Washington Wildfires...and Tim!

columbia complex

Here Is an article about our wildfires, and for those that like to explore, a link to even more information…
Tim’s letter is at the bottom of this..
Growing Wildfire Forces Evacuation Orders

August 26, 2006

By Associated Press

DAYTON, WASH. - Tourists hoping to get photographs of a DC-10 airplane on fire duty and area cabin owners were evacuated Saturday from the perimeter of the Columbia Complex of fires in southeast Washington state.
People had gathered outside the fire line, "wanting to get pictures of that plane," fire spokesman Virgil Mink said. The scattered evacuations came late in the second day the DC-10 was on active fire duty, able to carry as much as 12,000 gallons of fire retardant on one run - eight times as much as anything else.
The area of concern was between local Pioneer Memorial Park and the Umatilla National Forest on the Washington-Oregon border, so far beyond reach of the flames.
"There are a lot of tourists out there," Mink said. "People like to see what we do."
The privately owned DC-10 - available at a cost of $26,000 an hour, three hours minimum - can drop a swath of retardant a mile to a mile and a half of forestland 50 feet wide, he said.
"You can run through with a drip torch" and burn potential fuels on the edge of the fire to prevent the flames from spreading, leaving behind firefighting gear required when drops cover smaller areas.
By nightfall, the fire had charred 70,000 acres, or nearly 110 square miles, fire spokesman Charlie Armiger said.
The fire was about 10 percent contained, Mink said - mostly in the southeast corner "where the Coppei fire used to be" before four fires, all started by lightning strikes Monday, merged into the Columbia Complex.
There were 735 firefighters on the scene Saturday, with more en route. There were 55 fire engines, 16 five-engine strike teams, 15 dozers, three helicopters and 23 water tenders on the fire. Fire commanders were releasing some larger engines that were less than useful in the rough, rugged country, Mink said - they're needed elsewhere in the West this busy fire season.
The weather has been cooperating with fire crews around the state, with cooler temperatures, increased humidity and calm. Hotter, drier and windier weather was expected Sunday and Monday - with highs in the 90s - followed by a cold front late Monday. "That's the good news," said meteorologist Jonathan Fox with the National Weather Service in Spokane.
There could be some "hit-or-miss showers" through the week, he said, but "not enough rain to put out the fires."
In north-central Washington, the Tripod Complex of fires had burned through 135,694 acres, or about 212 square miles, spokesman Greg Thayer said. That blaze was 48 percent contained - up from 45 percent Friday.
"The northern end of the fire had active burning today but so far has stayed within our lines," Thayer said.
There were 2,310 firefighters and support personnel on site, working with 12 helicopters, 78 engines, 26 dozers and 74 300-gallon water-tender trucks, he said. The complex began last month as two fires - the Spur Peak Fire that began July 23 and the tripod Fire that starts July 24. Both were sparked by lightning.
"We have just four miles of fire line yet to be built, so we're coming against that just fine." Thayer said. "If we can keep this thing within itself, we'll be by the end of this week into fairly heavy mop-up. But we've got some really bad burning conditions coming in Monday so we don't want to get people's hopes up too high.
There've been only minor injuries on the fire, he said - bee stings, sprained ankles and the like. Given the rough country, "we're just amazed at our good luck. Maybe we shouldn't be talking about it."
Also in northcentral Washington, the Flick Creek and Tinpan fires had each seared more than 5,000 acres, roughly 8 square miles. The Flick Creek fire, burning on the eastern shore of Lake Chelan in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, was 40 percent contained.
The Tinpan fire in the Glacier Peak Wilderness was being allowed to burn naturally within preset boundaries.
http://www.inciweb.org/incident/443/


I received a letter from Tim today, telling me that he was over in Walla Walla with the Columbia Complex fire. He is not out fighting the fires himself, as he still needs to be evaluated as far as his skills go, but he is with the Kitchen Crew, feeding the firefighters.
Here are a few lines from his letter:

Hi Mom, I’m doing ok. I’m over in Walla Walla now and will be for a approx. 2-3 weeks. It’s Craxy over here, They have people from Arizona, Montana, Alaska, Nevada, Virginia. There are over 1000 people here. I am with the kitchen crew, which means not much sleep for anyone! Someones got to feed these guys! Approx. 70,000 acres have burned up, homes destroyed. They have a DC-10 doing retardant drops. It’s the first time using them in Washington. We got them for 3 days. They drop 50 feet wide and a mile long! I am in Aw! (sic) We work from 3:00 AM until 8:00 am, then take a 3 hour break, then serve dinner. Not much sleep and Hot as HELL! I have never seen anything like this, Guys come in to eat, Hot, tired, filthy hungry and leave satisfied. I guess we are one of the best field kitchens around. We get fed well. T-bones, pork chops, Halibut…ok gotta go….Love you Mom. Tim.

So I guess I will not be going over to see him this week either…At least I know he is safe and well, and sounds like he is really enjoying his time! LOLOL I must keep reminding him that he is supposed to WANT to leave there when his time is up!

Tim has always wanted to be a firefighter, or work in the woods, and if this is how he will be able to do that then so be it. He really is a good kid! He is just on the wrong path, and hopefully this will put him on the right one. Maybe this will help him see that the life he was leading was harmful to him and to others, and help him back to the straight and narrow. He loved Boy Scouts, and he loved being in the woods and camping, and fishing when went.

The wildfires in this state are really bad right now. The biggest one has burned over 130 square miles, and is just 4 miles from becoming an international fire. The canadian crews are helping from the North, hoping to get it under control.

We had a storm blow through yesterday, which lowered the temperatures a wee bit, and snow fell on the higher elevations, but it is expected to get hot again this weekend. Here is hoping that they will be able to get these fires all under control really soon. IT is so dry and hot over there.

Finally!!

rain

Well I could have told it was raining without even letting the dog out to pee. It took me 30 minutes to upload this picture to blogger! Every time it rains I have a HELL of a time staying on line! I get kicked off every 30 seconds! I even had the phone company come out and replace the line even though they said it did not need it.

ANYWAY...It is finally raining!! enough to get the deck wet anyway. I hope it continues! We need it so badly!

I did something today that I have not done in a long time...I sat in bed and read a book. I was half way through the book The art of Mending by ELizabeth Berg. IT started really slow and then it got to the point that I wanted to get it finished to find out what the big SECRET was. It was ok, a bit anti-climatic and I thought it ended strangely. But it was good. ANd I actually sat in BED and read until 1:30 PM!!

I got out of bed, got dressed, finished my coffee, and moved to the office, where I sat down and have not moved for several hours. I found some software I had forgotten about, Scrapbook Creator...so I have been playing with it for the whole afternoon! I also was printing out and photoshopping my SIL's family pictures so I can finish her scrapbook. SHe came over tonight to verify that a picture I had on my disk was actually her family and not Rusty's in-laws...IT was Sherry's. We were talking about her writing down her memories so I could include them and she got the funniest look and said I dont have any memories of my childhood.

WHAT???

How can you NOT have memories of your childhood. SHe is afraid that she might be repressing some bad memories. I told her that she should talk to her Mom. If she is, it really isnt gonna do her any good to find out about them, other than to find out about them, As she seems to be a pretty well adjusted woman. SHe has stayed with my brother for 30 years. (ummm maybe i better rethink that last remark)

She says she doesnt think there was anything bad that has happened, but she just does not remember. Never had any reason too I guess. I remember LOTS! good stuff and bad stuff, and minutia!! I remember the sack that I kept my rock collection in when I was 7! And the tupperware container that I kept the caterpillar in so he would make a cocoon.

So anyway, I told Sherry that I can continue with her scrapbook, but she should ask her Mom to write some time lines or something for her book. Her Dad, who her mom divorced when Sherry was 13, has sent a full family history from his side, but no pictures! Her AUnt on her Mom's side sent in 7 pages of research on geneology, but NO PICTURES!! I have a whole cruise chest full of pictures of my family, and my ancestors! I have pictures of my great grandparents! I guess some families just dont put stock in remembering. How sad!

I have to get her book finished, so I can finish other unfinished projects before this year is out. Like finish wallpapering the kitchen. and finish painting the trim in the living room, and finish painting the deck. Then I am almost finished completeing my unfinished projects year. I have tons of stuff to do, but I cant start any NEW things until I finish all the ones I have started! I keep this up and I will be booted out as president of the Procrastinator's Club!

Cant have that!

Damn Michael Chiarello!!

I Just absolutely ADORE Mikey!And since I now get fine Living Channel also, I get to watch two of his shows a day. THursday he was cooking t-Bone steak on the grill. It was the BIGGEST t-bone you have ever seen! It had to be 3 inches thick! and Must have weighed 4 lbs! He was telling how to grill it so it would come off JUST RIGHT, THat you should NEVER cook a steak any more done than Med Rare. (I like mine hot, but mooing!) He gave a good close up so you could see the juiciness of the steak, and he put a garlic butter spread on it. OH MIGAWD!! I was wiping drool off of my chin. I called my sister to see if she wanted to go out to dinner because I wanted a steak. I did not get ahold of her in time. She had already taken her Bra off and scratched. (And you ladies KNOW that once you do that, you are done for the day) So I had a sandwich.

Bob came over on Friday morning and wanted to know what I wanted to do that night. (Date night ya know) I told him I wanted to go someplace that had a good t-bone steak. He said "Well the Tyee has Prime rib tonight" No, I want a t-bone steak! SO he pointed to the garage and said "dont we still have some in the freezer?

I went down and looked and we did not have 2 t-bones we only had 1 and several top sirloins and about twenty labeled O-Steak. So I pulled out a chuck Roast and the two steaks, he chose the roast. SO I fixed it and it was good, but it sure was not a t-bone steak!

Saturday night he brought over fresh right of the boat Halibut steaks, and said Here, we can have Surf and Turf. SO I grilled the steaks and the Halibut, and pulled out my Weber Cookbook and tried a recipe for the Halibut. OH MAN WAS IT EVER GOOD> And the T-bone, Which I laid claim to, giving hom the sirloin, was to die for also. I also made some sliced Cucumbers with sliced onions soaked in red wine viegar and chilled. That was the sum of our dinner, and both of us were happy campers.

I also made an angel food cake, and poured blackberries over it for dessert. We called it a night early, and went our separate ways, Me to my bedroom, and him to his tree house. Both fully sated and relaxed.

Michael may have started something but I darn well finished it!! (BURP!!)
OH! EXCUUUSE ME!!! AHHHHH!!

Change of plans...

After taking a good hard look at the length of the trip and the fuel gauge, and my bank account, I have decided to wait until NEXT weekend to go see Tim. If I miss the ferry or get to tired to drive back, I would have to find a motel room, and today I cant afford it. I get paid once a month, on the first. SO I will wait until then. It is gonna cost me a whole tank of gas and two ferry fares of 15.00+ not to mention food and room. So, I went to Albertson;s instead, and spent my last few pennies on food to last until next weekend.

I really wanted to get away this weekend, but I just can't. I also am not sure that Tim is actually there! There are 6 wild fires growing all over the state, and he was gonna try to get qualified to go, so He may be gone already. I sure would not want to get all the way over there and find out he is on a fire line in Spokane! That would really tick me off.

I am not feeling 100% anyway, so I think I will just chill out this weekend, relax, finish my book and just putz in the yard.

Might even rent a good Chick Flick! Popcorn and diet rite, and a good movie, YEAH!

I'll go over next weekend...sorry Tim!

winding down...

I was out back today looking at the plants and Lea's fruit trees. We have not had any rain in almost a month so everything is very very dry. It has been colder than normal here too. My grass is all brown, and looks dead. The roses have seen the last of their blooms for this year I think, and the house plants that I put on the deck during the flood and mess, have all almost died of sunburn. All except for the ficus tree, which has perked right up and says I LOVE IT OUT HERE. I gave all the pothos a big haircut, and hopefully they will recover. I have had the main one for over 22 years! and the others are all grown from cuttings off of it. I never knew they would sunburn so badly!

My apple tree that Dad gave me to plant when I bought the house has decided that it is a crab apple tree, and is growing like mad. It is taking over the front yard. It is so pretty in the spring, just loaded with bright pink flowers, but the crab apples stay really really small, about the size of a small olive. Lea's plum trees, did not produce any fruit of note this year, The wind storm we had just as everything bloomed, blew the blossoms all away before they were pollenated. I was hoping for more white plum jelly. Donnas fig tree has three branches and no figs this year. It had one, but it is gone!

I will go out this weekend and trim back the wisteria, as it is taking over the neighbors house! It gets real invasive if I dont chop it back every other year or so. It is just starting to really bloom well every spring, it is over ten years old now. So for the fall and winter it will be smaller.

I will also prune back the roses in back, and cut down the two unruly rose bushes out front. Maybe move the one yellow one out back, but the floribunda one is too big and wont stay put!

It is time to start winding everything down for the year, and start thinking about getting ready for the winter. Before you know it, the bad westher will be upon us and then all the good intentions will never get handled. Make hay while the sun shines, right?

I am going to go visit Tim this weekend, Visiting hours are only Saturdays and Sundays and State observed holidays from 10-3 PM so since it will take a full 4 hours to get there, I will have to be on the first ferry out Saturday morning. He is on the Hoh River rd. right at the rain forest, and that is on the back side of the olympic penninsula from us, closer to the ocean. It should be a pretty trip, and if the weather holds good, and the traffic isnt bad, I will get lots of pictures of the forest. I doubt I can take pictures in the prison though. (as if he would want any taken anyway) I will try to be on the last ferry back, so that will be a really long day for me. During the Winter, the road will be a mess, as it freezes over there a lot more than here. I want to get this visit over before Labor Day weekend traffic hits, as the tourists hog the ferries, and all rush home before school starts. LAst weekend for camping too. UGH! Lots of motor homes on those winding 2 lane roads. eeek.

Loki is telling me it is time to turn off the lap top and pay some attention to him. Sadie is in her pen snoring loudly and I have classical music playing softly on my bedside radio, and a cold breeze blowing in on my face, so I will close this off, pet Loki, and read some more of Stephanie Plum. Gotta see if she screws Ranger this time.

Summer's end...

I have been sitting here in front of this screen several times the past week.  I have a post just waiting to come out, but once again, I can not get it out of my brain and down into my fingers and on to the keys.  

Last Saturday I made an angel food cake and took it and a bag of frozen blackberries to Donna’s house.  I had never been there before, and I had the opportunity, and the weather was good, so Off I went. It was her 39th Birthday, and Since she did not want anything, I baked her a cake!  Drizzled some key lime glaze over it and stuck some candles on top, loaded it into the car along with my telescope that I am giving to her for awhile, and headed out!

I had a bad feeling about getting on the interstate, so I took all the blue roads.  (William Least Heat Moon called the back roads, blue highways and wrote a wonderful book about the people he met on Blue Highways.)  I had to get on the Highway to cross the bridge, but once I did, I scooted off the hiway and on to the back roads.  I headed East along the water, following Similk Beach Road, and then along the water to where I got misplaced.  I then found Hiway 20 just West of Reservation Rd, so I hopped on it and followed it along until I hit the back way into Conway.  

I had an ulterior motive about using that road, as it is all along the farms and fields and road side stands.  Snow Goose Produce stand was wall to wall tourists, so I passed that one by and all the others were closed, either sold out already, or not in business any more.  The fields all looked like they were being picked, as there were quite a few workers in them.  None of them were offering their products to the public though.  I was just tasting some fresh Cauliflower too.  DARN!  I winded my way around Conway and over to Stanwood, trying to find the back way into Arlington and Donna’s place.  I took a wrong turn and ended up on Pioneer Highway instead of Marine Drive, but it worked out just fine.

I was on a road that I had never been on, and it followed the edge of the Stillaguamish Valley, and around barns and farms and houses that I had never seen.  The day was warm, and the light was a bright end of summer hazy light.  Corn was as high as an elephants eye, and the hay bales were being stacked under the rafters of  century old buildings.  This road went right through some farms, right across their front yards, and the farmers waved as I rolled on by.  Evidently used to the tourists that paving the cow paths years ago brought to them.  

I ended up in down town Silvana, right in front of the Viking Lodge.  A place that when I was a teenager, was the hottest spot in three counties.  There was a dance there every Saturday, and the sailors from the base on Whidbey, and the Airmen from the Base at Paine Field, all went there to meet girls from the surrounding communities.  It was a really vivid moment of Déjà vu!   I would take my six pack of orange crush and the others would take beer, and guess who got to drive home?  I had not been there in over 40 years!!  Not much had changed!  I knew where I was then, and headed over the Interstate overpass, to Smokey Point Blvd, and down it to Donna’s house.  

Coming back, I decided I would try to take a different way back but still stay off  I-5.  I turned off of Smokey Point Blvd and headed West on Lakewood Drive, around Lake Goodwin, Which I had never seen before, and then on to Marine Drive, and along the water to Warm Beach and then Stanwood again.  I turned off of Fir Island onto Fidalgo and turned into La Conner and followed the road on through the Swinomish Indian Reservation, then back along Similk Beach and up to the Pass.  

I love to explore like that, and just let my mind wander, as I drive.  There is so much to see, when you take the time to look, and observe and ponder on what you do see.  I saw that the summer is almost over, the light is coming from a different angle now.  Sooner than in past years it seems.  Trees are turning colors and loosing their leaves earlier than usual.  There is a Fall smell of  drying hay in the air, and it is mixed with the high resin smell of the fir trees, that have gone a long time with no water.  

As the sun was going down, I noticed a crisp feel in the air.  The nights are getting cooler now, bringing to an end the unrelenting summer dryness.  Along with the coolness comes the nitetime fog layer that creeps over everything, keeping a really low profile, as if it was trying to sneak up on you.  The fog wets all of the trees with life giving moisture, which in turn tells those plants that live on, that it is time to start storing up that energy and get ready for the long cool Fall and Winter.  We don’t have it as bad as most do, but we still get ready, and the deciduous trees lose their leaves, and go into hibernation.  The Evergreens start dropping their cones in readiness for their turn at trying to become a tree.  The squirrels are busy running up and down the fence lines stuffing cones, and nuts and seeds into their mouths and stashing them anyplace they can.  (they usually never remember where they put them though).

A Month ago, I was looking out the front Window at the setting sun and the long afterglow, and it was 10:00 PM and still light  enough to see.  Now a mere 28 days later, the sun is down at 830, and it is dark at 9:00.  This will continue until Mid December when It wont be light until 8AM and dark again at 4PM!  

I will miss the long easy days of Summer.  I love the late evenings, and I really enjoy the long early mornings.   Most of our grosbeaks have moved on, and the hummingbirds are gone now.  The Robins have pulled back, but they do not leave just stay in the trees. The Goldfinches are headed down south already, with just a few of the younger ones still hanging around.  

Lola and her ilk, are still here, and The grey squirrels are around, but staying away.  The Owls are hooting and learning how to claim their own territories, and they will each have a tree of their own before too long.

Life is winding down for the summer.  I feel the need to pull in and hibernate myself.  I am thinking that as soon as the tourists leave, I may splurge and go to the coast for a weekend.  The winter rates should be in affect then, and I could just take a good book or two and Sadie, and just go VEG!  It is time.

Nosey Neighbors...

When I moved into this neighborhood 13 years ago, I was the youngest one on the block. I was 47! THe rest of the neighbors were senior citizens, and kept pretty much to themselves except for my next door neighbor Lea. She and I went to school together in Jr. High in Hawaii! We did not know it at the time, but we were talking and discovered it.

Through the years, the senior citizens have either moved or transitioned out of this world and into another. During the 3 years I was gone, several new houses were built, filling in the empty lots. I moved back 6 years ago, and since then the neighbors on the left side of me have changed twice, the ones across the street have changed three times, and the ones right over there twice. I still have the guy across from Lea, and of course Lea that still are the same.

The couple next door is 23, active duty Navy with two small sons. The New people across the street have two or three little kids and the ones in the new house that park their cars in the garage, must have a new baby, because I see baby diapers in the trash that the crows throw all over the neighborhood.

Other than that and Lea, I know nothing about my neighbors. Phyllis told me not to encourqage the new people across the street with the two little kids, as she knows them from church.

THe lady came over the day after she moved in, to borrow my can opener as she could not find hers, so I loaned her mine. THis was three weeks ago And I had not seen my can opener since...until today.

My SIL SHerry came over to help me clean, and she drives a white van just like Phyllis'. I am sitting at the computer typing away and I hear a knock at the door. Sherry is in cleaning the kitchen, so I went to the door.

IT was the lady across the street with a small child in her arms, and in his little fist is my can opener. I said Yes? and stood in the door as she opened the screen and started to walk in. I stayed right there while she said, "We brought your can opener back." (finally) I smiled and took it from the kid who did not want to give it up. He was really cute, except for the snot running down from his nostril onto the hand that he had stuffed into his mouth with the can opener tightly clasped in it.

Mom then stuck her head around the door and peeked into the house, "oh pretty" she says commenting on the new floors. I did not want to invite her in as I was busy and so was Sherry, but she really wanted in bad. I stood my ground and kept the door half open. SHe says " I see Phyllis' is here" No says I that is my SIL's Car, and she kept trying to look around me to see if I was telling the truth. Sherry was in the kitchen oblivious to the uninvited guests.

I still held my ground as She really tried to push her way in. I politely told her that I needed to get back to my work, and she left. (WHEW)

I like to know who my neighbors are, but I have never been one to become really close to them. Learned that lesson a long time ago, when I was newly married. I like my privacy, and I really dont want snotty noses all over my house.

So tell me, are you really close to your neighbors?

August 17, 1967...DONNA!!

39 years ago today I was laying in the labor room of the NAS Whidbey Island Naval Hospital, wondering when I was going to have my baby. I was due July 4th but here it was August 17, and I still had not gone into last stages of labor. I was staying with my Mom and Dad while my husband was on the USS Ranger, in Alameda, California. I needed to have this baby so I could go down and join him and try to make a go of our marriage.

Women came into the labor room, and women left and delivered their babies, but after 3 days, I was still there. Dr. Fairfax finally decided that he would go in and break my membranes and hopefully the baby would come right away. At four PM in the afternoon he took two long bamboo skewers and stuck them up me and popped my embryonic sac. Water whoosed out all over my bed, and the doctor and me and the nurse. It worked though, as within the hour I was in full fledged Hard labor.

You were born at 11:11Pm that evening. THe most beautiful perfect little girl that I had ever seen. Your Grandpa said that you layed there in the baby basinette, naked as a jaybird, with your eyes wide open staring right at him. You were not red, or messy, you were perfect. After all you should have been 6 weeks old by then.
all 7 lbs, 12 oz of you.

You immediately took over the place, and have been doing so ever since. An independent, self sufficient, march to your own drummer beautiful little girl. I am so very thankful you came into my life! I truely believe that you are the reason that I was born. I had to be, so you could be.

I am so very proud to be your Mother, and I am so very proud of you.

I Love You Donna Gayle, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

THis and That...

Everybody be sure to go wish Kim at Jazzi's Place a Happy Birthday! She has had a really rough year, and needs some kind words.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIM!!!!

*******************************************************************************

In other news,

Tim called tonight. He is at Olympic COrrections Center, ANd he says it is just beautiful up there. Yeah I'll just bet it is...smack in the middle of the Olympic National FOrest. He did get with Department of Natural Resources, and he is so happy! He says "Mom, the gate isnt even locked!" Uh Yeah TIm, that is called TRUST. AND DO NOT VIOLATE IT! THere were 7 yeams that just came back today from the Spur Peak Fire in Eastern Washington. It is the biggest wildfire in the US right now. He cant go until he passes his PT test. Has to walk 17 laps with a heavy pack, in 40 minutes. Should be able to do that.

He said he has 5 changes of clothes and new boots! What ever makes you happy Son. Remember, you need to want to get away from there when your time is up.

It sure is nice to talk to him every week though! That will change when he gets out. I am after all just a MOTHER!

I am going to try my hand at wall papering my kitchen. I got the wall paper and the borders, and there is not a lot to do, but since I have not ever done this before except for the borders in my bedroom, This should be fun! It sure wastes a lot of paper when you try to match the pattern though. There must be a better way.

The weather is sure acting funny this month. It is warm and dry, hardly any rain at all, but it is COLD in the wind! And as soon as it gets dark, the temp drops fast. Last night I heard the ships in the Strait honking every few minutes, so the fog must be rolling in too. I have a feeling that September is going to be a real Fall, with the leaves turning quickly, and an early frost. We seem to be having our heaviest frosts before December, and warmer after December. SO strange. I would like to see a lot of snow though. It has not snowed very much at all since I retired. And I would like to wake up and see it and know that I wont have to get up and go to work in it. Just sit and watch the birds.

Well back to the wall paper.

AHHHHHH!

I did a big fat NOTHING today! IT felt soooo good. My back has been just killing me, my arthritic knees and my torn ACL's have been really hurt city too. Last night, my feet hurt! deep inside the foot, and my toes were so sore. Arthritis is the shits folks! I am so stiff and sore, and ache in joints I did not know I had. I turned up the temperature on the hot water heater, and I took a HOT HOT bath. Hot as I could stand it! SO hot, I was afraid I would scald my @$#% when I sat down! (but Hells Bells it has not been used in so long it prolly has atrophied so I couldnt feel it anyway)

I lay there in the water until it cooled off and steam quit coming off the water. I was beet red, but it felt so good! My muscles all relaxed, and I felt like a wet noodle when I got out! I rubbed aspercreme on my feet and kneew and back followed by Mineral ice, took 2 excedrin PM and lay there on my tummy reading the latest Nora Roberts book. I was soooo relaxed.

THis morning, I did not even hear Bob come in for his shower. Sadie did not even bark when he pulled into the drive way and unlocked the front door. We were both just POOPED. I stayed in bed until 9:00, got up made a pot of coffee, called my daughter, and then got dressed. I went out to get Cat Food, came home and took a nap.

I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of me. MY HOUSE IS BACK TOGETHER!! and it's CLEAN too.

So now I am checking email, reading my comments, and then I am heading back into the bedroom to finish ANGELS FALL.

I noticed several new people are visiting my blog, But they are not commenting. I wish you would. I like to meet new people. and Carla, and ML/TX I lost your emails, so I can not say hi! Please send me your email, and if you could, your snail mail addresses. I like to send Birthday cards out to people that are regular readers, but I dont know all your Birthdays. Send info to dreamer(at)galaxynet(dot)com I will then be able to drop you a line every so often.

Flax, are you still reading even though you quit blogging? Let us know how you are please. Wanda, get your butt back on line! Dorothy, are you OK? last I heard you were having tummy pains and were going on vacation.

I will try really hard to get around to all of you this week, in between keeping my new floors all clean and the house neat.

I start a new show tomorrow also. OUR TOWN by Thornton WIlder. I will be producing it.

Time for bed. See ya!

TA DA!!!!!!

Sadie is showing you the new Kitchen Floor!! (Does not show the dirt!!)




This is the Great Room floor, Pergo Laminate, with everything I own plopped right in the middle of it...I am still putting things away!




This is the Utility Room with the offending Washer hose replaced and the New Hot Water Heater installed!




Once again Sadie is showing you how great the new carpets are, she is rolling on them to show her approval. (and also to wipe off some DOg stank on them)

So Once everything is put away, which should be by Monday, then I will be around to every ones blog and say hey! I appreciate the fact that you all are still stopping by. I guess I am like a soap opera huh! Always wonder what is gonna happen next.

Barbara will be here this afternoon to finish painting the LR ceiling, and help me put away things. I dont know what I would have done without her help and her PUSHING me to get it done. I needed someone like her in my life!! I just wish it had not taken the death of her husband to put us back in touch with each other.

So, on to putting crap away! I need a dumpster out front, because there is stuff that I have kept that I have no idea WHY> and it is going away!!

DOWN SIZE NOW people. It is so nice!

WHOOT!!! EEEEEEE!!!!

WHOO-HOO!!! I have FLOORS!! real live honest to goodness floors in all the rooms!! Brand new floors in all but one bathroom, and rugs that still have that new house smell!! Right now Sadie and the cats are sniffing everything over, making sure it is really thier home again.

And as the way things have been going, the Floors Plus people did NOT tell the carpet layers that they were to move everything out and back in. SO they moved everything out into the great room, layed the carpet, and then moved just the big pieces of furniture back in again, and I guess I am to do the rest! I really dont care! At least I will know where everything is and I can remember what all I still have! THere is a lot that is going to the crap shop! I have an old dell computer 486 SX that runs at 26K anybody want it? SLLLOOOOOOWWWWWW!I dont think it even has 1 gig in the hard drive! I think it is too outdated to be any good to anyone at all!

SO I will be putting things away, and dusting furniture, and trying to find pieces to pieces to get my tv's back up and running. You noticed the first thing I got running was the Puter! ANd the office! No dummy me!

THis is where I could use a couple of grandkids...they could fetch and run for me, while I sit and put away. GOt any to spare?

NOw to go find the dust mop!

Global WARMING?

I swear it is Fall already!  It is only the middle of August, and the leaves are turning and falling !  The grass is dead, from the heat last month, and now the nights are getting cooler and the fog is laying out on the Sound, making the  days feel cooler too.  

I sit up high, and the wind whooshes in from The Pacific, narrows as it pushes through the Strait, and smacks right into my house.  This morning we woke up to rain, and wind, and even Sadie stood at the door and said “Nope, don’t have to pee that bad” crossed her little legs and went back to sleep.  

I have had Bea out on the deck during this flooring, and this is the first rain she has ever experienced.  Poor baby Bea Bunny!  She has a nice full long coat of wool to keep her warm though.  I make sure that she has shade and half of her cage is covered, so she can stay dry if she needs to.  Sadie is out there right now laying beside her cage, and communicating as only dogs and bunnies do with each other.  I would love to see just how Sadie would act if she was let loose, however I fear she would be Lunch!  She bounces and plays chase with the cats, but I think Sadie would be way too rough with her.  I will bring her in after the carpets get placed, and she can then run and play to her hearts content, and she will love that.  It has been a rough 3 months for all of the critters, as their home and their routines have really been put to the test.

Bob will be over this afternoon to help me move all of my bedroom furniture into the great room, as that part is my responsibility.  I opted to replace my bedroom rug along with the other rooms, even though that is the only room that stayed dry,.  The carpet needed it and I could get a 15% discount if I did it at the same time as the rest of the house.  I had to have the old rug out, take up the tack strips, remove the baseboards, and clear out the furniture.  SO I will.  

The rug people will do the other two rooms I assume.  The Great room floor is only minutes from being complete.  He is out of transition strips, but that will be here tomorrow.  I still have a ton of work to do, as everything from this room and the Library were stuffed into any space they could find, and now I have to put everything back.  Mean while all the books and shelves from the library will have to be put in the middle of the great room.  

Bob’s well, or pump went South on him yesterday, so he has been coming over here every morning to shower and get ready for the day.  And his hot water heater went out on him too.  We have this cloud hanging over us I swear.  I sure hope it clears up soon!!


UPDATE:

In case anyone out there would care to send a little good cheer to an inmate,
Tim's address is:

Tim CHandler 813840

Olympic Corrections Center
11235 Hoh Mainline
Forks, Wa. 98331

He wont be there for about a week. He would love to receive any mail at all, but I cant guarantee that he will write back. (I am just his mother, so maybe he WILL write back to ya'll)

Thanks!

Update on TIm

Tim called this afternoon, to let me know that he still has not had word that my Visitation application has been approved yet. It takes almost 6 weeks to get it approved.

He did tell me that he has been evaluated and found to not be a violent criminal, (we KNEW that) and that he will be moving to Olympic COrrections Center sometime soon. They do not tell you when it will be because they keep it a secret for security sake. I guess I can see their point. WOuld be nice to stand on the road and wave as he goes by though.

At OCC he will be able to work with the Department of Natural Resources! Exactly what he was hoping for! He also said he will be geetting treatment for his addictions there too. SO he sounded really upbeat and excited. He has been working in the kitchen for the past week, which makes the time fly by, and that is a good thing.

WHEW!!!!

and they laid the great room floor today and will be back tomorrow to put the base boards back up and the transition strips in. THen Thursday it is the carpet guys!!
Oh it looks sooooo NICE in here now!!

Phyllis was talking to a guy at the meeting she went to on Camano, and he had a flood too, in February, and STILL has no floors. But his was the Ocean! Big winds little house on the beach, LOTS of water. I guess I should be thankful huh? I really am! REALLY!!

And so it starts...

After 3 months of living on subflooring, and not being able to clean house, (ever tried to sweep subflooring? Everything sticks to it) the floor guys are here starting on the great room laminate. YES!!

they came last week and put in the vinyl in the kitchen utility room and bathroom, so those three rooms look wonderful. Today they are moving furniture and laying flooring!

This weekend my wonderful, strong,energetic friend from high school, Barbara, came over and we painted the great room and 1/2 of the ceiling, (ran out of time.) so we had all of the furniture pushed into the middle of the room. Barbara is short, so she could climb her wonderful painting ladder and reach the ceiling easily, so she did the edges, and I sat in my chair and put an extension on the roller, and I did the middle with the roller. You can not imagine how much better the living room looks.

I had painted the room yellow 2 years ago, and decided to change the fireplace wall to terra cotta, which I did, but it clashed! SO I tempered it down with some of the yellow from the room and it is PERFECT!!! Then I wanted something to tie it together, so back the Sherwin Williams and the wall paper books I go, And find THE PERFECT wallpaper for the border around the ceiling and the complimenting paper for the kitchen! Should be in next week, and I will have help putting that up too!

Once the laminate is in, then they will move everything out of the bedrooms and lay the carpeting. I am getting so excited!! I started to pick up the phone and call some of you and tell you how excited I was! but it was midnight my time, and thought you would all HATE me if I woke you up. ;)

By this Weekend, my house should have flooring in all of the rooms, and the furniture should all be in place finally!! Once everything is finished, wallpaper in, and up, I will take pictures of my beautiful new house!! I am starting to quiver...

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

Still Gone :(

I have been up and down all the streets, looked in all garages, asked everybody I can see, went to WAIF (animal shelter) and the Vet in town, and still No Chitters.

It is really heartbreaking not knowing what happened to him. I dont want to think that he is laying hurt somewhere, or worse yet, locked in a garage or car and starving to death. He was not a fat cat, so He would not last very long with no food. Even Loki is walking around the house calling for him.

I miss my sweet baby kitty more than I can say. I will a post about him when it isnt so raw. I cried all night the other night and got up with frog eyes! YICK!!

The Kitchen floor, and the utility room floors are in! the New hot water heater is in, and the bathroom is done, and the toilet reinstalled and flush tested!! YIPPEE!!!

I have 28 boxes of laminate and 3 rolls of padding in the middle of my living room. SO Monday morning at 815, they will start the laminate. THen on Thursday they will install the carpeting in the bedrooms, and they will be done!! Finally!!

Barb is coming over tomorrow and we are gonna paint our little hearts out in the living room. I ordered some really cool wallpaper and border that will tie the Livingroom and the fireplace wall all together, That will be NEXT weekends project.

THis has been a LOOOONNG 3 months!!!! I am so afraid to wash a load of clothes when I am not right there watching it. I am sure I will get over soon though.

I took the car in today and got the sock replaced on the oil filter. (Did YOU know oil filter had socks on them? It was all gooky and full of junk, so that was probably the reason it cut out on me. THey checked the baffles and they are fine. THey dropped the tank to do this, and there does not appear to be a lot of water in the tank, they would have drained it but I said HELL NO! I just filled it, and I cant afford another 5o.oo to fill it back up. They laughed. I tested it by taking West Beach road home, and I floored it going up that long steep hill, and it just zoomed up it. and going up Sherman Hill on the hiway it zoomed up it too. Thank You Bob for fixing that for me. WHew. I will pay him back when I get my tax refund next spring.

Things are starting to look a bit sunnier. Now if I can only find my Chitter Babies home and healthy. SIGH!!

emotions running rampant.

This week has been full of emotions already. They started laying the floor on Friday! WHOOT! then they stopped after the underlayment was in, and Today they started laying the vinyl in the kitchen, bathroom, and utility room. It took most of the day to get that done. Oh by the way, they forgot to TELL me they were coming until 630 last night!

This morning, They tell me that the plumber was here to take out the hot water heater. They had a plumber come out last week and take out the heater, and then put the underlayment down then put the heater back in. During that time they tell me that the hot water heater only has about 6 more months until it too will blow. ARRGHHH!! THey also told me that if I could get a new one right away, they could install it when they took the old one out when the vinyl got applied. COOL!! I called SEARS and maxed out my Premier card and ordered a new 55 gallon electric hot water heater, the same size dimentions as the old one, so I knew it would fit. Sears said they would call when it came in.

So imagine my surprise when a DIFFERENT plumber comes today, to take out the OLD heater (again) so they could lay the vinyl, And he would be back tomorrow to put the OLD heater back in.

WAIT A MINUTE!!! I explained what the OLD plumbers said, and the NEW plumber said well they went out of business. IN THREE DAYS???? Seems the State closed them down for code violations. and I was going to be out of hot water for a day. I called Sears, and then called bob at the cafe where he eats his lunch, and we made a mad dash to Burlington, 50 miles away, to pick up the NEW water heater.

We get it home, and unloaded, and the Floors plus dude calls and says whoops, we cant do that, because they have to do all kinds of "stuff" to the NEW heater to conform to code. I FUCKING LOST IT!!! I yelled into the phone how tired I was of dealing with this shit, that there was NO communication at all, and I had been asking. He took exception to that and said he HAD been communicating to me. I said oh yeah! Every three days you would come out and tell me the moisture content of my floor and say you would be back in three days, and then you stretched it to two weeks!! I also told him I just bought a new one, and I could not afford the installation fees. He hemmed and hawed while I yelled into the phone. (I'm telling you folks, I FREAKED!!! Bob's eyes got big and he choked!)

I told him that the plumber that told me he COULD do it for nothing was an employee of HIS company, as he contracted with them. and why should I have to bear the cost of it when it was not my fault? He totally agreed with me, and said he would do it.

Now I feel like a sack of runny shit, for losing my temper, my cool, my head and everything else, and screaming at him into the phone. Tomorrow the NEW plumber will be here at 1130 to install the NEW heater, and then on Monday of next week, they will start the laminate in the living room. WHEE!!!

And the reason I am so emotional right now is my loving grey cat "Chitters" who always sits beside me while I type is missing. He ran out the door yesterday morning, and he never came back. It has been way over 24 hours now and no sign of him. I am just heart broken. He was the kitten that chose me, as I turned in a litter of kittens I had fostered. He reached his fuzzy grey striped foot out of the cage and grabbed my pant leg as I walked by. I bent down, and immediately fell in love with him...He has been in my bed for 11 years, and I just dont know how I am going to sleep with out him purring softly in my ear. He comforted me when I lost Rudy and was sobbing into my pillow, He would jump up and give me kisses to tell me he was still there. He was such a love. Oh dear GOd please send him back to me.

I looked all over the neighborhood and did not sleep at all last night, I kept hearing him call to me. He has such a soft sweet little voice, and I just thought I heard it, but I did not. I have a feeling that he is in someones garage, and is afraid to come out of hiding. I have looked everywhere.

So right now my emotions are right on the edge. I will get over it I know, but I was not expecting this. I want my Chitter Babies back! SNORF!! And how am I going to finish my afghan with out him on my lap? How am I going to have my coffee in the morning with out him begging for a saucer of cream? How am I going to open a piece of cheese with out him right there begging for a bite. I gotta go blow my nose...