Keeping track

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

Sunday, May 5 Happy Cinco de Mayo. We didn’t get last week’s blog out until today, and you have heard about most of the day already. John did take me out for a jaunt through the pasture where we took some photos of stuff I haven’t seen in almost a year. We also took a photo of our neighbor’s apple tree in full bloom. John sees that it gets water. We came back and checked out some of our tulips, irrigation ditch, and a bridge John built across it, which is better for me (and one of the horses prefers it) to use than trying to jump across the ditch. Today begins the annual Bluegrass Jam session in the Yakima Canyon at the Big Pines campground. The photo is of the correct area but not the actual river bend where the camp is – there it is a bit wider. I was too tired to try to attend today.
Monday, May 6 Luckily, we both had a good night’s sleep to regain our stamina (at least me). We started the morning with a grand tour of the grounds around the gardens, orchard, and house. I just took my photos off my camera and will no doubt include a couple in this week’s blog, to follow on John’s 4 from last week of various blossoms. Then dealing again with medical appointments and insurance issues, a never-ending chore. Later this afternoon, when it cools down, we are going to town for my INR blood draw, and to grab some food, and head on down the canyon for the bluegrass jam.
I got the photos from this morning (and yesterday afternoon) off the camera, but haven’t yet looked at them all. They were mostly vegetation, native and bought, -service berry (or sarvis berry), elderberry, blue spruce, white spruce, black pine, Ponderosa, apple, pear, cherry, plum trees, garden things (onions, strawberries, asparagus [plus the FIRST harvest],

blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, and the new plum trees. Carpathian walnut trees, lilac, and crabapple.

I took pictures of the pallets John bought for .50 each. They are double the size of any I’ve ever seen. One has five good long pieces of 2 x 4 in good condition which itself is worth at least $15.00 for the wood. Two have solid plywood tops. I don’t know how he managed to get the longest one into the truck.
We had a coupon for $5.00 for 2 full KFC dinners, so we carried those along down the canyon to the bluegrass jam for dinner, taking our drinks with us. It’s hot today — 86 at 3:00 p.m., hotter later. The campground is along the river with big beautiful Ponderosa pines for shade and usually a breeze. It cools down fast. Nice trip down, there, and back but not until after 10:00 – and had to pull over for a come-from-behind emergency medical unit, but it turned off 2 miles down Naneum from our neighborhood.
Tuesday, May 7 INR results back, in correct range, 2.1, so everyone is happy. Horse farrier came to trim 3 older horses this morning, and did it under the full shade of John’s White Spruce trees along the driveway. The temps were reaching 81, but I didn’t measure it in the shade of the trees. I went out twice and talked to them, and it wasn’t too bad; of course, I was not doing anything but standing. I spent most of my time this morning, and still have one medical insurance item left to do. Been catching up on all jobs-list e-mail updates from the recent week before when I had very little time.
Tonight we are going back to the canyon for more music. Last night, I chose to play “You Are My Sunshine.” Someone asked who wrote it and I didn’t know. Everyone thought a different person, and all I did was say, no I’m sure it wasn’t Gene Autry (although he sang it), and not Stephen Foster. Well, the internet has the story and John printed out about 5 pages cut and pasted from several sites.
Oh WOW…this is really good news about my latest time (seems like a lot…2 hrs) working with the health care system to transfer our dental insurance coverage to the CWU retiree’s plan and get out from under the individual account I have had since last June 1, 2012. Their coverage, while something, was nowhere near as good as the retiree plan from CWU. Our medical is already there, so the paperwork could be filled out ON LINE in a pdf document that accepted information, and then I printed. Had to go back to John’s computer where the printer is set up because it didn’t allow me to save edits. John is exercising the dogs, and we will grab something to eat as we drive through town to the Canyon, and eat down there under the Big Pines. Okay, we got out at 6:15 and drove by Burger King for our dinner. Two burgers and a chicken sandwich split. We got a cup of ice and took our own drink along. Got there in time to eat before playing music. I didn’t know as many of the songs tonight as last, and the wind was worse tonight than last night. We left about 9:25 and it takes us 45 minutes to get home. Rocks and dust came off the hill and on to the road just seconds before us on the way home. Orange dust swirled about as we went through but nothing was falling then. (Learned later others were encountering similar events.) I am running on an empty energy tank and am ready to crash.
Wednesday, May 8 Today is the normal day to do several things in town, but I didn’t write any notes at all for this day. Went to the food bank soup kitchen and played music, had a great chicken pasta and an awesome fruit salad, which I can eat — no dark green stuff. On to the AAC for SAIL class, and back home to get ready to leave for the Canyon bluegrass again. Tonight we stayed even later than last night, not getting home until 11:15.
Thursday, May 9 Today was about the same except I went to the Rehab center for music. We had dinner at home. Then we drove to the canyon.
Friday, May 10 Worked on a number of things during the heat of the day. John tries to do most stuff — watering our own trees, and garden — before the real heat but the last two days has had neighborhood irrigation water duties to tend to. One of the days he came in so wet from sweat I had to help pull his tee shirt off. We went back to potluck in the canyon taking two Razzelberry pies Marie Callendar (raspberries & blackberries baked together with a touch of apple. Nice evening with great potluck items– Dutch Oven Chicken and another pot of beans with sausage, two Cole slaws, grilled cheese burgers, spicy (VERY) meatballs & pineapple, nice fruits salad, and several desserts. Home late to find 6 horses loose in the front yard. Luckily, they had not left the premises. John put up a gate and my horse was the first we saw, closest to the road. I got out and talked to her, and looked down and saw our 3 Tobiano horses in the driveway. John walked down to them pushing them into the corral area, and he came back to retrieve Ebony. I had stayed with her as she walked down the driveway in the lights of the car. He came back and put her in, and then I drove on farther, shining the lights to the back of the house where the last two horses were, near the gate they left from. John had forgotten to close it late afternoon when setting hoses. Normally he doesn’t open that gate. The horses found it, though, and there was enough grass around to keep them occupied and out of trouble.
Saturday, May 11 the day before Mother’s Day, our scheduled day to get the blog posted. We were both so tired from a late last night (didn’t go to sleep until after 1:00 a.m.), that we slept in late. I slept in longer than John, after getting up and turning out the yard light and hall light. He spent a lot of time last night on another research project for the jam session regarding a song played and sung last night, “Amelia Earhart’s Last Flight.” He found a bunch of interesting stuff about it, and we will take it down to the group. It’s a song written by Red River Dave McEnery shortly after Amelia Earhart’s disappearance. It was copyrighted in 1939, and was first performed by David McEnery on a pioneer television broadcast from the 1939 New York World’s Fair. That was the issue of John’s research to find out all about the “first television viewing of a song over the air waves.”
The other thing he researched and wrote about this week and we took down Thursday night, was about Leather Britches – the song. It seems long garden beans were threaded and hung for future use and the motion of threading reminded someone of hand-sewing leather into pants, or britches. The sewing movements are similar to a fiddler’s hands and wrist motions as the bow is moved to “cross over” the strings (or strangs — if a southern mountain speaker). A song with many such movements acquired the name Leather Britches. Another term is shucky beans, but you knew that. Right?
Hope your week was great.
Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Sunday, Apr 14 Heard last night the Brittany puppies in CA (Kip, our puppy, Cork’s brother, is sire, and Ginny, belonging to Jeri & Kurt Conklin, is having puppies tonight. At 8:00 p.m. a little o/w female was first born. Owner of the sire is Sonja Willitts. We await news of more. Seven seemed to show to some viewers in an X-ray this week. (Only 6 were there, and sadly, one didn’t make it after a couple of days). Five remaining ones are fine and growing. Last night also, I found, with John’s help, the rest of the tax data needed for some stock dividends, to put in our return. This is a good thing! Oops, need to go back and print the right side of two of the pages; cannot read the 1099-INT totals. Got the 1099-DIV fine, however. Will need to wait for John to come back and access the account from his computer, where the information is accessible (from the web), and the printer to print out for our tax files. He’s out working on fencing his new baby Ponderosa pines. Lunch eaten and all forms reprinted to size. Actually, we had missed two pages last night. Do not know how, but we have them now. It took me another long while to add the data to Turbo Tax, but John reminded me when I was complaining, that he used to have to do all those calculations by hand (for stock/mutual fund capital gain or loss). Okay, so I am happy again.
Monday, Apr 15 I had a crazy night’s sleep, dreaming about the nuttiest things, awoke early and couldn’t get back to sleep, so just got up to use John’s computer to finish the correction on the tax form. I had to get his signature and help making a postcard to include for the IRS to send back when they receive the form.
I began early working on our “hay” paper, but left at 11:00 for the Kittitas, WA USPS, figuring my wait there would be a whole lot less than in EBRG. I was correct; no wait. Drove on to town to get some things at the grocery and Bi-mart. Now we can make Crockpot chocolate candy because I bought some dry roasted peanuts (1/2 normal price), and the last ingredient we need(ed) for the candy. Eventually, I came home finally, had a small lunch, watched John nap in the chair after his, and continued working on my paper, combining it with slides from the PowerPoint used in Olympia, and cutting out and adding text from the article submitted. We have to lower it from the 19 minutes for presenting in October to 15 minutes here as well as incorporating additional information learned since. I will be presenting it because my co-author, John Bowen, will be busy chairing the conference and listening to some of his students’ papers.
John just awoke and went out to work in the sun (changing weather here, that’s for sure). He did take some photos of the snow, and the little birds in the Nanking cherry trees with the snow covering the cherry blossoms!

[*Click on photo to see a large version.*]
Once home, all the snow gone, I looked out and saw what I think is a female Red Wing Blackbird. Got a photo and will check to see if I’m right. (I was). They are entirely different from the males.
Tuesday, Apr 16 Finally, a good night’s sleep. Guess I was truly exhausted. Today was filled with catching up on projects, and then I played music tonight at a nursing home on the NE edge of town closest to our home. Only 21 miles r.t. John’s got nice sun and not too much wind to work outside in today to make room for his plants on their way here from Indiana Berry Co., due this Friday. Temperatures at 11:30 are up to 49, but the wind has also moved up to 20mph. Lunch and back to work. Went to play music after computer chores all day. Was home for dinner after and we had leftover spaghetti and meat sauce that we didn’t eat all of last night. I have been working more on the PowerPoint for the hay paper, but now am going to fix dessert and hit the hay (ha ha). For now, I’m very tired of describing the hay forage industry geography.
Wednesday, Apr 17 Today, the usual, play music at the Food Bank Soup Kitchen, exercise, and then I’m getting a haircut at my neighbor’s. I don’t know how long it has been since the last but it’s getting straggly. It was almost 8 weeks ago, and necessary, even though my hair seems to be thinning again on top. Might be from all the meds I’m taking. I do take a multi-vitamin daily. I left this morning before 11:30 a.m. going directly to the food bank’s Soup Kitchen where Evelyn (our banjo player), I, Mary Ann (along with Bob, a server, after he finished helping) sang with us. Okay on to St. Vincent’s looking for a pair of SMALL aluminum tongs, which we’ve had and LOST over the past couple of months. You may wonder, how did they do that? I wish we knew. Then on to Exercise class at the adult activity center, where I picked up a couple pieces of cake to go with our ice cream tonight for dessert.
Once home was a time-out to deal with medical insurance over a 15 min. device check required every 3 months for Nancy’s Implanted Defibrillator Device. Jeez. It’s going to cost $44, because Medicare and Group Health won’t pay anything if I have not yet met my deductible for 2013. I think it is $250 for GH and less than that for Medicare. Nevertheless, the point remains, I should have made that appointment earlier by 2 weeks to have it in 2012 where I had built up a COB (cost of benefits) balance. (That’s an account built up through the year that can be tapped for savings). Message to self: remember for next year to arrange so that I don’t go in right after the first of the year (it was 1-15-13), and force it to end in December this year. Of course, as John says, it really doesn’t matter. We have to pay for the first few medical charges at the first of the year, regardless. I was just trying to figure what I could move to the end of the year (such as that), which benefits from being able to use COB monies, which do not carry over. They are lost in the system, if unused. John has added the next little bit to explain the procedure. A technician reads the record with a wand (non-invasive procedure) scan of the ICD in my body that keeps track of everything my heart has been doing. Under the drawing is an explanation of what the read-out is used for and what else can be done, if needed. I have to drive to Yakima for the service, because it cannot be done here. We usually combine it with a trip to Costco.
Later I received a tour of the place to see all John’s recent yard work. First, the garden from prior years, now with Blackberries, Strawberries, and Asparagus – some annual things will be planted later. His newly planted onions (3 special ones – we get yellow cooking onions for 6¢/pound so don’t plant any) are looking good. He cut back the thorny blackberries so we can walk the path through the middle of the garden. He has culled a bunch of the strawberry runners and has rows again. His asparagus from seeds is coming up, and his asparagus from roots is looking really good. He also removed two poles at the “back” of the garden and extended it a little more. We next went over to the newest garden, downslope from the work last year on the round pen (still under construction). One of the last landscaping projects after the snow fell was to move the excess dirt (with rocks) down into the depression. Now he is fencing that, removing rocks and making the soil ready. He plans to receive some strawberry plants this Friday, and wants to get them in there. As well, he will plant some corn, and winter squash there. Remains to be seen if anything else goes in. Last year he was talking putting tomatoes there because of its having a higher amount of sunlight there than in the older one. He finished giving me the tour of all the stuff he’s been doing over the past couple weeks. He’s been busy sorting rocks and moving them and dirt. He dug a trench (no rocks but just next to the new garden space) to put the rocks in so he doesn’t have to haul them away, and he can use the dirt from the trench for the garden. Rocks, sand, and “dirt” on an alluvial fan is a never-ending puzzle. I came on back in the house to tackle my several projects. Later we had a late dinner that was quite tasty. I had not eaten a lot for lunch because it was pasta with tough steak, lots of dark green salad so I just got a little of the non-dark green stuff, hoping to avoid high Vitamin K content.
Thursday, Apr 18 Busy day. Morning filled with chores. Left for Kittitas to have taco lunch with members of the Kittitas Valley Trail Riders — 4 of whom left the fairgrounds in EBRG and rode the John Wayne Trail to the Old Milwaukee Railroad Station at Kittitas, WA and hitching posts there that we helped build. Eight others joined the group for a nice visit, until they turned around and rode back west into the wind. From there, we went back to town, where John let me off at Dry Creek to play music until 3:00 and he went on to do several things. Nicest for me was he filled my car with gas. Then he went to Bi*Mart for some supplies for the yard, and on across town to get his new two sets of glasses. Once home, he gave me an instructive demonstration. I had seen his normal glasses (progressive lenses, auto darkening). His extra free pair (a special just this month), he had made into computer reading glasses. They really are cool. Thankfully, I don’t need any glasses – my lens implants do all I need.
Outside, it’s clouding over and might rain again. I brought home more than half of my Taco Salad from lunch. It was HUGE. It will be my dinner. John got some ground beef with the idea of making a meat loaf, but I’ll bet he waits until tomorrow for that and just has a hamburger tonight, with one of the fancy cheese rolls I brought home yesterday.
Friday, Apr 19 Today, I went to town mainly for a Pro-Time test (INR) blood draw, but it turned into an exciting day. First, to exercise class, and sadly someone had something go wrong, perhaps an anxiety attack, but we’ll never know. However, when she beckoned our teacher over, I realized it was distracting and possibly embarrassing to have everyone staring at her, and they had called the EMTs, who arrived rapidly. I moved to the leader’s chair, picked up the place in the class where she left off, and gave the class of 19, instructions. I am not certified to do that, but I figured there were 3 people there qualified and they were all busy with the person needing help. I went through 4 different exercises before one of the others arrived to take over from me. Shortly, our instructor came back and they carried the person out of the room, in her chair, to the entrance hallway, where they must have gathered more information and taken some vitals. We finished the class, and they were still there with her. I made my way to the hospital, for my blood draw and INR reading. When I got there, no one was in the lab. I waited around and a person ahead of me was taken in, but then I waited longer for the gal to come back to help me. I realized they were short handed and she had to leave to take blood from someone in ER. I know where the doors lead, having been in there regularly for 5 years. Turns out it was the person from our class. I told the story about drinking lots of fluids for the past hour of exercise, but not having any for the past 45 minutes while waiting for her return from ER. I told her about what happened and that we would never know because of privacy, but I was concerned. She asked where I had been. I said at the Adult Activity Center and the EMTs came to check her out. I assumed she would end up in ER. She told me she had and that she was doing fine. I made it home, finally. Brought some cookies home for our dessert with ice cream tonight. We both had an advanced one this afternoon. Late in the day after 5:00, I received my INR report, which was down a little, so I threatened to have a glass of wine with dinner (meatloaf), but we didn’t. Darn. John received his UPS package delivery of strawberry plants, all the way from Indiana, via a distribution center near O’Hare Airport, on to Spokane, EBRG, and here – arriving late afternoon just as predicted (and tracked the whole way).
Saturday, Apr 20 Spent a little time this morning cleaning kitchen counter build-up, and going through this blog. I am going to play music at Briarwood this afternoon, where they feed us afterwards. Today they had a green pea soup with ham and carrots, wonderful chicken salad sandwiches, other things, and desserts, plus an orange/mango/sprite drink. We only had two instruments there, and 2 extra singers. Occasionally, one of the singers accompanied with her tambourine. Fellowship and food was good.
John was down in the field with the dogs when I got home. We are adding a photo John took of the vineyard work. (He started early March with the pruning that you have heard about in earlier blogs.)

The cane has been cut and is dropping to the ground. A short piece (spur) is left with just 2 or 3 buds from which will come new growth and a cluster of grapes.

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

Good grief! 
A wet and windy week, finishing with snow Saturday A. M.

Sunday, Apr 7  Yesterday afternoon, John finished planting the five Ponderosa pine trees and rerouted ditch water (irrigation) for our neighbors’ pastures (south of ours).  He set orange plastic tarps at strategic locations to change the direction of flow.  Today we are staying home to work on projects, me in the house, and John in the yard.  Well, I guess we have to get back to work on the research proposals.  That’s happened but still in progress, because he had to create a template for the evaluations, as we are sending our evaluations electronically.  I suppose we could write into the printed evaluation forms, but then we’d have to photograph each page of 3 because our scanner is not working.  He’s going to help me enter my data into the template for my share of the research proposals.  Several hours later the evaluations have been sent to Toronto via digital delivery.  We old farts recognize how amazing that is.  But how about this: did you realize that Toronto is not only a lot east of us but also a bit south.  Then dinner —  salmon, fried onions & potatoes, and peaches.

Monday, Apr 8  Will be a sleep-in-a-little-longer day, because John doesn’t have to leave early to prune.  That’s over until next year.  I continued working on taxes, bills, and stacks of things.  He is working on his garden, including trimming the wicked blackberry bushes, the ones with incredibly destructive thorns, called Illini Hardy, described and pictured on the site from where ours came, Indiana Berry Company.  Move down the page to find the description.  We also have some thornless Blackberries but they are not especially hardy and were killed back to the ground a few years ago.  They re-grew and provided a nice crop last summer and look good, so far, this spring.

Tuesday, Apr 9  Going to be a very long day.  We leave before 9:00 for a meeting in town with the Emeriti Geography profs, and then on to Yakima for lunch and a Costco run, after which, John’s Subaru gets a work-over, oil change & lube and washed.  On home, only for me to turn around and go back to play music at Hearthstone.  Well, it’s night, and we made it.  I may be in bed within an hour (earlier than usual).

Wednesday, Apr 10  I play music at the Soup Kitchen/Food Bank, and go to exercise.  Heard back from a friend whose hubby ended up in ER and then to a Yakima hospital, anemic.  He’s doing better now.  Let’s end the day on a nice note–our daffodils are blooming.

Thursday, Apr 11 In the afternoon I played music at the Rehab center. John went for the horse club meeting (evening), to hear a talk on a first aid kit for horses, while I loaded more tax receipts and the dishwasher. Now I am in charge of watching for the ferals to eat their dinner. Need to keep our cat in with the doggie window closed, and open later. So far only Tre’, the extra third orange feral (not fixed), has eaten. Our neighbors quit feeding all but one of their barn cats, (how they know only one is eating is beyond us), and we have seen more of this orange one chowing down on our offerings.
Friday, Apr 12 I awoke at 3:00 a.m. and had trouble getting back to sleep, so I slept in this morning after getting up early. I stayed home all day working on computer tax things. Our scanner is broken, so I spent a bunch of time taking close up macro photos of our mileage log for John’s Subaru. Now I have to do my own car’s log. The term “log” is of nautical origin, and apparently began as a chunk of a tree, that is, a log. Then the information was recorded and that recording became the log.
The failed scanner situation necessitates the photos and the information is necessary to get the volunteer (charitable) mileage and the medical mileage to put into the tax form for itemized deductions. It is worth the effort for the tax write-off allowed (only because my time is now only worth pennies per hour). Some advice: get rich and hire someone to do these things. Now I have to enter the figures in my Excel spreadsheet to get the totals to put into Turbo Tax. I did submit my tax extension notice (form 4868) yesterday and sent it certified mail to the IRS in Fresno. I did all sorts of things, including loading TurboTax on John’s computer (from where I print the final copies of the forms), and then backed up my last year’s on that computer from where I had been working on it on my laptop. The new version is now installed on my laptop, also.
For lunch, John fixed a grilled cheese sandwich with Rosemary/Olive bread, venison sausage (gift from a neighbor) sliced thinly, and cheddar cheese. We had a Honeycrisp apple sliced to go along with it and Low Salt potato chips. Late afternoon, after taking care of diverting the irrigation water for our neighbors to the south, he put a pork roast in the oven for dinner. Was able to take the photos from the camera and print them from John’s computer directly to the printer. [Printing works, just not the scanner. We have several months supply of ink so until that runs out the purchase of a new unit with a scanner seems a bad idea – unless the same inks are required. Something else to look into.] Now I have to enter those data and a few more months’ worth into Excel before I can summarize and put into TurboTax, but I’m catching up.
All the ferals said hello to John today as he worked in the yard. One thing he did before it sprinkled was to spray Glyphosate (generic “Round-up”) on some places. He thinks it was on for at least 3 hours before the sprinkles, but the temperatures never got above 53. Best for spraying is sunny and higher than 60 degrees. Our meal this evening was a pork loin roast, succotash, and baked potato. I mentioned succotash to someone here recently, and they didn’t know what I was talking about. John and I were both raised with the variety made with mixed little green lima beans and corn. There are many more varieties, as explained in the site linked to.
We made “turtle” brownies from a box mix (sale item; otherwise expensive; otherwise create your own) including walnuts with package of caramel.  Below the picture on the left is what ours looked like, but I think next time we will add chocolate chips and pecans to the top, more like the one on the right (but adding nuts).  Our pan was a bit too big so the result was thin – note to self and others, in future fit recipe to pan.

We had a piece with the last of butter pecan ice cream and mutilated (broken down) blueberries from the freezer of our old refrigerator in our unheated outside shed. It cannot control proper freezing over very cold temperatures (needs to be in a non-freezing location). Going to bed later tonight than originally planned.
Saturday, Apr 13 Much noisy wind all night, with highest gusts to 45, but in the high 30s all night and this morning still at 36 mph. More interestingly was awaking to snow on the ground; in the Cascade Pass, requirements are chains for big rigs. It’s a mess of snow still on the Pass (and snowing hard); I’m happy I’m not returning from the Association of American Geographers (AAG) meetings in L.A., as several of my colleagues are. They always fly out of Seattle, and I never do in the winter or spring of the year. We will not travel the pass at all for any reason. One year I was in Denver, for the “spring” meetings, and the airport was snow-closed. I stayed on the airport floor or in a chair for 3 days trying to return to classes from that AAG meeting. Bad memories! John is still in the house, not wishing to get out and work in this cold wind chill; mid-afternoon and the wind is 20 mph and temp is 49 degrees. He’s going to work on getting this text and photos into WordPress and I need to get back to various paper-work and kitchen clean-up.
Hope your week was great.
Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Monday, Apr 1 I stayed home and took care of many things. The main item of paper-work was music related. Got in my entry for the fiddler’s workshop in July, (has to be postmarked no sooner than the first Monday in April). I boiled two eggs, added tuna, other stuff, and made a salad for lunch. I also had a couple of slices of Honeycrisp apple. John cut one up to take with him (pruning) but left some for me. All of these things made a nice lunch. I have been working on receipts, dishes, and email. I did not go exercise today, because it was one of those days with only one thing to do in town. I have to go in twice tomorrow.
Taking the dogs along with me, I walked the mail to put in the box for pick-up. Three of them stayed with me, but Meghan (whose hearing is impaired, did her own wandering) was gone for an hour. John got home and planted onions most of the afternoon, besides exercising the dogs and feeding the outside animals in the wind that got up to 37 mph today. That’s enough to get things on the ground moving around, parts of trees come down, and stir up the horses. They would rather the wind not blow. Still, no serious damage occurred around us.
Tuesday, Apr 2 John off at 7:30 a.m. I went to town early, stopping for a special deal on biscuits with sausage, Canadian bacon, egg, and cheese on my way to get to an appt at the AAC, then home to work on taxes, until John got back and we went for our annual eye exams in the afternoon (back to back ones) with the same doctor. Medicare and Group Health will cover the cost of the exam (once every two years, and $150 for the glasses). I have plastic implants so do not use glasses. John last got new ones (fancy transition and progressive) in 2007 that are now very scratched and not-quite doing the job. The new lenses were $405 !! Jeez, we think that was after a $150 payment by insurance. [More of this story, below.]
Wednesday, Apr 3 At Noon, I played music at the Food Bank, and then went on to exercise. After vine pruning, a Pea Soup lunch was planned if I went, but it was impossible for me to accompany John because I cannot cancel our weekly appearance, especially the night before (as there are only 2 of us on instruments). Tonight I am sending out a message inviting people to a potluck for our music group at one of the player’s homes. If we get at least 8 there, John will roast a pork loin. He says it will take 3 days to thaw and a day to cook. Thus far, I have not heard from anyone able to come. We may have to postpone until later in the month.
Thursday, Apr 4 John was off to WH at 7:35 a.m.; in addition, I stayed up to work on taxes. Got a phone call from the winegrower at 8:25 telling me to turn John around, because it was raining over there. It is 24 miles NE of us but there is a big ridge (5,000+ ft. high) between us. Our elevation is 2,240 feet while the vines are at about 1,000. I tried unsuccessfully and the phone didn’t ring. Seems there is either a phone problem or a ‘John problem’ – I probably can’t fix either one! I called Cameron back and told him, and so when John got there the two of them worked in a light mist. I went to play music at Royal Vista and came directly home.
Friday, Apr 5 It was rainy again, but I called the winemaker and they had blue skies over there. John left. This is John’s last day of pruning, and he was going to bring home several buckets of grape pomace,

as well as stop for another box of Honeycrisp apples for our neighbor. I had been up since 5:00 a.m. and, because I couldn’t sleep, loaded dishes, and stayed up to work on taxes. I had planned to go to town to the potluck (first of month, AAC, for pulled pork sandwiches, exercise, and a grocery visit for meds), but John had to go in the afternoon when he got home to pick up 5 baby Ponderosa pine trees from the Kittitas County Conservation District. He gets something every year and has since we moved here in 1989. He has planted a mixed-forest around our house, here in the shrub-steppe. He also needed to go by the optician’s office because I heard Wednesday that the place we’d just been the day before for our eye exam, has a special on for the month of April. Buy a new pair of glasses with frames, and get a pair free (limited lens offerings on the second pair). On the previous visit John started by telling the optician that he intended to keep the frames he had, so she never got to explain the special offering. When he went back, she apologized but he explained it was his first statement that got her off-track. Anyway, now the cost goes up some but he chose a second pair that will be optimized for computer monitor work. Others to choose from were anti-glare for night driving and “special-dark” for being in bright sun. These did not include progressive lenses . . .
. . . and the dark tint doesn’t go away completely in low light. The whole deal is a bit odd insofar as there is nothing to try out before purchasing. Then again much of life is that way. So, on to . . . Early morning, I was on the phone talking to my neighbor, and saw one of the “Eurasian” doves on the fence near our patio. This was the first “up close” look at them for me, although they have been around the area for a couple of years. The one left before I got the camera – but later, I did. Supposedly, they travel in pairs.
Saturday, Apr 6 Started with both of us reviewing proposals for the Canadian Silverhill Institute of Environmental Research and Conservation
John has 7; I have 6, and we will switch when done before evaluating for the final send.
For brunch, John fixed an omelet w/ ham, bell peppers, and onions, (using Almond milk). I’ve been using that for over a year, after going off my large amount of whole (not non-fat) chocolate milk twice a day for pill taking. I was drinking two full glasses/day. I apparently developed a milk protein allergy. I’ve been fine since switching, and have increased my cheese and ice cream intake without incident. The problem was affecting my voice projection. Now I can sing again and yell for the dogs.
Was telling someone in my exercise class about the almond milk, and they wanted to know how one “milked” almonds, so I looked it up on line and found you can make your own. (I have no desire to go to the trouble; will just wait till it goes on sale at the grocers, which happens usually once/month.) I also found I could request coupons for some money off from the Blue Diamond (in CA) company — products are labeled as Almond Breeze. It might have preservatives and other stuff in it, but homemade only lasts 3-5 days in the frig. I want it to last over a month (one can buy shelf life for longer use, or in the refrigerator section, a mixture that lasts for 3 weeks). See this link for the almond milk-making story.
After brunch, John was getting ready to put aside the review until dark, and preparing to go plant his 5 Ponderosa trees in buckets so he can care for them inside our fence. The deer will destroy young trees, so he has to build a fence to surround each one until they are grown to stiff-trunk size. Meanwhile, he has to get water to them. Put these words – deer antlers rubbing trees – into an image search and get a look at all the problems.
I was back sitting in my recliner, looked out, and saw a pair of the Eurasian doves on the fence. I grabbed my camera and only got one picture, but here it is to compare with the previous week’s photo of a pair of mourning doves.

We provide a link below to the description about the ‘invasive’ species — Eurasian Collared Dove. We do not know if Mourning doves are affected by the intruders. We do know they produce an annoying “call.” A friend who manages the Sinlahekin Wildlife Area and who grew up across the street from our house, says it is a “noxious” dove that has really increased in numbers and distribution. . . Here is a link with more info and photo.
Another, I found, is at this link.
This has a nice description of the bird, its obnoxious call, and “scream,” along with some more about the nature of the beast, although little is really known about how it affects the rest of the bird population of the region.
Meanwhile, here are Nancy’s photos of the two species in our backyard: Mourning doves last week and Eurasian Collared doves today.

I need to get back to the taxes, but before I do, I shall tell the Rascal stories for the week. Recently, he has started chasing off Woody (she was his friend the past two years), but now he has taken to sitting by the corner of the house near our Lavender bush to tackle the 3 ferals on their trip to their feeding place in the hay mow. It’s gotten worse over the past couple of weeks, and we figured something was up, because he quit eating his own food in the house, so he must be stealing theirs. He never has liked canned food with any fish in it (mackerel, white, or tuna). So we were buying that more cheaply at the Grocery Outlet for the ferals. They also have full time access (as he does) to hard food. John chased him with clumps of dirt as he was chasing Woody recently, and then again later, when he went after one of the orange cats. John ran him back into the house, and we closed the doggie door window to keep him in, while the others ate. That worked fairly well, but then we closed the door on him in the bedroom, to prevent having to close the window for the dogs exit and entrance (which he also uses). We’ve been doing that regularly this week, and his desire for canned food in the house has returned. Story two–has been the continued bringing us offerings of mice and voles into the house. No snakes yet this year. John has been finding things on the floor during the night or early morning and disposing of them. This morning, while John was exercising the dogs and feeding the horses, I walked down the hall and Rascal was ahead of me carrying a large vole he’d just brought in. I yelled at him, telling him to take it out. OUT OUT — and he ran by me, back to the doggie door, and left. Phew. I didn’t have to deal with it. Story three–he has several beds in the house where he sleeps. (1) in the guest bedroom window on the ledge by the large Jade Plant, which will have to be removed when we clear out the room (a week’s work) to use for guests (that time is nowhere in sight); (2) beside the computer in the back bedroom; (3) on our bed; (4) occasionally in the window that is part of the doggie door; (5) a chair in the living room, but it is blocked off now because of being full of boxes, (6) in the middle of the loveseat in the den, right where it’s difficult for two dogs to occupy their favorite spot. Occasionally, he’ll let us move him to one side or the other, so one dog can join him. Finally, I found (7) a couple of days ago. There is a plastic storage container on its side on the guest bed, to be used for towels or sweaters, but is empty now. It had two sweaters in it and and I saw him in there sleeping. He’s taken over our house. He continues living up to his name, “Rascal.” You might remember he came from an orchard (friend’s) across the valley.
Now at the end of the week, it feels like Spring.
Hope your week was great.
Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
PS:
Hey, this is a cool thing that happened by BBC in 2008. Maybe you’ve heard about it. I hadn’t.
First is the explanation of how they filmed the phenomena of flying penguins,

The original is here:

. . . even though we’re late getting this posted to say so!

Saturday, Mar 23 I went this afternoon to the Celebration of Life for Marty Kaatz, my friend and colleague who died last Nov, and John stayed home to plant his five new plum trees. The Celebration of Life was surprisingly interesting. Many family members and older colleagues spoke. A large number of friends, community members and university folks were present. The place was full. They had some tables and chairs and then set up a bunch of chairs in rows in front of the food, behind the tables and chairs to the front of the room near the speakers. Speakers included their son, his wife, a granddaughter, several Emeriti Geography profs who taught with him, a retired historian who served with him on the Brooks Friends of the Library committee, a close friend for over 40 years who with her husband joined Marty and Carla on hiking, skiing, and other trips and dinners over the years. By the time I arrived at CWU in 1988, he was retired, but he stayed involved with the department, faculty, students, and community until the end. He and I shared materials, research efforts, students, and he even sat in on my introductory GIS (Geographic Information Systems) class. I taught him how to use PowerPoint, and he gave wonderful visuals with his research. Today, the food included fruit/veggies (the largest strawberries I have EVER seen (larger than a golf ball and they were tasty too. Cheeses on a plate, bread, crackers, and a bunch of cookies and a very large Italian cake. It was nutty with excellent thick cream cheese frosting.
Lots of people there I knew, some faces recognized (but without a name), and it was a nice reunion/celebration of wonderful memories of a great fellow. Luckily, I got to sit down for the first hour and also while I ate and visited toward the end of the afternoon.
When I got home, we called John’s cousin, in PA, who was 95 today! She had a big party and lots of the family came in from around the state and nearby states. They had pizza, salad, coffee, cake and ice cream. We talked to her for 25 min. getting a review of the party, all the cards, food, gifts, people there (~30, so was like a family reunion). She has already reserved the room (in her apt complex) for next year’s party and invited us. We then called her daughter, Pat, and for 20 min. talked to her and John’s sister, Peggy, who was staying there until tomorrow, when she returns to Ohio. Pat said her hubby Ken had bought a Powerball lottery ticket for tonight’s drawing, and if they won they would pay for someone to look after our animals so we could come out! Sounds like a plan (but they didn’t win). Now John’s out exercising the dogs, feeding the horses, and will come back and feed the cats. He threw together a nice dinner, hamburger, sliced Jarlsberg cheese, cut Honeycrisp apples, and baked beans which I had on top of my hamburger. Been spending time on a recommendation nomination for a graduate student for the award John and I fund each year. It’s in the CWU Geography department and is called the Hultquist Distinguished Service Award, for Graduate students in the Resource Management program, or the undergraduates in the Geography department. Here’s a link to the explanation.
Sunday, March 24 Checked for Jim Carvo’s obituary, and made a new pdf file without all the advertisements. Worked on various projects.
Monday, Mar 25 Stayed home to work on taxes, but have been slowed with other pressing emails needs. John did not go to White Heron pruning today. Cameron, the winemaker went to Seattle. We went to town to deliver my car to have its seatbelt fixed (more below). We’ll retrieve it in the late afternoon tomorrow. Finally, finished sending hay articles and the nomination recommendation. A friend called about his need for an immediate operation (tomorrow) in Bellevue on a detached retina, result of 2% failure (rate) in a previous operation. (He’s doing all right now, several days later.)
Tuesday, Mar 26 John off at 7:30 a.m. I must get work done on taxes. First, I checked email, and while doing that, got a call that my car is already fixed (seat belt replacement). They also found that a drain tube near the Moon/Sun roof had shrunk and come undone and that’s why water was filling the area and (during winter) froze the belt’s environment. Phew. Happy to have it fixed and will get it this afternoon when John gets home. The mechanics went down the street and bought longer plastic tubing to install. I installed PDFlite software today (free) and it allows me to take music from my SongWriter software and make a .pdf file from it. That becomes an easy way of sharing with our Fiddlers and Friends group.
Received a sad note from the wife of another retired colleague (Joel), that his cancerous tumor returned, and they will be moving back West soon, where most of their families are. Finished the day by sending out a bunch (10) of Jobs list announcements.
Wednesday, Mar 27 Off to Food Bank Soup Kitchen. Worked all a.m. on last minute work with My Wild Irish Rose and I’ll Take You Home Again, Kathleen. Three of us entertained and had pineapple juice, pasta, veggies (none left for me), salad, & Starbuck’s donated desserts. From there I rushed to the AAC for exercise. Visited and filled out some forms, got some past-prime apples for the horses or the deer. On home to take care of more email and receipt filing (taxes) and similar chores.
Thursday, Mar 28 John off to prune at 7:35 a.m. and I stayed up to work on chores. Now need to get some lunch and get out to go to town for Hearthstone music, meds, and another stop. It turned into a busy chaotic day, just a lot of odd stuff needing done.
Friday, Mar 29 John off at 7:30 a.m. Nancy to AAC at 11:30 for lunch, program, and exercise. Go to grocery for eggs (big sale) and meds. Someone sent me this link to an article about things not to eat.
Think we are in trouble for several of these, as I had a piece of English Muffin bread toast before leaving for lunch before my exercise class at the Senior Center (still hard for me to call it the Adult Activity Center). They announced it would be ham, mashed potatoes, and trimmings. Wow–see below for what all it included. It was free to members. Included an Easter parade, so we were encouraged to wear fancy hats. The only one I have is a brown felt one with a pheasant tail feather. Not very spring like, but got people’s attention!! Ha ha. I wore a bright yellow western shirt with light tan pants, and a nice tan vest. I didn’t win a prize (3 people got prizes and were voted on by the audience). Some were really lovely and quite clever.
Okay, here is the menu, so I have already told John I do not need to eat dinner. Ham, the best scalloped potatoes ever, green salad (with walnuts, tomatoes, several kinds of lettuce and spinach, but enough I could get only the light green stuff, and some garbanzo beans, red beans, green beans, and onions. Then for dessert, two cold pies: butterscotch and chocolate with hard bits of chocolate. It was really scrumptious. We were talking at our table of how many free dinners they have provided for us all year. Maybe they are feeling guilty at the increase to $25 from $20 the past two years. It’s still a heck of a deal. You have to be 50 to join, but there are tons of activities, including the exercise class I’m in and don’t have to pay a physical therapist for (was costing me $25 for 45 minutes of the same things I’m doing at SAIL exercise, free).
On my way home, I went to St. Vincent’s looking for a small pair of tongs to take the hot bread out of our toaster and for other small uses. I had a nice set that have disappeared on the counter ??? someplace. I got them free at a yard sale last year. John also wanted me to look for a (light wt) blue denim jacket. I looked for both, but ended up buying an insulated carrier with a long strap, for a 16.9 ounce (that was the best fit) drink for John to carry along on his trips away from home. My 24 ounce ones won’t fit it in and I already have a carrier. He seems happy with it. It only cost $1.49.
Saturday, Mar 30 Chores today with Nancy inside, John outside–except Nancy went out to tell John about talking to the wife of our friend who got through his eye surgery well (retinal). And, John demonstrated his plans for mixing (from White Heron vineyard) the spent skins, pulp, seeds or pips, and stems of the grape (pomace) into mulch for his blueberry plants. He is expecting the pomace to help keep the soil acidic but his cheap pH meter doesn’t confirm that assumption. So he has something else to investigate. Here’s an interesting link about pomace and other winery waste. Therein it says “pomace is packed with phenols and other antimicrobial compounds which inhibit bacterial decomposition” – and this seems to be contrary to the conversion of raw sulfur to a useful soil acid. Something else to investigate. He also brought buckets of sand (deposited from the Ice Age Floods) for a top dressing of his onion patch. He’s got 3 specialty varieties he is going to try – two are red (one flattish), and the third is big. We’ll see. He says onions need to expand rapidly (‘bulb’, a verb) and a sandy top layer allows them to do this. Later in the year we’ll have some photos of things actually growing. Now the Plum trees look like dead sticks and the onions (tiny sets) look even worse. Also, we’ll show our pomace/sand entries for the mulch. John came in, and got a short rest, a drink, and with my new clipper blade covers (what’s the word, oh, guards). I gave him a much needed haircut. Now he is fixing a mini-pork roast for dinner.
Sunday, Mar 31 We made a chocolate cake to take to an Easter lunch at

Swedberg’s, and picked-up neighbor Louaine on the way. Dinner consisted of roasted pork loin, asparagus, peas, scalloped potatoes, carrots/pickles, blueberry muffins, cake and ice cream. Easter brings up the odd topic of bunnies bringing colorful eggs but how they do this has never been discovered. But never mind that mystery. Have you ever wondered about those beautiful Pysansky (Ukrainian decorated eggs)? The egg is decorated using a wax-resist (batik) method. It is now famous around the world as a colorful Easter egg. The video clip below shows how to make these beautiful Eastern European eggs. Check this out:

It is about 3 minutes long.

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

Sunday, March 17, Actually, Happy St. Patrick’s Day, 2013.  We went to the music jam at the Grange.  I took my recording point and shoot camera – more below.  The weekend event of gargantuan proportion was the mailing of the link to my 2012 “Greetings” pages.  Finally, after struggling with email construction of recipients, just before midnight I sent it.  Right away a few emails bounced, so I had to wait until the next day to sort through the problems.
Monday, Mar 18  John left at 7:30 a.m., and I stayed put. I have aching muscles, especially aching quadriceps femoris [“four-headed muscle of the femur”], from getting up and down, running all around at the Grange taking videos, moving a microphone, and sitting and playing.  My mission today involved rebuilding the email list of recipients of my belated 2012 greetings, and realizing that somehow when combining names into lists, I failed to get 88 copies sent.  How did I realize that?  I decided to put a note on Facebook that it was out and if a person didn’t receive it, to let me know, or check their SPAM file.  Several people whose first names alphabetically followed “Jennifer” were affected.  So the Julies, Jims, . . . , through Kellys, had to be sent today.  I finished the letter for a scholarship nomination reference for a former student who was graduated in 2009.  Always something.
Tuesday, Mar 19  John was off at 7:30 a.m., but I slept in, because I’m still recovering from sore muscles from running around this past Friday, Sat., and Sun.  Have had a few neat responses from the 2012 newsletter.  Tonight, I did go in to Royal Vista to play and sing with The Connections.
I got home just before 8 to a wonderful chicken and veggie dinner —  breast meat seasoned with lemon juice, pepper and a no-salt seasoning.  The veggies were a combo of frozen carrots John put up from the Columbia Basin, cashews, peppers, and onions, in a sweet brown sugar sauce.  Then he made a special open-face parmesan covered toast (broiled, actually).
Wednesday, Mar 20  John stayed home today; weather was lousy, but the main reason he didn’t go prune was the winegrower is driving to the “wet side” of Wash. to participate in a wine event.  With slush on the Pass and rain in Puget Sound lowland, that’s not going to be fun.  Meeting and greeting those interested in wine is important to his business, so he goes frequently.  Evelyn and I went to sing and play at the Food Bank Soup Kitchen.  Nice to meet a new volunteer server, one of the students from the class I went to last week, saw her poster presentation, and also to hear she is applying for a special internship this summer in Arizona that she found from the jobs list.  I went by the hospital for an INR blood check.  That came out fine, 2.1, so I don’t have to return for a month.  I went to SAIL exercise, but wanted to take it easy because of my sore quad muscles.  I helped a little lady who is unstable on her feet.  The lady who made the knitted scarves I have been getting over the past few months, brought in some little booties for adults.  Most had fluffy balls of yarn on them, but one pair was plain and my color (blue), so I brought it home.  Put it on top of my wool socks and inside my flannel slippers, and I have had happy feet all afternoon and evening.  Very nice treat.  And free at that.  Brought home two pieces of banana nut bread, that we had for dessert with Butter Pecan ice cream.  Probably don’t need the calories, as I have gained a little weight since fall. John worked outside in non-cooperating weather — sunny, windy, rain, snow, cloudy, and repeat in phases.  I drove through the same thing.
Thursday, Mar 21  Most mornings are still frosty so John starts the car to get the windshield clear, feeds horses, and than starts for White Heron about 7:35.  It is at least sunny today, but the wind is still blowing.  Dry Creek today for me, playing and singing music.  We had new “Coca Cola” chairs without arms, and they were much appreciated.  As you heard last month, they got rid of all the non-armed wooden dining room chairs, replacing with arms for all in the building.  We have to have no arms in order to play our instruments.  We asked for folding chairs, but they cannot have them in the facility because they are considered “dangerous” (a response to liability and regulatory issues).  However, armless chairs are a musician’s friend and we had told them we would no longer come if they could not provide acceptable chairs. They brought these from the Coca-Cola Room (whatever that is) and they are perfect for us.  Try a search with, coca-cola chairs, using ‘images’ and see all the stuff that comes up.  Who knew?  All interesting things, but the ones we used

were the “retro” model, square bottom, red leather/plastic, and metal legs.  Found one on the web for $129. (such links may not last, so order yours now)
Friday, Mar 22  The ground was thinly covered in white this AM.  I have been doing taxes, dishes, clothes, and paying bills.  Not going to town today.  John arrived home, tired and wind chilled, but it is actually worse here (el., 2,240 feet) than where he was pruning at 900 feet. Photos here as things will be during the next 2 to 3 weeks: White Heron seasonal images.
Click on these in the link to see larger photos:

1^st column, 4^th photo – pruned vines;

2^nd column, last photo – between the winery and the house;

2^nd column, top photo – view south with “Death Camas” blooming

The following link has photos from our dry inland area.

On the low valley benches it is “pink tip” time – the Apricots have just started to push out their buds.  The grape vines, however, show no sign of life.  It has been cold thus far but soon, when cut, there will be sap flowing from the wound.  At home, John is not going to plant the plum trees until tomorrow.  This afternoon the wind is blowing in 33 mph gusts, sustained 24 mph and going to 22° tonight.  He is going to go out (in the sun) to separate rocks from dirt. The former to go into a walkway and the latter into an additional space for Strawberries and Yellow Summer Squash.
Saturday, Mar 23  Going in the afternoon to a Celebration of Life for my long time Geography colleague, Marty Kaatz.  When I get home, we will call John’s cousin, Ethel Reynolds, to wish her a happy 95th birthday.  There is a big shindig planned, starting at 11:00 a.m. [PA time] at the apartment complex where she lives in Brookville, PA.  John was born in the Brookville Hospital because that’s where his mother was!  The home town of Clarion (16 miles farther west) did not have a hospital and the norms of the time were strongly encouraging hospital births.  We checked an internet site that says in the United States home births declined from 50% in 1938 to fewer than 1% in 1955.  John’s two older brothers were born in the early ’30s while his sister and John were early ’40s babies.
Sunday, Mar 24 A full obituary for our good Jim Carvo will appear soon in the Yakima paper. He has been friends with us and two of our Brittanys since 1998.  He and his wife came to visit me in the ICU in Yakima in 2009-10, and then to the nursing home, he brought Brittany Brigitte (for visits in the chair next to my bed).  Nancy and John will always have special love for him, and his wife, Rosy.  Milly (Brittany) stays behind to comfort Rosy, along with Jim’s ornamental special chickens.

Hope your week was great.

Nancy and John

Still on the Naneum Fan

 

John’s Grandmother arrived from Ireland (click link) in April of 1895.

Sunday, March 10 I don’t even remember what we did this day. I have been working up something to give at CWU in Jennifer Lipton’s Remote Sensing class. I worked on finalizing some changes to the web pages for the 2012 greetings to warn people not to view with Internet Explorer or Opera.

Monday, Mar 11 John left for White Heron, 7:30 a.m. I worked on requests from past students and talking to folks in need of something or just someone to talk to. I spent time on my talk for tomorrow, and handling concerns by the farrier to come early, with John not home yet, and then finding out I had to include a visit to the hospital in my schedule tomorrow. The message got botched and I was not informed. (Found out later in the week, it was on my cell phone and I had not seen the message of a voice mail notification).
Tuesday, Mar 12 LONG, LONG day. I have almost forgotten. Bye to John 7:30 a.m.; after a fast breakfast, I left at 9:00 a.m., for a 9:30 to 10:45 meeting with Emeriti Geographers at Copper Kettle; on to 11:00 a.m. KVCH hospital for Pulmonary Function Test; then for a fast bite to eat and on to Grocery Outlet for special cheap cat food for the ferals, then to CWU to get ready for a presentation at 2:00, arriving at 1:20, but talking to a friend whose husband has terminal cancer. Yes, I know that last was a run-on sentence. Then it was time for my PowerPoint (PPT) about the Jobs list I moderate (570 people who get announcements of job possibilities). It’s called Northwest Geography Jobs (and is a Google Group), but it covers jobs all over the U.S. The event I attended was Jen Lipton’s Final poster presentations (29 students) for Remote Sensing, and I reviewed them all with her. Finally, with 4 minutes to go, I gave out a page of instructions and a fast PPT on what I needed in an e-mail from them to put them on the jobs announcements list, if interested. There were already six people in the class who were members, and the first person to discuss his poster was all dressed up. Told the class he went to an interview today for a job he received from the list. That made me very happy.
Wednesday, Mar 13. John was off at 7:30 a.m. but accidentally rushed out without his cell phone and wallet (hence, no driver’s license or money for a donut or box of apples). Luckily, he had no problems or need for either. I went to the food bank soup kitchen, played, and sang with two others. Then off to exercise class.
Thursday, Mar 14 This was a rude awakening from a call from a wrong number at 5:45 a.m., and then at 6:40 a.m. from person in the music group who spent 3 hours in ER with heart palpitations and wasn’t going to be playing with us today. We were at Rehab with only a handful of instruments: Banjo, two fiddles, viola, but we had quite a following from the residents (two of whom got up and danced with their walkers). The staff was thrilled and cheering them and us on. Most of the morning was spent working on challenges, and a late afternoon call from my friend that her husband died this morning at 6:00 a.m. Got gas in my car and picked up Shay’s thyroid meds on my way home. John had KVTR (horse group) tonight, with a good guest speaker on horse nutrition.
Friday, Mar 15 Worked on much stuff, mostly getting a sympathy letter with pictures of my memories of my friend who died, and his Brittanys (from us), and got it in the mail to his family. He was one of our main readers of the blog from the beginning of it, but has been too ill the past 2 months to get to the computer. Also, had a message from my cousin’s daughter from GA that she was in Seattle, and wanted to drive by Granny’s house. John had learned from the vineyard owner that the Smith Tower (on which our carpenter-Granddad worked) has an observation deck – so I found that info on the web and passed that along with the location of the old house. I left for a noon scholarship luncheon. It was in the Psychology Building on the north of campus. We had pizza, salad, brownies, and a crème soda (long time since I had that; pretty good). Then exercise.
Saturday, Mar 16 Busy day. Went to 66th Anniversary party at Bar 14 for our neighbors, Lorene and Bob Swedberg, with many family and friends from the valley and around WA. I visited with several friends who’d known them both more than 66 yrs (they are my friends too, through my exercise class). March is also both their birthdays. Food was good, and many people from the community and family were there. Food included roast beef, turkey, ham, Swedish meat balls, Teriyaki meatballs, two yummy cakes, (I only had a piece of one). Then by the St. Patrick’s Day party in downtown Ellensburg, where a number of friends performed music, and dancing. Friends who play stringed instruments (or Celtic drum, a Bodhrán) in two different groups, Celtic music, and the Ellensburg Women’s Chorus. From there, rushed home, and took off across the valley with John to a pot-luck birthday celebration at 5:00. At 8:00 it was dark and windy. The outside cats hadn’t been fed but the horses had been; therefore, John’s time outside was brief. This blog’s work was put off, and so will be late.
Sunday, Mar 17. Happy St. Patrick’s Day! In 1965, I went through the area in Scotland where he was raised. Or so some say. Today, John and I
are going to a Bluegrass Jam session at the Swauk-Teanaway Grange and will take along some Irish music to sing and play (see below).
The other good news is I will release the long awaited 2012 Greetings from us today. It will be at this link-location, later tonight (our time), so for you all back in the east, you’ll be receiving it tomorrow.
I will send a notice to folks, in bcc, which often makes it come as SPAM, so be on the lookout for it in your SPAM folder. It’s coming from our Cedaridge account, or just check the above link when you get a chance. Warning it is long if you follow all the links. A lot happened in 2012!
We left for town before 1:00 and picked up some (expensive) sunflower seeds, on our way to the Grange Bluegrass Jam session, where I took my camera and tripod, 2 of our apples to share, and my microphone setup. It went really well, but I had my Tylenol along to take half way through, and was so busy, I forgot till I got home (and was hurting bad); probably got more exercise than on an “exercise” day. I was getting up to move the microphone to people (those who would allow it), and my camera was set up on a tripod, but couldn’t get everyone in the circle into the view, so I kept having to rearrange it and stop between songs. That also makes for not so long videos, which is nice. Up and down I got, and then back to sit on the side of the circle to play and sing, if I knew the song lyrics. Interesting and fun afternoon.
Thankfully, it was too cold and too windy (gusts highest today were 40 mph this afternoon) for John to work on his plum tree planting, so he accompanied me and helped carry stuff, load the bird seed (50#), and cut the apples, reload all the stuff for the home trip. I brought home some leftover cake (actually frosted brownies) and cookies from last night’s Grange chili feed they left for us and our audience to enjoy today. Pretty neat. Our apples were a hit. We are down to 4 here, so John will have to stop and buy another box tomorrow on his way home from pruning. Tonight, I’m hoping to finish a letter of reference for one of my former students (will go out tomorrow), finish this blog, and get the 2012 greetings emailed. I think I have one more addition to the reunion page, after finishing a lot of the other pages this morning. I’m adding warnings to the top of all pages not to use Internet Explorer or Opera as a browser to view, as the font sizes are way wrong and makes a huge mess (literally). Sending this off to John now for his embellishments.
Hope your week was great.
Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan