to wear at the Saturday Breakfast event. At the time I couldn’t find my Ellensburg Rodeo hat, which I since found, and put on to wear yesterday. I thought the western shirt I had on yesterday was still a little too big (Joanie had darted it but she decided a couple days ago that it would work well if I wore it a little differently with a shirt underneath, as yesterday).Nancy after the reception (near their Fireside Room)

Evie and I were amazed at the food offered – and there was a walking accordion player for part of the time. Food consisted of BBQ pork {best part, with Cole slaw [From Dutch koolsla, from kool (“cabbage”) + sla (“salad”], potato salad, a corn dish, some carrots & celery, with a full stash of dessert items, from Cream Puffs to little bites of cheese cake and chocolate hors d’oeuvres. It was served on plastic embossed plates with Pacifica Senior Living logo/address, with pressed wood utensils, and drinks served in a giveaway red glass pint jar with a handle, a straw within the screw top, and Pacifica printed on it as well. Beverage choices included spiked lemonade (Triple Sec & Jack Daniels), plain lemonade, or water.

Friday, Aug 24

We slept in this morning and we stayed home all day.

John spent time investigating things on the internet and did not do much outside. I checked my RCI records to make people we’re sharing our timeshare with in Kauai Island, Hawaii, aware of the current winds with respect to the hurricane and resort location. Good news is it will be over before they go September 8. It has calmed down already from this morning’s search.

“Garden Isle”, Kauaʻi . . . . swirling winds . . . . . Lawai Beach ResortPictures and info about the resort are HERE .

I have spent more time on processing the photos from yesterday and from last Friday’s going away Aloha party. I also need to send all the Rotary Cowboy’s Breakfast photos to Google Photos. (That was finished later tonight), but I still need to get in all the people I want to include in the notification to email it.

We had our brunch, and John has done the beginning chores in the pasture and yard.

Here’s a photo of the Milky Way at Cannon Beach OR, at Haystack Rock. Photo by Anthony Krueger of PNW Photography

Local geologist (ex CWU) Jack Powell identified the rock as Columbia Basalt. Friend & neighbor, Allen Aronica alerted me to this – On Facebook by a photographer, Anthony Krueger, professional photographer. He calls his business, PNW Photography (also the Facebook page name). His description of this photo follows: Got up at 3am to take this shot of the Milky Way at Cannon Beach overlooking Haystack Rock. One shot using a Canon 6D and Rokinon 14mm f2.8 for a 30 second exposure at ISO 5000.

John continued sorting onions he’d grown and we contacted neighbor Allen, a mile north, to see if he wanted some to share with the family who will be coming for the Rodeo and Fair. He was delighted and came down to pick them up and visit. The official dates are Aug 30 to Sept 3rd. As the “kick-off” started last Saturday morning, there are activities going on all week.

In this afternoon’s delivered mail, I received a lovely thank you note for the tribute we arranged for a Briarwood resident who passed over the rainbow bridge recently, and whom many of us knew at the Food Bank and at Briarwood.

You saw that 10-minute video in last Saturday’s blog entry. This thank you note came from the Briarwood couple who were featured singing (Terry) and voicing memories of a co-worker volunteer and friend of Bill Bolman, by Marilyn (Terry’s wife). Our music group backed the singer and the audience sang along on the chorus before and after each verse Terry sang… of the song, It is No Secret (what God can do) .
If you missed the link last week, here it is again:

Tribute Memorial to Bill Bolman

We continued working through the evening, each on projects we needed to complete. We both lost track of time, and didn’t get to bed until after midnight.

Saturday, Aug 25

This morning it is chilly and welcomed, but the haze has returned, winds have died, and the visibility is only 4 miles. However, the winds returned just before 10:00 a.m. and we had 28 mph gusts that are moving some of the smoke from the valley. So now at 11:53, the winds are sustained at 21 mph and the visibility has increased to 5 miles. It will get better throughout the day.

John has gone to open the gate, take care of outside chores, inside chores for me, and we are about ready to have our late brunch.

Early morning John put in the Crockpot for all day, a nice beef roast with onions and canned tomatoes. Tonight he fried more onions, some yellow summer squash, I cut two of his nice homegrown tomatoes, and two of our plums (purple each one from a different tree). One was cling free and the other was supposed to be, but didn’t get that message.
I made good progress today on photographs and videos I had taken last week. Should be able to finish them and put them on Google Photos to distribute by tomorrow, and then update the beginning of this blog.

Following a suggestion from a new WTA volunteer, John made a nice sectional description of the trail for the Dingford Trail work next Friday. He will take it along and show it to the crew at the trail head and safety talk that precedes every WTA work party.

Sunday, Aug 26

Mom is one of the 3-yr old twins, Bambi gets along with Buck
A few days later the local bucks have shed their velvet.

Cat & Mouse (left).
Here is my video:
Czar playing with mouse & Sue enters later

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

with video (below)