Keeping track

I mentioned, last week, that I built a multi-purpose rolling cart and secondary critter door for the large deck on the south side. Here is the photo.

The main material (the blue) is Oriented Strand Board (OSB) left over from one of the house projects. Likewise for the blue paint. OSB is a material with high mechanical properties, built for load-bearing strength, making it a durable product for use on walls, roofing, flooring and roof decking. The rectangular window is from the dismantled truck camper – bought many years ago when we still lived in Troy ID.
The blond vertical wood strips are trims from wall paneling. Front and sides have wood cut to look like mountains (squint).While decorative, they have a purpose. The box sits on a rolling platform. The top lifts off and the front and two sides (a unit) can be lifted off. The wood “mountains” hold the box on the platform. The wheels (swivel-casters) are from a pre-1990 office chair when they had just 4 legs. For various reasons – less danger of tipping being the major one – office chairs now have 5 legs. I had to buy 4 Side Bracket Sockets for 7/16-inch caster stems.
The plastic swinging door is also a purchase. These things have a metal edge on the bottom that is supposed to catch on a magnet. There’s the rub. Too much magnetic attraction and the animal can’t push it open. Too little and the wind blows it open. Commercial ones (almost visible at the back of my box) are not up to the Kittitas Valley wind. Last week there was a gust of 54 mph. Usually not an issue, it becomes one when the temperature drops below, say 20°F; last December was -16 degrees. I bought a box of tiny magnets and glued some to the wood under the flexible door.
Now I have a double-door setup. Since put in place, I haven’t been in the room during strong winds. Thus, proof-of-concept has not been determined.

I’ve been working on a new “station” for feeding wild birds, a sturdy work table, and digging some holes for fence posts. Two days this week involved bottling a white wine, and sparkling Rosé wine at White Heron. Thursday, a spring broke in the corker and that delayed the operation by an hour or so. The weather looks to cooperate for the next 5 days so I can get more done. Friday we will bottle a red wine – about 3 hours, then lunch.
One of the helpers – Audrey usually runs the labeling machine – has been giving me tomatoes this fall. At lunch Thursday we had a discussion of garden fresh tomatoes in contrast to the ones found in grocery stores. My weather is not reliable for growing most vegetables. I was surprised to have a similar text exchange with friend Bruce in Eureka CA, a sort of cold climate for tomatoes. He manages. Photo below:

Bruce says they all taste great.

Keeping Track
on the Naneum Fan
John H

We bottled wine on Thursday – Rosé of Syrah
On the left: 6 bottles waiting to get corks; the blue machine behind Eric. The label machine in front of Cameron wasn’t working well. He was explaining to Bob (right side) what was supposed to happen. Bob is a friend Cameron met when he was a winemaker in the Spokane area. I’ve worked on trails with Bob the few times when I went east with WTA.

The only true glitch happen when I was distracted and let the corker add a second cork to a bottle. This isn’t a big deal, but both have to be taken out, the bottle cleaned off, and a bit of wine and a new cork placed.

I finished a multi-purpose rolling cart and secondary critter door for the large deck on the south side. Photo next time. I have had a wood pallet leaning against the house in front of the commercial critter flap that was built-in when the deck was being constructed. The purpose was to block strong gusts of wind from blowing the flexible plastic. My solution uses a similar flap as part of rolling table or cart that can serve the function of a side-table for gatherings involving snacks.

Another thing completed this week is the 8-ft ramp (50″ wide) off the back concrete. In the photo, several holes are needed (for nails) in the last plank. The cedar hue of the planks is from a double coating of “sun screen” – – a penetrating clear wood finish (CWF) preservative with ultraviolet (UV) protection. I alternated 2x4s and 2x6s; used ones with some issues, but this usage seems better than cutting them for fire wood. Eliminating a step is nice and the wood was here (free; sort of); the finish came from a 2-gallon purchase a couple of years ago during a sale at BiMart.

A large raspberry patch was here – fuel for a wildfire. Now gone.
Finished Sunday after lunch.
“lunch!” There was a scholarship lunch Friday at CWU. I think 8 of us showed up out of a dozen in our group. Classes just started and the academic department folks, such as geography, are busy.

Keeping Track
on the Naneum Fan

John H.

This is apple and grape harvest time in Washington State. So, have an apple and a glass of wine. Estimates for the harvest are that it will be a “normal” volume, after a low amount the prior two years. This means about 124 Million 40 pound boxes, 10 Billion apples.
Below: Flowering and ready for picking.

From the old methods of standing on ladders and a current machine + human means (video below), robots are arriving in the orchards.

Back in “the day”, apples and other fruit were measured in bushels and packed in wooden containers. Such containers and the word peaked in the 1920s and both were dropping rapidly when I was in middle school. Since the year 1995, both have nearly gone away. Visit your local grocery when the shelves are being replenished to see the current standard (USA) of a 40 pound box.
I use one as a carrier for all my grocery purchases. Ask for one of your favorite fresh-food person.

On Tuesday I went with a small group from the Adult Activity Center to visit the Grand Coulee Dam in north central Washington. It is a 2+ hour drive. I noted that these older folks consider snacking and drinking (juice and water) as requirements. At a potty stop at a McDonald’s, just 65 miles, root beer floats were in demand.
The visuals and tour of the facility were interesting. There were lots of old photos, news reels, and items on display. We went through a security check similar to an airport and then rode in small busses they provided. Mid-dam we got out to look at the pool and on the opposite side a drop of about 345 feet. A few of the group experienced a bit of an issue with looking down.
For me, the experience was a bit underwhelming. It is an impressive facility but there is never a since of power such as, say, when visiting Niagara Falls or massive waves on an ocean. Nothing roars or booms. Only a small amount of water is spilling, and it makes almost no sound. The powerful generators make very little sound and moving parts cannot be seen. Summer evenings there is a laser show on the face of the main section. Being day-only travelers, we did not see this. Here is a quick look of what goes on. Much more, if you search.

Keeping Track
on the Naneum Fan
John

Although the daylight is shorter, the heat has also gone. Thus a pleasant week. Our start of fall is still a week away, but the weather is fall-like regardless of how we count such things in the USA. I likely will skip the event because it happens early in the morning and there is nothing to see. Find any place in the USA by going to the site and enter a town name on the right side where it has America in a search box.
https://sunsetsunrisetime.com/equinoxes/america/2024

I’ve been digging holes for plum trees and for a wood ramp off the back concrete slab. Where the Raspberries were there are plants peeking through the gravel. Today I rescued a few and will move them to the garden; later if they survive. When that area gets sunny I move to the shed and work on the frame for the ramp. That is now in place and I need to add the decking (boards). Some of that will get done on Sunday during a “mostly sunny” day. I needed nails for the project and, so, went to the lumber/hardware place on a day they were giving lunch. The cheeseburger was nice but I had to settle for a generic diet cola. They did have water and that might have been a better choice. It just seems not to go with a grilled burger.

Quail and deer are numerous. Here is a photo I took from the end of my driveway late afternoon on Saturday. There were about 17 deer. I’ve counted 23 at times with five nicely antlered ones.

The field was in alfalfa that the deer ate as it grew. Now cut, baled, and hauled off, the deer still find the field the best feed in the neighborhood.
Elevation of the field is 2,250 feet and the slopes going north reach
6,876 feet at Mission Peak about 13 miles away.

The Adult Activity Center (AAC) scheduled (for Friday) a presentation by the main senior care facility in EBRG. About 8 folks signed up and were assembled at 11:30 when the affair was to start. No one showed up! A missed connect between the AAC and the facility. We did get a nice lunch and I went to the grocery after. So, not an entirely wasted trip to town.

Tuesday next a group of 12, plus driver, are headed to Grand Coulee Dam. I’ve been past the facility on the way to work on the Candy Point Trail that leads to an overlook a mile north; see here: 47.971622, -118.986263.
The also accessible by road destination is called Crown Point.
We leave EBRG at 8 am, get a tour and a lunch and return about 4:30.
Report to follow next weekend.

Keeping Track
on the Naneum Fan.
John H.

The last few days have had smoky skies thanks to winds from the southeast – eastern and central Oregon – where wildland fires (mostly grasses) have been burning. The direction just shifted to more out of the SW (Sunday afternoon) but it will be another hour or so (6:00 pm) before we get to NW and strengthening. Then the smoke goes away during the night.

While working on landscaping near the back of the house I can listen to the radio. An ad by Root’s Nursery, Yakima, came on saying they were having a sale, especially on fruit trees. I had called the two EBRG Nurseries and got recorded messages. One was obviously 2 weeks obsolete. The other said “leave a message” – I did – and got no response.
I called Root’s and a fellow answered my questions about Plum trees and assured me the sale was on and that $50 trees could be had for $25. On the Web, such trees are $65 to $100, and a place in Winnipeg wanted $150 Canadian, or about $111. Too far in distance and too much money.
Add gasoline ($14) and tax ($8.30) for a total of just over $30 per tree.
At home, I placed them behind a 6 ft fence and watered them. I have to finish digging big holes. These are large enough they should have fruit next summer.
I would like “cling-free pits” but not a blue-Italian type, so at least one of these I bought is said to be semi-free. Hmm?
I got 2 Pembina, 1 Satsuma, and 1 Beauty. The Beauty is a good pollinator, ripens early, and is claimed to have many pink blossoms. Another site disagrees. All are red on the outside. Pembina has yellow flesh, Satsuma red, and Beauty has “amber” color inside, and “ribbons of red” [What?].

The trip to Yakima was not without thought-provoking occurrences. I entered I-82 south of EBRG and was immediately passed by a State Patrol SUV. About 3 miles later that car was at the side of the road and a female officer was standing with her back to the road and talking to a man sitting on the rocky side hill – in full sun, about 90°F.
After picking up my Plum trees, I returned to I-82 through downtown Yakima on East Yakima Avenue. Approaching the interchange there are four main lanes and another, on the south, separated by concrete construction barriers. Two men and a dog were crossing – left to right – at this point and drivers stopped to allow their passage. One fellow was bent in the middle such as shown. At the concrete barrier the other fellow lifted the dog to the top – and I was moving again and missed the remainder of the proceedings. I need a report from Paul Harvey.

Keeping Track
on the Naneum Fan
John

Ellensburg has a major rodeo and the County holds a fair each year ending on Labor Day (?). Not counting the preparations, things begin to happen a week before as the rides, food vendors, and commercial booths arrive. This year the opening was on Thursday. Festivities will finish on Sunday, and take-down will be Monday. Typical scenes {from the web} are below:

The Rodeo is a big draw, bringing participants from all the western states, including Texas and South Dakota. The image at the top left is about all I could see as the Fair and Rodeo are separate entries. All the rodeo folks will leave Tuesday for the next event with big money awards.

After staying away for 25 years, I volunteered to be a “greeter” at the Adult Activity Center’s Lounge – – 2 hours each on Thursday and Saturday. The Lounge provides a cool spot with ice water, lemonade, coffee, and cookies. I am allowed free parking and entry to the Fair grounds. The Rodeo is a different entry, but its presence is the most impressive aspect. As mentioned, folks come from many places with trucks, trailers, horses, dogs, kids, and western hats. If you don’t have one, you can buy one for $25 and up. See the lower right photo. Anything else western can be purchased, such as boots, handbags, jewelry, . . ., generators, and hot tubs.
Prices (to me) seem exorbitant. A stuffed toy horse was $20. Cotton Candy = $7; a simple hot dog = $8; fancy “Big Dogs” = from $12 to $16. A pounder baked potato with multiple toppings = $12. Lemonade for $6, $9, and $12. Maybe that was the pricing on the little cups of mini ice cream balls. I passed on all the offerings.
For my role as greeter, I arrived about 9:30 before most things were underway, such as the rides and food booths. Expecting hot and sunny, I choose the early shift from 10 to Noon. After Noon, the temperature and sun were uncomfortable but I might have been the only one in the crowd that cared. On Saturday, about half way back to the truck, a long-ago student and fair worker recognized me and I got a ride in an electric cart. We had about 2 minutes to reminisce.

Wednesday was Pétanque Day and on Friday the host of that venue came over and picked up some posts and used lumber for a new table to go beside his boulodrome. When I have cool and shade, I work on the landscaping near the house. The Raspberries that were against the house are gone [ think of them as a fire hazard gone] and I’m 75% done with rehabilitating the space with gravel and decorative rocks.

I’ve order a foot massager with “soothing heat” to use while at computer tasks, a couple of three hours a day, especially in the evening. I get plenty of exercise during the day – one of the suggestions to relieve cold feet – but keeping feet moving while at a desk is not easy. This is not a very expensive device, so it seems to be a worthwhile experiment. It is to arrive on Wednesday. A report will follow in a month.

And so august ends.
Keeping Track
on the Naneum Fan
John

Wouldn’t you know? Sunday is National Banana Split Day and I ain’t got no bananas.
I do have a nice ice cream that will have to substitute. “Umpqua” is a native term for a region on the Oregon Coast, south of Portland about 145 miles. A banking concern there recently took control of my local EBRG bank.

The Pacific Northwest is having a week of November-like weather in the middle of summer. Temperatures are about 15 degrees cooler than might be expected and it is raining hard in the mountains. I only get a little of that, say 1/10th inch when west of me and inch or two is received.

I built a ramp this week along the side of the newly built-up and graveled area. It is wide enough for my garden cart (Gorilla brand), that admirably serves as a wheel-barrow.
A second chore was the final removal of the large piles of dirt and rock pushed just off the drive near the front of the house; at the time of initial remodel in spring 2020.
I’ve ordered a bunch of deer-deterring flowers for the area. The list: Daffodils {Maliee & Pink Champagne, Allium Ostrowskianum, and a mix of Hyacinth}. [See: dutchgrown dot com] I will get tulips, also, but they have to be fenced or the deer destroy the leaves as soon as they show up.

Other news: I got a haircut. I have signed up with the Adult Activity Center to be at the “Senior Lounge” at the Kittitas County Fair on Thursday and Saturday for 2 hours each day. Often it is overly hot, but this year looks to be quite nice. As a “senior” I could get into the grounds for $6.00; so I save $12 assuming I would go, but I wouldn’t. Anyway, I got a hair cut so I would look presentable. Questionable.

During the last 36 hours I think my sick cat, Woody, is declining, related I think to her “odd-shaped” heart. After medication last month, she seemed better and ate better. Yesterday she didn’t really want anything I offered for her to eat. This morning she threw up water, mostly. At the moment she is by a window in morning sunlight.

Keeping Track
on the Naneum Fan
John

Years ago there was a local Ellensburg Telephone Company. Fewer years ago, that became Fairpoint and then part of Consolidated Communications (CC), a company that bought up many small operations. Meanwhile, there was a company over in Tacoma that became Rainier Connect. In 2023, Palisade Infrastructure (an Australian Co.) bought Rainier Connect and small Washington parts of CC, including a couple of units east of the Cascades, including the EBRG area. Yippie!
The new name is Lightcurve. I was notified of the changes because the auto-pay set up via Consolidated could not transfer. I had to fix that. Meanwhile, my internet connection was dropping more frequently than I can tolerate. Two issues – coincidence? {update: As of Saturday morning the internet is working great!}
The first billing from Lightcurve seemed odd. My previous bill was just over $164 and the current one about $112. The billing was easily explained as a mid-month completion of the creation of the new company, so 1/2 of a Consolidated payment went to Lightcurve. Further, the “bundle” of services from CC does not exactly match the of Lightcurve. As I tried to wade through this stuff on the website, various pages still had old information and old names. In other words, the melding of the new Washington parts have not been completed. A support person called with the caller ID as Rainier Connect while the actual technician’s phone came through as “Private Caller.” Had I not been expecting the call, I would not have answered. He would have had to leave an answer, complicating his and my day. (He says this happens.)
As I write Wednesday morning, he (Dan) is here checking my internet and trying to install a new modem. Issues are (a) this is not his normal job. He is an installer/splicer/connector of cables. The local office is short-handed. He was instructed in this new gig. However, things are not going as he was told so he has been talking to several folks trying to configure the new modem. My old one is at least 4 years old, or more. Many sites on the web suggest a new modem every three years. Oops!
At 10:45 a second person has shown up. So, two here and 3 or 4 chiming in via phone (Dan had to find an outlet to charge his), all trying to figure passwords, codes, and a lot of other stuff. I passed through and they were talking about sending a supply of modems back and using a different one. I think. The passwords and “keys”, I told them, could be simplified. Nancy set some of these things years ago and there is nothing special about them except they are more complicated than they need to be.

Solved at 11:40. 🤠 A new and better modem is working. I just entered the new “key” and connected to the web. The second upside is that the folks here and on the phones learned quite a bit and feel more comfortable responding to future service calls. I should send them a bill for using my home and equipment to learn their trade. Ah! So far the new modem seems to be at no cost to me. I’m not 100% sure on that – Jessica at Lightcurve thought there would not be a charge.
Outside, the creation of the boulodrome (playing surface) for Pétanque continues, as does the gravel road around the buildings. This involves many loads of crushed rock (Basalt). The base is 1.25 inch or smaller, the surface of the playing surface is 5/8ths and smaller. Much raking and smoothing is involved. Our 90+ daily high temperatures have dropped 10 or 12 degrees, making the effort more pleasant.
A side benefit of the effort is the removal and use of several piles of rock and dirt that were created years ago as we made horse-projects. One such was a serious leveling of an area for a training space – a “round pen.” That pile was pictured in the previous post.
I work about 2 to 3 hours, when I can do so in the shade. After the sun sets or shade appears where there is something to do, I can do another couple of hours.

Saturday evening a storm came ashore in Oregon and moved north along the Cascades, reaching Portland OR at 5:00, the Seattle area at 8:30, and me at 9:15 PM. Most of the storm was west of me, but I had rain/thunder/lightning. Nothing serious. Residents in the Puget Sound region are reporting a good display, but not great. The rain would have depressed fires from the lightning – and rain is good.

Keeping Track
on the Naneum Fan
John

This past week involved moving rock & dirt with a small Skid Steer as pictured below. I’ve mentioned the project before – July 23rd. The idea has two purposes, (1) adding an expanse of gravel for fire resistence, and (2) making a boulodrome (playing surface) on which to engage in games of Pétanque.
The selected area, just south of the house, had a slope and and needs to be level. So, the northwest end (blue line in the photo) was taken down, and the southeast end (purple arrow) was raised. The change in height was over three feet.

The white pole in the lower right photo is the gauge for the
Hilti™ rotating laser level (current models list for over $8,000). A wave of photons is sent over the area and marks on the pole indicate how high or low your surface is. In the photo, the crew found a “too low” spot and dumped fill there. This spot is just left of the tree as seen in the larger photo.
The EBRG company, Ellensburg Cement Products, has a crushing pit 2.5 miles northeast of me, so a run from there to here only takes a few minutes. We had 3 loads of basalt brought for a base. It is not yet evenly distributed. That happens Monday. Later we will get a finer material for the surface, from ECP’s near-EBRG location. Tuesday likely.
More fill was added to the half-circle road being developed as a fire break. The July 23rd post shows that route with yellow dots. Rock needs to go there too.

I am also clearing up rock & dirt piles created 3 years ago when we began with the conversion of the 2-car garage to living space. I am working on those (by-hand) when the places are in shade. All that should be finished by mid-week.

Update: Woody, the fluffy but sick cat, is much better. Sounds of respiratory infection are gone. She eats better and is purring a little. There is a bit of new coat, although with warm summer temperature, she doesn’t need much.

Lightning in the mountains west of Ellensburg on Friday, August 9, started 13 fires in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. The Kittitas Valley had a lot of smoke, but near the ground there was no smoke smell. There were too many spot-sources to claim where my smoke came from.
An earlier and larger fire near Mt. Adams is called the Williams Mine Fire. It and others are in this report: FIRE REPORT: Williams Mine Fire expands rapidly | Columbia Basin Herald

Keeping Track
On the Naneum Fan
John

I have two plum trees with a good crop this year. Two others not so much.
The earliest ripening is Damson (small purple), next will be Shiro (yellow).
I’ve been watching the Damson fruit to harvest when ripe, but before the wind blows half to the ground.
In parts of Europe, Slivovitz -fruit brandy–
is made from Damson plums.
[ see Wikipedia page “Slivovitz ]
A simple and cheap drink can be made with a gallon glass container, nearly full of the little plums, a cup of sugar, and a bottle of vodka. Some folks suggest adding slices of lemon peel; some take the pits out. About Christmas time, the liquid will be tasteful and colorful. The year 2020 had a good crop and that is the use they were put to by friend Audrey. I think there will be sufficient plums this year for both of us to make a gallon.
While inspecting the tree, I found a critter. It was there the next day and gone the third. At least I haven’t found it, but it could still be there.

On the right edge of the photo there is a pink {not ripe} plum half hidden. Maybe the caterpillar found a cooler place.
The EBRG airport reported 106°F Friday. Here it did not quite make 104°. At 9 pm, it in the low 80s. By morning, 70. Saturday has been ten degrees cooler.

There has been smoke Friday from a grass fire about 20 miles south of me on the hills east of the Yakima River. It is not large and winds have been in my favor until Thursday evening. Now, again the wind is coming from the northwest and likely will clear the air by Saturday morning. Wind out of the northwest was 25 mph at 4:30 pm Saturday.
Here is a map of active or recent fires and a photo of the type of stuff burning. The photo shows the Swawilla Fire about 100 miles northwest of Spokane. Nearest to me was 25 miles south and now contained.

The western US has Cheatgrass – the yellow/brown – and some places under Ponderosa Pines that litter the ground with needles, cones and branches. Under the trees there is more fuel and it all burns hotter. It grows rapidly in the spring, sets seeds, and dies, and burns.
“Cheat” was the reason fire got into the vineyard last year. My report is here:

Cherries on sale & fire

Keeping Track
on the Naneum Fan

John