Keeping track

Sunday, Apr 15

We published last week’s blog at 12:25 p.m. I spent hours on inside house chores and John on outside chores, normal feeding ones, but mostly his were in the garden. He got his strawberries planted in their new raised beds with a mixture of soil, sand, silt, and sun-bleached horse processed dead grass.

Monday, Apr 16

John doesn’t have to leave for pruning; it’s done for this year. Some bottling efforts are yet to come (and sooner than expected, this Wednesday, then Thursday, next week).

I went to my SAIL exercise class and by several other stops for errands.

I dropped off a bag of clothes by Joanie’s and picked up another. I’m quite grateful to her for her super seamstress talents, as she is taking up my larger clothes to make them fit me now (at least the ones that can easily be darted or seamed).

Over the weekend, I found the original box that housed my wrist blood pressure cuff that has been defective for several months, but I couldn’t return until I found the box with the purchase details and paperwork. I took it to Bi-Mart today, and they replaced it. It is now reset to the current time, has its new batteries, and is working well. I like their replacement policy. It is as good as Costco’s and local.

I checked my tracking number for IRS, and it was delivered to Fresno, CA early a.m. 4-15-18; continued working on chores needing completed, especially music and sorting receipts.

Tuesday, Apr 17

Called Stephanie in Medical records but found she was the incorrect hospital contact to send them to my PCP Norman Wood and to my Cardiologist, Antony Kim, at the Yakima Heart Center. Instead, they need to be requested through Health Record Management (Kimberly was my kind helper) to be Faxed down there. I got on the computer and found the phone number and the Fax # there, but she wanted the phone to check with them, because Fax numbers can be different within the same “complex,” and she also helped me realize that my “missing” paperwork could be accessed by the staff getting on their computer system from Cle Elum because they are in the KVH network.

My Thyroid lab results from Dr. Lisa Stone (Wenatchee) arrived with a welcomed note:
“OK, recheck annually.”

I started my events day at 2:00 p.m. in the swing dancing class, mostly as an observer. I had a short dance with Carol Cummings, but I spent the rest of the class filming the participants.

Here are 2 choices of the total of 11 movies I took to share with the entire class as a refresher for steps, basically lessons, and also to display the couples’ form while dancing. Thus far, all the participants have appreciated my effort and sharing.

(5) Swing Dancing 4-17-18 (1-1/2 minutes) with Music

(11) Swing Dancing 4-17-18 (1-1/4 min)

From there I drove to the Volunteer Appreciation Ice Cream and Pie Social at the Armory (Fairgrounds). This was the original invitation:I arrived an hour after it started because of the conflict of time with the Swing Dancing at the senior center, where I needed to be with several others who were in the dancing class.

A few photos of people there late in the day: Greeters Roberta & my friends Linda; Rita, Evelyn; Connie; me; One table of pie, various cookie types, and for two different ice creams, toppings (chocolate mints, Oreos, strawberries, sliced almonds, and chocolate & caramel sauces.

Door prizes were raffled off, and I won the paper flowers at my table. One of the “hosts” came over and demoed (at my request) how they were made. Her name is Lise McGowan; I have known her for several years.Lise explaining (in video) the construction of the paper flower centerpieces from coffee filters.

Lise McGowan about Large Paper Flowers

I left and drove the northern route home, going by the CWU campus.

Here are some still shots to introduce the videos below:Left from Google Earth is the complex for the old chimpanzee building that is being demolished for new student housing. The chimps were moved from there in 2013, after being on campus since 1980. The right is a shot of the eastern end of the roof of the building where people entered the building for Chimposiums to view and share the teaching and living facilities. The chimps communicated by sign language. The program was the Chimpanzee and Human Communications Institute. It still exists, using the Chimpanzee facility in Cle Elum with 7 chimps living there.
The last two housed here in at CWU were transferred to a nice facility in Quebec Canada.

My trip home offered these somewhat sad sights: (if you only watch one, then watch #2)

(1) Demolition Chimp Facility CWU – 55 seconds

(2) Demolition Chimp Facility CWU – 45 seconds

However, if you check out the following newspaper article, you will see a benefit to chimpanzees coming from this demolition, who now reside at Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest in Cle Elum. 

Demolished CWU building to help chimps in Pacific Northwest

Once home, I spent a little over an hour sending out 11 notes to the jobs list I monitor/moderate (on Google Groups: NW Geography Jobs). Hopefully, someone will be happy and perhaps find a job they’re looking for.

Wednesday, Apr 18

John left early for bottling Malbec at White Heron. I slept in, after being totally spent from yesterday’s demands and lack of sleep from the early a.m. telemarketer call (6:55 a.m. is too early!!!). The bottlers finished early and shared lunch. He didn’t get home until an hour later than usual, but I was long gone.

I made a little progress (not enough) on things before leaving. I had a late call yesterday afternoon about my doctor’s office having no record of a blood draw I had had on March 15. I gathered information that I knew at the time, and found the actual medical records paperwork I had picked up Monday from the hospital and called to report my findings. They are in the network and I have no clue why they couldn’t access the data. I also had notes on my calendar from a call from the office with my results, so I know they were originally informed and called me the day after. I know they have changed to a new computer system, but the accompanying glitches might be endangering the health of patients if this happens often.

I went to the Food Bank Soup Kitchen for playing music, with my salad for lunch afterwards. We are invited to have lunch there, but I don’t want the pasta main dishes served on Wednesdays, and their mixed green salads are always too filled with dark green lettuce or spinach leaves I cannot have on my low Vitamin K food intake requirements for being on a blood thinner.

Afterwards, I went on to afternoon SAIL exercise class and on home to wash dishes and to get out the “final” call for count for chairs for tomorrow’s music.

Thursday, Apr 19

I called in the count to Pacifica; we’ll probably be using almost all of their arm-less chairs.

After dropping off some Honeycrisp apples by friends (brought for them by John over in Quincy on his trip home yesterday), I went by the Hospital for a standing order for my monthly blood draw. The results came in fine on Friday. I’m good for another month.

I was on my way to Pacifica for music and we had a fairly good turnout presenting to an appreciative audience. We were thrilled to have our harmonica player back from his close brush with death just last week! He was having pain, so took himself to the ER, and they sent him on to Yakima (in an ambulance). There he became the surprised owner of 3 stents. He’s a new person, and was happy to be back with the report that no damage occurred to his heart.

Friday, Apr 20

We didn’t have any early morning commitments or too early telemarketer calls, so we could sleep in until 8:00 a.m.

I stayed home today to take care of many unfinished tasks. John did the normal morning chores and also unloaded the riding mower so that he can mow the backyard’s high grass. I stayed in making phone calls to several different places and working on computer chores.

John came in and fixed a brunch and now about 1:30, the UPS truck just pulled in to deliver 3 climbing rose bushes – all the way from Denver. He mentions this in the not so nasty post that precedes this one. Yesterday, he dug the holes for them so they can be planted very soon after their arrival. We now have a large bag full of packing peanuts to give away. (I actually found a recipient by offering them on The Free Box site, totally surprising John). They will be used by a beekeeper and shared with other such folks in our valley, to put into watering buckets for the bees to light on to drink water. I’m dropping them off Monday near the hospital, where the owner works.

I did all the background work on our scholarship award we fund each year for two students in the graduate Cultural & Environmental Resource Management program, and in the undergraduate Geography program. I also talked with a member of the CWU Foundation about my account and when in the fall they would transfer the $ out of my account, so I had to be sure the balance was sufficient. I have until mid-September. The award certificates will be given at the end-of-year party for the CWU Geography Department. It’s a cookout / potluck on the lawn east of Dean Hall (where Geography and Anthropology are housed), May 22 at 4:30.

I also managed to talk to my PCP’s office in Cle Elum, and get information on my lab work completed yesterday, learned about another bit of information regarding my standing order at the local hospital lab, and managed to get a message sent to my PCP to write a new prescription for a controlled substance that has to be sent hard copy through the USPS to be filled. It’s for 10mg + 325mg Acetaminophen, for when I’m going to be dancing for an hour or fiddling for over an hour to protect me from pain in my left shoulder. That actually won’t happen until Monday, when my PCP returns to the office.

I ignored two telemarketers today. Thank goodness for caller ID. It’s worth the price, but I still wish I could block calls.

I watched John mowing the backyard and videotaped two swipes for your enjoyment:
John 1st swipe mowing – 4-20-18

John 2nd swipe mowing – 4-20-18

He didn’t do much because the mower ran out of gasoline. He should have taken the trip to town for the mower as an opportunity to get the gas. The unit takes gasoline without ethanol, of which we have none. Tomorrow he will take a 5-gallon container in to the Coop. He dumped the remainder of what we had into the old pickup.

Saturday, Apr 21

John did a bunch of things on the home front, fixed a brunch, and set up his truck to go to town for the special non-ethanol gasoline for the lawnmower engine. It was pretty expensive at $4.00/gal.

I took care of last minute music preparations, and took off for town. We were scheduled to be at Briarwood Retirement Commons today, where they feed us. Today was special because they fixed up a special cake for Haley who will be having her 5th birthday on the 26th of April. Everyone there loves her because she’s been coming and dancing, drawing pictures, singing, and visiting residents since she was 3 yrs. old. Today she danced to Irish Washerwoman, sang Cockles and Mussels, and drew pictures for people, plus showed them her dinosaur statues. Haley looking at the stickers on her birthday card, while Connie lights the candle; she grabs a big breath and blows out the candle; then smiles for me with her card & dinosaurs looking on.

As usual, they fed us well. We were given a wonderful homemade bean soup, lemonade, several, salads, and a great choice of desserts.

Sunday, Apr 22 HAPPY EARTH DAY 2018 !

Link to field trip notes and this one today is the first on the current list – Yakima Landslides – April 2018, John is going on.

This link is from Nick Zentner’s new domain, with all the field trips of the Ellensburg Chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute.

Field Trips of the Local IAF Chapter

We were here in 1998 and knew of this landslide in the Yakima Canyon south of Ellensburg, WA.Landslide over Hwy 821, with the Yakima River on the left. Bottom right shows rocks from another, and in the distance there is a third. Train tracks on the west side of the river were also impacted. Not shown.

I succeeded in a few chores, and the foremost one was finishing this week’s blog draft, which is not quite there yet but I have a little bit of time left before John will have time to edit and put into WordPress.

I did accomplish several other things today in his absence. Washed a load of dishes. Did the paperwork to renew my license tabs for my Forester. I worked on my lab reports for blood draws and various associated items, requested some information from a number of different people about things I needed to know, or they did, and updated videos I took last week for the Swing Dancing class. I need to get those in the mail (email) to the participants.

I fixed my brunch, based on the sausage John cooked very early to make a sandwich to take along with his lunch. With mine, I had two eggs over easy, toast of rosemary/olive bread, and orange slices (and found he had left a bag of the rest of the orange he meant to take along with him in his lunch).

At 4:30, John called from south of Yakima at the Wapato irrigation diversion. They are there to look across the Yakima River at the Rattlesnake Ridge slide. Videos from the air give a better idea of what is going on than the photos from today. Here is a link to a short one taken in mid-January:
Earth’s cracking. We’re doomed.
One of the comments asks “What’s in the rail cars?” – and the answer is concrete. The hope is that they can protect the river with enough mass to stop falling rocks or a full slide. Seen in video at 2:04.

The field-trippers have been spending about ½-hour at every stop, so he may not be home until 6:30. He’ll call from Ellensburg. I guess he got a ride in the van, so that is good. He just called a couple minutes after 6 and was in the car in the parking lot heading home. We talked until he got turned on Look road, and then I let Annie out front to wait for him. She’s been expecting him for a couple hours.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

This Week’s Not So Nasty News
. . . . from John, awaiting Nancy’s draft of her week’s news.

Item #1: A fun science site

The video linked to here is not new, but having just watched it, it is new to me.
Physics Girl is a channel created byDianna Cowern about physics, astronomy and science-related topics. The show features fun DIY demos, unusual and cutting-edge research, space, and expert interviews!

In the video here the topic begins with 2 black spots on the bottom of a swimming pool.

Crazy Pool Vortex

More here

If you want to know about Dianna and science education, go HERE.

Item #2: I don’t quite understand

This is a good story but the dog (a Blue Heeler), Max is 17 years old, deaf and partially blind, and except for this bit – “She found the dog first. Max led her to Aurora,” – ‘She’ seems to be the grandmother and Aurora the 3 year old lost girl.
The searchers had already “heard the little girl faintly.”
The thought is, I think, that Max stayed with the girl rather than returning home on his own. We don’t learn how else Max contributed to this happy outcome, but maybe that’s just because the writers are not very good at their craft.
Oh well. from Queensland’s Southern Downs
[The season ‘down under’ is mid-autumn.]

Item #3: Lost in Newcastle

About 10 years ago I was headed for a trailhead near Newcastle, WA. This is a community 10 miles SE of Seattle.
I left the directions at home.
A “ lady ” about to go on a morning run helped me out. She got into my car and directed me up unbelievably winding and steep roads through a very fancy neighborhood of expensive homes. This was part of her exercise route on some days.
She got me there just as our WTA crew was about to go through a gate. Three minutes later and I would have had to go home.
The lady then began her morning jog.

This is a story from Newcastle. It’s about a mother duck and lost ducklings.
Ducklings
The photos are by Rebecca Duffy. Backgrounds in the images show some of the houses. It has been 10 years, but that all looks familiar.
Could Rebecca be the “the lady ?”
Ten years ago Newcastle had fewer than 10,000 people but just 3,000 or so women of the sort that I might have encountered.
You scoff. Stranger things have happened.

Item #4: A personal first

I’ve wanted to have climbing roses. Ten or so years ago, a horse-riding friend offered me some red/yellow ones. 20 miles over, dug about 10 plants, and back, none lived.
A neighbor had a pretty red one and offered it to me about 3 years ago. She didn’t get much of the root. It started to grow, came back in year two with a sprig, and then died.

A week ago I searched the web for hardy climbers. Seven miles NW of Denver is Arvada, and High Country Roses.
I ordered 3, and they ship small potted plants early in the week so the delivery is on Friday (in our case, shipped from Denver). A person with a regular job then would have Sat/Sun to plant.
I prepared and had holes started. I mixed soil, organic matter, and a bit of fertilizer.
The plants arrived today, and all were tucked into their new homes before supper. Same day planting – that’s a first.
The picture above is of one called “William Baffin.”
Another is “Mr. Nash” – – it is apricot yellow.
The third one is yellow outside and red-copper inside and called “Austrian Copper.” It sometimes produces all yellow flowers. They don’t say why.
Wish them good health, please.

And that, for this week, is the not so nasty news.
John

Item #1 Weeping Vines
We finished pruning vines on Thursday just before Noon. New cuts now get immediate seeping of the sap. No little green leaves yet.
I’ll go back in the not too distant future to help with bottling.
Meanwhile, I’ve lots to do at home, just as the weather begins to cooperate. The next couple of days look to be cool and damp – good working weather. Cheers.

Item #2: How to start a weekend

South of us 9 miles is the intersection of I-90 and I-82. Not too far south of this and to the east is a large U. S. Army area called the Yakima Training Center (327,000 acres; 511 sq. miles).
National Guard Units and other military traffic use the two interstate highways going to and coming from the YTC. We often see the convoys of soldiers and equipment.
The setting for this story is 75 miles west of us.

whitewhitewhi Pvt. Grace Hilinski

Four soldiers’ actions on April 6, 2018 saved a young girls life near North Bend, Wash. (Washington National Guard Photo)
The group was heading in convoy from Olympia to the Yakima Training Center and had stopped in North Bend to fuel up before heading eastward over Snoqualmie Pass.
They saw a lot of commotion — a young girl about 3-4 years old had stopped breathing and had no pulse.
Medic Gracie took on the staring role.
Army to the rescue

We will not likely learn the specifics or the ending of this story. The privacy of the family kicks in, the press is shut out, and we are left to wonder.
Still, what we do know is good.

Item #3: Kids on tractors
Many years ago, when most family members were still in western Pennsylvania, we held family reunions, usually at the farm of my Uncle Ed. The house was on a slight rise, about 10 feet above the general level of the place, and on the occasion of one such reunion, the farm tractor was parked in front of the house.
I climbed on to the tractor and managed to put in in neutral or disengage the parking brake, or something. What did I know? Nothing!
The tractor rolled down across the lawn and stopped after descending the little hill. This excited all my relatives, likely more than me. They thought I was going to die. I thought it was a slow ride, and not much fun.
That brings us to “Drive tractors to school day” – a more recent tradition promoted by the farm kids of the Future Farmers of America (FFA).

Hat tip to sister Peggy.

LODI, Ohio — Cloverleaf High School

In looking for related material – there is lots – I
found the logo of the FFA and thought is was cool (still an in word??). Pictured is an old walk-behind moldboard plow.
I wonder if any of the FFA students have ever seen one of these?

picture and story here

John Deere

More history here

Item #4: Live longer, be happy

So, we begin and end this week with the wine thing:

Put this phrase. . .
“over 90, alcohol better than exercise”

. . . in to a search box. Click, and you are on your way.
Now we just need to make it to 90!
Cheers.
And that, for this week, is the not so nasty news.
John

{Yellow text seems not to show up well on my screen.}
Item #1: Ours are 3 weeks behind
In the western part of Washington State, Daffodils have indicated spring just arrived. There are 59 photos here;

Is yellow your color?

A small article here and more photos: in the Skagit Valley

This next page will show how to pronounce “Skagit” and other Washington place names. It also points out that the State’s name is not “WARSH-ing-tun.”
placenames

Item #2: D. C. Cherry blossoms
Over in the other Washington (D.C., that is), the Cherry blossoms reach their fullness this week. The weather is not great – a chance of rain, snow, and wind – on Saturday, but Sunday looks better. Next Thur. & Fri. will be nice – so says the NWS.

Item #3: Huh?

I read this article:
Bush Tucker, and still hadn’t a clue.

The meaning is “. . . any food native to Australia and used as sustenance by the original inhabitants, . . .”
Other people use the term – I don’t get out much – but it was new to me. It reminded me of Euell Gibbons’ Stalking the Wild Asparagus.

Item #4: Table tennis

Anna is an 11-year-old from Wales. Her claim to fame is that she can wipe your butt in a game of table tennis.

Anna Hursey

Item #5: Only the birds know
Finally, what’s this? →
It is a bird’s beak.
Yes, in the dark under ultra-violet light.
This is a Puffin, but other birds have bills that light up.
Why would this be?

Researchers are working on the issues: Which birds? Why? Who benefits? What else don’t we know?

And that, for this week, is the not so nasty news.
John

March 31st: This week’s not so nasty news.

Item #1: Paint crew gone wild
30 miles north of Seattle, Machias area drivers have had to navigate through a tricky section of Storm Lake Road.
A new subdivision was expected to increase traffic, so the developer was required to expand the road width. With that done, sections of the double yellow lines were also repainted. Such lines are supposed to be in the center of county roads, but the painter had a different idea.
He or she zigged or zagged rather than producing a smooth transition, and put the new stripes off center.
On one side the lane was barely wide enough for a large pickup truck. The other side was wide enough for a tank. Still, the overall width is wider than before. All is well then. I think.
No, you are not hallucinating

Item #2: Chicken Little – the sky is falling
The good news is that at 47° North Latitude, we are/were not in danger of having space junk from Tiangong-1 fall on us. By the time you read this, someone, someplace may discover bad news from the sky.
Tiangong-1, a China space station, was launched in 2011, and, originally, a controlled reentry was planned. Firing the craft’s engines would have enabled controllers to allow the craft to burn up (mostly) over a large, unpopulated region of the South Pacific ocean. Any surviving pieces would have fallen into the ocean. But, in March 2016, something failed on the space station and ground teams lost control. This has led to the uncontrolled reentry … soon, or done.

Item #3: Busy, busy.

I have about 300 baby Onions and 75 Strawberry plants to get in the ground. It is early morning, and I’m out of here – playing farmer.

And that, for this week, is the not so nasty news.
John
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You have seen a few of the photos and a couple of videos in last week’s blog on Saturday, St. Patrick’s Day, but here is a rejoinder I didn’t have then, with all of the stills I took that day. Not many, and a couple are out of focus. Some you have seen in previous collages.
Google Photo link to St. Patrick’s Day 3-17-18

Sunday, Mar 18

We published the blog tonight at 9:46 p.m.
I succeeded in uploading all the pictures from Friday’s AAC, 3-16-18 from the End of the Rainbow party from my camera to my computer, annotating them, and cropping to a decent composure. Later, (Wednesday this week), I will give you the link as above to all the photos taken last Friday at the senior center party.

Monday, Mar 19

We went south today … for several hours. First, we had a nice breakfast, which had to sustain us until supper after 8:30 p.m., with only a snack of chocolate about 5:15 as we left Zillah.

Our first stop was the Yakima Heart Center for a device check for my ICD (Implanted Cardioverter Defibrillator), which has to be done yearly. Remotely, they check it every 3 months. I sleep beside a monitor that sends my data over phone lines about 2:00 a.m. each day. The technician checked the battery life, and it is at 12 years. Good !! the last one only lasted 6 years, and was replaced a couple of Decembers ago. This is a different make, a Boston Scientific. You’ll see it in an X-ray tomorrow (in this blog). Mine doesn’t pace often, which uses the battery to raise my pulse to 50, if it should go below while I sleep. It doesn’t happen often, and I have an Oximeter I can wear all night, to keep tabs on that and on my SpO2 (blood oxygen saturation).

Here is the definition of a Pulse Oximeter, as I own: “A pulse oximeter uses two frequencies of light (red and infrared) to determine the percentage (%) of hemoglobin in the blood that is saturated with oxygen. The percentage is called blood oxygen saturation, or SpO2. A pulse oximeter also measures and displays the pulse rate at the same time it measures the SpO2 level.” I have also worn it while exercising, just to see what happens over the hour.

After the device check, we were ushered to the other side waiting room to wait for my appointment with my new cardiologist. It was a longer wait than we expected, and I was sorry I had not taken my laptop computer along to work on things needing attention. They have Wi-Fi there but do not allow cell phone usage.

We finally went in, I was weighed, set up for an ECG, (many say EKG), prescription medicine review, and blood pressure reading. Then we waited. Met the “new” Dr. Kim (Antony) and had an informative visit. He said he’d reviewed my ECG, and it was fine. He asked about my device check, and I told him it was just done, with good results, and they were sent over on the computer for his review. He checked and was happy. He asked a few questions, and then examined me, listening to my heart, said he heard my murmur, but everything was in good shape. We talked some more, and he said, keep up the good work, I don’t need to see you for 6 months.

So, we left after seeing our old Dr. Kim’s nurse, Colleen Meyer, who still is my contact for questions for the old Dr. Kim (Anatole), who has ‘retired’ (a change, actually but maybe taking a hiatus), and for also for refilling my prescriptions from the Yakima Heart Center cardiologists. At checkout, I received a review of the visit, and I will get a copy of the transcription notes of my visit mailed to my home.

We jumped in the truck and headed south on I-82, destination Paradisos del Sol winery and organic vineyard, north of Zillah. The world’s first Zero Pesticide Vineyard. We have known the owners (Paul Vandenberg & Barbara Sherman) for many years, and they were always a favorite stop for our summer class, Geog 465: Wine, A Geographical Appreciation (3 cr.) – on our field trip to the lower Yakima Valley and the Rattlesnake Hills AVA.

This is an American Viticultural Area located in Yakima County, WA. The United States Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) awarded Rattlesnake Hills its appellation status on March 20, 2006, making Rattlesnake Hills Washington’s ninth federally recognized American Viticultural Area. So, we were a day early, celebrating the 12th anniversary of the AVA, in which we played a small part in the creation, as professional geography consultants. There are 29 wineries in this region and a “trail” map to follow for visits to those 12 members.

Here’s a link to some of the Rattlesnake Hill Wine Trail Wineries.
Rattlesnake Hills Wineries

Meanwhile, here we are at Paradisos del Sol.Forsythia with their winery signage, with a cool wall of used wine bottles; suns on their house – bottom right added today from us.

And here is an invitation from Paul & Barbara to come to their uniquely housed winery for tasting and a visit to their family farm.

If you missed it last week, here is a great video accessible on YouTube about their winery. Take a 3½-minute tour:
Virtual Tour Paradisos del Sol Winery and Vineyard

Their tasting is a great experience, and our class enjoyed the special treat, trip, and education each year (for a decade). The name is: “Sip Sip Bite Sip.” From Angelica to Zort, each wine is created with a particular food pairing in mind (and the Bites are provided with the wine for each tasting). Slow wines for slow food, friends, family, and fun. Traditional wines with a unique twist. No faux château here–it’s “the House” with turkeys, pigs, geese, cows, chickens, cats, dogs, fish, frogs, cherries, and melons… family friendly. Come Taste Paradise in our Garden of the Sun!

We feel as if we are part of their family. One of our Brittany pups, Max, joined Ellie (another Brittany), in the early part of this century. Now they have two dogs, neither of which are Brittanys, but are very loving and sweet companion dogs: Digley (small) and Marshall (larger), but with like markings! (black and tan).

If you have Facebook, check out their events. My favorite event is their Wedding Anniversary Weekend, closest to Sept 3, their own anniversary. This year it will be on 9/1 (my birthday) and 9/2. During that visit, all wine anyone buys is sold at a discount of the number of years you have been married, i.e., 49% for us this year. What a deal! I think the most they have honored was 67 years. My second favorite I suppose would be Spring Barrel Tasting in the Rattlesnake Hills, two weeks this year, April 21-22; the next weekend is Spring Barrel Tasting in the Yakima Valley, April 27-29, of which all the AVA wineries are included. Occasional music fests happen as well, and are enjoyable; take along your lawn chairs.

See more below on the cultivars in their vineyard. I have not included all the ones they have but they number ~ 15. Paul & John lifting the roofing from our truck onto their forklift.

First, was this transfer of the metal roofing, it will be used to cover their small structure out at the edge of the vines. This video below demos the move.
Transferring the Roofing from our Truck

The roofing was from our old red barn (replaced by a composite roof, in 2010). Why? Because it was a shoddy install, and leaked, despite a couple of tubes of sealant.

We had a great tour of the vineyard and winery, after the exchange noted above. The re-purposed roofing will be used by Paul, Barbara, & workers in a new bottle-walled tool/shade/rest spot ¼ mile from their house.

Next, in the parking lot we exchanged gifts (long time coming).Sun and moon curtain, sun face, place mat. John and Barbara on our way to the vineyard.

We took a tour from their parking lot down to see the vineyard and tool shed in progress.Before the walls were done; John & Paul on the inside, 3-19-18. The separators are railroad ties buried in the ground. Two outside bottled walls vs. inside the non-metal-roofed tool shed. The far right “last” wall panel will be finished to the top very soon.

In a subsequent email to Paul, I learned this neat fact about cultivars. This is commonly called “grape variety,” but they are really recognized as cultivars according to the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants because they are propagated by cuttings. The term variety is so well entrenched in viticulture that a change of usage to the term cultivars is unlikely.

Here is Paul Vandenberg’s response to my email.

Hey, thanks for the questions.

I think our only unique one is Xarel•lo. The nursery people say we have the only producing planting in the USA. The only other planting is the nursery mother block.

The AVA is probably the most diverse of the sub-appellations. Last time I tried counting cultivars it was over 40 in production blocks.

The state now has 100+.

Regards,
Paul

Finally, here is a great addition from 3/24/18 of the inside of a Barn Owl’s nest high up in their vineyard. Barbara sent it to me, and I put it on YouTube, unlisted.

When you watch the video below of the Mama Barn Owl sitting (rocking) on her eggs, you will understand the following description from Barbara about the video recording. The left picture below I snagged directly from the video.

Barbara says: “We finally got around to checking up on our barn owls. This box is in our vineyard and only accessible via the forklift and a fruit bin. I put my phone camera in the opening, and took this. Mama isn’t too pleased with the intrusion. I assume she is sitting on eggs because of her behavior. And dad is taking good care of her. There are at least three meals in there.”

Barn Owl Nest in Vineyard-Mom on eggs, food around her brought by Dad
There are two different nest boxes. The colored photo is from the one in the vineyard and the black and white one is from the box in the Elm tree near the tasting room. There are at least four fluffy baby owls in that one.

Two more photos: the famous Elm/Apple tree with the Owl Nesting Box. Explanation below photo that Barbara took for me.This cracks me up. The Apple computer is to the right in front of the Owl Nest Box, way up in the Elm tree. Barbara wanted to make it an Apple-Elm tree. [John says: This appears to be an iMac G3 Tray-Loading, Bondi Blue – 1998; designed by Jonathan Ive.]

Mr. Turkey, they call Blue because he is a Blue Slate Heritage.

As we were leaving the tasting room, after meeting their turkey and some of the chickens and cats, they gave us a case of special wines (tonight we had their Sangiovese with our long-roasted beef dinner). As well, they shared two dozen fresh farm eggs. So neat, having the dark orange yokes from free-ranging chickens. We also saw some of the unique places the chickens lay their eggs. We enjoyed our visit very much, and we shall return this year in John’s little Crosstrek. Barbara likes large rock specimens and we have a few to share, and I have another special surprise for her.

On our way home we drove back by Union Gap and the Costco store to get some needed items, and fill John’s truck with less expensive gasoline than we can get in Ellensburg. It’s crazy how much the difference in 30 miles. There is 12¢/gal. difference. Was $2.79 with a 4% discount taken from that! This week, prices jumped a dime, across the region.

Tuesday, Mar 20

John left for pruning at the Mariposa Vineyard, after 7:35.

I left at 9:45 for Cle Elum for an 11:00 a.m. appointment, driving on I-90 to make faster time. Except, I pulled off the road to take a photo of Mt. Stuart, which called me. It was so strikingly beautiful. Above is my photo. Below is the geology about the mountain.

From Nick Zentner’s downtown lecture 10/13/2010 (we were there), here is a link to his talk:

Mount Stuart: A Closer Look

My need for traveling to Cle Elum this morning was to follow-up with a P.A. there who diagnosed my pneumonia a month ago, and he scheduled a chest X-ray for today to be sure my lower left lobe was clear and my breathing was back to normal. All’s well, and I have resumed my activities. Here is the X-ray he shared with me and let me photograph.My ICD and the wiring from it to my right ventricle is quite visible. Also, the wire that “sewed” my chest incision during open heart surgery back together always looks like a coat hanger message. To me it still shows something covering the airways in the left lobe below the ICD, but it is apparently not of concern. I wish I had taken a photo of the 2/20 X-ray John and I both witnessed. It was no longer in the system available for him to pull up, or else he didn’t want to take the time. They were having problems with their new computer system. All appointments this morning were reset back to 6:00 a.m.

I found the link to for the pronunciation of egophony:

EGOPHONY pronunciation

Back on 2/20 in the blog, I mentioned the term and how that recognition by my doctor revealed I had pneumonia. What he heard through his stethoscope when I said the letter e (dragged out) sounded like the letter a.

You can hear the difference in this link to sounds on line; this is my first reference to these two links above and below, which were not in the February 20 discussion.

Sound of letter pronounced through a stethoscope
Note: from another source on line: Crackling or bubbling noises (rales) made by movement of fluid in the tiny air sacs of the lung. … “E” to “A” changes in the lungs (egophony). Your doctor may have you say the letter “E” while he listens to your chest.  Pneumonia may cause the “E” to sound like the letter “A” when heard through a stethoscope.
(That is demonstrated in the link above).

I plan on going to Jazzercise today, but I imagine I will have to take it easy. Turns out, I did fine and my Fit Bit recorded 26 minutes of aerobic exercise.

Wednesday, Mar 21

John left for pruning.
I called Anne about my maracas, but probably she’s already left for Montana. She got my message and brought them to SAIL class to give me for our visitor from England to use tomorrow !!

I made my salad to take to food bank for music, which is followed by lunch. From there I went to the senior center for my SAIL exercise class and with my laptop computer to confer with Nicole about getting the pictures onto Google Photos.

Here is the link we created to get anyone who wants to all the pictures I took last Friday at the senior center Irish party you have seen a few pictures of in the last blog. These went by email attachment to the AmeriCorps gal (Nicole). She also assists with the Jazzercise class on Tuesdays.

Link to all my photos from the 3-16-18 event which will be put on the Ellensburg Adult Activity Center Facebook page, but many of our blogs readers do not have Facebook accounts. So, here you go with an alternate access:

Really End of Rainbow – 3-16-18 AAC

Really End of Rainbow – 3-16-18 AAC is the name, but published under Jan 1, 2013 for some strange reason because my Nikon Camera reset itself, and the manual gives me instructions to change the date, but it is not working. I will try to get Nicole to help me with that problem reset too, on my Nikon camera that was returned after so many months away.
Note the last few photos that show are taken the next day at Briarwood.

This morning I called Yakima Heart Center and left a detailed message with the nurse’s station about a needed refill on my Entresto.

I came home to a telephone call from Elaine Harvey that they have all her paperwork submitted for her Ph.D., but she needed me to act as a reference (she thought just a phone call) for a scholarship, but it will likely be more than that – I have to follow a link to submit my comments in a PDF file. So, I’m going to rewrite my Letter of Recommendation for entrance to a Ph.D. program to instead focus on the Cobell Scholarship, a Native American possibility for student financial support.

Thursday, Mar 22

John went pruning. I slept in.

I called in chairs we need for us, and carried all the stuff in.
My first stop actually was at the Rehab center to say hello to 3 different people there, in three different places. First stop was in the PT room, where I met up with Bernice Orcutt and her family, celebrating an Easter buffet put on for residents and family. After visiting there, I walked down to the east-wing dining room and saw Jeanne Gordon and her family. Finally, on my way to Hearthstone (in a heavy rain), I stopped off to visit in her room with Mickey Thayer and two daughters I had not met, and her friend visiting. I left rather quickly so Mickey would finish eating her meal. The others had left before me.

Great time at Hearthstone today:

The first video below is a long video of our music for 49 minutes. If you just run through a few you will get a review of most of our hour with them. But, spend your time watching the 3 videos that follow. They are the best of the day. DON’T miss the final jam session of Mountain Dew – we were having a lot of fun with that one.

Celtic Music, 3-22-18, Kittitas Valley Fiddlers & Friends

Next are videos of our guest, David Kay, from England, who entertained us with two songs and storytelling.

First Song (Caledonia) by David Kay

Storyteller David Kay (about 3 Scottish brothers)

Second Song by David Kay

Mountain Dew Jamming, 3-22-18 (after the program)

Wow, after visiting with friends and residents who have been my friends for years, then having a lovely musical time at Hearthstone, I came home to some more awesome news.
This came via Facebook by a tag from Amanda Taub, about an article, “Who are the woman pioneers and leaders in the Geospatial Industry?” by Greg Babinski, March 8, 2018. I had not seen this at the time.

Women Pioneers & Leaders in the Geospatial Industry

Within the article is this text: (a nice surprise)

Here are some GIS pioneers and leaders in Washington State
• Linda Gerull, Former Pierce County GIS Manager, WAURISA 2004 Summit Award winner, and now City of San Francisco CIO.
• Nancy Hultquist, Central Washington University, Geography Department, GIS mentor, and WAURISA 2006 Summit Award winner.
• Joy Paulus, former Washington State GIS Coordinator and WAURISA 2015 Summit Award winner.

To reach my interview and the award presentation, visit the following link to the story on p. 5 of the 2006 Summit Award in the summer newsletter from WAURISA.

Nancy’s 2006 Summit Award & Interview

Do note that I have lost weight since that year, and the gray hair streaks also disappeared after my heart surgery in 2009. Now I think I look younger than then. Weird.

Friday, Mar 23

Today, John took off again for pruning. I fed cats and stayed up. It is now 9:00 a.m. and SNOWING here. I knew it was a gray day, and cold, but wow. Wonder what it’s doing over at the vineyard. Guess it was cold, and they got a few flakes, but then the sun came out and they just looked in the direction of where I was and realized I was probably getting a lot more. I just checked here, where the temp is 35° and Woody was at the front door wanting fed again. She’s now eating more !! I guess we missed seeing them come in for dinner last night.

This morning they had cleaned the bowl of hard food in their house, and turned over the box. John refilled it before he left this morning. I listened for Czar and he announced himself, so I fed him. He ate a ton. Sue didn’t make it in until evening.

I ordered from my PCP office a new refill of my Atorvastatin at the Costco Pharmacy in Union Gap, for a significant savings over ½ price what I have been paying with insurance co-pay, and there I don’t have to use my insurance. Just print the GoodRx coupon, which they already have there in my file.

I fixed my brunch (sausage, eggs, orange, & toast) and washed & dried a load of clothes. I have more to do tomorrow.

I have been sending videos to You Tube, and have more to do.

My computer will restart at 4:00, so I have to be ready. I was ready, and in fact, restarted it myself at 3:50 right before we called and talked to Ethel Reynolds, John’s cousin in Brookville, PA (where he was born), who celebrated her 100th birthday today. Except for macular degeneration and the loss of her sight enough to dial her phone, she can still see clouds in the sky and enjoy the view. Her mind is sharp and the rest of her body, while aged, is in good health. What an awesome situation. She still knows all the scoop about our family back into the last century of her life, and is the encyclopedia we turn to for family questions. The only disappointment we have is that we cannot be there with 82 others tomorrow for the official celebration, with pizza, salad, cake, and ice cream. We’ll have to be there in spirit, and we will be! They will send pictures, I’m sure.

Mary and I are entertaining the Ruth Harrington Scholarship Luncheon bunch (on Good Friday). We are having soup (Mary will fix an Olive garden soup with Italian sausage), and I will be taking a salad, bread, tablecloth, the utensils, napkins, plates, and the beverages.

We called Ethel Reynolds this afternoon in Brookville, PA on her 100th birthday. She is amazing!

SAIL met today, but I stayed home to work on things needing attention. There are many, and I need the rest of not having to be anywhere today, tomorrow, or Sunday. It’s been a busy week.

Saturday, Mar 24

John’s home today. It’s supposed to be cold and windy, so he will probably be unhappy about spending time in the garden activities and anything out needing done in the yard or pasture. It snowed and blew and then the sun came out, and it wasn’t so bad after all.

Today, people gathered in the activities room where John’s cousin has an apartment to celebrate her 100th birthday. Her daughter, Pat, sent this picture with the title, “Party Animal.” We enjoyed a good laugh. Happy Birthday to Ethel, 100 years young !!!

Late night visitor – the skunk is back. John suspected this, but we had neither seen nor smelled the little devil. We think he may be climbing the cat ladder (steeply leaning pallet) and crossover to get to the food. So we shall not put food out except in the day time when the cats come to eat (morning and afternoon).

Sunday, Mar 25

John has worked outside all day, except for coming in to fix brunch. Onions have arrived from Texas, and Strawberries are expected late next week. Places for both are not quite ready.

I have washed a load of dishes and worked on the blog.

Just now he moved the canopy off the Ford truck. He’s also been working on a loading dock to get the non-running riding lawnmower in the truck to take for service. I’m not sure how he will get it from the barn over to where it will be loaded, but I’m sure he has it all figured out.

Now I’m ready to wash a load of clothes and submit my letter for the Native American Scholarship for my former student. Never ran the clothes, but did fill the washer, and I have been working on the letter; now need only to proof it and submit.

John just fixed us a nice dinner (leftovers from yesterday), with an added gravy with the cut-up meat (two kinds), onions, all on potatoes, and with beets (and wine).

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Item #1: Little BirdsThis group is mostly Gold Finches. Earlier, those with a raspberry color were in the majority. They seem to share the Black Oil Sunflower seeds. We chase larger birds, except Quail.
20 minutes later a dozen Dark-eyed Juncos showed up.
Other outside news: I opened the garden gate where established Strawberries grow. These are supposed to be mowed and cleaned after harvest. I let the deer do this. After a few days I close them out again and let the plants start to grow.

Item #2: Attitude
If you have a good Picture Dictionary and look up the word “attitude”, you will find a photo of a Moose.

At the link below, when you click to start the video, a short ad runs – just a few seconds – then the actual video will play. It is just over 2 minutes.
A person in a vehicle would like to get by the animal and seems to expect a Moose will get the hint and leave the road.
The driver should have known better. Moose have their own idea about how the world works.
(The Moose in the video is a littler older than the one here.)

Don’t mess with a Moose

Item #3: A bird rescue story

This seems a happy story, although likely illegal:
A Great Cormorant took refuge under a honeysuckle shrub outside a home near Conception Bay, Newfoundland. That’s the part of Canada that hangs out into the North Atlantic Ocean.
The owners brought it inside, thawed some fish, and after a good meal and a cozy night in a warm house, the bird headed out the next day in, seemingly, fine shape.
Cormorant Dinner and a Room

Cornell Lab of Ornithology {may be a slow loading site} LINK

Tatarian Honeysuckle

I always wonder where the names for plants come from, and go to this site for information: Latin and Greek Meanings

For the common honeysuckle in Newfoundland Michael Charters tells us: Lonicera tatarica comes from:
Lonic’era: named for Adam Lonitzer (1528-1586), a German herbalist;
and …
tatarica means a native to Siberia — refers to the Tatars

And that, for this week, is the not so nasty news.
John
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