Author: admin

Sunday, Feb 24  Worked all day on emails, mostly creating a list of my family members to add to the sending out of our 2012 greetings.  I also have at least one other list to check for friends who are not currently listed on my Cedaridge account from where I am emailing to a 2012 Greetings Group.  I sent requests to a bunch of family members and am receiving feedback with corrected emails.  John worked outside, some on digging holes for fence posts, and I do not know what else.  Then he came in and worked more, putting up 7 to 8 ounces of walnuts, in the freezer.  I cannot wait until he makes them into a praline sauce and roasts them.  Then we are going to add to our special Crockpot chocolate (in place of the salted dry roasted peanuts).  I continued working on the web page for the reunion last summer, to go out with our 2012 greetings.  Most of my work now is with answers to questions, and trying to finalize a good email list for family members.

Monday, Feb 25  Off, with John, to town.  Stopped for a burger and fries, and on to drop me off at exercise, and he took off for the grocery store where he bought some frozen Stouffers’ Lasagna on sale.  We are having it for supper.  Smells really good.  I think we are having the spicy version tonight.  Been working more on gathering information about my mom’s family for the reunion page.  Temperature went to 47 and the wind blew a lot, but now it’s not even 8:00 p.m. and already is down to 35.

Tuesday, Feb 26  Stayed home today, working most of the day on the mailing list for my family who were at the reunion last June and those who couldn’t attend.  I am merging the unknowns using an old email acct we have had since 1995 and used to use as our only email account.  Didn’t have all the accounts that I now have on Gmail.  There are some old-reunion-information-gathering ones on there to help me out.  The rest of the day we completed some other chores.  The biggest was John cleaning out the freezer to put in some choice wholesale meats he bought:  beef, chicken, pork, and seafood.  This is expensive but everything is fast frozen  in dense/thick plastic in portions for 1 or 2.  We have been buying in large size packages at the local stores to get the lower price but then stuff has to be repackaged and put in our old chest freezer – a 1950s model.  That’s both a PITA and a cost.  Nancy went to an auction in Iowa (we left there in 1974) and out-bid a fellow that wanted this freezer to store worms (night crawlers) for his fishing trips.  She only paid $35.  Yes, we know it is old and inefficient but it is also in the back of the garage now filled with “stuff” – so there it stays until its last resting place is nigh.  The garage is semi-heated and as the freezer is a solo affair it works fine there (so far).  We have a fridge with a large top freezer in an unheated shed.  As the temperature in the shed gets to about cold-milk temperature that unit doesn’t get its thermostat triggered and things in the freezer part get too warm.  Several 2-liter soda bottles of ice act as a buffer and stay solid but things such as sliced and sugared fruit (Peaches, Strawberries, . . .) begin to soften.  Other than turning heat on in the shed, there doesn’t seem to be a way to fix this issue without spending time and money.

Nancy likes a yellow Plum called Shiro.  Plum trees (usually) need a second different chum for pollination.  After some local and regional searching to little success, John found an on line source – and bought a 5 tree package.  Oops!  Now he needs 5 holes.  This photo shows 2 of the 5 with just the sod removed; on right with markers in the center of circles 4 feet across.

He decided to do this inside the existing fence, where the twigs, shoots, and foliage will be safe from the deer, and as they are dwarf trees the promised fruit will be out of their reach, also.  All fruit trees outside the fence (we call that ‘the orchard’) are full size trees but pruned by the deer to their browse height. The so called “browse line” as shown in this image pilfered from the web.

Wednesday, Feb 27 Today, I have had two more responses from family members, and I need to get to work this evening on finishing the email list and get this thing sent off.  Yesterday, I had some more input for the reunion web page.  Today, I was tired from staying up until after midnight last night, so I slept in this morning and was late with breakfast but had to rush out for playing at the food bank soup kitchen and then go to exercise afterwards.  There were VERY few people there today.  Usually it fills up, with at least 8 tables (I have never counted them) with 6 chairs at some tables and an extra on the ends of the table in front of us, because we are on one side and need room for our stand and so people don’t walk through and knock it over.  On a busy day, there may be 50 to feed, and the servers and we eat too.  I am sure there were only about 15 there today.  People do sign in but I didn’t count (we are always the last), only the servers are after us.  I’m not sure they sign in.  Today was an especially good meal, except for one dish I couldn’t eat.  The main dish, donated again by the Ellensburg Pasta Co. was Chicken Alfredo with large slices of chicken.  The dish I couldn’t eat had kale along with spinach or broccoli (something dark green), with other stuff but I couldn’t have any of, because of the Vitamin K (abbreviated: VitK) in dark green veggies.  They had a mixed green salad, with very few spinach leaves, so the server could pick around them for me to just the iceberg or lighter lettuce.  It had walnuts and cranberries (which I can’t have, but can easily pick out).  For dessert, an in-house cobbler like thing, with large Bartlett pears in a dark brown sugar sauce, with a shortcake/coconut topping, all nicely cooked.  I do not usually like pear pies, but this dessert was really quite good.  Okay, back to chores on the addresses compilation.  I did try to copy (on our multi-function printer, scanner, copier) some mileages from my car log [John says he will explain this term sometime when I’ve written less] for 2012, but only one page printed and the next went all gray ??  I left it and a couple hours later John tried.  His first page came out well, but the same thing happened to the second.  I hope our printer is not getting ready to die.  We use it a lot.  [Scan and copy are gone but it still prints.]

Thursday, Feb 28  How did I miss writing anything about the day?  Must have been too busy with things.  Major trip of the day was with John to town for me to play violin with the group at Hearthstone, and to visit with friends afterwards, who came to listen and participate.  It was Glenn Engels (now living in Ellensburg), and his mom, Anne from Montana.  Anne worked as a nurse and corresponded with John when I was very ill.  She had come over to visit with her son and give him support and help for his eye surgery last week, in Pasco.  It was a success.  He lives across the street in an apt. right near where we were playing, so they could walk over.  We stayed after and had cookies and hot chocolate and a nice visit.  Then John and I went to the grocery store to take advantage of the specials that happen all week but also some are only for Thursdays.  Finally, they had restocked the bulk Sweet & Low on the shelf.  I met two friends in the store so got to visit while John looked for things.

Friday, March 1

[or, 1. März in German]   Absolutely no trips away today.  John got a lot of chores outside done.  The first was cleaning dog poo from the now snow-free backyard and bringing straw into the yard to cover bare spots.

To protect blueberry plants from cold and dry winter air he filled their protective wire containers with straw.  So he up-ended these, turning them into wire baskets, and filled them with the straw to be carried to the yard.  (photo at left)

I took a couple of pictures for the record, and later he spread it around the back to cover the mud (photo below) which might otherwise happen, before the grass grows.  I spent almost the entire day working on emails, help with proofing for some people, organizing events for future music contributions by our group, distributing jobs via the jobs-list, and continuing building the email address directory for sending our 2012 greetings, soon.  Also, I got involved early with a mistaken email announcing the AWG (Assoc of WA Geographers meeting) this spring to be held at CWU hosted by the Geography Department.  I knew about it and have been in on the planning and of course, I’m on the email list.  The president sent out a note to everyone on the list telling them to keep dates in the first week of April on their calendar.  She was mistaken and I realized the dates were given wrong and should have been the first week in May.  I got back to the person in charge (John Bowen), and he got back to me and then sent a rejoinder to the list with the correction and attached the program of planned events.  I’m glad I caught it early.

Saturday, Mar 2  Nothing special today.  John will be working on outside projects and me on inside ones.  I plan to finally give him much-needed haircut.  Just struggled through it without proper clipper attachment combs that fit my Oster machine.  I know I have them somewhere, but wouldn’t have them before he needs his next haircut.  I just called Drs. Foster & Smith (pet supply place) for a couple, hoping they are the right size.  The ones I have been using fit an old Wahl one, which died right after I finished his last haircut.  I thought they would fit on my other clippers, but they don’t.  So, for $12 (less that the cost of a haircut), I will get two .. one a 3/16 and the other a 1/16 inch cut.   Hope that works.  I should have ordered a couple of dog collars.  The shipping is $5.99 regardless of what you get up to $49, and then free after that.  At least coming from Wisconsin, I do not have to pay 8.1% (or higher) tax.  Right before 7:00 p.m. the temp went to 49 from a high of 58 today but now the winds are gusting to 37 mph.

Hope your week was great.

Nancy and John

Still on the Naneum Fan

Sunday, Feb 17 Decided against going to the Grange Bluegrass Jam today. I don’t have the stamina and need to recover. I slept in, but then I have spent a lot of time working on my greetings web pages. John made a wonderful omelet with rosemary/olive toast, orange slices, and bacon cooked very crisp, from which he removed most of the fat. It made a nice brunch. Now he is out doing chores in the 48 degree weather with >30 mph winds. He’s alternating tasks: moving rock, digging holes, and cutting brush. A little progress shows on each project. I need to do the same. I promised John I would be done with the greetings web pages project weeks ago, so I could move to taxes. I should just do the same as he, and divide my time. I keep thinking I’m almost done. Then my cuz got back to me with a few vital corrections to the family reunion page. How John and I both missed them is beyond me! Now I have made changes, along with a few more my friend back east found. Hours spent this afternoon and evening on tax receipt organization and filing. I am not done and still have to order and put into my Excel sheet, but good progress is finally recognizable. John made us a nice chocolate cake for more calories and I frosted it.
Monday, Feb 18 The day was not busy, except for time spent on the computer and clean up. The annual greetings are almost ready to be sent. Our friend made it over safely from Montana. She had a yucky drive across I-90’s Lookout Pass (4,710 feet; border of MT and ID), with intermittent snow flurries. Here is the 1950s view.   While this webcam says “live” it seems not to be (5 minute update, maybe).
Spending time now again putting tax receipts into an Excel spreadsheet for easier totaling. I still have 1/2/ year of receipts to order into monthly folders.
Tuesday, Feb 19 Worked most of day on chores and going to Yakima with John to pick up the 2 knives he ordered from Cabela’s. While there, we had lunch, got gasoline from Costco, went by a Farm and Garden store that sells fruit trees, to check if they had or expected to get yellow plums. John looked into getting trees from Issaquah when over there near the end of March working for WTA trails, but found out they charge $35/tree, and he needs at least two, probably three. They called to say they only have the yellow one and a few others he isn’t interested in. From Stark Bros he can order three for about $20 each. Not sure how much shipping added would be. We can call back to the Yakima store, March 11 when they expect a shipment and see what they have at what price. We visited several stores for flour and powdered/bulk Sweet & Low, to no avail. Stayed up late working on projects.
Wednesday, Feb 20 Went in for exercise class today, but first by the hospital for my INR blood draw check. Turns out it was high (3.5), so my dosage has been cut back. I have not been drinking alcohol either. Just when I think it has stabilized, I “fail” the test. I will have to go for another check in 2 weeks. More chores: pay bill at dental office and pick up 2012 records for medical expenses for the two of us. On to two different grocery stores for more supplies. The one new one in town has lower priced canned cat food (tuna and mackerel) by 20 cents/can than our normal store. Cats are fine with it. They get dry food available all the time, but canned food every evening. On the way home, I called my neighbor who cuts my hair, to see about an appointment some time soon. She said, well, I could do it right now if you want. Suited me fine, because I have needed a haircut but couldn’t do it for the past several weeks while sick. I stopped off on my way home. What a treat! It was getting long and straggly. She couldn’t have done it the next few days, so it was perfect timing. Am back working on taxes. I still need to finalize the list for sending our 2012 annual greetings, and also need to work on the jobs list-serve I manage and have ignored the past few days. Too much going on in my life, and I’m retired, right? John figured out tonight it was a much better deal to order his plum trees from mail order at Stark Bros (located in Missouri and another state), and ended up getting 5 for just $21 each, with NO TAX and NO SHIPPING costs. It was a no brainer not to order from them. He bought all dwarf trees (won’t go to 20′), named Plum Dandy assortment (clever) of 3 different including the yellow we want, Bubblegum, and Methley plum. A friend locally has had excellent trees from them over the years, so that was a good recommendation she made at the right time in our decision making.
Thursday, Feb 21 Playing music at one of our favorite places, Dry Creek. However, today we were sorely (literally) disappointed. They have disposed of all the chairs without arms. For people playing musical instruments, this is a disaster, and they do not have any folding chairs in the place, or stackable chairs. I had to sit on an uncomfortable piano bench, and didn’t know to bring a pillow. Luckily, only 5 people showed up, or else we’d have been in bad shape. They brought in one padded bench for one player. There are only a couple of players who can use a chair with arms. We told the activities director we would not be back in the future if they didn’t provide usable chairs for us. We’ll see what happens. The removal of the chairs appears to be a safety issue – can’t have anyone falling!
Friday, Feb 22 Today is another scholarship luncheon meeting. I’m missing a movie and free lunch of Potato Soup and apple crisp at the Adult Activity Center. We had pizza (two had many olives which I don’t like, so I had Hawaiian style), salad, and cookies and a sheet cherry thing with oatmeal sprinkled on top (added fiber). Our table decorations were confetti and little chocolate Easter eggs. Two friends had surgery today; one was heart-related and the other, eye. Hopefully, both will be successful. This time last week, another friend had cancer surgery.
Saturday, Feb 23 This morning is messy with snow on the pass, but sunny and very windy here. At the airport 5 miles south, our gusts were recorded up to 37 mph the past hour, during which there were 30 mph sustained winds. The temperature has gone up to 47°. For brunch, John fixed an omelet, bacon, and a piece of his bread/toast. He is now busy shelling Carpathian walnuts from last fall’s harvest, while I finish with this blog writing. I’m working on computer projects, mostly the newsletter. It is almost ready to distribute but I have to create a mailing list so I don’t send it to someone twice, and I have a record of whom I sent to. Keep your eyes open to receive a notice soon. I’m making one last addition to our landscaping earth and rocks link. Then, I can return to recording tax receipts. Will finish this now for distribution tonight, when many of you are used to receiving it.

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

Stay away from the one and plant the other.  Watch the flowers follow the sun and make intricate geometric patterns.

Saturday, Feb 9  Got the week’s doings completed without saying anything about today, so will review here a little.  I was recovering most of yesterday.  Took my last dose of codeine cough syrup about 7:00 p.m.  Sad to hear last night of another friend’s brother’s death.  It’s no fun to get old.  I have a friend in Idaho, a few years older, who has lost 13 friends or relatives in January this year.  I worked a lot on receipts, bills, and checking health charges and insurance payments.  What a continued mess.  Found an Aug 2012 annual physical for John was posted with the wrong code.  Took me a 1/2 hr on the phone, mostly waiting to find out why the bill was wrong (in my opinion).  Such has happened a lot to us over the past 3 years.  I hope you all will check your medical paperwork and not just accept it as correct and pay the bill, when you may owe nothing!  I was correct, but it took awhile to solve.  The code was submitted incorrectly as a visit, not a routine physical, and a co-pay was charged (my first clue something was wrong).  Not only that, but only a portion was credited and then most of it was counted on my deductible and we owed it (always happens at the turn of the year, when we have to pay $250 before they pay the bill).  Yet with both Medicare (1^st) and Group Health (2^nd) coverage, we have been fully covered on annual physicals, with no co-pay.  Next, I called my doctor’s office.  The accountant indicated she knew it had not been coded properly, and she had resubmitted (I noticed that last year to alert her, when I figured the Medicare paperwork had not been filed).  John and I always have ours the same day, and mine came through all right.  Turns out, Medicare just finally reimbursed them for his IN FULL (in January).  [Both Medicare and Group Health premiums have gone up for 2013 compared to last year, including the deductibles and co-pays.  So we are paying a little under $6,000/year for insurance and, on top of that, co-pays and medicines that are not covered.  Then there are many hours trying to keep all of these things on track.  Dental coverage is entirely separate, so more cost there.]  The rest of the day besides bills and sorting receipts from stacks around the room, was spent on working on the annual greetings I have been trying to get out before Valentine’s Day.  (I did not make it).  Today, I finished one link of the story about John’s WTA work in 2012.  I have worked on it for a couple of days, mixing its time with other life’s activities.  Actually, it’s not yet finished.  I’m waiting for John to proof it and make additions or deletions.  Almost done for my proofer outside of this house, my valuable asset.  She is back east so won’t see it until tomorrow.  We just finished a late dinner.  Then we had one dog go out for her evening run (to potty), and she noisily encountered a skunk by the back fence and came back in smelling awful.  It was an indirect or in-the-air hit, apparently, with no noticeable fluid on her.  The others were out with her, but they escaped the cloud of mist.

Sunday, Feb 10  This was a not-too-much-to-do day.  Mostly worked on web pages for the 2012 greetings.  A little kitchen and other clean-up by us both.  More tomorrow.

Monday, Feb 11  The day started early with a trip to town to drop off John’s computer to fix the missing sound problem that began with a power outage several months ago as well as to drop off my Subaru for a mileage-triggered major maintenance, oil change, and tune-up.  At 4:30 p.m. came a phone call from our mechanic.  My car had its 60,000 mile required maintenance and the bill totaled $914.98.  Almost $550 was labor – drive belts being the big deal at 60,000.  Such things have to be priced into the cost of ownership ‘cause you don’t want something to go wrong when traveling at 70 mph on the interstate.  Now it is supposed to last another 60,000 miles.

Tuesday, Feb 12  Morning brought a trip to a new edition of an old local restaurant chain, Copper Kettle, for a coffee klatch with Emeritus Professors from Geography.  The oldest is 86, I think.  He actually led the discussion (first mentioning trips to the 3 Gorges Dam in China and the new Lock(s) at the Panama Canal, he and his wife made some time ago).  We talked about lots of things but mostly about the cost of education, and a need for funding current ‘scholarships’ as our State and University seek to adjust to a new business model – meaning higher costs and less funding.   This led to the old GI bill, and on and on, for almost 1.5 hrs.  John and I were the only ones not filling up on coffee.  There were 6 guys and one other gal joining us, the wife of the most recent retiree.  We have decided to meet every second Tuesday morning of the month.  Now that the weather is better, it might work for a while.  We left home at 9:00 a.m. and did not return home until 4:20.  From the meeting, John and I headed to Yakima, for some necessities, having lunch there.  Tried making two stops at places we normally do not shop.  The first we went to turn in our $8.00 coupon on a special ConAgra brand bread flour the web said was available at Wal*Mart.  It was not.  Did our run to Costco as well, getting meds for two neighbors and for another friend in town, and greenhouse grown tomatoes from Canada (a big industry in B.C.) for another.  On the way back to Ellensburg, we stopped by the new Cabalas store to pick up two knives John ordered for in-store pick up, saving $5 on shipping.  Well, they weren’t in as expected, so sadly, we will have to drive back to get them, and only have 2 weeks to pick them up.  Jeez.  So much for planning.  Well, he wants to go to a nursery and see if they have a yellow Plum tree – maybe that should be a Ylum tree!  On the return trip we detoured through EBRG for me to pick up my rejuvenated Subaru.  After John did the animal chores, we carried some medicine and some cat food to our neighbor.  For dinner, John made chicken, biscuits, and fried cauliflower.  No work yet today on annual greetings; maybe yet tonight.

Wednesday, Feb 13  John saw two eagles this morning, in trees by the road.  They visit the area when the cows give birth, using the opportunity for easy meals of placental expulsion (aka afterbirth).  I’m still not feeling well yet.  We did go and I played music and ate at the Noon Food Bank soup kitchen.  John drove his truck to town, dropped me off for an hour, and ran errands:  (1) BiMart for “generic Round-Up” at a good price, and seed starter pots and (2) gasoline station to fill gas cans for the old 1980 pickup.  That’s why we drove a PU – not wanting to carry gas inside one of the cars.  He also went by the grocery store and got some stuff, namely used his $8 coupon for Wesson Soybean oil rather than flour we cannot get.  On by the bank and then to pick up John’s computer that has been being fixed finally after taking in early Monday morning.  He will be thrilled to have his “right arm” back.  I know the feeling.

The computer sound problem was only partially resolved.  The output for the powered subwoofer and paired speakers seems to have died. There is still a port for a lesser set of speakers.  So our 8 year old motherboard is now connected to 20 year old speakers rather than 10 year old speakers – progress?  The operating system is Windows XP and Microsoft is abandoning it next spring, having tried before and gotten a lot of blowback.  The company is pushing a new Windows 8 and MS-Office 2013 that cost a lot for things we don’t need.  John is investigating “Open Source” systems and software.  Ideas are here:

Open Source
Ubuntu
Libre Writer

We are very dependent on our computers for Web things and keeping in touch but don’t need fancy phones, high costs, monthly fees, and such for things we don’t use.  I skipped exercise again today; just not up to it yet.  But, I did get a fair amount of work done on the 2012 greetings.

Thursday, Feb 14  Happy Valentine’s Day.  Will be going to Rehab for music, and likely drop off something at the Geog Dept. at CWU.  John did not go along.  He is easing back into outdoor chores as the temps come up and the footing dries out.

Friday, Feb 15  A little bird flew into the back window this morning and knocked himself out.  I held the dog to keep her from leaving the house to get him, and yelled for John, who came and rescued it.  It was still moving a little, so he brought it in and held it until it got its senses back and could be released.  It seems to have recovered.  If there is long term harm to them when that happens, we don’t know.  Others we know do the same thing and we hope for the bird’s full recovery.  We have been working this morning on a Blueberry soil pH story with a link from the 2012 greetings.  A friend wanted to know about our Blueberries so John is working on an explanation.  We are not in a good location for them so there are procedures he has to do to prepare the soil for them and then manage the water so as to not undo all the preliminary work.  I am still working on other pages.  We left before noon today for the Chocolate Valentine’s Day party at the Adult Activity Center.  It was from noon to 1:30 but did not include lunch.  There was sherbet punch, cookies, chocolate cake of two varieties, cupcakes of many types, cookies, and candy.  They had a chocolate fountain with pineapple, bananas, cantaloupe, apple slices, and pretzels.  Further across the room were chocolate-dipped strawberries our neighbor (around the block) made.  She won one of the 3 prizes for desserts contributed by participants.  All present could vote on their favorite, or the wackiest, and some other category.  There were probably 50 people there.  They had some games and gifts for everyone.  After practicing (we found them unsatisfactory) on what we might take, we went empty handed, deciding not to enter the contest.  It was a sunny, warm day today, and John took along a book titled “e: The Story of a Number.”  The number starts out and just goes on and on

as shown here: 2.718 . . .

The number shows up in many math situations and also in nature associated with spirals.  Just stick – spiral sunflower – into an ‘images’ search box on Bing or Google and have a look.  So John read in the car while I exercised for 50 minutes.  That was about all I could manage after laying off a couple weeks with my cold.  This afternoon John did the normal chores plus cut some dead trees for corral rails and moved some of the larger rocks out of the raised soon-to-be drive to the hay barn.  The bulldozer work last fall resulted in a lot of “finishing work” for his attention. I worked on more of my web pages for the annual greeting that I hope to finish and distribute this weekend.  Making good progress; finally it’s coming together.

Saturday, Feb 16  Got some computer chores and postal mails completed.  John’s taking the last of the small apples to the deer but at a spot 100 yards from the house.  We are trying to discourage their attachment to the house area.  There are 12 minutes left on my landline phone we’ll use today to call Cousin Ethel (93) in PA.  I’m scheduled to go to Briarwood Commons at 2:00, to play music, on the way, picking up my friend, Lois (w/ macular degeneration that has happened to Ethel also), and then the residents will feed us afterwards.  I’m back, and they had chicken noodle soup with turkey, rolls, and several desserts.  My favorite was a cookie with white chocolate chips and pecans.  They appreiciate us as much as we appreciate the attention.  When I got home, I made the long distance call to Ethel, but ran out of minutes too quickly.  Used a card and we talked another half hour.  Nice to visit with her.  John worked on everything up to the last couple of sentences while I was in town.   Then, while I was proofing and he was outside with cat feeding duty, he alerted me to a bright pink cloud over our blue roofed pole building.  The sun was just going down but still peaking over the Cascade Mountains about where Mt. Rainier is with respect to us.   I grabbed my camera and ran out and almost missed the photo ‘op’ but here it is (less pink than it was).

Hope your week was great.

Nancy and John

Still on the Naneum Fan

 

Sunday, Feb 3   Good morning; nothing scheduled away from home. I slept in again after dreaming and coughing a lot during the night. John says I should not eat a big dessert right before going to bed. Okay, will try to remember. He cleaned up the kitchen counters, and made several loaves of bread. It smelled so wonderful while cooking and then while cooling, until I could have a piece. We didn’t take photos this batch, and he changed a few ingredients, but neither of us can taste a difference. I worked a lot on the computer and a little on receipts, but not as much as I should have. Did finish my reunion web page draft and get it off to a few cousins. Have notes back from two of them. Made those changes and some others a geographer friend in NJ offered. It’s amazing what one misses in proofing their own work. I did manage to tally my volunteer hours for January and turn them in (email). Oh, darn, I forgot today to send out my playlist for Feb (starting this Thursday) for people who were not there last Thursday. Guess I’ll do that right now while thinking of it. Okay, all done, and also contacted the new director of Royal Vista (friend of a friend of mine), as we will be there this week on Thursday. It’s already 11:00 p.m. and we need to hit the hay.

Monday, Feb 4   Not going to town today, just for one thing. It’s another stay-at-home day, because of not wishing to drive 25+ miles for one trip.
We got lots of cleaning done, and I have worked on bills, emails, and other stuff. Managed to get out another edition draft of the reunion page to cousins in GA and FL.

Tuesday, Feb 5   Tomorrow I will combine trips. My car needs gasoline and there are bills to pay and appointments to keep. John will likely go along with me and do some shopping. He needs to get a new (different) light for our washroom. He’s decided he’s tired of the fluorescent one in there. Wednesday, Feb 6 I was really coughing and sniffling all last night and this morning, so I just went to the noon food bank soup kitchen to play but skipped exercise. Been trying to sort out several things this afternoon. Tonight we made a test batch of cupcakes to gear up for an affair at the

Adult Activity Center for next Friday – day after Valentine’s Day and a chocolate desert extravaganza.

Thursday, Feb 7    Today is the first Thursday of the month; that means we are at Royal Vista. Afterwards we went to the pharmacy and got my cough syrup with codeine, which my doctor prescribed for me this morning. I’m already getting better. I also took a nap for 1.5 hrs tonight before dinner.

Friday, Feb 8    I’m skipping exercise as need the rest and until I get better. The coughing is less and I slept all night!! Still congested – just less of a need to cough. Sunny here today and 43 at noon.
John says: This weekend is supposed to bring a serious snow storm to the US east coast. The potential is there in the atmosphere but slight changes in movements and speed can still greatly affect the outcome, although it is now (Friday evening) snowing. Forecasters have already shifted the expected greatest snow depths a little to the east and the western edge no longer extends into NE Ohio. They still show Rhode Island and eastern Massachusetts in the 24+ inches band. Really interesting though are the strong winds and thunder. Not being common these will get mentioned much but also indicate the ingredients for the storm are sweeping to the northeast very rapidly. Thus, snow depths as great as forecast may not show up. We’ll know by Monday morning. Still, it is unlikely to match the storm of 1888. Here is a good report about ‘America’s Greatest Snow Disaster’ with interesting photos. The eastern storm was preceded by intense cold in the west as mentioned under the first photo. The region is a reservation of the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes. The claimed -56.8o F. is sufficient to bring about what, in Siberia, the Reindeer People call the Whisper of the Stars.
When someone mentioned the blizzard of 1888 on a blog John likes to read another person commented that it must have been difficult dealing with all the snow without power equipment. Another person responded thusly, “They did have power equipment. Here’s a 4 HP snow roller. Snow rollers predated snow plows and were used to pack the snow so 1 and 2 HP sleighs could pass readily.” Another article is here, with a similar photo (centered), and underneath and to the right is a photo of the resulting traffic.
Hope your week was great.
Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Sunday, Jan 27  Good morning; nothing scheduled away from home.  We awoke to more silver frost lightly covering vegetation and lots of other things.  The sky is alternating blue and overcast.  Enjoyed some of John’s bread toasted.  We need to take a picture of the cut loaf to share on the blog.  (We did and published it late, so look below).  Meanwhile, I’m spending most of my time on the web page about the 2012 Wilkins family reunion to put a link to in our annual greetings newsletter.  Stopped for a piece of fruitcake and cup of coffee to warm up.  Covered John with a blankie for his afternoon nap, and lost mine for my feet.  So, I went and found another to cover him with and got mine back.  Finally, the temperature went up to a 28 high at 2:00 p.m.  Pizza for dinner; I’m still working on the computer.

Monday, Jan 28  Did not go to town for exercise; with only one reason for going and using gasoline for a round trip of 25 miles.  Spent the day on the computer, paying bills, fixing music for our group, email and so on. The temperature went way up.  Will be in the 40s till Friday.  I spent a lot of time working on the reunion (June 2012) page, cropping photos, identifying relatives in them, and asking for help from a few relatives in the southeast.

Tuesday, Jan 29  Nice to see out the back window early that the 4 turkeys were back roosting in the trees.  We haven’t seen them for a few days.  They haven’t been around eating the songbirds’ feed today, however.  Nothing really on tap (in town).  It’s John’s sister’s birthday, so we tried a phone call this morning, but she must have been out to lunch (so to speak) celebrating her special day.  Tried again in the afternoon with no connection.  John meanwhile made a chocolate cake we can have here to celebrate her birthday.  I finally finished (I think) preparing music for February, a playlist of new songs to give out Thursday.  People need to get their paper copies of music in order so as to not fumble around between songs.  Still it happens.  Now it’s back to working on the reunion page after tackling a bunch of receipt-filing still for 2012 and now starting a new one for 2013.  Need to plow through more stacks on the counters.  It would help to stay home some to tackle those chores.  It just hit me that I should take some of the filing cabinet space I have empted from course materials of the past, replace with file folders for each task, and put things in EVERY TIME I bring some thing home.  What a concept!  By 3:00 p.m. today, the temperatures were up to 45 and the wind gusts to 41 mph.  Two quail (a pair) just came to the back porch and chowed down on black oil sunflower seeds.

Black oil in contrast to striped.
Or these fancy red sunflowers.
Who knew?
The picture above, I’ve now added to my continuing page of frost and birds, given last week.

John made a dinner of fall-apart-tender slow-roast pork, baked potatoes, cut apples, and red peppers.  In honor of Peggy we’ll have ice cream atop our cake (it got frosted with icing begun with chocolate chips).

Wednesday, Jan 30  Noon food bank soup kitchen playing, and afterwards, SAIL exercise.  Nothing new; spent most time today in my recliner with laptop doing computer projects and watching little birds chow on black oil sunflower seeds.

Thursday, Jan 31  Today is a rare 5th Thursday of the month.  Only happens about 3 times a year, but this year we have 4.  There is one assisted living home, Mt. View Meadows, which is our 5th Thursdays’ location for playing.  We have more than 4 facilities in EBRG which is more than the Thursdays in most months.  We went to town a little early for gasoline (and made a bad mistake).  The first place was only $3.14, and was full, and we were in a hurry.  Went on to another store (passing by others without checking), going to one where it’s normally the cheapest in town.  Not today.  It was $3.24.  Found out later (via a computer check), there were 6 others in town costing less than what we paid.  Phooey.  But we got there in time to have John help our wrenched-back bass player move his bass fiddle in from his car.  And then John stayed around and carried it out again.  We had a nice turn-out and the music sounded great.

Friday, Feb 1  Today was a potluck/music at the Adult Activity Center (I just sang along with the audience and a piano player), and then went through a hellacious exercise class.  We were all sweating.  On our feet a lot.  Just as well, to get rid of the calories consumed at lunch.  It was whole-wheat spaghetti (never had), and the best meatballs of my life, no joke, cooked in a nice tomato sauce.  All sorts of salads, fruits, and desserts.  I took my neighbor’s canned pears (a quart), and unfortunately brought some home.  Most of my time the past couple of days (weeks) has been working on the family reunion page.  It’s progressing but also getting very involved.  Oh well, I don’t have to go anywhere the next couple of days, and I’m relieved.  There is a scholarship dinner (donation) at the Grange, but we’re not participating this year.  Will just donate and stay home.  Oh, the coolest thing I did today was carry along my Kindle Fire and for the time between the food & fun and exercise class, I logged on to the free WIFI at the Adult Activity Center and checked my email on two accounts.  I’m not yet sure how to send a message but I can read and reply, and today I figured how to add a second Gmail account.  Good, because I had a message from the geography department secretary asking for information, which I was able to get back to her even being away from home.  John and I grew up when a phone call meant talking to an operator, so all this high-tech stuff is a bit like magic.  Remember Ernestine?

Okay.. back to work.  I will do some more on the family reunion page, but have to allow some time for the jobs list I haven’t done anything on today (never got to it, so it will happen this weekend).  Hot cornbread and chili for supper.  Now we’re ready for dessert, but it’s not time.

Saturday, Feb 2  I was quite tired from yesterday, and coughed a lot during the night, so I slept in.  John has done all the morning chores, and came back to tell me to get the blog to him, so I’m signing off and sending it for his review, additions, and posting.

Hope your week was great.

Nancy and John

Still on the Naneum Fan

Sunday, Jan 20  We try to post this blog at the latest on Saturday night, but we couldn’t manage it last time, and then we left right after doing it and realized it went out without a title.  John fixed it late in the afternoon–changing the title to Silver Frost Week.  This morning I spent time getting music ready for the Bluegrass Jam Session at the Swauk-Teanaway Grange.  It’s about 45 minutes from our home and is from 2:00-4:30.  We got there with only a few other people there.  More came in as we played.  Ended up with 12 players and an audience about the same.  We go around the circle and we pick a song, give the timing, the key, and a copy of the chords to the players.  I picked Clementine, Kentucky Waltz, Will the Circle Be Unbroken, and Jambalaya, and led the group on those.  I had a few copies for the audience, so they could sing along if they wished.  We carried along a large platter of brownies John made last night (with our walnuts).  We also took along a 20 pounds of onions to give away.  They keep pretty well, but we have many more than we can use.  They only cost us 16 cents/lb. last fall but it is time to get them used.  When we left we were swamped in fog and it stayed that way until we topped a hill on our way out of the valley.  Then we had sunshine and blue skies.  What a change!  On the way back the fog was much worse and started earlier in the trip.  John loaded a crock-pot with beef, potatoes, onions, and carrots to cook while we were away.  Now we look forward to two days without any activities away from home.  Our past week was very busy.  We deserve a break.  Perhaps we will get a few more TO-DOs off the list.

Monday, Jan 21  Most exciting thing was awakening from a dream and finding it was only a dream.  I spent a lot of time on line with emails, and now am going to try to work on some of the web pages needing developed (unfortunately, that chore never happened).  John fixed lunch and then we went outside to take more pictures of the ice crystals of the frozen fog.  Actually before I start the web page creation, I will have one of John’s brownies we brought home yesterday.  He had one last night, and I decided to go to sleep instead.  Now I’m ready.  It was good.  I do have a pain in my neck from something I did earlier in the day; I guess I pulled a muscle.  I’ve been sitting with a heated flannel bag full of flaxseed hoping it relieves the pain (heats in the microwave).  I think it may have helped some, but I will try a treatment after dinner.  Dinner was beef stew and cheddar cheese biscuits.  I spent the several afternoon hours before dinner working on the ice crystal photos.  I expect I will sleep well tonight.  The 4 turkeys were around all day and tons of songbirds.  We don’t know what happened to the fifth turkey.  Haven’t seen her in several days.  The optimistic thought is that she found a fancier Tom to hang out with.  By our back door, at one point, there were over 40 birds in the Nanking cherry trees and on the concrete where John spread black sunflower seeds.

Tuesday, Jan 22  Not much today.  I ended up (stupidly) burning myself with the last heat application after dinner last night.  At least my muscle pain is almost gone, but I now have blisters.  Dang.  No need to do anything in town till tomorrow.  I managed to wash dishes, take 3 pictures of frozen fog on Ponderosa pines to add to my web page, received an email from my cousin on my dad’s side who is into genealogy and who has helped me figure out kinship relationships with my mom’s side of the family.  I’m trying to identify relationships (who is a second cousin or a 1^st cousin once removed, 2^nd removed, sort of question) for people at the reunion I went to last June.  Such info will enlighten the web page part of our annual greetings.  I think I understand most of it now, so I can finish writing beneath the photos.  John is now mixing ingredients for bread.  Earlier before noon and lunch, he helped a neighbor from a mile away load some of our trash firewood into his car.  The fellow slipped on ice at his home and was sore and hurting.  John stockpiles wood in October after things cool down and we’ve had a rain.  That knocks the dust down, lowers the fire danger of using a chain saw, and is more comfortable.  It never fails that someone we know needs a little when it is cold, snowy, windy, or rainy.  Life’s that way.  The little bit that could be put in the guy’s car means he will have to come back in a couple of days.  John’s got lots of cut wood but only 1/3 of a cord ready by the driveway:
Now John is baking the bread.  The 4 turkeys have been around, a couple of deer, and many songbirds. Still overcast and cold.  High has been 23, but not as cold as friends back in Michigan and Wisconsin or relatives back in Ohio and Pennsylvania.  I’m making a little headway on web page development.  We had a piece of John’s bread after dinner, and before bed we had ice cream and strawberries.

Wednesday, Jan 23  Early morning, I looked out the back door and saw 4 turkeys roosting in different trees.  By the time I got my camera and walked outside, there were only 3.  They weren’t around a lot today.  My back muscle was bothering me this morning, so I didn’t play my violin at the noon food bank soup kitchen, but just sang, and the banjo player played.  We had 4 people singing.  Then after vegetable spaghetti, Asian salad with almonds, mandarins, and cabbage, and green salad (I didn’t have) with a peach apple cobbler-like thing for dessert, I went to exercise class.  This morning before leaving, I worked on the frozen fog page, which I hope to have finished by the time this blog is posted.

Thursday, Jan 24  Nice early morning photos with blue sky and sun.  Got a few more into the web page, on silver frost, which is nearing completion.  I’ve been working on a few other web chores, and just got an invite to a party tomorrow night with friends we’ve known since our arrival in Idaho in 1974.  Hearthstone is the only thing on the schedule, other than getting an INR blood check.  John will go along and buy food for the birds – he thought maybe oats — because Black sunflower seeds are expensive, but after reading on the web, decided the sunflower seeds were better value, so we went with them.  Also, while in EBRG, we made stops a the bank, P.O., hospital, and to shed some more onions.  Came home to one phone call after another.  Some friends are medically not doing well.  This is sad.  Been working more on finishing the Silver Frost web page, and I think I’m there, with last photos taken this morning.  Temperatures are supposed to go up and the fog is lifting.

Friday, Jan 25  Early morning call from my doctor’s nurse requesting me to increase my dosage on Coumadin, because my INR is lower than it should be.  Cool, that means I can have alcohol (wine) at the party tonight, and not worry.  This morning, finished (I think) the Silver Frost link for your enjoyment.

Scholarship luncheon (soup & salad) was at noon with SAIL exercise after.  We left home at 4:30 for the gathering in EBRG, not leaving there until 11:30 PM in a freezing rain.  We slipped and slid down the driveway and sidewalk, and across the street to our parked car and John had to scrape ice off the windshield before we could drive.  The party was a celebration by a couple because she was recently made permanent in her job following a 6-month probation.  We enjoyed the company of family there, folks we have known since 1974 through our association with Brittanys in the west.  The grandparents and parents drove over from the Puget Sound side of the Cascades from Issaquah and Mt. Vernon.  Their trip home was much longer than ours.  We had no ice on our trip home nor in our yard.

We carried some local Roslyn brewed beer, a bottle of White Heron Malbec wine, and a fruitcake (after checking with the parents and grandparents and finding out they liked it, in case no one else did).  Food was plentiful. Meat choices were turkey or beef burgers, beef hot dogs, beefalo jerky, baked potato halves with cheese & bacon, many salads, a table full of dips, shrimp, deviled eggs, chips, peppers, carrots, and several kinds of cookies.

Saturday, Jan 24  We were both tired from yesterday’s activities, and we slept in until 9:00.  So did the dogs and cats.  The birds awaited their seed.  Didn’t see any turkeys or deer today.  I spent most of the day resting, not even working on my web pages, which I need to get to.  I was inspired last night talking about genealogy with our friends.  They gave me some ideas.  I cleaned up the kitchen counters and dishes, pots, and pans, and made room for John to mix up some bread dough.  He has now baked it and it smells wonderful.  I may go cut a piece and butter it while warm.  Turns out the bread first needs to be taken out of the pans.  Two are normal metal bread pans.  A very impressive loaf John baked in a large vintage oval Corning ware roasting dish.  Gorgeous.  I just photographed them for John to include in the blog, with his newly found talents of inserting stuff. Okay, here you are, the photographs.

I have to wait for him to remove them from the pans and then wait until it cools for 20 minutes before we can have a piece.  We had a piece of the large oval loaf – light brown because of the flours used.  He greased and put corn meal on the pans in the manner English Muffin bread is usually done, but he worked this dough as regular bread to keep the small-holes and uniform texture of standard yeast bread.

Then for supper he added milk, red sweet pepper pieces, cheese, and pieces of chicken thighs to a can of condensed canned clam chowder.  Except for the high salt content this worked quite well.

Hope your week was great.

Nancy and John

Still on the Naneum Fan

This is a photo of what we in the Pacific NW call Silver Frost.  To get it the air has to be very calm, have water vapor, and temperature below freezing.  Little crystals grow on everything, and they grow, and grow.  Touch anything and the ice falls to the ground in a small pile.  A little wind will shake a lot loose but we haven’t had any wind.  This is now the fifth day and the NWS thinks it might end on Tuesday evening.

Sunday, Jan 13  This morning the wild turkeys were back out front.  One of them came over the snow next to the 4′ fence and was closed inside the yard, when the 4 others decided to leave for the back of the house.  She fretted quite awhile, and finally I opened the door when she was close to a place she could launch herself over, and she flew out.  I think she has the proverbial turkey brain.  All 5 turkeys have hung around the base of both bird feeders, all day.  Deer have been sharing the space, but seem to be compatible, and cannot get to the tops of the feeder.  Yet the Douglas squirrel is a robber of seeds and the little birds consider her/him a gate-crasher to be avoided. Our chores have moved back and forth from kitchen to computer, for the most part.  I worked this morning on an update to the White Heron Cellars page for the 2012 greetings, I still have yet to finish the family reunion page and a couple more.  Also, sharing time with writing a letter of recommendation for a former colleague to receive honor as a distinguished non-tenure track teacher.  It comes with $2,500 check.  I have known her since 1993, when she began teaching as an adjunct at CWU, Geography. Also, John and I have shared a lot of time in the kitchen on clean-up of counters and shelves.  He’s accomplished the normal chores, and I’m back at the computer.  We never got to the installation of the light fixture in “my” partial bathroom, and we haven’t been to town to get a replacement fluorescent bulb for the non-working (new) one. I was cleaning up my cwu.edu email account today and found this message:  The U.S Census Bureau’s 18-month agenda to realign its field offices across the nation for the first time in 50 years will be completed by January 2013.  The restructuring, announced on June 29, 2011, closes regional offices in Boston, Charlotte, Dallas, Detroit, Kansas City and Seattle.  That’s going to have an effect on several of our students.  We have placed them there in the past, even with the title, “geographer.”  Also, I was in graduate school in the sixties with a fellow who retired as a Geographer from their DC office.  The temperature was down to 13 degrees at 9:00 p.m., heading lower.  John and I just made the long awaited chocolate chip and walnut (aka Toll House®) cookies.  We’re chilling the dough but did bake and taste a few. Monday, Jan 14  Almost all day was spent on the letter of support for my colleague for the distinguished teaching award.  Also shared time with baking cookies, to give to our favorite computer support folks and our auto repair shop.  John and I have eaten our share too.  He’s taken the dogs for exercise and hay to the horses.  We had a turkey get on top of the garbage can out front and when he shooed her away, she flew around to the backyard and landed inside the 6’ fence.  He had to get her out of there too, before a dog using the doggie door could chase her into the fence.  The dogs have access to the yard through the doggie door at will.  I captured a flying picture of the latter one, but it’s still on my camera.  Also this morning, I received some help interpreting things I made some mistakes on or omitted on the Raclette write-up link regarding White Heron given in last week’s blog.  See below on Thursday’s write-up for more on that project completion.  Finally, right before 3:00 p.m. the temperature went up to 40 and so did the wind gusts!  Intermittent cookie baking continued all afternoon. Tuesday, Jan 15  Left here very early this morning (before 9:00 AM).  We had two appointments in Yakima, one at 10:00 for the ’09 Subaru (fog light died) for an oil change and checkup plus replacement of the bulb.  We had to pay for the light but its installation and the other stuff is covered by our (almost) new car package.   Then we went for a read and paper printout of my ICD.  We try to do the 3,000 miles on the car and the 3 month check-up on the ICD on the same trip.  Both were successful.  The cardiology clinic (doctors) has split from the device services and testing part.  Now, after getting through the front door there is a fork in the road and you have to go to the left side to see a doctor and to the right side to get connected to a machine.  Oh, wait . . . no one has moved and the folks are the same.  Our government decided to pay more for a procedure done in a hospital than they will pay for an equivalent procedure done in a clinic.  This was to save money.  So, . . . the clinic is now part of the hospital across the street.  The hospital protocol is to always have the patient bring “papers” along while the clinic always assumed you hadn’t changed your name or Medicare number, and so on, asking only to have you alert them of changes.  So we took the right fork in and returned via the left fork, as we have always done – and headed off to Costco.  The city did block off a street from the parking lot that passes through a section with nicely landscaped houses.  We frequently go that way but had to turn right.  In spring that area is very colorful, so we’ll just go through on the next street over.  So, at Costco gasoline is 20 cents/gal cheaper than EBRG.  We did not find any of their “special buys” exciting so except for the “very berry sundae” we only bought needed things.  Actually, we got a good price mark-down on the Turbo Tax 2012 software, and Nancy has to find time to complete it.  Then, back through EBRG for more stops and chores.  (Super 1 for drugs & groceries, Seth’s Auto Repair, Fred Meyer’s, CCSOE (email and web page provider), and dropping off Costco purchases for two friends.  Two of the places were to deliver cookies thanking them for their services.  Now John is baking more cookies and I’m ready to leave to play music at a nursing home.  Back from that, and we had a good snack-full supper of cheese, sliced meat, and chips.  Guess we could have added an apple. Today, I forgot to mention I took along my new Kindle Fire (KF).  Managed to get a WIFI connection at the Subaru place and finally registered the KF.  I have to figure the password on our WIFI here at the house; that’s the way I sit in one end of the house with my laptop and have access to our main computer with DSL modem.  Managed to figure how to read one email account, but not how to open multiple ones, or send a message.  Started reading the owner’s manual (always a good idea, but something I seldom do).  Now, however, we haven’t yet figured out the password for our in-house system.  Need that before I can test logging on to multiple Gmail accounts.  While I was gone to town tonight, John installed two motion activated lights he bought at Costco today as an experiment.  They are LEDs powered by 3 small batteries.  One is in the dark living room on the path to the doggie/cat door.  Now, as a dog heads to the outside, the way lights up and the exit is visible.  We haven’t noticed if the cat manages to turn it on but he doesn’t need it.  That room is supposed to be a living room and was in-style in the early 1980s – meaning no ceiling lights or even a switch on the way in.  Pole lights were the thing, either pedestal with a light on top, or multiple small shades on a single or branching tree, and sometimes on a line hanging from the ceiling.  We put a large skylight in the roof when new shingles had to be put on but we’ve not opened the ceiling to it yet.  So that room is high on the list of things to  “fix” – but first we have to clean it out. Wednesday, Jan 16  This morning John was awake very early, but I slept in.  I didn’t have long because of going to play music at the Food Bank Soup Kitchen.  My only reason for going to town today, but it was worth it (except for the cold room to play in and freezing our fingers off).  I was busy taking care of all sorts of things about bills.  I needed to work on more projects awaiting attention.  Finally, I skipped out and left John with the chore of baking the rest of the cookies, emptying the dishwasher and loading the stuff off the counter.  The most impressive thing he did was clean up the floor beside and underneath the small TV table beside my recliner.  He pulled all the stuff that had fallen off, behind, and under, leaving it all on the floor in front of my chair, to encourage me to clean and sort it before I could sit down.  Good ploy, it worked!  The food bank soup kitchen folks fed us pasta with chicken, a large slaw salad with raisins and carrots, tomato halves stuffed with a tuna/onion salad, really quite good.  Finally, for dessert, a piece of breaded plantain with key lime yogurt, topped with coconut chips.  Different, for sure.  A number of the “servers” sang along and kept time to the music.  Once home, I had to work on our hay paper, which my co-author returned with revisions after review comments from another colleague.  I found a couple of things to change and okayed the rest.  He got it set up and sent off to the editor for peer review.  I hope it is accepted.  That would be cool.  Then today I was also taking pictures of the crazy wild turkeys around and inside the backyard. Now at 7:00 p.m. I just heard that because of the flu, all activities are being cancelled at Dry Creek (assisted living), where we were to entertain tomorrow.  It has taken me over an hour to reach everyone to let them know not to show.  Some folks have a much longer drive than I do and mine is 20 minutes.  One older couple comes all the way from Yakima.  That’s the farthest. John fixed a wonderful dinner including especially nicely cooked small pieces of chicken breast with various seasonings and lemon, fried cauliflower, and toasted cheese rolls I brought home today.  For dessert, we had John’s raspberries on ice cream.  Tonight John made some excellent progress on putting photos directly into the blog, to circumvent the need for me to make a web page of information if not much text was needed to explain.  You can visualize his efforts, test, and results on the Jan 16 posting after last week’s and before this.  It’s a great picture of a Mule deer buck with a nice rack who was around our place a few years ago.  Today I took a couple more pictures of the turkeys inside the backyard and one flying out.  John had to chase 3 out late afternoon.  I completed the story of the Raclette web page we gave you last week, making some additions and corrections.  It is found here at White Heron. Thursday, Jan 17  Spent much time revising the support letter for my colleague using comments from other geographer friends, on my final edition finished last night.  I shipped it off to my secretary to put on letterhead to get it into the nomination packet.  Also I shooed a turkey out of the inside fenced backyard.  Some quail made it back there today to feast on seeds.  Now I was ready to figure out the KF-reader password WIFI problem.  That was a major effort and accomplishment, taking over an hour.  Had to go through 3 people at FAIRPOINT where we have our telephone/DSL connection.  It took awhile to get the okay, in order to get to tech support, and be carried through (looking over John’s shoulder and giving instructions from the tech support guy).  Mind you, before that, was a bunch of time exchanging information about my account PIN, the details from the back of the modem, explaining how long we had had this setup between my laptop and the home computer, when it last was replaced, and on and on.  The fact we have had this for several years, made no sense according to their records on our account, which was not noted as having wireless!  Finally, we got through to a tech support person.  Phew.  Then a bunch more time on the computer going through details to access our account to change the password, so that I could use my Kindle Fire to access the web, from home.  Once that password was changed from the weird default one used at setup, I had to go to my laptop, and reattached it to the “new” presence of WIFI with the changed password.  Then I had to open my KF and connect, using the changed WIFI connection.  Now, everything is working again.  Nice, but no time to play with the KF now.  Need to get back to composing our annual newsletter before Valentine’s Day.  Funny, we just received one such from our friends in New Mexico, apologizing for being so late in January.  We have them beat! Okay, now have to clean up my memory card on my camera in case I decide to video tonight’s presentation, 7:00 tonight, at a lecture on Cornwall and birds, from friends we know in EBRG.  The married couple went to SW England hiking along the Cornwall coast in Sept, 2012.  They are putting on a slide show for anyone from the community to attend free.

We’re back–late.  The Audubon meeting was late starting for the darnedest reason.  The person with the key got caught at a railroad crossing (no joke).  He was supposed to be there to open the building at 6:30.  We got there at 6:35 and no one was around.  It was 25 degrees outside, so we sat in our car after standing around 10 minutes freezing.  Finally, he got there at 7:00 when it was supposed to start.  They were still LONG in starting.  The master of ceremonies talked for awhile about the organization and passed around a number of frozen birds.  John and I never quite understood the reason or significance.  Most were little song birds, or immature robins, but there was one larger hawk.  The speakers didn’t start until 7:30 and went for over an hour.  It was a very interesting talk.  At the end, they offered cookies made of dates and butterscotch chips.  We brought our two home, because we needed something warm to drink.  I did record the evening but haven’t looked yet at the video.

Friday, Jan 18  Not much happened today, but we worked a lot on the computer and taking pictures of the beautiful silver frost, i.e., frozen fog.  John took many very nice photos on his camera (better than mine).  I worked some on Facebook clean up again from the reappearance of my stolen identity fake account.  Jeez, what a PITA.  And shooing wild turkeys from the backyard (inside the 6′ fence).  Finally, one of our Brittanys (Meghan) helped by going out the doggie/cat door and chasing them out.

Night-time birthday party, leaving at just before 5:00, returning just before 10:00 pm.  Great cheeses and crackers with wine at the start (Cheddar and Cougar gold, which is really white).  Cougar gold is made at Washington State University on the east side of the state; their mascot is the Cougar.  Then back to the dinner table set for 10, with roast beef and mushrooms, rice and mushrooms (for the one vegetarian in the group, veggies, a carrot/celery salad, a green salad with raspberries and blueberries, and rolls.  For dessert, we had a chocolate frosted chocolate cake, with a layer of some sort of fruit, made by their daughter-in-law who couldn’t come to the dinner because she and her hubby are good bowlers and go to Yakima on Friday nights for a bowling league.  David has won the Senior Division of WA bowlers, again this year, and will be competing in the Nationals in Reno.  I set my computer to upload 3 hours of videos (time for the transfer), from last night’s presentation on the walk along many miles of the Cornwall (England) coastline, with a few getting there and back photos (Hudson Bay, Greenland ice cap, Heathrow and London).  When I got home, I checked it out and sent to a couple of friends who might be interested.  If you are interested, jot me a note on email, and I will give you download instructions.  Only consider this if you have a fast broadband connection to the Internet.  Ours is DSL on the phone line because of being about 6 miles farther out than Charter® has laid cable.

Saturday, Jan 19  I checked an email account early morning and found a message from an ex-colleague whose friend had died unexpectedly.  I first called him to get more of the story and to try to comfort him.  Then I needed to call other mutual friends to notify them, and give them his home phone number, which they may not have had.  We left here after 1:00 to go pick up an 89-yr old lady with macular degeneration who cannot drive, but she loves to hear our music, and this afternoon was a music and eats thing.  A lady living there had died just a bit ago and this, although a regular play date, was to be in her memory.  Our pick-up guest knew the woman who died.  John went shopping while we were “doing” the memorial music – many singing along — for the 97 yr old lady who died. She (Ella) used to come to our potluck play times and would get up and dance with one of the residents.  She particularly loved waltzes, so we were requested to play Tennessee Waltz.  John got back in time to hear half of our song fest and to eat with us.  There were many sweets, and half sandwiches (egg salad & meat/cheese), to go with the homemade Tortellini soup.  I won’t need any dinner tonight.  Last night when we got home late, there was a call from a neighbor a mile away that another mutual friend was in local hospital, so I talked to her this morning and then when we got home from our afternoon of activities, I called and talked to the gal in the hospital.  Her system is not processing food right, her pulse is high, her blood pressure low, and she is starving to death causing problems to her system.  Blood tests and cat scans have not revealed an answer yet.  Now John is making brownies for yet another music jam up at the Swauk-Teanaway Grange at 2 pm Sunday.  We’ll sample them (with strawberries) and then go to bed.

Hope your week was great.

Nancy and John

Still on the Naneum Fan

putting on a slide show for anyone from the community to attend free.

 

The following statement was in the 1/12/2013 report:

Upon arrival we all got a taste of Cameron’s newest wine – Arvine, a Swiss vine that makes a white wine with a slightly salty taste.

http://www.swisswine.ch/asp/english/cepages/cepDetails.asp?ID=11

He only has 20 cases but it will soon be made in greater quantities and labeled with the new Ancient Lakes of the Columbia Valley designation.

————– You had to click on the full link to go to the page

Below is line that accomplished the same thing but makes it look simple and clean:

Just click on the colored word ‘Arvine’:

Upon arrival we all got a taste of Cameron’s newest wine –“Arvine”,  a Swiss vine that makes a white wine with a slightly salty taste.

I should have learned this a long time ago, John

Saturday, Jan 5  We arrived at White Heron at 11:00 a.m. for our first Raclette.  Phyllis and Cameron Fries put on the event for the families of the volunteer wine grape pruners from last spring’s work.  We got behind on our departure because of phone calls and so Nancy didn’t get completely prepared for the cold outside weather.  John only suffered from cold feet.  We were outside around a wood and vine-cutting fire (“the real deal”) with a NW wind blowing cold air down the hill toward the Columbia River.

Upon arrival we all got a taste of Cameron’s newest wine – Arvine, a Swiss vine that makes a white wine with a slightly salty taste.

http://www.swisswine.ch/asp/english/cepages/cepDetails.asp?ID=11

He only has 20 cases but it will soon be made in greater quantities and labeled with the new Ancient Lakes of the Columbia Valley designation.

http://northwestpalate.com/2011/12/ancient-lakes/

The picture the above link is from the viewpoint for our Raclette.  After sampling the new wine we switched to Roussanne, of which he has more:
http://www.winepros.org/wine101/grape_profiles/roussanne.htm

I wore enough hats, scarves, gloves, and sweaters, but did not have enough pants on (needed long-johns, or two pairs of pants and maybe some Jeans on top to cut the wind).  Then our feet.  Both John’s and my feet got cold.  We had on high topped work boots with wool socks, but that was not enough.  Needed some insulated snow boots.  I made it three hours, and then retreated to the house for warming my feet and having a cup of hot tea.  However, it was a wonderful meal with fun, food, and fellowship.  I have a few photos I will put on our web page at this link:

http://www.ellensburg.com/nancyh/WhiteHeronCellars2013Raclette.html  We actually got snowed on the last hour.  There were several of these for those without hats:

http://www.costumeshop.us.com/images_products/umbrella-hat-1-sz-1908sma.jpg

On our trip home (1 hr 20 min), the Interstate had a bit of snow and lots of fast traffic.  It seems some combination of those or inattentive driving brought grief to someone.  Within a couple of miles of our turnoff at Kittitas to come home, we passed a recently flipped car (on its roof, in the median).  I had already been a nervous passenger, but John got us through all right – or, as he says, maybe it was the all-wheel drive of the Subaru.  Two WA-State Patrol cars were there, and several people were leaning down (butts in air) looking in the car.  We haven’t yet heard the results.  We arrived home right before dark (at 4:30).  We were grateful we didn’t have to make the drive later.  We stopped off at our neighbors to pick up John’s Chocolate birthday cake she baked for him.  We both had a piece of it for dinner, because we were full from our warm scraped cheese and baked potatoes lunch.

Sunday, Jan 6  The wild turkeys were back around both sides of the house this morning.  First, they were out back (West), and then they walked around to the front area near the house, where John had set up a garbage can on top of a barrel to put seeds on for our little birds.  All 5 turkeys were there, with 3 on the ground picking up seeds apparently knocked off by the little birds, and two turkeys managed to jump up on the base (a raised flower bed) and were eating there.  Three of the feral cats walked by and were surprised at the size of the “birds.”  Rather funny, but John went and shooed them off up the driveway for fear one of the turkeys might sink a talon into a cat, and we cannot catch these cats if they need to go to a vet.  OK, took all the pictures off the camera, and I have a few good shots from the food and wine affair and of the turkeys and kitties this morning out front.  Worked a lot on kitchen & FaceBook clean-up as well this morning, and we had a late great lunch.  I cooked the bacon and John used it to make us some nice grilled cheese/bacon sandwiches on English Muffin bread.  Now I’m starting back on the Hay paper.  We had a late dinner of baked chicken thighs, cheddar cheese slices, and butter beans (or little limas).

Monday, Jan 7  It’s almost 9:00 and I got through the night with rest and my eye is better.  I was up at 3:00 a.m. and it had started snowing.  Still is, but slowing down.  We have over 5 inches.  Happy I don’t have to go anywhere today.  An hour later and the sun’s out and snow ceasing.  Cat just crawled in my lap.  Need to resume Hay paper work.  Nice call from John’s sister in OH.  Now the sun is shining and the snow stopped.  Great rest of the day.  John pushed snow off of the cars and shoveled that away, and cleaning off pathways, fed horses and little birds, and exercised dogs.  I spent most of the time working on the hay paper.  Still much to do, but a lot was completed, especially on photos.  We had a nice talk with my Aunt Marise for her birthday (it’s tomorrow).  Good talk with cuz Susan and with Marise.  Also I got to thank Susan for sending me (it arrived late today), a spare Kindle Fire [there’s a story there, but it doesn’t need to be told here].  I’m really excited.  I do have to get back to Family Reunion write up for our annual newsletter.  Before that, my co-author got back to me and I spent the rest of the night working on the hay paper photos.

Tuesday, Jan 8  What another crazy day!  We worked this morning on stuff to get ready for our farrier to be here at 10:00 a.m. so we could finish up things and make it to town.  However, the farrier never came so I called at 11:11 to see what had happened.  He was sorry, and was to call us tonight to reschedule; something about writing down the date wrong.  We had a nice big lunch because I had to take a large dose of antibiotics before my teeth cleaning, and didn’t wish to on an empty stomach.  Then off to town, for my appt and for John to run errands.  He stopped at the Adult Activity Center to pick up 3 pairs of finger-less gloves (for me) with high parts up the arm, knitted by a lady in town.  They are great for playing the violin, banjo, or any stringed instrument.  I took a white pair tonight and gave to the harp player in our group.  The lady knitted me some socks (light blue).  I love them.  She donates her time to make knitted things to leave on the table at the Senior Center for people to take and use.  John came back and picked me up and we dropped off at the Post Office for me to mail my return package back to Blair to get a correct size.  Then off to the grocery and back home in time to turn around and go back to town to play music tonight.  Near where trees slow the wind, snow and then ice accumulates on the roads, softens, breaks up, and re-freezes. Tonight in the dark it seemed worse than ever.

Late home, almost 9 and no dinner.  Now I maybe will just have dessert and go to bed.  That’s what I did, but stayed up very late working on our hay paper, till almost midnight.

Wednesday, Jan 9  Up relatively early to work again on the paper.  Got off some comments to my co-author (who is busy teaching today) before leaving for the Food Bank.  I was almost late because of my car being ‘steering wheel locked’ where John moved it to an uneven area.  The area around is still slick with ice.  I was changing cars, when John got mine started.  So I moved back, carrying all my stuff over the ice again.  Made it in time to start just as all the folks were getting their trays of food and being seated.  We played for 1/2 hour and then got some food.  Today was pasta with a very spicy sausage, garlic bread, mixed salad, with tomatoes on the side, and coconut cream pie (CCP) for dessert.  I had a nice visit with our fan club and let one of the employees (young guy) play a bit on my violin.  He knows how to play, learned as a kid (as I did).  It was fun and I wish he could join our group.  I told him to bring his violin next Wed and play with us.  Doubt he will, but it was cool just the same.  Came on home and went back to work on our paper.  After I finish the text reading and occasionally rewriting, I will email it and then get to work reducing our beautiful color photos to grayscale for inclusion in the printed paper.  Afternoon and late tonight we finished up the paper graphics.  It’s late, my eye is bothersome, and I’m calling it a night.  I mailed off the rest of my text comments, and later sent all 8 grayscale photos to my co-author.  As soon as he fits everything in, the manuscript goes for review to a colleague with good editing skills.  By next week it should arrive to the editor of the journal.

Thursday, Jan 10  It’s late tonight and I’m trying to remember all that happened today.  Okay–started by sleeping in late because of late night’s work.  Fairly early I was still on my first cup of coffee, I had at least a half hour telephone job reference for a student who left in 2005.  That was “out of the blue” and interrupted my proofing more comments on our paper.  Then another call and I had to find John (outside) to alert him our rescheduled farrier visit would happen 15 minutes earlier than planned.  We were late getting ready to run me to town for music.  John went along to buy a 24” fluorescent tube for the one that started blinking in our washroom.  The new tube shows no sign of life whatever and will have to be exchanged (another day).  We had to turn around and go back to town after eating an early dinner, so we could get a place on the front row to hear a lecture on “Cascadia hazards inferred from mud, sand, tree rings, and brush strokes,” by Brian Atwater, a USGS geologist.

http://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/pp1707/

We know this story and have the book but Brian is the “main dude” on this and known by all who know anything about big earthquakes and tsunamis.  In the following picture note the level on his jacket of muddy sea water:

http://sxcwc.ece.pdx.edu/ext/images/stories/sx-cw/atwater2.jpg

We knew the place would be packed, and I wanted to record a video, so needed a prime place down front.  Crowd was 161 in a room only with 120 seats.  It was well worth the effort, and even though we had heard the story before, it was great hearing it from the actual person who had the insight about these large Washington coast earthquakes.  Japanese historical papers record the exact year, day, and hour when the big wave hit their coast – the evening of January 26, 1700.  The western WA coast has “ghost trees” — standing trees that died when land subsidence during an earthquake flooded them with saltwater.  Parts of the exposed trees have been worn away but deeply buried roots still had bark and the last layer of growth from the year before they died.  Brian used the 1964 Anchorage, Alaska earthquake and the tsunami in Turnagain Bay . . .

http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/hazardimages/event/show/2

as a point of reference, although the 1700 quake was much larger.  John and I had traveled there in 1987 and it was neat to have experienced a trip through the area.  As well, he mentioned the Chile earthquake of 1970 and the Sumatra–Andaman earthquake (Dec. 2004) and resulting tsunami on Aceh, Indonesia and nearby coasts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake_and_tsunami

All in all, a great day.

Friday, Jan 11  Home today and the next 3.  Wow.  Ain’t that great?  Maybe I will be able to catch up on many things looming on the list of TO-DOs.  John fixed a cheddar cheese, onion omelet with bacon and a piece of “Texas toast” of his homemade bread for midday brunch.  I need to get on the Wilkins Reunion web description.  Meanwhile the turkeys just arrived out back and I took some pictures with a little sun showing their colors.  We’ve decided there is only one Tom with his 4 gals.  Now we just ate the last two pieces of chocolate crock pot candy, so will have to make more.  Luckily, yesterday on John’s trip for the light tube, he found all the candy ingredients on sale for much less than we paid around Christmas time.  He bought chocolate almond bark and bars from Ghirardelli with 60% cacao for ½ the price shown here:

http://www.ghirardelli.com/store/shop-products/collections/baking-products/60-cacao-bittersweet-chocolate-baking-bar.html

We will make a new load using our Carpathian walnuts and maybe add a few cashews, or not.  Remains to be seen.  During his baking supplies acquisition yesterday, he bought rye flour (a single package of):

http://www.bobsredmill.com/light-rye-flour.html

for mixing into regular bread and, for English Muffin bread, cornmeal for a texture coating and the non-sticking help.  Sun is still out and the temperature has risen to 30, but low enough that we are leaving the heat on in the “cat house.”  Tonight the temp is expected to drop to 9 degrees and then one notch lower Saturday night.  After that it warms up a degree each night – assuming it does what the NWS tells it to!

Saturday, Jan 12  At daybreak the temp was 11 degrees and only managed to get up to about 23.  John did what had to be done outside but mostly wasted the day away – except he did remove a deceased light fixture from the bathroom wall and replaced it with one of these . . .

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B0085VZY20/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=228013&s=hi

There is a second one to do in the partial loo.  The fixtures were purchased from Costco some months ago – just waiting for that cold or rainy day.  That was today.  Perhaps it isn’t worth mentioning but, of course, the shape and hardware for the installation do not match the outlet box in the wall.  The house was built in 1982 and the shape is round with anchor holes N & S, while the new light is looking for an upright rectangle with beveled corners and anchor holes NW & SE.  There seem to be squarish things like that but not rectangular.  Maybe they were like 8-track tapes – their time has passed.  Anyway, all this provoked some anguish on the part of the installer (and a few references to god’s wrath) until a work-around sufficed.  So, a nice addition.  Tomorrow (Sunday) is also going to be cold so the second of these will get installed – likely with the same issue.

Many turkey sightings today.  Spent most of the day, not on my hay paper, or on the reunion page, but on the link to go with this blog on the Raclette held a week ago.  I hope you enjoy it.  The link is above where it is first mentioned, on Jan 5.

Hope your week was great.

Nancy and John

Still on the Naneum Fan