THUNDER AND LIGHTNING, OH MY!

 

Unseasonable warmth brought full bloom

We are blessed to have our grandson, 3-year-old Silas, at a time when day-brighteners mean so much. We enjoy hearing of his experiences as he learns about the world.

The other day, someone told me that a fluke storm was predicted for the west coast between Seattle and Portland. She said her brother was actually readying his home for excessive wind and rain, including nailing plywood over the windows. So, I reached out to daughter Hallie to see if they were preparing for a big storm, but she only knew of a thunderstorm alert. This morning, she sent me the following account of watching the lightning with young Silas:

“We only had a little thunder and lightning yesterday evening. The thunder was low and long and the lightning was a few flashes in the sky but not bolts. Silas was interested, so I held him while we looked out the back door window. We didn’t see anything, so we went to read on the bed. Then the thunder started acting up, so we stood on the bed in the dark to look out the high window.

“Finally, a good flash happened and I gasped with excitement. Silas hit the deck like he’d been shot! As he lay curled at my knee, I asked him if it scared him, and he said yes. I apologized for gasping and told him I was just so excited. He asked if the lightning would get him, and I told him that it wouldn’t. It would stay in the sky. (We’ll learn more about lightning safety when he’s older.) I told him that it’s like a great big flashlight in the sky and it says, ‘ready or not, here I come!’ He laughed.”

We had two days (March 25 and 26) of record-setting high temps – in the low 80s – here in the Valley. As one might expect when the weather is unseasonably warm, we also had a lightning storm last night but not much thunder. Today, it’s much cooler – hovering at 60. KW

YAY! SPRING HAS SPRUNG!

The warm temps have brought the imitation cherry tree into bloom

It was in the 80s yesterday and today, but don’t put away your sweatshirts or winter PJs just yet. Supposedly more seasonable temps are on the way (highs in the 50s & 60s) and will continue for several weeks.

But spring is here. I see forsythia in bloom as well as other flowering bushes, and the daffodils bend and bow in the breeze. We’ve had quite a lot of wind and not too much rain.

It did rain on Sunday though (3-23), and Mike and I killed some time by getting groceries. While we were at Albertsons, we visited JoAnn’s. The shelves aren’t quite bare, and the prices are still kinda high. Some areas have signs announcing that more merchandise will arrive soon, while other aisles are bare and taped off. Actually, I saw quite a lot of fabric – 50% off, 2-yard minimum cut, but the yarn is mostly gone unless they get another shipment. I had no trouble walking out empty handed.

I have started seedlings in trays under grow lights, but honestly, I think I was just as successful when I sprouted them in peat pots in the kitchen window, plus they needed less handling. Perhaps it’s not too late to do that, especially for planting at the farm.

I’m sorry I haven’t had a lot to say. Writing my talk for court in Boise next week has renewed my anger, and the muse went away, except for the one that’s writing the talk, of course. I have had more senior moments than I care to divulge, like leaving the kitchen faucet on, neglecting to turn off the stove, and steaming the broccoli in a dry pan. (So glad that the warm temps have allowed us to air the house. That burned broccoli odor really lingers.) I’m hopeful that once the court visit is over, I’ll have better focus. I’d hate to think it’s time for the condo or assisted living, but I will accept graciously if/when I must. KW

BREEZY MARCH

“Dang it!” said Mike. He had planned a bike ride yesterday afternoon – and the day before that and the day before that – but windy conditions prevailed. The wind at your back is fine but headwinds and crosswinds are no fun. Yesterday, he took Bess on a long hike in lieu of a bike ride, but today he was determined to cycle, wind and all. 

It froze again last night – 28 this morning. The forecast is for highs in the 70s next week, working up to almost 80 on Wednesday the 26^th, if this forecast can be believed. Then the highs drop back into the 60s and it might rain. I say, “might rain,” because so often it doesn’t. Overall, I guess we shouldn’t complain about our mild weather.

The daffodils have begun to trumpet that spring is here, and with their announcement we see the need to pull weeds, cut back old growth, and get rid of that pesky grass! 

I’m off on another project tangent, putting everything aside to crochet a shrug, or shoulderette, to wear to court in a couple of weeks. My basic outfit is a t-shirt over black slacks, so I thought something that might dress it up a bit would be nice. I have ordered two shirts from this Etsy company. The first, a medium, was snug, so this one I ordered in a large, and it's way BIG. Too late. I'll just have to make the best of it. 

Meanwhile, I have been on an emotional roller-coaster as I prepare my speech. KW 

MORE EXCITEMENT THAN WE COULD STAND

Ken, our friend and Mike’s hunting buddy, was called out of town on a family emergency, so he boarded his dog Zeda. (Or is it Zeta? I’m really not sure.) Ken’s previous dog Pepper passed to the great dog park in the beyond some months ago, and friends allowed him to take Zeda, one of their several German Shorthairs, so that he could continue his bird-hunting adventures. She’s six years old – a beautiful white dog with brown patches. She’s a good hunter, but she’s nervous, skittish, and afraid of her own shadow, other dogs, and unfamiliar surroundings.

When Ken was called out of town due to a family emergency, he boarded Zeda at a veterinary clinic, and Mike agreed to exercise her from time to time. We have helped with Ken’s dogs for years while he traveled. Ken suggested a certain locale along the river where he often exercises her, so on Monday, we checked Zeda out of the facility and took her to that place. Before we had gone very far, she bolted and ran back to the car. The point was that she should exercise, and she clearly wasn’t having any of it.

The arrow indicates Zeda's location (photo from 2016)

So, on Wednesday, we tried again. About 4:00, we picked up Zeda and went to the dog park at Swallows Nest, which is bordered by a fence on one side and the river on the other. We thought she would be safely confined. WRONG! She ran to the other side of the park and then to a “pond” on the south side. Naturally, we humans couldn’t keep up, and Bess just didn’t care. When we got to the pond, Zeda had swum to the other side (Mike estimates 100 yards) and was seeking a way to climb the bank. The only way to get to her was to leave the dog park and go around the long way on dry land, which Mike did. He managed to retrieve her and brought her back on leash. And that’s when the real excitement began.

Mike had re-entered the park with Zeda on leash when another dog approached her and she freaked out. She slipped her collar, ducked under the gate, and ran across the highway (scary!). “I hate when they do that,” another dog owner remarked. Mike caught sight of Zeda running up the hill, so we jumped in the car and drove around that neighborhood looking for her. As it happens, Ken lives in that vicinity, so we stopped at his house several times, thinking she might go there.

So, we went back to the vet’s and reported Zeda as a runaway. Long story short, the vet posted her on Facebook as a missing dog, and apparently a couple of girls saw this and happened to spot her not far from the vet’s. Between the girls and the vet, they nabbed her about 5:45. Mike and I were so relieved.

"All’s well that ends well," we said, and then we added, "Never again!"  Zeda can just do without exercise. KW

THE READINESS IS ALL

I drove into town to shop Albertsons, and once I had parked, I made a beeline for JoAnn’s. Yes, the store is still open, draped in big banners announcing closure. In fact, I was surprised at how much merchandise is still available, and I didn’t think the deals were as good as they were last week. Perhaps they’re trying to maximize their sales, and who would blame them, but 10, 20, and 40 percent off did not entice me to buy. Lots of fabric is still in stock, but now the minimum is a two-yard cut at 25% off. As I’ve said, I’m trying to use the fabric I have, and I definitely don’t need 2-yard cuts. I didn’t even look at the fabric.

I think it’s odd that JoAnn recently began branding a sewing machine. According to my research, they didn’t manufacture them but rebranded existing machines, such as Singer. They had quite a supply of JoAnn machines at my store – only 10% off.

So, I walked out of JoAnn’s empty handed. This would not be the case at Albertsons where I searched out the specials. The times feel uncertain to us, so once again I’m thinking in terms of preparedness. I bought flour and toilet paper and even found eggs at half price. We can use various substitutes for eggs, but in my opinion, nothing works as well as an actual egg.

Speaking of eggs, I saw Cadbury eggs at the checkout stand and thought of Milo. He loved those Cadbury Crème Eggs, and each year at Easter, he allowed himself one. Just one. KW

MUSINGS ON CHANGE

It froze again last night. The high today is in the mid-50s.

Get ready – DST this weekend. Spring your clock ahead an hour on Sunday (March 9).

I must keep my thoughts warm and flexible amidst the turmoil, I tell myself. No grudges. No resentment. It’s important! But sometimes it’s hard.

As I looked at my phone last night, I realized that I no longer need the JoAnn app, so I removed it. I also unsubscribed from JoAnn email. “All stores closing,” it says, so no use to cling to the past, but it’s the end of a long era. I wasn’t paying much attention anyway. I long ago realized that the coupons didn’t make much difference for the little I spent at the store, especially when the discounts only applied to regular-priced merchandise, and at JoAnn’s, most everything was on sale. And now, of course, there are no coupons. It’s just that I will miss JoAnn at that little shopping center where I also bought groceries. No more “one stop shopping.”

A new fabric / yarn shop has opened in town, and I was amused to read that open days and hours are limited – only Wednesday through Saturday and different hours most every day with no evening hours. Maybe it will work. I wish them well. But I was just thinking – if I need some handwork notion, I can order it Sunday and have it Tuesday, literally before the shop re-opens. The new shop may appeal to quilters who demand the best quality fabric for their work, but I’ve always thought those people are in the minority of sewists.

And then we heard that the reporter who covered Milo’s wrongful death with accurate, thoughtful articles has left the local newspaper to pursue a new opportunity. She kindly sent a personal notification to our family and said that another reporter will take over future installments of our story, but still, it seems like a loss. Silly to feel that way, I know.

Early next month, Mike and I and other family members (Murray, Clinton, and Hallie) will travel to Boise to attend the sentencing of Milo’s murderer. Immediate family members have the right to address the defendant, and every day I rehearse my speech. I’m a homebody – always have been – so it’s not easy for me to step up to this. It’s not the speaking but the travel and the break in my routine that causes me angst. I’m one angry mama, and I am more than happy to air my views, but I will be relieved when it’s over. KW

UNSEASONABLY WARM TEMPS

Our valley highs have been in the mid-60s with lows just above freezing. I wouldn’t plant outside yet, but I’m thinking of starting my tomato plants. I read that it’s recommended to plant squash directly into the soil for better root development, so I’ll do that.

Yesterday, Mike spent an hour clearing out the bed on the west side of the house. He’s anxious to spray the graveled areas with a pre-
emergent, so we went to the farm this morning to get the sprayer.

Farm report:

We saw patches of snow here and there, especially where it had drifted or piled up. Clearly, the snow is melting. The thermometer on the kitchen porch read 38, but it was warm in the sun. We were comfortable in our sweatshirts. Water was standing in the low places, such as between the barn and the pond, but otherwise the ground wasn’t saturated. We’re happy to report that the lane didn’t wash out and we had no problem driving in.

Rodents abound in the yard – a real infestation, but we only had two mice in traps in the house. This probably just means that they’re avoiding the traps.

Mike found the duck decoy that held the aerator hose on the bank of the pond with its nose chewed off. And that’s strange. Some animal must have thought it was real and drug it out of the pond. We have more decoys in the attic if Mike decides to replace it.

The early daffodils are just poking through the soil.

I see plenty of work in my future, but it’s on hold for another month or six weeks. KW