Monday, Jan 9
For Jan 8 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.59. Events: 2 CSR, 4 H, 8 RERA. Time on 6 hrs 44 min with (max = 21 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 71 spurious at start, actual low, 87, on the graphic chart, 3 events <88% with avg., 91.5%. Pulse avg. 55.0, low 50.
We called David H. last night to cancel Myst’s hoof trimming because of the cold and snow. Need to reschedule when the weather is better.
What a great New Year’s Gift! Our neighbor, Allen Aronica, appeared in our driveway with this tractor and blade and made 4-5 swipes to clean out a lot of snow. We always appreciate his help, but this timing was perfect so we can get out to go to the cardiologist tomorrow. This is the second time this winter he has plowed our 300′ driveway and the area near our parked cars. Later this week he made a third run, and plowed out three, or more) other neighbors. John cleans up a bit (1%) after Allen does the 99%.
On the left he has backed up to my blue Forester (John has provided a 4 ft. space for Allen to set the blade into). Check out the video below of his third swipe.
John Deere Green in the Drive
I also talked with our leader of the retired geographers and we canceled tomorrow morning’s meeting. I sent emails but then called people in case they did not see their email. This was part weather related and part some folks not able to come.
I think I have corrected all the music for Thursday.
Tuesday, Jan 10
For Jan 9 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.42. Events: 3 H, 9 RERA. Time on 7 hrs 13 min with mask leakage at start. Oximetry: SpO2 low 54 spurious, actual low, 84, was off CPAP; 25 events <88% with avg., 91.3%. Pulse avg. 57.8, low 50.
I rewrote my blood pressure readings for the previous week for Kim’s (heart doc) requested history.
Talked with our Northwestern Mutual representative at the main office in Spokane, because our old rep and friend retired in Idaho. We want to have her send us annual reports at the first of the year, as we were used to receiving.
We were scheduled to leave about Noon to get 50 miles to Costco and lunch before arriving at the Yakima Heart Center (YHC) for a 2:40 check-in.
At 10:27, John was still out doing chores, in the snow, and I received a call from the YHC scheduler, asking if I could arrive earlier because of a cancellation of a 12:40 p.m. appt because of snow. I still had to shower, but I told her we were over an hour away and we would do our best to make it. We did. I drove both ways. It snowed nicely until we were almost there. We got in the examination room before noon, and the nurse gave me an ECG, took my vitals, and other info. My blood pressure was okay (130/80), considering I had driven through some bad patches of snow on the Interstate, and found a main thoroughfare (16th Avenue) closed that we had to detour around in Yakima without the benefit of any detour signs. It is not a nice even grid system in that part of town. John read later there was a water line break.
My doctor arrived about 1:00 and we started through all his concerns by reviewing my Pulmonary Function Test (PFT), my labs, and my fasting lab in Nov. Not all reports had arrived to my file, but I had copies of several (the PFT and the fasting one from my primary care physician). We were interrupted for about 25 minutes, while he had to consult with a PA about a patient that needed his observation and diagnosis, and several more issues. We continued when he returned, and he examined me. Everything was fine. He has been concerned about the medications I’m on for my heart’s health. The reason for the PFT test is to measure my lung diffusion ratio, and mine could use some improvement. We have decided that I should have the test at an interval less than a year as it has been. I felt the last one in December ’16 was too close to my getting over a cough that lasted 4 weeks and kept me home to get well. He agreed and I will be having another test in April. I am on Amiodarone therapy, which can scar my lungs, but I have successfully been on it since 2010, and I am not a good candidate for the replacement drug.
We also discussed the heart medication I have been on for a couple of years, Telemisartan (generic) for Micardis. He has been following the literature on a new drug, Entresto, which is a combination of two drugs, Sacubitril (24 mg) and Valsartan (26 mg). [That’s actually half-n-half, going by the number of molecules.] Dr. Kim is convinced that while it is an expensive drug, he recommends it for me because it will make me feel better now for my activities (not that I have any complaints), and it will prolong my life. How can one say no to that statement? The frustration is, I am being taken off a heart medication that was previously thought to be superior for my case, and we were slowly increasing the dosage to reach the amount shown in cases to prolong life. That medication (mentioned above) was very expensive and my insurance was not covering it sufficiently. I could get it less expensively at a different pharmacy by paying cash and not going through my insurance company (Group Health). The other frustration was that I did not know of this possibility of change, and I had just last week bought 135 tablets of the Micardis. Oh, well. My Dr. said, “Just keep it, in case your body will not tolerate this new one.” I have to watch out for a blood pressure over 140 (systolic) and not less than 100. I need to be aware of my potassium level, and if I experience shortness of breath or flu-like symptoms, I am to go to the ER. Well, that is a bit scary. I am to leave off the Micardis for 2 days, and start taking the Entresto Thursday morning. The cardiologist’s nurse gave me a week’s supply.
We had another interruption while visiting with the doctor. He was paged from the hospital’s Critical Care unit about one of his patients there. He managed that with us in the room. It was a fascinating dialogue. He returned to dictating our discussion of the day, and answering my questions. He is always very patient with all our discussions and John and I both are involved. I always receive a copy of his comments, mailed to me by the transcriptionist.
He finally called in the nurse to go over the new medication with us, and said his adieus, but not before saying he wants me to come back in a month to see how I’m doing on the new drug. I looked at my watch and realized he was with us (including the interruptions) for 2 hours. That is a record. Previously, he has spent normally an hour every visit, and at the most I think we were with him previously was for 1.5 hrs.
When we left, we still had to go to Costco, and we never had eaten lunch. John had packed along two large chocolate chip/nut cookies, a Snickers bar, and Pepsis, so we nibbled on the way home. The snow started hard while we were in with the doctor. Our car was covered when we went out. I drove for the return trip too. First stop was Costco to fill my car, and it was $2.49/gal., which is 9¢/gal cheaper than Ellensburg. Then we went inside and bought over $200 worth of long-term products and some groceries. The ‘Tax’ software was the biggest single item.
I returned a $9 pair of slippers (good) and we forgot a $9 pizza (bad) that got put on the bottom rack under the basket. We came upon slowing traffic and could see it stopped way out in front. I managed to get to the off ramp for the downtown exit and we went around (whatever it was) via city streets and back to I-82 at the Selah Gap. We thought we might have to drive through Selah to enter the freeway farther north, but we were able to re-enter where Hwy 12 comes in from the west. The trip home was complicated by snow blowing across the road making some icy spots. I slowed down considerably. We were getting snow/icy rain all the way home for the last 25 miles. Finally, we made it safely home at 6:00 p.m. in the dark. A couple of cats were waiting to be fed, and our dog was happy to greet us. The horses had been preemptively fed – hay left for them in several places so John only had to unload some of the items from the car.
My cell phone stopped working today. It will not hold a charge, and when it is charged, it will not dial a number, even where I am close to a tower. The Consumer Cellular folks think it is the SIM card, and I think it is the battery.
Wednesday, Jan 11
For Jan 10 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.35. Events: 2 H, 9 RERA. Time on 5 hrs 47 min with (max = 20 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 % low on a 54 spurious start; actual low, 84, avg. low was 89.1, 25 events <88% with overall avg., 91.3%. Pulse avg. 57.8, low 50.
Today was another cold day. I picked up Gloria and her sister and we went to the Food Bank to sing and eat, and on to the SAIL exercise class at the Ellensburg Adult Activity Center. We stopped at Grocery Outlet on the way home, and they got some stuff they needed. Gloria brought me some of her homemade peanut butter cookies.
John checked the web and gave me some links to the Novartis Pharmaceutical Corporation site about my new medication. The company is in Boston, MA, so getting through to the Eastern Time Zone could not happen until tomorrow. Meanwhile, I studied their website and found some programs I am interested in, and for which I will apply. One is a free 30-day supply (one time only) of the new medication. Second is an application for a cash rebate on the price for a month’s supply (60 tablets), when paid for through my insurance. It costs me $10 to use the system to apply $100 off the price. In order to qualify for both I have to download and fill out an Enrollment Form for the ENTRESTO Central Patient Support Program. To speed up the process, I could FAX it to Boston. I cannot FAX, so I filled in the form, printed it, along with both sides of my Group Health insurance card, and took it to my pharmacist on Thursday afternoon to send in with the prescription.
We do not yet know the cost to me, but the normal cost ranges from $400 to $500 per month. I hope to know by Tuesday with a telephone call from Boston, MA.
I am happy John found this support. The folks at the Yakima Heart Center were not aware of it, so I sent all the details via email to my cardiologist’s nurse so that they can give that information to anyone else put on the drug. There is one other opportunity for help with the cost of the drug for people in financial need. We do not qualify for that, but it is nice the company provides the option.
I did not have time today to worry about the cell phone problems.
Thursday, Jan 12
For Jan 11 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.34. Events: 2 CSR, 2 H, 13 RERA. Time on 5 hrs 51 min with (max = 16 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 87, 5 events <88% with avg., 91.3%. Pulse avg. 56.5, low 51.
This morning, I dealt with the drug cost reduction request and my cell phone.
I called the pharmaceutical company in Boston and learned that they had received my application this morning that was FAXed yesterday afternoon. At least the process has begun, and they will call me Tuesday with the determination of in network pharmacy vs. out of network pharmacy costs to me.
I also called Oregon about my cell phone problems. We went through several “shocks” to the system but it failed to kick in. They suggested I move to a place in Ellensburg and they would try again. I carried it and John’s cell phone with me to check this afternoon after we finish our music.
Before I change the SIM card in my phone I have to record all the numbers in my cell phone onto hard copy. I have started that process, but have many to go. I have over 500 numbers in my phone! Thankfully, it will keep a charge long enough for me to work on the number retrieval.
We play at the Meadows today, and John is coming along with me to buy groceries and animal feed while I am inside playing music. I handed out the new music for Jan/Feb. We had a turnout of 10 with two new players, one on the harmonica and the other on guitar. We only had two fiddlers there today. The rest of the group was playing guitars. One of our guitar players will be gone for at least 3 weeks for knee surgery.
I attempted calling the cell phone place, and it did not work. The alternative was to go to a Target store to buy a new SIM card. The closest Target store is 50 miles away. She then asked if we had a Sears store. They will reimburse me for the changed SIM card cost ($10). We went by our small local Sears on the way home, and I bought one, but as of yet, I have not been able to put it in my phone, because the new one will not fit. She said they would send me a new one (but if I cannot make the Sears one get into the slot, I will not get a credit). The other one coming is free, in the mail. I plan to continue recording numbers, try to fit the Sears one in the phone, and if it does not fit into my old flip phone, I will wait for the new one to arrive in the mail after Monday’s holiday.
Friday, Jan 13
For Jan 12 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.12. Events: 1 H, 12 RERA. Time on 8 hrs 20 min with (max = 12 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 89, 0 events <88% with avg., 92.1%. Pulse avg. 59.2, low 52. This was a good night, probably the best in months.
Our temperature was -7°F here last night and it was -12 at the airport (located 5 miles down valley).
Our full moon has been lovely, and this morning’s sunrise skies were beautiful with pastel colors, but I did not get my picture of the moon before it went behind the trees, so I will show you, but you best get the wonderful views from the Seattle area.
People in Seattle have cameras
Here are my shots this morning, only of the sunrise:
Left is our backyard view where the moon is setting behind the trees, and right is out the front door.
See tomorrow’s blog below for the full moon a day later.
John just came in and said the water to the horse trough was not functioning. It is almost full, but he took some water out to add, and the heater is still keeping the water in it from freezing. The heater has to stay submerged. I guess that is what many hours of “minus” temperatures causes. But more below.
I called and found that my paperwork to Novartis had made it, but they will not have a decision until next Tuesday or Wednesday about the cost of my prescription using my insurance.
I called the Cardiopulmonary Services at KVH Hospital to check on an appointment for me in April. I need to have a work order sent to them by my cardiologist. I wrote an email to my cardiologist’s nurse requesting she do that.
We stayed home today.
Saturday, Jan 14
For Jan 12 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.50. Events: 1 CSR, 4 H, 19 RERA. Time on 8 hrs 2 min with (max = 22 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 44 spurious, actual low, 89, 0 events <88% with avg., 92.6%. Pulse avg. 56.4, low 50.
These were my views of the morning’s slightly less than full moon viewed out the back patio door, where I missed photographing it the past couple of days.
Compare to the link given above for yesterday from KOMONEWS (in Seattle) of the beautiful full moon.
Travel to town was scheduled – despite the cold. It was only 4° when we got to Ellensburg. It was warmer at our elevation.
The first visit was to a friend from my past and present, Trinity Turner. I have known her mother for 25 years (through fiddling). She is now a student at CWU (in the Geography Dept.), and when classes do not conflict, she plays fiddle with our group visiting nursing homes. Small world. She was giving this desk away on the Free Box site on Facebook, and I asked John if he could use it for his computer and our moved router. He figured he could, so I asked for it, and she was happy to give to a friend. It had been given to her. We got the measurements and John figured we could fit it into the back of my Subaru with the back seats pushed down. It is 56.5″ high, about 3′ wide, and about 17″ deep.
It is still in the back of my car, along with 80 pounds of Black Oil Sunflower seeds in 20# bags that were on sale (through the end of January) at Ace Hardware. Buy one at $15.99 and get one free. John has now removed the sunflower seeds.
Maybe on Monday, the cart.
I picked up my one med (cheaper, $5.00) at Super 1 Pharmacy. I wish all my pills were that price. This is for 3 months of Spironolact, one pill daily.
Today we bought a heat tape for our horse trough pipe and the temps went up enough that John got a pencil trickle, left it open, went to feed the horses, and when he returned, the pencil-thin stream had rid the stand-pipe of the ice and it was in full gush. He has wrapped the pipe with a plastic tarp, then mounded wood chips and snow to keep the minus air off. Later he will install the heat tape in proper fashion. We are, in fact, a bit warmer now but a major change will not occur until Tuesday.
We also picked up a package for a gal in town who lives near us, delivered it, and in return she is giving me a sheet I can spread over my recliner. The flannel sheet I have had has worn threadbare, with holes in the part over the right arm of the chair. I cannot pick up the sheet until next week when I drive by her house from town on my way home.
Sunday, Jan 15
For Jan 14 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.96. Events: 1 CSR, 8 H, 19 RERA. Time on 8 hrs 21 min with (max = 21 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 82 spurious at start, actual low, 87, the 1 event <88% with overall avg., 92.6%. Pulse avg. 58.1, low 52.
We just spent a lovely 20 minutes on the phone with John’s cousin Ethel and her daughter Pat in Brookville, PA. Ethel is 98, still living by herself, but goes for Sunday lunch to her daughter’s, when the weather is not too icy for walking. They had temperatures in the thirties today and not much snow. We are at 18.5° now with a little snow occurring.
John made Crockpot candy (Chocolate, Almond Bark, and dry roasted peanuts) today. The ingredients were left from many months ago – and it was time for them to be used.
Late afternoon, we had a call from Jeri Conklin reporting on our co-owned dog, Daisy, in CA. She and her husband were returning from a Vizsla field trial, where her new trainer had run her in an Open Limited Gun Dog stake. Jeri was able to ride along on one of her trainer’s horses.
Here is the story in her own words when she sent the pictures below (and more) on Facebook:
“Today was one of those days when you get to go out and see your child who has been at a trainers for three weeks! Daisy ran in the OLGD this morning at the Vizsla trial – and it was so good to see her so happy! She was confident on her point and the flush was above and beyond as she stood still as a rock. She and Scott have come a long way in a short time and I can only think their relationship will get better and better. The old Daisy was gone and the Daisy Bug that I knew was in there came out in full bloom today. Perhaps her time away from the field made all the difference, she was definitely “hungry” to be out there again and that was very evident. She didn’t place, but she had a gorgeous forward run, sharp/clean bird work – couldn’t ask for more. Thank you Scott for a great job, well done. Here are a few pictures to share with Nancy B. Hultquist and others.”
My choice of photos Jeri took today. First, our Happy DAYSeee gal has returned: (the sparkle is back in her eyes at the end of the run today).
Now for a peek at today’s action in California at the Vizsla field trial for Cedaridge Kip’s Camelot Shay Tre’ JH (call name Daisy), co-owned by Nancy with Jeri Conklin in Lancaster, CA. The timing for the trial was good. CA is getting hit with rain and/or snow in great amounts, but today was between storms. Friend Sonja with horses and dogs, in South Lake Tahoe, is up to her keister in snow. The Tahoe area has power outages and washed out roads. 
At the line, wetting down and ready for the breakaway.
Daisy on point, with judge’s boot blocking her face. Holding and turning to watch the flush, made her head visible.
{John says: The judge rode in too close to a dog on point. Unless that’s a camera effect.}
Scott Azevedo wetting her down after the find before finishing the stake, and on the right, in the “spa” at the end of her run. Look at the water droplets in each photo.
Thank you Jeri for such wonderful coverage of such a happy day in the field. Placements will return. She is back with us. Thanks for all your hard work bringing back her spirit.
Hope your week was fine.
Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan
I went to the food bank today, but skipped SAIL exercise class today to run errands so I could get back in time for a much-needed haircut. I stopped by for some sunflower seeds at Ace Hardware that John wanted (on a good sale – buy one bag, get one free). The fellow before me had just bought the last 4 bags, so they will have more in this Friday, will reserve 4 bags for me, and call us. (That did not occur; we went by Friday to no avail because while they had been shipped in, they’d not yet taken them from the back storage area). I went by our car mechanic (Seth Motors now run by the grandson, Justin Seth) also to pick up 2017 calendars for John (his request), and while there he gave me two baseball hats for us and another carrying bag with their name on the side. [When first in EBRG and still giving blood, John met Grandfather Seth – a volunteer providing a steady hand and a glass of orange juice.] I also went by Super 1 for some sale items, and on the way home, I went by Bi-Mart for more of the reduced price canned cat food. All this rushing around, was caused by wanting to make it back home to leave my violin inside in the warmth, and bring in the groceries, so that I could head over a mile to get my haircut at 3:00 p.m. That happened, and I had a nice visit with Celia and Bobby Winingham and viewed their local contingent of backyard deer. 
Where’s my dinner (1-4-17) _______ Same buck in 2016 (pix by Celia)
The two on the right are “our” Cedaridge pups, Molly & Tobie. I drove them at 8 wks of age to Spokane and Anna’s hubby Paul flew in from Wisconsin to meet me. He carried them back together in a carrier in the passenger part of the plane. So cool. These are not the first dogs they had from us, but sadly, they will be the last because we are no longer breeding Brittanys, since the last litter in 2010.
The young women in two of the pictures are Megan Willwerth and Lauren Healey, working for 10 months as AmeriCorps employees here at the Ellensburg Adult Activity Center. The left photo shows them starting the buffet so they can go serve Black-eyed Pea Soup to the people at the tables. After lunch, they conducted a New Year’s Trivia game for 3 teams (tables) at the party. The questions were in three categories: Facts about New Years, New Year’s Traditions, and 2016 Pop Culture. The last being a topic that we become farther away with each new movie or TV show.
Left is the smaller pan of potatoes we took. Middle shows the larger one in front of the woman in the photo. Right shows part of John’s plate, our shared pie, my plate, and my bowl of soup (black-eyed peas with veggies, bacon, and sour cream). 
Left is Katrina Douglas, Director of the center; right are her parents Dudley & Sharon Kell, whom we met at our table. They have only been in Ellensburg since June, and we told them about the Dudley Bridge over the Yakima River west of EBRG.
Left is a photo of a collection of dolls from around the world that belongs to Marion, an AAC member who brought them to display because of the international theme. Right is a photo op of John and me with props, but his sign said 2017, and he didn’t hold it high enough to be seen behind my little New Year’s Hat (also provided by the AAC). The 17 of 2017 is behind my hat. We enjoyed ourselves at the party.
Ending the day with a beautiful sunset, shows snow, of which we got at least 2 more inches the next day, and it is still snowing Sunday, as we finalize this treatise. The plan is for 2″ more tonight and then flurries through Wednesday. West of us, in the Cascades, there will be more snow and strong winds. I-90 is open but a mess (Sunday at 3). We need to go south, on I-82, Tuesday about Noon.
Left I took from the kitchen window, and then John told me the sun was on them from the bedroom window. The right photo is taken through a dirty window. That’s the next window to clean. Quail live by having a hair-trigger flight plan so I can’t step outside or open a window. Another problem is that all my photos in the blog are low resolution.
Pheasant in front yard. Middle picture-see Mt. Ash berry in his mouth, and the right one shows his foot is banded. Check out the Pheasant in the front yard, 1-7-17 video below. 
Pineapple is on the left between the squash and our potato creation. 
Monday, Dec 26 
This collage is busy, but if you look from left to right across the top and bottom, you’ll see the story unfolding. Top left shows Daisy waiting her turn to run. Middle top shows a Jumbo White Coturnix Quail flushing that she probably thought was a dickey bird. She chased, jumped, grabbed, and retrieved to hand to Jeri. Normally, one would not praise “not stopping to flush”, but in this case, knowing she had previously quit retrieving, made it all okay. Her spirit has returned. 
Daisy on second point and Jeri searching for the Chukar. She had to go around the tree to launch the bird, and Daisy held and watched. 
Third Chukar find. Jeri searched and finally found it and flushed. Far right, Daisy marks the bird, but stays put. Good girl.
The Mariposa vineyard surrounds their home and winery (not seen), White Heron Cellars. Foreground vines belong to Jones of Washington and likely is their smallest vineyard. Jones is a major family corporation and this little plot has a storied background. 
Left to right: Erik, John, Phil, Mark, Tom, Bill, & Cameron
Behind Linda (Bill) and Audrey (Phil), on the left is the wood, some of which John contributed this year. 
Nancy (John)-Phyllis (Cameron)-Lynne (Tom)-Margaret (Mark)
Altesse-2016 Roussanne-2015 Chickens protected by dog.
Bonfire (some vine cuttings are required) and side dishes
Potatoes (some purple) and sausage steaming over wine and vine cuttings. Tops stay on the iron skillet roasters.
The cheese comes from the Puget Sound or left side of the State, because the proper cheese can’t be found locally. Cameron creates the bed of coals for cooking beneath the cheese, which is skewered on a 3-pronged pole mounted device to move it over the fire to melt – and then to swivel away during “scrapping” or the “racletting.”
This plate shows a purple potato, some slaw, and a sausage with the cheese coming and being scraped down onto Bill’s plate.
Three more plates served, with John on the right. 
My parting shot of the view from our Raclette site, over the vineyard and down toward Crescent Bar and West Bar. The right shows folks visiting and saying goodbyes around the roaring fire.
It was a fun day. We were gone 7 hours and got home just at dark.
Below is a photo of Bekah and Vincent. Vincent is from Taiwan and lives in Sydney, Australia. Bekah has been a meteorologist in Wellington, New Zealand, but her company is moving her to their Sydney office. 
They did not have a lot of time in the states, and with many people and places to visit, so we were very grateful they shared some time with us. And, a big thanks to John and Robin for giving us packages of some very lean ground beef (best we’ve ever had) from their herd. We have cooked one package, and had a meal of hamburgers one night and then nachos the next. I took photos I will send them, but will not put any more in this week’s blog.
Left are her pictures she shared on Facebook to see if I wanted it. It was new and she was not going to use it. The right pictures my insulated carrier I will use for it. I photographed it when I got home, in front of the woodshed outside our back patio door. 
Lovely card from our friends in Salzburg, Austria, we met in Idaho at the University in the 1970s. Heinz Slupetsky with his family, wife and two girls, has kept up with us all these years. 
and through the snow
First, he gave them a deer block. Here he has made pictures for me to use in a collage to answer questions you might have. The deer block he hammered on a little to show the contents better. Claims to be 10% protein. The smallest doe (fawn) has figured out nibbling on it.
She prefers this cob mixture. It’s easier to eat, and higher in protein.
Here’s the scratch and here are the quail Christmas morning next to the deer block finding the scratch. Now he has a place in the backyard for them, but they haven’t found it yet.
I loaned it to a resident to hold and play with our songs, because I have both hands occupied with the violin, and I could not attach it to my foot. I need to find out her last name so I can write her a sweet thank you note, and send her a thank you picture.
Hers she donated to John. It is new. It has many slots for cards and things. I think one will work well for his picture ID (Driver’s License). (John says: Washington politicians fuss about silly things and ignore their duties. Our WA drivers licenses are soon to be obsolete with regard to national security; called REAL ID. WA residents won’t be able to get on an airplane or visit a US Gov’t Office, such as Social Security. They have known of this for 10 years.)
I wonder if John remembers where he got this (he doesn’t). I know he never used the coin purse, so the one given to us by Lindsey is perfect. 
The broad view shows the placement in the limbs of the tree, and the shots on the right are two Juncos enjoying the scratch. Generally the name Dark-Eyed Junco is given to these birds but there are color-pattern differences.
John made the pecan pies from his mom’s recipe. My hat is from my friend since the 6th grade when we met. Her name was Nancy also, and we went around Atlanta as a duet playing our guitars and singing, when we were in high school. We both played violin in the high school orchestra. 
On the way home we drove to the Brickmill Road display of Christmas lights we saw several nights ago. Below is a collage of part of what we saw.
The top left is the entrance and at the end of the driveway is a sign pointing up the drive for more lights. We took this as an invitation and drove farther toward the house. The top right picture was near the entrance, and the bottom panorama is south of the house, where we turned around. It was a striking presentation.
I delivered the computer to Monica’s office in Geography for getting Microsoft Office Suite software put on and went by the bread room for some sweets that I planned to take to the Retired Geographers’ meeting Tuesday morning.
Left (taken from the very right side of the other) goes back to October behind the shed; over the “Jay’s folly” depression – camera at a utility pole. Note all the green-yellowish vegetation. Right photo taken Nov 30 is from the opposite direction, showing the reduction of brush and trees (fuel). The center of the depression is 75 feet from the back (wood siding) of our house. 
For these two, note the utility pole (at corner of shed). The slightly brownish brush in the center (left photo) is Elderberry with a brush pile in front of it. The “after” photo on the right has had enough material removed that the big trunk of a Ponderosa Pine is now visible. It is on the neighbor’s property. The stumps of the Aspen trees have been left long so leverage can be gotten if we want to remove them. These are likely clones and all part of one large organism. For context, see 
Left photo is the entrance to the north side of the folly before, and the right photo is the last day’s clearing on the left (south) side, directly behind our house. All the limbs and trunks under 8 inches diameter went through the chipper. What a time saver that is. They also piled logs for John to use later for firewood.
You can see the two Ponderosas that are in both photos, and the one on the right centers on the “folly” hole, which had filled with brush. Some of that (very entangled) is still there, waiting for John to pull it out and get into a brush pile they can come back in the spring to put through the chipper. The FireWise crew had promised an upper-County landowner to do a small job before they quit for winter. Plan is for John to use the truck and a chain to get the stuff out to a better place. 
Left to right: Dee Eberhart, Jo & Ken Hammond, George Macinko, Diane & Jim Huckabay, John behind, Urban Eberhart, John Bowen, Sterling Quinn, James & Lillian Brooks, Rose Shriner. 
Jazzercise was today at 2:00 p.m. at the senior center. It was quite a workout today, and we all felt it the next day. I felt before then by having to play fiddle tonight, when I went back to Hearthstone for Christmas music. That was with “The Connections.” Because of all the different keys changes that thankfully I can do (by ear) because I know the songs, I was the only other instrument besides the piano. There we saw a bunch of our followers who love the music. As a kid in elementary school, I learned the 
Megan Willwerth is on the left and Lauren Healey is on the right.
You may wish to hear it on You tube with photographs of the time in WWI – 1915.
Haley on the front row of the audience and the beginnings of our table of food. Haley’s mom, Amy is at the end of the table with the red shirt with white Christmas tree. We also had cheese cake and raspberry sherbet punch.
Here I am with Haley on the piano bench, just before we started. I made it into a collage, with the left photo being out of focus, but showing both the little derby hats with holly and deer antlers. Haley gave me the green one to match her red one, two weeks ago, and now checks to be sure I have it for our weekly sessions. In the first, we have both hats on but in the second, you can see she is tipping her hat and waving. I was sitting in the middle of our musical group to be the “conductor” and to coordinate the songs in the audience booklets.
Left photo, John’s early morning push-brooming efforts. Right shows him cleaning a little from the newly scrapped driveway, and the deer keeping track of the activities.
Then about 3:30, when John was back in the house, a little buck with 3 points on one side and 2 on the other, visited. We have been leaving the gate open, but they are able to jump the 4′ fence. It is just an unnecessary danger with snow and buckets there.
Likely a 2 or 3 year-old. He showed up this week and is sometimes traveling with the regulars.
Left photo is the X-ray of the two implants. The one on the right is smaller because of the room in my mouth. Each will eventually be covered with a gold crown. Right photo is the view inside my mouth. Both were taken at the 11-28-16 appointment, and shipped to me via encrypted email. Much amazing technology.
It has an SD card slot on the right side (out of sight here), and 3 USB ports (one 2.0 and two 3.0), plus some others.
In addition, this is the report from SleepyHead with CPAP merged with the Oximetry.
If I compared to Friday this week, we’d get totally different graphical results while the CPAP was off. Very strange indeed. 
Sue on left, Randy in middle, getting John ready to go to surgery.
Dr. Harris came in and John asked him how big the piece of mesh was. He held up his hands to show (and you can hear the conversation in the video below). 
The collage above shows the vitals screen as John was coming out from under the aesthetic, and his blood pressure was lowered significantly. Screen shows 42 for pulse and that, too, is a few beats low. Occasionally it is 44 but usually up towards 50. On the right, nurse Lin, is talking with him and removing some of the things so we can leave.
John in the waiting room at 6:30 a.m. before admission to Surgical Outpatient services (they abbreviate, SOP, which I find strange). On the right, he still has his intravenous hookup on his left hand, but Lin removed it. We were ready for the trip home. 
Then early morning, 8:40 a.m., 4 of the crew arrived for their last day of fire-wise work.
We decided later to go feed the male outside cat, and put out hay for the horses, down farther in the pasture. That done, John went to get the mail and paper, which came after dark last night. As we were coming back, two of the crew came out in the chipper rig (as seen above) through the orchard, to take one fellow back to town so that he could leave for the Puget Sound area before Snoqualmie Pass got messy. Two workers stayed. The fellow returned about 10:40, and I took a video of the trip around the house I had missed earlier. 
Haley
Here I am showing my costume at the start and on my way out the door, I posed with my white elephant gift (a microwave egg cooker). 
First shot and the on the right, they are all saying HO HO HO !
Paper one on left, gift box in middle (our name spelled wrongly), and porcelain ornament on right.
We started at sunrise with 3 residents waiting to have their morning treat. John obliged and threw them a bucket full of cuttings. Mountain Ash trees are pretty but the limbs break easily and outgrow their strength. In past years birds have gotten most of the fruit but John wanted the tree trimmed back, and did so before his visit to the hospital. They would eat more than they get. Now they are resting under the walnut trees, so we had to circumvent them and go out the back door with Annie to throw hay into the feeders and over the fence for the horses.
Here we are waiting for John to bring the branches of berries. Mom is in the rear (dark spot on left cheek), and the buck twin is in the middle, little doe in front. It has been good to watch them grow from little babies with white spots.
A company that has made large bells since 1570 made one (ordered in 1751) for the Pennsylvania State House. This was 36+ years before the Constitutional Convention and Ratification, 1787–1789, and the United States of America. A news story this week claims the Whitechapel Bell Foundry that made the Liberty Bell is going out of business.
At my request, John started the day by examining the web for information about the Dell Inspiron I was considering. He found it for a higher price, but he found excellent ratings. So I plan to get one when I’m in Yakima to have my Stability Test on my dental implants, this coming Monday. John cannot go along because he has to stay to work with the chipping / sawing crew for the Fire-Wise work.
Kainoa Aholelei with mom Jessie (Swedberg), and other smiles captured. The one on the far right was on Thanksgiving Day 2016, and that is my memory of his smile. Kai’s dad is Rick, who is Hawaiian.
This set of photos represents the stages of development and filling of the wood shed. (Look back to previous weeks to see where it was previously, with the base for the platform now dug out, and the big rock and Nanking Cherry trees removed). It is filled with about a 1/2 cord of wood, and 3 buckets of kindling. More is stored farther away from the house, if needed. Mostly we use the heat-pump, but wood is the emergency fuel. When real cold the wood stove is a great addition – except for the mess.
I took a before picture and with salsa and sour cream added on the right, so one can see the beautiful ham/cheese/mushroom omelet creation (well, 1/4 of it). That’s Rosemary & Olive Oil bread toasted and orange slices.
After I finish the music, I shall work on the blog. I’m still struggling with the music, now all copies are made and I’m numbering them to send to the person who helped find all the changes, just to be sure it is ready to go.
After that, with two outside cats fed, we had our morning toast, and then started working on computer chores. John has now left the house in the nice sunny day, temperature 45°. He’ll be back for brunch later to finish the omelet. He’s not back yet, but the sunny day turned cloudy and gray around noon. Turns out John never made it back so we’ll have the omelet tomorrow morning. Instead, he worked building another hay shed, in the pathway to a gate from the corral.
Far left above are the twin fawns and mom, who have been watching John’s construction. On the right is later, when the hay shed is taking shape and the gate is still open for John’s access. The purpose of this is to have covered hay close to the house and easy to get to. The horses can feed on the other side of the fence. John will put a ton of hay here and we’ll be able to feed with ease. John isn’t to do anything very strenuous as of Dec.1.
Here is another early morning photo of the older hay shed out back where Lemon hangs out. That’s his morning and evening pose, awaiting food to be carried out and put on the baled straw (not seen here, beneath him). There is a ½ cord of firewood in this shed, also. It’s where I took his evening meal tonight, while John was still finishing up the chores before dark. While walking to feed him, I found the finished graveled and chipped walkway from the patio, so I combined these photos. The gravel is recycled concrete, with much to come next year as we want a no-burn area around the whole house. 
John with the re-purposed carrier. This rock went from back to front and will be part of a landscaping wall.
Left shows the rock with John’s work glove alongside for scale. The right photo is of a bed between the patio and our TRANE heat pump. The space used to house 3-4 Nanking cherry trees which were pretty and provided small red fruits for birds. Rascal-cat would occasionally get to the roof of the house via these trees.
This is a handful of Iris John showed me and then separated and replanted. After a few years the rhizomes, just below or on the soil surface, fill in so much they become like a very thick heavy carpet. Large sections can be lifted or peeled up. Behind him on the hill are the gladioli corms that he will protect in the garage over winter, and you can see below (right) the dahlia tubers.
Left are the glads with many pea-sized youngsters, and right is a dahlia. A couple of years ago John did not dig up the dahlias – two types and both pretty. This year only one of the 2 types was nice. John is trying to save that one, and will also find a few new ones. We hope this year will be more successful. Many of our friends and others at celebrations where we shared, enjoyed both this year, presented in beautiful bouquets. It replaced the normal garden veggies we were light on in 2016. But, we made up for some things when the cherries came and later we picked Honeycrisp and Gala apples across the valley at our friends’ orchard.
Out around the Iris garden to see new fencing for the horses. Then on the right is the new entrance to the pole barn, where John has made room for both trucks under cover in front of the hay. Below, the left photo (#1) shows poles and gate in the fence he set up temporarily last year – and never completed.
Number 2, middle, is a large dead tree leaning toward the camera. On the upper left of the tree is a broken part where a limb came off – now cut into firewood rounds but not yet split. These old Cottonwoods and Poplars drop lots of dead wood and then other things grow up through (rose bushes and Hawthorns, for example) such that the tangle is impenetrable.
This hardly used set of Merrill shoes were gifted from a friend (Ann Draper) in our old “Buy Nothing Ellensburg” (BNE) Facebook group. She was the one who donated the lovely Native American poster (1989) I gave to my Yakama band friend, Allen Aronica, and you saw written up here back in July with our picture of my presenting it to him, alongside a photo of him in his native Head Dress. The old BNE group subdivided into 3 groups, and now I am away from most of my old friends, who now belong to the North and South Ellensburg groups. Many have switched to a new group, Free Givers of Kittitas County, and that is where these shoes came from. I will now put my efforts into that group. 
So, the “Jararaca” injects venom into a mammal and the blood pressure drops and the animal dies, but not before a number of other nasty things happen, including but not limited to “immediate burning pain, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, sweating, headache, massive swelling of the bitten extremity, …” – it is a long list.
The two people on the left are pulling brush from one of the piles near our driveway entrance and the middle fellow is putting the pieces into the shredder. The fellow on the right has a chainsaw (a Stihl, similar to John’s) and he is taking out chokecherries.
The trio walked in the front gate and the twin doe (right) came up to see the cat (Lemon), who now is leaving the scene. Mama doe is in the middle, and the buck fawn is to the left. You can see John’s ladder and the Mountain Ash tree. After the fruit freezes the birds will eat it, but they won’t take it now.
Left, note the coloration of his nubs for antlers to come, and the doe fawn on the right demos the cleanup with a few berries showing beside her left foot, between her legs in front, and behind her right foot. Before the three left, they cleaned up all the berries, leaving only the leaves for John to sweep up.