Keeping track

The week of our wedding — 44 years ago.

Sunday, July 7
Started off with no wind, but the temperatures keep climbing, and now before 2:00 they’re up to 93, and the winds just started this hour with 22 mph gusts. We accomplished a lot this morning. I slept in, while John went and watered, moved water, even to the sunflowers up by the road. He has to bucket them because they are uphill from the irrigation ditch. I cleaned the kitchen, and he came in, and put the pork loin roast on to cook at 11:00 a.m.; then he made us a yummy brunch–small cheese omelet, bacon, grapes, and strawberries. We’ve been working on our respective computers, but need to get to some household paperwork clean-up, before we take off for the party 6 miles down the road, that starts at 5:00 p.m. (Food needs to be on the table for eating).
It’s tough typing right now. Rascal cat joined me in my lap (on my chest) because I’m sitting in a recliner with my laptop on my legs. He had been earlier for several hours in the middle of the love seat, where two of the dogs like to rest. Now that he’s gone, they can return. Occasionally, one will share with him, but there’s not usually room for more. Taking off for the potluck jam session soon. Checked the roast and poured off the grease (John did), and then I helped cut up some apples to add to the chunks of pineapple and raspberries, with brown sugar, he’s cooking for a side dish, to go with the roast, rather like a sauce. Everything was great. Lots of food — afraid to start listing because I know I will leave out something. Our roast, a large container (hot) of potatoes, cheese, with ground meat, spaghetti with mushrooms, beans, a bunch of different salads, slaw, green, congealed with fruit, and rolls. A couple of cakes. Then we played after dinner until leaving at 8:30 (John needed to get home before dark to feed the horses and the feral cats). We are ready for bed, and have had some ice cream and nuts with chocolate for dessert.

Monday, Jul 8
Need to get INR reading today. Went to Cle Elum for it and had lunch at the Cottage Cafe, where we got $10 off our bill for our anniversary. I also used my gift card from my donation last year to the Brittany Specialty (I won the raffle), which gave me $250 to spend anywhere. Also delivered raspberries for a fellow from there, to the clinic for pickup. We met him at the Big Pines area on the Yakima River at a bluegrass jam the week before Mother’s Day. He loves raspberries better than anything around, so we promised to give him some of ours. They are not as beautiful and big as usual because of not watering them enough, but they are all right–they taste yummy. Also stopped in town for thyroid pills for Shay. Lots of family medications to worry with.
Report on a great lunch. I had my favorite, Corned Beef Hash Skillet (stacked on top of a layer of hash browns, and a layer of corned beef hash and two eggs on top of those stacks, finally ending with a thick covering of melted cheddar cheese. The best cook must have been there today. This was the best I have had there over several occasions. John picked a Black & Blue Salad. On lettuce, it had Cajun steak pieces, black beans, corn, some sort of spicy sauce, and blue cheese lumps all over the top. He enjoyed it more than anything he’s had at that restaurant. Good. And, we got our $10 off, plus a happy anniversary wish from a neat waitress. We actually went in the back door after parking under the shade of a tree, and ended up in the Fireside Lounge. Comfy chairs, and tables, because it is a “bar”. We will always go there in the future, not out front on the barstools or the booths. We also brought home half of our lunch for another time.

Tuesday, Jul 9
Started out with meeting with other Emeriti geography professors. All but one was there. Got a nice report from Jim Huckabay about his recent trip across the trans-Siberian railroad and on down from Irkutsk on another train to Beijing. John and I went to our favorite grocery store on the way home, and also I picked up almost $90 worth of medications. Considering one is for a 3-month supply at $20/mo makes it sound not as bad to be getting 3 different meds. My bad INR yesterday made my Dr. suggest to me this morning to eat some green veggies each day to try to lower it, so we bought some broccoli and lettuce for salads.
Now John is napping, but I already slept in this morning. The temps keep getting hotter. Supposed to be a high of 81 but already has topped it at 93, and we are not to the warmest part of the day yet. I must go back to town tonight to play music, at 6:30. Salad for dinner: pork, bacon, lettuce, broccoli, tomatoes, yellow squash (small, our own), croutons we made; hope it helps adjust my INR down. Also, there should be a nice green salad tomorrow at the Food Bank that I do not have to refuse as usual.

Wednesday, Jul 10
Going to pick up 20 pounds of Sweetheart cherries 6 miles down the road this morning at 10:00 a.m., already boxed. * report below on disappointment*. Then off for Food Bank Soup Kitchen music (where I was presented with a nice mixed greens salad, green squash, scalloped potatoes, and ham (rather overcooked dry sadly), and a nice dessert of fruit cocktail in a raspberry cool whip kind of mixture. SAIL exercise went all right, but I was low on energy. Wind is blowing consistently all day above 30 mph, mostly above 35. Now last hour it was 37 at the airport, and it sounds worse out here.
Cherries disappointment: I know when a person buys bulk cherries they have to expect some bad ones, but we think the seller, in the future, should perhaps add a couple pounds to the box to make up for the bad ones. We also understand the problem of obtaining quality pickers, and we appreciated the time and money to deliver them from Wenatchee. However, we came directly home with our box and sorted. We put the best in a flat box with newspaper and laid them out to dry. Some were at room temperature and dry and some were chilled and damp. We had 14.5 pounds of good (not great) ones. We had sorted out another set with injuries or ones off the stem, for eating now. We had 2.5 pounds of those. We had a 1/2 pound of ones that were so bad, we couldn’t do anything except compost them. The other too-bad-to-eat fresh ones (2.5 pounds), we can probably make into a sauce after the bad spots are cut out. (Turns out we had to dispose of 1 and 1/4 pounds of those too, after I wrote that first statement). The quality of the good ones didn’t anywhere match the photo in their ad. I took a photo of our box when we got home. They look all right in the box, except for not being the same ripeness; they are very tasty. Perhaps we are spoiled by having and picking our own cherries, but this year ours were frozen out, all but the pie cherries, which John plans to pick in the cool of the morning. We have no Bings, Rainier, or Queen Anne–so, we decided to try some locally obtained Sweetheart cherries. We did receive the 20 pounds we paid for, but we’re not sure paying $1.75/pound for the less than nice ones was a wise decision (especially the 3 pounds).

local news brief (Associated Press) in our paper: Man started wildfire with luminaria
—
Selah police said a man started a 500-acre wildfire by launching a floating luminaria. The bag heated by a candle drifted into a hillside Friday and started a brush fire that took 100 firefighters to extinguish.

The Yakima Herald-Republic reported police are recommending a reckless burning charge against 36-year-old Alejandro B. Olivarez.

He spoke to firefighters at the scene and said he intended for the luminaria to rise into the sky.
—
Thursday, Jul 11
Today was a lunch with a friend who is moving completely out of state, to Borrego Springs, CA.
The couple does like lonesome, so it’s okay.
It was very nice to see her, and I don’t plan to go to CA any time soon, especially with the hot weather there. Last weekend it was 120° at their moving-into house and the a/c couldn’t keep up, so they installed a swamp cooler. We had a very nice visit and lunch at a new Mexican place in town, called Fidelitos. Great food without a lot of grease, plus a huge tree on the back of the property to park my car in the shade, so I could leave my violin there and not cart it in. On to the lab, where my first lab test indicated 1.4 for my reading. Later, after 5:00 my Dr.’s nurse called to say the actual blood test on the withdrawn blood showed 1.5. That’s a ton better than the discrepancy between the different measurement devices the past two times. My dosage was readjusted, and I go for a reading again July 20 th. They wanted me to go the 22nd, but that is the start of my week of the WA Old Time Fiddlers’ Workshop. They’ve decided to have me eat a little green each day, and they will adjust the dosage appropriately. Suits me as salad season is here. From the hospital, I went on to play music at the Rehab. We were moved to a different room, with less space for our bunch and the audience, but it worked all right. We had 2 violins, viola, trumpet, clarinet, 3 guitars and a timbrel for part of the time. My first roommate there when I was in the Rehab came with her daughter (with whom she now lives). Mae is now 91 and loves our music. She was quite an inspiration to me when I first arrived hardly able to move myself. I wasn’t holding food down either, which she reminded me today. I thanked her for encouraging me by telling me when she arrived there she couldn’t walk either and by the time I met her, she was motoring around the place, and doing things for me. We became fast friends. I fixed Tacos again for dinner (with the leftovers from yesterday, plus new salad stuff). Tonight John went to a trail riding meeting. While he was gone, I cleaned strawberries, and the kitchen. Now that he’s back, we will put up the raspberries, have dessert, and go to bed. I spent time today constructing an animated Happy Anniversary wish for John for tomorrow. I added some photos of us back in the sixties, and was allowed only 3. The 3 I picked I had gotten on my camera from close-ups I took at the family reunion last summer of my aunt’ scrapbook. You may enjoy seeing the old photos. This might be our 44th, but we have been friends since 1965. If you wish to see the card, you can follow this link.

Friday, Jul 12 Our 44th Anniversary!
John’s off to the Washington Horse Park, 40 miles west toward Seattle, to watch the first day of a horse riding clinic with Buck Brannaman. John and horse Teak were participants 17 years ago and the clinics are now at year 31. Buck was an adviser to Robert Redford for his 1998 movie, “The Horse Whisperer”, and there was a movie about Buck’s life recently, called Buck. Watch the video on the right at this site. John took this photo on Friday of Buck listening to a question from one of the young riders. (Click on photo for large image.)

I stayed home because of the long walk to the arena from parking, and the long day… gonna try to surprise John with a couple of cleaned up flat spaces in the house. Well, the cleanup is going slowly, but I have succeeded in fixing me a cool salad for lunch (added some pieces of fresh cherries), and need to cut up more for future salads. I have had grapes in salads before, but never pitted cherries. Got the house insurance straightened out (they had taken my check for $53.00, and kept it in their files, but debited it electronically from my bank account). I requested my original check back and that they should have told me what they did. “Well, we wrote “posted” on it,” but I worried that someone later could have cashed it. The original request was from them to write a check and bring it by, so why didn’t they use it? I guess I have been in a mood recently to complain about business practices. The medical stuff is bad enough. More sorting is happening. I just took a break to print off a copy of music for 3 people in the group, in a different key. And, now, I’m going to use the new printer to copy another one for 2 people that is not in my computer to print the music.
That’s the reason this process is slow. As I go through the stacks, I take time to take care of it so as not to create yet another stack. Yippee, that chore just was completed. John thinks the goal ought to be to handle a piece of paper only once.
Speaking of music, I received a very nice thank you from the Adult Activity Center today, for our Patriotic music performance at the BBQ last Friday. In the process, while I was arranging things in my music to make copies to get in the mail to a player who drives up from Yakima, I came across a copy of the lyrics the center had printed out for people to sing along with us. Interestingly, I looked at the back page and saw it ended with page 6. I knew I had sent them 9 pages to assemble. On those 3 pages are 5 songs . . . and we will be using those lyrics for the audiences at the nursing and retirement homes for the rest of July. There are patriotic ones, and also songs of America, such as This Land Is Your Land. I need to print the 3 pages back to back and add to the booklet (of which I have 47 copies). Well, this will be a way to use up the ink on our old printer. I didn’t accomplish that until Saturday morning. Have only printed; not yet assembled. (Now have while John was working on posting this). Rest of the afternoon — lost track.. one thing after another, and not a clear place in sight yet! I did make the stacks lower, and filled more boxes. One bin now has almost been filled with sweaters and sweatshirts for winter.

Saturday, Jul 13
John picked 2.5 pounds of raspberries in a cool morning shade, and I worked on finishing some information I needed to accumulate to get in the mail before it was picked up. We have yet to do the raspberries. John also spent a couple of hours watering gardens, trees, and sunflowers, up by the end of our driveway. On my way back from the mailbox, he had me come over to the new garden to see the empty space where the horses ate some of the growing corn. He had a fence, like this on the left, with other fence (right) tied to the rails

and the horse(s) managed to push and pull it loose. 10 plants were eaten by them turning their head sidewise and reaching through. He replaced the small pieces with a 5 X 20 ft section and used the small pieces to protect a tree trunk from either horses or deer.
Supposed to be the day to finish the blog, but we visited on the phone with John’s sister Peggy, and nephew Rod and his wife Gail, who were visiting with her in Parma, OH. We had a good time reminiscing about their childhood (and even mine). They were talking about the height they used to dive or jump from (the remains of a long gone bridge) into a river. Rod thought it was 25′, and John doesn’t remember. John says people who claim to remember the ‘60s weren’t actually there. Anyway, that got us on the issue of size of things seen as a kid. Right after our wedding, we drove north through GA to PA and I wanted to go by two things I remembered as a kid. On was a “huge” apple in Cornelia, GA. Below is a current day picture of the Apple Sculpture, and another comparing it in the distance to a motorcycle. As I child I thought it was much, much larger. John was not impressed.

The other memory looming larger in my memory was Bridal Veil falls in Highlands, NC, which I remembered as a falls going all the way across the highway. Turns out when I took John by, the road past was new and the falls was coming over the old road, which wasn’t that large, nor were the falls as large as I remembered. Here’s an interesting comment from the web: “Bridal Veil Falls is one of the most unusual and most popular falls in the South by virtue of its location along scenic mountain highway US 64. The old road, in fact, passes underneath the 60-foot high falls.” Some photos below will resemble my memory and then what we saw in 1969 on our way north. Oh well.

Two thoughts from our telephone conversation. I had surmised the reason for the spelling of Raspberries to be because your hands get rasped by picking the berries. Gail checked on line and found the real meaning, which none of us knew. Here is the explanation from the etymology online site: [1620s, earlier raspis berry (1540s), possibly from raspise “a sweet rose-colored wine” (mid-15c.), from Anglo-Latin vinum raspeys, origin uncertain, as is the connection between this and Old French raspe, Medieval Latin raspecia, raspeium, also meaning “raspberry.” One suggestion is via Old Walloon [Nancy’s insert, Walloon is a French dialect once common in Belgium, and detested by the French] raspoie “thicket,” of Germanic origin. Klein suggests it is via the French word, from a Germanic source akin to English rasp (v.), with an original sense of “rough berry,” based on appearance.

Next comes a term (seen by the relatives) that may go back to the Latin toga but the origin seems a bit uncertain. “Toggery” seems to be a used in the sense of school apparel or a collection of clothes somewhat “uniform” or as an approved selection. When John was in about 9th grade the boys were to wear ties and trousers (not jeans). The specifications were not specific and this led to outlandish outfits with ties a foot wide, down to the knees, and garish colors. The rest of the story is very fuzzy and maybe didn’t last too long. Over many years and many schools there may have been a tightening up of such ideas to thwart the innovativeness of young teenagers.

Hope your week was great.
Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Sunday, Jun 30
Finished the blog quite late for last week.

Monday, Jul 1
Started with 70s temperatures on their way to 97 today, and a morning rain. Helicopters have been flying over. John found a dead muskrat in the backyard, while mowing the weeds. I wish the cats would kill the Douglas squirrel that keeps squirreling away nuts in our insulation in the shed, and even in our truck engines. Maybe they did. We haven’t seen one lately on our bird feeder packing in the expensive black oil sunflower seeds. Then it rained, and then it started warming on my way to town. Yikes, just keeps going up. Now up to 100° at the airport just before 5:00. Not a good time to go outside yet to pick strawberries, or do anything else. John did put our new printer out of the package onto a bookcase near the counter and new computer. The bookcase is full of odd glassware, covered with a layer of grey dust because the front glass door was open a couple of inches for over 5 years, probably, even longer. Now 94° on our front porch (in the shade), John just left with the dogs for a “run.” Back fast; too hot; they only went up the driveway for the mail and paper. It went up eventually to 101 for the high of the day. Thank God for A/C.
We put up some of the strawberries and did a taste test between the Jewels and the Cavendish. No noticeable difference in flavor although the largest Cavendish are bigger than the largest Jewels.

Tuesday, Jul 2
I decided to stay home all Tuesday to try to catch up on things here. John will try to unload the gray horse trailer (we have two); it is larger, but has implement/attachments in it from the tractor. We need to drive across the valley for 2 tons of hay before the end of the month. We lost our hay source from 2 miles down the road, brought by Harobed, because the elderly owners sold and moved to town. They sold to a guy who co-owns the Ranch & Home store in town, and he just transferred all the hay there, where they can get twice as much selling it singly or a few bales at a time as they would have from 4-tons at a time customers.
I wrote that first paragraph last night. Now it is a new HOT day. Maybe John won’t feel up to emptying the horse trailer of heavy equipment. The temperature is already up to 85° at 9:00 on its way to another 101° today. However, the good news is that it is forecast to be cooling for July 4. I surely hope so. John took the dogs for their morning exercise, and while he was out, Rascal came in through the doggie door carrying on a long conversation — on and on, more than his usual announcement of entry — he was truly trying to tell me something. I followed him to the kitchen feeding station and showed him the melted lump of ice cream we’d left for him last night. Then he wanted fed canned cat food. Finally, he put himself to bed for the day. That’s been his plan, cat around at night, and sleep in a/c comfort during the heat of the day. Shortly, John returned from exercising the dogs. I told him about the conversation with Rascal, and he invited me into the backyard. At the edge of the patio in the newly cut grass, not too far from the dead muskrat deposited yesterday, was the body of the dead Douglas Tree Squirrel. This has made me very concerned about my powers of suggestion. I should put it to productive positive work to wish for health and happiness for my friends. (Note yesterday’s wish I made in the blog above, in case you missed it the first time through). I told another friend who said he was going to stay on my good side, for fear of my getting angry with him!
Glad I decided to stay home today. It’s up to 98 already before the hottest part of the day!
John came past the inside display of the outside sensor and saw it was 100.0o F. At 2:16 this area is shaded but it gets sun all AM onto dark wood and concrete. Also, note the (dry) 16%, relative humidity.

Thinking of cutting his hair, but had to rest from loading dishwasher and getting ready for the cutting. Just figured my volunteer hours (and mileage) for June. I’m down this month, and John has not done any WTA work yet this year. My June miles are 312.5 and 37.5 hours required. Last month was 44 hours and 354 mi., and April was much higher! 383.2 miles and 50.5 hrs. I have to keep track of each month and send my totals to the RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program) office here in town before the 5th of the following month. Just found out I cannot report the SAIL activity unless I’m a certified instructor, just helping with the music and assisting fellow classmates does not count as volunteer service. However, I can count all the hours for my music service around the community (but not for special in-house visits to shut-ins or others of that nature).
Received five more photos of the June 29 storm taken from the Wildhorse Wind farm west of town up near Whiskey Dick mountain. If you haven’t already received this link from me on email, then go check this out.
Interesting dinner tonight. Somehow through raging winds, John managed to grill a selection of meats: chicken, pork, salmon, and steak. We had a large amount, and leftovers for lunch for him tomorrow while I’m away. He uses regular charcoal and small pieces cut from branches of an apple tree. The apple wood smoke makes him think of a small fire at the front of a cave and makes him believe he grew up near the crest of the Tian Shan range in Kazakhstan.

Wednesday, Jul 3

Long day, but slightly cooler than yesterday.  Down to 82 at 7:00 p.m.  Went to a high of 89 today.  I spent a lot of time working this morning on music, but got away in time to make it to the Food Bank before noon.  It was very hot in there today, and even though I had on a short sleeve shirt, I got too warm.  We played 1/2 hr and then had a fairly good lunch, made with pork chops and a southern battered recipe, rice, yellow squash, and cornbread, with lemon meringue pie for dessert.  I ate too much for then going to exercise.  I need to take a power nap, so believe I will do that while John searches for a missing wiring cable for our truck/horse trailer connection.  It has been hooked into the truck for 15 years but was removed last year when we bought the old camper trailer.  It was, of course, safely stashed where we could easily find it when required.

That above was written late afternoon.

Some of you heard my story about having a (self-diagnosed) mild heatstroke, but I will review it shortly here.  I came back home late afternoon and was feeling lousy; finally decided I should try to rest and take a 20 min. power nap.  I didn’t finally lay down until maybe just after 6:00, and then I slept, after telling John I didn’t feel like eating chili.  I slept for almost 3 hours.

Wow… I think I got way too hot today at the Food Bank, (it was almost unbearable, and we also sit to play music in front of the freezers, which push out much hot air!)  I rode in my hot car over to the AAC, parked across the street and down to get into the shade of a big tree.  Once into the Senior Center I was tired and non-energetic almost the entire time.  At one point I sort of stepped out of the circle to sit down, and Sandra (our leader) asked if I was okay because it looked as if I stumbled.  I told her I just tripped over my imagination, but .. I guess I wasn’t all there.

Stopped by to pay a dental bill on the way home, and was out again in the sun for a short time.  Came down the road by the Univ. and the wind was blowing hard.  I was under big trees, and something hit the top of my car.  I looked to see if there was a branch in the street behind me.  Nothing.  Continued on up to a Univ. parking lot and parked under the shade of a tree to check the top of my car.  I cannot see the top of my car from the ground, so I climbed up on the driver’s side, grabbing the luggage rack, and looked.  I saw nothing.  My sun roof was still in one piece.

Upon reflection (when I awoke), I think I had experienced a “mini” heatstroke.  Have to be more careful in this heat.  For the record, if it is that hot in the Food Bank Soup Kitchen next Wednesday, I will not be able to stay and play.  I hope they will consider setting up a fan to blow on me.

I hope with the 4 July party tomorrow on the 5th at the Adult Activity Center where we also are playing music, with all the people coming and heat from the kitchen while making food, that the staff at the AAC will turn the air-conditioning to cold.

I was drinking (water) the whole time.  I had a glass in front of me at the Food Bank, and I had my own along to carry around 20 ounces in an insulated carrier with a strap, for the exercise class.  I know all about not getting dehydrated!!  I put the strap around the back of my chair and take a swig often.  I have always been susceptible to heatstroke since I was a kid and had two (one at the beach eating watermelon), so until this day I’m averted to the stuff, and another time diving from a high dive at the Oglethorpe Hotel on the road to Savannah Beach, swimming pool.  No joke.  Guess the water has to be ingested, not just on the outside of your body.  I think once a heatstroke, there’s always the possibility for a re-occurrence.  In addition, there are all the medications I’m on, which request me not to be in direct sunlight for very long.  John has read also that people with heart problems are more susceptible.

Two interesting stories in our local paper tonight, the Daily Record.

KITTITAS COUNTY       Hiker found on Manastash Ridge

Kittitas County Sheriff’s deputies along with emergency medical personnel and civilian ground crews found a hiker who went missing after leaving a trail to get her dog Wednesday, according to the sheriff’s office.

The search began at 9 p.m.  on the Manastash Ridge Westberg Trail after the hiker, 19-year old Melanie Swanson of Ellensburg, was reported missing by fellow hikers.  Rescuers eventually found Swanson, who was in and out of consciousness after apparently falling down an embankment.  Crews packed her out and she was transported by ambulance to KVCH Hospital for treatment.

Update:  the dog is still missing.  Our friend Ken, who lives at the base of the trail saw the dog this morning, but it ran away back to the hill, probably looking for its owner.  He called the number of the person to contact, and several people came looking for the dog, to no avail.  The girl who fell is still in Intensive Care.  No update reports on her condition or if the dog was located.

STORY TWO:  from the Daily Record.

Woman rescued from the river – found unconscious by people in a passing canoe

A woman may have drowned in the Yakima River Sunday afternoon if not for two people who found her unconscious while they were canoeing, according to a news release from the Kittitas County Sheriff ’s Office.  Amy Thorpe and Patrick Gonseth of Yakima were canoeing downstream from Big Pines Campground in the Yakima River Canyon when they found an unconscious woman, Brandi Leingang, 27, of Yakima, with no life jacket lying in the water and hung up on a patch of rocks.

Leingang’s feet were pointing downstream and her head was propped up on the rocks just enough to keep her mouth and nose out of the water.  The woman started to show signs of consciousness after they pulled her into their canoe.  They then paddled upstream for about 20 minutes to get back to the boat launch, where they asked someone to dial 911.  A Bureau of Land Management employee arrived on scene, followed by a Kittitas County Sheriff’s deputy and EMTs from Kittitas Valley Fire and Rescue.

Lucky to be alive

Friends floating the river with Leingang could not say how or when she fell into the river due to their level of intoxication.  In the release, Kittitas County Sheriff Gene Dana said Leingang was lucky to be alive.  “Thorpe and Gonseth are both lifeguards and Thorpe is the coach of a Yakima area swim team,” he said.  “Too much alcohol and no life jackets is a classic recipe for a tragedy.”  [John says word has gone out on the internet recently that women are smarter than men.  Really!  Search for it.]

Thursday, Jul 4

Decided after my “mild” heatstroke yesterday, not to go do anything today that might expose me to heat, so we cancelled the planned trip to George, WA for the annual 4 July concert in the park, with free cherry pie.  We told you about that last year, and meeting our friends there.  This is an interesting comment from Celia, my neighbor, who cuts my hair, shared this via Facebook.  She lives only a mile around the long rural block.  She says:

          So we went camping because our air conditioner was broke & had to wait on part. Turn on the gas refrigerator in the trailer & it started smoking!! Come to find out part  is on the recall list.  Well that’s ok, we have a generator.  This morning pull rope assembly broke.  They say things happen in 3s.  Ok I’m done now, I hope!!

Today has been filled with non-exhaustive, but some very frustrating, chores.  A few clean dishes unloaded and a stack of rinsed ones set by to reload the dishwasher.  We cleaned up about 2.5 pounds of strawberries, and froze most of them, except what we will eat tonight.   We have worked for a while unpacking the new printer (required un-sticking an amazing amount of little blue plastic tape strips), starting the beginning process of loading ink cartridges, paper, and then installing the drivers.  It took a long time, probably a couple of hours, and we have it recognized on John’s computer, but not yet on mine.  Oh–I think I know why.  His probably has to be turned on for me to access the printer.  No, that was not it.  I had to reload again from the CD, and do it differently.  Third time was a charm, but didn’t happen until 10:00 p.m. after we’d had dinner.

Also, a couple hours ago, one of our neighbors (not sure which), began celebrating that sound like cannon ball explosions.  Huge booms, no popping or whistling.  It was still light, so no idea if there were displays in the sky or not.  This could be a long night, with noises such as this and usual fireworks, for we have two dogs that intensely dislike them.  Makes no sense, considering they are bird dogs – except we haven’t been working them that way recently.  Now we wonder if we can eat dessert and go to bed, or if we need to wait until midnight to calm the dogs.  Right now things are quiet, but we had about 6 of the loud cannon blasts go off before dark.

The good news is I can print wirelessly through the new printer, as can John.  This is really cool.  Only thing I have to do is turn it on before I can use it.  I hibernates itself when left for a while (haven’t found out how long yet).

Friday, Jul 5

Began my day trying to locate the phone number of the transfer station here in town.  It took calls all over the US, to find out I could have looked under Kittitas County for the local number in our phone book, and not “waste management” or “transfer station” (Ellensburg, WA) on the Internet.  Jeez.  They are open today until 4:00 p.m.  (Tues-Saturday, 8 to 4), so we will worry tomorrow with the recycle stuff and the dump stuff).  John unearthed more boxes of junk while looking for the missing part to the trailer brakes, which has not yet been found.

Today, we go to town to start eating at a July 4 celebration on the fifth! at the Adult Activity Center, where we begin eating hamburgers, hot dogs, and all the fixings at 11:30, and then have trumpet music at noon for 20 minutes, followed by some of our Kittitas Valley Fiddlers and Friends group.  Last night we only expected a few guitars, one fiddle (mine), clarinet, and timbrel, plus singers.  I put together a master copy of the lyrics printed in large print, and run off (by the Sr. Ctr) for the audience to sing along on our songs, which included: America (My Country ‘Tis of Thee), America the Beautiful (Oh beautiful for spacious skies), Battle Hymn of the Republic, God Bless America, In the Good Old Summertime, Home on the Range, Oh! Susanna!, Yankee Doodle Boy (I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy), You Are My Sunshine, Red River Valley, There’s a Star-Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere, This Land is Your Land, ending with the Star Spangled Banner sung acapella.  There will be many flags around to stand up and salute.  There’s even one on the hat I’m going to wear, and my blouse looks like part of a flag, with stars and stripes.  A couple of years ago, I wore it, and an old veteran I have known for a decade came up to me, saying, “I don’t know whether to salute you or raise you up the flag pole.”

I was very surprised to see the turnout of people to play in the group.  We ended up with 2 fiddles, 4 guitars, 1 mandolin, 1 viola, 1 bass fiddle, 1 clarinet, 1 timbrel, and singers.  We had an audience of 106 people, and they participated, singing with every one of our songs.  It was very neat and many good voices made it inspiring.  The last song was the Star-Spangled Banner and was sung Acapella.  I gave the beginning note, and our bass fiddle kept the beat.  No one else played an instrument.  We got home mid-afternoon from a successful party.  The food was hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, baked beans, and all the fixings.  Burgers prepared for public places have to be cooked until they are “safe” – meaning they are tough and dry.  These were.  It helps to toast the bun, have cheese melted on the bun, and have a nice ripe tomato slice.  None of that happened.  Oh well.  Several people brought additions (salads, fruits), because it was held at the same time as the usual first Friday of the month potluck.  Ice cream bars for dessert.  All’s well that ends well.

Everyone in the room stood up, saluted the flag, and sang.  They all knew the words (we had not put them in the packet).  Some folks thanked us and said the last brought tears to their eyes.  I am happy the music was a success.  We don’t have any pictures as we have in the past, and we were scrunched at one end of the building, on the floor, and not on a stage as in the building where we have performed in previous years.

Saturday, Jul 6

Day of the junk removal did not happen.  Instead, John picked raspberries early, and they still have to be prepared.  Then he picked strawberries, which we have put away.  Did some house cleaning and other chores on the web.  We may get this posted tonight.  One last report.  In recent blog reports, I neglected to put in pictures about our “new” puppy.  I did mention her name, however.  Here’s a little more of the story:  We now have her registered with the AKC as Cedaridge Kip’s Camelot Shay Tre’.  She was the only orange and white one in the litter.  She will be staying in California, with Jeri Conklin, the breeder and co-owner.  Jeri is a great friend to make this offer.  We cannot bring another Brittany into our household now, and she is able and willing to campaign her in show and field (hunt test) events in her area.  Physically, I’m not yet able to do such work (and maybe never will be).  She bred her dog, Ginny, to Kip, a tri Brittany from our breeding, and a full brother to Cork, who we lost to a heatstroke in 2011, while finishing up his Dual Championship with a field trainer in PA.  His name was Ch. Cedaridge Vintage Cork.  Then, his sister (Cedaridge Vintage Rousanne) two years younger, had one litter in 2010, when I came out of the ICU.  We lost her ability to carry on our lines, by mammary tumors in 2011, which required her to be spayed.  We started our lines in 1977, and hated to see them eliminated so close in proximity.

The new pup’s father is Cedaridge Tri-tip Kip and he lives with our friend Sonja Willitts in South Lake Tahoe.  Sonja’s experience with our Brittanys goes back to 1977 (the first litter we bred).  She was only 18, and got a nice liver dog from us that she named Whispering Tic.  We became fast friends in Idaho, going all over the Pacific NW to shows and field trials, with Tic, and his sister I kept, Jigsaw.  Sonja is keeping one of the liver males (Tug), and Jeri is keeping another liver male (Jessie).  Here are some photos for you:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hope your week was great.
Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

The storm mentioned in the “Placeholder” posting yesterday apparently damaged our DSL provider’s equipment. There was service early this morning (Sun., 30th ), then it went away all over the area. Some time after Noon they seem to have gotten it back to robust.

Saturday, Jun 22
A large bowl of strawberries having just been washed, trimmed, de-stemmed (capped), and ready for the next step – I’m doing some music changes in a program called SongWriter. I can’t seem to find a way of fixing berries that is as comfortable as being in the big padded recliner. I had entered God Bless America last year. Now I can just print out copies. Thought I had to add I’m A Yankee Doodle Dandy, but found it was also there from last year–under a different starting name: Yankee Doodle Boy. Mostly, I worked on music tonight. I forgot to say in the blog last week just put out today, that John ordered us a new printer [Epson WF-3540] to replace our old, now-scannerless, one. The advantage of the new one is that it is wireless so I can print a page without sending it via e-mail to the back room computer or carrying it back there on a USB drive or disk.

Sunday, Jun 23
Lots of stuff accomplished today. Worst thing was waking up from a nightmare about people coming to our MESSY and dirty house. Guess that inspired me to do more cleaning today. Peggy, John’s sister, called to say it was 89 in Cleveland. She told me I needed to clean up a box a day. I’ll strive for that (didn’t make it every day). John said we were only making a box a week, recently. Very recently, it’s been better than that. After my nightmare, I was motivated today, but his comment was I am not capable of working 8 hours / day on the mess. Very true. I’m sitting now resting as I write this, after being on my feet for a couple hours. Did a lot, found a lot, but didn’t get John’s hair cut.

Monday, Jun 24
This morning John picked about 4 quarts of strawberries. I cleaned them but he finished cutting the last 2 dozen, added sugar, and froze 2.5 pounds. We saved some for dessert. I spent most of the morning on emails for colleagues and students. I left at 1:00 (in the rain) for SAIL class, with a stack of magazines to donate to the Adult Activity Center (ones such as Audubon, Smithsonian, Natural History). Then on to my new best friend the podiatrist right afterwards, while it was still raining. John realized he wouldn’t want to work in the rain, so he worked in the big shed on some of the junk there. I was on time to my foot doctor, but he was running behind. Ended up waiting an hour! but then he spent about 15-20 minutes with me, going over what ails me and what we can do about it. Turns out the Pathology Report (from Alpharetta, GA of all places, near my hometown), reported I have a fungal element with features most characteristic of dermatophytes (Trichophyton rubrum). (Only on one foot; where the heck could I have acquired that) ?
There are 3 potential cures he explained: (1) topical treatment daily for 6 months, (2) internal medications for 3 months, but there is some concern with metabolism within the liver and potential damage, plus it is not 100% effective. I don’t want to mess with that with all the meds I’m already on for my heart, several messing with my liver. (3) Laser technology, done once, checked again in 6 months, a therapy that has been approved by the FDA, but is not likely covered by my medical insurance. Probable cost, $400. It only can be done in the Yakima office. I have decided that will be my choice. It likely cannot happen for at least 5 weeks. I have to talk tomorrow to the Yakima office to make an appointment and find out the issues with my insurance. I’m between phone calls with Drs and insurance companies with ignorant and unresponsive people about my foot problem and the laser surgery. They want $400 at the time of surgery, and won’t submit the bill because they say they have in the past and it wasn’t approved. So, I’m writing the Dr. to explain my side of it, and let him know he can request an urgent consideration for an authorization by my insurance company (has to be done before my treatment). John thinks the USA’s health system ought to get rid of all the bs and just treat people. There are more folks moving paper, talking on phones, and punching keyboards than there are fixing what’s wrong. Our farrier had a referral for a sore shoulder but by the time he could get an appointment the shoulder was much better. He told them his wrist and thumb hurt and would the doctor look at those. No, sorry – you need a referral for those, I can only examine your shoulder. Service with a smile – but useless. Phone has been ringing off the hook with other stuff, so I haven’t yet done all the things planned. Still have to cut John’s hair.

Tuesday, Jun 25
Crazy morning home. Intended to get a lot of stuff done, but am now waiting for a phone call from my Cardiologist’s nurse. I walked up to the road to put a letter in the mail to a friend in Atlanta, only to have the nurse call. I don’t know when she will get back to me. They almost never will speak to John about my medical condition. It’s about an early morning request call to make an appt. with Dr. Pham, a Nuclear Cardiologist, to evaluate my need for another wire on my Implanted Cardiovascular Device (just at the end of the week I scheduled an appointment, near the end of July). Finally, ate a late lunch and just finished, when another phone call I was waiting for arrived from our electric utility district office. Next I just got the receptionist in Yakima to give me her email so that she could forward my email to the podiatrist doctor. Phone has been ringing off the hook with other crap, so I haven’t yet done all the things planned. I’m frustrated with access to this podiatrist, because I’m spoiled on my interactions (email) with my family physician and my cardiologist and their respective nurses. Never did get to cut John’s hair. The high swivel-chair made it to the kitchen and I cleaned up the sinks, counters and dishes, and he made incredible progress on old cardboard, collecting trash, crushing cans, plastic bottles, and tin cans. Made several bags of garbage to take out front to be packed off to the “transfer station” (the new name for a garbage dump)!
{ John says: Most folks never see this aspect of their trash but we toss it out of the back of a pickup truck onto a concrete floor. Then a large front-end loader pushes it onto a conveyer belt and it trundles off to fall into a large compacter. That makes bales of trash about the size of an old Nash and these are loaded onto a flat-bed trailer truck. Far beyond the sight and smell of the average urban resident, the truck deposits the bales in a shallow depression in God’s not-so-green Earth. It is rumored that much of the glass dropped in recycling bins is crushed and poured like sand over the bales of trash. With minor adjustments in this process our major cities could build massive pyramids or Towers of Babel-like structures for future folks to wonder about. We liked the old dumps better where night spot-lighting of scavengers (rats and black bears) providing occasional summer entertainment. My father’s generation became excellent marksmen using 22s at such places but that was frowned on by the time I was a teen – spotlights were okay, though.}

Wednesday, Jun 26
John’s picking strawberries. He also took some photos on my old Canon digital camera that had lost its proper white balance (Canon calls this ‘tone’.) Everything taken with it had a blue tinge throughout and much of what I took with it had to be adjusted on the computer. He found the on-line page for the camera and took the promised photo of the Owl in the Strawberry patch.

He doesn’t like the small cameras and has an older Nikon (D40X) he prefers to use. The Owl photo is with the “fixed” white balance on the Canon. We had a photo of the “Dude in the Garden” (aka a scarecrow) previously. He trades the Dude and the Owl in and out to keep birds from damaging berries. Using the Nikon, he took a photo of one of the new dwarf plum trees near ground level showing shoots coming from the dwarfing-root stock. Click on the photo for a large version.

Because these shoots come from the original root stock and not the type of fruit desired (Bubblegum Plum; late August; reddish bronze) – they get removed.
He had a noon dental teeth cleaning, dropped me off at the Food Bank, returned & then took me to SAIL class. He went shopping while I was exercising. Came home to a lot of work. Had a late dinner of a hamburger on a “gourmet” roll. John has hit the hay, and I’m on the way. Needed to send out a few job announcements to the jobs list before quitting for the night. I worked a lot on music this afternoon, getting ready for tomorrow and next week’s patriotic playing. Today at the food bank we did a few, such as America, America the Beautiful, and I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy (although I’m not). We never cleaned and cut the strawberries, so skipped dessert tonight. I had brought home some nice yellow cake pieces (sort of a Bundt cake with a glazed frosting) to have with them today. The activity center puts out sweet things to go with coffee, and encourages us to take them. It will hold in the frig till tomorrow. Oh, our new printer came today, but we’ve not yet set it up. We did remove the outside box to be sure the printer box was not-damaged. The outside container was beat to hell, with punches and holes in it. Had me worried but it was just a shell for the original packaging.

Thursday, Jun 27
Worked this morning on printing music for our group. Then left for town, only to come upon a blockage of Naneum Road on a curve several miles down from our home. I only had 1,000 feet to go to the turn I needed to make, but had to turn around and head back up the road over a mile, to go around a long block. It was in a 30 mph curve, not unlike the ones up by our house, but the road is well marked with curve and speed limit warnings, where ours is not. A tractor trailer truck pulling a heavy duty flatbed trailer with a large earthmover ma-chinery piece on the back had jackknifed and was covering the whole curve on both sides. I never got close enough to know if the driver was trying to go in or out a driveway or field or whether something else was happening. Regardless of who, what, or how – Naneum Road was devastatingly blocked dinging me about 3 miles and 10 minutes. Went directly to Hearthstone without time to have a blood draw for my INR test. Once there I parked away from everyone where no one could hit my car with their door. Helped set up chairs and ta-bles, and gave out some of the music. Met a new member of the group, a trumpet player. I hope he will not be too noisy for the group to handle. He teamed up with the clarinet player, because they play in the same key, which you have heard is two sharps higher than what the rest of the group play in (I have been transposing music for our clarinet player for a couple of years. For example, when we are playing in G with one #, they have to play in A with three #s.) After playing, I went to the hospital to the lab for an INR test on my blood (it was within range, just fine, at 2.7. Then I went to the grocery with the cooler John put in my car, and bought some chicken hind quarters on sale for 98 ¢/pound. While there I picked up a few other things we use that were on sale this week. I had sadly skipped lunch, because of time, but it was 4:00 p.m. by the time I finished at the grocery, too late to have any lunch. I looked at the coupons in my possession, and found I could drop by Jack in the Box on the way to the University, and get two spicy chicken sandwiches and two free tacos from a previ-ously received coupon. From there I called and left John a message I still had to drop by the university to leave several things for my colleagues. NO one was around, and I hadn’t taken my keys, but I found the computer systems analyst working in one of the offices. He has a key and kindly walked to the other end of the building’s 3rd floor to let me in the main office where the postal boxes are. NICE – otherwise, I would have had to go back tomorrow, and I am not planning a trip to town at all tomorrow. I came home to strawberry-cleaning chores. I just finally sat down from an hour’s work cleaning and cutting 2.5 pounds of strawberries John picked yesterday. He helped me finish the process of the cutting and packaging (for freezing), and we had plenty for our dessert tonight. These are called Cavendish and our earliest ones although they are considered a mid-season type.

Friday, Jun 28
Stressed out this morning with a call from my physician’s nurse that my INR was higher on the test than was indicated to me by a reading of a drop of my blood at the time (2.7). Frustrating, as I have not been doing anything (i.e. drinking alcohol) that ought to cause it to go up. This morning, the lab report on the vial of blood, run last evening, claimed 3.6 or something way high. Weather heated up today to 93. In anticipation of the coming end of the World heat wave and a planned Saturday away, John worked into the afternoon on watering both gardens, trees and flowers around the front “yard”. Then at 10:30, our farrier came that caused him be tied up for over an hour, holding horses. After that he picked strawberries. I just put them from a box into something for the refrigerator until he awakes from his hour + nap and we can work on them together. We are short 4 berries of having 4 dozen. [John says: who counts Strawberries?] {Nancy says, when you are taking from a dirty large bucket and putting into a smaller dish for the frig.}
I’m working on a number of chores of organization, for the celebration of life this weekend, for other record things, for kitchen sinks, for doctor and insurance requests, & calendar planning. I spent a lot of time looking for a local bagpiper, and for singers and material for the Sunday program. Well, shoot. I just missed the hours on Friday till when my Podiatrist is open (only until 3:00). Now things wait until Monday. Been continuing work on the song lyrics for next week, but didn’t quit finish. I’ll get them out before they come to work on Monday. I have them all done but one, and I want to check all of the 9 pages before sending. I hope they can run back to back to save paper. I doubled up a couple of songs on one pages. Tried making it larger print for older people. Next, I have to make arrangements for the following weekend for a potluck for our music group. Our 12-string guitar player and his wife are hosting a young gal from Belarus for 5 weeks this summer in town for the program called the Children of Chernobyl. They drive to Seattle Wednesday to pick her up and take her to visit their family near Tiger Lake. After holiday celebrations, they take a ferry to Seattle, from nearby Bremerton, to show her the big city. On home and on Sunday afternoon there will be a potluck, for which John is fixing a huge pork loin roast. I’m in charge of making arrangements to get people informed and to their place to eat at 5:00 p.m. We take our instruments along and play music after we eat. Well, another day and more strawberries to clean and put away. But, we left it for tomorrow. Good news of the evening, a young female bagpiper was found to play music at Lois Robinson’s celebration of life. I just heard they cinched it tonight, after my helping find the contact information late this afternoon.

Saturday, Jun 29
This morning, awoke to a message that the music to the song, I Love Life, was found in the piano bench.
John did a lot of early morning watering, including the raspberries behind the house (that are already producing). We left for the Wests, about 11:15 to stop off at Costco for gas for the new car (“only” $3.57/gal), and by the time we subtract the 4% using the Amer. Express card, it will only be $3.43. While there, John picked up some cat and dog food, some bread, & some grapes. We got through and arrived at our destination just after 1:00. The trip down was fine, but hot. Was 91 in Yakima, in the shade. Had a nice visit and afternoon with great food for 6 people. We provided the steaks, and the hosts the rest. Rice, two salads, nuts, and drinks, and a fine dessert, Pistachio Pudding Dessert on a cake base. Scrumptious.

While there, we experienced the storm John mentioned in the Place marker last night.

More on the storm:
Follow-up on the June 29 storm in our region–once home, I started reviewing the sends on the Internet from my friends and acquaintances. I have put them together (some links and photos) for your enlightenment. All these are from EBRG because I did not have my camera along in Yakima, which John already has written about. Here is a video taken by Alex Eyre

For you geographers reading this, you may remember his father, J. Douglas Eyre who was at Chapel Hill in the Geography Department for 44 years. Before that, Doug was in Michigan for 3 degrees, and even at UW teaching for 6 years. I went to school in Atlanta, GA for my undergraduate degree, and returned in 1967-69 to teach geography at Georgia State University. I knew all the geographers, some better than others, in the Southeast AAG. Doug retired in 2001. About the same time, maybe a year or so later, I met his son in Ellensburg while playing fiddle at the fairgrounds for some event. We met, and had our picture taken together (need to find that), after we realized I knew his dad. I think I saw his name on his nametag, and asked if he was kin to someone from NC. Small world, eh?

Here is a second video link from a former geographer colleague, Allen Sullivan, in town, from Manastash Road, a little southwest of EBRG, just down the road from the next reporter.
Message from Ken Hammond, farther out Manastash, on Cove Road, at the base of the hill trail everyone hikes for conditioning.
Sat, Jun 29, 2013 at 3:16 PM, Kenneth Hammond
About an hour ago, I had just finished loading out another 135 bales of hay, when the sky opened up with drenching rain mixed with large hail. It washed the road, no doubt scarred the apples and pears, and though I have yet to go down to see, probably punched holes in a lot of garden plant leaves. I got totally soaked each of the several times I went up to the pump to see if lightning had shut it down. Oh well, I don’t melt, fade, or shrink. The rain has now stopped, and I just checked the pump again. It ran right through it all, but I now hear more thunder. That means more lightning. It is all very interesting. I am glad I have serious surge protection on the computer.
I don’t know how widespread that intense storm was, but wherever it hit, people with hay down must feel a bit snake-bit.
The storm is moving over us again. Gotta go check on that blankety blank pump.
And today, Sun., June 30 at 11 30 AM , in reply to mine back to him last night.
It was an interesting storm. There was more than a half inch of rain in less than an hour. The wind was blowing so hard, hail was landing in on the hay in the barn. The man who got the hay we were loading is bald. He was hurting when he got hit. Some of my corn is about 3 feet tall and it is now really leaned over in the wind. I will straighten it back up when it dries a little. The garden is sort of a mud hole right now.
Every year has peculiar and interesting qualities.

Storm related photos:

Zoe Rushton took the first 2 photos.

The hail in hand photo is by Avia Beach.

Sunday morning — started off interestingly. I was fixing my coffee and toast and found a little green frog on the counter. How the heck he got into the house is beyond us, especially into the kitchen. Night before last, John opened the door to the garage, off the front porch, to let out some of the built-up hot air. Perhaps froggie got to the kitchen from there. ?? I think there is a hole in the wall. Mice used to come into our house somehow from the garage, but with all the cats around, we haven’t been bothered recently. John got him to hop into a shoebox, and relocated him in short grass out back by the creek. Hope he survives all right. Small little cutie, a little over an inch long, with legs folded.

John picked a large bucket of beautiful strawberries, mostly Cavendish. He only intended to pick several for brunch, but there were more available and ready, plus they were wet from yesterday’s rain, so he picked all. We just finished fixing them, and he figured it was ~3 pounds of finished berries plus the touch of sugar.

Heard from a friend in Alabama she had a red sunflower blooming. She and I had never heard of one, but when I mentioned to John, he said, yes, they come in all sorts of colors. He had bought a seed pack this year with various yellow, gold, and red combinations of petals, but never got them planted. Here is her picture (click for large view):

I finished putting all the music lyrics together for the July 5 performance for Independence Day to send when we have Internet service return. I called central control and found out the storm yesterday wiped out all coverage in the Ellensburg area. They figure the storm damaged some equipment, and “the technicians are working on it.” We just regained service after at least 3 hours down. Some people in the area were out since 11:00 p.m. last night. Three hours was bad enough for our progress.

Hope your week was great.
Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

We were away from home most of Saturday. Expecting hot and sunny John watered plants on Friday and a few more this morning. Dogs, cats, and horses were assured we would return. A little after 11 and with a temperature about 90 we headed south. It got warmer as we passed through Yakima (95) but dropped to 83 at our destination about 15 miles west and 1,000 feet higher. From our friends’ deck we could see west to the Cascade Mountains where storm clouds had formed. Within the hour the storm came to us. Rain, a little hail, and lots of wind. The folks have a weather station and it recorded a gust of 51 mph. There was thunder to the north and west of us but nothing close. During and after the storm it was cool. A fantastic atmospheric display. Ellensburg got a good dose of this storm that seemed to travel along the east slope of the mountains. Parts of the town flooded. The road south of our place had lots of leaves, small limbs, pine cones, and such, down. When we came home there was a little drizzle but only enough to dampen things. After caring for the animals and fixing 2 pounds of strawberries (picked yesterday), we are tuckered out and won’t get a full report published until mid-day Sunday. (Noonish here; 3 back East.)

Sunday, Jun 16 HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!
Warm here today and not windy. John has taken care of much garden activities, mostly watering. In addition, he picked almost 2 dozen big strawberries, filling the box fuller that was pictured yesterday. I have cleaned them and much of the kitchen, and am tackling other chores. The a/c just came on, so the hallway temperature must have reached 77. We had 89° high outside for a couple hours. We called a few friends/relatives, or left messages on their recorders. John and Rascal are napping, but I slept in a little longer this morning, so I’m up, and answering the phone (or not). We have been getting 1-877 calls labeled TOLL-FREE. I looked it up on the web. It is a non-located prefix, just as 1-800 or 1-888, and most likely is a telemarketer. If I don’t answer, they never leave a message, but now with caller ID I can see it to ignore. Two calls came this afternoon two hours apart. Every day we have at least one call from such. I believe the caller ID is worth the money. I have it free for 2 years, but at the end I will be so spoiled, I will subscribe. John’s cooking a pork loin (seasoned) roast. Been setting up with AAA to come pick-up John’s pickup on Tuesday to take to the repair shop. While going through things today, I found I’m almost out of checks, so needed to order them. It’s highway robbery. Last ordered 150 duplicate checks in Sept 2011, for $13. Now they want $21.50 for 120, so I will wait and see if I can find a source cheaper than that.

Monday, Jun 17
Called Pittman towing, but I cannot schedule through them, and must wait until tomorrow to see if he is free, after I call Auto-AAA. There is one other AAA provider in town, and we will get, whoever is available to come out. We got the other, McIntosh.
[John adds: Here’s how to waste time. Nancy spelled the car-tow place’s name as Macintosh. Worth a check, and made the correction. Her spelling could have been either an apple or a computer (now known as a Mac) marketed by a company called Apple. Now about the fruit. You can read about this red/green wonder here.
The second paragraph tells you of John MacIntosh discovering, in 1811, a new sapling (you do know that apple seeds do not “breed true, right?). In the first link – the wiki page – there is a comment about the MacIntosh farm in “Upper Canada.” If you click on that link and look at the map you will see an “orange” place in the very southern part of Canada. A first this seems strange. I used this in classes I taught to try to get students to question things they read and how they, versus others, thought about the World. Imagine you are on a sailing ship from merry ol’England or France. You approach North America and the Gulf of St. Lawrence and sail until rapids stop your passage. You have just passed through “Lower Canada” and must go beyond the rapids and to higher elevation to get to that “orange” place on the map. Upper Canada meant “higher” not the northern part.  A student once asked to be excused from class because she was going “up” to Canada, so I questioned where.  Toronto, she said.  Well having friends in Toronto, I knew she was headed mostly east but also south – about 220 miles south of Ellensburg.  And that’s how to waste time – now back to Nancy and paper bank checks.]
I didn’t have to call about my checks today, because in cleaning off a flat space loaded high, I found 3 sets with 50 checks each!  I moved them to the Roll-Top desk where we have kept them for years.  Managed to package two books to send to a friend in Alabama, and another to a friend in NM.  Those got mailed today.  Then on to my SAIL exercise class.  I picked up a couple of sympathy cards there for my friend’s family, and 3 copies of the local paper she was pictured in the day she died.  Then “SAILed” through class, and on to Super One to use some good coupons for less expensive ground beef, provolone cheese, French bread, Almond Breeze for me, Diet Cola and Cola for John (also on sale).  The pharmacy did not have my prescription ready for Metoprolol that I called in last week.  They said they had faxed 6 requests.  I was going to call or email when I got home, but was too busy with other things, and got a call from my Pharmacy late afternoon saying they had finally received the approval from my cardiologist in Yakima.  Good thing it wasn’t an emergency need.  Actually, if that should happen, they will give me some to take until the prescription arrives.  Now I call a week ahead (for good reason).
After the grocery, I stopped by Briarwood to pick up a card for Lois’ family. That gave me two cards from the EBRG Senior Center-AAC, one from Briarwood, one from me (us), and 4 copies of the paper write-up she never got to see.
John picked another pound of strawberries, and I cleaned them.

Tuesday, Jun 18
Called AAA and arranged for the pick up of Chev ’80 pickup to carry to our repair garage. It left here just after 1:00 p.m.. John’s been building a scarecrow and yesterday put up an owl (plastic blow-up). He’s trying to protect the strawberries from birds. Today he also picked another pound of strawberries for me to clean and freeze what we don’t eat tonight.

We both have been “startled” by the “guy” in the garden.
I had planned to be busy with cleaning up boxes in the house all day, and in the evening to go play music at Royal Vista. But, all those plans changed this morning, and I have been worrying with planning for music for July 5th, canceling July 4th’s music, recording a CD of America Songs, notifying people of the change in date of the Celebration of Life for friend Lois. My trip to Royal Vista was cancelled for tonight, as well, because of double booking in the absence of the retired activities director. Need to finish cleaning the strawberries in the morning.

Wednesday, Jun 19
I went to play music at the Food Bank Soup Kitchen and to SAIL exercise class afterwards. Between times, I got important paperwork in the mail for co-ownership of a Brittany female that was bred in California to carry on our lines (bred to our Tri male from S. Lake Tahoe), Cedaridge Tri-Tip Kip, Cork’s full brother. Cork was our almost Dual Ch. Brittany, who died in PA of a heatstroke in 2011. The pup will remain with Jeri Conklin in CA because we cannot take her back into our house. Her name is Cedaridge Kip’s Camelot Shay Trἐ.
While I was gallivanting all over town, John cleaned our filters in the heat pump system (heat and a/c), plus two filters on our water system.

Thursday, Jun 20
Morning was busy mostly with arranging and searching for music. I have misplaced some July 4 patriotic songs and went through 7 or 8 loose leaf 3-ring binders searching for it and for one song we were doing today, to give to a member of our group who couldn’t locate her copy of Faded Love. Our printer scanner is broken, so I couldn’t just scan a copy of mine from my music book for her. Then I put into my computer generated music program, Down By The Old Mill Stream, for us to try (first time) as a group. John heard from our garage they had fixed his truck so I dropped him off to pick it up, to fill with gasoline, and to pick up eight 5-gallon buckets at CWU surplus plus put in a bid for a large amount of pallets. As well he took advantage of the Thursday 12-hour sale at Super 1 grocery. He got home only a few minutes before I did. It was raining hard on me on the way home.
Recap on today’s music at Dry Creek: We had a fine turn-out of players and also a big audience. We had 4 fiddlers, banjo, 3 guitars, mandolin, Timbrel, and our singer. Wow.

Friday, Jun 21
Will not go to town today, tomorrow, or Sunday, to make headway on this messy home. As I go through things to sort, it creates more work and all takes time I haven’t had. John has already run the dogs and then hung extra bottom rails around the new garden. A little dear deer entered and ate tops of 10 plants before he found her and ran her out the gate. He worked on another fence around a planter box (pallets) in the front of the house that box has flowers and strawberries and the deer like both. Small trees also have to be protected.

John’s morning involved constructing a ramp for our older dogs to access the window inside the house to the doggie door. One was having trouble jumping up 2 feet to get to the previous exit, atop two boxes – those, now, I have to sort through. I found a box for putting in my old CDs in plastic cases after I back them up on my USB port for music in the new Subaru. If we leave CDs around on a shelf, the dust in this house builds up on them, as on everything else. I have to vacuum boxes and items around before I can sort through them. Even with a filter on our heat pump, much dust circulates and deposits itself. You should see John’s two new computer screens and tower. Static cling at its worst.
Also today, I have been trying to set up using one of our timeshares for friends going to New Orleans, and RCI has a special deal on today at a reduced trading power. Turns out the dates and availability are not there & open. Oh, well, we tried. Any of you out there who want to travel, check with us for using one of our timeshares. The price is right for a whole week anywhere in the world that’s available for ~$189, with a $50 (I think) added on for a gift certificate, required if I’m not available to go along at check-in. If however, you pick a room at our home base in Idaho, there is no gift certificate needed. We have one expiring Dec 31 2013 and need to use it or lose it. Now that I no longer attend conferences, I don’t have the opportunity to use them as I once did. (John prefers to work on trails in the Cascade Mountains.) I used one for week in Honolulu, another time in San Francisco, in mid-Texas, at Lake Tahoe, and in the hills above Denver. Often, the daily conference rate for a hotel room almost reaches the cost for the entire week for a traded timeshare.

Saturday, Jun 22
Morning. John is out doing yard chores, exchanging the owl on a pole overlooking strawberries, for the scarecrow, or vice versa. We did succeed in mailing details to our friend in Moses Lake about meeting July 4, in George, WA for the annual day of music, cherry pie, and other celebratory stuff, under the shade of some large trees.
John just picked 2.5 pounds of strawberries and brought them in a little before 1:00; now we will have leftovers for lunch, and I will tackle cleaning them later, after I complete this blog. He’s also filling the water storage tanks in the new garden, using gravity flow from the irrigation ditch. He brought in the mail and a paper, with this thank you to an unknown somebody.

Hope your week was great.
Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Sunday, Jun 9
Bad date in my memory. 4 years ago, during CWU Graduation ceremonies at the Geography Department, colleagues convinced me I looked and acted ill. I took myself to the local hospital and the admitting doctor sent me to the intensive care unit. Thank God, I’m still around to enjoy life. And play the fiddle, which I will be doing tonight. Today the wind is still blowing, and will be interesting for playing music outside tonight after 6:00 p.m. Morning was spent trying to put a tour together of our area for a friend from NJ, but it just won’t work with all the distance involved. We were hoping to go to Mt. Rainier, but the road to the best viewpoint, Sunrise (in good weather), is still winter-closed. Then we considered north and east of us, but that has the same problem in a different way (time), between all the important sites to share. There are few close-by. She would be driving up 4 hours from Oregon, where she is visiting, and then we’d have a whole day of driving with me after that. We were planning to stay in a motel and have her head back the next day, but it’s too much for both of us. As mentioned above, tonight we played outside on a porch in 41 mph gusts. Just three of us gals, clarinet playing first violin, me on fiddle, and another gal on guitar. They had us play before and after dinner as a gift of music to the man having his 80th birthday party with family and a few friends. Fiddle music is his favorite. They fed us a great BBQ pulled pork dish (I had mine without the bun), several salads, and fresh Bing and Rainier cherries. They were awesome. The whole meal was fantastic. The older contingent seemed to really enjoy our music and the b.d. boy really did. He stayed with us for every song, and sung along on many. We did about 16 songs. The only problem was the noise of the flapping tarp, and the 3 wind chimes in the wrong key. A funny comment we heard from our hostess on our way out — thanking us again. She said, “We really love the choices.” Had to laugh at the comment her grandson said, “Grandma, do you like that kind of music?”
Going to bed 2 hours sooner tonight than last night, when I only got 6 hrs of sleep. That’s no longer enough for me.

Monday, Jun 10
Appointment at podiatrist at 1:00 p.m. My time was spent with Dr. Cardon — at Cascade Foot & Ankle, in Ellensburg. I got there early to fill out paperwork, but they didn’t do anything until the starting time, inviting me in to prepare for the doctor. The assistant asked me a few questions, took my blood pressure (I thought it was way high, 152/82). Maybe I was anxious. It was done with one of the little wrist devices, not one with a wrap-around thing. She noticed my tee shirt (with mandolin, fiddle & guitar), and asked if I was a music teacher. Her father manages a music store in Yakima. Wasn’t too long until my Dr. arrived. Shook my hand and listened to my story, and looked at my feet (the right one is the one with the affected toenails). He said he would test it and send for a Dermatophyte test (I think that is the one). He mentioned that my condition could be one of at least 5 possibilities. He claims they will know within 2 weeks, and I am scheduled to come back to visit with him about the results. I asked him if he would be able to help me with trimming my nails. He told me he could do it before I left today. I got on the table and he clipped (for the sample to send to the lab), and then clipped the rest of the nails. On the right foot (the “infected” one), he used a fancy precise Dremel tool, to scrape the “stuff” off the tops of the nails. (It was much larger than the little one that had been used previously at the Adult Activity Center by the nurse there). It’s almost impossible not to hit the skin beside the nail (with a small one too), but he had a silver nitrate stick to stop the bleeding. He went ahead and did my left foot’s nails (they are normal). I was very appreciative. I asked him if he had an assistant to do the foot care and he said no, “I prefer to do it.” So, I said well I hope you will write my insurance company that it is necessary for me to come back every 3 months. He said he doubted it would be a problem and he would be happy to. (Since the office help in charge of Insurance, had a different opinion. Meanwhile, we await the story on what ails me. This type of “fungal like infection” is known in patients with Diabetes, but I am not diabetic. Just the fact of knowing I’m being looked after by someone who seems to know what he’s talking about and is easy to talk with, and professional, makes all the difference in my attitude today. I was truly a happy person when I left his examination room to go fill out my new patient paperwork. It didn’t take too long, and I still had time to go late to my SAIL exercise class. I was able to do a couple of the exercises that make us rock on our toes, and raise our foot up to “stand” on our toes. I had ceased doing those because it hurt my “fat” nails pressing on the shoes. No problem today.
I took my own blood pressure tonight, and it is way down from earlier. It was 113/63 in the evening, and 106/53, pulse 61 at 10:35 p.m. I spent over 2.5 hrs sorting through 3 boxes of stuff left over from the early years of my CWU teaching that I kept for some reason. Managed to recycle a box full of paper, take off paper clips, throw away old disks, and overhead transparencies, other obsolete things, and retrieve reusable file folders, organizers, pens, and another box with magazines I can recycle but not even take to the table at the Adult Activity Center. We are donating a lot there and to our dentist’s office. John fixed some good breaded fried cauliflower to go with beef burger (why is it called hamburger?) and some fresh grapes.

Tuesday, Jun 11
Morning meeting with the Geography Emeriti that lasted from 9:30 until 11:00 a.m. Then we took off for Yakima and Costco. After lunch and a trip to Lowe’s to walk through and admire their trees (amazed at the prices, even of plants such as Oregon Grape that we cut out around our place), and then flowers, we went inside the store. I found a comfortable chair, put up my feet, and relaxed. One of our largest tomato plants had suffered wind damage so John stood it back up and piled dirt and straw around it. While I rested, John went looking for stakes. He found 50 lath stakes for 30 cents each; the first ones we found outside were 60 cents each with a small square cross section. Winds crested today at 46 mph, and for 8 hours were in the forties. We left there and drove to the Yakima Heart Center, and spent time with a cardiologist ‘assistant’ for my results of the Echocardiogram, from last week. It was very positive. My blood pressure was good, the lab blood tests were all within appropriate ranges, and the echocardiogram was evaluated at 35% efficiency. All signs point to increasing heart health. I was incredibly relieved because there was some concern by my Cardiologist 2 weeks ago, that if the echocardiogram showed less than 35%, it would be necessary to consider re-doing my implanted device to add another wire to stimulate the heart. I was NOT happy at all at the thought of another surgery. Those results reported today explain my happiness with the trip to Yakima.
In addition, after thinking I had figured out the Navigation system on my new car, I tried to show it to John. I’m not so smart, as I thought. On the drive home, I set it in the parking lot at the doctor’s office for my destination, our home address on Naneum. Main problem, I tried to change the route and go home on a street east of the hospital, when it wanted me to go to a main road 10 blocks west of where I was. I figured that was too much out of my way and the traffic wasn’t bad yet on the one I headed to instead. I told John it would work and it would just re-calculate the route (as it did with me yesterday on my trip home from Ellensburg, but nope– the guy could not catch up with my choice and wouldn’t shut up regarding his chosen route. We could not find any way to shut him up. Finally, I got to a traffic light, turned off my engine and restarted, and didn’t worry with him anymore that trip. I knew how to get home. I wanted to show John the cool summary once you get to a destination, that had shown the ETA before arrival, but then once at my destination, showed the total time, the miles, and even the top speed, as well as the mileage (which I know from another screen). I wonder if I could have said to Voice recognition, STOP, or RESTART, or if I have to have recorded commands to say to the system. More research needed with the manual. I have since found the way in the manual, and if it ever happens again, I will know how to fix it without stopping the car.

Wednesday, Jun 12
Whoopee — John got my new license tags put on my car. I fixed up the car records at CWU, for parking, and am ready to leave for the Food Bank, picking up my banjo player buddy at her work, because her car is in the shop. We didn’t have much either one of us could eat at the food bank soup kitchen today. Too much Vitamin K stuff for me. When I walked in, however, I saw two Heirloom tomato plants about 2′ high. I went and asked the fellow in charge if I could have them, and told him about the wind destroying ours yesterday when we were in Yakima buying stakes to stake them up. He told me I was welcome to them. After that, I went to SAIL exercise class and on home.

Thursday, Jun 13
Productive morning — harvested some Lavender for my friend and banjo player to deliver today when we go to the Rehab center for music. It turned out it is not Lavender, but some other plant with pretty purple flowers, which Evelyn identified Saturday as Salvia, of the mint family. John said the Arbor Day Foundation or some other group sent us two plants supposed to be Lavender. It has a very Lavender-like look but not the fragrance. An imposter. Here is my photo taken in the morning sun. Click on images for bigger photo.

Also, finally documented our new dental coverage on the retirement medical plan through CWU. It will cover a lot more things than the previous plan I was on for a year, and most preventative treatments at 100%, with no deductible. Other fixes are usually at 80%. I managed to get on the web and download my ID card, after talking with a woman in Seattle. I don’t know what a person without a computer and printer is supposed to do. They no longer issue cards for people. Actually, I got the .pdf of it, and emailed to my dentist’s office supervisor. Needed to get it set up for John’s teeth cleaning and evaluation coming up soon. Talked to a friend from our past who is coming to EBRG this Saturday, so we have arranged a meeting at the place where we provide music and they feed us (story below). Today is our regular weekly music gig and that went well. We had a good turnout, of 3 guitars, a banjo, a singer, 2 fiddles, and a Tembrel.
Sad news tonight received about 8:30 p.m. My 87 yr. old friend Lois died of a heart attack yesterday morning. She had macular degeneration and I often took her places (especially on the weekend, when she couldn’t ride the Hope Source bus). It was a total shock. I had just seen her Monday by my side in exercise class. Such a sweet lady. Last night I was calling her to remind her of picking her up tomorrow to go listen to music and eat at Briarwood. She always went along on the 3rd Saturday of the month. Loved going; it was sad today to not have her with us in exercise class and will be sadder tomorrow. It really hit me hard because unlike the rest of my friends I have recently lost, I wasn’t expecting this. At least she went fast.

Friday, Jun 14
John went with me to the AAC where they had quite a brunch spread for Father’s Day: Scrambled eggs, ham, fried potatoes, pancakes, toppings, and a ton of fresh fruit, along with orange juice. He drove separately to get gas in his car and to leave me there for garage sale-ing before going to my SAIL exercise class. I also took a 100-hikes in Colorado book to a gal who has been working in the center for a year. She is taking a job there helping homeless and almost homeless ones get assistance. This book will be a great introduction to the state, and give her something to remember us by.

My garage sale-ing escapades today. Only two, which I hit after dropping off my house insurance check a few blocks away. The first sale was exciting, and I didn’t even look at all the stuff there. I looked at a baseball hat with a flag (that lights up). With today being Flag Day, I wish I’d had it for our brunch, as there were several military people there with their Service hats on, and one lady with her red/white/blue flag shirt. The cap was brand new, but too expensive ($5.00) for my pocketbook for once or twice a year (today, 4 July, and Veterans’ Day). I was talking to the lady of the house and she asked if I wanted something special. I told her I want a set of small metal (aluminum) tongs like some we have misplaced. She didn’t have any. So, I said, do you have any pillowcases? She said, oh, I forgot to put those out; they are still in the house, come with me. She pulled out 25 individual cases, and said, well, I need to keep these dark purple and the black, and these for my RV, but you can have any of the rest. I asked her what she would charge if I took them all. She said $5.00. I didn’t try to bargain further. I knew I just priced a pair at Bi-Mart for $5.99. For 19 that makes 26 cents each with no tax due. I said okay. She was walking out of the house and her husband said, here put them in this bag. It is a nice carrying bag with a pretty design. It will be great for carrying my music and stand. I mentioned that, and thanked them. Coming on out she asked about my playing. I told her about our group and said to the man, I really liked your baseball hat with the flag, but it is more than I want to pay for wearing only a couple times a year. He went out and picked it up and brought it back to me and said – look, it has a battery that lights up the flag. I said, oh cool, it would be great for patriotic days such as today. After we talked, I told them we needed a fiddler to join our group, because I was the only one left now. She blurted out a name and I didn’t have anything to write with, but she did, so I asked her if the woman had email, and if she could call her and give her mine. I hope this works. We truly need more fiddlers. Meanwhile, the gentleman took the hat, put it down in my bag, and gave it to me. What a nice surprise. After leaving class, I drove by another garage sale, which I should have attended earlier. They apparently had good prices on a range of tools. But, while there, I saw some pillowcases, sheets, and nice clean pillows for a very good price. Now I don’t have to find the missing pillowcases around the house, and I can replace pillows the oldest dog chewed a hole in. Now she can no longer get on the bed, so blankets, sheets, pillows, and cases are safe :- )

Must go finish the letter of reference and fill out the form to get in the mail tomorrow. I didn’t make it today, with all that happened last night. Then I planned to tackle more boxes in this room. John is losing patience with my slow clean up, sorting, tossing, and recycling. I never got to them, but I did tackle a few things needing done. Neatest was strawberries. He picked a little less than a pint, because he saw robins in munching on them, and ants were going after the punctured ones. I took a photo, and then cleaned them up for our dessert last night. These are the June bearing Cavendish type. They didn’t need added sugar because they were so sweet and tasty. For your enjoyment:

Saturday, Jun 15
Morning was filled with cleaning up receipts, paying bills, washing some dishes, doing email, and getting ready to go to town for music and to meet a friend (Brittany times in the 1970s and 1980s). Still trying to get to the box clean up. Everything takes so much time. I drove us to Briarwood, by way of the Post Office, to be sure the letter got in today’s mail. I cannot depend on our carrier to always pick up stuff we leave turned up on its side, and the flag lifted. Then on to Briarwood, where we arrived the same time as our friend from Moses Lake. She brought a kennel for her dachshund and while she was here to enjoy the parade (city puts on a dressed parade each year), she bought a 7-week-old one. Cute. They had to sit in the crate while we were in there because food was served and that’s the health rules. She and John sat back on a comfy sofa while we played and sang with the group… for an hour. At the end, they fed us. Today was choice of chicken salad sandwich (excellent) or turkey-salami/cheese (John & Trudy said they were also good). Chips, grapes, a 5-bean salad that was sweet, not vinegary, a mandarin chiffon salad, and a Caesar salad. They go all out for us once a month. They fixed a punch of lemonade flavored with raspberry. Or, a person could have coffee if desired. There was a dessert table as well. I had a homemade blueberry muffin.
We had a nice turnout of folks for playing music. Our bass fiddler from Winlock, WA was in town, I was the only fiddler, and we had 3 guitars, a singer, a Tembrel, and a mandolin.
We got home and I was still trying to wind up some projects, and realized we still had minutes on our landline to use this month, so we called Peggy, John’s sister in Parma, OH. Heard all about the tornado that was coming down on them. She was ready to go to the basement at 11:00 p.m. one night this week, but it died out just as it was to hit Cleveland.
Now John is out mowing behind the back fence. The horses have been eating down the grass, but some things they don’t eat and he is mowing a space 20 feet wide to reduce the fuel for a fire. There’s very little space back there on our side of the creek to work with.

Sunday will be Happy Father’s Day.

Hope your week was great.
Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Sunday, Jun 2
Recap: the party last night was a lot of fun. We arrived early, carried stuff in, and showed off our new car. Everyone who sees it loves it and wants one. Food (hamburgers and hotdogs were supposed to start at 4:00), but not everyone was there until closer to five. That put the awards off until everyone ate. We added 2 Pecan Pies to the dessert table but there was so much food only one was eaten so we brought the other home. The Geography Department’s awards were announced during the gathering. One of the awards (actually 2 this year) is named the Hultquist Distinguished Service Award – sponsored and named after me! Here is the description of this fantastic award. I got last year’s winner to join the photo (click for big size). Last year, he was off fighting fires as a Hot Shot, sky jumper. What a happy group – don’t you agree?

Jessica Giblin, Nancy, Taylor Steele, and Jeff Bortner

Today, the wind has been screaming for the past many hours. My day started with finding that a person in Romania at 5:47 a.m. hacked my cedaridge@gmail acct and sent crap (bad links) to everyone in my address list (lots, since 2005). I found out that I have many replies that capture every email sent, even if I reply to someone’s list with people on it I don’t know, their names are put into my address book. I have changed my password, and am cleaning up my files before sending a note to everyone in my address book (many bounced and I don’t want them to bounce again). I have decided to let it ride and just clean up the file. Most everyone has responded or ignored it. Several friends early on reported it to me because it was so unlike email links I send, having no explanation or introduction.
John worked on irrigation issues this morning. Mountains wear away making sand. Water carries sand and makes unhelpful deposits. We are close to the steep hills of Naneum Canyon and the water – much appreciated in a land averaging 8 inches of precipitation each year — carries much sand. Here’s a look (from 2011) at what happens when rain on snow with warm temperature gets the water rolling off of the hillsides.  Here is a picture -essay of the area before the fires of last year. The State lands start about 2 miles north of us and extend for many miles. A few years ago the State, Feds, and private land owners managed (after several years of meetings) a series of swaps to aggregate a very haphazard ownership pattern. So this is the area that is the source for our water and the sand that comes along for the ride. This settles in the ditches where there is a lessening of the grade and the worst place is at the lower end of our property as the water goes onto the neighbor’s place. Yesterday John shut water off in that ditch by sending it to our east side with part of that going to neighbor Louaine’s small pasture with the apple tree. The 35 mph winds were topped a half hour ago by 39 mph ones. It has slowed down a bit, but only to 36 mph. Finally before bedtime, was slowed to 15, and no gusts.

Monday, Jun 3
Early up from bed and back for another couple of hours to be ready for a phone call about a “gig” this weekend. We have a graduation party to attend Saturday, and a surprise birthday party for an 80 year old, who likes fiddle music. I only have myself to “offer as a fiddler” –and will be joined by a mutual friend on the clarinet (playing the first violin part), and another friend on guitar. Rest of the day was full of things to keep us both busy. I had to take care of making appointments for my echocardiogram tomorrow, and a follow-up appointment next week, back in Yakima, on Tuesday. Must go for a fasting blood draw in the morning before I go for the echocardiogram. Bummer. Then I had to worry with a bunch of stuff on email, and paying bills, so I walked for my exercise up the drive to put a letter in the mailbox — a donation to a Brittany Specialty show. Last year I contributed and WON the $250 gas-card prize. This year the prize is larger and worth more money – although of a different sort. It is a 6-gun wooden cabinet with room for 6 cases of wine and wineglasses, plus a piece of art (a flying pheasant) on canvass on two side doors. They are $700 on the web, with $100 delivery charge. Whoever wins it has it delivered to their house. After the 100 yard trip out to the mailbox I trekked around the gardens and pasture edges. Near our mailbox is native buckwheat. Search the web with the term “Eriogonum compositum” with images selected. A lot are bright yellow (Sulphur), but ours are more the white and pink colors shown in this site.
Here is my best photo for the effort.

Our Iris are new this year, obtained from my friend a mile away who cuts my hair, and shared a number of different ones with us; planted here last year. So far, only two colors have bloomed. I think we have some yellow and other colors, or variegated ones. The wind makes taking pictures of flowers and garden plants frustrating. That’s why we used a web link for the buckwheat. Well, that and the Strawberries are still all green leaves, with a few white blossoms.

Tuesday, Jun 4
Well, today was an interesting day that started too early, on a fasting blood draw prep, so I couldn’t have breakfast (nothing but water) before leaving for town. Before I left I had early morning phone calls and emails to deal with, and had to get my shower. Got there, checked in for both places I had to go in the hospital. Went off to the first (the lab). I didn’t have to wait too long, and they drew several vials of blood for many tests wanted by my cardiologist. Because I was 45 minutes away from my next appointment (for the Echocardiogram), I went to the hospital cafeteria for breakfast. At just before 10:00 a.m., it ended up being brunch. I only had two choices for breakfast specials that had been prepared and kept warm — Eggs Benedict and a stack of 3 large pancakes with two large pieces of bacon. I decided on the Eggs Benedict, and to re-heat it they had a microwave. While there I saw a gal who had been the “cleaning” and set up person for Outpatient services, whom I got to know back in 2009 and again in 2010, when I had to go for 8-9 weeks for daily IV for the bacteria in my blood. I walked by her on my way to the microwave and stopped to introduce myself, and thank her for all her special attention when I was there so much. She was thrilled to be told she was appreciated, and thanked me. Then on back to the Radiology dept. Earlier they had told me they would give me an images CD that I would have to deal with. They used to, but no longer, send to medical folks outside their system. My cardiologist is in Yakima, 35 miles from them, but he is having an assistant go over the tests with me and so they need to evaluate it before seeing me. The Doc is going on vacation and duty time in the hospital cardiac unit – so he needs it now! Where’s the digital records technology when you need it? My blood pressure was increasing with the response I was getting. So, when I got to my echocardiogram technician, Bill, I explained and the need to get the images delivered, ASAP.
He was cool and said, no worries, I will make you a CD to carry to your appt next week, but this afternoon I will send it to them electronically. That’s what I originally asked for from the appointment maker, at the hospital, who said it wasn’t possible. So I wrote my doctor’s nurse an email, for her to be on the lookout for my explanation directions of getting the image videos from my web site, today, as well as the note that the results of the Echocardiogram from the technician, so that Dr. Kim can evaluate it. She called back and told me they had lost their IT man, and couldn’t receive the information from Bill. Plan B. She was going to a supervisor’s meeting to see who could obtain my sends (it was a straightforward 9 minute download), to get on a computer my doctor could view. Short story, it happened.
Scoop on blood pressure, at the start today, my BP was 132/72. I asked Bill to take it at the end before I left the room. He did, (don’t know if he recorded it on the records, hope so, because it was 115/70 ! ) I wanted Dr. Kim to know that. I wish we had taken my BP at the end of my appt with Dr. Kim last time.

Wednesday, Jun 5
Morning catch-up sleep and chores. Leaving for Food Bank Soup Kitchen music, then SAIL class, and a haircut on my way home. Morning spent with getting photos from June 1 Geography Awards to the people who would appreciate it (the students, and a few faculty members). I took 3 videos and a bunch of pictures. Now I have a zipped file for anyone who might be interested, and it can just be downloaded from our website, because it’s too large to email. That’s a pretty nice feature. (It was the same way I delivered the radiograph imagery to my cardiologist. Today, I drove home directly from SAIL class, because it was too hot to leave my violin and food-bank-acquired bread in the car while I got a haircut. My hairdresser only lives a mile away, so it was fine to come back home, dump the stuff, and head on over there. This afternoon I have been sitting in an a/c house (temps outside are 87°), working on my computer. Tonight, we are going to go to town for another Nick Zentner Geology of WA lecture. Tonight it is on the Wenatchee Area and the Ice Age Floods influence there.

Thursday, Jun 6
This morning was rushed with getting music ready to give two people for our Sunday trio performance. John went along with me to Royal Vista, dropped me off, went across town for the Thursday special 12 hr sale (groceries), and by Bi-Mart for duct tape, blue jeans and a couple of other odd things. We had a fairly good attendance today, but didn’t expect to play for a party (with food) saying good bye to the Activity Director (for 19 years). Julie (a friend working at Royal Vista) saw John outside and told him he was invited for food inside after we ended playing at 3:00. It was good. 3 cakes (I had a piece of carrot cake), after having crackers, cheese, salami, strawberries, cantaloupe, pineapple, and nuts. Quite a spread and nice because we had skipped lunch. Supper was smaller by necessity, and followed our trip to town again for another geology lecture, this on the formation of Lake Chelan. It was quite good. Winds started at 5:00 p.m. gusting at 31 mph, blew all night, and into the morning.

Friday, Jun 7
Another windy day of several this week. Today I almost was blown off the road driving home. We were having 43 mph winds at the time. They were higher today than yesterday, with figures such as 30, 32, 36, 37, then 3 hours of 43, 44, 43, and back to the high 30s, still blowing, at 9:00 p.m. I started by going to the potluck at the Adult Activity Center for the main dish of Gyro sandwiches (but made with ground beef). Many good salads, fruits, and side things. I ran around town for shopping errands between the end of that and my exercise class. In addition, I went by the Chase bank to pay our first month’s payment on our loan on the new car. Next month it will automatically come out of our checking account, and I won’t have to worry. I was late getting home, and had a bunch of chores waiting. Finally, John encouraged me to assemble brownies to take tomorrow. He got some of our walnuts and roasted them. I cut a few up and added to the dough, and then we left some to put on top of the chocolate frosting. I think I will use that, but may change my mind and use a butter cream one. Nope, I think the half walnuts will look better on the chocolate frosting. These are special, our own homegrown Carpathian walnuts.

Saturday, Jun 8
I will not be going to graduation ceremonies as I did starting in 1989, and never missed a year until I was in the ICU in 2009. I haven’t been back since retiring. Later today, however, I will go (with my brownies and John) to a party in a city park following the ceremony. A family is throwing a party for two sons. The older one was my student; his younger brother is graduated from Geography this year, and I met him 2 years ago at that year’s potluck party like the one mentioned above. The family has invited us, ‘cause we’re special.

Hope your week was great.
Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Invitations, music, rain, doctors, cars, food, geology, food, awards

Sunday, May 26
The new week started with a little rain. John’s back in after morning yard chores. I’ve been working on things on the computer and in the kitchen. He’s back out in the garden planning to be in for lunch (rest of the last apple from the Honeycrisp purchase awhile back, with the remaining chili). After that, I will be off this computer and dealing with things in the room, needing sorted. {Never got there.} Email from Joel Andress’ son about the planned celebration of life in Quebec this coming Sept 14. I was invited, but don’t expect to make the trip. I would rather see people while they are alive and remember good times together. Party music started up again across the creek. Broke for an hour, perhaps to eat the Luau dinner planned. Installed a program to convert CDA files (from on a CD) to MP3 / WMA. It’s called ConverterLite. Puts track(s) into a folder on my MUSIC site on the hard drive. I moved two bluegrass songs from the Falderal String Band and Mariah Carey to jump drives to move to my car audio system. This is really neat. Party and loud music continues. I may get rocked to sleep with music. Actually it stopped right on the hour of 11:00 p.m. Either the band was only paid for that long, or the police enforced a curfew on the noise.

Monday, May 27
Happy Memorial Day –We did not start, as planned, by putting out flags at the end of the driveway today, because it was raining and still is. I’m very happy I was not scheduled to play music or go to anything at the park, outside, not under a tarp. I have, however, succeeded in spending several hours (really) off the computer going through boxes of stuff. Still haven’t gotten to things on the table yet, because I was making room to put more boxes for recycling items.
I finally wore myself out and sat back down in my recliner for awhile to check email. No one except John seeing the results would imagine the work that has been accomplished, and truly MANY more hours will be required to make a dent. It’s 4:00 and still raining. John’s buckets from the rooftop drip line are almost all full. Back on the computer to figure the route for tomorrow. Now to print out all the stuff from the backroom computer that is connected to our only printer. Now waiting for my bathroom heater to warm it. It’s 55 here outside and the back of the house is cold; no thermometer back there; just as well.

Tuesday, May 28
Started out very early to be in Yakima by 8:55 a.m. for an appointment with my cardiologist, who will be gone the months of June and July, so had to squeeze it in. He’s not really gone most of that time. The doctors take turns in the hospital and appointments are not made for them during that time. Usually another doctor or an assistant can be scheduled and they can be in touch with all concerned. There is a code word for that but we’ve forgotten what it is. Anyway, my next appointment is with a physician’s assistant named Scott. I met with him before (after an experience with one with poor bedside manner) and get to request who I want. Okay, then – back to our doings in Yakima: While there we’ll make 4 other stops for various reasons. Got some more paperwork in the mail today on the new blue Subaru. It is called Marine Blue Pearl. Took it and left it today for its protection to be applied to the paint job and to the upholstery. Pick it up tomorrow about 4:00. Will see my salesman about meeting him for a run through the audio system. NO.. I just realized, I cannot do that. We have to be back for the Yakima Canyon Geology lecture in EBRG no later than 6:30. So, I will put it off until Thursday morning, on a day when I don’t have to be back in EBRG until 1:30 for music.
We left at 7:50 a.m., arrived just 59 minutes later, filled out the required paperwork, had vitals taken, and the doctor got to me about 9:19, and stayed with us until almost 11:00, including an ECG. Interestingly, my doctor wanted an ‘electrocardiogram’ done and we have always heard it as an ‘EKG’ but he called for and ‘ECG’ – it’s cardio with a ‘c’, not a ‘k’ unless you use German. One of his med-school instructors insisted on the ‘C’ – we wonder if that person did not have a fondness for Germans? John and I were both hungry, but first had to drop off my car at the Subaru dealer several miles back down the road toward home, so did that and picked up a loaner car (a 2013 red Outback). That was a good thing, because I drove it the rest of the day, and compared to mine, I do not like the feel, the reach for various buttons, and the options different (and fewer) from the Forester. The salesman thinks some of these subtle changes will also make it into the newer Outbacks but they are not yet available. The Wall Street Journal claims the new Forester is selling as fast as they can make them and send them here. They are made in Ōta city, Gunma Japan, not the plant in Lafayette, IN. From there back to Big 5 (Sporting goods, with our 10% discount card, and John bought a new pair of leather work boots, sticker price of $80 {wink, wink}, but got for $34, which we’d seen in the weekly ad received by email. They seemed to have only one pair in each size. John wonders if a retail outlet ought to have more of some sizes and fewer of small and large extremes. We were hungry from only toast early for breakfast, so stopped a block down the street at a Burger King and got a chicken sandwich halved, fries, drink, and a cheeseburger. It was supposed to be a double cheese burger, but the cost matched what we were served so I let it go. From there to HAPO Credit Union to pay off our loan on the white 2009 Subaru –loan was at 4.5%. Chase Bank (via Subaru) made a 1.9% loan on the Forester so we paid the old one off and enough of the new one so as to not have to buy GAP coverage. Next we went to Costco where we had to follow through on our new upgrade to an executive membership that we paid for and started at the counter a week ago, when in there. We did that paperwork, presented our cards and information, and had our pictures taken plus filled in a new application (free for members) for an American Express card. Benefits from that include a percent cash refund on gasoline and on all purchases at Costco. Also, a cash refund at some restaurants (not the type where we normally eat). Previously, we could use our Costco business card to charge items, grocery and gasoline, but we never got any payback rebates. On through the store getting more dog and cat food, and a few other things. Except for needing dry cat food we could have skipped Costco – well, the sign on the way out suggests having a “very berry” sundae, and we did (it’s frozen yogurt chocked full of big strawberries in a sauce). Returned through EBRG, to stop at Super 1 Pharmacy for my new high test vitamin D pills I have to take for 20 weeks. It’s a weekly pill of 50,000 units!! After that, I go to 3000/day of OTC vitamin D. I wonder what causes Vitamin D to decrease in my body. Apparently, I’m not alone. My pharmacist says they fill a lot of such prescriptions. While there we had planned to get ice cream on sale, some of my Almond Breeze milk, and Red Baron all meat (4) pizzas on sale. The rear storage of the red Outback was packed for the trip home and we had already filled the cooler we took to Costco. We didn’t hit our driveway until 4:00 p.m.
Once home, John went out and worked in his garden (the new one) for several hours, and also ran/exercised the dogs (twice), the first shortened because of running into deer in several places. He’s fed the feral cats, and I fed the inside/outside one. Trying to catch up on emails and chores, but haven’t yet succeeded.

Wednesday, May 29
Another crazy day with Food Bank and SAIL (22 people in that class today!). Once home, I took care of a few things with vehicle registrations, paying the utility bill (we still have to turn in our meter reading each month–within a month or so, they plan to install a meter that will not have to be read and reported by us each month). I took a photo of John making wood-chip walkways in the new garden – this one between future corn patches. Chips came free of charge a few years ago. Click the photo for the large image.

Tonight is Nick Zentner’s talk. It was on the Yakima Canyon. Very fine presentation, as usual. We have been catching up on a few emails (and me on the jobs list), since arriving home. Now it’s time for a late dessert and going to bed.

Thursday, May 30 Today early morning, we drive to the Subaru dealer to pick up my new car from the garage where it got a special treatment on its upholstery and finish. I took along a few things to check out with the salesman about my new audio system. One thing was the USB jump drive, with MP3 files on it. (All went fine, and I have extended my listening abilities for on the road without a connection to a working radio station.) I no longer have to miss my 6 CD system on the old Subaru.
5th Thursday of month — means Mt. View Meadows today for fiddlers & friends. Today was particularly fun. Besides the residents of Mt. View, we were joined by 10-12 preschool students (who sat or reclined on the wood floor in front of us). They had been there drawing pictures to give to the residents. They introduced themselves to us and told us their ages (ranging from 4 to 6). We showed off to them and involved them in the presentation throughout. At Evelyn’s great suggestion, we each explained the instrument we play and explained something about it, and played a couple of notes. I learned something today too. What I had been calling a Tambourine, is actually a Timbrel, played by our oldest member (82), who used to play the Accordion. Then we played a few waltzes and some of the kids kept time to the music and enjoyed rocking back and forth. They were very cute and quite well behaved. They were there for an hour with us, and toward the end, a couple of boys sacked out on the floor. At the end when they had to leave, we asked for a favorite song, one little boy, Malachi, wished for Turkey in the Straw. As a group we don’t really play that, so a couple of us played a few notes of it. We asked if they knew She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain, but they really didn’t. Some sang along with us on simple things as, “I’ll Fly Away”, Oh Susanna, and I’ve Been Working on the Railroad. Their teacher had been singing along with us all the time on most songs. Evelyn suggested, You are my Sunshine, and one little girl on the end of the row who had been smiling throughout, was elated. She sang almost every word of the song, as did many residents and helpers in the room.
Here’s the funny for the day, which is causing us to make another trip to Yakima, tomorrow afternoon. Got a call late afternoon that they found the dog food and cat food in the loaner car, we got Tuesday, and forgot to take out!! So, tomorrow we need to drive back the 55 miles to the Subaru dealer to retrieve our animal food, and fill my car with gas while there, because the prices are 14 cents cheaper per gallon than here.

Friday, May 31
Scholarship luncheon and trip to Yakima, plus by the Leather Shop for a sheepskin cover fitting for my seatbelt, which doesn’t hit me right. Here’s what happened. Trip to town excellent, even finding a parking space in the shade of a tree not too far from the entrance to the new Student Union Recreation Center (SURC). Our scholarship luncheon was in the special boardroom with a huge mahogany table and leather chairs. John came along so we did not have to drive two cars to town – he usually only lunches with us at Christmas when he brings Pecan Pies. Today we had green salads, Focaccia bread with different toppings, and for dessert, some walnut-covered biscotti. We had nice conversations around the table. Only 8 people there today; usually a dozen. We always learn about all sorts of things going on around the campus. It’s still my finger on the pulse, which I used to thrive on from 1988 since I have been a member of this group, meeting for lunch every month, except over the summer. I was always the only faculty member in the group, so I had connections across campus with staff in many different situations, departments, and colleges.
From there we went to the local hospital for my blood draw (INR check for my Coumadin dosage). It was in an acceptable range (2.3) so I do not have to go back again for a month. On to Yakima to the Subaru dealer to retrieve our dog and cat food. From there to Costco, where we filled the new car with 14.9 gallons of gasoline, at $3.69/gallon. It is still $3.83 here in EBRG. Our temporary card couldn’t be recognized. So, we won’t get our 4% off until next time once we get the actual card. The bar code they gave us worked on Tuesday, but not today, for in the store, but never works out at the pumps. Oh well, we have been buying Costco gas for many years with no rebate. This will make up for it in the long run. Into the store where John bought Costco/Kirkland/San Jose beer. Funny how they make the producer put Kirkland (a Seattle suburb) on their stuff. I bought a set of 3 jump drives each 16 gigs, so I can put music on for playing over the audio system (through a USB port), for tripping. Very cool.
On back to the leather shop (our neighbors half mile away), to see about the seat belt sheepskin cover. We all decided that might not be the way to go, but instead to look for adjusters on line. I have found one that I believe will work well. It’s called a Heininger 1027 CommuteMate Seat Belt Strap Adjuster and comes two to a package. Now I just have to find the best price with added shipping or maybe a local source. I found one (new) on EBay for $7.99 with shipping included. I will search farther. Or, have John search, starting with what I have found. He usually is a better on-line searcher than I. He’s busy now making pecan pies for tomorrow. He has followed through and sees how it’s made and says he can create something that will work for nothing.
Those pies got done late, and we spent until after midnight on line with Rebekah who was chasing tornadoes in Oklahoma, and trying to find a place to spend the night after the “evacuation” of people from Oklahoma City with flooded streets (from the tornadoes nearby).

Saturday, June 1
Awakened early (7:00 a.m.) by a call from John’s sister to talk about cameras. She thought we got up early to take care of the animals. Not really, especially after such a long night. Sure, we were up at 5:00 but went back to bed for more rest. Today is the end of year Geography and REM potluck party and John made the Pecan Pies (his mom’s recipe) to take along. It’s not until 4:00 p.m. about 5 miles from our house, out in the country. This afternoon Rebekah sent a map showing where she and all the other chasers were at the time The Weather Channel (TWC) crew got tumbled by the tornado. She wrote: “Hmmm…according to my slightly stale spotter network icon, I was right next to Mike Bettes when they got slammed! In actual fact we never saw TWC and were . . . to the southeast…”
She then adds a graphic showing the surge of chasers to the south just after TWC cars got hit. All “trying to get out of the way” of the tornado.
We should all have such exciting times.
Hope your week was great.
Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Suggested title: Covered bridges, failed bridges, tornadoes, bear in kitchen, covered wagon trail history

Sunday, May 19
I forgot to add the neat journey yesterday morning when we phoned Michelle and Bruce Seivertson. They were leaving the motel in Cottage Grove, OR and taking themselves on a covered bridge tour. They really wished to visit a railroad covered bridge, which all in the breakfast room were raving about. There is no brochure available so they tried directions from people at the motel. It wasn’t working. When they returned our call, we followed them along their route on Google Earth and found the first one east of town, but it was not the RR covered one. We found the one they wanted, SW of town so they drove back to find it. We were calling out road intersections. They made it there, but couldn’t access it so they drove around through a residential area on the east side. What’s strange is that while it is a renovated covered railroad bridge, it has been reconstructed in a different spot away from the original rail lines. We all find that rather strange. At one time it looked like this.

You have to go here to see what they did and why.
Slept in until 9:00 a.m., still tired from the past two days. Been trying to play catch-up on emails and jobs list and just finished cutting John’s hair. Has been needing done for weeks. We used my new chair, and it was nice with the rotation so I didn’t have to climb around him. Also used my new clipper guards on the blade. Our neighbor came over with both an old and a new irrigation (small) pump. The idea was to remove the connections or fittings from the old one and attach those to the new one. He needing a pipe wrench bigger than our largest, so he will have to go to town and buy new fittings to go with his new pump. Bummer!
We took time for leftovers for lunch: salmon, cheesy asparagus, red fresh pepper, and Cheetos. Colorful. While eating we talked about planning for me to drive to Oregon in June to visit my email friend from New Jersey, who will be back to Oregon to receiving her Masters in Geography. I think we will be able to pull this off, but have to keep working on it to mesh our schedules. I also have a friend from Florida who will be in the Portland area during May and June.
We went across the valley to get some tomato plants from our friend where we were at dinner the other night. They have more than they need and are 2 ft tall, maybe the ones we got are a little shorter, but hardened and already have blossoms. We got two varieties: Early Girl and Early Pick, plus a small pot of hens and chicks.
Cold is always an issue here with our elevation but while most tree fruit has already been lost, the tomatoes were not yet in the garden. Late spring cold and early fall frosts are too common. We always have trouble with ripening tomatoes and end the season with lots of green ones. So, that explains getting the larger started/hardened ones. A couple of years ago a warm fall allowed us to harvest tomatoes and yellow squash to mid-October. So, with trying to grow things – Hope is the Plan. Therefore, we bought 4 more at a local store – all different varieties. Also, we got a pot with 3 plants of yellow squash. You’re thinking “Why not start your own?” Well, all was in place to do so but the bag has hidden itself and refuses to be found. So, little pots and little seeds, if found, will go into storage for next year. Now, two types of corn and 2 types of winter squash are waiting their turn to go into the soil.

Monday, May 20
I think I started out on the phone with our car insurance company and need to print off my insurance card before I drive the new car on the road again. The company we deal with in Moscow, ID sent me a .pdf file via computer email. Nice. Faster and cheaper than a stamped envelope. John moved horses around to the back yard behind the fence to eat grass. They were happy. Never did go to town today. I stayed inside working on emails and calling about various bills and reports and insurance claims. Had some interesting notes from a friend (Sonja) in South Lake Tahoe, who returned home after two days away to find the front door broken on the stained glass window by a bear, entering to eat chocolate chips from a kitchen cabinet. Animals in the house were not hurt. A couple of years ago a bear broke into her SUV and got food from under the passenger-side front seat. That story was superseded by the occurrence of deadly tornadoes in the mid-South, where we know people. And there is Bekah! She being an ex-student, friend, and storm chaser. A team of 3 guys and she started last week in Northern Texas and Oklahoma chasing. They were south of the bad one today in Moore, but not too far last week from Granbury, Texas.
John put the two tomato plants in the garden and watered the potatoes. Sadly, the winds have been so high they snapped newly emerged asparagus spears. He put some ammonium sulfate in water today to use tomorrow on the blueberries. In addition, he put the Hen and Chicks two different places. The ones outside the fenced garden, he had to place in a private jail – aka a ‘chicken wire’ protector from the deer.

Tuesday, May 21
Everything took longer than planned today. Early morning long distance call. Then I tried to answer emails built up from yesterday’s absence, but I didn’t succeed with much before having to leave. I did get my insurance coverage printed out to put in the new car. Then we left for town for my lab work blood draws a week in advance of my appointment with my Cardiologist in Yakima, and while there, I had an INR check. From there we went for a bite of lunch and then on to the Rehab center where I was for 7 weeks in 2010; today we visited the wife of an Emeritus Geog. Prof., who was in for physical therapy following a complete knee replacement. On to Fred Meyer where I went to the JP Morgan Chase bank where my loan on my new Subaru is being financed. I wanted to set up an automatic pay monthly from my regular bank’s checking account. The interest rate is rather appealing (1.9 %), with no prepayment penalty. Finally, we were able to get home (later than planned). After John picked up the mail, I followed through on a note from my health insurance for dental that I’m changing effective June 1. I had sent in the forms supposedly required, but they wanted a different form from the previous insurance company verifying on letterhead the specific date my policy would end. It kind of put me in a shaky position. I was unwilling to cancel it until the other went into effect, but the one I was changing to wouldn’t initiate the new policy until they have written evidence of the termination. Well, I think I have all the information now after talking for an hour to two different companies; one in Wisconsin and the other here in Washington. Oh my, it’s late again, and we need to get to bed.

Wednesday, May 22
Another crazy day and night. Spent the morning on working on the dental insurance again and got it sent off (email), received a reply they had received it, but no action was taken, yet. Then off to the Food Bank to play music. Terrible Pasta today. It was supposed to be chicken Alfredo, but all I got was pasta and a little cheese. Shouted “Where’s the chicken?” Do you remember?

. . . but no one paid a bit of attention.  Maybe they weren’t around a TV in the ‘80s.

They had lots of green veggies I cannot eat, but decided to try the asparagus, red pepper, celery.  I am spoiled on our fresh nice asparagus and this was stringy, tough, and small.  Guess one should not look a gift horse in the mouth, but we had played and sung for 1/2 hour for our “lunch.”  There was an apple/plum cobbler like thing with oatmeal.  It had a couple of spices I could recognize and at least one I couldn’t, so I asked (they create most of parts of the meal there except for the pasta, donated by a local restaurant).  I think I know cinnamon, ginger, and another, but I did not know the taste of Cardamom.  I really did not like the spice, and it permeated the “cake” between the plums and apples.  I just ate the fruit and left the rest.  I sat in my new car at the Adult Activity Center yesterday before going in and figured how to change the date and clock.  Also, how to move the screens, so now I can see from the beginning of EACH trip (car turn on until turn off), the time in minutes, miles, and average miles/gallon for just that trip.  Today’s trip to Hearthstone is mostly downhill all the way, with flat sections.  For that segment I was getting 36.7 mpg !! Wow… huh?  Luckily, I went into the Adult Activity Center for SAIL exercise class and found some cherry pie (turned out to be rhubarb in a cherry sauce) that they put out for us.  I picked up two pieces to bring home for our dessert tonight.  On my way home, I stopped at my hairdresser’s house (she’s a mile around the block from us) and gave her money for some Nioxin shampoo, conditioner and treatment for thinning hair.  As a former beauty shop owner, she still gets a 50% discount on materials (which she passed along to me).  I learned about it from a friend (another Nancy) who knew a friend in NM who used it after her Chemo, and it worked.

We were LATE eating dinner, not getting home from the lecture tonight until almost 9:00 p.m.  John fixed some clam chowder (canned) and added red peppers, pasta shells, and warmed some ginger chicken nuggets.  I threw mine in the chowder and it was very good.

Our trip to town was for another of Nick Zentner’s geology lectures, this tonight was on the local petrified forests found in layers of basalt across our region of central WA.  Locally, most folks are aware of the Gingko Petrified Forest (near Vantage), but there are at least two other layers that have familiar names:  Saddle Mountains and Umtanum.  It was a very interesting presentation.  Next week’s talk is on the Yakima Canyon’s geology.  Tonight was very interesting about the petrified forest layers and their location in between the pillow basalts mixed in with the occurrence of layers 15.5 million years old, 15.7, and younger.

Thursday, May 23
Our State’s transportation agency is making a hire and I had a morning wake-up call for a giving a student job reference for a job in Yakima.  {Email Friday a.m. announced SHE GOT THE JOB!! whoopee.}  Lots of rain, but sunny in the afternoon.  Never got above 58°.   Finished paperwork to mail for the WA Health Care Authority’s dental insurance.  Then there’s the continuing story of the Tahoe Cinnamon Black Bear.  The bear returned to Sonja’s in South Lake Tahoe, CA and she and her barking dog chased it off.  Seems locals have been seeing this bear for 3 years.  Maybe the Game Dept. should move it.  Cinnamon bears are beautiful.  When I was in the ICU in the hospital in Ellensburg (June 11, 2009) John was hiking a couple of miles NE of home and came face to face with one.  Asked “How close?” he said what part of face to face are you having trouble with?  He has pictures. Yikes, tonight right before 7:00 p.m. on the west side of the state the I-5 bridge over the Skagit River, near Mt. Vernon, WA collapsed, taking a couple of cars and 3 people into the river along with the broken structure.  No fatalities, except for a guy in the traffic jam that ensued, who got out to look and was hit and killed by a semi.  The name of the River and many other things in the area is pronounced ‘ska-jit’ – think of the ‘ca’ of the word cat with an ‘S’ in front.  Then, note the ‘j’ sound, rather than the ‘g’ sound. Think that’s odd – try the home of the WA State Fair – Puyallup. Said I would post the Sinlahekin butterfly story when it was on Caitlin LaBar’s blog.  Now it is, so click here.

Friday, May 24
Rained this morning, but has cleared up, got overcast, then sunny, and temps went to 53°, eventually at 5:00 p.m. getting to 62°. I stayed home to tackle all the stuff needing tackled, and have been busy with more pressing things. One is with an REM graduate student who needs some support to get through her thesis project after a bunch of snafus here. She is very qualified and a sharp cookie. I recommended her once for a $1,000 GTU (Gamma Theta Upsilon) scholarship, and she won it at the national level. I will support her and contact other people who can help describe her situation. It’s going to take some time (so what’s new)?
John fixed us a wonderful bowl of chili for lunch. I tried to get off here at 2:00 p.m. to hit the other chores off-line. Staying on-line just creates more needs for feedback. (I wrote that 4.5 hrs ago). Also did research this morning on The National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center for my friend from NJ who is coming out in mid-June to Oregon and wants to walk on the Oregon Trail. Talked to my Subaru salesman this morning too. He will show me how to download music from my laptop to my car (and supposedly from a CD of music) to a jump drive which I can plug into the USB port on my car and play through the audio system. I’m pretty excited about that. (Next Tuesday when I’m down to see my Cardiologist, we will do it then.) Also, will check with Costco about a new executive membership we signed up for, but they didn’t give us the code with packet to get a free American express card, which gives us 3% or something back on the gasoline we purchase there or at any U.S. gas station. 2% on restaurant purchases, and 1% on all Costco purchases, plus provides at the end of February each year a one-time $55 coupon for cash or products from Costco for $250 of purchases. We spend >10 times that each year.
John just made a pecan/walnut pie and used the excess dough to make a cinnamon/sugar crust in a pan for “snacking.” I have been in charge of checking the oven to see when it’s ready. Just took both out. Now I have been on the phone and computer about our Costco Membership. What a PITA. I’ll be able to straighten it out next Tuesday when we go back for my doctor’s appt. Tonight, we are getting music from across the creek and through the woods, coming through the patio doors (not opened). I think it would be eardrum-breaking to be at the party (to which we weren’t invited). The music is not really bad from afar (1/4 mile). Ten more minutes and we can set the thermostat and go to bed. We need to re-program the thing but it seems never to get done. John dug the booklet out with instructions and it is now laying on my weekly pill box, having just been unearthed again a day ago.

Saturday, May 25
Sunny for a nice change and not too windy. John’s been out with his garden chores, and I managed to get some bills and letters in the mail to a few places. Walked them up the driveway and beat the postman to the mailbox. I realize they will not make it to people any earlier than by Tuesday for the Ellensburg one, maybe. Later for the Portland one, and maybe another day to California. I took a break to check in on John’s progress with the new garden. He took me on a tour. Started with his cutting “stakes” to put in to hold the “logs” from moving in his stair-stepped plots. We admired the potato plants he started from potatoes we forgot in the house and they sprouted. Looked at his strawberries, squash, and tomato plants (the two large ones mentioned earlier in this blog on last Sunday), and places for four more small plants he picked up 4/$5.00 from Bi-Mart. Some corn (Early Sunglow) is planted but not up, and others will be planted over the next day or so. I didn’t have my camera along for any pix. Our neighbor (whose apple tree we photographed and John watered this year), gave him a 75 gallon water tank, large heavy-duty plastic. He has it set up in his garden, downhill from the irrigation ditch so he fills it to give an at-hand water source for use while planting. Now back to tackle a few in-house chores. We have eaten dinner and I was busy all day on things and never got to the 3′ high stacks on the table. But, I did talk to a friend, who recently lost her husband, a wonderful friend from the 1980s, I met when I arrived in Geography to teach, in 1988. She made the trip across the country, to Oregon, from Vermont where they had retired to and lived for 23 years. It was good to hear she was safely there with her 16 yr. old cat and their belongings in an apartment closer to hers and his family. More stuff happened, but I will spare you the details. You will not see this until Sunday, the day before Memorial Day. Hope your long weekend was/is enjoyable. We are staying home.
Hope your week was great.
Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Saturday, May 11. After we posted the blog, we took off for town to pick up some colas (2 liter) for John at Safeway, for only $.89 each (significantly better than any other price in town). While there, we decided to buy a roast beef, cheese, and tomato sandwich for the road. It was only a regular 6″ size meant for one person. I decided it was enough for us, but then when we checked out, the cashier said, “Next time you buy a sandwich you get one free.” I said we’ll I hope we don’t wait as long as from the last ones. She said, you don’t have to buy a $5.49 one, but can get a breakfast sandwich for $1.99, and they are quite good. Therefore, I decided to get one tonight to go with our other 1/2 sandwich. It was egg, cheese, and ham heated on some type of square bread John says is Italian–I looked it up; it’s focaccia (related to being cooked on a stone and like pizza dough), but was cut rectangularly not in circles. I had her cut it in half. By the time I got back to the car, John had eaten his 1/2 of the other one, so I did too. The breakfast sandwich was hot in an aluminum foil cover. By the time I finished, John was driving down the canyon, but was able to eat his half. That made a nice supper. Got down there and visited a bit and then played a bit and came home, getting here after 10:15. The ferals were happy to be fed, and the one John calls “Johnny” (Cash-ew), came up, and rubbed against him. He is the only one who lets us get close. Wonder what time will do. He comes and talks to John while he’s working in the garden, but only lets him touch him when at the feeding station in the hay loft.

Sunday, May 12 Happy Mother’s Day.
We went down the canyon again this morning and didn’t get home till after 5:00 pm. We visited a little and then drove on a few more miles to Yakima and to Costco for gas and a few items. Playing catch up with a few phone calls to my aunt back east who entertained me last summer for the Wilkins reunion. Called a few moms in EBRG, and just got off the phone with a mom of two of my best students ever. They had gone on a 4 day butterfly photo and collecting trip at the Sinlahekin Wilderness, staying in the bunkhouse (where I used to stay to visit them while they were interning there). I will try to write up some of the story for the blog and add photos of their trip, which no doubt will be on Caitlin’s blog (we’ll give a link to that). There are 300 bats in the attic of the bunkhouse. Her daughter thinks she got a few good photos. (The work has not yet been posted, because she has a full-time job, but here is the link you can check.
The temperatures have gone down considerably so that’s very nice, but the wind is still blowing. Oh, — John fixed the nicest Mother’s Day dinner. It was colorful and tasty.

John’s first asparagus harvest but the rest sourced from the grocery store — chicken, peppers, mushrooms, pecans.

Monday, May 13 Interesting link to a story about an ice “tsunami” blowing into and over houses on a lake in Michigan and Canada. I emailed to a lot of friends the You Tube video that John found through his internet blog reading, but that one is now gone. It’s been removed from there because apparently Darla Johnson sold the rights to ABC, (so you can see part of hers in the above link). It is nowhere near as amusing stemming from her amazing lack of understanding of nature. I had no way of capturing it, unless I had taken a video of the video, but I didn’t think to do that. OKAY — I found another site where someone managed to capture it. The first on the link above is the original Darla capture from her vertically-held cell phone. The second is the link from ABC above, called Sam Champion explains what’s happening.
Everything was okay at my Dr.’s visit. My blood pressure was good at 110/60 and pulse 60. It took longer than anticipated, good meal after, bought for a $20 discount at a Cle Elum restaurant for each of our last birthdays. We are fixing chocolate turtle brownies for dessert with ice cream and heading to bed—have to leave the house in the morning about 8:30.
The picture below made my day. A former student (Tanya) who gave us Rascal (orchard born Mackerel tabby, our inside/outside cat) took two of our orange feral kitties last summer. Of course, we had them all tamed and handled. She just sent this photo today. Amazing how much our Johnny Cash-ew (their older brother) resembles Soda; though he only has a white spot on his face between his eyes and his chin. No white feet. Well, the same tail. Johnny also comes and talks to him (and me) when we are in the yard. John is out in his gardens much more than I am out, so he has more conversations.

Photo on the left is from May 13, 2013 (now); . . . April 30, 2012 was when eyes opened.

Tuesday, May 14 John and I left early at 8:30 for a monster biscuit (Canadian bacon, sausage, egg on a huge good biscuit) at Carl’s Jr., on our way to the Copper Kettle for the 2nd Tuesday morning meeting of the Emeriti Geography faculty. I took along copies of an obituary for Joel Andress (dead of a brain tumor), with a color photo, because he was a Geog Prof here for many years, from 1966, I think. I’m notifying some of those folks the family doesn’t have contact with.
Today, I did a load of dishes (have been keeping up with that), but two loads of clothes. I HAD to; I was out of underwear :- ). Now I’m working on my jobs list and getting handouts ready and distributed to the Emeriti for attending the potluck and awards ceremony for the end-of-the-year Geography party, June 1. I got my dental insurance change paperwork done and mailed from Cle Elum yesterday, but have stacks of things to go through still. I must order license tabs for two vehicles, and the list goes on.
I picked up my tube of cream Nystatin for my rash (Dr. Schmitt decided it was a yeast infection), and the damned thing cost $20. My Coumadin for 90 days was only $13. Jeez.
The rash is not what’s on my foot. He took a sample cut from my toenail which has to be cultured to determine what fungus it is. He says there is a drug that takes 3 months, but is not 100% effective. Have to wait 6 weeks for results from the culture. Kind of surprised me the length of time required. It is only on the toenails of one foot. Meanwhile, he will approve a referral for a trip to a podiatrist to see if I qualify for foot care on my insurance, or if I just have to find a local practitioner (seems to be a bigger deal in the UK than it is here).

Wednesday, May 15 Our friends the Seivertsons, now from Eureka, CA are scheduled to arrive today/tonight. We are heading to town for a lecture on Ellensburg Blue Agates. It was a great lecture. They were filming it, so I hope it gets put on the web as his 3 years ago did when downtown at Raw Space. Then, we will notify you of the URL.
I missed going to town today for playing music at the Food Bank, because my banjo playing-singing friend was sick. Therefore, I just stayed and worked on many different chores needing done. Our friends from CA made it to town and to our mutual friends’ house.

Thursday, May 16 At 1:20 I must leave for Dry Creek, taking John’s car because mine is short on gasoline, and I want to save it to drive to Yakima Friday. Several phone calls this morning and we will be going to dinner tonight at the friends’ house where they are staying, to visit with our CA friends. John is making a cherry pie and pecan pie to take with us. It was a long evening but loads of fun. We had pork loin roast our friends got from Costco, with raspberry sauce made by Jo Hammond (it was at their house and where our friends were spending the nights), potato salad, veggie salad (broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots), garlic bread, and a several bean salad. And wine with crackers and two fancy cheeses. We had ice cream with John’s pies for dessert.

Friday, May 17 Have to be in Yakima for an 11:15 appointment at the Subaru dealer. So tired after a late night, and sleeping in some this morning. Yesterday and this morning we spent a lot of time cleaning out things from the ’04, and some on cleaning the floor mats from much gravel. I had a six-CD player, which SADLY no Subaru any longer has. Even John’s 2009 has only the one. We didn’t get home until 7:00 p.m., after leaving just after 10:00 a.m. (I was so tired I slept in till almost 9:00 a.m.). Now we are the owners of a new blue Subaru (2014 Forester). The 2004 was an L. L. Bean model with 58,000 miles, 6 cylinders, and wanting premium gas. We have hardly driven it since getting the 2009 4 cylinder one. That one now has 60,000 on it. The sales team (led by Mat, whom we met last year and “talked trucks,” but they only sell used ones and had no full sized 8’-ft. beds) are a gregarious bunch and insisted they were giving me a really good deal on my 10 year old trade-in, plus knocked off money on the one we liked best. We wouldn’t have ordered all the accessory packages (such as TomTom Navigation, the backup-TV camera, and the fancy transmission) but they seem to have traded something they had to a Spokane dealer and got this one in return—and wanted to sell it. That’s the “story.” Outbacks are longer and heavier and more fancy with 1 mpg less fuel rating. So the new-blue one, while quite fancy, is actually lower priced than the similar driven Outback. Also has some other cool features and gadgets the Outback didn’t have. The 2014 (really!) Forester has been streamlined and it takes a careful look to tell one from the other. It’s no longer boxy, but is lighter than the Outback for better gas mileage. Yes, I’m excited. However, very tired.

Some day we will replace with our car’s photo, rather than one driving down the road.
We talked and bought the car and then went to Costco for a polish dog and large piece of pizza (We had never had lunch) at about 4 P. M. Then home by way of Ellensburg to pick up Almond Breeze milk for me and Pepsi for John (really a good price in cans), so he bought 1/2 diet Pepsi (he mixes them).
He took the Brittanys for a run, and then is packing in the stuff we bought at Costco (more frozen chicken (ginger & teriyaki) on sale. We had checked it out earlier on our last trip to Costco, and liked the teriyaki. The ginger is actually 4 ounces larger and made by a different company, but we figure it will be fine. John got himself 8 solar lights (walkway path type).

Saturday, May 18 Mt St Helens in 1980 — we remember this eruption day; then living in Troy, Idaho. Today we have winds again to 37 mph gusts. This morning we saw a bunch of Evening Grosbeaks (our first this season and here). I think this photo shows 4 pair and two red wing blackbirds.

I am going to go into town for music at Briarwood Commons Retirement Center, where they feed us after we play and sing. Only 4 of us are going today, 3 instruments: fiddle, guitar, & tambourine and an extra singer, who also hands out and picks up the books of lyrics for the audience participation. Today we used 2 books and they all enjoyed singing along. The food was particularly good today; we had a homemade Enchilada soup from a dry mix prepared by a lady in the town of Thorp, near the old Thorp (grain) mill, and former owner of the store there that burned a few years ago. She produces them for commercial distribution, and they can be bought locally at Super One and Fred Meyer groceries. The lady who made it added tomato sauce and generous pieces of chicken. I wonder if the beans came with it; they were like chick peas or white beans. She served it with grated cheddar cheese on top. It was scrumptious. We had several types of sandwiches: turkey, roast beef, and ham, with tomato slices in them, a nice oriental chicken salad, a green salad, and several desserts (brownies, two kinds of cookies and a spice cake frosted with what looked like maple frosting). From there I went to Fred Meyer with my friend for her to get a few things, and while there I checked out their sale on dining room stool type chairs. I was looking for a nice sturdy one that I can use on uneven ground to play music outside (as at the Yakima Canyon last week). I found a nice heavy duty, stable one, which has a seat back and rotates. (That will be especially good for my neck for me to be able to turn my head to look to the right or the left at people in the horseshoe-shaped group, and not bend my neck, which usually hurts after an hour’s session. The chair was on sale through today — a free dining chair with the purchase of one at regular price. They only had one of what I wanted, and it was a damaged demonstrator. I talked the floor manager down to a little less than half the cost, and tried for more and a vinyl patch kit to be thrown in; he didn’t go for that extra request, but gave me 10% off the 1/2 price of the original chair. I’ll just use duct tape or a vinyl patch to fix it. It has a slice about 2 inches long along one side of the seat pad. I think it will be perfect. It’s not light but I need it to be a little heavier for the outdoor usage. We had taken my mom’s old fifties kitchen stool to many outdoor events, but it is really not sturdy, unless on a flat hard surface. John stayed home today and worked with putting up a temporary fence so the horses could go behind the house to “mow” down the grass there and wrapping around the old shed, and the 3-cornered building where I park my Subaru. With some strategic brush removal and the horses help with the grass there is slightly less danger of fire reaching the buildings along the ground – if fire should come. Please not – last year’s close call was scary enough to last me a lifetime!
Happy Sunday.
Hope your week was great.
Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan