Keeping track

Sunday, July 5

For July 4 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 16 min with AHI=0.41 Events: 3 H, 1 CSR. No major mask leaks (max=14 L/min); oximeter on, 7 hrs 34 min, AHI = 0.40

I was concerned about the lack of a ban on fireworks in the county and our dry surroundings, especially our pasture between two houses whose owners normally set off fireworks. I stayed up to watch for fires. Thankfully, only a few firecrackers were set off about 10:00 p.m. and no torchy fireworks. I planned to stay up until midnight to be sure all was quiet. I listened to the Kittitas County Public Safety Live Audio feed (police/fire scanner)–through my computer, until 2:05 a.m., when I decided the firefighters had contained the fire northwest of us on Hayward Hill, (near Howard Rd and Hwy 97). I was concerned about friends in the area, who are building a new house on that hill. It got relatively close to the house site, as seen in this photo (right below) taken by Facebook friend, Cathy Rose. She used a telephoto lens, so the distances are deceptive. The fire burned up-hill in grass toward an irrigation canal, with a driveable path along side, seen as the straight green feature going across the photo. The burn is the dark area, not closer than about 3 football-fields away.

The picture on the right is of part of the fire that burned 300 acres, starting just before midnight. Fire inspectors determined an incendiary device, not related to fireworks, was used intentionally to start it. There was an isolated haystack fire in the valley, two miles from our home, at Thomas and Fairview roads, about 3:40 a.m. (I was in bed by that time), but the firefighters on Hayward Hill saw that fire, and dispatched a unit to protect it from spreading into the dry land in Schnebly Canyon. That’s the picture on the left above, taken by a bystander; see below for more on that fire.

Monday, July 6

For July 5 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 38 min with AHI=0.65 Events: 5 H, 1 CSR. No major mask leaks (max=18 L/min); oximeter on, 8 hrs 40 min, AHI = 0.58

I am dealing with receipts and cleanup in our den. I finished email and recording CPAP & Oximetry data, and took ice-water to Dave (farrier) and iced Pepsi to John, in a red solo cup, our favorite song, once on the charts. Now I’m back listening to the scanner while I work. Interesting all that goes on in the county. I’ve been listening to the scanner though my computer, but the Internet just went down and I lost it. After David left, I drove down to check and photograph the burned hay. The bales are still burning and someone was working with a backhoe, cleaning up something. While standing on the hill, on the eastern part of Thomas Road from Naneum, I took the bottom of the photo collage below and drove closer for the top shot. I turned around and didn’t go by the fire site. John and I drove by two days later and it was burned completely, with only blackened ground left. It destroyed Sam Kayser’s hay for his large cattle operation, at an estimated $35,000 loss. Fire inspectors since determined it was a fire started by spontaneous combustion. Here is a link if you are in the need of something to read:

Heating in hay & spontaneous combustion

In the summer this is always a dry and hot area and the vegetation of the non-irrigated places goes dormant and brown. The hills have grass and sagebrush and higher up there are Pines. The foreground pastures are irrigated but the land is quite rocky and porous. Keeping any of this green when we’ve had a couple of weeks of 100+ temps is difficult.

I decided to nap awhile for some rest. I put my Oximeter on for my hour’s nap, and here is my SpO2 record.

I think I will take this to my cardiologist this week and to my sleep doctor the following week. The blood oxygen saturation level is the top green line, and the bottom blue is my pulse. The spike in pulse about 5:00 p.m. happens when I switch the finger the oximeter is on. Maybe I will take a similar reading made at night with the CPAP machine operating and the last two hours of my sleep without it. Again, the only reason I am on the CPAP is the thought that my SpO2 declines along with my pulse rate during my night’s sleep, and my organs need that oxygen.

Because I had to fast after 8:00 p.m., John fixed an early dinner.

Tuesday, July 7

For July 6 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 13 min with AHI=0.42 Events: 3 H, 1CSR. No major mask leaks (max=21 L/min); oximeter on, 8 hrs 22 min, AHI = 0.36

I went for the fasting blood draw early, but had to wait everywhere. Afterwards, I went to Carl’s JR for their special on a large biscuit with egg/cheese/sausage. While there, I decided to order eight for us to have some for the freezer and for John’s upcoming trips when he needs to have breakfast on the road. After that, I drove by Grocery Outlet to have my coupon $3 adjustment that I was refused earlier, their fault not mine. From there to pick up hard cat food from a friend whose kitties are fussy and wouldn’t eat what she bought. I’m sure ours will not turn it down.

At 2:00 p.m., we went to town for Jazzercise (a quite strenuous session) — wish I had worn my oximeter to record my vitals. John dropped me off and went for gasoline (price up to $3.05), and to BiMart (sale items) for chainsaw oil & cat food. He got back just as we were ending, but we had to wait to meet Bianca after Jazzercise for some neat hanger organizers for the closet, another gift from the buy nothing site. It allows one to put hangers on the hanger and then it is vertically holding several things in the same space.

We went by Grocery Outlet on our way home to use the latest $3 coupon for a $30 purchase. We had the same thing happen with the same cashier, but this time the manager adjusted it and gave us our $3 refund.

Wednesday, July 8

For July 7 CPAP. Reported figures. 5 hrs 43 min with AHI=0.70 Events: 3 H, 3 CSR, 1 OA. No major mask leaks (max=13 L/min); oximeter on, 7 hrs 40 min, AHI = 0.52

I planned to cut John’s hair, but it had to wait until afternoon. He’s out working with Mikala – they unloaded rocks, in the sun, and then moved to the shade under trees for harvesting grass seed. In the fall the seed will be strewn over the bulldozed place out front.

Food bank today, only 3 of us there: all 3 sang, one played a guitar, and I played the fiddle. We had a very appreciative audience who participated and the servers sang and danced as well. It was kind of cool. We played for 1/2 hour, and then were served a nice meal: chicken fettuccini with broccoli, green salad, and cake for dessert. I had orange juice to go with my own iced water. It was quite pleasant inside with the a/c. I carried a bunch of straight-necked yellow summer squash that John picked this morning, packed in a cooler with ice, to give away. I gave 3 to our guitar player who loves the stuff. Then I took the rest to the Adult Activity Center for people there, mostly in my SAIL exercise class. Every squash went home with a person, and there were at least 9 of them. Class went fine, and I got home all right, but the temperature went to a high of 101 in town. We think our high (in the shade) was only 96.
I managed to give John a much-needed haircut. He’s fixing a salmon supper and waiting for the temperature to go down so he can get more outside chores done.

Thursday, July 9

For July 8 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 15 min with AHI=0.64 Events: 4 H, 1 CSR. No major mask leaks (max=8 L/min); oximeter on, 8 hrs 23 min, AHI = 0.48

We had an exciting morning with neighbor’s horse coming over the fence between our properties and in with our horses. Mikala and John spent the first minutes of her work time gathering up her horse and walking her down the road to home. Now they’re doing various chores, emptying the old truck after unloading rocks and going to pick up brush from behind the shed and move it to safer place.

I have to finish my handouts for today’s music, and remember to get some squash packed on ice to leave when I pick up the 5-gallon laundry detergent and smaller food buckets used at a local motel. I got my shower when John came back in the house, so after a bite to eat, I’m ready to take off to play music with 7 others at the Rehab place where I rehabed.

We had a good turnout of audience, and our usual dancer (Helen, 93), using her walker, dancing around in front of us, while singing. I normally don’t hand out music there because most are not able to keep up, and the ones who can, already know the words. A very cool interaction took place with an older gentleman new to the facility. He was singing all the verses to all the songs (without a lyrics packet). We got to “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” and he belted it out very happily. At the end, he said, “I used to sing that at Crosley Field.” I laughed and said, “Oh, I have been there; you must be from Cincinnati!” I think that surprised everyone in the room, and he said, “Yes, I used to watch Pete Rose there.” Crosley field closed in 1970, with a winning grand slam for the Cincinnati Reds by Johnny Bench (catcher). Interesting that it was the first National League Stadium to have lights for night playing. John and I met in Cincinnati in graduate school in 1965, and we left in 1967, with his going to Iowa City, and my returning for 2 years to Atlanta, to care for my mother, and teach at Georgia State University.

Friday, July 10

For July 9 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 41 min with AHI=0.15 Events: 1 H, 2CSR. No major mask leaks (max=20 L/min); oximeter on, 8 hrs 13 min, AHI = 0.12

Mikala was a no show, because of family issues, requiring her to babysit her siblings.
Early morning call, 7:30, from friend back east. I was on my second sleep, but hadn’t actually yet gotten back to sleep. However, I did nap a little for a 20 min. power nap.

John and I both left about 10:20, to go by a yard sale of a friend to check out their tools. We came away empty-handed, but then stopped off at Burger King to use coupons for our lunch to take to the going away ice cream social for Olivia Estill, who actually will be returning in September for another year on AmeriCorps ** service at the Adult Activity Center. We all are very happy to have her coming back. She has been our wonderful leader of many exercise classes (SAIL and Yoga), and of many other projects she’s done for the center. She is quite special to everyone. She is from Louisville, KY and will be returning there for August to visit family. There must be a break between appointments, which are normally only a year of community service.

. . . . . . . . . . . . …… Nancy and Olivia

**AmeriCorps engages more than 75,000 Americans each year at nonprofits, schools, public agencies, and community and faith-based groups across the country. Since the program began in 1994, more than 900,000 AmeriCorps members have contributed more than 1.2 billion hours in service across America while tackling pressing problems and mobilizing millions of volunteers for the organizations they serve. I did not know how they are paid, but I send out job announcements from my Jobs list to people. From my research online, it appears they are paid ~$1,200/month by the government program.

The center had cracker delicacies we didn’t expect and we had our own purchased lunch. I should have taken a picture of the tray of goodies on each table–unique crackers with toppings such as ham & cheese, turkey and cheese, strawberry and cream cheese, peanut butter and apple, pepper jelly on cream cheese, olives on salami, red pepper / cheese / basil leaf, avocado on cheese, and probably others I don’t remember. We had fries with our JR Whopper (John’s) and my Chicken Nuggets – much came home with us. They finished with ice cream. We need not have gone to Burger King – and that took 18 minutes from ordering to being served. I was not happy.

Tonight John picked a bunch of squash for me to share at Briarwood tomorrow. I packaged them in small plastic bags the newspaper comes in. That way people can carry them without being stuck by the hair-like spines on them, which really bother me, but not all people, apparently. As well, I have about 8 pieces of clothing, mostly blouses, to share with the folks at Briarwood, and to clear off our guest bed.

Our neighbor’s horse (Rose) returned tonight. John walked with Mikala back through the gate and down the road to their house. Then he talked to her father who is trying to put up an electric fence. John plans to repair the fence where she is coming through. It is low barbed-wire on steel posts. Rose pushed until the post bent and the top wire came loose and then she stepped over. There are trees and brush there too, so they can’t return that way. The collage below shows the return route out the driveway, and my dinner afterwards.

The left was taken with my telephoto over the limb of the mountain ash tree at our front door. The barn in the background is the Swedberg’s across Naneum Road.
John fixed a great dinner tonight: Coconut shrimp, fried apple & pineapple slices in brown sugar that caramelized, red seedless grapes, our one strawberry, and 3 cherry tomatoes – first of the season.

Saturday, July 11

For July 10 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 20 min with AHI=0.16 Events: 1 H, 1 CSR (alarm went off). No major mask leaks (max=15 L/min); oximeter on, 11 hrs 0 min, AHI = 0.11

John’s alarm was set for 5, but he got up at 10 to, and after helping with a few things, I went back to lie down with the CPAP still engaged. He usually tells me bye when he leaves, but I think he thought I was asleep, when he left about 5:45. I heard the car on the gravel as he left. All the windows were still open. He’s off for Dorothy Lake, west beyond Stevens Pass. After Skykomish he will go south 8 miles on gravel/dust to Dorothy Lake trail. He thawed one of the biscuit things to eat prior to arrival at the trail head.

So much nicer, cooler weather. Haven’t had to close the windows yet at 10:00 a.m. Guess I should just in case. Okay, did, but it still was only 73 in the hallway, and 77.5° on the front porch, our highest reading.

I have been organizing things to take today to Briarwood. I loaded one of the multiple clothes hanger with a bunch of stuff, M to L, to share with the residents. It’s in the back of my car. I should have taken a picture hanging on the door of the guest bathroom. Need to carry out the squash and some jeans too small for John, and my violin will be the last to go when I leave. This is one way to clean house and garments that is easier on me, in one-stop giving.

Okay, I made it there in time to give my stuff to the persons, and set up the rest for others. We had a small audience today, but had a viola, violin, tambourine, and 3 guitars. Small but we did fine and had a nice presentation, meal, and visit. Our menu included soup, chicken salad spread on some little round toast things I took, and a bunch of good desserts, along with great raspberry lemonade. I won’t need much for dinner. Everyone there took home a squash or two, many took blouses and jackets, and the rest I folded and left in the free for the taking cabinet, in their exercise room.

On the way home, I saw a sign for a yard sale on a road east of us 1.5 miles. It seemed worth the detour. I got some small nice stuff we can use, most 10 cents or free, with one pretty butterfly decorated container I will give to my lepidopterist friend, my former student. Oh, I did buy a box of quart canning jars (11) and delivered them to my neighbors on the way home. I got everything for less than $4, and just used the excess change in my purse/wallet. One cool (warm) thing I got was a thick white and brown designs on a wool knitted hat, for a buck. Considering we paid $30 for one for John once at REI, that was a nice purchase.

John made it home safely at 6:20 p.m. from his 251-mile trip. He doesn’t want me putting pictures of his trail work in the blog, but I’m proud of the work he does, and want to show one project from yesterday–midway and completed.

The wall of the ditch to the left was used to supply mineral soil to the stepped walkway. That drainage ditch will keep water off the trail and send it under the completed bridge in the lower part of the right finished project photo, with one of the workers sitting in the ditch to the lower right. The bridge is a slab from a Cedar tree. It fell many years ago and some was split for a project. This piece was waiting there – so they used it.

Sunday, July 12 Happy Anniversary to us, July 12, 1969

I’ve looked for a wedding picture to scan to include, but cannot find it. Maybe next year.

For July 11 CPAP. Reported figures. 8 hrs 4 min with AHI=0.12 Events: 1 H, 1 CSR. No major mask leaks (max=6 L/min).

Today started with making cookies to take to the Retired Geography profs & wives meeting tomorrow morning. We froze the mixed dough from last month and when thawed but still cold, it was easy to work with. I did that while John picked more squash. Then he delivered it to 3 neighbors. One neighbor traded a rose bush she dug from near her steps. She had it in a planter that he will have to return. Then he fixed a super good brunch.

Squash delivered: the biggest and oldest went to the hogs next door; the owners who gave the rose bush, and more to two other neighbors. Cookies ready to pack. Brunch partially eaten. I decided I wanted fresh salsa on my cheese, onion, mushroom frittata, and had already eaten many of my peaches, and small bites of the rest, before taking this picture.

The outside cats must have abstained from food during the heat (but, really, Woody hasn’t). After not seeing Sue for a month, she has been here several nights, and today in the morning. I fed Woody for a second time, as I already fed her this morning early. Her mom Sue came and asked for food – she vocalizes a lot. John was busy digging weeds, and held one for me to photograph to share on the blog. Locals call this goathead or puncture vine. My photo is below but see the link for good images of the pretty little yellow flower and note …

Info about Goathead

… the “etymology” mentioned there – caltrop – and follow that link (click on the word, to access the link that is not obvious).

It was a nice cool morning, much different from the heat of the past week.

Here’s a collage of feline and weed activities. Sue is having breakfast and Woody’s on the left watching John. On the very left she is shown resting in the planter box. Marigolds were there last year, but it is not planted now. The year before were sunflowers, then tulips, and before that was spinach.

Finally, here’s a close up of those awful goathead. The sticker parts are called nutlets. Not nice when the dogs step on one. {Click on this to open large view.}

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Sunday, June 28

For June 27 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 58 min with AHI=1.29 Events: 8 H, 1 OA. No major mask leaks (max=22 L/min); oximeter on, 7 hrs 47 min, AHI = 1.16

Up early but to a warm house that did not cool down as normal overnight. Hallway was 75; outside was 71. By 9:00 up to 83° and at 10:00 already 90°. I fed the small animals, unloaded the dishwasher, filled it again, took care of emails, getting data from my CPAP and Oximeter, and now will tackle the stacks around my chair & computer. Oh, I did arrange for going to Cle Elum to the Belair House where my 92-year-old friend is staying for assisted living with 5 others. Evelyn (banjo) and I are going to entertain them over the lunch hour July 3, with our patriotic / USA songs program. I will pick up his wife in Ellensburg and drive her up with me (35 miles).

I worked on updating music for the July 2 performance at the Adult Activity Center.–
With John’s invaluable help, we finished and published the blog.

Our young-teenage neighbor girl came asking for work, and John has her helping loading and unloading rocks – filling the large hole. She plans to return in the morning at 8:00 a.m.

We were happy to have Sue (Woody’s mom) return for canned dinner after many weeks away. She has had access to hard food in the “cathouse” — so perhaps has been coming in without our realizing it. Tonight, however, we had already fed Woody, and John was out working near the garden and saw her by the red barn. He called her name and she came – conversing with him all the way over to the cat’s loft. Woody came too, and both ate. I wonder if she will be back tomorrow.

On John’s recent trip with Nick Zentner to Peoh Point & Snoqualmie, below are photos you have not seen. First is the photo of the group on Peoh Point, and the collage of views from there and Snoqualmie are below. John was standing next to the photographer, so he is not in the picture. I have made a collage below of the views from that spot and another on the trip.

Group on Peoh Point above

Above is a view collage (left) from Peoh Point with the Kittitas Valley in the foreground and the city of S. Cle Elum and Cle Elum in the center, with Mt. Stuart and the Stuart range in the distance. On the right is the view of some Cascade peaks from the top of a ski run at Snoqualmie Pass.

Monday, June 29

For June 28 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 33 min with AHI=0.91 Events: 6 H, 3 CSR. No major mask leaks (max=11 L/min); oximeter on, 8 hrs 50 min, AHI = 0.68

John got up early and met our neighbor, Mikala (14), at the front gate at 8:00 a.m. for 2 hrs of work with the rock transfer from there to the road repair pit (thixotropic soil out – rocks in). [Sand and organic matter will be mixed with the soft soil and incorporated into the garden-leveling project.] The temperature was 69° when they started and 82° when they stopped. She plans to return for an hour tonight at 6:00 p.m.

I had fed Woody inside the front yard but she was still around when John was returning from the rock pit. Below (2 images split at the tiny white square) she is behind the shovel [left 1/5 of image] and (right side) she has moved to in front of the gate.

I was out front to take a photo of the spring inside the depressible book truck.

Left is the side view showing the depressible shelf. John put a piece of plywood on top, in case Woody jumped up there and might get scared when it depressed. It also was being spit upon by the Black Walnut tree it is beneath.

Very sad the wildfire in Wenatchee that leveled 23 homes located in an impossible place to stop a fire. There is a steep bank covered with brush and grass on the west side of the houses – the direction from which the fire came. With just a little wind fire can burn up a slope easily. Also, the houses fill their lots with no space to get a pumper truck or anything else between the fire and the back of the house.

Here are the Google Earth coordinates: 47.454370, -120.355105
… for the big house in the lower center of the photos above. Go there and zoom in, and you can see landscape trees and shrubs behind and between the houses.
The collage above is merged with a Google Earth grab of the Broadview subdivision area, northwest part of Wenatchee, with five houses on the bottom of each picture. Orient yourself to the 4 white squares in the middle of the other side of the road. The houses on the opposite side of the street were also burned to the ground.

This collage shows the fire that started at 2:15 p.m. and people rafting on the Wenatchee River moved to the side to let the helicopters dip their buckets. The top right shows the raging fire in the distance. Lower left shows a house going up in flames, and the bottom right shows only the foundation of one house.

Tuesday, June 30

For June 29 CPAP. Reported figures. 5 hrs 20 min with AHI=0.00 Events: 0 H. No major mask leaks (max=16 L/min); oximeter on, 7 hrs 59 min, AHI = 0.00

I drove by and picked up five 5-gallon buckets and some smaller ones from a gal at the south end of Naneum Road.

JAZZERCISE at 2:00, antibiotics at 2:30 for dentist, on to dentist for 3:30 appt to have my eyetooth fixed. I was in the chair about an hour & a half. It is nicely fixed with a build-up and I’m hoping stays so I don’t have to have a crown.
HERE IS A PICTURE !! The dentist has to send it to my insurance company.
They sent me a copy too.

This is seen through a blue rubber dam. The yellow is a piece of stuff to retract the gum. The gloved finger above my broken off eyetooth is holding the rubber dam up and showing my red gum. My nose is at the top of the photo. The silver thing on the right side is the frame the rubber dam is hooked to. This contraption keeps the tooth being worked on, nice and dry.

Wednesday, July 1

For June 30 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 18 min with AHI=2.22 Events: 13 H, 3 CSR, 1 OA. No major mask leaks (max=19 L/min); oximeter on, 8 hrs 26 min, AHI = 1.66 Something strange between 3:15 a.m. and 4:15 a.m., when all that activity occurred ??? Wonder why.

I had to dodge a cattle drive, and go 3 miles out of my way, but I made it to the Food Bank in time to meet a “buy nothing” participant, Heather JB, who gave me two unused folding chair bags (to fulfill my request for a canvas bag to store my Tripod). This is nice because they have a shoulder strap attached too. I delivered her two small pots of hen and chicks. She was the recipient of a larger planter of them a month ago. It was a good trade.

Thursday, July 2

For July 1 CPAP. Reported figures. 7hrs 3 min with AHI=0.71 Events: 5 H, 3 CSR. No major mask leaks (max=15 L/min); oximeter on, 7 hrs 45 min, AHI = 0.64

John and I left about 10:15 for town to pick up Carole, the wife of our group’s former first violinist. He died a couple of years ago and we haven’t seen a lot of her after that. She doesn’t play an instrument, but loves to sing.

THANKS to our 14 musicians who entertained the crowd at the Adult Activity Center today for a celebration of the Fourth of July, early. We sang many patriotic or USA songs. We had 2 banjos, tambourine, 2 fiddles, viola, and the rest guitars. We sang 10 songs and had good audience participation for the first half hour of the celebration from 1:30 to noon. At the end, everyone stood and sang the National Anthem acapella, with a beat gently played on the Bass Fiddle in the background, by Dave Perkins. Then they fed us hamburgers or hotdogs (or both), watermelon, potato salad, baked beans, and all the fixings. In the back of the room was a dessert table for when we were done eating. Most of those were pot-lucked by the AAC members. There was more stuff left so I brought some home, in addition to what I had taken that wasn’t eaten.

Top, Nancy introducing the group and the program; bottom, the entire group (14) stretched out playing for a responsive crowd.

Friday, July 3

For July 2 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 36 min with AHI=1.84 Events: 14 H, 2 CSR. No major mask leaks (max=23 L/min).

I left at 10:40 to pick up Gloria Swanson for our drive to Cle Elum. We arrived about 11:35, and visited the residents, staff, and owners. At some point after noon at the Belair House, Cle Elum, we were served lunch (salmon, potatoes, & peas), in a dining room, off the kitchen. We had Evelyn on the banjo and me on the fiddle to sing and play patriotic songs for Paul Swanson and the other residents, and for staff, owners, and a friend who took photos.

Kim Black (one of the owners) took 3 videos on my camera. Another fellow, Steve, photographed us as well, and the group all joined in the singing.

2015 July at Cle Elum, Belair Home

Evelyn Heflen (banjo), Nancy Hultquist (fiddle), with resident, & Gloria reflecting in the TV screen from in front of Evelyn. More residents and staff are behind that you will see and hear in the following videos.

America, The Beautiful

Battle Hymn of the Republic

God Bless America

Saturday, July 4 HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

This collage was designed by Nancy from individual photos shared from her friend, Glenn Engels, which he took ~ 3 years ago at Ellensburg’s Rotary Park.
This year the fireworks have been cancelled – the city had a prescribed burn a couple of days ago on the field – then cancelled it anyway. Thankfully, other small towns did so too. The county did not. Fireworks are legal from 9 AM until midnight. Dumb!

For July 3 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 11 min with AHI=0.42 Events: 3 H.. No major mask leaks (max=19 L/min).

John worked, in the shade, for a couple of hours loading rocks where in previous years he’d dug holes for fence posts. Now they are in the large hole – never to be seen again, we hope. With the temperature up to 98, he’s only going out to move the hoses watering strawberries. He poured water on onions, squash, and tomatoes. We have had squash but no tomatoes.

Finally got my second letter off to New Zealand for my former student’s entry to a Ph.D. program there, and alternately working on various projects, in between working on this blog. The Internet bouncing off and on is making all computer chores difficult.

Temperatures made it to 100° at 2:00 p.m. at the airport. We have 99.9 here, & it’s hot all around.

John placed a large cardboard sheet outside the window by the old patio door. My motor-powered recliner is just inside. It has lowered light level and reduced the heat of hot glass and the dark metal parts. We’ve done this in prior years. He has a plan for something the wind will pass through (lattice panels) that will stand out away from the door – once he puts the new one in. It is now in the garage, next to my car.

And, on one of his many trips out to move hoses today, he brought 2 domestic lily blossoms – one deep red and one almost white, both with yellow.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Monday, June 22

For June 21 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 52 min with AHI=0.13 Events: 1H, 1CSR. No major mask leaks (max=8 L/min); oximeter on, 9 hrs 1 min, AHI =0.11

Over the weekend, I wrote my statement to the court requesting an Exemption from Jury Duty for medical reasons of not sitting longer than an hour. I am mailing it today. Later in the week, I received notice I am exempted from service.

I spent 45 minutes trying to sort out the new AMEX card that was supposed to be on Auto-Pay and was not, so we were charged interest in addition to a late payment penalty ($35) wow, for a total of almost $50. I got a responsive person and we went through my account and all the info was there, but something had not been set up correctly. It is now fixed and the penalties & interest were rescinded.

Rest of the day, cleaning & sorting cherries, washing dishes, worrying with music to hand out this week (and copy tomorrow), to be ready to do the Ellensburg City July 4th celebration on July 2, that our group, Kittitas Valley Fiddlers & Friends, has provided music for more than 2 decades.

Tuesday, June 23

For June 22 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 28 min with AHI=0.62 Events: 4 H. No major mask leaks (max=7 L/min); oximeter on, 6 hrs 55 min, AHI = 0.58

We left for town about 10:15 to pick up cinder blocks, and while there, we were given more wool & cotton socks, and a tin apple basket I need to transfer to a friend in Cle Elum for use at the Grange crafts show. We went by Rite Aid to take advantage of a coupon and great price on Pepsi and Diet Pepsi cans and 2-liter bottles. I got some eye moisture drops for dry eyes on sale too. A few months ago we were in Rite Aid and they set us up with a rewards card of some sort. This time they wanted to change that to a new and better rewards card. Mostly useless stuff as far as we can see. Almost all these store-cards are a pain and simply fill one’s wallet with extra cards that never get used. The nice advantage is if you don’t have your card, you can give your telephone number. Needed to pick up meds from our pharmacy, so succeeded in that. From there off to CWU surplus, where we had put a bid (with my same lucky number involved) on a metal rolling cart. The minimum bid is 5 bucks so we bid $5.66, and won.

John says it was used in the library, and if you put weight on the shelf, it lowers and then comes up as you remove the weight. How does he know that previous use? (Because as he was moving it from the truck, a thin book fell out that had last been checked out in 2004). I think he was primarily interested in the wheels. But this is rather unique. Wonder what we can repurpose it as? John found similar wheels on the web – a set of 4 for $59.04.

Set of 4 wheels

However, the real surprise was this $809.95 beauty:

Depressible Book Truck

It is particle board (aka false wood) while the CWU surplus-sale one is steel. Nancy’s comment: We made a real steal. John says, do you suppose the new digital world makes it unnecessary to truck real books around?

From the surplus sale, we moved on to print my music for handing out tomorrow at the Food Bank and Thursday at the Kittitas Valley Fiddlers & Friends. Now I have to staple and arrange, but the hard work is done that would have taken me hours at home with my computer printer, collating, and 3-hole punching. In addition, I can copy/duplex much faster than on my printer.
We will meet Jim Gardner and Penny Codding at the Cottage Cafe in Cle Elum about 6:00. We determined it has been 42 years since he left Iowa (1973), and we have not seen him since. He and Penny were involved in a 4-day Photographic Workshop in the Palouse, and contacted us about meeting on their way back to Victoria, British Columbia. We look forward to their future trip to the Palouse during harvest. Nice visit and good meal. John and I had our normal favorites, Jim had a meatloaf platter, and Penny had a pot roast platter. I think it is something to consider the next time I go there. The guys had a Roslyn dark Lager and Penny had Chardonnay. I have to abstain because of being on the medication, Coumadin.

Here are the 3 of us, Jim Gardner, me and John taken on my camera by Penny. The wind was blowing hard and blew my bangs right up over my head.

Wednesday, June 24

For June 23 CPAP. Reported figures. 5 hrs 40 min with AHI=0.53 Events: 2 H, 1 CA. No major mask leaks (max=12 L/min); oximeter on, 9 hrs 8 min with an AHI = 0.33

Food Bank. Nothing exciting today but a very low number of volunteer servers, so one of our players joined to help serve; also was a smaller number of people being fed. Only Evelyn on Banjo and I on fiddle, played and sang. We had our fan club sitting at the front table. The food today was chicken casserole with broccoli and cheese sauce, a green salad, and chocolate frosted chocolate cake for dessert. On to SAIL for an hour. It was hot today.

For dinner we had leftovers from last night’s doggie bags. Added some fruit from our fridge: red grapes and Bing cherries.

Thursday, June 25

For June 24 CPAP. Reported figures. 8 hrs 34 min with AHI=0.93 Events: 8 H. No major mask leaks (max=18 L/min); oximeter on, 9 hrs 33 min, AHI =0.84

Got my July, August music all set up and ready to deliver today before we play at Hearthstone. There was some stapling, collating, and organizing with paper clips left to do with packets of 25 songs, printed back to back with 3 holes punched.

Today was a good turnout of audience and players. We had 6 guitars, a banjo, a fiddle, a tambourine, a bass fiddle, and a clarinet. Our repertoire started with patriotic songs, finished with U.S. songs, and we will be playing the first 13 songs next Thursday at the Adult Activity Center’s annual Fourth Celebration BBQ/potluck.

Because we expected high temperatures, John was up early to pick rocks and move them to the big-rock-hole. He watered plants and fed horses and by 11:30, with high sun and not much shade, he came in to fix a brunch. I had cleaned the counters and dishes, cooked bacon, cleaned cherries, and he made some pancakes to go with the leftover strawberries from last night, and fried eggs for us to go along with the meal. Now at 7:00 p.m., he returned to work in the shade. The temperature is 96° at the airport but only 90° on our front porch. We just fed Woody, the outside feral cat, and John left to drive the old truck to the front part of our property (where the fence busting logs and bulldozer stirred things up) to load more rocks. The big hole is slowly filling – a few hundred pounds at a time. We have a Crockpot meal cooking for later this evening, when he comes back.

Friday, June 26

For June 25 CPAP. Reported figures. 5 hrs 24 min with AHI=0.93 Events: 5 H. No major mask leaks (max=11 L/min); oximeter on, 7 hrs 49 min, AHI = 0.64

John left the house very early to pick strawberries (not many, because we have a bad crop this year, for unknown reasons – we think the buds froze). Then watered strawberries and the younger plum trees (with no fruit this year), and we will have no cherries or plums on the older trees either. Late freeze took care of that. The small bed of everbearing berries are starting to bloom again so we will still have small batches of fruit – just not a lot.
We were both dead tired today and took a 2-hr nap. I had had weird dreams last night and not slept well.

In addition, today’s temperatures were extremely high. Some folks in the Kittitas Valley had 105°, but we never saw it higher than 98.6° in the shade.

Saturday, June 27

For June 26 CPAP. Reported figures. 5 hrs 41 min with AHI=1.76 Events: 10H, 1 CSR. No major mask leaks (max=19 L/min).

John left for the White River at Mt. Rainier at 5:30 (car needs gasoline) for his trip. Oddly, the cheap price in Ellensburg is the same as the cheap prices in Yakima. He went to the same place as last Saturday, the Summer Land Trail near the White River at Mt. Rainier. Last week we had no photos, but below is a collage of John (in brown Carhartt work pants we got at the CWU Surplus sale for $1.00), with last week’s logs, cut, peeled, for use to make steps on the trail.

These trail-work trips start at the White River campground on the east side of the park.

White River Region – Mt. Rainier
{The Wikipedia site has a null or stub page that sometimes appears, so if that happens you can search or ignore.}

The work is on the SE side of Goat Island Mountain along Fryingpan Creek.

Where the rocks are!

There is better and more parking at the White River Campground so they go there, spread out the tools and do the safety and tool talk, then carpool to the Summer Land Trailhead. At about 2 miles up, the trail comes close to Fryingpan Creek where there are falls and cascades – and rocks – a very neat spot that almost no one ever sees. They need rocks for the trail work and so go with buckets and a heavy canvas-strap net. Big rocks anchor the ends of the log steps – note these on the left side of the photo on the right (above).
This week we have no pictures until mid-week from today’s work at the same trail. The principal job (but not the only one) was making a turnpike. Here is a photo of one under construction in northern WA. Logs, rocks, and mineral soil are the go-get items.

Trail turnpike during construction

I watered the Carpathian trees – 3 moves of the hose this morning and then once after I got home.

I went to Briarwood for Collette’s potluck memorial starting 12:30. I cleaned some of the cherries and took a platter of them along. Many people and lots of food. More people than chairs. Some of the residents left to give their chairs to family. I decided to stay for lunch, and to visit with some of the residents I have gotten to know over the years. On my way home, I went by Mountain High Sports to pick up John’s new bucket hat pictured in last week’s blog. That shop is located on the street where the Saturday Farmer’s Market sets up, so I could not drive to the front door. I skipped it on the trip into town, but managed to go back to within a block after my meeting was over. It was a block from my dentist’s office, where I parked, to get to the store, and the temperature was 107° (according to the airport), but my car was reading “only” 102°.

I was happy to get home, where the house a/c was turned on, but claimed it was 82 in the hall (it is supposed to come on if higher than 77° and reduce the temperature. I do not know why it hadn’t. I flipped the temperature down to 75 and it is cooling now. It is sitting at 76. Outside our front porch reads 98.8° (in the shade).

John called from the Yakima Bi-Mart store where he went to buy something salty.
I was hoping he would call sooner so I could take a nap. He realized the vitamin & mineral pill he’s been taking at lunch on trails does not have any sodium. He failed to take salt along this trip and will have to add another regular item to his backpack. But what are (the suggested) buffered salt tablets?

Sunday, June 28

Just before publishing this — the temperature reading on the front porch (in the shade) is 103.8; happy to be in the a/c house.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Monday, June 15

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

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

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

2015 June Pella Door Delivery

Turning Truck Around

From Truck to 3-sided Shed

To make room for the delivery truck to get turned around we had to move the old pickup. After the unloading of the door, John went to get the truck and close the gate to the pasture. When he got to the truck he called me over. Pointing into the hay barn he said, “Look at the cart in there, it has ears!” Sure enough…it was one of the little deer, and it was the young buck. Later I got a photo of him across the driveway looking back over his rump.


We spent the morning and afternoon finishing the blog to publish late! Then I sent a note to the Buy nothing site asking about hats. For John: I would really appreciate receiving respones on cloth hats that cover the ears. John is out in the sun a lot. He has worn out a couple of hats and is looking for a new one. Maybe we need to go to a few yard sales. Store prices have gone up considerably so now he is even thinking of making his own.
Interestingly, Judith L B (to whom we shared a bunch of hens & chicks earlier), said she had one to share. Look below to Tuesday for the hat she gave John, and I picked it up on way home from our lunch meeting.

Tuesday, June 16

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

John left at 8:00 for an 8:30 appt with the EBRG canopy store. Our friend from southern Idaho was planning to stop by for lunch.. Suzanne called at 9:15 and at 9:45 was 21 miles from George. She will be at Super One at 11:00. I tried calling John, but the metal building hides cell service, so I couldn’t contact him. I called the business to leave a message for him to call me so he had to walk outside and find a spot to get a connection. He agreed to not come home, so just drove across town, and I drove in from the north. He got there before me. I was next, and Suzanne made it in, a couple minutes before 11:00. We visited a long while before getting something to eat, but I got John a piece of meat lover’s pizza, and Suzanne and I each got a prime rib sandwich with a side of macaroni salad or potato salad. They were so generous with the salad, that I asked if I could have a mixture, half of each one. There was plenty, and they gave me extra meat, so I cut my sandwich in half and shared with John, along with my salads. We had a very nice visit (kind of cool in strong air-conditioning so that going outside in the hot sun felt good).

Suzanne Scripter, my friend since 1974 in Moscow, ID, now lives in southern Idaho, and was willing to stop to pick up my award from my donation to the Idaho Open Fiddle Contest, and bring it to me on her way across WA. John and I met her in town for lunch and a great catch-up visit. It’s been almost 5 years since we last saw her. The case I’m holding is a Bobeluck, lined with velvet and has a velvet silk cover for covering the violin. There’s room for 4 bows. I own 3 now. My oldest is not in good shape, but I carry it anyway. The case has Hygrometer and a Humistat, and a string tube, which I found out from Bobbie Pearce (my teacher for 22 summers), who informed me of the donation, says it is for gut strings.

BOBELOCK 6002 Puffy Sport Oblong Suspension Violin Case

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

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

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

Wednesday, June 17

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

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

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

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

Thursday, June 18

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

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

On our way back from town, we made a stop at the Mountain High Sports store and ordered this hat for John.

The Patagonia Bucket Hat, named Paradise Fish & Turkish Red. He’ll stand out in a crowd !

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

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

Friday, June 19

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

Surprise visit from Suzanne on her way back to Idaho. We’ll meet her for lunch again and a visit. Good meal of fish & chips for the two of us, and John had a Moose burger with fries. Good food.

There we are Suzanne, John, & Nancy at The Porch (new Ellensburg restaurant).

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

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

Saturday, June 20

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

At 11:00 a.m., I need to take off for town to meet my friend Trudy from Moses Lake at Memorial Park. She’s coming to walk in the parade of Dachshunds, an annual affair.

Topdog, Trudy, and Flash his father. We met after the Dachshund parade, visiting for almost 2 hours. We enjoyed playing with the dogs too. Unfortunately, I broke the leg on my fold up lawn chair and spent most of our visit standing. I had fun watching Flash take the lead on the leash attached to Topdog and leading him all around.

FLASH, walking his son. This would have been a hit in the city parade…except she had 3 dogs on one lead. .

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

Here we are:  (no guitars present, which would have helped the beat considerably). although very nice to have the bass and have Barb chording and running arpeggios.
Today, Barb Riley joined us — she is the teacher of a baby’s music class which Benj has been taking Lev to for most of Lev’s life.  See below for some cute videos.   Here our group is.

Then, a photo of a Briarwood resident, Margo, Lev and Megan

The video associated with the above picture is noted below, but it is best to watch it without the sound:

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

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

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

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

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

Sunday, June 21 HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!!

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

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

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Saturday, June 6

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

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

Brooks Shaw Geography Award-Trinity Turner, 2015

Hultquist Geography Service Award – Hannah Hobbs, 2015

Here we are before the festivities and awards began–Nancy with Hannah Hobbs.

I’m wearing the new musical-themed shirt Ellen made for me, and the pin is the 50-year one given to me for membership in the Association of American Geographers since 1965 (also the year John and I met in Cincinnati).

Hultquist Geography Service Award – Dusty Pinkleton, 2015

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

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

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

Here are the Stoltmans with their award winners:

Sunday, June 7

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

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

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

Monday, June 8

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

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

Tuesday, June 9

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

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

From there we drove by the EBRG Chamber of Commerce for me to deliver an old cake pan to a gal who loves Angel Food cake. The topic came up on the Buy Nothing Ellensburg site and she mentioned she did not have such a pan. We have had this for years and it never gets used. I offered it to her.

On home, to receive a phone call on my cell, an accidental dial of the last two digits of a number, very close to mine. My cell is 0504 and she was supposed to be dialing 0540. She called about the weight of 4000# of hay, and I had no clue what she was talking about. It was on my cell phone which gets no reception in the back end of our house where I was sitting. I asked her to call me back on my land line, but she didn’t. I figured it must have been a wrong dial, but just out of curiosity, I called the number once in town. It is a small world. After talking a few minutes (she was driving a hay truck near Royal City), we realized I knew her mother (Myrna Schwab) — this was her daughter Lance who works as a driver delivering hay for Stone Wings II and Number 9 Hay (brokers in the Kittitas Valley). She was over near the Royal Slope in the Columbia Basin. I met her mom in 2010 when I was fresh out of rehab trying to build my muscles to get by without a walker. We were both paying $25 for 45 minutes of physical therapy we could do at home, or elsewhere for a lot less. She told me about the SAIL exercise class at the Adult Activity Center. At that time it was $3.00/quarter, for 3 days / week for an hour. What a deal! I had lost track of her because she quit coming to the AAC, and last news we had was that she was not doing well. She recovered and moved to Colville. Now on my cell phone is a message from her daughter with her phone number, so soon, I hope to find the time to give her a call.

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

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

Wednesday, June 10

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

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

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

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

…DRY AND BREEZY THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING…

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

Just now a wind gust went to 44 mph.

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

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

Thursday, June 11

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

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

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

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

Friday, June 12

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

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

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

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

Saturday, June 13

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

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

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

Above: . . . . . . . Adriann Killsnight and Nancy

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

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

Sunday, June 14

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

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

Snoqualmie Pass in the Cascade Range

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

Cheers,
John & Nancy

Meteorological Versus Astronomical Summer

Sunday, May 31

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

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

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

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

Monday, June 1

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

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

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

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

Tuesday, June 2

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

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

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

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

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

Before I got on with the IRS wait line, I broke off a tooth tip – 2 to the right of my front upper largest middle teeth (my eyetooth), chewing a piece of toast (not tough bread at all – but French Bread with a soft crust). I had a call into the dentist for an appt, and finally made a second call and got the only appt before next Monday, at 8:30 a.m. tomorrow morning – on one of our busiest days, but at least John can go along with me and get his new eyeglass lenses. After we make a few stops, I will return him home, and then go back for music at the Food Bank Soup Kitchen and SAIL exercise. John mentioned last week finding a white granite rock on the trail.

We drove by Lind Hall (where my CWU era started in 1988) and took the granitic rock to Nick Z. We now think the rock is from the main core of the Cascades but had been moved miles west by a valley glacier.

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

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

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

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

Cinder One

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

Cinder Two

Wednesday, June 3

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

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

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

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

Thursday, June 4

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

I play music at Royal Vista, so John dropped me off so he could go get gasoline, and by Bi-Mart [markets in 2 states, thus, Bi-Mart] to look for some grout. He got back to pick me up at 3:00, but we didn’t get done until after. Then I had to wait for a hand off of my newest musical shirt made by Ellen for me (our clarinet player). This is a beautiful print to add to my collection. She makes it for me for free (probably to repay me for transposing her music into a key she can play for the B. Flat clarinet). She finds the material, buys it, and I give her $20 for the cost of the cloth.

The shirts are 100% cotton and short-sleeved. She has created me a very nice collection. I will wear this Saturday for the festivities at Geography’s end of year BBQ party and student awards announcements.

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

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

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

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

Friday, June 5

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Saturday, June 6

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

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Sunday, May 24

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

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

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

Monday, May 25 Happy Memorial Day

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

We went for the canopy today, leaving a little after 8:00 am. John got directions while I was in town, and then altered with his own knowledge to the truck route around Moses Lake. We had a nice trip over and came back a different way. Four people managed to get the canopy loaded onto the truck (I watched). Here’s a collage of the capture and the final delivery to our driveway.

Note both side windows lock and open, just as the rear. The fellow with the blue shirt is from whom we bought it, and John is in view looking in the back window (opened). The windows are backed with a sturdy metal grid to protect theft by breaking the windows. We need to get some help wiring the electric lights inside, and making the brake lights show too. There are special clamps to hold truck-caps to pickup beds but we don’t have any. We used C-clamps such as would be used with wood things (glue A to B), as a temporary fix. Another thing for the to-do list.

Above top is the cemetery on the east side of Soap Lake, …
History of Soap Lake, WA
… with a lovely display of large U.S. flags around the entire edge of the property. I took that picture coming east on Cty. Road 20 which was about 250 yards away. The contours are hay and the spigot sticking down on the top right is from a center pivot irrigation system. The wind turbines are along I-90, on our way home. There were interesting clouds all around and northeast of where we got the canopy storms were reported near the small community of Odessa. We had lunch in Ephrata.

Tuesday, May 26

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

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

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

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

Wednesday, May 27

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

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

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

When I drove in, I knew I needed to be sure my windows were closed. The cottonwood trees are sending snow-like seeds all over the area. Below is a collage of a female tree near our house.

Note the image on the left is the entire tree, and the one on the right is a zoomed-in view of the top left of the tree’s hanging seedpods.

Next is evidence of the wind-blown snow-like dispersal.

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

Thursday, May 28

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

John spent much of the morning trying to get the chimney separated from the wood stove. First, he climbed into the attic to pull from there, but that did not work. Then he got up on the roof and pulled the cap and 2 sections of the double-walled flue. The parts above the roof are seriously weathered after 35 years.

On my way to town, I stopped and picked up two more free 5-gallon buckets. They are nice with good lids. The free part is good too. We can store a few in case someone needs one. Otherwise, they apparently will go into the trash.

Today, we are at Hearthstone for entertaining, and at the end, I delivered a jet stream oven to a friend. She has no kitchen and only a hot plate and Crock pot. We don’t use this (it’s neat, but requires a lot of counter space and time). This will be a nice gift to the gal that gave us the toolbox for our truck – which now is off while the canopy top is on. So another project is a rack with a pulley or some other rigging to make them changeable – with ease.
We got the Jet Stream Oven a few years ago at a clearance sale at REI in Seattle. It works but seems like a lot of bother for us when we have a complete kitchen.

While playing today (with many players: Bass fiddle, viola, violin, maracas, tambourine, banjo, 5 guitars, and a resonator), we found more errors needing fixed in the music. This is getting old, because I’m the one in charge of putting out the song sheets. I thought we had one all fixed yesterday, but today there were more complaints and chord change requests. I even had to change the key on one song and the timing on another from 4/4 to 3/4. Thank goodness for my SongWriter software to assist me.

Came home and found John had moved out the old (1980s) wood stove. He got it on to a piece of plywood and then used rollers from an old broom handle. Amazing … truly. At the moment it is on pallets – soon, but not real soon, it will get rolled into the back of the pickup.

Worked on music and clean-up around the patio door the wood stove came out through. He put the horses in the backyard to thin the tall grass before mowing. I got a picture of the stove and 3 horses in the same photo, but the best one was the youngest horse, Breeze. He is the one most intent on finding weak places in the temporary fence, but looks quite happy.

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

Friday, May 29

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

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

***Fleece.

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

Saturday, May 30

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

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

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

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

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Saturday, May 16

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

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

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

Sunday, May 17

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

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

I had him take along the backpack I had been given, and found on line the description of the contents. My friend in Alabama in Emergency management was interested in the description in last week’s blog, and wanted pictures. This was a lot easier and more professionally done than I could have. Besides, John had it with him, in North Bend, WA.

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

New subject: I sent a request with the left photo below in the collage to the Buy Nothing Ellensburg group, on Facebook. I want a sturdy bag to carry these vintage Maracas for a list member I met through here to join our music group. These fantastic musical instruments are members of our family – Ha ha – I’ve no idea where I got them but think, maybe a garage sale about 20 years ago! So I am not offering them; just loaning and they need protected. Overall size is 8″ x 8″ x 4″. From a web search, we think the origin of these is pre-Castro, when Cuba was a tourist destination.

Heather JB first came through with a lovely purple box but then when I met her, she had found a two-sided padded pocket purse you can see in the right pix, with the Maracas in it. It’s sitting on a carrying bag, I found on the free table at the Senior Center. So we’re all set for Larae to join our group.

I also wrote about a friend, Muriel, that needs support for cancer treatment. I asked if anyone knew of organizations that would donate funds for cancer treatments. The “buy-nothing” site moderators take such requests down but, in this case, it was up long enough that the wife of a former student who survived cancer wrote me an answer, which I passed along to my friend’s family. Muriel will have to be in Seattle for 3 months and needs at least $32,000 over what insurance will cover.
My prime motive in this next bit is to show the ways folks can think of to waste money when there is much real need elsewhere.
I took some pictures (below) of my gift awarded for 50 years membership in the Association of American Geographers. Sorry AAG, but this is a waste. John reminded me of another waste from our government. We haven’t figured a way to re-purpose the holder from the AAG, but we will re-purpose the nice oak frame, from the other certificate. I will show the frame when I reuse it on a pretty matted photo. Now, you just get the collage of the two “honors” with which I’m not impressed. The oak framed certificate is thanks for my evaluating information on their jobs site about jobs that advertise need of a geographer (and they wanted my opinion what geographers are able to do). They sent me $40 and a cute clock after my first submission. The clock sits on top of our refrigerator and the microwave oven has a clock. So does the conventional oven. I could put the cute one in another room but it is not needed in any of them.

The AAG packet was mailed for $7.15, because I could not be at the Chicago annual meeting. I would have gotten a free luncheon. You can see the certificate for 50 years membership in the Association of American Geographers, in a leather-like carrier. In between the carrier and the framed certificate is a nice gold name tag with my full name, the AAG on top and FIFTY YEAR MEMBER on it. I think I will wear it to the End of Year Geography Department party this year, because most of the students no longer know me, with my being gone for 5 years. As for the wood frame, money, and clock from the U. S. Department of Labor, the term “befuddle” comes to mind.
NOTE: the blur on the images above in the upper right, kinda a light spot. That’s been happening recently in all my photographs the past couple of months. I finally thought to look at the lens, and then told John, who cleaned it with a special eye glass microfiber cloth. NOW – my pictures are okay again. Thank you, my fixer-upper John.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tuesday, May 19

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

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

Wednesday, May 20

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

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

Thursday, May 21

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

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

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

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

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

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

Then go to Google Earth and type in: 47.43425, -121.61193 search, with the photos button on. There are good views from this hillside; click on the little photo icons. Zoom out to see the region, just 38 miles from Seattle.

Mt. Si in the background as all the crew leaders lift their hats to Crew Leader College. You can see John in the lower right, sitting on the ground. His glass lenses have the automatic darkening feature in bright sun.

Friday, May 22

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

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

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

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

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

Below are photos of the storm in Yakima/Selah/Ellensburg last night. Most of the flooding and heavy rainfall was in Selah, and the pictures were taken by residents in all towns, including Moxee. I snagged them from the Internet. The flooding (lower right) is First Street, in Selah, where we just were on Monday.

Heard from John at 4:30 that he is at Hyak and the Interstate is totally stopped all four lanes, we guess from people leaving the Seattle area for points east. As I-90 approaches the Cascade Crest on the west side at Snoqualmie Pass there are 4 lanes heading east. After starting down the east slope, one lane goes away and then another. This 4 lanes to 2 in less than 5 miles is usually not a big deal, but on Fridays of a holiday weekend all 4 lanes fill for miles as folks leave the Puget Sound region. He still made it home by 6:00; only about ½ hour delay.

Saturday, May 23

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

Having trouble again, uploading my SpO2 data. John’s working loading the pickup, and today, sometime, we need to deliver some things to Thorp. He finished and we left a little after 3:00. Below are captures of some of our activities, described beneath the photos.

This is topped by the scene of my visit to the cattle to meet the 14 British Whites–(those white, or black & white, are that breed. The ones with color are a higher % Angus): steers, heifers, cows, and bull, and to view their new irrigation system. The bottom two above, are related to the reason for our visit. Bottom left is their chicken coop (with nesting boxes facing us) that they wanted to add metal roofing over chip-board. The right is the back of our pickup with the sheets of aluminum roofing from our old barn, and an old (but new condition) small refrigerator for their storing eggs. It used to be in my old office on campus, but when I moved office location in 2008, it was no longer needed because we had a departmental refrigerator in our workroom. The refrigerator belonged to me, and we now have no need for it.

Above, top left, are John and Larry, unloading the metal roofing. The top right is of our drive along the Yakima River. The bottom left shows several of the large cumulus clouds filling the valley, and the bottom right is of a Lahar along Hwy 10.
For a more geologic explanation by Nick Zentner, CWU Geologist, check this link: (I had not seen this one before, and it has Tom Tabbert, mentioned in last week’s blog, flying his trike over it, up state highway 10, along the Yakima River we drove along today on our way to Thorp).

Our Lahar

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

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

For dinner, no surprise here, we had baked salmon from the Icicle River.

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

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Sunday, May 10 Mother’s Day

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

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

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

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

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

Monday, May 11

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

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

Tuesday, May 12

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

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

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

Wednesday, May 13

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

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

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

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

Thursday, May 14

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

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

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

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

Friday, May 15

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

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

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

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

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John

Still on the Naneum Fan