Saturday, June 30\u00a0 Some of this you heard part of the story in last week’s blog, but the afternoon BBQ changed a little from the original plans.\u00a0 We drove to Roslyn, the place where Northern Exposure was filmed between 1990 and 1995,<\/p>\n
http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Northern_Exposure<\/a><\/p>\n up through town on Pennsylvania Ave, to our friends’ house on the hill on the way up to the old cemetery.\u00a0 Roslyn was historically a mining community and the cemetery is filled with numerous cultural artifacts from all the different nationalities and ethnicities, represented in the town over time.<\/p>\n This comment is from Wikipedia:<\/p>\n \u201cBetween 1886 and 1929, workers came from countries such as Italy, Poland, Germany, Lithuania, Slovenia, Serbia and Croatia as well as from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales to work in the mines. These immigrants maintained the traditions of their homeland, as seen in the historic Roslyn Cemetery with its 26 individual ethnic and lodge cemeteries. Many Roslyn residents today are descendants of these immigrant miners.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n What’s neat to me is that my grandmother, Alouisa Petash Wilkins, was from present-day Slovenia.\u00a0 Okay, back to the BBQ.\u00a0 We were there early, but actually sat around and visited until the bratwurst, all beef hot dogs, veggie burgers, sirloin burgers, and corn were grilled.\u00a0 People brought some neat salads and we had taken a large pan of our Cherry-Blueberry-Walnut Cobbler.\u00a0 We didn’t get back to EBRG to pick up some music for tomorrow until quite late, and got home, even later.\u00a0 John still had all the animal chores to do (exercising dogs, and feeding all the outside cats and the horses).<\/p>\n Sunday, July 1\u00a0 Truly this is a day of rest (at least for me, as I slept in).\u00a0 John started early on the computer and then out to move the rest of the hay into the barn.\u00a0 He loaded all but 19 bales, because he had to stop to train (remind) Jazz that he is not supposed to walk away from him in the field when he walks toward and calls him.\u00a0 John has been fitting in horse-training sessions with the younger horses for some time now.\u00a0 It is sunny and no longer rainy, so that is nice.\u00a0 He came in to cool down and for a mid-day nap, and we just finished the last of the Jewel strawberries fixed in the fridge.\u00a0 He will go pick more this afternoon and give me another chore. \u00a0Today I must spend time on getting the music together that a few folks were missing for tomorrow’s EBRG – BBQ & musical performance.\u00a0 It’s in fairly good shape so won’t take a lot of my time.\u00a0 The major thing I must do today is give John a haircut.\u00a0 I have needed to do it for several weeks.\u00a0 I surely wish we had put in the price of a haircut over the years since I have been cutting it.\u00a0 We would have a nice nest egg for retirement!\u00a0 (Unfortunately, the haircut never got done in time for the events we attended this week).<\/p>\n Monday, July 2\u00a0 Patriotic music in Ellensburg today (our group played for an early 4th of July Picnic inside the Hal Holmes community center next to the city library).\u00a0 We began playing music at 11:45 and played for over an hour.\u00a0 The first and last songs were the same, and everyone in the room stood and saluted the flag.\u00a0 We sang the national anthem a cappella<\/em> with the audience.\u00a0 It was moving.\u00a0 After we played and sang a number of songs, including patriotic ones and songs about the USA, we were treated to a free lunch, consisting of hamburgers, hot dogs, beans, potato salad, macaroni salad, large sliced tomatoes, lettuce, chips, watermelon, lemonade, and ice cream.\u00a0 We also had a nice visit over lunch.\u00a0 Shortly after I almost finished my lunch, my friend Karen, came in with her accordion and her packets of music lyrics for everyone in the audience to have access to the words for the sing-along.\u00a0 I went on the stage with her and we lead the group, singing and playing our respective instruments, for another 45 minutes.\u00a0 It’s no wonder my body ached from all the bowing activity.<\/p>\n Tuesday, July 3\u00a0 Today marks the day 2 weeks ago that I received a box in the mail from John’s sister, Peggy, in Ohio, with a neat Hohner Melodica with a 27-key keyboard.\u00a0 It is a German-made instrument her friend Kathy had for use in the classroom years ago (she recently died at 86).\u00a0 It is an instrument one blows on and plays similar to an accordion, with a smaller keyboard–the only problem is you cannot play and sing at the same time! (Ha ha).\u00a0 It was so nice that she shared it with me.\u00a0 In addition, she included two music books, one of them songs of the sixties by Peter, Paul, and Mary.\u00a0 I’m thrilled with that so I can put the music into my software to make for the groups with which I sing. \u00a0Folk songs are ALWAYS popular.\u00a0 It is impossible to find music scores on line free anymore. \u00a0The other book is a beginning guitar book, which John can use to learn.<\/p>\n John picked over 5 lbs. strawberries this morning, and we fixed them and froze 4 packages before I went to the imaging session at the hospital for a mammogram follow-up to the one 6 months ago.\u00a0 It was a tough session; being a complete regular mammogram, followed by four magnification X-rays.\u00a0 Lifting my arms out of my range of motion, and leaning in and turning my head was painful, and trying to get around the ICD while being squeezed for the X-rays.\u00a0 Filled the car’s gas tank on the way home and came back for lunch.\u00a0 John is taking the truck and dropping me off for an acupuncture treatment at 2:00.\u00a0 He’ll go do some shopping and then pick me up and we will go over to pick up the travel trailer.\u00a0 It took us an hour and a half to deal with the trailer.\u00a0 The head of the service department charged me for certain things, but also threw in other stuff free (e.g., fixed the screen door that was missing a push piece to close out bugs; steam cleaned the carpet; gave me the battery warranty free).\u00a0 He installed a new 12-volt battery.\u00a0 Filled our water tank, propane tanks free, and put gasoline in the new generator.\u00a0 This afternoon we bought a water line replacement and the connections for the sewer hose.\u00a0 He showed us how to start the propane fridge and water heater, plus the inside room heater.\u00a0 Before that, he had shown us how to start the generator, turn on, and adjust the newly installed a\/c.\u00a0 They had fixed the wiring on the tail light that was screwed up, and replaced all running lights, tail light bulb, and many little things on the trailer for connections or door access that needed fixed.\u00a0 They had to change the wiring connection to the electronic brakes and the power to the trailer.\u00a0 So much for buying an old trailer “as is” at a good price.\u00a0 We paid for the rest of the work and left for home.\u00a0 I have been hydrating myself with lemonade ever since getting home because of all the stuff done to my body today.\u00a0 I should have taken a nap, but now it is too late.<\/p>\n Wednesday, July 4\u00a0 Happy Fourth of July!\u00a0 Both John and I slept in, worn out from our activities of yesterday.\u00a0 We drove an hour to George, WA for two free concerts and a free piece of a giant cherry pie (with a slab of ice cream for an additional 50 cents). \u00a0While there, we met and visited with our friends since 1988 at CWU, Jim Hinthorne (and his wife Jean), who was a geologist that I team-taught GIS with, once arriving.\u00a0 There were 3 courses we teamed on, all with UNIX based G.R.A.S.S. \u00a0(Intro GIS, Advanced GIS, and Database Development).\u00a0 He has since retired and they own a large motor home that is their home on wheels, pulling a car behind it.\u00a0 They have come up to Crescent Bar on the Columbia River to stay for several weeks, and come to Ellensburg to visit their daughter’s family. \u00a0It was a nice reunion (only 20 miles up the hill from the Columbia River, to meet us in George).\u00a0 The music groups playing were \u201cJangles\u201d (Seattle’s Premier Western Swing Band) at noon, and at 1:30 a young group of boys, called \u201cNorth Country,\u201d played Bluegrass.\u00a0 We met our friends about 1:00 p.m. and enjoyed a great visit under a huge Hackberry Elm tree, with a view of the stage and the two musical groups.\u00a0 They brought their dogs, and many of the youngsters enjoyed petting them.\u00a0 We stayed until 5:00!\u00a0 I was so tired when we got home I laid down for at least an hour; never went to sleep but vegetated well.\u00a0 Our neighbors started fireworks before dark, and finally have stopped, we hope. \u00a0Two of the dogs get anxious and the horses get excited but what they think is unknown. \u00a0Even though the Britts are \u201cbird\u201d dogs we haven\u2019t done much with the current group.\u00a0 The CWU era was not conducive to training and field trails. We transitioned to short horse rides early and that has waned with my health issues.\u00a0 One dog settles for a crate and the youngest one goes between John and me, wanting attention and assurance. \u00a0I think she picks up on her mom’s anxiety.\u00a0 Thankfully, the other two Brittanys were fine with the noise.\u00a0 John also went out twice to give the horses some carrots to keep them calm.\u00a0 Our neighbor \u2013 other side of a row of trees from our pasture \u2013 was setting off large firecrackers and a few aerial rockets.<\/p>\n Thursday, July 5\u00a0 Nancy slept in and John started early with chores.\u00a0 We will be playing music at Royal Vista nursing home and delivering packing boxes to a friend for moving across town.\u00a0 That got done along with several other things.\u00a0 Now it is after dinner, and it’s late, but we need to fix strawberries.\u00a0 They are lovely looking.\u00a0 John picked a big mess of them; all beautiful and large \u2013 variety = Jewels.\u00a0 They would win a blue ribbon at the county fair, but it is not till Sept 1 weekend, and they will be done by then.\u00a0 We just fixed them up and have 3.5 pounds of strawberries to freeze.\u00a0 Now from last night we will have some on our ice cream before falling into bed.<\/p>\n Friday, July 6\u00a0 Started with having an estimate for a pole building to house hay and our travel trailer.\u00a0 John took Ebony to the vet for a bad front left leg \u2013 bowed tendon.<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.mdhorse.com\/showarticle.asp?kk=50<\/a><\/p>\n $150 later, we have medicine for her pain and will need to get her front feet shod with lifts to relieve some pressure. \u00a0\u00a0She’s getting rather old and we haven’t ridden her in the last 10 years or more \u2013 for the very reason that she has had this before, and as the linked article indicates, these injuries easily get worse and never really fully heal. Late in the afternoon, I drive to Silver Ridge Ranch to play music for a square dance for young people on the (Puget Sound area) Mormon trek re-enactment.<\/p>\n http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mormon_handcart_pioneers#Reenactments<\/a><\/p>\n [Start at the top of the link for a fuller story.]<\/p>\n We will be there from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.. \u00a0Here I am, reporting back after the last 4+ hours.\u00a0 I am quite tired from my escapades.\u00a0 I stopped off at the Cottage Cafe in Cle Elum and had a nice layered breakfast for dinner at 4:45 p.m., a Corned Beef Hash Skillet, with hash browns, choice of eggs (3 I think), corned beef hash and covered with cheddar cheese.\u00a0 Last time I had my eggs over easy, but this time I had them scrambled.\u00a0 I had salsa on it.\u00a0 Also, it came with toast, so I had an English muffin with strawberry jam.\u00a0 It was funny how I ordered it.\u00a0 I asked to have 1\/2 of it packaged to take with me, and I intended to eat a half there sitting at the counter on a barstool.\u00a0 Well, not exactly.\u00a0 I had one piece of the toast, and couldn’t eat all of the 1\/2 served, so I added the remainder into the package to go.\u00a0 I should have asked for only 1\/3 to eat, as it is an extremely generous portion of food.\u00a0 I put the carton inside my cooler for the trip to the square dance play date and then on home.\u00a0 We will eat the remainder tomorrow.\u00a0 I was frustrated to see the price of gas in Cle Elum at a cash-only place, was $ 2.43\/gal., when I had paid $2.61 a few days before in EBRG. They will take credit cards but add 10\u00a2 per gallon.\u00a0 John had found this place last week when I was out of town, while traveling to the Buck Brannaman horse training clinic.<\/p>\n Where we played tonight was only 15 miles west on I-90 from supper and is called Silver Ridge Ranch.\u00a0 The place is mainly an RV park but horses are encouraged, and John and I have ridden before on the roads and trails there.\u00a0 I was vaguely familiar with the surroundings, so I managed to find the area where we played without too much effort.\u00a0 The musicians had never played together before (not more than a pair).\u00a0 Two Asian violinists are brother and sister.\u00a0 Bob and I play together in two groups.\u00a0 The other violinist has never played with any of us.\u00a0 The keyboard player and bass had played together, the guitar player has played before with Bob, and once, I guess with me, long ago.\u00a0 It was our first time to play together as a group, and we did amazingly well.\u00a0 The violins and guitar had electric pickups on our instruments so we could be heard.<\/p>\n The kids were good sports, but they had not had any lessons in square dancing, and there was not a caller there.\u00a0 We started them out with Oh, Johnny, Oh, which has square dance calls in the words of the song.\u00a0 Therefore, we had to teach them dosado, allemande left, promenade, and a few other movements.<\/p>\n http:\/\/noriks.tripod.com\/ENGLISH\/514100e.html<\/a><\/p>\n The leader could not carry a tune, and kept getting out of synch with our musical accompaniment.\u00a0 So, after several failures, I took the microphone from him and lead the group.\u00a0 Considering I have never done that in my life, it was rather neat.\u00a0 I think I last square dance I danced was in elementary school.\u00a0 I only called the one song, multiple times.\u00a0 After that we just taught them the moves, described it, or had someone from the audience demo (for example, a couple from the RV park joined in and taught them to waltz, later, after the Oh, Johnny, Oh stuff).\u00a0 The kids eventually got very good at that.\u00a0 We also taught them the Grand March, where they pair off finally up to 8 people across.\u00a0 It was fun to watch, finally, when it all came together.\u00a0 We played from 6:00 to 8:00, and for the 15 minutes previous, trying to get used to one another and get the volumes on the microphones correctly balanced.\u00a0 The drive home was troublesome because of the setting sun that was blinding in the mirrors.\u00a0 I had to keep changing them (side ones and the rear view one).\u00a0 It took me just under an hour to return, however.\u00a0 My body was also aching from all the action playing and climbing down and back into the bowl, carrying instruments, and other equipment.\u00a0 I used my mom\u2019s old kitchen chair (with steps), a nice old stool, that I can prop my feet on the stairs, and also put a pillow in it.<\/p>\n While I was gone, John picked a bunch of strawberries and fixed them.\u00a0 We had a bunch on ice cream when I got home.\u00a0 We are planning for Sat. — in the heat of the day — to freeze the rest and include some to be picked in the cool morning.\u00a0 Also, while I was gone, my family physician reported in an email that my mammogram was fine and showed no more signs of calcification for which to be concerned.\u00a0 That’s a big relief.<\/p>\n Saturday, July 7\u00a0 I was very tired and slept in, putting a heated bag of flaxseed on my upper right arm and then on my neck.\u00a0 John went outside to do many chores, especially watering things, as we are expecting full sun and 96 degrees today and 98 on Sunday. \u00a0I am extremely happy we have a\/c in our house.\u00a0 We opened up the windows last night and brought the inside temp to about 72. \u00a0\u00a0Now we\u2019ve closed the windows and won\u2019t need the a\/c until late afternoon.\u00a0 Well, we both just went out in the hot sun nearly to the far end of the pasture, to doctor Ebony.\u00a0 John hollowed out a carrot and inserted powdered phenobarbital and sugar.\u00a0 Once she got a taste of it, she spit it out.\u00a0 He held her mouth shut and tipped up and got most of it ingested.\u00a0 He removed two bandages and put on a liquid spray called equine leg paint.\u00a0 Good I was along to hold her lead and shoo away the other horses.\u00a0 Maybe he will get this posted on the blog in a timely fashion now, and we will then do our work in the kitchen on the strawberries.\u00a0 Thankfully, we do not have any scheduled events for Saturday or Sunday, and not even Monday, except for my SAIL exercise class, which I have missed all this week.<\/p>\n Hope your week was a good one.<\/p>\n Nancy and John<\/p>\n Still on the Naneum Fan<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Saturday, June 30\u00a0 Some of this you heard part of the story in last week’s blog, but the afternoon BBQ changed a little from the original plans.\u00a0 We drove to Roslyn, the place where Northern Exposure was filmed between 1990 and 1995, http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Northern_Exposure up through town on Pennsylvania Ave, to our friends’ house on the … Continue reading “Happy Independence Day 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