readers

Last week we wandered over to the beach to check out the "huge" waves that were supposed to be there.  We were just a little late for the waves, but I took some "postcard pictures" while we were there.  The sunlight on the water was really great, and I caught a heron trying to pose as a vulture.

He was probably looking for bugs or lizards.  I'm not usually able to get this close to these birds, but beause he was high up on the bluff, he probably felt safe.

We then went to the old Sebastian Store, and I stood around for the horses to wander into th picture that I had framed in my mind.  I sent this snapshot to the Tribune.  They post photos from readers three or four times a week, and I've already had a couple of mine in the newspaper.

 If you look really close, you can see the castle on the hill behind the steeple.  This is the old San Simeon Schoolhouse.

'Til later...

January 26, 2015

Hey there...

Bill and I went to the La Panza today so that he could pick up some dirt to work at home.  He remembered a spot that he had worked about 5 years ago, and he figured that he could go back there and bring some buckets home to run through his gold cube while it's raining tomorrow.

On our way out, we stopped and said "Hi" to the bison that live along the Highway.

We are still in a major drought, and we are only
due to get another 1/4" with this storm.  You can see that the grass is pretty sparse around where the bison are.

The only wildflowers that were in evidence at this time were some shooting stars, and they were almost finished.  It's the first time I really looked at their seed pods, and they were really interesting.

Looking really closely, the seedpods were cup- shaped and looking down into the little cups I could see the tiny seeds.  They probably get dispersed by the wind or maybe the rain.  They are fragile enough that it wouldn't take much to fracture them.  Again, you can see how little grass

                                                                                      there is.  Hopefully we will get more rain to keep the wildflowers going.

There are some Indian grinding rocks back where we went, but it was obvious that we weren't the only visitors.  In the five years since we had last visited, some thoughtless dolt had actually broken off one of the rocks and taken a grinding bowl away.  I'm sure it looks nice out in his landscape.  (Jerk!!)  And then people wonder why places get closed to the public.













On our way back to the truck we collected our      own "artifacts" that folks had left behind.  I took a photo of some of them.  Lots of spent shotgun shells, too.

Except for the disappointment of finding damage to the grinding rocks, and having to pick up after slobs, it was a nice day.
                                                                                   

Has anyone else noticed that things seem to run in threes?  Especially mishaps?  Or broken things?  This has been the week of water trials.

About 2:30 Saturday morning, Bill was awakened by the sound of rushing water coming from the cabin bathroom.  Since I'm not known for getting out of bed to take a mid night shower, and our dog is even less likely to be willing to bathe, he was pretty sure that there was a problem.  There was.  The feeder pipe leading to the toilet tank had broken (darn plastic fitting) and water was SPEWING out at full volume.  There was over an inch of water all over the floor, and it was pouring out the back door.  

He hollered for me, and the two of us took turns trying to turn the shut-off valve off.  The darn thing was stuck, so we went outside to the shut-off outside.  It was stuck too.  We finally had to go up to the main storage tank and shut off ALL the water.  

I went in and warned Les and Debbie that they wouldn't have any water in the morning;  at least until we could get to the hardware store for parts.  Poor guys...sleeping soundly, and then being awakened by a screaming maniac hollering something about water...

After being at the store when they opened that morning, getting all the parts (including a flex tube with a METAL fitting), stopping for some muffins for the plumber (Bill) and his helper (me), we had everything fixed.  (Mishap #1)

The floor may have to be replaced, because even now (Tuesday) it's still feeling squishy when we walk on it.  We have the fans blowing on it and are hoping for the best.

On Sunday, Bill was walking past the back of the house where the water heater is located and noticed that the stucco looked wet and then he saw the dripping.  Upon further inspection, it was decided that we indeed needed to replace a leaking hot water heater.  (Mishap #2)

Luckily, the leak wasn't so bad that we had to shut everything down again.  

Today we did the water heater.  I turned the water off right outside the house so that Les and Debbie wouldn't be disrupted while we worked on it.  While Bill was doing the heater, I hand watered the potted plants on the front porch.  I was talking on the phone with Maggie while doing this, and noticed that I was losing water pressure.  DANG!!!  The pressure pump up at the tanks had quit. (Mishap #3)

Our pump guy, who is also a good friend came by tonight and changed out a capaciter  (sp?), and we now have a pressurized water system and hot water again. 

Lets hope that our water woes are over now.  Threes are the charm, right?   
  

I don't get it. Why do we keep having the same old debate, nothing gets done, and innocent people keep dying.  On one side are the people who feel that ANY laws restricting the manufacture, sale, or possession of firearms is the beginning of the end of our freedom.  Lose your guns, and the government is going to be knocking down your door and hauling you off to a concentration camp.

On the other side is the group who sees a gun and automatically places the possessor into the same category as Al Capone and Bonnie & Clyde.

WHY CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG???

We own several hunting rifles, shotguns, and a handgun.  We enjoy target shooting and hunting.  Bill keeps them under lock and key.  After all, we have a 4 year old granddaughter who visits quite regularly.  I am not at all opposed to the proper ownership and use of guns.  I do, however, feel that people should have to go through a screening process to weed out the mentally unbalanced and unfit.  I can't understand anyone needing an arsenal of dozens of high powered assault weapons with 30 or 50 round clips. When one gets to that level, it presents the appearance of an obsession or paranoia.  (There are even some exceptions to this thought, too.  If you shoot competition, you need 20 round clips.)

I think that maybe we need to go back to when the Constitution was written, and think of what was available to folks at that time.  I propose that anybody be allowed to have all the muskets, flintlocks, and blunderbusses that their little hearts desire.  After all I seriously doubt that the framers of our constitution could begin to envision AK47s or automatic machine guns like we have today...AND I seriously doubt that they would have written the second amendment quite as obscurely as they did had they known..

May 15, 2014

I wanted to wait until we heard for sure that we would not be going to Nome this summer before planting a garden.  While waiting, I built some planter boxes with the old decking that we got from Gary's house.

They are redwood 2x6's that I cut to make a 2'x3' box.  with screening in the bottom, we should be able to hold the gophers at bay for a couple of years.

In the two boxes by the mulberry bush I have tomatoes and basil in one and squash seeds in the other.

The three boxes on the right side of the cabin have
 peppers, onions & garlic, and green bean seeds.  The big pots contain sun chokes, swiss chard, and day lillies.

I made sure to make the spaces between the boxes wide enough so that I can keep the grass down with a weed whacker.

I guess the summers of going to Nome are over. This summer would have probably been our last
anyway.  I really feel bad for the people who didn't get to spend as many times there as we did.  I made

 scrapbooks of every summer there, and got lots of great pictures.

I guess it's going to be time for Bill and me to decide what kind of summer adventure we will be doing from now on.  Maybe an Alaskan Cruise is on the horizon...

'Til later...

We made it home from Cripple River Gold Camp after 36 hours of travel.  It took 36 hours to get there, too, but who's counting...

The terminal at Nome is kinda small, and the folks are super friendly.  Thought I'd just show you a picture to demonstrate how small it really is.

Bill and I took about an hour to get settled into our digs, and then we took a well deserved nap..

Bill worked the beach helping the participants set up and take down the beach boxes, while I worked in the kitchen.  

Got a good picture of a muskox on one of my trips to Nome.  Since there was no internet access in camp, I had to make the 12 mile trip along the beach on my day off so that I could access the internet for bill paying.  

A lot of things are different at camp since the last time we were there (2009), but as soon as I got off the truck, I felt as if I had never left.  A lot of the old friends were still there, and a lot of new ones too.  

Because the long time camp cook was not there this season, things in the kitchen were sometimes a bit confusing and even tense.  I simply kept my head down and did what I was told, and everything turned out good.  I made some of the desserts, prepped veggies, did meat and cheese trays, served meals on the serving line, and had a blast.  There was another person who was brought in the same time I was, and we had everybody laughing.  Don't know who was goofier, Victor or me.  

Bill had a good time on the beach, too.  His boss, Norm, was glad to have the experienced help.  We have both been told that we will be welcome back next year,  have filled out our applications, and turned them in.

I hope to write more about some of our experiences in the next few weeks, so stay tuned.

'Til later...

.

Last night we had a farewell spaghetti feed for Maggie, Kaili and Elizabeth.  They headed for home early (for the girls) this morning. 










We were treated to a spectacular sunset to the West while being treated to a double rainbow to the East.










I got a snapshot of Kaili, Hailey, and Elizabeth before they went their separate ways.

Bill and I enjoyed the visit with the Canadian contingent, and hopefully all of them will be able to come next time.

Next week we will be leaving for cripple River Gold Camp.  I plan to send blogs and pictures of our adventures.  If I miss days, it will be because the weather isn't cooperating.  Last I heard, it was still internet by satellite, so when it's really overcast or stormy reception is iffy.

'Til later...

Haven't posted many blogs lately, but when we get to Nome and the Cripple River Camp I hope to do a daily post.  That won't be until July 17, so don't start looking too hard yet.

Tonight the full moon is supposed to be closer than any other time this year, so I wandered out with my camera.  It had risen too far in the sky for me to get any trees or hills for a reference point but I convinced Bill to pose for me.  Interesting...of course, I can't figure out how to turn the picture' so you'll have to just turn your screen.

Well, that's all 'til later...

This last month has been a little hectic.  Maggie has been down for the last 5 weeks to help with Doris, and we've finally managed to get her into an assisted living apartment in San Luis Obispo.  She has had several spells where she passes out and then falls to the floor...for that reason we all decided that she wasn't safe to be home alone anymore.  The place that she chose is really nice, and I'm sure that she will be well cared for.

I put Maggie on the train to go home yesterday, and today she should be seeing her Canadian family again.

I spent the afternoon making tripods for the string beans I'll be planting soon.

Last weekend we went to the gold show in Turlock and met with Kevin.  We get to go to the camp at Nome this summer.  I can't begin to tell you how excited I am!!  There is no way that we could manage to do the full 10 weeks because of the animals and gardens, but if we pay our own airfare, we can work up there for the last 5 weeks.  I'm having a lot of trouble not getting the suitcases down and starting to pack.  We are scheduled from July 17, through August 28(?). 

Hope everybody has a fun Easter.

'Til later...

March 4, 2013

 

Speaking of which...today and yesterday I've been on a diet of "no seeds, nuts, or foods with skins".  Tonight I have to take two laxative tablets and then be on a clear food diet tomorrow.  I can spend one day with iced tea, soda, jello, and water, but then I have to drink a gallon of poison tomorrow night so that I can stay up all night sitting on the pot.  Wednesday morning I'm headed off to the clinic to have my bowels photographed from the inside.  Ah...colonoscopy, I love you...

Til later...

I took this picture last spring and sent it to the local newspaper.  They publish pictures that folks send in about three or four times a week. 

 

I titled it: "Life imitating art".  I've been published!!!  Darn this new blog...can't figure out how to turn my picture clockwise.  Lie down on your left side to view the picture.  Sorry, anyway, 'til later...

 

 

 

 

My dream

This is my first attempt at a crocheted oval rag rug.  Good enough to wipe our feet on when we come in the door.  Finally found something to use up the old sheets and towels.

I have a recurring dream about something that has troubled me for at least three years.  For four summers Bill and I went to a gold prospecting camp in Alaska.  It was pretty primitive, and cost us a bit of time and money, but we enjoyed ourselves (totally).  We had to pay close to a thousand dollars each, and pay for our own airfare, and we were there for seven weeks.  That meant finding someone to stay with our dogs and garden, but we managed.

We worked to make the paying participants as comfortable as possible, and help them find gold.  Bill worked on the beach, and I cleaned the washrooms and cabins.  In my free time I took pictures of wildflowers, and animals that wandered past.  (Fox, muskox, moose, cariboo, and rarely a bear.)  The facilities were primitive, but we loved it!

Then...out of the blue, we got a letter saying that our services were no longer needed.  They had changed how they were running the camp, and they didn't need as many workers anymore...we didn't make the cut.

I cried for months, but figured that maybe the next summer we would get to go back.  I wrote and asked for work applications, and never heard a thing.  Friends who were still going up there had no idea why we hadn't been selected, and told us that there had been no bad things said about us.

I have requested an explanation from the directors of the camp several times: Did we do something wrong?  Were there complaints from anyone?  Can we do anything to correct things? I have never received an answer.  It's almost like talking to a brick wall.

One of my friends from the camp notified me that she missed us and asked us to try to apply again.  She sent me a copy of the application that she had received, and said to fill it out and send it in. 

In my dream, I  am   confronting the camp manager and asking him why we can't work there anymore, and he ignores me.  It is as if I'm invisible, and aren't there. Sometimes we are at the camp, but sometimes were at a meeting in a convention center.  I always wake up frustrated and angry.  Not having answers to my questions and not knowing WHY.

I'm sure that we won't be going to the camp again this summer, because there is a reason we haven't been asked back...I just don't know what it is.

'Til later....

Family History

 

 Remember back last September when I was complaining about the work I had ahead of me with the family pictures?

This weekend my three cousins, two sisters-in-laws and sister all joined me to get it all sorted. 

We divided them into the Sheffer side (my Mother's) and the Lund side (my Dad's).  We scanned them into my computer and everybody got to take a thumb drive home with them.  It took us three days to get it accomplished, but it was very rewarding.

Claire brought all the notes that her brother (now deceased) had made while doing the geneology for the Sheffer family.  Included was a journal from our great-great grandfather when he was doing missionary work for the Mormon Church.  He traveled all around California and helped found the town of Port Townsend, Washington.  What a great find.

It sounded like we were having a religous experience with all the "OH MY GOD"s we were exclaiming.  Poor Jan kept appealing to the heavens whenever she came upon an old photo with no name:  "Please tell me who you are!!"

Altogether, we had a blast!

'Til later...

  


 

Merry Christmas

Yesterday was the big annual Christmas Eve Party in Creston.  The whole town meets in front of the post office with tables of snacks, grilled sausages, coffee cooked over an open campfire, and goodwill.  Santa arrives at 11:00 am and gives out gifts to all the little kids.  As you can see, Haley wanted NOTHING to do with that strange man in the red suit, but she did tell him thank you for the little stuffed animal.

Today Ben, Jamie, Haley and Doris joined us for a dinner.  Santa had brought a battery powered tricycle for Haley, and she didn't even hesitate.  She climbed right on and took off. Nothing hesitant about that kid.

We enjoyed the day, and hope that everybody else did too.

Have a very Merry Christmas, everyone!!!!

'Til later....

Agatha Raisin

Today I finished a series of books called The Agatha Raisin Mysteries by M.C. Beaton.  Agatha is a middle aged retired public relations executive in Great Britan.  She stumbles into murder and mayhem, and generally causes a lot of problems for the local police. 

I love her because she has no idea how bossy, opinionated, abrasive and self absorbed she is.  Every time a handsome male comes into the picture, she makes a fool of herself trying to capture him.  She has a group of friends who are fully aware of her faults and like her anyway. 

Each book has twists and turns until she finally figures out "who done it".  There are twenty three books so far, and I'm waiting for more.  They are very light reading and only take about a day to get through; full of humor and fun.

'Til later...

November 23, 2012

Well, the Christmas Season is upon us again...is everybody ready???

Me either.  I've taken up bell ringing for the Salvation Army again, and have already had someone complain that I'm being too loud.  I think it's gonna be a long season.  .

Yesterday Bill and I joined Doris at her Grand-daughter's home for a Thanksgiving meal.  Richard and Sara were great hosts; Richard did the cooking  and it was yummy.  Debbie and Les joined us there, but Ben and Jamie were spending the day with her parents.

The only problem with eating dinner at someone elses home, is that there are no leftovers, so I'm cooking a turkey dinner on Sunday.  Ben and Jamie will be joining us at that time, and I will be able to enjoy a turkey snadwich on Monday.

This will be the third Christmas season that I will not be setting up my village.  I was thinking that I might go back to some of the older blogs and post pictures and tell the story again.  What does everybody think???

In the meantime, setting up the village takes too much room and there's nobody to admire it shen I'm done.  Maybe next year,,,Haley will be big enough to enjoy it then.

'Til later...

Yesterday we showed our tri-athlete Grandson how to do an "Old Foggie's triathlon".  We started out going to an historic site by visiting  the Mission San Diego.  From there, we went to a museum:  The Museum of Man.  After a quick snack we toured Old Town, and ended the afternoon inside a Cantina/ Sport's Bar watching the Giants stay alive in the playoffs.  Altogether, it was a very enjoyable day.

Today we will be taking the train back home.  We had a really fun time visiting JT and San Diego.  Hope to return again sometime and spend full days in Balboa Park at more museums and Old Town.

'Til later...

10/20/2012 San Diego

Yesterday we took the train to San Diego to visit with JT for the weekend.  The hotel that we are staying at is the same one that we used last January before departing for Hawaii.

When we woke up this morning there were two cruise ships docked across the street from us.  One of them was the Vaandam, the ship that Gary, Doris, Bill and I went on through the Panama Canal.  I tried to convince them that I owned part of that ship and that they should take me with them, but they wouldn't have any of it.  Seems they still want money for  trip.
JT met us at 7:00, and after having a breakfast, we
wandered  on up to Pala and the Pala Mine where we spent a few hours hunting for tourmalines.  We all had a good time, and some luck finding some pretty crystals.  Most of the stones we got were pink, but JT found a pretty good sized green one.

In the hills behind where we were playing, there were dirt bikes racing around.  We could see the bikes making some pretty impressive jumps.  Couldn't see where they were taking off from or where they were landing, but we got to see them flying through the air.

We left there around 2:00, and had a late lunch at an Indian Casino.  While there, I made a five dollar bill grow into a ten dollar bill at a penny machine.

We're pooped, so we are hitting the hay early.  Tomorrow:  Mission San Diego and a couple of museums.

'Til later...

 I have been avoiding this job for at least a year, and I cannot put it off any longer.  I wish that there was someone else who could help me, but I'm afraid that I'm one of the last in my generation who can do this.  When my mom was still alive, I tried (several times) to get her to go through things and give me names.  After a series of strokes, her memory was taken and the opportunity had slipped away.  What you're looking at is a HUGE pile of family photos.  After my mom's passing, Gary took them home with him (probably to try to make sense of them himself).  Now Gary is gone, Jan and I are it.  The problem is:  Jan lives back east, and is over
five years younger than I, so she doesn't have memories of the oldtimers like I do.

The photos are of both my dad's family and my mom's.  They are mixed together.  There are formal portraits and candid snapshots.  This is a formal plea to my cousins:   Ina and Claire....please come help me with this mess.  I have no idea where to start, and I need help.

I will feed you, and treat you like royalty if you will just come help me figure out who the Sheffers and Lunds ( not to mention Pettises and Hildreths) are.  Maybe Andy's notes could help.

In the meantime, I plan to continue standing at the doorway wringing my hands.

'Til later... 

Egad...I wonder if I'll EVER learn how to maneuver this new blog site.  I still am having trouble transferring my old blogs over, and I've had trouble attaching photos to this.  This will be my third try, so here goes...

I took Bill's old, tired, ragged, stained, disgusting, beat up, holey jeans and recycled them into a rug.

I cut the jeans into 1 1/2 inch strips and then sewed them into a VERY long strip.  I did the same with some heavy red fabric that I had been wondering what do to with.

I then crocheted them into a rug with alternating triple and double patterns.  It turned out pretty good, and Bill is very pleased.

I now have a nice warm place for my feet to land on when I climb out of bed.  (Not to mention getting rid of old, tired, ragged, stained, disgusting, beat up, holey jeans.)

Now if I can just transfer my old blogs from Multiply...

'Til later...