Western Washington Was Washed …

… and muddied by too much rain this week. Mountains got snow high, rain low, and there was much weeping and gnashing, except on the ski slopes. On the dry-side, we got rain.

Sunday, Dec 6

For Dec 5 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 3 min with AHI=0.85 Events: 6 H, 5 CSR. 20 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=19 L/min); oximeter on an extra 2 hrs. with good activity the whole time, high SpO2 without CPAP on.
Crazy night of nightmares. I explained them to John but I would not venture to share elsewhere or they might commit me. Used my older nasal pillow mask last night. (bottom tube connection).

We got ready and left just at noon for the Grange (good roads; 35 minutes), with our apple squares of cake in our cardboard shallow box, parchment paper lining. Wonderful meal and entertainment afterwards. One of the youngest dancers, Anna, 4 years old, is the daughter of two of my former students.

2015 Grange Community Christmas Dinner

Entertainment by Older Dancers

Entertainment by 5 Middle-sized Dancers

CollageHelenAnna&Anna

Helen and Anna before the program, and a cropped one from a video on stage, prior to starting. Check the video below for the dance selection and look for Anna. Her dad was not at the performance, but he was also my student.

Entertainment by 6 Smallest Dancers

Another of Different Older Dancers

I finished the photos of the Christmas Potluck for the Adult Activity Center, and sent 3 emails off tonight ~ 11:30 p.m. They were pleased to have them to sort into the ones they took on their camera.

Monday, Dec 7

For Dec 6 CPAP. I screwed up and did not insert the SD card so the CPAP ran all night, but I have no Reported figures; however, my oximeter was on the whole time of sleep (close to 9 hrs), and I had a well-deserved restful night’s sleep with that oximetry data available.

Open the gate from 9:45 to 1:45 for UPS driver entry. Package arrived an hour later than planned. Fortunately, John has most of the escape routes closed, so the gate at the end of the driveway is not as crucial as before.

We stayed home and worked on projects and watched and listened to the rain. It was constant emptying of buckets (on trees) for John in front and back of the house. No rain gutters – we can get icicles that weigh 50 pounds – something about our location. It happens about once every 10 years so we’ve never done anything about either problem.

Tuesday, Dec 8

For Dec 7 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 21 min with AHI=1.42 Events: 9 H, 3 CSR, 17 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=17 L/min); oximeter on an extra 2 hrs. with good activity the whole time, high SpO2 without CPAP on.

Today was a full day. Started with us both leaving the house at 8:30 a.m. for Hearthstone and the Emeriti Geographers meeting. We carried along an apple cake for people to have with their coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. Today’s guest speaker was Nancy Lillquist, who has been a city council member since 2003. She shared some interesting information about the city. Our mailing address is in Ellensburg, but we live in the county and cannot vote on Ellensburg council, mayor, etc.

John and I went to two stores shopping on the way home, and he fixed us a sandwich, before I turned around and left for town again.

During Jazzercise today at 2:00, I created a report for the leader of the class for our March 3, 2015 session, and for two sessions this December 1 and December 8, while using my oximeter for the 45 minutes. I just finished printing the results and review with images to give her tomorrow when I’m back in for my other exercise (SAIL) class, which is a lot less aerobic.

Back home to do a few things and then in a pouring rain I drove through patchy foggy spots, clear spots, and admired some fantastic rural Christmas lights. I went to play and sing Christmas music at the same place I was this morning. There was a glitch. Our normal 1 hour performance was cut in half by a choir singing barbershop music, starting at 7:00 p.m. We have regularly had the 6:30-7:30 period for over 10 years on the second Tuesday night of the month. Someone screwed up. It angered me to spend more time traveling in bad weather than we performed. Oh, well, several residents were very happy we came and played, even for the shorter time.

I came home to a dinner of butternut squash, fried potatoes, and tender chicken breast. John always cooks enough for the next day but usually makes additions so it doesn’t seem so much like a leftover.

Wednesday, Dec 9

For Dec 8 CPAP. Reported figures. 8 hrs 22 min with AHI=1.08 Events: 8 H, 7 CSR, 17 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=16 L/min); oximeter on an extra 1.5 hrs with AHI=.90 and good activity the whole time, high SpO2 without CPAP on. Finger changes sent the pulse and SpO2 readings lower a couple times.

I thought I might have to lead the music alone today at the Food Bank. My cohort on the banjo had car problems Tuesday afternoon, and was concerned, warning me last night, she might not make it today. She got her car fixed (phew), and will be there after all. Good news in morning email.

I managed to charge up John’s new cell phone and make a call from town. I also took several pictures on it, which I’ll have to remove when I get the cord.

Evelyn (banjo) made it along with Kyle (Ukulele), Bob (Guitar), and 2 singers. We had a good time and everyone appreciated our being there. I picked up some bread for us and some large cornbread muffins for our neighbors.

I didn’t get a great picture of all of us, but thought I would get Evelyn and me in a photo for the season.

Evelyn_and_Nancy

Normally, she has a pair of fingerless blue gloves on too, but this was before we started playing. We’re quite the team. Guess we’re having a Blue Christmas (one of the songs we sing everywhere in December). When I was growing up we had 4 sets of 8 candles that went in each of the front windows of our 5-room house. All the lights were blue, so that brings back nice memories.

I went from there to the Adult Activity Center and wore my oximeter while I did the SAIL exercise class today. My intention is to compare with yesterday’s Jazzercise. I will put both below, for the comparison.
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JazzerciseDec8-2015AAC-Nancy

This is the Jazzercise class from Tuesday, we started slowly about 2:03 and were interrupted at 2:11 by a fellow who took away our instructor for the next 10 minutes. Evelyn and I were the only ones in class so we kept exercising (dancing) for the time our teacher was gone. If you look at the blue line, you’ll see the pulse change when Katrina returned. You can also see that we started getting tired and slowed down a bit and stopped for a water break. Then after 2:22, the pulse rate starts climbing. Pulse is the blue line. The green line is the SpO2 (blood oxygen saturation percentage); the whole reason I bought my oximeter, to check my SpO2 while I sleep. CPAP machines do not record that parameter, and it’s the prime reason I’m on the machine. I don’t have apnea episodes.

SAIL-Dec9-2015AAC-Nancy

This is Wednesday afternoon’s SAIL exercise class, a lot less aerobic than the Jazzercise. It is combined stretching, walking, balance, and strengthening of the upper body, the core, and the lower muscle groups.

Got a few sweet things from the activity center that were made for them/us by a 4H (Head, Heart, Hands, and Health) group. I bought a couple home to share with John.

John planned to start the wood stove today while I was away to burn off the paint smell. Actually, the weather was so nice and sunny that he did a bunch of outside chores with hay, horses, brush, & trucks. I need to clean up more of the boxes on the floor in front of it too, but I also need to load the dishwasher.

I did come home and take the oximetry data off my unit and produce a comparison to send to the AAC director who leads the Jazzercise and is there for the SAIL classes, although it is usually directed by the two AmeriCorps volunteers.

I finished the comparison of SAIL to Jazzercise late, and sent all the reports to Katrina. I did not include all the data here.

Thursday, Dec 10

For Dec 9 CPAP. Reported figures. 4 hrs 47 min with AHI=1.05 Events: 5 H, 1 CSR, 7 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=13 L/min); oximeter on an extra 4 hrs. with AHI=.58 and good activity the whole time on SpO2 without CPAP on.

We attended Meadows Place, today. We had 8 people providing music and about 12 in the audience. The activities director provided homemade Norwegian Rosettes (deep friend in an iron type holder). Sprinkled with powdered sugar. She gave me 6 to bring home to share with John because I didn’t want to stay to eat there. I was busy trying to leave to deliver some egg cartons and pick up some eggs from a friend. Before I could leave I gave my old friend (roommate when I was 7 weeks in the Rehab in 2010), a ride in her wheelchair to her room. Her name is Mae. Sadly, she no longer can walk on her own, and for other things also needs a lot of help. But 5 years ago she was my inspiration to get back on my feet.

Friday, Dec 11

For Dec 10 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 53 min with AHI=1.02 Events: 7 H, 0 CSR, 22 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=21 L/min); oximeter on an extra 3 hrs. with AHI=.73 and good activity the whole time, high SpO2 without CPAP on. Used top tube nasal pillow mask.

Not sure where the time went today. Both of us went out to feed the horses, and I took along John’s new phone to check out there, and it worked. Maybe it will work as a better connection when he is in the yard working. The old, missing one, could not get a connection in the house and only about half the time out in the open. Also took a few pictures of the new fencing. {Click and open in a new tab.}

HorsePalletFencesGate

Three parts to the collage above. Left to right, Breeze behind a pallet wanting an apple. John walking in front of a pallet fence between the pole barn and the old barn, and small panel on the right shows the new driveway with a new gate, and snow on the hills in the distance. A better fence was intended but Giardia intervened. The fencing was necessary to allow the horses access to their heated water trough to the right of the old barn. During the rest of the year they drink from the stream through the center of the pasture. It freezes in winter.

John worked outside most of the day moving 15 bales of hay from the shed into an old horse trailer in another location. He also moved some fire wood rounds (not yet split) into dry locations. That’s catch-up work that did not get done when he was sick. The house is electric, with a heat pump and resistor heating, if needed. We have enough wood ready for an emergency but not enough for use throughout the winter on a daily basis.

I have worked on emails of various sorts, not the least of which is our notice to people about our change of domain, and the new place we will have our web pages – and the link, once the annual greetings for 2015 are published. If you did not receive that email and you are seeing this, please jot me a note with your desired email address for us to use. As soon as I finish this week’s blog, I will send it out.

I have had trouble getting my data off my oximeter into my CPAP coordination of data. Hoping now the third time is a charm. I restarted both programs. Okay, thankfully, it worked.
Saturday, Dec 12

For Dec 11 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 10min with AHI=2.92 Events: 18 H, 3 CSR, 19 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=21 L/min); oximeter on an extra 2.5 hrs. with AHI=2.10, seemingly ok activity the whole time, high SpO2 without CPAP on. It was a higher reading with the top-connect mask, so I will switch back tonight; not sure the cause, but imagine it is with the compressed air tubing’s positioning. I think I need a connector from above and behind my head, to remove the weight.

John writing: (Nancy is frustratingly on the phone with the cell-phone company) The National Weather Service thought we could get snow this morning – it came about 1:00 P.M. The temperature near the ground is 37° so while the ground is now white it will likely melt. In the higher elevations (3,000 ft. and up) there is serious snow and the temp is at or below freezing. The major passes will get a foot or so by Sunday evening. We were advised about 2 months ago not to expect much precipitation in Nov & Dec but it seems just the opposite. And we’re paying these folks! The Pacific Ocean and the atmosphere above are interacting in complex ways that haven’t yet been understood let alone coded into computers. The models (yes, plural) they run will often disagree and then the human has to guess which of them likely got it right. The big thing now is the so called “super monster” or “Godzilla” El Niño. You can look it up. It is not doing what they think it should or where it should. Anyone can guess and you don’t need a degree in meteorology to do so. Take a guess for your location. I’m going to get this into WordPress and then think about supper. Cheers.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Crowding parties into Christmas season …

… and Old Dominion visits the Naneum.Old Dominion Freight Lines

The name, Old Dominion, was given to the Colony called Virginia, by England’s King Charles II. See History of OD.

Sunday, Nov 29

For Nov 28 CPAP. Reported figures. 9 hrs 35 min with AHI=0.63 Events: 6 H, 1 CSR. 14 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=15 L/min); no oximeter. A very quiet and long night. Either I was quite tired, or got the forced air pressure hose fixed right, or the new pillow worked better for support of the head connector for the compressed air pressure hose. Whatever the reason, I enjoyed the good night’s sleep.

Dreary day spent on finalizing the blog for last week. I made a call to Costco to check on their Vitamin D3 prices that were advertised in their monthly flyer today. It looks as it my better deal is to go to Rite Aid tomorrow. I hope they received their shipment; they were short the last two times I went shopping there for the advertised price break. I found out the price for 2000 unit capsules is best from Costco, and even if not making a trip, you can get it from the web with no shipping charges added. I have enough to get by until we are down there next.

No deer in sight today.

Thank you, Anne Engels for gifting me an Advent Calendar from Jacquie Lawson in the UK. Those are very special items, and make each day of the month of December interesting.

Monday, Nov 30

For Nov 29 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 31 min with AHI=2.53 Events: 19 H, 6 CSR, 24 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=16 L/min); no oximeter. I think I will go back to my other AirFit P-10 mask. This one is too erratic and bugging me. Perhaps if my oximeter comes today, I will measure it with the new one before switching.

John fixed us a great brunch of sausage, fried potatoes, eggs, and pears. Got my shower and went 1/2 mile around the block for my haircut at 1:00 p.m. Then I had to go through a scheduler in Yakima, but we finally sorted out my blood draws to occur on the same day, Dec 16. They were duplicative so we merged the dates. I went to town to Rite Aid for getting my buy one-get one free on some vitamins. On my way to the University for a Lecture, I went by the bread room of the food bank to look for old apples for our horses. No apples were there, but a loaf of John’s favorite Rosemary Olive Oil bread was, so I picked it up.

I went to the talk at Dean Hall and it was interesting. While there, I picked up my mail in the office. I still have a mailbox there, but don’t get a lot anymore.

My oximeter USB connector made it to me today.

Tuesday, Dec 1

For Nov 30 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 37min with AHI=0.60 Events: 4 H, 9 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=10 L/min); oximeter on an extra 3 hrs. with AHI=.31 and good activity the whole time, high SpO2 without CPAP on.

Jazzercise today at 2:00 — recorded my oximeter for the 45 minutes of exercise. Compared it to one done back in March, and either the exercises have changed, or my heart is improving. I’ll try it one last time this year with the same exercises as last Tuesday, this week.

I went by the post office to mail a package, so I would be able to track it.

Wednesday, Dec 2

For Dec 1 CPAP. Reported figures. 8 hrs 27 min with AHI=2.01 Events: 17 H, 5 CSR, 20 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=19 L/min); oximeter on for another 1.5 hrs.

Today was Food Bank and Christmas songs. We had nice participation but SAIL was less well attended.

Today, via Consumer Cellular, we bought new phones. Although John hasn’t seen his old one for about 6 weeks, the purchase was prompted by the Company wanting to switch us old procrastinating folks to a 3G network from a 2G network. The newer Generation is supposed to be much better for text, video, and launching rockets to Mars – none of which we do – perhaps we will have reception on the cell phones at our home (the man on the other end of the line said so). I also bought a charger for my car from a place on the web and saved $20 Consumer Cellular wanted for a non-AARP person. Even if an AARP member, it would have cost $13.80. I paid $5.14 and it may well beat the delivery of the phones, which are not coming until Tuesday, 12/8. They only had to come from Portland, Oregon. I shipped a package across the country yesterday, and it made it to NJ, in 3 days. Why does it take so long to get a package from Oregon to us? More about this on Friday.

Thursday, Dec 3

For Dec 2. CPAP. Reported figures 8 hrs 14 min with AHI=1.70 Events: 14 H, 1 CSR, 17 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=13 L/min); oximeter on 2 hrs more.

There is music this afternoon at 2. I left home at 12:45 to stop for my rice heating bag for neck and shoulders — a freebie gift from Joni Zehner who works on Anderson Road. Near her work-place is one of the largest hay brokers/shippers in the Northwest. Anderson Hay & Grain Co., Inc. I’ve visited there and interviewed their CEO when writing an article. One of the Anderson family was a neighbor until this summer when they moved; getting too old to care for a rural home with land and animals. Anyway, here is a photo of my new, very purple neck comforter:
PurpleRiceBag

Today we played at the Rehab — what a big band we had–13 for a baker’s dozen: 5 guitars, banjo, 2 fiddles, flute, 2 tambourines, bass fiddle, and singers, and a grateful audience and staff.

I filled up with gasoline at $2.24/gal. after paying my bill at the computer place here we have our web pages and email. This was just for the email service, using nancyh@ellensburg.com . We’ve had this since 1995 and now pay $5/month to keep it. That email has permeated the world, maybe the entire Milky Way, and would be a monumental loss to the Universe. Okay, maybe not.

Friday, Dec 4

For Dec 3 CPAP. Reported figures. 5 hrs 13 min with AHI=1.34 Events: 7 H, 2 CSR, 14 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=11 L/min); oximeter on 3 hrs more.

John stayed home to await delivery of a 596 pound package of wood paneling expected from Mississippi. John ordered this via phone from northern Mississippi, although it may have been in a warehouse in Memphis. The Company used the Old Dominion Freight Line as a carrier and estimate a week transit time after loading. I arrived home about 10 minutes before the delivery and had time to get my camera. At the end of the driveway we turned the pickup around so the Green&Black deliverer could back his truck up to ours. There was nothing exciting to see but MantleCraft (the Seller) does suggest having a camera at delivery in case there is damage that has to be documented. We were next-to-last stop (from Pasco) so the truck (28 ft.) is nearly empty Photo A. {expand by clicking on photo}
CollageOfWoodPanelingDelivery
We got 26 sheets of 5.2 mm thick (1/5th in.) sheets, a cover sheet of similar but damage something – Photo B, and 2 wood pallets. Photo C shows the lowering from Old Dominion to our truck. The package sticks out – Photo D, from the bed of the truck. John put broom-handle rollers under it, pushed it in, and backed the truck into the hay barn to be protected from the elements. Thank goodness, the delivery was today and not Saturday, because the weather changed dramatically from today’s.
FogInValley
I got home just in time for the delivery. I’d left before 11:00 a.m. to go to the Christmas party potluck at the AAC. I had my camera along, and on the trip in I stopped to take a lovely picture of our fog-filled valley. The Kittitas Valley is shaped like a canoe from SE to NW and the lowest parts fill with fog. Sometimes when it is cold and folks are burning wood (also Interstate 90 is in there) the air contains other significant things besides H2O.
You can see the layer of fog, and also the snowed-upon road I was driving on. The sun was peeking through the clouds, and then came out on my way to town, considerably brightening up the day.

I took a new wallet gift for the exchange and my camera to record the entire event. Sandra Z got the wallet I gave (and she found the pennies I included). I took 6 cans of food for the Community Christmas basket donation: 2 of peaches, 2 beans, and 2 canned dog food (our entry fee for the meal). It was a potluck, so for that I took canned pears and a large bag of honey/mustard pretzel chips. One of the AmeriCorps organizers loved them so much that I gave the remaining of the large bag to her (Carly) when I left. I was one of the photographers of the event and she was the other. Below is a collage of our two AmeriCorps volunteers at the Adult Activity Center. They were primarily the leaders responsible for putting on this event yesterday, but had a lot of help from volunteer staff as well. The director and her husband had to be out of town for a relative’s funeral. Normally, they perform as Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus.
Collage-AmeriCorpsCrew-Carly&Olivia
Carly is on the left with the leftovers bag of cheese/honey/mustard chips, and to the right is Olivia, in her Bah Hum Pug vest with the little pug dog on her left side. Carly is from Portland this year and Olivia from Kentucky is in her second year with us.

Another collage of the activities:
CollageOfMyFriend&SAIL-friends
The left one is with a friend (his wife took the photo), and he was in the Rehab with me in 2010, going through physical therapy, recovering from a stroke. He has come a long way, and is a regular at AAC events, but is confined to a wheelchair. The picture on the right is with three members of my SAIL (Stay Active & Independent for Life) exercise group, Myrna with me, Judy, and Sandra.

Here is another collage of some of the gifts received, with explanation below pix:
CollageGiftsReceived
Pat Carney is on the left with Christmas towels, George with his nice warm gloves, and upper right is the table of gifts people brought that were distributed, with bottom right showing some handmade knitted potholders received by Donna.

After leaving, the party, I went by the grocery to pick up some ice cream and some frozen chicken breasts on sale. From there, I dropped by to pick up a very large Rubbermaid container, given freely from the Buy Nothing site. Here it is–
Blue-snd-White-container
I arrived home and found 5 deer in our driveway–three had antlers. One buck tried to share Ebony’s grain container with an added apple, but she nosed him away. She was out in the driveway away from the other horses. The buck stood by and respected her.

My last travel shot of the day was on the way home, of the ridge behind our home, called Mission Ridge (accessible from Wenatchee, for a ski area). The ridge feeds the eastern side of the Naneum Creek drainage.

Webcams from up there.

NaneumCanyonAndMission Ridge
I was partied out so, we did not go back in for the annual Anthro/Geog sponsored University-wide Christmas party. We are having BBQ pork ribs tonight. Chowed down this afternoon on candy I brought home from the party, and on one of our Honeycrisp apples. They are mostly gone now, and of those that remain about 1 of 5 is going or has gone bad. By cutting the worst out, the deer and horses will eat them. John decided to make an apple cake and used 6, with about 1/3rd of one thrown out. We cut and froze 2/3rds of it. We still have about 30 in the refrigerator.

Tomorrow is a free day, so we will likely spend time working on clean up & organization. I need to put in time on the annual newsletter and on notifying people of our changed domain for web pages, the place where our annual greetings can be found.

Saturday, Dec 5

For Dec 4 CPAP. Reported figures. 8 hrs 14 min with AHI=0.49 Events: 4 H, 2 CSR, 18 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=15 L/min); oximeter for 1.5 hrs more. Used my older preferred nasal pillow mask.

Big snowflakes falling just now about 10:20 a.m. Only an hour ago, John walked to the back door and commented we needed more snow to cover the brown parts exposed. Ask and you shall receive. We have to drive to the upper county (35 minutes) tomorrow to the Swauk-Teanaway Grange for a Christmas dinner, so I hope the snow doesn’t continue as it did several years ago for the same event. Now it has changed to rain. Temperature is 37.6°. Rain continued into the night, with the sun setting at 4:13 p.m.

Cats and horses fed, and newspapers and mail retrieved by John. Thanks. Now the evening feedings have happened too, and Sue (mamma cat) returned after several days away. She was hungry.

John made another apple cake tonight for us to take along tomorrow to the Grange’s Community turkey/dressing/potatoes/gravy dinner provided free with potluck sides and desserts from attendees.

Sorry there is nothing for scale in this photo–but it is a beautiful Honeycrisp apple cake in a 9×12″ baking pan.
AppleCake_9x12-inches
We hope it is not snowing big time up there, although that would be better than sleet. The forecast is for morning snow followed by rain.

Sunday, Dec 6

For Dec 5 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 3 min with AHI=0.85 Events: 6 H, 5 CSR. 20 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=19 L/min); oximeter on an extra 4 hrs. with good activity the whole time, high SpO2 without CPAP on.
Crazy night of nightmares. I explained them to John but I would not venture to share elsewhere or they might commit me. Used my older nasal pillow mask last night and the night before.

Christmas party 1:00 at the Grange. A little rain and fog on the way but clear there. Fewer folks showed than last time and they had lots of prepared turkey, ham, bread stuffing, and mashed taters – thus, big servings of those. People came with other dishes, mostly desserts. A bit lopsided in that sense, but no one complained. Next year, if we go, we can remember to take a roaster of carrots, brown sugar, and pecans, or some other veggie.
We were home before 4 and the horses and outside cats were waiting for their meals.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Thanksgiving Week

Beginning this blog with a gorgeous photo of Mt. Hood sent to a friend of mine. This photo was taken by Jim Pankey on Nov 21, 2015, and named by friends, “A Glowing Summit.” Jim gave permission to share.
I’m sorry the resolution is not better.
1-A Glowing Summit-Mount Hood Nov 21, 2015 Jim Pankey
Monday, Nov 23

For Nov 22 CPAP. Reported figures. 4 hrs 25 min with AHI=0.00 Events: 0 H, 11 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=15 L/min); no oximeter data. Amazingly uneventful sleep on the machine, although not for very long duration.

Today, we started by getting ready to go to town for both of us for trims on our toenails — a Medicare-paid-for perk every 9 weeks. From there we went to the hospital for a blood draw to check my INR (2.3). We left there to travel for a Buy Nothing EBRG (BNE) pickup of a wardrobe-moving box. On for John to fill a 5-gallon gas container for pro re nata (PRN) – medical jargon for as the circumstance arises. Then we drove across the valley to pick up a “desk” (more like desk-with-shelves) from another BNE give. It is rather tall, 5′ high, and almost 4′ wide. Parts are damaged but it is mostly okay – likely we’ll bolt it to a shed wall and use as shelves. I am happy John decided to drive the truck because I’m not sure it would have fit in our Subaru without a lot of work moving stuff and lowering seats. We were on the SW side of the valley from EBRG, where back in June, John left one of his hats at a house not far away. On our way home, we called and stopped by to retrieve it. It was chilly today, but we viewed gorgeous clouds in the sky, and sadly, I did not have my camera along.

Once home we both worked on unfinished chores, and still have many to do. It is snowing slightly tonight. John still has a few finishing needs on the fence and gates for the horses. All of the cats were happy to be fed.

We both felt frustrated at wasting so much time today away from home chores. John is behind on 2015 projects because of being ill all of August. God laughs when humans make plans.

Tuesday, Nov 24

For Nov 23 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 46 min with AHI=1.48 Events: 10 H, 1 CSR. 21 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=17 L/min); no oximeter data.

We awoke to 3″ of snow. I worked on inside chores. John used a wide push-broom and got the snow off walkways, paths, and even the driveway. When there is less than 4″ and fluffy, it is an easy activity and good exercise. We could just leave it but then some melts and refreezes and ice is a problem. A couple of years ago John performed a pirouette on driveway ice and clashed his right hip piriformis muscle with the sciatic nerve. The pain diminished slowly over the next 4 months. Also, today, he fed the outside animals. I fed the inside ones.

Nothing in town today called us away. Jazzercise was cancelled because our teacher, the director of the Adult Activity Center (Ellensburg’s Senior Center) is preparing for the community-wide FREE turkey dinner. Normally, I attend that dinner, going directly from the music at Hearthstone, on Wednesday, but they have set the time later for the dinner than in the past. They used to start serving at 3:00, but now it begins at 4:00, and that makes too long of a day for me, in addition to being an after-dark return home.

John explained his plans for paneling parts of our living space “den/dining” room, around the new patio door, kitchen ceiling, part of the living room, and front door entrance. He has been measuring for several days, and he needed to order from a place in Mississippi to get nice paneling, with no shipping charges, plus a special web discount of 10%. He ordered 3 samples (about 8″X10″ each). We looked at Lowe’s over a week ago and the quality of what they displayed was nowhere nearly as nice. Mantel Craft’s was much superior and will be delivered – from a warehouse near Memphis. Most of what we ordered is called Native Hickory with randomly spaced “beads” (meaning indented dark lines) as in the photo here:
Native Hickory
Panels without the vertical lines will be used for the boxes or light shafts to the already installed skylights. We ordered several special sheets that have about a dozen graphics per sheet on them such as deer, quail, …, and geese, as below:
Wildlife printed on panel

These will cover closet-like spaces in the dining area. One of those spaces does have shelves and the other has the hot water tank and the heating/air-handler. A few years ago we cut part of the wall away (next to the folding doors) to get a failed water tank out. The folding doors are very dark and look like plastic wood, besides not working very well. So a somewhat decorative replacement covering is in the future. That plan is in the formative stage.

Quail are in the backyard under the old pickup – no snow there — I tried getting their picture but they went out the other side. Later, I saw them leaving the yard beyond tops of shrubs cut off but not yet removed. I took this photo.
Quail
They prefer to squeeze through the fence – a tight fit – rather than fly.
The video (below) is better, even though a bit out of focus at times, as it shows nine (I think I counted right), going through our backyard, inside the fence. The fence post has lost some of the 3+ inches that fell overnight and this morning.

Quail come to our yard

This afternoon John pared some more Honeycrisp apples, found two bad ones from our frig stash, so he tossed them over the fence for the deer, and then made another wonderful looking (& tasting) pie. I’m in charge of watching it while he’s out feeding our oldest equine, Ebony, her special grain and apples, as well giving hay to the rest of the horses. I monitored the apple pie, and then replaced it with cinnamon/sugared crust to cook for treats. John finished yard chores before dark, I handed him food for the three cats showing up for dinner outside, and I also fed the one in the house. That cat is spending a lot of time in the house now and, being bored, picks a bit on the dog.

Just spent some time on the jobs announcements list serve through Google Groups, but need to stop to deal with receipts, bills, and filing for income taxes, not to mention other chores. I have washed two loads of clothes, so that’s good.

Early this morning I opened Facebook as I do daily to see if there are any birthdays of friends needing a happy wish emailed card sent. I saw a note from a Buy Nothing Ellensburg (BNE) person that she had a large amount of Metamucil to give away. I picked my lucky 13 # and told her it was for my hubby. This evening I got a message that she was giving it to him. I am happy and will pick it up on my way by her house about 7 miles down the road on which we live! The PA who saw John last week recommended some such stool softener.
3-metamucil BNE give
The interesting thing he has found about it is that 3/4 of it is (sucrose) table sugar. They sell the stuff without sugar, but hey, this batch was free. He’s taking a little with coffee and a generic capsule in the afternoon. These seem to be doing what they are supposed to do but whether or not the minor pain he has had is being treated is somewhat fuzzy.

Wednesday, Nov 25

For Nov 24 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 13 min with AHI=1.29 Events: 8 H, 2 CSR, 21 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=12 L/min); no oximeter data.

This was a full day. I started early going by Safeway for 2-liter colas for John, and then on to the food bank to set up chairs for our entertaining group to play and sing music. We had a special dish today just for the holiday, Seafood Ravioli, donated by the Ellensburg Pasta Company. They provide the main dish every Wednesday. We only had three instruments, but two extra singers, one an audience member. From there I went down to the south end of town and stopped first at the feed store to get bags of senior food for my old horse, Ebony. John feeds her the pellets and an apple every afternoon. I got several bags so we do not have to deal with holiday shopping for the rest of the year. Here she comes for her evening treat, a week before the snow:
4-Collage-EbonyForGrain&Apples
She talks to us from early morning, asking for treats. We think she is nearly 30 years old.

I went on south in town to deliver some cat food to a gal from the Buy Nothing site who asked for someone to get her through to the first of the month. Four cats and no food – another person brought a lot and I took a little, so the cats are fine for now. She is hand sewing me a long rice-filled heating pad to cover my neck and shoulders. I donated one of my larger winter coats to her daughter several weeks ago. She was thrilled and wanted to show me her progress on the rice bag creation. My other bag is squarer, and I actually used it tonight on my aching neck. Now it’s on my left shoulder. On my way home from playing music, I stopped off for the Metamucil mentioned above.

Thursday, Nov 26 Happy Thanksgiving Day

For Nov 25 CPAP. Reported figures. 5 hrs 47 min with AHI=0.52 Events: 3 H, 1 CSR, 22 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=15 L/min); no oximeter data.

Sunny cold morning. Colder in the valley at the airport 5 miles south of us, 11°. It got up to 36° today for only one hour, and John was outside building a small shed for firewood just on the edge of the patio-slab. The parts are about 97% scavenged. The top will have plywood from disassembled pallets and metal roofing sheets from the small barn that was re-roofed about 6 years ago. Those are 12 feet long and have to be cut to the desired length. (Done but not on yet.)
5-Collage-WoodShelterProgress
All three outside cats came for breakfast and supper today. They have dry food 24/7, but during this cold weather, they need more, especially now that the mice are not as prevalent. About mice: Waiting just beyond John (above) is a small pile of firewood, covered to keep it dry. The cut shrubs about are Nanking Cherry that produce loads of fruit with a bit seed. A mouse carried about a quart of cherry pits under the cover and stockpiled them on one of the split pieces of pine. John gathered them and tossed the whole lot over the fence. So, how many pits can a mouse carry at one time? Or, how many mice did the work? If one mouse carried just one pit each trip, there ought to have been a path. Do you work as hard?

Just before noon John got the Crockpot out for slow cooking a piece of beef with onions, tomatoes, and spices. Eight hours later the beef is tender and tasty. We did not leave the house today, spending our Thanksgiving Day together, quietly. We did spent some time on the phone with John’s cousin, Ethel in PA and her daughter. We heard it was in the 50s there and sunny.

Others today are having traditional Thanksgiving dinners. I must share this cute photo sent by a former student couple from CWU. They have several large dogs, and one of them got into their desert early. I’m still laughing at this photo and hope you enjoy it too. I’m surprised she left any in the plate.
5.5-CaliNeet&PieLeft
House projects were the concentration here today for me, but I made only small steps up a long staircase, metaphorically.

I managed to get a package set up for a friend back east, but I will not get it in the mail until Monday, because I have to go to the post office to mail first class with tracking. That’s a nice feature but it failed with a package I sent back east last week that needed to be returned to me (a second replacement USB connector for my oximeter). It made it there and they returned it with a tracking number saying it had left Chicago Metro and was due in Ellensburg for delivery on Friday, 11/27. Nothing has changed in several days. Wonder when I will get it. Actually, today, Sunday, I received an update of delayed delivery. It left Spokane, WA this morning at 4:18 a.m., 11/29/15. I expect it will be in tomorrow’s mail.

John realized our Thanksgiving cactus was blooming right on time. Here are a couple of tries to capture the beautiful scene merged into a collage, on the day.
6-CollageThanksgivingDayCactus2015
We have done better photography in previous years, but here you are for 2015.

Friday, Nov 27

For Nov 26 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 54 min with AHI=2.28 Events: 18 H, 6 CSR. 23 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=20 L/min); no oximeter data.

John’s sister lives in an urban setting but has wooded bottomland nearby. Recently a deer jumped a 6 foot fence and seemed headed for her picture-window. It went around the house and through the neighbor’s yard. Our less exciting deer encounter was with a nice buck a few hundred feet from the house. John was feeding horses and 7 deer (3 with antlers) were on the brushy side of the fence. John came for his camera and then weaved a winding path through the horses so as to not frighten the animals. The smaller bucks and does have been around, but the biggest one we have not seen before. Still, he was not overly concerned about John and the camera.
Buck

With the fresh snow this week we have seen many quail and thus their tracks, such as on the left, below. On the right is an imprint of the tail feathers as one of the birds jumped into the air. Larger birds, such as Pheasants and Owls, will launch and make “snow angels” with tail, body, and wings leaving impressions. There are a few photos on the web to be seen if you search Bing images for:
impression in snow from pheasant take-off

Quail_Tracks
In the evening after dinner, we went across the street at the parents’ place to visit friends down for Thanksgiving from Tonasket (4 hours drive). We took along a thawed chocolate crème pie I took from the freezer earlier – and no, it was not made by either me or John.

Saturday, Nov 28

For Nov 27 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 57 min with AHI=2.14 Events: 17 H, 3 CSR. 15 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=17 L/min); no oximeter data.

Sunny and cold. Moisture is starting to freeze on trees, fences, and anything else. This is likely to continue into Tuesday and if so we will have a bounty of Silver Frost. Very pretty landscape but it also means the sky is completely fogged in and the temperature has not gone above freezing for days and there is almost no wind.
Here is an old web page I made two years ago.

Silver Frost

Now I’m including it for your viewing pleasure at our new domain site. I’m slowly going through these old ones and correcting any links to our old domain, ellensburg.com/ The only thing we get there any more is email to nancyh@ellensburg.com and we do not have email at the new domain. Only this blog, and our old (or new) web pages.

Nice telephone visit with his sister Peggy in Ohio just 12 miles from the north coast of the USA, where she has warmer temperatures (for now). Just wait!

Sunday, Nov 29

For Nov 28 CPAP. Reported figures. 9 hrs 35 min with AHI=0.63 Events: 6 H, 1 CSR. 14 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=15 L/min); no oximeter data. A very quiet and long night. Either I was quite tired, or got the forced air pressure hose fixed right, or the new pillow worked better for support of the head connector for the hose.

Cold and gray here today, with “patchy freezing fog” and low visibility. We had 13 degrees this morning and now it is all the way up to 21.7. Maybe snow coming on Tuesday.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Winter seems to have arrived

Monday, Nov 16

For Nov 15 CPAP. Reported figures. 8 hrs 24 min with AHI=1.67 Events: 14 H, 3 CSR. 25 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=13 L/min); no oximeter.

Morning arrangements with Scholarship Luncheon group planning for this Friday’s attendance. I am one of the hosts with Mary Aho. She is making Angus Beef Stew, and we are bringing Honeycrisp apples and two Pecan Pies from John’s mom’s recipe. He is expected every year to contribute them as he has done since 1988. Currently, we have 11 coming, and there are still several more who have not responded. Fifteen were invited. We may have to bring in more chairs. Two others are unable to be there.

I’ve done a bunch in the house, and John has done a lot more outside. We both have been busy all day.

Here is our resident deer in the garden.
deerusingGIMP

Tuesday, Nov 17

For Nov 16 CPAP Reported figures. 5 hrs 39 min with AHI=0.06 Events: 5 H, 1 CSR, 1 OA & PP, 16 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=8 L/min); no oximeter.

Up early for TRANE heat pump maintenance fellow Nick Jensen to arrive between 7:30 and 8:00 a.m.— came 9:15. We started a contract, $400/year for 2 times. We will have him come after the temps reach 60 degrees, next June. That’s because the tune-up can be done more precisely if the air conditioning unit can be run hard. Will continue in June with this.
I made it to Jazzercise today, with my new fancy red Jazzercise tee shirt, given to me by one of our group. (She won it in her past but it is too large for her, so she gave away 4 of her awards). I think mine is the prettiest. Four of us were there for our teacher to lead and guide us through the movements (much like dancing, but as it progresses, we raise our heart beats from the increased exercises).

Returned my too-large new mask to Kittitas Medical Supply. In the evening I went to the Rehab assisted living place, getting there early to meet a Buy Nothing EBRG (BNE) person to give a bag of winter clothes. I went in and visited with three residents before we set up to play. That play date is for The Connections, a religious group that leads the audience in church anthems and some other uplifting music (such as He’s Got the Whole World in his Hands.)

Wednesday, Nov 18

For Nov 17 CPAP Reported figures. 6 hrs 41 min with AHI=2.09 Events: 14 H, 2 CSR, 24 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=13 L/min); no oximeter.

Picked up a freely given quilted vest from Heather and gave her a big box of Honeycrisp apples. Grabbed some Rosemary Olive Oil bread from the bread room and some cornbread and bran muffins for my neighbor. We are encouraged to take from the bread room, because they get so much, and it doesn’t keep long. They also have a lot of bread in the regular food distribution area. Subway sandwich shops in town (two) have started donating rolls to the Food Bank. I didn’t get any because I don’t like taking open bags, but that is an interesting community contribution. Most of the bakery goods come from the local grocery stores. Donations from Starbucks of pastries and cookies are brought in daily for morning coffee at the food bank for those interested. There are many things available for free in the county – one just has to know about them. Ten years ago if someone asked me about how to get help I did not have a clue. Now I can say, go here, or go there. And I do. Since 9/1 this year, I have contacts for 4 organizations in town to provide free clothing to families. EBRG also has every night of the week covered for homeless people to go for a warm sleep in a different church.

We played Christmas music at the Food Bank during lunch. We had our old standbys, and were joined by another community lady who actually lives in Thorp, but loves to sing. We had 3 singers, and 3 instrumentalists singing winter / season’s greetings songs. Pretty cool. The audience entered on many of them—such as Rudolph, Jingle Bells, Silver Bells, Blue Christmas, and Winter Wonderland. We are served food after we play. Today’s food was chicken Alfredo plus Chicken Parmesan, salad, and dessert. I never know how much salt I get there and only recognize the garlic hours later.

I went to SAIL exercise class at the Senior Center, and we had a good turnout there, as well as a good workout.

Went by Rite Aid and bought some Vitamin D3 and Magnesium at a good price. The best price for Vitamin D3 is probably at Costco, for 2000 mg, but this was a pretty good deal for 1000mg (~1.5 cent/gel capsule). I have to take a lot (5000 mg / day), so saving money is a good thing. The deal was a buy one bottle, get one free, but they were out of most I needed. I’m to go back later (rest of the story below).

Thursday, Nov 19

For Nov 18 CPAP Reported figures. 6 hrs 4 min with AHI=0.66 Events: 4 H, 1 CSR, 10 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=19 L/min); no oximeter.

John visited the doctor (actually a physician assistant) in Cle Elum because of the gut pains and noise he has had the past couple of days. He called me on his way home. Likely, it’s a hernia issue just to the left of his belly-button; cause unknown. He will try eating more fiber, less ice cream/hot chocolate, and maybe try Metamucil in the future? I have DOK (Sodium Docusate) 200 mg on hand, so he might as well start with that. He decided to consider 100 mg until we can get to Costco again, where meds are much cheaper. We eat a lot of fiber with apples, strawberries, raspberries, carrots, potatoes, beans, and legumes.

We played music at Dry Creek today (now named Brookdale), and had 10 people participating. We started our December music today. Realized I had two songs not repaired for a key change from last year. The new folks had them in the wrong key. I have corrected that now.

We’ve been eating apple pie (and need to fix more filling – a few apples have been thrown out, but all now are in refrigerators). John and I made two pecan pies tonight. He did most of the work. Earlier today, I spent a good amount of time sorting good apples and then washing them thoroughly, and packing them and the other stuff I had to take for the table. I also made 8 liters (4 bottles) of Crystal Light Lemonade (Yellow and Pink). I probably could have gotten by with only two. At one point, we thought we might have 15 people. We had plates and real (metal) tableware for all. Mary brought bowls for her stew, cups for my lemonade, and napkins. I took large Chinet plates and smaller dessert plates. I missed getting a photo of the entire group and the table. But, I did capture 3 photos of some of the activity, seen in the collage and story on Friday’s entry.

Friday, Nov 20

For Nov 19 CPAP Reported figures. 6 hrs 5 min with AHI=0.99 Events: 6H, 17 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=10 L/min); no oximeter.

Early this morning I walked out front to the cable table to feed Woody, the feral female you have seen before. She’s there every morning, about 7:30 a.m. The others go to the back of the house to the cats’ mow. And, Rascal is the only one coming into the house to eat and sleep (uses the doggie door).

As I walked out, I saw an ice crystal that had pushed up from the frozen water fallen off our roof into a plastic bowl. I went back for my camera, and took a photo. It was on the ground, shaded by the big stump you have seen Woody sitting on in a former blog. I picked up the bowl and put it on top of the stump so it received the sunlight. The picture on the right is the results. I think that view resembles a Madonna. Isn’t that a cool picture in more than one way?

Collage-IceCrystalMadonna

Some call these Ice Spikes. John has a comment there. Ignore the Doug.C comments – he is on a different planet.

Today is our noon Ruth Harrington scholarship luncheon with Mary Aho as co-hostess with me.
CenterpieceTable11-20-19
This is the centerpiece of our table. This is a luncheon normally held on the 4th Friday of the month, but we had to jump back a week because of Thanksgiving. A dozen people attended. John helped me carry all the stuff into the building where I had an office from 1997 to 2008. He helped me cut the largest Honeycrisp apples for two plates that served as our salad to go with beef stew made by Mary. The other apples went home whole with each person. Members contribute $5.00/meal at the beginning of the year and only have to fix one table for everyone. The $50.00 donation goes to the Ruth Harrington Scholarship Fund for needy CWU students. Cost (contribution for student scholarships) has doubled since I started.

I didn’t get in any of the pictures, and missed getting one of the whole group at the table when everyone arrived, but below is a collage of a few there, early.
Collage-RuthHarringtonScholLunch11-20-15
Left-most – 4 of the first 5 to arrive (middle is the 5th). The beef stew was made by orange-sweatered, Mary. Left: Allyson, Mary, Vicki, Kristina; Middle: Estelle serving stew and Mary peeking around her; Right: Ruth (the originator of this program way back in the last century) is in the winter-themed sweater. I joined in 1988, and it was well underway before that. Blue sweater is Peggy, whose office offered the conference room for our lunch.

Saturday, Nov 21

For Nov 20 CPAP Reported figures. 8 hrs 27 min with AHI=1.30 Events: 11 H, 1 CSR,18 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=20 L/min); no oximeter.

On my way to town for music, I left early to get to the post office. They have one window open from 11:30 to 1:30 to pick up a registered mail. Here is what I got:
stihl wood moisture meter
The package came from Germany via the Deutsche Post. On the form about having to pick it up, our carrier wrote what appeared to be “Dutch.” Who’s that? Ronald Reagan was called Dutch – likely not from him. Well, John ordered it through Amazon.com and didn’t realize it would be coming registered, requiring a signature upon receipt. It is moisture meter to determine when wood is within the proper moisture content (is it dry enough, or too dry) for use in a fancy wood stove. Stihl is the maker (in Virginia Beach, VA) of our chainsaw.

From the post office I went by Rite Aid for some more Vitamin D and Magnesium for me, but the supply had not been replenished. [Walgreen’s appears about to buy Rite Aid.] They offered me a buy one-get one free offer on another brand, Nature Made, but I calculated the price and it was not worth the added price. The sale is on until the end of the month, and they are going to “hard order” some for me. I’ll check next week. I just realized she said to check next Thursday, but that’s Thanksgiving, so I expect I will wait a day at least.

I made one more stop for John for Dulcolax (stool softener, not laxative), and bought a box of 25 tablets, 100 mg each. He found a special deal from the company to pay up to $10 for the purchase (minus tax). I found it for $6.29 on sale at Bi-Mart. It was over $9.00 at Rite Aid. He’s got all the paraphernalia set for me to put in an envelope to mail in for our rebate (that comes in the form of a VISA gift certificate). Generic copies are 90% cheaper.

We had a great turnout of players and audience at Briarwood this afternoon (9 musicians, and at least 20 in the audience). They fed us a nice bean soup, sandwiches, and desserts afterwards. I ate light because of the salty soup, and because I knew John would have dinner for us tonight.

Sunday, Nov 22

For Nov 20 CPAP Reported figures. 5 hrs 47 min with AHI=1.90 Events: 11 H, 2 CSR, 13 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=19 L/min); no oximeter.

It’s sunny and John is out cobbling gates and fence so the horses can have 24/7 access to the heated water trough. The airport had 19° F. last night. It is warmer for about 3 days and next Wednesday it will get colder – so they say. He’s moved to the back of the house and is adding temporary siding around the new door. He has one more board to add but stopped to feed the horses and cats – the Sun had gone behind the Cascade Range with a deep orange, “Goodbye.”

I skipped around between physical tasks (dishes and laundry) and computer and phone stuff. We thawed and are cooking lasagna. We still have a piece of Pecan pie, too.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

♥ Doctors, parties, friends, deer

Monday, Nov 9

For Nov 8 CPAP. Reported figures. 8 hrs 2 min with AHI=1.37 Events: 11 H, 1 CSR, 14 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=19 L/min); no oximeter.

Rain squalls made a hassle of John’s outside work, including finishing the support posts for a heavy iron “farm” gate. He is trying to get a dry cord of firewood to a needy neighbor and so cuts a little, then splits and loads – then covers with a tarp until the rain stops.

My multitasking continues, with working on the email address list to warn people of our change in domains for our web pages and the blog. I wrote another letter of recommendation for my former student to go into a Ph. D. program in Australia. Retired now for over 5 years and I am still involved in some of my old job expectations. I made chocolate chip cookies to take tomorrow to our Emeriti Geographers meeting, and took out donuts to take along (halving) to provide another plate of goodies, not knowing how many people might show up. We are having a guest speaker, the new Dean of Graduate Studies and Research, Kevin Archer, who was hired here 3 years ago, from Florida, to chair the geography department. Shortly after arriving, he was selected to be the Interim Graduate Dean. That lasted 2.5 years and then CWU advertised externally and narrowed to 3 candidates, with 2 external, but he was chosen to be the new dean. Our Interim Geography Chair who replaced him, was just recently elected to be the new chair. I’m very pleased to announce that John Bowen is on board. I finished running and collating music for Thursday for three new people to our group.

Tuesday, Nov 10

For Nov 9 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 25 min with AHI=0.40 Events: 3 H, 1 PP, 18 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=12 L/min); no oximeter. First good night with adjusted new Dreamwear mask. Set up from machine on left, over right shoulder in front, not from behind. Nice. Works better.

We left at 8:30 a.m., taking a handout to Hearthstone about upcoming Geography Department events, two plates of goodies: one with 2 dozen cookies and the other with a dozen halved donuts. Hearthstone provides the coffee and hot water for tea or hot chocolate.

John came home from the meeting to work on projects, and I drove myself to Yakima for laser treatment on my right foot’s toenails. On my way home, I stopped off at Les Schwab, got my 2014 Forester tires rotated, and turned in snow chains for my old 2004 Subaru that I had never used. I had the receipt from 2008, and they took them and credited my credit card for $73.89. Currently, the cost of chains is in the $90 range, but my current tires would be larger and require a bigger size of chains that would cost even more. I do not wish to drive in conditions where chains are necessary on an all-wheel drive vehicle, so I didn’t discuss an exchange. Returned home by a neighbor’s to deliver some candies bought for her from Costco.

Now tonight I will turn around and drive back to play music this evening at Hearthstone (where I was for this morning’s 9:00 a.m. meeting). May go by Super 1 to see if they have any donuts/pastry/baked-things marked down from the day’s cabinet selections. At $7.98 / dozen, it is nice to get them for $4.98. They seem to have stopped putting chopped nuts on any – or maybe those are the ones folks buy at full price.

Wednesday, Nov 11

For Nov 10 CPAP. Reported figures. 8 hrs 17 min with AHI=0.60 Events: 5 H, 15 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=19 L/min); no oximeter.

We took off for Yakima first to go to Costco for gasoline, before my cardiologist appointment, to eat lunch, and to shop. Then we went catawampus across a big intersection to Lowe’s, to look at a few things. We did not buy anything but they have stuff we didn’t know existed and stuff that makes you wonder. A leisurely look might be fun.

John went with me to the Yakima Heart Center. First, was to meet with Buffy Sawyer, a Physician Assistant (PA), who is well versed in cardiology. She first examined me and reported on the findings of all my recent tests. All systems are go, and my “numbers” were overall very good. Great news that my ejection fraction (EF**) of my heart (learned from the Echocardiogram) is ~33-35%. Five years ago it was at 25%. Healthy individuals have a value for the EF above 55%. This reading is great for me with my past history of congestive heart failure.
** The left ventricle is the heart’s main pumping chamber, so ejection fraction is usually measured only in the left ventricle (LV). An LV ejection fraction of 55 percent or higher is considered normal. An LV ejection fraction of 50 percent or lower is considered reduced. (Mayo Clinic)

After her discussion and listening to my heart and lungs, my own cardiologist (Dr. Kim) came in to consult and listen to it, as well. He reviewed the same test results that she had discussed with us. He and she determined a change in medications (increased dosage of Metoprolol and adding Allopurinal, for lower uric acid in my blood). Mainly, the discussion centered on my doing well enough NOT to qualify me for an extra wire implant from the new unit to the upper part of my heart’s side where the other wire currently is. This changes the surgery from major, overnight required, to an easier and faster procedure. Take out the Biotronik defibrillator unit (whose battery lasted 5.5 yrs), and replace with a smaller Boston Scientific unit, which has a longer-lived battery (9-10 years). I’m obviously thrilled, that I can go home (John driving), after release. The surgeon expects it to be only a 1/2 hour surgery.

I check in at 8:00 a.m. to Yakima Memorial Hospital, December 18, and the surgery is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. I cannot eat anything after midnight, but I can drink a little water.

Thursday, Nov 12

For Nov 11 CPAP. Reported figures. 8 hrs 25 min with AHI=0.24 Events: 2 H, 16 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=11 L/min); no oximeter.

For John, today was work again outside. He finished loading a split cord of the “new” wood, Ponderosa pine, to take over to a friend’s house a little over a mile away to put on her porch.

For me, today was all about music and apples. Before the music started, I gave a box of Honeycrisp apples to one of our guitar players who drives each week to join us, from Cle Elum (30 miles away). Our group met at Meadows Place and entertained a happy bunch of residents. We had a new singer join us with her 3 yr old son, and our flute player with her 3 yr old girl was there too. We had a male singer, three guitar players, and me on the fiddle. From there I went to my pharmacy for my meds, and then succeeded in getting apples to a gal in the community for baskets she is making for thanks to six people influential in our community of providing volunteer service to others. From there, on my way home, I stopped by the home or the widow of one of my colleagues in Geography at CWU. She loves Honeycrisp apples as well and had picked up a few from the senior center we had taken in. I was able to help her open a mailed package she could not open. It specifically said, “Do not use scissors.” Weird, unless they were trying to protect the scantily tissue paper-wrapped cashmere sweater inside.

Cool receipt today of the after picture of a give several weeks ago on the BNE (Buy Nothing Ellensburg) site. I made a collage for comparison.
CollageRecordPlayerStand
Left photo you have seen before, and the right is from its new house, where it’s being used for an old record player stand. It was ready to be packed in the truck heading to the transfer station, when John asked me what it was, and I said I thought a record player stand. I am so happy it found a new happy home. We have no room for it in our house.

It wasn’t wet this morning so John finished the cord of the “new” wood. While cutting the larger diameter pieces he noticed the saw wants to cut at an angle. He commented: “I will have to do more than just a quick file to the cutters – flip the bar and check it for faults, and file the depth control or gauges. The cutters are likely in need of more uniform shape or a couple hit something hard – like a stone. Ouch!”

Friday, Nov 13

For Nov 12 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 56 min with AHI=0.72 Events: 5 H, 13 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=17 L/min); no oximeter.

I dressed in my patriotic flag vest for a post celebration of Veteran’s Day at the Senior Center. The program included a lunch, with meatloaf, peas, potato, and a colorful red, white, and blue dessert. Eleven Veterans were honored. I stayed for my SAIL (Stay Active and Independent for Life) exercise class and received more compliments on my vest. {Click on photo to see larger image.}
CollageDouglasesNancyCertificateForVets2015AAC
Left is Katrina Douglas, Director of the Adult Activity Center (Ellensburg’s “Senior” Center), her husband, David Douglas, our Master of Ceremony, me (who took photos for the staff because they were busy serving us). The photo on the right was my close-up of the certificate made by an AmeriCorps volunteer there to present to the eleven veterans who went to the front of the room and shared their story — of the branch of the military, the years, the location, and anything else they wished to share. It was rather fascinating. The neatest was the oldest one there, who is 101 and totally with it. His name is Louis Kollmeyer. He was a CWU faculty member for 25 years and the chair of the Art Department. Below he is with his wife, Faye, who is in my SAIL exercise class. She is 98, and in great health, one of the most flexible and active in our class, but she has macular degeneration. She recognizes us by our walk and our talk. She’s known around town by many people because she was a Realtor here for years.
Old couple

Louis Kollmeyer—101 yr old veteran 2015

Go into this one below about a minute into the video to see Kollmeyer’s comment about his age. This starts with another veteran’s story from Jim Cummings.
Hereeers Jimmy!

Saturday, Nov 14

For Nov 12 CPAP. Reported figures. 3 hrs 44 min with AHI=0.54 Events: 2 H, 2 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=13 L/min); no oximeter. Awoke at 3:00 a.m. to go down the hall to the guest bathroom, and tried to put the mask back already connected to the hose, back on my head. That didn’t work, so I removed it. The set-up is more involved than I wanted in the middle of the night.

John was up after the rain stopped, working on the fence that will, again, allow the horses’ access to the heated water tank. There is still a small amount of water in the center ditch for the horses, so they will need access to this tank when the water stops and/or freezing happens. Most of the fence is ready and he is working on a small gate that in a past life was a pallet. I haven’t taken any photos recently. Maybe when the sun shines, I will try, but rain is in tomorrow’s forecast. Today was a gray day.

This afternoon we left for the 90th birthday party dinner for a friend, Gloria, given by her daughter and her husband at their home about 20 minutes from us. Fun time with 16 people present. Actually, her sister Shirley’s birthday is Nov 17 and hers was Nov 11. Her sister is visiting from CA until the first week in December. She will be 86. We had homemade lasagna, salad, bread, fresh fruit skewers, various pickled things, and a piece of chocolate-frosted white layered cake.
Family
Table of honor—Cindy, Gloria (90), Phyllis, Shirley (86)

Cindy and Phyllis live in the part of Seattle quite close to where my grandparents built their house in the early 1900s – when Fauntleroy Way was a trolley line.

Here’s Fauntleroy – West Seattle
Two videos follow for your enjoyment.

Gloria’s Introduction of Guests at her Party

Then, Happy Birthday song to Gloria (90th) and her sister Shirley (86th). Link — sing along

Sunday, Nov 15

For Nov 14 CPAP. Reported figures. 5 hrs 2 min with AHI=0.40 Events: 2 H, 9 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=17 L/min); no oximeter.

Rain began and the wind was blowing about 8:30 a.m. Just before 9:00 a.m., snow started falling making the already started rain, slushy. John put on a Safari hat over a knitted cap to go take care of the horse feeding.

We had a nice phone call from John’s brother, Dick and his wife, Kit, in San Jose’.

I will end this week with the story of my new CPAP mask I’m still learning to use. I thought I had found the best alternative for me, with a nasal pillow, (the AirFit P10), but it started chafing my nostrils. I have now switched to one called Dreamwear, pointed out to me by a friend who also uses a CPAP machine. This mask has nothing entering the nostrils. The compressed air hose connector is on the top of my head and not beneath my chin. It has been a little worrisome to get used to the connection above, but when properly set, the mask provides a more comfortable and definitely quieter sleep.

The story started over a week ago with the wrongly sized head gear. The medical supply place allowed me to request a replacement of the a Medium I was given for a Small, and it was drop-shipped to me, arriving Friday, Nov 6. I didn’t manage to get it set correctly until Tuesday night this week. The picture collage below will give you an idea and I will describe a little bit more beneath it (especially for my friends and relatives with whom we share CPAP evaluation information). I’m serving as the guinea pig for this newly released mask (also evaluating it for my medical supplier).

CollageNancyNewDreamwearCpapMask
The shot on the left shows the new mask with the air tube connecter on the top of the headpiece. That is awkward and “weighty” on the head because of the weight of the long (somewhat heavy) compressed air tubing that connects to the CPAP machine. The one on the left does not yet have the soft flannel pads attached to the cheek straps. The one on the right shows the cheek pads added to the plastic straps. Now, I have taken the new pads that came with the smaller headgear and added them to the top plastic pieces across the top of my head on both sides. That seems to work quite well. The disadvantage is I have to put my mask on, while disconnected from the tubing, adjust the pillow behind my head and move the tubing across my chest, and then over my right shoulder and back over the pillow, to take the weight off the top of my head. The top of my head is still very thin on hair from the shock to my system (I guess) 5 years ago from the heart valve replacement surgery. My hair thinning/loss is not related to drugs, such as chemo and others cause, but I definitely have very thin hair on top still. I have used all the tricks of the trade, and faithfully use Nioxin shampoo. While it is a little better, it still is not what it used to be. Age certainly is not a factor! My sleep is better with this mask than any of the five I have tried (and suffered with, since October 2014). I hope the success story continues.

Right before our brunch, 3 resident deer arrived out back. John carried out my leftover tomatoes I decided were past their prime. I had been eating about 4/day (they are small) until yesterday, when it was tougher to find enough good ones. Below is a collage I took through the window on our new patio door.
Collage-Tomatoes&Deer11-15-15
Notice the flying tomato over the top of the post at John’s elbow, headed at the little buck, with a doe looking on. The right shows a few on the ground and one to the right of his right foot and another in front of him. It didn’t take them long to eat up the remainder and move on.

John went out while there’s still light to clean out the horse trough to set up for the horses to have water with a heater as the temperatures decrease. I noticed the sun came out so I went out in 40° temps to walk around his newest fence/gate project.
Fence scene
The sun didn’t last long, but this shows the cleaning materials, and John in the background near the horse trough, in front of the old red barn. In the foreground is the fence supported by pallet structures. And, below is a very short tour around to a gate near the rest of the fence that needs 30 feet completed before the horses are released to this area.

Walk about along with Nancy

On my return trip, I walked around the back of the new garden and admired our little resident buck, laying inside (John opened the gate so all the deer could nibble off and prune the strawberry plants). The buck was the only one inside as I walked around. Others were there, but outside the fence.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Doctors, door, deer, and Seattle

Sunday, Nov 1

For Oct 31 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 34 min with AHI=0.91 Events: 6 H, 1 CSR, 8 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=16 L/min); no oximeter.

Day spent by me working toward getting the news out to people in our email address book of our changed domain for the blog and for our web pages, including the annual end of year greetings. At the end of the week, I still have not completed the send. I also have only barely started our 2015 Greetings. It is on the list of things to do, along with 100 others. Maybe after this blog is posted on 11/8/15, I will get an announcement of the change out, and continue to add or correct bounced accounts. If you have changed your email address since 2013, please notify me of your new one.

Monday, Nov 2

For Nov 1 CPAP. Reported figures. 8 hrs 27 min with AHI=1.66 Events: 13 H, 4 CSR, 1 CA, 11 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=20 L/min); no oximeter. Activity around 4:00 a.m. I must have moved over my air tube and shifted the mask.

John wore his new Knudson’s sweatshirt I won at Friday’s Halloween Party to the hardware/lumber store to get two items he needs for installing the patio door. He visited with the lady in charge of, among other things, making donations to community events. Seemed like a right thing to do. I spent time finishing working on the pictures from the party and shipped them off to the AmeriCorps volunteer at the Adult Activity Center for their photo collection.

Tuesday, Nov 3

For Nov 2 CPAP. Reported figures. 8 hrs 26 min with AHI=0.47 Events: 4 H, 3 CSR, 13 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=20 L/min); no oximeter.

I went for my fasting blood draw (for next week’s visit with my cardiologist) and back home to get John for the trip to visit the surgeon. This required follow-up visit happens after my implanted device’s warning that its battery needed replaced. Yesterday, I had 81 days left for the procedure. The surgeon’s name is Dr. Dao Pham, who is certified in Nuclear Cardiology, with a fellowship completed in VA in electrophysiology, and had his residency at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. He performs surgery on implanted devices including defibrillators (as mine, with a built-in pacemaker), and plain pacemakers, as well. He performs surgery mornings or afternoons daily, and sees patients in the office daily too. Mine today was scheduled for 1:10, so I assume today he was in surgery in the morning.

Today, the three of us, in consultation with my cardiologist, Dr. Anatole Kim, agreed on the procedure. The two doctors conversed via internal email on questions of dosage on my Metoprolol medication. I have been on a very low dose, lower than any of the doses studied in clinical trials. Dr. Kim would like to go higher but that might degrade some other heart function parameter that the extra wire would compensate for. But apparently medical protocols are established on “current” conditions and not “anticipated” conditions. Seems this is an issue that makes you go, Hmmm. The plan may change next week, when my cardiologist has reviewed my entire case that will include interpretation of this morning’s fasting labs, of the 24-hr Holter heart monitor a few weeks ago, and of an echocardiogram over a week ago. John and I both got the impression today that only two wires would possibly be considered (maybe one more added to the same right side of my heart that already has one).

Currently, the plan from today, is for scheduled surgery December 18, Friday, to be there (Yakima Memorial Hospital, for check-in at 8:00 a.m.), no food after midnight, water and medications all right (except blood thinner that will have been stopped). The surgery is planned for 9:30 a.m. within a 1.5 hr period. If it is only a battery and unit replacement, and no new wire added, I can leave the hospital afterwards. Currently, that is what is scheduled. I accepted and signed to authorize the scheduler to have the required paperwork for their records. The surgeon feels I do not meet the criteria to put in more wire leads through my veins. He arranged, however, for a switch from the Biotronik unit I now have to a new Boston Scientific unit, which is smaller and has a longer-lived battery (9-10 years). Sounds good to me.

However, IF my cardiologist decides to add the second wire to the unit, THEN, it becomes major surgery, and I will have to stay overnight in the hospital for observation. Regardless, we will stay with the same date and time.

This is all I know right now.
I do have this report plan from the surgeon, primarily written for my cardiologist, summarizing our visit today. {Note: Acronyms in text are defined below.}

The patient has been stable. Her ICD battery reaches ERI and will be replaced. She does not meet the criteria for CRT upgrade due to her narrow QRS and having only 9% RV pacing. She remains in sinus rhythm and regarding the question of possible upgrade to dual chamber ICD, if she needs to increase HR to prevent the low output syndrome and to be optimized on her Metoprolol dosage, then she will need upgrade from a single chamber to dual chamber ICD. However, she has been asymptomatic with activities, it is felt she can continue her current regimen and needs only the ICD battery change.

ERI—Elective Replacement Indicator
ICD—Implantable Cardiac Defibrillator
CRT—Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy
QRS—Ventricular Conductance Time
RV—Right Ventricular
Sinus Rhythm: normal cardiac rhythm proceeding from the sinoatrial node; in healthy adults its rate is 60-90 beats/min.
HR—Heart Rate

At the moment, John and I are translating that to mean I will only have the unit changed and my battery replaced with no other wire(s) connected. The wire currently there will be attached to the new unit, but no other adjustment is required.
After our session with the surgeon, we went to the scheduler to fill out the paperwork to request the date.

From there we went to return the unused stovepipe section, a roof-top flashing, and an outside air intake kit connector for our new wood stove to Fosseen’s Home & Hearth to trade against the remaining balance. They ended up owing us $7, which will be credited to our charge card used to buy the original unit.

While on that side of town, I managed to locate a BNE person to whom I was giving an extra music stand. It was easier to drive by her work than to try to meet her at her home or in Ellensburg. Our schedules were always conflicting, and our houses are 1/2 hour apart. This worked, and it has a new home with her daughter, a 6th grader, learning to play the clarinet. She will be playing Jingle Bells in an upcoming concert.

From there, a fast trip to Costco for gasoline for my car and a few small items for our neighbor and us. By the time we pulled into the driveway it was nearly dark.

Wednesday, Nov 4

For Nov 3 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 35 min with AHI=1.85 Events: 14 H, 5 CSR, 15 RERA, 1 PP. No major mask leaks (max=20 L/min); no oximeter.

Resident does with buck out back, eating old apple throw-a-ways. These were store-bought and still in the fridge, not our handpicked Honeycrisp.
Buck with apple
I left for town at 11:00 and took apples, BBQ sauce, and a Veteran’s Calendar by her house to Gloria and her sister, Shirley (visiting from CA) on my way to the Food Bank for music there. We had a bunch of singers today along with four instruments. The neatest part of the performance was the audience participation. They were really into it—singing, dancing, and applauding. That makes us all very happy. After playing, they feed us. Today it was pasta with mushrooms and sausage (too salty and garlic ridden for me), bread, salad, and the best part of the meal was a wonderful PEAR upside-down cake.
I left there (picking up some bran muffins and angel food cake loaf for my neighbors), and went near the hospital to pick up bag of socks from a BNE site give. Then on to SAIL class where we had 18 people participating. On the way home, I stopped off at Grocery Outlet for a good deal on real mayonnaise.

I came home to a closed gate, nothing decent in our mail, and a surprise of an almost-installed patio door. John has it in place, but the job is not by any means complete. But, it is there!!!, held in by 3 nails at the moment, and with paper filling the spaces that could leak cold outside air. A couple of other projects now have priority, so the door is on hold, awaiting fine tuning of the door-unit in the opening and then sealing with minimal-expansion foam sealer. The outside will get winterized but next spring it will get a re-do. Inside, who knows what it will look like when “finished.”

I called the Briarwood Retirement facility resident potluck coordinator about changing our Dec 19 date to 12/12 instead (because of my impending operation). Unfortunately, that won’t work because they have a new Gospel sing-along event that has moved from a Friday evening to the second Saturday of the month. If that doesn’t work (and I won’t know until next week), then we also have the option of canceling, but have to notify them by Nov 17. Currently, not knowing if I have to stay overnight, makes the planning difficult. People are busy during December, so a cancellation might work well for everyone. They will have already heard our December music fare we start the 3rd week in November (coming up soon).

Thursday, Nov 5

For Nov 4 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 40 min with AHI=1.65 Events: 11 H, 6 CSR, 20 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=14 L/min); no oximeter.

In the cool morning temperatures, John went to town for 4 stops, brought home lots of stuff, not the least of which was a new digital wrist blood pressure monitor for me. It is so much easier to use than the one that seems to be too big for me with the cuff on my arm and the need to take off my long-sleeve shirts in the morning and the evening. I have to take my BP daily and record it for a week prior to my visit with my cardiologist. John bought all sorts of stuff on sale today, at the Bake Sale at Super 1, cat food at Bi-Mart, and house-brand colas for only 78¢ /2 liters at Safeway.

I was happy to begin my BP recordings a day late. My trip to town was not scheduled until afternoon, to play music at the Rehab where I spent time recuperating in 2010. We had 8 people there today and a nice time and large audience. Our 93 yr old dancer, Helen, with her walker danced at least 1/2 our 22 songs. As she dances she smiles and sings the words to the songs. She points at her eyes during “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain,” and says, mine are brown!

On my way home, I stopped and delivered my flax seed filled (hot/cold) bag by to friend, Kathryn, on loan. I took a few apples to my guitar friend and made 2 others stops.

The biggest surprise of the day was arriving home and finding John had installed our new Patio door.
CollagePatioDoorInstall
Let me explain the above collage. The left is the door (on wooden rollers) with its packing still intact. The middle is the back of our house with reddish siding cut away to get to the nailed flange. The old door (dark brown metal) is on left, and the newly unpacked door to its right. The red rope and blue twine are there as a precaution because the door-unit is not attached to anything. There is just a very slight lean, in towards the house. The right shot is what I came home to today, taken from inside looking out of the installed door – still with protective sheet coating on. It still has a lot of framing (paneling above and below, and other adjustments (such as the blinds) inside the glass. It is a workable door and now that the plastic has been removed from the glass (still there in the collage), it is possible to get a clear view outside. Today was a beautiful view from my recliner–looking out to a great view of blue skies with yellow-leafed trees and green Ponderosa pines.

Friday, Nov 6

For Nov 5 CPAP. Reported figures. 8 hrs 35 min with AHI=0.82 Events: 7 H, 1 CSR, 15 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=11 L/min); no oximeter.

I succeeded in getting the new Pella® Patio Door’s registration confirmed.

I received a funny phone call this morning. I had a number that I did not recognize on our caller ID on our home phone, so I called and asked what it was about. A fellow had loaned me his cell phone because I forgot mine and I called home from the grocery store on that number. I did not realize that was the timing, and I left a message asking who had called me. He returned a call to tell me, “An elderly lady had borrowed his phone to call her husband.” I laughed and thanked him for lending her the phone, and said, “That was me, but I don’t think I am elderly.”

This was a long, tiring, but fun day. Our purpose was to drive to Seattle, for the annual Washington Trails Association (WTA)’s Volunteer Appreciation Recognition program, we try to visit each year, the first Friday of November. This year John did not attain any milestone awards. We think the next on his list is 250 days on the trail working, and it is a Full Bench achievement, with the gift of a soft-shell jacket. His last award was a knit hat for 100 days of trail work but he had about 150 then. This year was going to be a record year for him (and maybe is), but he did fewer days than intended because of being sick with Giardia the entire month of August and unable to participate in anything until mid-September.
His total for the year is 25 days, including 4 days at Mt. Rainier National Park on a section of the Wonderland Trail called Summerland. Two days at Crew Leader College did not involve trail work, but he did get a Red Cross basic first aid badge, and some good information in other activities there. The white ’09 Subaru got a workout – getting to Dorothy Lake involved 12 miles of dust and the color changed completely.

During meet-and-greet on Friday there was a slide show (maybe 100 photos in a loop) and one of them was of the North Bend Crew Leader College, where John is seen in the lower right.
Group WTA
John is on the front row, 3rd from right, holding his orange assistant crew leader hat. I took photos of some of the other photos showing some neat places where WTA folks go. These are not places John went to, though.
CollageFieldShots-1
A raging drainage near White River, Mt. Rainier & teams of crosscut sawyers.
CollageSawtooth&Starway
We left the end of the driveway a little before 3:00 p.m. thinking we would stop at Thorp or Cle Elum for $10 worth of gas in my car. I determined (I thought) from gasbuddy.com, that the cheapest gas cash price was at Thorp ($2.19); however, when we got there, the price was higher than either Ellensburg or Cle Elum, so we continued to Cle Elum, where we expected to pay $2.25, but had to pay $2.35/ gallon. Oh, well, we did not need a lot, but wanted to be on the safe side. I was driving because John needed to be the navigator for finding the right exit from I-90, and getting the right streets in Seattle, to our destination. Once we made it to the 405 intersection, the speed limit lowered, but the traffic was 4 lanes wide and very slow moving. We never stopped, but for a long while, over Lake Washington and Mercer Island, we were traveling at 10 mph. Our exit was 3A to the Pacific Tower on Beacon Hill.

We did not find our way to the parking garage on the west side of the tower, where the parking would have been $3.00, but instead, we were able to find a free parking spot on the street.

We got there pretty close to the 5:30 p.m. start time, picked up our name-tags, and found a nice seat on the front row, where I could take photographs if I wanted. They had a slide show running the whole time before the program (mentioned above). We were encouraged to get our food. The “heavy” appetizers were catered by FareStart, including a variety of different kinds of things, from smoked salmon, meatballs (the best thing on the table for John’s and my tastes), carrots, onions, colorful grilled squash, different colored grilled peppers, red grapes, cheese (brie and blue cheese), crackers, and things I don’t even know what they were. The plates were very small saucer size, and we only went through the line once.
Thankfully, at the end of the program they served quite large cookies (raisin, chocolate chip, chocolate with white chocolate and nuts, and a great lemon one). That was the best part of the “meal.” Beer was available, but we had Coca-Cola. John drove home, and I enjoyed stretching out and relaxing.

We visited around the room, and one of the tables was a company related to mapping and hiking, Green Trail Maps, a supporter of WTA. The President and his daughter were there giving volunteers a nice baseball hat. Here is my collage of it. I am sorry I did not take a picture of them and their table of donated goodies.
NancyAndGreenTrailsMapHat
Here I am modeling my hat and showing my howling wolf silver necklace, a retirement gift from a former student who was graduated in 1997, our good friend (with this wife and family). I received several compliments during the evening. I always do when I wear it, and even more when I wear it with a black shirt. I took the right photo above when I got home of the back of the hat.
I made good use of Green Trails Maps in my Map Reading, Interpretation, and Cartography class I taught at Central WA University from 1988 until 2009. Check their website:

Explore with confidence

John and I own another 15 or so personal ones we have bought over the years. John refused a hat – suggesting they give it to someone that would wear it. He does not wear baseball hats — they don’t cover ears. I love them, and don’t get in the sun for long periods of time.

Alan Coburn—Green Trails Map was a very early donor to WTA.

Here is his explanation; my video

Another video below the picture is the presentation of the Crosscut Saw Club Award to three folks for reaching 500 work parties on WTA crews. John has worked with all of these, and the presenter, too. He is Alan Carter Mortimer.

MartaSheridanWithCrosscutAward
This is Marta Sheridan, sitting behind us at the recognition ceremony, and in the following video, check out the award to all three recipients this year.

WTA Crosscut Awards 2015

Next is a view from where our car was parked, about 1 mile from the tall buildings.
Beacon Hill Panorama 2

The Smith Tower is the building with a pointed top, just right of center, left-most of the tall buildings. It is a 100-year old building my grandfather worked on (carpentry) for a few years. My mother was the third child and was born in Seattle. The family lived in West Seattle and moved back to GA when my mom was 8 months old (she was born in 1914). Here is my final video of the evening:

Seattle from Dr. José Rizal Park on Beacon Hill

If not dark, Elliot Bay would be visible.

Saturday, Nov 7

For Nov 6 CPAP. Reported figures. 4 hrs 19 min with AHI=0.23 Events: 1 H, 14 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=15 L/min); no oximeter.

Much work on the computer today, some emails, mostly working on the blog and on getting stuff processed from my camera, taken at last night’s party. John worked on a gate-post, put the racks on the newer truck so as to carry a cord of firewood, and cleaned and sharpened the chainsaw.

I had a call from my friend, Gerald, who has been gone for a week of elk hunting. He and his sons and grandson got a “spike” – they were not allowed to shoot any with fancy racks. Tomorrow is the family’s day for cleaning, cutting, grinding, and packaging steaks and roasts.

Sunday, Nov 8

For Nov 7 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 23 min with AHI=2.03 Events: 15 H, 3 CSR, 15 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=17 L/min); no oximeter. I wore the new Dreamwear mask with overhead tubing connection. It made a high-pitched but soft sound–irritating trying to go to sleep. My ears are sensitive. Seemed very comfortable except for having trouble adjusting the weight over the back of my pillow to hold it up and not pull down on my head. Might have to support it from above somehow.

This video will get your day off to a good start. It is a baby bear playing on a putting green in British Columbia. Worth the two-minutes.

Baby Bear

John and neighbor Ken went looking for a 4 to 6 foot iron pipe that would fit over the threaded end of a gate hinge. John needed to straighten out a bend in it. They succeeded.

I stayed inside working on the blog and dishes, and John has worked more on the gate and then on cutting and splitting wood. Our needy neighbor decided she would need an extra cord. Maybe someone told here this winter would be cold. We’ve gotten a sprinkle of rain happening. John came in after covering the split wood and feeding the horses. We fed the outside cats. Mama-Sue came prancing down the driveway after the other two were finished so John stayed with her – the male, Lemon, will push her away if he does not have a plate at the same time.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

And the Rain Came Down

Sunday, Oct 25

For Oct 24 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 6 min with AHI=0.42 Events: 3 H, 3 CSR, 13 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=15 L/min); no oximeter.

Good progress – huge load of dishes washed. John fixed the seam and cleaned the rug in the walkway to the kitchen, and fed all the cats and horses. It is a pretty and sunshiny day, so I took a photo of our mountain ash to start this week’s blog.
MtAshOct25-15
He’s out working on the ladder rebuilding, and stopped to repair sheet music hold-downs (for windy days) on a folding stand I have. I now have two good ones I can clamp, with another to share on the Buy Nothing Ellensburg site that needs a stronger finger squeeze pressure to keep it standing without flattened legs.

I heard from Sonja Willitts that her pup, Tug, our dog Daisy’s sister, and his father is Kip from our breeding, got his 14th point today in the show ring. He needs only one more point for his show championship (Ch) title. His mom, Ginny, needs only 1 pt for her field championship (FC) title.

A collage shows him as a puppy with an autumn colored play toy, between his mom, KWK Windswept Guinevere of Camelot JH, and his tri-colored dad, Cedaridge Tri-Tip Kip.
Tug'sFamilyPhoto
. . . . . . . . . . . . . Ginny . . . . . . . . . Tug . . . . . . . . Kip

Been a crazy day. Offered my special music stand free on BNE site; no takers. Most of day working on getting the email addresses ready for notification about new domain for our web information stuff.

Monday, Oct 26

For Oct 25 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 41 min with AHI=1.17 Events: 9 H, 1 CSR, 9 RERA. Different comment: You had a small but acceptable amount of major mask leakage. Wonder what caused that. No oximeter recording.

Searched back room for plus-sized clothes to share, not that it will make an iota of difference to the clutter in that room. But still, it will be out of my way. I found my large blue winter jacket to share with the same person. Put it all in a large bag to take to the park. Put the found music stand in a package to share tomorrow. John is going to load three boxes of Honeycrisp apples for me to give away at the park. Worked on email addresses, and other computer-related things.

Wrote the music group about our upcoming meeting locations in Nov/Dec and the ordering of the music. We will start December songs the 3rd week in Nov, and start a new set for Jan/Feb of 2016. They are already compiled from last year, so I can rest easy, save money, and mostly time, to put toward other things to get ready for the end of the year, and my upcoming battery-replacement surgery. All I will need to do is to provide music for those players who were not with us last year.

Tuesday, Oct 27

For Oct 26 CPAP. Reported figures. 8 hrs 53 min with AHI=3.60 Events: 30 H, 8 CSR, 14 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=19 L/min); no oximeter. Awoke at 3 for 1/2 hr, no sleep till after 4:00. ??? what was going on. All activity was after 5:20.

I went to 2:00 Jazzercise and three of us worked rather hard. From there to Anne’s to care for the cat, plants, and mail, and then to Mt. View Park at 3:30. I took my mother’s kitchen timer to Steve Verhey for his offer to try to fix it. I also carried a Halloween hanging and a doggy magnet frame to Kathryn Carlson as a gift for all she does for our BNE group.

A Day at the Park Meet and Greet was full of fun, although a bit chilly. I met April, Nia, Alexi, Susan, Kassandra (and kids), Joni & Skye, Ann (& hubby), Kathryn & Jim. All but Kathryn and Susan were first time meets. I also met Steve V and gave him my timer and some Honeycrisp apples. A few people took most of them off our hands, and I dropped off some on my way home to friends. I managed to present a gift to Kathryn and get her and her hubby’s pix; while no one there would take my special record-player stand (I later found an interested person on the BNE site), and no one went for my classy music stand, I did succeed in finding a new owner (April) for my bright yellow reversible fluffy vest (see right of middle picture). And, best of all I correctly (closest) guessed the number of Rolos in a little bucket, at 50 (there were 55), and I got to choose the first of the trick or treat bags created by Kathryn. I lucked out and got the Treat bag (see photo). The trick bag was neat too, but I didn’t get a pix of it. We want to thank Ann Draper and her hubby for bringing the little Halloween mini muffins. Yum. Till next time!
CollageOfAutumnBNEMeet&GreetOct27-15
Okay–in order to get rid of something I had at the park today, hoping I could find a new home for, I put the following on line on the BNE site. I turned the description into a guessing game of what it might be. “My hubby thinks it’s a TV stand. I think it is a record player stand, with room at the bottom for record albums? Or maybe it’s for magazines, or? Whatcha think? And who wants it before it goes to the dump? I thought of Kathie Howard but I don’t think it is sturdy enough for her cows’ needs. Maybe she could turn it upside down, and cut the metal legs off ? Someone, please take it off our hands. I think it was Susan at the park who said she could use it but she didn’t have any room in her place (that’s our problem too). Please share your idea of what it is supposed to be used for. THANKS, and then tell me where I can deliver it, ASAP.
MetalStandOnRollers
Read on for a newly found home tomorrow!

Wednesday, Oct 28

For Oct 27 CPAP. Reported figures. 4 hrs 9 min with AHI=0.72 Events: 3 H, 1 CSR, 4 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=14 L/min); no oximeter.

Went to the Food Bank and had a good music day. They fed us well. I met a woman there and gave her the record player holder stand. I found out she played classical violin in her past, and so I’m hopeful we can convince her to join us. Sadly, I since found that she works out of town on Thursdays. Maybe we can get her for 3rd Saturdays of the month to play at Briarwood. I dropped off our voter ballots at a drop-box near the Courthouse, so we have done our citizenry duty. We’re not too sure about the enlightened bit — (per Thomas Jefferson: “An enlightened citizenry is indispensable for the proper functioning of a republic.”

Before my SAIL exercise class, I visited Starla at Kittitas Medical Supply (a new local sub-unit of Howards) to pick up my new Dreamwear CPAP mask (along with new filters & tubing), and gave her some apples. She was grateful. I hope to wear it tonight. She also gave me a nice coffee mug with the name of their new store here in Ellensburg. Some of our mugs have been used too long and need to be replaced. So happy I no longer have to travel to Yakima for my CPAP supplies.

On to SAIL class where I took the rest of the apples and many of my classmates were thrilled. They were all emptied from my basket by the time I left the building. Ann Draper forgot to bring me some large rubber bands yesterday to the park, so I went to her place of work on my way home.

Thursday, Oct 29

For Oct 28 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 27 min with AHI=3.56 Events: 23 H, 1 CSR, 11 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=20 L/min); no oximeter. First night of my new mask, which obviously needs adjusting. It is a totally different setup, but certainly MUCH more comfortable. Main problem was my neck position hurting a bit because of the change in the air tube entrance of forced air. Now it comes in from the top of my head, not from beneath my chin. So the positioning of my pillows and backrest to allow overhead tubing to connect to the CPAP machine needs to be arranged differently.

NO FIDDLERS AND FRIENDS TODAY – the 5th Thurs of the month, because with the loss of one nursing home in town, we are back down to four, the most prevalent number of Thursdays in a month, and we exchanged a week to the assisted living facility who was relegated to the 5th one of the month.

We went to town to pick up newly acquire Buy Nothing brass andirons and clean up Rosewood. For now, here is a link to a story on andirons, and we will in the future show our use we plan to make from them.
Andirons link

Friday, Oct 30

For Oct 29 CPAP. Reported figures. 10 hrs 2 min with AHI=8.27 Events: 83 H, 19 CSR, 14 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=23 L/min); no oximeter.
I have no clue. The first 3.5 hours were with the new mask that didn’t seem to fit right, so I took it off and went back to sleep (after over an hour trying), with my old mask. The counts were worse on the old mask. This is very weird. Tonight, I will go back to the old, and await a smaller head gear for the new. Did I mention the strangeness of this entire event? Makes it feel as if it was April 1st !!

I called the Kittitas Medical Supply store in EBRG where I picked up my new mask on Wednesday. I told her the problem and the outrageous parameters measured by the CPAP machine, and she said she would order a smaller headgear to be drop-shipped to me by next Wednesday.

John worked on various chores, including fences, gates, splitting some dry wood for kindling – now in a 5 gallon bucket by the front door. He brought a couple of pallets and a cart of firewood to near the rear patio. After the door is brought around (see later), he’ll cobble a covered firewood stand on the outer edge of the concrete slab. I talked with a friend who plans to arrange for a few fellows to come out and move our new patio door from the front yard shed to the back for installation. They plan to be here tomorrow late morning. Sadly, rain is expected. (Here the rain will be an inconvenience, but west of us there will be flooding.
Wettest Halloween on record for Seattle

I packed some stuff in my car ~~ a bag of L & XL tops to give to a woman who needs them. When I dropped it off at Hospice Friends, I picked up a nice leather (might be plastic) seat-pad for my car to lift me up a little. I really need it for driving John’s Subaru, because he is so much taller when he sits than I am that I look over the steering wheel only with a pillow.

No need to go by my friend’s house today to check on her cat, mail, and plants, because she and her son were coming back this afternoon. They were delayed (reason unknown) by a southerly detour off of I-90 while still east of the Columbia River. On the interstate they had 15 miles to get to the bridge. They got to enjoy 30 miles of beautiful Grant county on 2-lane roads. They arrived in EBRG about an hour later than intended. God laughs when you make plans.

Now, here’s my story of the main part of the day, the annual Halloween Bash at the Adult Activity Center (Ellensburg’s Senior Center), where I spend a couple of hours each week. Today, I took my camera to take photos of the event, which I do a lot because the staff is busy waiting on us and providing food and fun things to entertain us.
NancyPumpkin
Today started with receipt of a bag with some candy, a pass for a free dessert at McDonald’s, a necklace with a battery-operated light on a pumpkin, and an envelope of Monopoly play money in $50, $100, and $500 (totaling, $1,500). We also had the name of something associated (animal, vegetable, insect, or ??) pinned to our back, and were not allowed to know what it was, except by talking with others. We had to ask questions of people or answer theirs to figure out what we were. It was meant as an icebreaker. Worked pretty well, but most everyone is friendly and do not need urging to communicate. My back had “Full Moon.” A friend came up and asked me a few questions, and I asked him if it was an animal or a natural object. He said, yes to natural, and he said that we have experienced it for the past few days. I said, rain, and he said no. Then I guessed full moon. He was a spider so I commented and asked him to ask me some questions. I answered one thing by saying it scares some people. He asked if it flew and I said no, but it crawled. He figured it out on his second guess.

Then we were introduced to volunteers from CWU students and staff who managed each of the games provided. A person had to pay $50 to play each. My favorites included picking tootsie rolls from a pumpkin, randomly, especially because two of the three I picked were worth $700 each. Another game I liked was dart throwing, and also beanbag throwing. I made the most money on that last than any other. Oh, I also played one hole of putt-putt golf, and got two of the three balls in the pumpkin’s mouth. We also had “walk around the pool table” and when the music stopped you needed to be on a number. If you were on the number called, you won. There were 10 games to play. Two were guessing games – one the number of candy corn in a small glass jar, and another, guessing the weight of a large pumpkin (52#). I did not win any of those.

NancyInGameAction
Left to right, Nancy overhand throw bean bag (did better underhand), putting golf stance, 2 holes in one cheer, ring toss, and throwing a plastic ball at heavy pins.

After playing a good round of games, we were given a bag lunch. Choices were Ham & Cheese sandwiches, or Peanut Butter/Honey. Unfortunately, by the time I got to the bags, the only thing left was PB/H. I only ate two bites. In the bag was a mandarin orange, Cheetos, and a bag of licorice (not my favorite), so I gave that away. I didn’t really eat much, so had a bite to eat when I got home. I heard my friend over on the west side of the state had steak and oysters at a Peninsula Senior Center dinner, that same evening.

After lunch, we had the costume contest. I was not going to enter, but was urged on by a few people, so I did. We had 16 people competing and we had to describe who we were. I said I was a pumpkin in love. The audience applauded for each of us. I made it to the top 12, and for that received a $4 gift certificate at the Utopia Frozen Yogurt place in town, which also has sandwiches and fruit smoothies. I have never been in the place. Then the final three were chosen, and finally, it was narrowed down to only one. (I don’t know that winning gift.) My favorite was the Orange Cowboy and his Pink Haired wife. He had a stroke and went through physical therapy with me at the Rehab in the first two months of 2010. Willie Nelson’s son was also in the top three placements. The other was a “Hippy Lady.”

After that we were sent back to play more games and gather more money, because the staff had gone around town getting very nice donations from businesses to give out. Things included $20 at several restaurants, free pizza at different places, free combo meals at Dairy Queen and Jack in the Box. Free men’s haircuts, tee shirts, sweatshirts, salsa, BBQ sauce from Rodeo City BBQ, a fishbowl with food and the opportunity to get a fish for it, puzzle and game, Johanson books, some mugs and a Frisbee from Knudson Lumber – a lumber/hardware retailer in EBRG. There were also rose bushes from a nursery.

I got a quite large sweatshirt with the imprint of Knudson’s, one of the Frisbees (which actually glows in the dark) and tall metal travel mug. I gave the metal mug away to a friend because I already have a nice water bottle and do not drink coffee on the road. I bid for two jars of BBQ sauce from Rodeo City BBQ (one for my friend Gloria, and one for us) that was auctioned with Mango-Lime Salsa from Ellensburg Floral. I also received a Large – 2 topping free pizza from Domino’s, and a free men’s haircut from Northwest Barber Shop. The best thing I got was the last purchase of the day for $5,000, and to break a tie, we had to be closest to a letter chosen and told to Olivia (our AmeriCorps volunteer) by the auctioneer. The woman bidding against me was the Hippy Lady. She picked the letter P. I laughed and said, okay, I was going to pick P for pumpkin, but I will pick O for Olivia. I won because the letter was E, and I was closest to it. That is a free trip (any one next year) from the Adult Activity Center. They go to all sorts of neat places, and the trips include lunch, a bus ride, and entrance to whatever it is. The usual cost is $50-80, but this fall, there was an overnighter to Mt. St Helens for $200. I hope there is one next year I can arrange my schedule to attend.

On my way home, I drove by Radio Hill (location of the radio station KXLE), and took some photos and a video for your enjoyment (and mine). John had seen it from a distance, and then drove me by to see it. This supersedes other decorations in Ellensburg, for sure.

Halloween Decorated House on Radio Hill, Ellensburg, WA

This video surely shows our windy days.

Then I tried a selfie and I think a blue ghost got in the way of my black mask — very spooky, indeed! I swear I did not Photoshop that picture.
Yard

Saturday, Oct 31 HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

For Oct 30 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 35 min with AHI=2.24 Events: 17 H, 3 CSR, 17 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=17 L/min); no oximeter. All night with old mask.

Morning awakening to blue sky and overnight rain, but now a couple hours later, surrounded by fog. Now, the fog is lifting but the clouds are encroaching. But guess what? The sun just arrived. I spent a bunch of time working on more dirty dishes, and John cut a 5″ strip of the rug away so the new patio door can fit in as intended.

It is raining, not real hard, but it is still rain like we don’t get much of here in the lee of the Cascades. At Noon our moving crew arrived, missing the 15 minutes of sunshine. John explained the situation and advised. The 3 friends, youngish and fit, moved the package and propped it against the back of the house under the soffit, and drove back to Ellensburg, refusing any compensation, except our sincere thanks, for their time and effort. Thanks with great appreciation to Eric Jackson, my friend and former student, and his two helpers. What a great gift of community giving.

I documented as much as possible. “And the rain came down”** before, throughout, and continues after the project – the most we have seen in quite some time.
**”The Rain Came Down”

And now back to Nancy’s video:
Halloween Day: Moving from Shed to Patio

Eric had picked up two strong fellows, one his brother Aaron, the other his friend Alex, and they came out to move our new patio door around from the front of the house to the back patio. It has been in our shed where I park my car, since the summer. (John was out of sorts with Giardia or this would have been done sooner.) Happy to know and report there are still nice young helpful men in our valley. In the video, that is Eric out front pulling the John-made “door dolly” – with wheels from a child’s toy we acquired many years ago, like this:
toy with wheels

and this is the final collage of the move onto our patio …
CollageToPatio
The left photo shows the door on the dolly, middle is final picture against current door, under eaves, and the right is pulling it up the hill on a plank onto the patio.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

An alarming week

Just kidding, sort of —

Sunday, Oct 18

Rain all day kept John inside except for necessary feedings of animals. I worked on house chores and the blog. John’s computer and Internet connection worked long enough to publish it. Phew. We are back on track.

On the Buy Nothing Ebrg (BNE) site, I won some jewelry to share with two other friends. One was a Rhino gold necklace (even though it looks silver in the photo below, and the others were beaded bracelets I wanted to give to a friend who is into bead-making projects). The interesting small-world connection is the giver is someone from my past. She was an anthropologist at CWU and married a former student (also an anthro major) who took my Intro GIS class at the turn of the century. In addition, I put a request out for deodorizer aerosol sprays receiving two, and a request for old wooden mousetraps brought me five, to protect our produce (apples) in open boxes in our garage. The mice are ignoring onions and thus far the potatoes, but aggressively going after the Honeycrisp apples. [Local paper headlines a story of rats in EBRG – the brown type “Rattus norvegicus”, not the black type “Rattus rattus.”] {We have little mice and would not know a R. norvegicus from a R. rattus if either bit us on our patooties.} { norvegicus = of or from Norway}

The following collage is of the jewelry, more attractive than the other mentioned acquisitions. Later in the week, I picked it up.
JewelryBNE-Oct2015 Beaded bracelets on left, rhino gold necklace on right.

Monday, Oct 19

For Oct 18 CPAP. Reported figures. 8 hrs 4 min with AHI=1.99 Events: 16 H, 5 CSR, 13 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=16 L/min); no oximeter.

9:30 a.m. we expected the Culligan service (out of Yakima) for our under-sink water system annual service and filter replacement, and at the same time our farrier, who we had to cancel last week for the wood stove installation. Arrivals were such that the Culligan truck got in (John had a few questions), and then the horse shoe truck came (John had to fetch horses.). Both finished before 11. We had noticed the filtered water flow had decreased and it doubled after the new filters were in. One of the joys of living in the country is keeping clean water coming out of the faucets. There will be more about this because the iron removal (whole house tank) died last year and ought to be replaced. It significantly cuts down on the bacteria in the system as well.

After they left, I got ready to go for my haircut, just a mile from my home, at my neighbor’s, who has cut my hair since 1988 (when I started going to her beauty shop she retired from, after surviving breast cancer). We always visit about photographs she has taken on her trips to the hills, and this time we went to her yard to view a beautiful white Iris that is confused, and blooms in the spring and again in the fall. She has given us iris before that you have seen in the blog, planted near our barn, (and are nice because deer do not eat them), but we did not get one of these special twice/year blooming iris.

Below are collages of Celia Winingham’s photography.
CollageCeliaWiningham'sFog&FallIris
We started talking about the top-left one, taken this morning from her front yard on Thomas Road. I saw her photo on Facebook this morning and had also seen the fog in the Kittitas Valley this morning, but we do not have a view as they do. The fog looks like a lake filling the valley. That made her remember another fog picture she took this month on a hunting reconnaissance trip. The bottom photo above of the sunset is taken from Cook Canyon over Coleman Canyon (east of us), and what looks like a lake in the foreground is actually the layer of fog in Coleman Canyon. The photo to the right is her fall iris, taken 10-24-15, with the fall colors and leaves on the ground to show it’s no longer springtime.

That sunset photo made us start talking about our love of sunsets, and she sent me a photo of a recent sunset with Mt. Rainier showing (from the hills above our home), and also others of Rainier from that perspective. The farther east one drives on I-90 toward the Columbia Basin, the better the view of Mt. Rainier. Rye Grass Summit is the high point before dropping into the River gorge.
CollageCeliaWiningham'sMtRainierFromNorthRidgeKittitasValley2
These views are from our valley, the bottom one being a zoomed image. What a majestic mountain, 14,440′ in elevation.

Back home to lunch with John and to deal with issues over our scholarship donation that was supposed to be handled from our CWU Foundation scholarship account without our intervention in May. There was a mix-up and we didn’t find out until today the money was never dispersed from my scholarship fund to the two students.

Late afternoon I went out with John and picked a bunch of small golf-ball size tomatoes. The plants are mostly gone from shorter days and cold (a modest freeze). There are hundreds of cherry-size fruits and many of the golf-ball size ones. Two plants revitalized after the rain. Their vibrant green in the garden contrasts with all else there.

John found his recently bought wood treatment (one-step stain and polyurethane finish) for possible use on the frame of the screen part of the new patio door. He wants to try it on a pine board so we can see if we like it. The stain part is a color called “pecan” and is slightly reddish. The rest of the door frame has been done in a clear (pine) finish. Minwax has one and here is a photo.
Minwax_Polyshades_Satin_Quart_Satin_Pecan
We will be here in the morning, but leave before noon for Yakima for my echocardiogram appointment at 12:45.

I just heard tonight our music is cancelled tomorrow night at the Rehab center because half the building is on lock down (quarantined is a better word), and the piano we need is on that end of the building. This is the group named, The Connections, which sings church anthems with the residents, who have large print lyrics to join in the “choir.” Many of them remember the words to the old songs, including those folks with dementia and Alzheimer’s. This occurrence is always appreciated by us, but especially the staff who have to deal with them daily and realize they cannot remember a conversation five minutes ago.

Late this evening I put another request on the Buy Nothing site for a 60-minute timer. Ours quit working, and it had been a replacement for one we’d had for years that belonged to my mother. Finally on the major clean-up for the wood stove installation last week, I found and threw away the old one of my mom’s. I knew I had thrown it in a garbage bag in our kitchen, but it had gotten carried out with other boxes and furniture and gone into the pole barn in our stock trailer until further processing. A gentlemen on the list who was a CWU prof now retired saw it and said, “Bring me your mom’s timer, and I’ll take a stab at fixing it. I think I can.” Well, that was a great offer but I no longer knew where it was. I spent this week searching garbage bags, and just found it on the last possible bag (after we retrieved it from the stock trailer, and John poured it out in the back of our old pickup). EUREKA !! about 4:00 pm. 10/24/15.

Here is my photo I posted on the BNE site to let people know I will be meeting with the fellow to deliver the timer to see if he can fix it.
FoundTimerAppleForTeacher
My mom and dad married October 13, 1937. I do not know when they bought this timer, but I remember using it all my life. The only Minute Minders I could find on line were no earlier than the 50s, and I never found a like image of any.

Tuesday, Oct 20

For Oct 19 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 28 min with AHI=1.34 Events: 10 H, 4 CSR, 15 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=20 L/min); no oximeter. Slept for another 2.5 hrs.

We worked on a few chores and then left for Yakima for Nancy’s Echocardiogram. Actually, we were 1/2 hr ahead of time for checking in, so John detoured toward Cowiche Canyon, but we actually went up around a basalt outcropping and found a multitude of orchards and nice views near Naches Heights. We came on around, down Schuller Grade Road, off the hill, back near the river and continued on, on Powerhouse Road back to 40th Street, to Tieton Road, and to the Yakima Heart Center, right on time. I was called in at 12:45 and my echo took a little over a half hour. It was on a new examination table that was the most uncomfortable I have even been on. Next year I will take a couple of pillows and a large comforter to make the experience bearable.

We left there for Costco, putting almost 6 gallons of gas in John’s Subaru, and paid the same price as I paid last week, $2.15/gal. We went in for a late lunch, and had something different with our Polish dog & drink. We had a BBQ beef/Cole slaw sandwich. I was not impressed and will never order that again. We had not planned to get much, but (they had special sale items) ended up spending over $100 – most frozen items. We drove back through Ellensburg to take care of my friend’s cat and plants, and then dropped by two Buy Nothing Ellensburg folk’s places to pick up items discussed and shown above.

We forgot to take the parts of the wood stove unused to return for credit, and we meant to take our bill along to pay as well. Guess John will now have to return with the truck and metal cans to recycle, return them, and go to Lowe’s and/or Home Depot to look for wood panel plywood and, possibly, a front door. {Never mind: That has been changed. Now, I have to return Nov 3 (see below), and we will worry about it then.}

I have been working on things such as my mailing list for notifying people of the change in our domain for our various presentations on the web. This time-consuming project has to be completed before Nov 1 when the web address no longer works.

I could not figure the name and password last week to put files onto the web page site on our new domain. Today, I spoke to our provider and he gave me the details of what he used. I was successful in loading two files to work with for our next annual send of greetings for 2015. They will be on the new site

I was happy not to have to go play music tonight.

While at Costco today, we received the cash reward of $63.24 for having a Premium membership at Costco. It costs $110 for the year, but it pays back 2% on all Costco purchases. In February, we also get cash back from using our AMEX card. That will change next March to a VISA card. Currently, with the Costco AMEX we get an additional 4% off all gasoline purchases anywhere. I wonder if that will continue with the Costco VISA. If not, we have another AMEX to use that will pay us 3% rebate. [John says: These cards with rewards and so on are massively fraudulent and immoral. They take your money and invest it until, months later, they give some of it back. Not much wrong with that – just marketing. But, less well off folks – without the fancy cards – pay the same initial price and never get anything back. It is an extra cost to them that helps support the entire system. Sort of a reverse Robin Hood thing. And that’s wrong.]

Wednesday, Oct 21

For Oct 20 CPAP. Reported figures. 9 hrs 9 min with AHI=0.98 Events: 9 H, 4 CSR, 20 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=17 L/min); no oximeter.

I carried a few apples to 3 friends in town, and a box to the AAC and another to the Food Bank. Also, deposited our $250 check received for the wood stove recycle, from the WA Dept. of Ecology. Thanks, taxpayers.

I spent much time on chores with much more time needed. John continues with outside chores, and we have made connections to get some strong young folks to come help move the patio door into place for installation. Only the time now needs to be determined. As mentioned earlier, my biggest chore now is checking through email addresses to be able to notify all our contacts about the new location of our web page annual greetings and this blog. Each in slightly different places on the web.

Thursday, Oct 22

For Oct 21 CPAP. Reported figures. 8 hrs 12 min with AHI=1.22 Events: 10 H, 1 CSR, 14 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=18 L/min); no oximeter.

My implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) called – Houston and said “Houston, we have a problem.” Actually I think it called Portland (at 2 a. m.) and left a message with the company saying, in effect, my battery needs swapped out for a new one. So Portland notified Yakima and the Yakima Heart Center called me at 10 a. m. to schedule pre-procedure appointments. Back on August 25, I had 4% left. Therefore, my first appointment is Nov 3 with the surgeon, and another on Nov 11 with my cardiologist, and we’ll likely do the surgery before the end of the year. Phew. Now for planning and arranging the scheduled procedure, and what will be done, as well as altering my Coumadin and other drug medications before the operation occurs.

I went by the home of a gal on the Buy Nothing Ellensburg site to pick up a tablecloth I can use for the upcoming scholarship luncheons and then re-gift it to someone on the list. It is for a 6′ table and we just moved ours out of the den/dining room to be replaced by a hexagonal rounder table & chairs we have had packed out in the shed for several years. I delivered a box of apples, and took a large box and bags to Hearthstone where we played music today, giving to many people there. After that, I went by the courthouse to pick up 4 mousetraps to protect the produce in our garage. [The apples seem to be not keeping as well this year, so we are rapidly giving them away. Ripening apples produce an odor, usually not noticeable. However, with several hundred pounds in the garage (and the temperature has not been very cold) a smell seeps into the kitchen when the door is opened. Ethylene is not supposed to smell, so there’s our mystery.]

Our music venue was delightful. We had 5 guitars, 2 fiddles, a bass fiddle, and a flute. The audience was filled with many good singers who seemed to enjoy themselves very much.

John and I went back to town to hear a talk on the removal of
the Elwha Dam.

It was interesting. On our way to a front row seat, we stopped for hamburgers and chicken nuggets to eat for our supper.

Friday, Oct 23

For Oct 22 CPAP. Reported figures.7 hrs 55 min with AHI=1.89 Events: 15 H, 4 CSR, 14 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=15 L/min); no oximeter.

On the phone with Group Health about the phone call yesterday at 2:31p.m., from 1-978-703-9231. Jeez. S C A M !!!! My insurance provider in Seattle called me back to tell me what they had found out and not to return a call if I got one again. The company, I since found out on line, is in Lowell, MS and is considered a telemarketer.

I went to a scholarship luncheon in Bouillon, near where my old office was. We had sandwiches and a choice of pies: plum or cherry. I had cherry. From there I went for my INR blood draw and on to SAIL exercise class afterwards. From there I visited Rosewood to check on the cat, mail, and plants. My friends are on their return leg but are currently in Arkansas, which I just found out from a picture they sent to Facebook, is The Natural State. That’s a strange moniker for a state nickname. It made me look up the history of nicknames for Arkansas because I guessed it was something else as I was growing up and looking at license plates in the south, and I would have been correct. Here’s the story: It has been nicknamed, The Natural State, since 1995. It had been the Land of Opportunity since 1947. Prior to that from 1923, it was The Wonder State. Other unofficial names have been the Razorback and the Bear state. I grew up in the Peach State (GA), John in the Keystone State (PA), and we live now in the Evergreen State (WA). We have lived in the Buckeye State, the Hawkeye State, and the Gem State. {And the state of confusion!}

Saturday, Oct 24

For Oct 23 CPAP. Reported figures.9 hrs 41 min with AHI=0.10 Events: 1 H, 1 CSR, 13 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=9 L/min); no oximeter. Wow.. What a quiet & long night of good sleep. I guess I needed it.

Cloudy today.
I am going to switch back to working on the blog. I have been spending recent time periods home working on the corrected email address list to send warnings to our friends of the change in the domain for this blog (which you already know about) and for the web pages for annual greetings, and other stories in our life (of WTA trail maintenance trips and log rolling off trucks in our front yard, on the curve we live on). It happened on President’s Day this year, so it will be a part of our 2015 greetings this year, and again, all past blog readers have had the opportunity to see it.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Excitement: Changes

New wood stove, long awaited, Installation!
Rock N’ Ponderosa {aka Nancy’s Place} launches

Tuesday, Oct 13

For Oct 12 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 19 min with AHI=1.27 Events: 8 H, 6 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=19 L/min); no oximeter.

Today was an exciting and long day. It started late yesterday with a phone call from the installer of our new stove. He was checking to be sure he had everything needed – and to ask to come early so he could finish and get back to see his girl (6th grader) participate in track and field. I had to leave at 8:20 in the morning but I did get to see the arrival – greeted by Annie and John at the back of the house. My 2 photos from early Tuesday:
WoodStoveDelivery
John took the next 3:
First the stove, still in its protective cradle, sits on the dropped tailgate of the trailer.
Stove on tailgate of delivery truck
The next is picture is of the “Stair Climbing Hand Truck.” The wheels slide up and down and allow an easy movement up and down steps. In our case there was the move from the lawn to the concrete patio, and then from there up and into the house. This machine makes the difficult, easy.
Powered lift and hand truck
The next photo shows the stove within the stone-tile lined alcove.
Stove in alcove  but not yet ready
He had already rebuilt the “support box” – that is just above the ceiling and firmly attached within the attic trusses. This box protects the ceiling and anchors the insulated and triple wall pipe (through the roof). Black pipe – from the stove – will go into the support box from below. From the web, here is what the support box looks like in new construction. The 4 red stars show the wood supports that need to be added, and to which the black metal is anchored. The set-up built when the house was constructed was not the correct size. Those four pieces had to be removed and reset with the new dimensions. He managed to do this while standing on a ladder and working though the existing hole in the ceiling (drywall). We never had to enter the attic, although we did have to go onto the roof to add the new pipe, collar, and cap.
support-box-with-marks

When we fire the stove up in a week or so, we’ll show the ash drawer, fans, and other stuff. Oh, and flames. It has a glass front. We are curious about this, so will investigate.

Back to Nancy’s day: I took my laptop to town because I’m having trouble with (I think) a worn USB port. One has to take the computer to the store so as to enter the queue. Then it takes its turn, but mostly waits on a bench. It was not ready until evening, so I got it at 6:00 p.m. [on my way to play music at Hearthstone, with The Connections]. The computer crew also fixed a few other things that made it run better. Cost: $43.

Back to morning. I took a large container of chocolate chip cookies I made last night to the retired geographers meeting starting at 9:00 a.m. We had a guest speaker, Jim Pappas, on his month in Greece. Mostly, he was living with relatives in Athens, walking around the city, driving to other places with a nephew, and going on a ferry around many of the nearby islands. It was an interesting discussion for an hour. I left at 10:30 for my drive to a doctor’s appointment in Yakima. John was home assisting with the stove installation. I made it to my appointment and was called in rapidly, but then had to wait 1/2 hr for the doctor to come do the 12 minute (or less) laser treatment on my right foot’s toenails. From there I went to Costco. Gas was ONLY $2.15, and it is $2.34 for the lowest in Ellensburg. Most station are $2.52. The price of oil is going down. What’s up? (I think our cost in Ellensburg is excessively out of line for the region!) Our towns are less than 40 miles apart. [John says: It’s complicated and involves geography and politics.]

I was driving John’s Subaru and not my own, and with the road noise and radio reception not that great, I listened to Trisha Yearwood’s CD all the way down and back. I missed having the Satellite radio (Sirius XM) in my rig. His car needed more gasoline than mine, so that’s why I drove it, and got just a little over 10 gallons, so that was a decent savings. Picked up a few things at Costco, and decided to use a $10 gift card (won at the senior center bingo, I think) at The Olive Garden … nothing (that I wanted) can you get that cheaply for lunch, so I had an appetizer of mushrooms stuffed with seafood. The mushrooms came with very nice bread-sticks, which John and I shared with the leftover mushrooms the next evening for dinner. He fixed up the bread-sticks with butter and Parmesan cheese after halving them. Still the total was $9.19. Wow. I will not go there again; not if I’m paying. I think it has been 20 years since I ate at one. They are celebrating their 25th anniversary this year. Home by way of Super One for my pharmacy needs, and a call to the computer guys alerted me it was not ready to pick up. I went on home, arriving about 4:00 p.m. but just rested and turned around and went back to town for playing music. On my way, I grabbed a dozen marked-down fancy donuts after I stopped and picked up my computer.

Wednesday, Oct 14

For Oct 13 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 5 min with AHI=1.13 Events: 8 H, 5 CSR, 12 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=10 L/min); no oximeter.

Did a few last minute things on the computer before I set it to do its chkdsk. It actually had been started yesterday evening by the computer guys who fixed my USB port and ran other disk verification routines. I only needed to initiate it by doing a restart on my system. Chkdsk was set to clean up my disk storage. I started the program as I left at 11:00 am today. It ran until 5:00 p.m. In case you are wondering what this is, I have Windows 7 as the operating system on my laptop, and it includes a disk-checking tool called CHKDSK, which is similar to the “scandisk” tool from older versions of Windows. This application scans hard drives for errors such as lost sectors, bad sectors, and corruption – then isolates them. One result is that it speeds up the computer processing time. For the record, its performance has changed, noticeably.

I went to the Food Bank for music, and carried 25 pounds of Honeycrisp apples for dispersal at the Food Bank to those in need. I also carried another box to the senior center. I participated in the SAIL exercise class, and members of my class took most of the box of apples. Then went by my friend’s house to clean up her cat’s litter box and get her mail. On home to take care of things and rest, because I was hurting from all the recent activity of cleaning up the den.

Before I left, I wrote our provider for the computer disk space for the blog and for our web pages. We mentioned previously in the blog the need for changing our domain from ellensburg.com and from ccsoe.com. Today that change happened.
The blog is accessible simply by typing in

rocknponderosa.com

No longer will people have to login with a username and password.
Our web pages will be hosted on the same domain – but with a longer address for each. Anything from the past will be there, such as this from 2013,

http://rocknponderosa.com/nancyh/SilverFrost2013.html

Late afternoon we had a nice long telephone conversation with John’s sister Peggy in Ohio, and Pat, 1st cousin once removed***(see below), and her hubby, Ken, who were visiting from PA for a couple of days. I should have called Pat’s mom, Ethel, on my minutes that restart the 18th of every month on my landline allowing me 120 minutes, but we were too swamped on the next 3 days to get together by the phone. John did not come in until after dark, and that is too late to call back to PA.

***Relationship chart

That chart is from here:
http://www.irish-genealogy-toolkit.com/family-history-chart.html

Thursday, Oct 15

For Oct 14 CPAP. Reported figures. 3 hrs 57 min with AHI=7-35 Events: 27 H, 4 CSR, 2 OA, only 2 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=15 L/min); no oximeter.
I don’t know what is going on. I need to see if I can get my Oximeter working again now that my USB port was fixed yesterday. I thought it was the connector cord, but perhaps it was not.

Today was music at Dry Creek/Brookdale assisted living home with only 4 guitars, one singer, and me on fiddle. We did all right, and had an appreciative audience. We received many walk-up thank-yous from the audience, and also got many comments upon leaving, from residents already out in the vestibule. Receiving their thanks makes it worth the effort. One woman said, you give us something to look forward to each month and it is such a nice change of pace.

Friday, Oct 16

For Oct 15 CPAP. Reported figures.8 hrs 12 min with AHI=0.24 Events: 2 H, 20 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=18 L/min); no oximeter. Surely makes one wonder the extreme difference from yesterday, even though I was having trouble with my mask and finally took it off after 4 hrs.

Finally, I cut John’s hair this morning. Long in coming, and only took 20 minutes. A bolt fell out of the stool and a connector cracked. I think his clean up of the kitchen and repairing the barber-stool took longer.

I have done a few easy chores, but I sat most of the day. I was somewhat wiped out I guess from the frenzied cleaning before Tuesday morning, then a long full three days after.

This morning, John managed to figure how to put photos and text onto our new domain for the blog. It will be accessible, as mentioned before, via rocknponderosa.com

We are going to make a sign for the entrance gate with Rock N’ Ponderosa either incised into a log or as raised letters on a big plank. We’ll pass on the fancy laser cut “metal art” name with scenery – See this – unless people send lots of money.

Now my chore is to figure how to do a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) of HyperText Markup Language (html) files up to the domain so I can send links and information there. I failed on my chore on my first attempt Friday. Unfortunately, the name and password for the new domain I do not know, and I have to have that to create the pass though of the files.
[John says: What?]

Here is an example of one web page that used to be on ellensburg.com [such as all our Greetings (annual) are for several years, skipping some]. This is one for 2014 that only a few of you have heard about. I was waiting to notify people when our location domain changed. This is for the year of 2014 annual greetings.

http://rocknponderosa.com/nancyh/2014Greetings.html

We skipped 2013, so don’t look for it. There are ones for 2012, 2011, and 2010, however. Until Nov 1, 2015 all our old ellensburg.com, or our old blog entry will work, but then it’s toast. That means I have to notify everyone of the change. Although anyone going there today will find John’s TEST of the new link from the old. It seems to work for the limited experiment we can do here at home. Seems best, then, just to leave the page there as is to forward people to the new until the end of October.

John cleaned some in the big old shed (a real mess after the squirrels loaded the insulation with walnuts, and all came tumbling down) and came up with a couple of wood-framed antique maps. We have no memory of getting these. Must mean we have too much stuff. I imagine I picked them up at a yard sale, but normally my memory is good. Right now, neither of us has a clue.

His computer just crashed while he was working on a document. It will not restart. That means we are out of luck and any work on the blog until the middle of next week – or maybe not.

We shall now have a late dinner of a pot roast John made today.

Saturday, Oct 17

For Oct 16 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 39 min with AHI=1.44 Events: 11 H, 4 CSR, 10 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=20 L/min); no oximeter.

Early morning we went grocery shopping and to deliver a giraffe horse (stuffed door draft remover) to a family in town. Try this in an images search – drafty door blocker stuffed – . The receiver is a non-traditional student, majoring in Geography at CWU, with 3 kids, one a running start student. The item was too cute to be kept in our dirty house (we used an old shirt), and we are planning to replace the door so it will not have the space at the bottom, allowing the influx of air.

Besides going to 3 different grocery stores, we stopped at Bi-Mart for bolts. John’s making a cart (photo next week) to carry the Pella Patio Door on from the car-park shed to out in the rear to enter where the wood stove was brought in. I have been trying to locate some manpower to help him.

After thinking his computer was toast, he turned it on tonight and it came up. We do not have a clue what happened. He tried the same thing, including unplugging from the wall, yesterday with no luck. Just a blank screen. He had not tried it in 24 hours. He wondered about it running hot because of dust. Before turning it on he vacuumed the dust from the air vents but still needs to open it up and blow the dust and moths out. Once started he deleted 2 programs that came with a copy of ‘WinSCP Setup’ I had asked him to put on his computer. A third one he kept. He thinks there are too many things changing all the time (multiple automatic downloads and so on) to pinpoint the cause of a glitch. So, move on.

I left at 12:55 for town for several drop-offs. To one person I took a box of National Geographics and a selection of science-type magazines. They are to be used in a Discovery group for youngsters to teach science. On my way to play music, I stopped to take care of things at Rosewood for a friend who is traveling out of state. Once at Briarwood Commons Retirement facility, I carried in my stuff and an Easter basket full of Honeycrisp apples for the table.

For the entertainment before eating, we had 4 guitarist and me, on fiddle. One of our members brought his son (guitarist who played with us), and his wife, a singer. After our 23 songs for the group, the couple sang two beautiful songs. The audience was thrilled. The residents had fixed a great green pea soup with carrots and ham. It was not as thick as often such soups are. They had also fixed two types of sandwiches and many desserts for us. I did not need to eat any supper tonight. They said leave the apples but take the basket home. Darn.

I had to stop and pick up some stuff we forgot this morning and some ice cream because we had not taken a cooler with us. On my way home, I dropped off another box of materials to a former geography colleague that she can use in teaching her classes. It was a couple of years of Aramco Worlds, a very nice publication.

Tonight I received on Facebook the fantastic news from CA that our co-owned Brittany’s mom, Ginny, won a 5-point major in an Open Gun Dog event at the S. San Joaquin Valley Brittany Club field trial. An impressive win! with 26 dogs entered. That’s half the points required for a Field Championship (FC), and she already had 2, so needs only 3 for her FC. Earlier, I received photos from Jeri Conklin, of our Brittany, Daisy, who is training to be a gun dog and doing quite well on her education required for holding & retrieving, and from Karen Barrows in Oregon with a first placement on her T’Quila–who has our Brittany lines behind both sides of her pedigree. So, we consider her one of ours.
CollageOfCedaridgeBrittanys
Left is Ginny with her blue, Daisy on whoa, watching bird fly, then the retrieve, and right is Karen Barrows stacking T’Quila beside 3 of her recent ribbon placements. Blue are 1st place (with field points) & gold (bronze) is 3rd. (2nd is red & 4th is white)

It started raining ever so little about 10 PM.

Sunday, Oct 18

For Oct 17 CPAP. Reported figures. 8 hrs 1 min with AHI=1.62 Events: 13 H, 4 CSR, 14 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=15 L/min); no oximeter.

We slept in until after 8:00 a.m., and it is either still or again raining. John took Annie our for about ½ hour, fed hay to the horses, and puttered about some. The NWS (Nat’l Weather Service) thought the rain would go away, then changed their mind. Now at about 3:30, we have cool temperatures, clouds, drips off of things, but no rain. The wind is shifting from out of the NW to more just west where there is dry air. That might not get here until Monday night or Tuesday.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

You found us!

Earth

So, the web is a big and confusing place but
if you can find Earth in the vastness of space
you still have to find the speck that is the
Rock N’ Ponderosa.

So, greetings!

Nancy & John
Still on the Naneum Fan