COLD AGAIN!

Fortunately, I know better than to remove the electric blanket before June. It’s back to my winter uniform, probably for the rest of the week, if not longer.

Monday (April 15) was a stressful day. We had a phone conference with the prosecuting attorney regarding their investigation of Milo’s homicide. They say that they want to be sure of a thorough investigation and that it’s going to take time. Well, I don't see the prosecuting attorney as a friend, so for me, it just renewed the grief, remorse, and regret.

Also on Monday, the appliance store called to say they could deliver our new stove and washer to the farmhouse the next day (Tuesday the 16^th). Well, we hadn’t planned to go, but we certainly wanted the delivery, so we agreed. The change in plans seemed to add to the stress of the day.

So, Tuesday morning, just as we were ready to leave for the farm, I noticed a headline in my email announcing that Hwy 12 was closed because of a wreck. We took Hwy 95 instead, and this proved difficult as well because of another closure. We had to backtrack several miles. Oh well. We weren't lost, and we made it to the farm.

“It’s cold up here,” said Mike. It’s always cooler at elevation, but for us, the change was profound. It was 80+ in town over the weekend, and now it was 44 at the farm.

Mike fixed the faucet at the kitchen sink before beginning the outdoor work. We traveled in the old truck carrying a load of horse manure, and Mike offloaded it near the raised beds. Then he mowed the lawn. Surprisingly, the grass had grown significantly since our visit two weeks ago.

Old Kenmore range

I prepped the old stove for removal. Then I poisoned gopher holes, watered the rhubarb plants, etc.

Largent’s arrived at 2:40 with the new appliances. Out with the old, in with the new. It didn’t take long. Mike connected the gas line to the new stove and installed the burner grates.

New Frigidaire range

Suddenly it was time to leave. The wind was blowing and white stuff swirled around as we rushed to finish last minute chores. The delivery guys reported that Hwy 12 was open to one-lane traffic, so we decided to return by that route. Unfortunately, we (the westbound traffic) had to wait 20 minutes, and Mike counted 105 eastbound vehicles waiting their chance to go.

Whirlpool washer

[An article in the Lewiston Tribune (April 17) reports that an eastbound Dodge Ram crossed the center line and collided with a semitruck just after 7:00 a.m. Tuesday. Both drivers were taken to hospitals. The accident was a mile west of Myrtle. The semitruck was still in the ditch as we returned to town.] KW

WHAT TO WEAR, WHAT TO WEAR

It’s suddenly turned quite warm. It was 55 at 6:00 this morning, about the same as at bedtime last night.

So, it’s time to drop the winter uniform – my comfortable warm-ups and sweatshirts – and find something else to wear that’s not only suitable for the season but also age-appropriate. No easy feat! It’s a dilemma every year.

It will likely reach 80 today and tomorrow, but next week will be cooler again with very little chance of precipitation.

Mike and Hallie have an upcoming conference call relating to Milo’s homicide, and we are relieved for this sign of progress. Certain documents are restricted due to the criminal investigation, and we hope those will soon be released. KW

FAILURES

I've mentioned here previously – several times – that my cooking / baking efforts aren’t going well. “Honey, if you don’t cook, you get so you can’t cook,” said my mother-in-law. I have diligently continued to cook, but I’m still getting so I can’t cook. I hope I will eventually get better, but then, I’ve been hoping that my whole life. And while it was ingrained in me in my youth that “practice makes perfect,” I have always believed that other factors are involved, like talent and ability.

This last failure was an angel food cake from scratch. I bought liquid egg whites (Lucerne brand from Albertsons), and I thought they looked strange – kinda milky. In fact, I checked to be sure it really was egg whites. Well, I beat the heck outta those egg whites and they never did stiffen up. I was afraid I was going to burn out my stand mixer! I researched online for advice without finding help for the immediate situation, so in the end, I just stirred in the flour and powdered sugar, poured the mixture into the tube pan, and plopped it in the oven. The mixture was so thin that it seeped through the bottom of the pan and onto the freshly cleaned oven floor. (I had to clean it after the previous fail, a chocolate coconut impossible pie.)

Well, I did read that it’s best to use real egg whites, and so I’m anxious to try again. However, the news regarding the loss of eggs due to the avian flu does not bode well. Eggs will be expensive again, they say. Well – so what.

Oh – how did the angel food cake turn out, you ask. We ate it. It tasted like angel food cake. It was just dense, like the ones you see at a store bakery. Maybe they use their store-brand egg whites.

Promotional photo, Herrschner's, Inc.

And I’m not fairing much better with other creative activities. I started an afghan using the Tunisian (afghan) stitch, and I swear, I’ve had to restart six times. It’s frustrating since I learned this stitch in childhood. I even understand the pattern, and still I struggle. I now count the stitches upon completion of every row. It's time-consuming but less so than discovering the error with completion of the next row. This is an old project – a kit purchased at least 25 years ago in my "pansy" period. I ask myself if it’s worth my time. It’s going to take a while, especially if I have to re-do each row. I just don’t want to give in. KW

ECLIPSE DAY 2024

Imitation Cherry Tree 2024 -- not full of blooms

I couldn’t believe that millions of people would get on those broken-down airplanes and travel from all over the world to see the eclipse. Someone described a total eclipse of the sun as “life-changing.” I have a certain appreciation of it, but tell me I have to endure crowds in order to participate, and I’m not much interested. And I already know what a truly life-changing event looks like.

“Are you going to look at the eclipse,” Mike asked.

And I thought of that time in the fourth grade when Mrs. Peer told our class that we should never look at the sun unless we looked through two black and white film strips. Then it was safe, she said. I wasn’t so sure. I decided then and there to avoid looking directly at the sun. So, no, I didn’t look at the sun even to see a partial eclipse. I thought the sunlight seemed a little duller than usual, but Mike said he didn’t even notice that. Here in the West, the eclipse was a fizzle, but then, we expected this.

The cherry tree in April 2023

The imitation cherry tree is not going to be spectacular this year. The blossoms developed too soon owing to a warmer winter when we saw little variation in day and night temps. This signals spring to the vegetation, and the blossoms develop too soon. Then we had another spell of lows at or near freezing, and with that, the blossoms failed. Brother Chuck tells me that leaves withstand the cold better than the blossoms. We even saw frost in the Valley this week. It remains to be seen if we have fruit on the farm this year. I reminded Mike that once the apple trees bloom, we must spray them. KW

SPRING DROUGHT

 

Tuesday (April 2), we went to the farm, trailering the lawnmower. I forgot to report on our last visit that the lane didn’t wash out this year. The work last fall paid off.

The new nozzle for the kitchen sink didn’t arrive even though we expected it. That’s a story in itself. Thinking it would be delivered by UPS, Mike had the order addressed to the farm, but instead of delivering it, UPS dropped it into the post office. Our farm mail delivery is suspended until May 1, so we were unsure if it would be forwarded to the town house or returned to sender. Fortunately, our mail lady delivered it yesterday.

So, Mike will fix the kitchen faucet on our next trip, but he did install a new flapper in the downstairs toilet before commencing to spray the weeds that grow up the center of the lane. This is a time-consuming project and involves climbing on and off the 4-wheeler.

My time-consuming project was feeding the gopher holes in the yard. The gophers have been busy expanding their underground highway. I kept finding more holes! And we had four large mice in traps in the house. The Great Rodent War 2024 is on!

The daffodils are in bloom, and I was glad to see them. The strawberry plants also look good, and I pulled the pine straw off of them so that they can enjoy the sun. Well, it was a pleasant spring day while we were there, but now we’re having another spell of winter.

A solitary Canada goose was patrolling the pond. I suspect he was guarding a family hidden in the reeds because he wasn’t intimidated by our presence. He even warned Bess with a hearty honk, and Bess barked back but moved off.

Before we left, we planted a few rhubarb roots that a friend gave me. I’m skeptical that these will grow. At the farm, my established rhubarb plants are barely making a showing, but my friend in town is already pulling healthy stalks.

Note dry ground

I tell you what, though – it’s already dry. It’s early spring and the pond isn’t overflowing into the spillway and it’s dry under the clothesline. It’s early to be so dry and doesn’t bode well for the summer. The newspaper reports that parts of Clearwater County are already in drought, and I can believe it. We could use some of that moisture that’s falling in abundance in other regions. We’ve had some rain this week, but it’s never enough. KW

UPDATE – MILO WARNOCK

Just an FYI: A new video on YouTube titled "Milo Warnock - Rest in Peace" addresses prison issues as well as events leading to Milo's homicide. Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QpmHtvXBL0

We have received word that the ISP investigative report has been submitted to the Ada County Prosecutor, but apparently they requested further investigation.

Other investigations relative to Milo’s case are continuing.

Just this morning, we approved the design for Milo’s headstone (monument). Burial of his ashes is scheduled for May 25. KW

HAPPY APRIL FOOL'S DAY

A postcard from the early 1900s