Keeping track

Monday, Jan 30

For Jan 29 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.91. Events: 5 H, 14 RERA. Time on 5 hrs 28 min with (max = 15 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 82, 13 events <88% with overall avg., 91.7%. Pulse avg. 53.9, low 50.

I finished letters for Elaine Glenn for nomination of her for CWU’s Distinguished Non-tenure Track Teaching Award. She is quite deserving and I certainly hope the process works in her favor. I created one and provided a copy of one with updates for Morris Uebelacker from 2013.

Today, I spent a lot of time working on the jobs list, birthdays, and things we have not been able do without an Internet connection. We still are limping along hoping to get a new modem installed this week.

Front yard activity of the day. John saw our Rascal in the Mountain Ash tree above the bird feeder. No chance he’d be able to capture one, but to get him out, John went to the front door and called him in. He came and was rewarded with cheese bits.

Cruel Clever Cat:

Sally, having swallowed cheese,
Directs down holes the scented breeze,
Enticing thus with baited breath
Nice mice to an untimely death.

{Geoffrey Taylor}

He has not returned, so that’s a good thing. We keep the cats around and appreciate them for their mousing prowess.

Tuesday, Jan 31

For Jan 30 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI 3.16. Events: 1 CSR, 18 H, 2 OA, 2 PP, 12 RERA. Time on 6 hrs 20 min with (max = 23 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 81, 2 events <88% with overall avg., 91.8%. Pulse avg. 53.6, low 50.

I succeeded yesterday in charging my old smaller camera (Casio Exilim) so I could videotape with a lot less bandwidth. Today, I took all the old pictures from the 16 Gig SD card, so it is ready to use. I will be able to store movies in a small enough bandwidth to pass them through wetransfer.com as an emailed file, and even send them to YouTube, which I cannot do with 30 minutes recorded on my Nikon camera (those are almost 4 gigs). I took a movie of the bird feeder today, and a couple of pictures, just to be sure it was working properly. One photo caught one of the deer jumping the fence to eat sunflower seeds from beneath the bird feeder. Most animals, including the pheasant, just walk in the open front gate (during wintertime). Pheasant shares with the quail and deer inside and outside the fence. Right photo shows a doe jumping over the fence. The deer are also raiding our plate of feline hard food at the front door. John now has put 5-gallon buckets all around the entrances to keep the deer out, but allow the cats in. We have 4 feral cats eating our dry food.

Today I went by the bread room for things for friends, on my way to Jazzercise. I stopped off at Safeway for two more dozen eggs on the last day of the lower excellent price as last week. Five people showed up for exercise. On my way home, I picked up two meds for under $10. Nice. One is for my heart and for 3 months is only $5. Why does the other heart medication have to cost over $400 (yet I still do not know what my co-pay will be).

I expected to find out today what my cost was going to be, but Novartis left a message we received late afternoon, by sending a letter to say they had tried several times to reach me by phone, but it was too late to call them on EST. We never had a call from Boston or from Novartis registered on our Caller ID, or a message left last week at all.

I spent some time tonight helping report a stolen identity of a former student (on Facebook). A former student, now in Texas, had done the same favor for me when my ID was stolen several years ago. Knowledge comes from someone requesting you to be their “friend.” If you are already a friend, then you know it is bogus. The stealer will say hello, how are you, and proceed to tell you about how they came into a bunch of money, and saw your name on the list of awardees.

Wednesday, Feb 1

For Jan 31 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.93. Events: 2 CSR, 7 H, 7 RERA. Time on 7 hrs 33 min with (max = 20 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 87, 1 events <88% with overall avg., 91.8%. Pulse avg. 52.9, low 50.

I made an early call to Novartis in Boston. I will have to call again for a clarification because after calling the Pharmacy at Group Health with questions about my cost of the co-pay, I received conflicting comments.

I left to pick up Gloria, give her some chocolate chips from our Costco-bulk package, go to the food bank, and play music. Once there we checked the bread room and found something for her and I picked up 6 packages of hamburger rolls to take to the Senior Center for them to use with the hamburgers they are fixing for the Friday potluck. We went there after lunch to SAIL exercise class.

I heard that my heart surgeon, Dr. Sharma, also had to have open-heart surgery (and a double bypass). I called his office in Yakima and found out where to send cards. I am going to make a special card with pictures of three of us who had surgery on our hearts by him, and get it in the mail.

I called in my prescription refill request to my Pharmacy here in Ellensburg, for a month of Entresto, because I will run out of my free 30-day supply on Feb 12, and they have to order a supply ahead. I am the only person in Ellensburg going through that pharmacy for the new heart drug.

Tonight is Nick Zentner’s talk at the city library on Ancient Rivers of the Pacific Northwest. Actually the rivers are the same ones – they just keep moving around. They existed on an ancient landscape that continues to change.

I took my old camera and sadly, I did not have an extra battery, or my newer camera so I missed the last 15-20 minutes of an excellent talk. At least it was being recorded from the back of the room, and will be available in a couple of weeks on the CWU site via YouTube.

Ancient PNW Rivers – chalk board

Part 2: 12 min. of visuals

I came home and ordered an additional SP50 battery while they are still available. I think I have had this camera since the turn of the century, or at least since 2004.

Thursday, Feb 2

For Feb 1 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 1.66. Events: 11 H, 20 RERA. Time on 6 hrs 39 min with (max = 16 L/min). Oximetry: None to report. I exhausted the oximeter’s battery, but charged it all night, so it is ready for tonight.

Rich Lange, Fairpoint technician brought and installed a new modem and fixed our reception and speed “in” (download) to 5K and “out” (upload) to 1K. We were previously half that. I hope this finally gives us the Internet service and WIFI we have been paying for and suffering through outages.

Today was a Fiddlers & Friends play date at the Rehab Center. We had a full room (too much so probably for fire safety rules), of audience mostly in wheelchairs, and a good number of our group there to entertain. Sadly, our lead fiddler was sick and had to stay home. We had our tambourine lady, banjo man, three guitar guys, a resident (previously our accordionist), harmonica fellow, fiddler, and flute playing gal with her daughter dancing and drawing a color crayon picture for a favorite resident who loves her and calls her by name (Haley), when she arrives. His name is Mac. He had a stroke and can no longer read, but he knows all the words, sings along, and applauds our songs. In fact, today, he met me at the front door and opened it to welcome me. His wife comes down for every one of our performances from Cle Elum and helps me by handing out and picking up the song sheets. People are in such bad shape there (it is an acute care center), that only 4 or 5 can sing along with the booklet of lyrics. We gave a good presentation. I was able to visit with my old roommate from there (in 2010). Her name is Mae, and she is 95. I also visited with a friend I knew through the Kittitas Valley Trail Riders club. She used to follow our group to events around town, and has continued, while now at the Rehab facility. She loved our Johnny Cash song, “I’ll Walk the Line,” because her husband sang it to her early in their relationship (he has since passed on).

On my way home I stopped by the bread room and picked up some angel food cake loaves to go with the pound of pound cake we are taking to the Super Bowl party at the senior center tomorrow (topped with our own strawberries from the freezer). They were also giving away small apples and I was asked to take some. I brought home 14# (they have to weigh for their records). We have eaten or given away all the Gala and HoneyCrisp apples we previously had from picking across the valley, and gave away most of the recent Fuji apples given to us.

I turned around and drove back to town with John to the Science II building on the CWU campus for an IAF lecture. I took my old camera with a newly charged battery, and managed to record all 1 hr and ten minutes !! Here it is below:First People of the Americas (as revealed by their skeletal remains) by James Chatters [left most above – red shirt, with Nick Zentner, CWU Geologist.] [CWU Anthropology Prof. Steve Hackenberger, right, waiting to introduce Jim]

BONES

You can look up James Chatters on Wikipedia, if you do not recall knowing of him regarding his research on Kennewick man. This evening he used research from several places of North & Central America.

Friday, Feb 3

For Feb 2 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 3.53. Events: 4 CSR, 12 H, 2 OA, 7 RERA. Time on 3 hrs 58 min with (max = 16 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 79, 19 events <88% with overall avg., 92.7%. Pulse avg. 53.9, low 47.

I contacted the Kittitas County Public Health Department and am scheduled for Tuesday, 1/7, at 3:30 for a Shingles Shot for $23 to cover paper processing costs. Cash or check, or there’s an extra fee to use a credit card.
Here you can read the full press release about a free (considering the pharmacy price is over $200) shot that only costs $23:
Free Shingles Vaccine

John and I went to a Super Bowl party today at the Senior Center. It was just a normal first Friday of the month potluck, but people were supposed to wear sports-related clothes. I wore my Seattle Seahawks baseball cap, and the colors, white, blue, green, and yellow. John (seen later) wore his Phillies jacket, red, white, and blue. His was the only special thing insofar as others frequently wear hats or something with the Seattle teams logos. If Nancy had had anything with Atlanta on it, she would have worn it.

We took our potluck offering, a large platter of sliced pound cake and angel food cake with a pound and a half of our own homegrown (and frozen) strawberries. It was a success. The pound cake is around the bowl of strawberries, and the angel food cake surrounds the edges. We carried 4 bags of strawberries, in 8-ounce bags. We only brought 1 bag home, and perhaps only 1/4 of all the cake. I was the photographer, because the staff and volunteers were busy cooking and serving. Therefore, I did not get in any of the pictures, but if you want to see all the photos I took, check on Facebook next week for the page for “Ellensburg Adult Activity Center”. The AmeriCorps gals will post the pictures I took.

Saturday, Feb 4

For Feb 3 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 2.62. Events: 1 CSR, 1 CA, 15 H, 1 OA, 3 PP, 20 RERA. Time on 7 hrs 15 min with (max = 22 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 87, 1 event <88% with overall avg., 93.0%. Pulse avg. 54.8%, low 49.

I went to a neat birthday party at the Hoffman’s home for Noella Wyatt’s 64th. The theme was cats with a Crazy Cat Lady cake. We were served lasagna, salad, and bread with the culminating large piece of cake. The decoration chocolates went home with the birthday gal. Each of the participants took home some lasagna and a large piece of cake. Our servings were large because John was included.Noella Wyatt with cake, photo left by Nancy Hoffman, and ones on right by me of the cake. Note from the back of the sofa, the litter of chocolate cats, and others all over, and under the cake. Notice the very clever scratching marks on the sofa’s right side, middle lower right photo. Even the sofa is edible.

Sunday, Feb 5

For Feb 4 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI=1.10. Events: 1 CSR, 9 H, 20 RERA. Time on 8 hrs 13 min with (max = 17 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 87, 2 events <88% with overall avg., 92.1%. Pulse avg. 55.5, low 51.

We awoke to snow, but only a little over an inch. It is still snowing, and John has finished the morning chores. About 2:00 p.m., he went back out to feed the horses, it started snowing harder, and now at almost 6:00 p.m., it is snowing hard with bigger flakes. At this rate, our total is going to be over the 1 to 3 inches that was forecast for today. During the night they first thought another 2 to 4 inches; now saying 3 to 5. Are we not blessed? I am glad my dental appointment was canceled, as I will be able to stay home.

I need to get this over to John for his editing and putting into WordPress for publishing. Then I need to get to work on finishing cropping all the photos I took Friday to email them to the AAC to have awaiting them when they arrive at 8:00 a.m. (or sooner).
I fixed cat food today for 3 cats, and await Sue to come to the front door for her dinner. She might stay at a neighbor’s barn and catch a mouse.
I must begin work on Johnny Cash’s “Forty Shades of Green” to add to the playlist for Irish songs for our group’s playlist for March and April.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Monday, Jan 9

For Jan 8 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.59. Events: 2 CSR, 4 H, 8 RERA. Time on 6 hrs 44 min with (max = 21 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 71 spurious at start, actual low, 87, on the graphic chart, 3 events <88% with avg., 91.5%. Pulse avg. 55.0, low 50.

We called David H. last night to cancel Myst’s hoof trimming because of the cold and snow. Need to reschedule when the weather is better.

What a great New Year’s Gift! Our neighbor, Allen Aronica, appeared in our driveway with this tractor and blade and made 4-5 swipes to clean out a lot of snow. We always appreciate his help, but this timing was perfect so we can get out to go to the cardiologist tomorrow. This is the second time this winter he has plowed our 300′ driveway and the area near our parked cars. Later this week he made a third run, and plowed out three, or more) other neighbors. John cleans up a bit (1%) after Allen does the 99%.
On the left he has backed up to my blue Forester (John has provided a 4 ft. space for Allen to set the blade into). Check out the video below of his third swipe.John Deere Green in the Drive

I also talked with our leader of the retired geographers and we canceled tomorrow morning’s meeting. I sent emails but then called people in case they did not see their email. This was part weather related and part some folks not able to come.

I think I have corrected all the music for Thursday.

Tuesday, Jan 10

For Jan 9 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.42. Events: 3 H, 9 RERA. Time on 7 hrs 13 min with mask leakage at start. Oximetry: SpO2 low 54 spurious, actual low, 84, was off CPAP; 25 events <88% with avg., 91.3%. Pulse avg. 57.8, low 50.

I rewrote my blood pressure readings for the previous week for Kim’s (heart doc) requested history.

Talked with our Northwestern Mutual representative at the main office in Spokane, because our old rep and friend retired in Idaho. We want to have her send us annual reports at the first of the year, as we were used to receiving.

We were scheduled to leave about Noon to get 50 miles to Costco and lunch before arriving at the Yakima Heart Center (YHC) for a 2:40 check-in.

At 10:27, John was still out doing chores, in the snow, and I received a call from the YHC scheduler, asking if I could arrive earlier because of a cancellation of a 12:40 p.m. appt because of snow. I still had to shower, but I told her we were over an hour away and we would do our best to make it. We did. I drove both ways. It snowed nicely until we were almost there. We got in the examination room before noon, and the nurse gave me an ECG, took my vitals, and other info. My blood pressure was okay (130/80), considering I had driven through some bad patches of snow on the Interstate, and found a main thoroughfare (16th Avenue) closed that we had to detour around in Yakima without the benefit of any detour signs. It is not a nice even grid system in that part of town. John read later there was a water line break.

My doctor arrived about 1:00 and we started through all his concerns by reviewing my Pulmonary Function Test (PFT), my labs, and my fasting lab in Nov. Not all reports had arrived to my file, but I had copies of several (the PFT and the fasting one from my primary care physician). We were interrupted for about 25 minutes, while he had to consult with a PA about a patient that needed his observation and diagnosis, and several more issues. We continued when he returned, and he examined me. Everything was fine. He has been concerned about the medications I’m on for my heart’s health. The reason for the PFT test is to measure my lung diffusion ratio, and mine could use some improvement. We have decided that I should have the test at an interval less than a year as it has been. I felt the last one in December ’16 was too close to my getting over a cough that lasted 4 weeks and kept me home to get well. He agreed and I will be having another test in April. I am on Amiodarone therapy, which can scar my lungs, but I have successfully been on it since 2010, and I am not a good candidate for the replacement drug.

We also discussed the heart medication I have been on for a couple of years, Telemisartan (generic) for Micardis. He has been following the literature on a new drug, Entresto, which is a combination of two drugs, Sacubitril (24 mg) and Valsartan (26 mg). [That’s actually half-n-half, going by the number of molecules.] Dr. Kim is convinced that while it is an expensive drug, he recommends it for me because it will make me feel better now for my activities (not that I have any complaints), and it will prolong my life. How can one say no to that statement? The frustration is, I am being taken off a heart medication that was previously thought to be superior for my case, and we were slowly increasing the dosage to reach the amount shown in cases to prolong life. That medication (mentioned above) was very expensive and my insurance was not covering it sufficiently. I could get it less expensively at a different pharmacy by paying cash and not going through my insurance company (Group Health). The other frustration was that I did not know of this possibility of change, and I had just last week bought 135 tablets of the Micardis. Oh, well. My Dr. said, “Just keep it, in case your body will not tolerate this new one.” I have to watch out for a blood pressure over 140 (systolic) and not less than 100. I need to be aware of my potassium level, and if I experience shortness of breath or flu-like symptoms, I am to go to the ER. Well, that is a bit scary. I am to leave off the Micardis for 2 days, and start taking the Entresto Thursday morning. The cardiologist’s nurse gave me a week’s supply.

We had another interruption while visiting with the doctor. He was paged from the hospital’s Critical Care unit about one of his patients there. He managed that with us in the room. It was a fascinating dialogue. He returned to dictating our discussion of the day, and answering my questions. He is always very patient with all our discussions and John and I both are involved. I always receive a copy of his comments, mailed to me by the transcriptionist.

He finally called in the nurse to go over the new medication with us, and said his adieus, but not before saying he wants me to come back in a month to see how I’m doing on the new drug. I looked at my watch and realized he was with us (including the interruptions) for 2 hours. That is a record. Previously, he has spent normally an hour every visit, and at the most I think we were with him previously was for 1.5 hrs.

When we left, we still had to go to Costco, and we never had eaten lunch. John had packed along two large chocolate chip/nut cookies, a Snickers bar, and Pepsis, so we nibbled on the way home. The snow started hard while we were in with the doctor. Our car was covered when we went out. I drove for the return trip too. First stop was Costco to fill my car, and it was $2.49/gal., which is 9¢/gal cheaper than Ellensburg. Then we went inside and bought over $200 worth of long-term products and some groceries. The ‘Tax’ software was the biggest single item.

I returned a $9 pair of slippers (good) and we forgot a $9 pizza (bad) that got put on the bottom rack under the basket. We came upon slowing traffic and could see it stopped way out in front. I managed to get to the off ramp for the downtown exit and we went around (whatever it was) via city streets and back to I-82 at the Selah Gap. We thought we might have to drive through Selah to enter the freeway farther north, but we were able to re-enter where Hwy 12 comes in from the west. The trip home was complicated by snow blowing across the road making some icy spots. I slowed down considerably. We were getting snow/icy rain all the way home for the last 25 miles. Finally, we made it safely home at 6:00 p.m. in the dark. A couple of cats were waiting to be fed, and our dog was happy to greet us. The horses had been preemptively fed – hay left for them in several places so John only had to unload some of the items from the car.

My cell phone stopped working today. It will not hold a charge, and when it is charged, it will not dial a number, even where I am close to a tower. The Consumer Cellular folks think it is the SIM card, and I think it is the battery.

Wednesday, Jan 11

For Jan 10 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.35. Events: 2 H, 9 RERA. Time on 5 hrs 47 min with (max = 20 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 % low on a 54 spurious start; actual low, 84, avg. low was 89.1, 25 events <88% with overall avg., 91.3%. Pulse avg. 57.8, low 50.

Today was another cold day. I picked up Gloria and her sister and we went to the Food Bank to sing and eat, and on to the SAIL exercise class at the Ellensburg Adult Activity Center. We stopped at Grocery Outlet on the way home, and they got some stuff they needed. Gloria brought me some of her homemade peanut butter cookies.

John checked the web and gave me some links to the Novartis Pharmaceutical Corporation site about my new medication. The company is in Boston, MA, so getting through to the Eastern Time Zone could not happen until tomorrow. Meanwhile, I studied their website and found some programs I am interested in, and for which I will apply. One is a free 30-day supply (one time only) of the new medication. Second is an application for a cash rebate on the price for a month’s supply (60 tablets), when paid for through my insurance. It costs me $10 to use the system to apply $100 off the price. In order to qualify for both I have to download and fill out an Enrollment Form for the ENTRESTO Central Patient Support Program. To speed up the process, I could FAX it to Boston. I cannot FAX, so I filled in the form, printed it, along with both sides of my Group Health insurance card, and took it to my pharmacist on Thursday afternoon to send in with the prescription.

We do not yet know the cost to me, but the normal cost ranges from $400 to $500 per month. I hope to know by Tuesday with a telephone call from Boston, MA.

I am happy John found this support. The folks at the Yakima Heart Center were not aware of it, so I sent all the details via email to my cardiologist’s nurse so that they can give that information to anyone else put on the drug. There is one other opportunity for help with the cost of the drug for people in financial need. We do not qualify for that, but it is nice the company provides the option.

I did not have time today to worry about the cell phone problems.

Thursday, Jan 12

For Jan 11 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.34. Events: 2 CSR, 2 H, 13 RERA. Time on 5 hrs 51 min with (max = 16 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 87, 5 events <88% with avg., 91.3%. Pulse avg. 56.5, low 51.

This morning, I dealt with the drug cost reduction request and my cell phone.

I called the pharmaceutical company in Boston and learned that they had received my application this morning that was FAXed yesterday afternoon. At least the process has begun, and they will call me Tuesday with the determination of in network pharmacy vs. out of network pharmacy costs to me.

I also called Oregon about my cell phone problems. We went through several “shocks” to the system but it failed to kick in. They suggested I move to a place in Ellensburg and they would try again. I carried it and John’s cell phone with me to check this afternoon after we finish our music.

Before I change the SIM card in my phone I have to record all the numbers in my cell phone onto hard copy. I have started that process, but have many to go. I have over 500 numbers in my phone! Thankfully, it will keep a charge long enough for me to work on the number retrieval.

We play at the Meadows today, and John is coming along with me to buy groceries and animal feed while I am inside playing music. I handed out the new music for Jan/Feb. We had a turnout of 10 with two new players, one on the harmonica and the other on guitar. We only had two fiddlers there today. The rest of the group was playing guitars. One of our guitar players will be gone for at least 3 weeks for knee surgery.

I attempted calling the cell phone place, and it did not work. The alternative was to go to a Target store to buy a new SIM card. The closest Target store is 50 miles away. She then asked if we had a Sears store. They will reimburse me for the changed SIM card cost ($10). We went by our small local Sears on the way home, and I bought one, but as of yet, I have not been able to put it in my phone, because the new one will not fit. She said they would send me a new one (but if I cannot make the Sears one get into the slot, I will not get a credit). The other one coming is free, in the mail. I plan to continue recording numbers, try to fit the Sears one in the phone, and if it does not fit into my old flip phone, I will wait for the new one to arrive in the mail after Monday’s holiday.

Friday, Jan 13

For Jan 12 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.12. Events: 1 H, 12 RERA. Time on 8 hrs 20 min with (max = 12 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 89, 0 events <88% with avg., 92.1%. Pulse avg. 59.2, low 52. This was a good night, probably the best in months.

Our temperature was -7°F here last night and it was -12 at the airport (located 5 miles down valley).Our full moon has been lovely, and this morning’s sunrise skies were beautiful with pastel colors, but I did not get my picture of the moon before it went behind the trees, so I will show you, but you best get the wonderful views from the Seattle area.
People in Seattle have cameras

Here are my shots this morning, only of the sunrise:Left is our backyard view where the moon is setting behind the trees, and right is out the front door.
See tomorrow’s blog below for the full moon a day later.

John just came in and said the water to the horse trough was not functioning. It is almost full, but he took some water out to add, and the heater is still keeping the water in it from freezing. The heater has to stay submerged. I guess that is what many hours of “minus” temperatures causes. But more below.

I called and found that my paperwork to Novartis had made it, but they will not have a decision until next Tuesday or Wednesday about the cost of my prescription using my insurance.

I called the Cardiopulmonary Services at KVH Hospital to check on an appointment for me in April. I need to have a work order sent to them by my cardiologist. I wrote an email to my cardiologist’s nurse requesting she do that.

We stayed home today.

Saturday, Jan 14

For Jan 12 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.50. Events: 1 CSR, 4 H, 19 RERA. Time on 8 hrs 2 min with (max = 22 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 44 spurious, actual low, 89, 0 events <88% with avg., 92.6%. Pulse avg. 56.4, low 50.

These were my views of the morning’s slightly less than full moon viewed out the back patio door, where I missed photographing it the past couple of days.Compare to the link given above for yesterday from KOMONEWS (in Seattle) of the beautiful full moon.

Travel to town was scheduled – despite the cold. It was only 4° when we got to Ellensburg. It was warmer at our elevation.

The first visit was to a friend from my past and present, Trinity Turner. I have known her mother for 25 years (through fiddling). She is now a student at CWU (in the Geography Dept.), and when classes do not conflict, she plays fiddle with our group visiting nursing homes. Small world. She was giving this desk away on the Free Box site on Facebook, and I asked John if he could use it for his computer and our moved router. He figured he could, so I asked for it, and she was happy to give to a friend. It had been given to her. We got the measurements and John figured we could fit it into the back of my Subaru with the back seats pushed down. It is 56.5″ high, about 3′ wide, and about 17″ deep.It is still in the back of my car, along with 80 pounds of Black Oil Sunflower seeds in 20# bags that were on sale (through the end of January) at Ace Hardware. Buy one at $15.99 and get one free. John has now removed the sunflower seeds.
Maybe on Monday, the cart.

I picked up my one med (cheaper, $5.00) at Super 1 Pharmacy. I wish all my pills were that price. This is for 3 months of Spironolact, one pill daily.

Today we bought a heat tape for our horse trough pipe and the temps went up enough that John got a pencil trickle, left it open, went to feed the horses, and when he returned, the pencil-thin stream had rid the stand-pipe of the ice and it was in full gush. He has wrapped the pipe with a plastic tarp, then mounded wood chips and snow to keep the minus air off. Later he will install the heat tape in proper fashion. We are, in fact, a bit warmer now but a major change will not occur until Tuesday.

We also picked up a package for a gal in town who lives near us, delivered it, and in return she is giving me a sheet I can spread over my recliner. The flannel sheet I have had has worn threadbare, with holes in the part over the right arm of the chair. I cannot pick up the sheet until next week when I drive by her house from town on my way home.

Sunday, Jan 15

For Jan 14 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.96. Events: 1 CSR, 8 H, 19 RERA. Time on 8 hrs 21 min with (max = 21 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 82 spurious at start, actual low, 87, the 1 event <88% with overall avg., 92.6%. Pulse avg. 58.1, low 52.

We just spent a lovely 20 minutes on the phone with John’s cousin Ethel and her daughter Pat in Brookville, PA. Ethel is 98, still living by herself, but goes for Sunday lunch to her daughter’s, when the weather is not too icy for walking. They had temperatures in the thirties today and not much snow. We are at 18.5° now with a little snow occurring.

John made Crockpot candy (Chocolate, Almond Bark, and dry roasted peanuts) today. The ingredients were left from many months ago – and it was time for them to be used.

Late afternoon, we had a call from Jeri Conklin reporting on our co-owned dog, Daisy, in CA. She and her husband were returning from a Vizsla field trial, where her new trainer had run her in an Open Limited Gun Dog stake. Jeri was able to ride along on one of her trainer’s horses.

Here is the story in her own words when she sent the pictures below (and more) on Facebook:
“Today was one of those days when you get to go out and see your child who has been at a trainers for three weeks! Daisy ran in the OLGD this morning at the Vizsla trial – and it was so good to see her so happy! She was confident on her point and the flush was above and beyond as she stood still as a rock. She and Scott have come a long way in a short time and I can only think their relationship will get better and better. The old Daisy was gone and the Daisy Bug that I knew was in there came out in full bloom today. Perhaps her time away from the field made all the difference, she was definitely “hungry” to be out there again and that was very evident. She didn’t place, but she had a gorgeous forward run, sharp/clean bird work – couldn’t ask for more. Thank you Scott for a great job, well done. Here are a few pictures to share with Nancy B. Hultquist and others.”
My choice of photos Jeri took today. First, our Happy DAYSeee gal has returned: (the sparkle is back in her eyes at the end of the run today).Now for a peek at today’s action in California at the Vizsla field trial for Cedaridge Kip’s Camelot Shay Tre’ JH (call name Daisy), co-owned by Nancy with Jeri Conklin in Lancaster, CA. The timing for the trial was good. CA is getting hit with rain and/or snow in great amounts, but today was between storms. Friend Sonja with horses and dogs, in South Lake Tahoe, is up to her keister in snow. The Tahoe area has power outages and washed out roads. At the line, wetting down and ready for the breakaway.Daisy on point, with judge’s boot blocking her face. Holding and turning to watch the flush, made her head visible.
{John says: The judge rode in too close to a dog on point. Unless that’s a camera effect.}Scott Azevedo wetting her down after the find before finishing the stake, and on the right, in the “spa” at the end of her run. Look at the water droplets in each photo.

Thank you Jeri for such wonderful coverage of such a happy day in the field. Placements will return. She is back with us. Thanks for all your hard work bringing back her spirit.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Monday, Jan 2

For Jan 1 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.00. Events: 1 CSR, 0 H, 19 RERA. Time on 6 hrs 55 min with (max = 14 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 83 spurious, actual low, 87, is all I see on the graphic chart, 2 events <88% with avg., 91.8%. Pulse avg. 55.4, low 47.

We finally published last week’s blog late afternoon. It had too much in it, but I did not have time to make a web page for the Raclette this year, and put it all in the blog instead.

Before noon, I requested information from the music group about who could print their own or how many I had to Xerox copy. Now I know about how many to run, but need to make a list and number the order of songs on my master.

Whoopee! Tonight about 7:00 p.m., I found my heavy-duty masks (graded N-95) for wearing when John is adding wood to the stove and leaking actual smoke into the room. The masks were safely put in my back bathroom medicine cabinet, but I did not remember for 3 days into this year.

Tuesday, Jan 3

For Jan 2 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.24. Events: 1 H, 7 RERA. Time on 4 hrs 15 min with (max = 16 L/min). Oximetry: Battery ran out after 55 minutes.

I figured out the numbers of pages to set up, and the cost of the copies. Some folks want it printed differently, so I have to make several different runs and a smaller run for additions of the new music to the audience copies. I carried the master, instructions, a ream of paper, and the money for printing. I went by for a blood draw at the hospital, needed for the appt with my cardiologist next Tuesday. By the time I got home, our nurse had called and given John my INR reading (2.3, within desired range).

After that, I participated in Jazzercise, and we had two new people join our class of four. They are a couple. We have never had any men in this class. We have men in the SAIL exercise class.

From there, because Tuesday is check-# day, I was off to Bi-Mart and then back home to assemble music pages, so I can deliver two copies tomorrow.

Wednesday, Jan 4 Happy Birthday to John !!!

For Jan 3 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 1.56. Events: 7 H, 9 RERA. Time on 4 hrs 29 min with (max = 16 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low spurious 56 while taking off mask, 15 events <88% with avg. 91.3%. 6 with CPAP on; 9 without CPAP, and have lower values of Sp02; Pulse avg. 56.1, low 47.

Below is the graphic evidence that the CPAP helps control my SpO2 (percentage of saturated oxygen going to my organs while I sleep). It still goes below 88% when on the machine, but more so when off. I went to the food bank today, but skipped SAIL exercise class today to run errands so I could get back in time for a much-needed haircut. I stopped by for some sunflower seeds at Ace Hardware that John wanted (on a good sale – buy one bag, get one free). The fellow before me had just bought the last 4 bags, so they will have more in this Friday, will reserve 4 bags for me, and call us. (That did not occur; we went by Friday to no avail because while they had been shipped in, they’d not yet taken them from the back storage area). I went by our car mechanic (Seth Motors now run by the grandson, Justin Seth) also to pick up 2017 calendars for John (his request), and while there he gave me two baseball hats for us and another carrying bag with their name on the side. [When first in EBRG and still giving blood, John met Grandfather Seth – a volunteer providing a steady hand and a glass of orange juice.] I also went by Super 1 for some sale items, and on the way home, I went by Bi-Mart for more of the reduced price canned cat food. All this rushing around, was caused by wanting to make it back home to leave my violin inside in the warmth, and bring in the groceries, so that I could head over a mile to get my haircut at 3:00 p.m. That happened, and I had a nice visit with Celia and Bobby Winingham and viewed their local contingent of backyard deer.

They had a couple of bucks and about 15 deer they were giving “cob” {corn/oats/barley} to, and while I don’t have a photo of them, here is the biggest buck at their place. He is back from previous years. Where’s my dinner (1-4-17) _______ Same buck in 2016 (pix by Celia)

Thursday, Jan 5

For Jan 4 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.66. Events: 1 CSR, 5 H, 11 RERA. Time on 7 hrs 37 min with (max = 22 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 88, 0 events <88% with avg., 92.0%. Pulse avg. 56.2, low 49.

Frustration plus – music problems, sickness at Rehab caused cancellation of our playing activities. Sorry for the folks there. Okay for me as I had changes to make in the last page of The M.T.A. and things to work on with telephone calls to two insurance providers, and my dental providers. We had a misunderstanding of the dental costs, and I already had filled my allowed expenses for 2016 with the implant surgery, so I will have to cover the entire cost of my teeth cleaning in December. Normally every cleaning and X-rays are entirely covered. I’m unhappy about that, but I blame myself for not checking with the dental insurance company. All my coverage went to the two implants (at another dentist’s office).

At 5:00 p.m., the real problem started. I downloaded something from earlier in the day. When I went to answer and compiled an email to send, I found I had no Internet connection. John did. I had him go back and “re-set” and then neither of us had a connection. We fiddled with it and could not make it work again. We now assume the modem failed. The person in town who helped last time works from 8:00 to 5:00. We called the national 24/7 line, but we had already tried all the things we knew he would ask. He could not help us, but had us remove a filter and splitter on the cord line from the wall-outlet to the modem. It did not help. Saddest part of this is our Wireless within the house is not responding without the DSL entry. That means I cannot print from my printer, which means I cannot get an output of the music I need to get to my friend to help me assess the changes. I could have printed and met her in town with it. We are now hoping that John can carry the modem in tomorrow morning, find out it has died, and get another to bring home to plug in.

The rest of the evening, we worked on projects off the computer, and the last thing we did was to put together a casserole of Yukon gold potatoes, similarly thin slices of Acorn squash, grated sharp cheddar cheese, a sauce from a mixture of sour cream, milk, butter, and spices, topped with Parmesan cheese. We will cook in the morning and take to a New Year’s party at the Adult Activity Center.

Ending the day on a happy note — two of our Brittanys in Wisconsin wished their mom a happy birthday and we heard about it on Facebook, after we finally got “connected” to the wired world again. That still a day away.The two on the right are “our” Cedaridge pups, Molly & Tobie. I drove them at 8 wks of age to Spokane and Anna’s hubby Paul flew in from Wisconsin to meet me. He carried them back together in a carrier in the passenger part of the plane. So cool. These are not the first dogs they had from us, but sadly, they will be the last because we are no longer breeding Brittanys, since the last litter in 2010.

Friday, Jan 6

For Jan 5 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.40 Events: 2 H, 3 PP, 12 RERA. Time on 5 hrs 1 min with (max = 19 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 59 spurious, actual was 79 probably also because of on/off switch, 16 events <88% with avg., 91.4%. Pulse avg. 53.6, low 43, probably spurious because my defibrillator keeps my pulse at 50.

It’s a.m. and we are back on Internet from moving the router to the front of house.

Last night it quit and a long call to tech support did not fix it. John moved the router of the telephone cable (DSL) to a different place in the house, but it still did not work. Both the old and new places have a splitter so a line could be connected to a phone and another to the Internet modem.

This morning he pulled the splitter out and plugged the line directly into the wall outlet from the outside phone line. Bingo! In less than 5 seconds, we had the Internet back.
John continues: The second line is now unplugged – and it is the one that connects Nancy’s automated caller to the heart center that monitors her defibrillator and heart function. That’s a once a day call between 2 and 3 in the AM. Thus, fixing that line to a different location is my big problem for the day. Did I mention it is nippy cold here? Nancy here: John rerouted the telephone lines and all my monitors are back – with a long line taped along the wall, around a corner to a hallway, and hanging on “stuff” to the far wall of the (so called) living room. So why did it quit? Some questions do not have answers.

We left for the AAC (Ellensburg senior center)’s New Year’s Party potluck with our two pans of Irish scalloped potatoes, we named Leprechaun Gold. We described the content above. The theme of the party was New Year’s Traditions around the World.

Small review. More pictures will be available on the Ellensburg Adult Activity Center’s Facebook page, where all of mine will be displayed with staff photos. I try to cover the people participating in events while the staff are serving us or conducting games. The young women in two of the pictures are Megan Willwerth and Lauren Healey, working for 10 months as AmeriCorps employees here at the Ellensburg Adult Activity Center. The left photo shows them starting the buffet so they can go serve Black-eyed Pea Soup to the people at the tables. After lunch, they conducted a New Year’s Trivia game for 3 teams (tables) at the party. The questions were in three categories: Facts about New Years, New Year’s Traditions, and 2016 Pop Culture. The last being a topic that we become farther away with each new movie or TV show.Left is the smaller pan of potatoes we took. Middle shows the larger one in front of the woman in the photo. Right shows part of John’s plate, our shared pie, my plate, and my bowl of soup (black-eyed peas with veggies, bacon, and sour cream). Left is Katrina Douglas, Director of the center; right are her parents Dudley & Sharon Kell, whom we met at our table. They have only been in Ellensburg since June, and we told them about the Dudley Bridge over the Yakima River west of EBRG.Left is a photo of a collection of dolls from around the world that belongs to Marion, an AAC member who brought them to display because of the international theme. Right is a photo op of John and me with props, but his sign said 2017, and he didn’t hold it high enough to be seen behind my little New Year’s Hat (also provided by the AAC). The 17 of 2017 is behind my hat. We enjoyed ourselves at the party.

On our way home, we stopped by Super 1 for groceries and I had a nice visit with a friend (Bonnie Clement) I haven’t seen in two years. She was a daily visitor, while I was in the Rehab for 7 weeks in 2010. She would bring her little dog. While we talked, John shopped. Ending the day with a beautiful sunset, shows snow, of which we got at least 2 more inches the next day, and it is still snowing Sunday, as we finalize this treatise. The plan is for 2″ more tonight and then flurries through Wednesday. West of us, in the Cascades, there will be more snow and strong winds. I-90 is open but a mess (Sunday at 3). We need to go south, on I-82, Tuesday about Noon.

Saturday, Jan 7

For Jan 6 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.92. Events: 1 CSR, 8 H, 12 RERA. Time on 8 hrs 40 min with major mask leakage. Oximetry: SpO2 spurious low 78, actual low was 89, 3 events <88% with avg., 92.0%. Pulse avg. 55.0, low 50.

I have been working on this text, on dishes, and fixing the Chorus of the Kingston trio’s song, The M.T.A. It has given us a terrible time trying to replicate the musical score of the song to match the notes and the way the Trio sang it. No one has successfully reproduced a score with notes, chords, and lyrics that matches the original. Musicnotes sells a version on line but it is not correct either. I believe we now have a good rendition, thanks to Evie’s help. If anyone wishes me to send them a pdf of the two pages of the music, please let me know. Just promise not to give it to someone who will charge others for it.

John has been good about letting me know when wildlife is around. Here are pictures of California Quail in the feeder.Left I took from the kitchen window, and then John told me the sun was on them from the bedroom window. The right photo is taken through a dirty window. That’s the next window to clean. Quail live by having a hair-trigger flight plan so I can’t step outside or open a window. Another problem is that all my photos in the blog are low resolution.

About 1:10 p.m., John called my attention to the beautiful Rooster pheasant in our front yard. I got my camera to record him walking around. Glad he came before the heavy snow. John noted the beginning of the snow so brought in wood and kindling to have us well stocked through tomorrow. The wood stove has been going since mid-day December 31. The air is a bit “dry” and we’ve been talking about (procrastinating) fixing that.Pheasant in front yard. Middle picture-see Mt. Ash berry in his mouth, and the right one shows his foot is banded. Check out the Pheasant in the front yard, 1-7-17 video below.

Ringneck Rooster Under the Seed Tree

This is the explanation on line with the video: “Here is our sole pheasant back again for almost 2 minutes in our front yard (on video) – he was there many more minutes. John called me to see him. He has come onto the porch right by our front door for water and to check-out the hard cat food. Here is he nibbling scratch fallen from the bird feeder (see context of feeder in the Mt. Ash tree at 1:51), and you’ll see him going over to eat gravel by the front of our house, under the eaves. Sorry for the bad views from 51 seconds to 1.01 min. I don’t have an easy way of editing out that part of the footage.” Enjoy.

John fixed dinner. He bought a turkey hindquarter (2X) and cooked 1 with onions and mushrooms. He added the remainder of our potatoes we brought back from the party, slices of pineapple, and rounds of Butternut squash. This was such a lovely colorful dinner, I must share a photograph. The color of the onions is preserved in a slow oven. Pineapple is on the left between the squash and our potato creation.

Sunday, Jan 8

For Jan 7 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.99. Events: 1 CA, 7 H, 22 RERA. Time on 8 hrs 7 min with (max = 22 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 82 (spurious), actual low 84, avg. low <88%, 89.7, 11 events <88%, with overall avg., 91.5%. Pulse avg. 54.3, low 49.

Our resident pheasant is back, and snow has covered everything, but he’s digging and finding something. It’s fun to watch him. We are scheduled to have snow all week. I’m not happy about having to travel in the snow to Yakima on Tuesday this week to visit with my cardiologist.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

I will start with a Joyful picture of musical trees that I left out of Christmas Day’s report last week. The image is quite appropriate for me (music and tree removal around our home) this year. It came from a friend of >50 years, Bob Wittick (Michigan), whom we met in Iowa in the late sixties in graduate school. The Cardinal doesn’t make it out to the northwest but we remember them from our “home” states of GA & PA.Monday, Dec 26

For Dec 25 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.59. Events: 5 H, 2 PP, 16 RERA. Time on 8 hrs 25 min with (max = 23 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 86 spurious, 0 events <88% with avg., 92.7%. Pulse avg. 53.5, low 50.

I contacted the members of our music group, because on the 5th Thursday this month, we do not go any place for music. It is a holiday for us, now that there are only 4 assisted-living homes in Ellensburg.
Worked on bills a little and worked a lot on music that Evie went through for me. We are getting it improved slowly.

Tuesday, Dec 27

For Dec 26 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.26. Events: 2 H, 24 RERA. Time on 7 hrs 45 min with (max = 14 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 84 seems spurious, 2 events of 87 <88% with avg., 91.9%. Pulse avg. 54.6, low 50.

I planned to go to Jazzercise today, and John went along to go to Bi-Mart for some goodies, and to fill his gasoline tank for our trips later this week.

We checked the bread room on the way, and they invited us to take excess food. I explained we were not registered for food dispersal and they said, No problem – we put this on Facebook for the community to come. We have too much and do not want to see it go to waste. There were vegetables, lettuce, potatoes, onions, squash, tomatoes, and apples. John took a bag of quite small apples (not much bigger than a golf ball) for the deer, but left behind 3 bins of people-sized apples.

I am still working on music with huge help from our new violinist in the group, who is quite the musician, with formal training that most of us lack.

Wednesday, Dec 28

For Dec 27 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.11. Events: 1 CA, 0 H, 3 PP, 20 RERA. Time on 8 hrs 46 min with (max = 14 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 88, 0 events <88% with avg., 92.4%. Pulse avg. 54.6, low 50.

I picked up Gloria, and we went to the food bank, sang and ate, and to the hospital for me to have a blood draw to check my INR. By the time I got home, Cody had called and told John it was well in range at 2.3).

Today was a good day at the Food bank for obtaining stuff that was still in excess. Gloria and I were each given 5 lbs. of Russet Norkotah potatoes; the day before John and I got a small box of Yukon Golds. North Dakota State University developed this Norkotah brand and Russet describes the skin color – brown. These were grown in Idaho.

I came home to more news from my friend, Jeri Conklin, in Lancaster, CA, the co-owner of our Brittany, Daisy (call name). Her official name is Cedaridge Kip’s Camelot Shay Tre’ JH. She has field placements (including an excellent placement, second, in the Western Futurity when 2 years old) and show placements. She was going north in California to be evaluated by a trainer there in Los Banos. She passed her test. Her spirit had been diminished during training to retrieve, and she would not do so, and she was no longer standing high on her pointing. Jeri has been working with her and her desire has returned. She has not been pushing the retrieve, however, because that is no longer required in Gun Dog events in Brittany trials. (I find that difficult to believe, after judging gun dog events at Brittany field trials.)

I am sharing that background before showing you the pictures from today in the field of Daisy and Jeri, taken by her hubby, Kurt. This collage is busy, but if you look from left to right across the top and bottom, you’ll see the story unfolding. Top left shows Daisy waiting her turn to run. Middle top shows a Jumbo White Coturnix Quail flushing that she probably thought was a dickey bird. She chased, jumped, grabbed, and retrieved to hand to Jeri. Normally, one would not praise “not stopping to flush”, but in this case, knowing she had previously quit retrieving, made it all okay. Her spirit has returned.

The next collages are her finds of Chukar and handling all the situations just fine. She pointed nicely with head held high, watched intently the search and flush, and held.

Daisy on point and Jeri launching the Chukar. Daisy held for the flush.Daisy on second point and Jeri searching for the Chukar. She had to go around the tree to launch the bird, and Daisy held and watched.

Third Chukar find. Jeri searched and finally found it and flushed. Far right, Daisy marks the bird, but stays put. Good girl.

All and all a successful trip, so they left her with the trainer.

Thursday, Dec 29

For Dec 28 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.17. Events: x CSR, 1 H, 14 RERA. Time on 5 hrs 54 min with (max = 15 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 89, 0 events <88% with avg., 91.4%. Pulse avg. 53.8, low 50.

John had to feed the animals and put wood (for the fire) in the back of the car to take to the Raclette. I fixed the food we took (cherry tomatoes and two desserts). Only one of the desserts was eaten, as there were very many desserts brought as potluck sides this year. One year we had no bread. Next year I’ll bet the desserts are sparse.

We made it to the White Heron fire-pit at noon. John and 2 others unloaded the firewood and then John moved the car out of the way for new arrivals.

A few photos are below in this blog, but if you want a larger introduction to what goes on at a Raclette, check the link following to a web page I made in 2014, which also has trips back to 2013 and 2012. There is a link even farther back with references to past visits with our class, (Wine: A Geographical Appreciation) to the vineyard and winery. We taught it from 1998 to 2008, and White Heron Cellars and the Mariposa Vineyard were always a field trip. For a couple of years before they opened the current winery, Cameron Fries brought wine and educated our students in the classroom in Ellensburg, at CWU. What great memories we have had with his family through the years!

White Heron Raclette Write-up 2014 and before

The winter view of the vineyard is different from what most people see. The Mariposa vineyard surrounds their home and winery (not seen), White Heron Cellars. Foreground vines belong to Jones of Washington and likely is their smallest vineyard. Jones is a major family corporation and this little plot has a storied background.

The pruners prune grapevines for about 5 weeks in the spring. Cameron & Phyllis Fries, owners of the property, vineyard, and winery, hold this event for the pruners and their families. They host this Raclette annually – sometimes the end of December, or in January of the new year.

Pruners for 2016 are in the collage below: Left to right: Erik, John, Phil, Mark, Tom, Bill, & Cameron

Wives of the pruners:Behind Linda (Bill) and Audrey (Phil), on the left is the wood, some of which John contributed this year. Nancy (John)-Phyllis (Cameron)-Lynne (Tom)-Margaret (Mark)
I am wearing a sweater from Iceland, I purchased in Denmark, in the summer of 1965 while on a Geography Field Trip for 9 weeks in Europe. Over the years the sweater had some holes from moth damage, and Lynne repaired (knitted) them for me. She also fixed a hole in the hat I’m wearing, and knitted me some gaiters I wore, but they’re not seen in this photo. Phyllis told her she probably had the colors of yarn in her collection, so the first day of the spring pruning, I am sending my sweater over with John for Lynne to do her special work. The year 1965 is special because that is the year I began in Cincinnati, OH in graduate school and met John there. The field trip was at the end of my undergraduate degree, and it was led by my first geography professor, Sanford Bederman and his wife, Jolayne. It was because of Sandy that I attended the University of Cincinnati, so I credit him with starting my geography career and making it possible for my life with John.

The winery dog is named Altesse, which is a white French grape found primarily in the Savoy wine region of France. Their previous dog, present in 2015, was named Roussanne, another fine white grape (and our Brittany, Annie, is registered as Cedaridge Vintage Roussanne). Roussanne is a white grape grown in the Rhône wine region in France.

Here is a photo of the vineyard animals:Altesse-2016 Roussanne-2015 Chickens protected by dog.
We watched Altesse chase away a hawk from the chickens during our visit this year. Phyllis & Cameron take eggs to west side to weekend farmer’s markets in three different locations, where they go primarily to sell their wine.

Now for the food fest in the Raclette manner:Bonfire (some vine cuttings are required) and side dishesPotatoes (some purple) and sausage steaming over wine and vine cuttings. Tops stay on the iron skillet roasters.

Here is the setup of the Raclette cheese (square this year):The cheese comes from the Puget Sound or left side of the State, because the proper cheese can’t be found locally. Cameron creates the bed of coals for cooking beneath the cheese, which is skewered on a 3-pronged pole mounted device to move it over the fire to melt – and then to swivel away during “scrapping” or the “racletting.”This plate shows a purple potato, some slaw, and a sausage with the cheese coming and being scraped down onto Bill’s plate.Three more plates served, with John on the right.

You have to watch fast the following (only video I took this year) to see the way it happens. This is only 9 seconds and it is a very small serving.

Racletting video 2016

Besides eating, we had fun visiting:My parting shot of the view from our Raclette site, over the vineyard and down toward Crescent Bar and West Bar. The right shows folks visiting and saying goodbyes around the roaring fire.

On our way home, we viewed a nice sunset with a jet’s contrail, and were able to see the I-90 bridge over the Columbia River – about 35 miles from home.It was a fun day. We were gone 7 hours and got home just at dark.

Last year (2015), our blog covered the Raclette

Above is last year’s blog entry on the annual White Heron Raclette; I was not very into it because I was still recovering from going in the ditch on our way home from the surgery to implant my new defibrillator (Dec 18 was the surgery, but this trip Dec 29 was for the checkup of the new one). I took more pictures at the Raclette in 2015, but never put a report together for 2015.
I decided to put this for 2016 in the blog as well and not make a separate web page for it.

Friday, Dec 30

For Dec 29 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.33. Events: 2 H, 11 RERA. Time on 6 hrs 7 min with (max = 7 L/min). Oximetry: I hit the button and reset my oximeter before downloading the data. So, we’ll wait for another day.

Quail in New Feeder in Mt. Ash Tree

We are going to visit the LaBar family this afternoon at 2:00 p.m. Rebekah returned for Christmas with her boyfriend, Vincent, and sister, Caitlin, came over from Longview. John and Robin LaBar live about a little over 13 miles from us (not the way the crow flies). We had a nice visit and Caitlin made a great cinnamon/ sugar frosted orange peel cake, served with hot chocolate. Caitlin also brought her 2nd draft of a monumental creation on Butterflies of the Sinlahekin Wildlife Area, in which she has plates of photographs she has taken at museums (Burke in WA and another in OR) and of her own specimens. She has created a unique classification schema of identification with photos of various types of Fritillary butterflies, using topside and underneath (not the technical terms) of the wings. I cannot begin to describe the incredible contents of this masterpiece, and I look forward to getting a copy of the final publication. We will work on getting our living room set up with a coffee table so we can properly display her book.

I had her pose with her book. John helped me lighten the only one taken without a flash that came out well. Below is a photo of Bekah and Vincent. Vincent is from Taiwan and lives in Sydney, Australia. Bekah has been a meteorologist in Wellington, New Zealand, but her company is moving her to their Sydney office. They did not have a lot of time in the states, and with many people and places to visit, so we were very grateful they shared some time with us. And, a big thanks to John and Robin for giving us packages of some very lean ground beef (best we’ve ever had) from their herd. We have cooked one package, and had a meal of hamburgers one night and then nachos the next. I took photos I will send them, but will not put any more in this week’s blog.

Saturday, Dec 31

For Dec 30 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.51. Events: 4 H, 1 PP, 15 RERA. Time on 7 hrs 51 min with (max = 23 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 86, 2 events <88% with avg., 91.8%. Pulse avg. 54.4, low 50.

Sunny and chilly. 17° upon awakening.
John found a story on the BBC this morning and we followed the links, watched this amazing little girl, an accomplished musician, at 11 years old. She has written an opera, Cinderella, which is being performed (with her playing in it as well), in Vienna.

Young musician

We searched and found many more videos of her back in time. Here’s just one.

Alma Deutscher at Henley Festival

John changed the newest filter on our furnace, after two months (too long). It was filthy.

I needed to go to town and arranged to meet Ann & Keith for the delivery of a water bottle. Here is a collage of her offer on line and my photo of thanks once home with it. I have taken off the BPA-free sign; I meant to show that. I will use the insulated carrier to keep it cold to take to my exercise classes. Thanks, Ann. Hers was a response to my request on line (Free Givers, Kittitas County) for a liquid container after breaking a large glass accidentally while washing the kitchen window so we could photograph visitors to the new bird feeder. She met me in town to deliver my gift.Left are her pictures she shared on Facebook to see if I wanted it. It was new and she was not going to use it. The right pictures my insulated carrier I will use for it. I photographed it when I got home, in front of the woodshed outside our back patio door.

While I went to town to meet them, I also took advantage of coupons, get some hard cat food for all the cats (to save us a trip to Yakima to Costco), and to get a good price on soft drinks for John at two different stores. When I got home, I found that John had cleaned out around our wood stove and started a fire. We had piled too much stuff around it and on top of it since last winter. It is 74° in here (the den), and 72° in the hallway. Wow. Now we are ready for minus temperatures predicted next week.

Wood Stove – 2016 in action (short video)

Sunday, Jan 1 Happy New Year !

For Dec 31 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.71. Events: 5 H, 6 RERA. Time on 7 hrs 1 min with small mask leakage. Oximetry: SpO2 low 87, spurious 76 at start that messes up the avg., 4 events <88% with avg., 91.3%. Pulse avg. 56.3, low 50.

Early morning Happy New Year’s e-card (Neujahrskarte in German) wishing us well (alles gate fur).Lovely card from our friends in Salzburg, Austria, we met in Idaho at the University in the 1970s. Heinz Slupetsky with his family, wife and two girls, has kept up with us all these years.

Normal feeding activity outside and inside. I started the morning working on the last phase of fixing the song Fraulein, with the tremendous help of Evie, our fiddle player. She is talented at being able to transcribe music from a video, and then I can enter it into our group’s repertoire, via the software, SongWriter. Now, I’m set to print the master and get it Xeroxed next week for our first use for Jan/Feb play dates – this one Thursday being at the Rehab where I spent 7 weeks in 2010 (Jan-Feb) to learn how to use all my muscles again and walk. It’s nostalgic to go back to play there now. My first roommate there is back again and not doing very well. She still remembers John and me, but the dementia is taking over her life. I still remind her she is my sunshine, for telling me I would recover and be on my feet again. She was my inspiration there and wonderful she was my roommate. Her name is Mae.

I tried to finish this blog to publish Sunday, but I had too much to finish. John put out a placeholder for the blog, titled Over the Mountain …

Now we will get it published Monday, January 2, 2017.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

and through the snow

Cold is coming to you and to me. Ha.Ha. John

It has been a busy week and Nancy is still playing with all the photos and video she took. So we’ll get a full blog up Monday.
We’ll be spending a lot of time in the house. The weather professionals say it is now (10 pm) 30°F and headed down. High tomorrow is near 17. That’s the good news. We will likely see zero mid-week and will not see 30 again before next Monday, the 9th. If then.

We brought some wood in and have the wood stove going, so we are cozy.
Hope you are too.

John & Nancy
Still on the Naneum Fan

Monday, Dec 19

For Dec 18 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.41. Events: 1 CSR, 3 H, 7 RERA. Time on 7 hrs 17 min with (max = 21 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 88, 0 events <88% with avg., 92.4%. Pulse avg. 57.0, low 49.

First, we were scheduled for our toenail trims at the foot doctor, at 10:30. We were not even taken into the office until after 11:00 and still had to wait for the doctor to appear. He had a sidekick (Mary, his shadow today), who is a Physician’s Assistant, being exposed to different people’s needs and cases. Maybe that was the cause and responsible for the delay. We explained our issues with our feet.

After that was done, we went to Rite Aid for to prevent Annie’s (dog) seizures. The 180 tablets will last us half a year. She takes one a day, and at this price, we are saving half price over getting it from our own pharmacy. It is still $24/mo. Next time I need it refilled, I will call around for the best price. It is variable in pricing and costly enough to warrant checking at different pharmacies. It is the least expensive anti-seizure medication at around $5 USD a year in the developing world. So why is it so expensive in the USA? John’s guess is that we are subsidizing the poor in another part of the world. I picked up my Amoxicillin today too to be ready for upcoming dental work.

We went to Grocery Outlet for canned cat food to get our $20 worth of groceries with a $5.00 off coupon. Unfortunately, they had no Friskies cat food — only kind we use. The others are only 3 ounces at the same price, instead of 5.5 oz. Luckily, they had pork loin roast on sale for $1.79/#, so we got that with our ice cream, salsa, and sour cream to up the tally (which was almost $30 by the time we checked out) to meet the coupon. Food adds up quickly, as those with larger families are well aware.

We went by the feed store and bought some Country Critters feed for the deer. When we got home, John started with the three normally around, and the little buck we pictured here a few weeks ago was also back in the front yard. We do not know if he found the deer block and apples John put out up the driveway. Mamma and her twins must have decided to come to the front door to tell us John had not given them enough. First, he gave them a deer block. Here he has made pictures for me to use in a collage to answer questions you might have. The deer block he hammered on a little to show the contents better. Claims to be 10% protein. The smallest doe (fawn) has figured out nibbling on it.She prefers this cob mixture. It’s easier to eat, and higher in protein.

The quail also found it, so John bought them some “scratch” and has built a feeding station in the Mt. Ash tree. Se below on Christmas day. I hope that the deer cannot reach that.Here’s the scratch and here are the quail Christmas morning next to the deer block finding the scratch. Now he has a place in the backyard for them, but they haven’t found it yet.

Tuesday, Dec 20

For Dec 19 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.71. Events: 5 H, 15 RERA. Time on 7 hrs 0 min with (max = 19 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 81 spurious, 10 events <88% with avg., 91.5%. Pulse avg. 56.4, low 50.

Warm temperatures and winds!

I spent a ton of time working on music for Jan/Feb – today, I finished Cotton Jenny by Gordon Lightfoot. Neat song.

I went to Jazzercise and we had quite a little workout. My shoulder was hurting when I played fiddle at the Food Bank – Noon meal for those that need it. And, they thank us for our music by feeding us.

We went to dinner at the Weirs, our new friends in town. John met Bill through WTA and we met his wife Linda a month or so later, and have been out to restaurants to eat. This time was dinner at their home. It started with cheese, crackers, and Sauvignon Blanc wine, then beef stroganoff, salad, bread, and huckleberry chocolate brownies with two kinds of special ice cream. Nice evening.

I’m sorry I have not made a review of the year in the Best of the Blog as I have done in the past. I hope I have time to before next year – but right now I have to complete all the music for the next 2 months of playing with the Kittitas Valley Fiddlers and Friends. Our last performance this month is Thursday at an assisted living home, for all Christmas music. I have to have the next set of music finished by Jan 3 with copies to give to the players on the 5th. I’m adding new stuff to some of our old. Songs such as Gordon Lightfoot’s Cotton Jenny (mentioned above), Patsy Cline’s, I Fall to Pieces, Kingston Trio’s The M.T. A., and Jimmie Rogers, T for Texas. I need to do one other new one: Your Cheating Heart.

Wednesday, Dec 21

For Dec 20 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 1.44. Events: 9 H, 3 PP, 8 RERA. Time on 6 hrs 15 min with (max = 18 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 75 spurious at turn off time, 1 true low event, 87 <88% with avg., 93.1%. Pulse avg. 53.0, low 50.

In the USA, most media and others call this the 1st day of winter. Elsewhere other dates are used, such as in November or the 1st of December. It is better called the December Solstice, the date that the Noon Sun is lowest in the sky. Whatever it is called, the best thought is that the daylight stops getting shorter and begins to lengthen. Maybe by John’s birthday that will become noticeable. In 2017, perihelion (when Earth is closest to the Sun) is also on his birthday (1/4). He claims he will be 38.

Today I picked up Gloria, and we went first to the food bank for music and food, and then to SAIL for exercise. We were both not too wanting of exercise. She had on boots that were not good for class. My shoulder was very painful from playing music, and I didn’t feel at all up to exercise class. We made a couple of stops on the way home, for her to get some gifts for a grandson, and go to the bank. She gave us 2 dozen cookies she made this morning. Nice peanut butter cookies. I wish I was closer to John’s sister to share; it’s her favorite but not John’s. So I ate several and froze the rest in smaller packages.

We were invited to a Solstice party tonight, but neither one of us felt like going. Folks bring music instruments to play “solstice music” but not “Christmas” music. I know a lot of the latter and not much of the former. Had I gone, I was going to take, “On the Sunny Side of the Street” music. We went to bed a little earlier than usual.

Thursday, Dec 22

For Dec 21 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.28. Events: 2 H, 2 PP, 18 RERA. Time on 7 hrs 13 min with (max = 23 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 87, 2 events <88% with avg., 92.3%. Pulse avg. 53.1, low 47.

I worked on music for Jan/Feb most of the morning. John took care of chores. He decided to go with me and help me by taking the Forester to the gas station. We were playing music at Hearthstone. It was our last time to do Christmas songs, and we had a good appreciative and participatory crowd. Some of my music disappeared, sadly. I was already operating on low numbers of copies, so probably next year I’ll have to rerun a set. These old folks get up and take the packet with them. I wonder what they do with it?

I also gathered some bar soap leftover from visiting hotels and motels for conferences in my past and put in two little containers of hand lotion. This is explained below.

One of the residents (Helen), and I do not know her last name, gave me a bell wreath:I loaned it to a resident to hold and play with our songs, because I have both hands occupied with the violin, and I could not attach it to my foot. I need to find out her last name so I can write her a sweet thank you note, and send her a thank you picture.

Speaking of pictures – today after we were done playing, a gal I mentioned yesterday arrived at the place we were playing to deliver the wallet she was giving me for John. It is a nice Genuine Leather simple wallet to replace his long used and worn out wallet.Hers she donated to John. It is new. It has many slots for cards and things. I think one will work well for his picture ID (Driver’s License). (John says: Washington politicians fuss about silly things and ignore their duties. Our WA drivers licenses are soon to be obsolete with regard to national security; called REAL ID. WA residents won’t be able to get on an airplane or visit a US Gov’t Office, such as Social Security. They have known of this for 10 years.)

My picture on the Free Givers Kittitas County site, which elicited her gift, is below. This is the same site that brought us the sweatpants John used to go to and from the hospital and lounge around the house for 3 days after his surgery.I wonder if John remembers where he got this (he doesn’t). I know he never used the coin purse, so the one given to us by Lindsey is perfect.

She works nights at the Homeless shelter, so I took her some bars of soap, mouthwash, and lotion to share with the people. I’m going to go through our socks and gloves and fix up another bag of goodies to deliver. The homeless are housed each night of the week in a different church in town.

Friday, Dec 23

For Dec 22 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.36. Events: 1 CSR, 3 H, 21 RERA. Time on 8 hrs 21 min with some leakage. Oximetry: SpO2 low 85, 16 events <88% with avg., 91.5%. Pulse avg. 55.8, low 51.

Started the morning with music. The M.T.A is first, mixed in with scanning. Been fighting with both all morning. It should not be this difficult. Of course, there are tons of verses, so that adds to the problem, and they are printed only (at the bottom of the page and not beneath the notes), so I have to listen to a video of the Kingston Trio to see where to put the words on the score. I also have had to change the notes in the music book printed copy to fit with the way they actually sang it that so many of us remember. I think I will leave Worried Man for a future playlist! It goes on for many more verses than this song.

John took care of outside chores, and while we thought we would awake to silver frost (frozen fog), instead, it snowed about an inch overnight. John put out “scratch” for the quail, but the deer found it before the birds.

Mid-morning John fixed us a nice brunch: eggs, link sausage, hash browns, toast, and an orange. Now he is resting.

I have been dealing with bills and music. I give up. I’m done with The M.T.A., although it is not perfect. Two of the verses do not line up with the notation of the music score. I mentioned to a friend in the group and he sent me access to one page where the words were with the notes. It is now much better.

Saturday, Dec 24

For Dec 23 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 1.00. Events: 8 H, 1 PP, 11 RERA. Time on 8 hrs 0 min with (max = 18 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 88, 0 events <88% with avg., 91.6%. Pulse avg. 53.8, low 50.

We worked on outside and inside chores. I decided I needed to send a greeting to a few people. I used the wrong set and a bunch bounced, but a lot made it through and we have received responses.

We’ve got clear sky so it will be cold tonight and no snow for Christmas Day. We’ve got 8 inches or so on the ground. A bit more is expected Monday evening.

John put up the feeder in the Mt. Ash tree today, and I got these pictures Christmas morning.The broad view shows the placement in the limbs of the tree, and the shots on the right are two Juncos enjoying the scratch. Generally the name Dark-Eyed Junco is given to these birds but there are color-pattern differences.
Juncos, general

The very distinct dark (almost black) head is common here and to the south of us. So the name is Oregon Junco in these parts.
“Regional Differences” are described near the bottom of this page:
Color patterns and more

Sunday, Dec 25 . . . . MERRY CHRISTMAS . . . .

For Dec 24 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.26. Events: 2 H, 1 PP, 15 RERA. Time on 7 hrs 42 min with (max = 23 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 89, 0 events <88% with avg., 92.3%. Pulse avg. 53.3, low 50.

We wish you a great tasting pie:John made the pecan pies from his mom’s recipe. My hat is from my friend since the 6th grade when we met. Her name was Nancy also, and we went around Atlanta as a duet playing our guitars and singing, when we were in high school. We both played violin in the high school orchestra.

We went about 11 miles SE to Fox Road for the Orcutt’s Family Christmas dinner. We had much food and many people. Food was ham, London broil, turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potato/pecan casserole, many salads, and many desserts (including wonderful fudge of several varieties; the blonde was great and certainly all the chocolates, with & without nuts, and also with marshmallows).

Below (left) are father and mother (holding a bloom from our Cactus we clipped just before leaving), and on the right daughter Suzy with hubby Bob. We can’t keep all the others straight so won’t include them. We met a relative of this family within a month of moving here, and he was at the dinner today. The longest distance traveled award goes to a granddaughter who is a US Air Force pilot stationed in northern Germany.On the way home we drove to the Brickmill Road display of Christmas lights we saw several nights ago. Below is a collage of part of what we saw.The top left is the entrance and at the end of the driveway is a sign pointing up the drive for more lights. We took this as an invitation and drove farther toward the house. The top right picture was near the entrance, and the bottom panorama is south of the house, where we turned around. It was a striking presentation.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Monday, Dec 12

For Dec 11 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 1.67. Events: 1 CSR, 14 H, 4 PP, 14 RERA. Time on 8 hrs 24 min with major leakage. Oximetry: SpO2 low 85, 9 events <88% with avg., 90.8%. Pulse avg. 56.1, low 50. I sent an announcement to our music group for this Thursday and Saturday. Put my meds for the week into the pill case and added my name on my computer carrier case.I delivered the computer to Monica’s office in Geography for getting Microsoft Office Suite software put on and went by the bread room for some sweets that I planned to take to the Retired Geographers’ meeting Tuesday morning.

I was on my way to the hospital to have my Pulmonary Function Test, at at 2:00 p.m. I have to have it done every year because of Amiodarone, a med I take to help control atrial fibrillation (a-fib). It can have a reaction with people’s lungs and scarring them. I have been fortunate since 2010 in not having the potential interaction but most importantly, also not having any atrial fibs. I have it assessed each year and trust that it will continue to work for me. I do not want to have to switch to the alternative medication that is a lot more trouble to get the dosage right, and requires a 3-night stay in the hospital. I prefer to stay away from such encounters. I have an appointment coming up with Dr. Kim, my cardiologist, where he will review the findings and make decisions. I will be concerned until I hear his comments January 3, 2017.

The rest of the evening we worked on photos of our FireWise & Fuel Reduction work around our place the last 2 weeks of November, so we could add to the discussion at the geography meeting in the morning. We made two pages of before, after shots, and in progress work at our place, and printed four copies for people to share around the table.

Here are a few collages of the scenes described, before and after:Left (taken from the very right side of the other) goes back to October behind the shed; over the “Jay’s folly” depression – camera at a utility pole. Note all the green-yellowish vegetation. Right photo taken Nov 30 is from the opposite direction, showing the reduction of brush and trees (fuel). The center of the depression is 75 feet from the back (wood siding) of our house. For these two, note the utility pole (at corner of shed). The slightly brownish brush in the center (left photo) is Elderberry with a brush pile in front of it. The “after” photo on the right has had enough material removed that the big trunk of a Ponderosa Pine is now visible. It is on the neighbor’s property. The stumps of the Aspen trees have been left long so leverage can be gotten if we want to remove them. These are likely clones and all part of one large organism. For context, see Pando
Left photo is the entrance to the north side of the folly before, and the right photo is the last day’s clearing on the left (south) side, directly behind our house. All the limbs and trunks under 8 inches diameter went through the chipper. What a time saver that is. They also piled logs for John to use later for firewood.

Finally, the sun just came out December 17, 2016 when we are finalizing this blog, and I got this collage from our back patio over the scene seen in parts above. [John says: In my spare time I should look for a merge to panorama program].

You can see the two Ponderosas that are in both photos, and the one on the right centers on the “folly” hole, which had filled with brush. Some of that (very entangled) is still there, waiting for John to pull it out and get into a brush pile they can come back in the spring to put through the chipper. The FireWise crew had promised an upper-County landowner to do a small job before they quit for winter. Plan is for John to use the truck and a chain to get the stuff out to a better place.

Tuesday, Dec 13

For Dec 12 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.25. Events: 2 H, 11 RERA. Time on 8 hrs 3 min with (max = 20 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 88, 0 events <88% with avg., 92.5%. Pulse avg. 56.9, low 51.

2nd Tuesday each month is gathering day of the old folks from the Geography Department and often some visitors, less old.Left to right: Dee Eberhart, Jo & Ken Hammond, George Macinko, Diane & Jim Huckabay, John behind, Urban Eberhart, John Bowen, Sterling Quinn, James & Lillian Brooks, Rose Shriner.

We were gathered for our monthly meeting of the Emeritus Geographers and friends. Rose Shriner was our speaker I invited to our meeting. She is a graduate (2009) of our department and now is the GIS Analyst & head of the FireWise & Fuel Reduction Program at the Kittitas County Conservation District. We had worked with her to get our FireWise work started the end of November. John Bowen is the chair of Geography and brought Sterling Quinn, our most recent Geography professor who just arrived this year, and is who teaching GIS courses and Maps & Cartography, and also will teach Latin America next year with more GIS courses. All his courses (except Latin America), I taught while there over the many years.

I was in charge of refreshments for the meeting. As players for the Food Bank’s Soup Kitchen, we are encouraged to come get things from the bread room. That is from where I got the huge several-layered Christmas chocolate cake with mint and white frosting. It was a mess cutting up, but I took our colorful glass platter for presentation. Then I went around as the server.

Funny story. I collected the bow tie and ribbons on top of the cake, and, thinking they were plastic (because they were unable to be cut), so I carried them home to clean up to give to my friend who bakes desserts for friends and relatives. When I soaked them, they dissolved. Molded sugar does that, plastic not so much. What the folks did not eat we gave to the neighbors. John isn’t fond of mint and neither of us like so much thick frosting – unless it is good chocolate! Jazzercise was today at 2:00 p.m. at the senior center. It was quite a workout today, and we all felt it the next day. I felt before then by having to play fiddle tonight, when I went back to Hearthstone for Christmas music. That was with “The Connections.” Because of all the different keys changes that thankfully I can do (by ear) because I know the songs, I was the only other instrument besides the piano. There we saw a bunch of our followers who love the music. As a kid in elementary school, I learned the descant on several songs, and so with the four singers, I played it on 4 songs: “Oh, Come All You Faithful,” “Angels We Have Heard on High,” “It Came upon a Midnight Clear,” and “Silent Night.”

Wednesday, Dec 14

For Dec 13 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.65. Events: 1 OA, 1 PP, 4 H, 21 RERA. Time on 7 hrs 42 min with (max = 17 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 I think a spurious low 82 when I moved, I think the true low was 85; 9 events <88% with avg., 90.6%. Pulse avg. 57.0, low 53.

John drove himself to his own 10:15 check-in with Dr. Paul Schmitt, in Cle Elum, taking both blood pressure instruments with our created book of BP numbers, and his ECG/EKG from before his surgery. Dr. Paul suggests, at this time, not changing the dosage from the 30mg Lisinopril. He reviewed the ECG and said it was fine. They made an appointment to recheck 5/1 so they can dance around the Maypole, just before Paul officially retires.

I stayed home to get ready to leave for music at the Food Bank. Gloria drove herself because she needed to go to a hair appointment at 1:00 p.m. for an hour, and I needed to go to SAIL class, from 1:30 to 2:30.

For the photo that follows, before SAIL class, I set up this scenario. I fooled these gals who thought I was just going to take their picture with the donated Christmas gifts (I got FREE from a person in town, picked up, and donated to the senior center). Instead, I took the video, and later sent them some stills, so they could send back home. These are AmeriCorps staff at our senior center, Ellensburg Adult Activity Center; one is from NJ and the other from PA. Each teaches an exercise class in SAIL. Megan teaches the morning class, and Lauren teaches the afternoon class I attend. SAIL is offered M-W-F. Megan Willwerth is on the left and Lauren Healey is on the right.

Rocking & Jagging Christmas with Megan & Lauren at AAC

I participated in SAIL and on the way home, I stopped by Hospice Friends to thank Janel for the lovely porcelain ornament and picked up a case of Ensure. I intended to get my Telmisartan from the Safeway pharmacy, but I was traveling without my pocketbook and did not have my credit card with me. Oops.

Thursday, Dec 15

For Dec 14 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.32. Events: 2 H, 3 PP, 8 RERA. Time on 6 hrs 15 min with (max = 13 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 84, 6 events <88% with avg., 90.9%. Pulse avg. 56.7, low 51.

I worked more on Jingle-Bell Rock and could not get it onto 1 page, but changed the key to G, and put on 2 pages. I have a couple of notes that need changed but that only affected the flute and violins, so we corrected it and they played nicely. The chords were fine for the rest of the string band. I will set up my master correctly before I store for future use, or before sending a pdf to anyone.

We had a huge group (lucky 13) playing at Pacifica Senior Living/ Brookdale/ Dry Creek today. We used all 12 Coca-Cola chairs and others too. Our group included Fiddlers (Nancy, Evie, Laina, & Laura); guitars (Gerald, Charlie, Manord, Maury, Roberta); mandolin (Tim); tambourine (Anne); flute (Amy) playing first fiddle melody and daughter, Haley (3.5 yrs old), dancing; and singer, Rita. In addition, we had many bells and noise-making shakers in the audience keeping time. Haley carries a stick with bells and keeps time perfectly to the music. I need to capture her in a video. We only have one more chance this year. I don’t know if I can pull it off or not.

I went by Safeway to pick up Telemisartan (135 tablets), for $98. That covers 3 months of pills for me for the most expensive medication I take for my heart. Next expensive pill I have to arrange for is Phenobarbital, for our dog, Annie. We give her a half a pill a day.

I was rather worn out and my shoulder was aching from all the music and exercise this week: Tuesday (both), Wed (both), and today (no exercise except for carrying heavy weight into the place from the end of a snow-covered parking lot). At least I have a day’s rest until we play music again Saturday afternoon.

Friday, Dec 16

For Dec 15 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.13. Events: 1 H, 12 RERA. Time on 7 hrs 25 min with (max = 14 L/min). Oximetry: (only recorded 4 hrs, battery died). SpO2 low 88, 0 events <88% with avg., 91.8%. Pulse avg. 59.1, low 53.

We both were on the phone talking with Peggy in Ohio for 48 minutes !! We solved all the big problems of the world. Now we have to solve all the little ones.

John did all outside chores, and I helped with a few inside, feeding kitties, cleaning dishes, but the biggest thing I did was not intentional. I tried using the microwave egg cooker I got as a white elephant gift (and you have seen previously in the blog, 12/2), but I failed spectacularly – and blew up three eggs and 2 cups of water. An incredible mess in a small space. I started the cleaning, and John finished, reaching to the back and ceiling of the microwave. We will have to research more on-line about such devices. This one came with no instructions.

The rest of the day was spent taking care of paying bills, music things, taking a photo of John and the deer walking up to feed them their deer block and some apples. It was late in the day when they appeared at the front gate. Maybe earlier, they were down the street eating from a neighbor’s front yard.
10 second video of John and the deer

In the short video, you see the 3 resident deer, mom and two fawns (doe & buck) who come in every morning and evening for a handout. Now that we are out of Mt. Ash berries and will be running out of apples, John is starting them on a deer block, of which we bought two.
He is bringing it in every night to preserve from an onslaught of 15+ deer in the neighborhood.

The morning feed was late until they showed up at the front gate. John went and carried the deer block in the Gorilla Cart™ and the cut apples in a plastic bucket. First, the twins followed him and then mamma joined.

Saturday, Dec 17

For Dec 16 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.78. Events: 1 CSR, 6 H, 17 RERA. Time on 7 hrs 43 min with small leakage. Oximetry: SpO2 low 87, 3 events <88% with avg., 91.4%. Pulse avg. 55.4, low 50.

We did our morning chores in the house and yard.

I left about 1:00 to drive to Briarwood for our music appearance and a good crowd of people to sing Christmas songs.

We normally end with several in the group singing and playing the song, A’ Soalin’, accompanied and led by Manord Rucker.
Song meaning

The audience also has the words and joins in with the group. I haven’t videotaped us playing but here is a version by the group who made it famous – and significantly, it was recorded in the year John and I met in Cincinnati, OH.

Peter, Paul and Mary – A Soalin’ (live in France, 1965)
We did today as well, but were followed by Evie Schuetz and Manord doing a duet of another special Christmas song —

Christmas in the Trenches
(when the fighting stopped)You may wish to hear it on You tube with photographs of the time in WWI – 1915.

Song & Photos

Maybe you’d like to follow the story of the song here:

About the song

And, for other places on the web, check for the history; just search on Christmas in the Trenches.

The people at Briarwood treat us to mid-afternoon dinner at the end of our performance. Today was no different. We had hot split pea soup, cornbread muffins, several salads, two types of sandwiches, and a large amount of cookies and a tray of Christmas cookies brought by our flute player, Amy, whose daughter is our sweet dancing mascot – photos Haley on the front row of the audience and the beginnings of our table of food. Haley’s mom, Amy is at the end of the table with the red shirt with white Christmas tree. We also had cheese cake and raspberry sherbet punch.

Sunday, Dec 18

For Dec 17 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 1.42. Events: 1 CSR, 10 H, 1 PP, 11 RERA. Time on 7 hrs 2 min with major leakage). Oximetry: SpO2 low 86, 2 events <88% with avg., 92.0%. Pulse avg. 56.0, low 48.

Most of the day spent on blog, feeding, showing the deer block to the youngsters, doing dishes, and email chores.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan