Heat wave

 

Cooking sure gets old during a multi-day heat wave. We shared a small grilled steak last night and I made an oriental noodle salad. I drank too much iced white wine. It went down easy.

That salad looks refreshing, but the dressing was kind of cloying. Who puts a third cup of peanut butter in a salad? A couple tablespoons would have been enough. That's what I get for following exact Internet recipes.

Anyway, it's been hot, hot, hot. Not that long ago, a single 90 degree day in Seattle was unusual; a 5-day string unheard of. It should finally break by early next week when we get our beloved "marine push" off the ocean and temps drop to the high 60's.

Of course it's even hotter in central Washington. Triple digits. The kids walked down to our place by the river to cool off with a picnic last night. Amanda said it was beautiful and peaceful. Gosh, I really start to miss the place after a couple weeks in Seattle.

Maya always finds something enchanting to look at.

In other news, we're finally getting things sorted out with the electrical company. We'll know after the same electricians return next month to complete the job. We hope.

This has gone back and forth for days and consumed much of John's time and energy. For which I'm grateful, because he speaks their technical language and knows what the heck they're talking about. What I know about electricity you could fit in a thimble. And when it comes to working through bids with a fine tooth comb, there's no one better.

Dear friends and family have a good weekend wherever you are. 

 

A short break

 

Everything is fine here, just taking a short blogging vacation on these lazy, hot, no-big-news days. 

Be back soon...

Hot

 

What's not to like about a classic daisy? But like many old-fashioned perennials, they bloom all at once, like a cut bouquet, then they're unsightly for the rest of the summer. The water-hog hydrangeas are beautiful too this year-- the wet early summer was perfect for setting masses of flowers. At least those last for weeks.

As the garden transitions to August, the Asiatic lilies already look pretty rag tag. The final lily hurrah are the fragrant Asiatics like "Stargazer." John's favorite flowers. It's a challenge keeping everything watered by hand with temperatures in the 90's. Our neighbors across the street are out of town so I'm doing their yard also. 

The city nights are short, hot and noisy. For the sleep challenged, forget about solid rest. Add to that, the raccoons throw a party in our yard about 2:30 am. We hear them chewing things outside the window. What?  There's nothing here to eat, so they must carry in bits food and have a picnic in their their private "park." They like some old blue wine bottles I have in the garden. I heard them clinking and rolling around last night as they played some sort of game.

Of course, we're bleary eyed, and they're sound asleep somewhere now. 

 

Happy Monday

 

The yard is full of birds this summer, especially the house sparrows, technically English Sparrows. They chatter all day and have a couple of nests, one up in the chimney.  Yes, they're common birds but I'll take what I can get these days of dwindling variety.

But a sweet sight yesterday when the big sprinkler turned the olive tree into a birdie spa and attracted a flock of excited Bushtits. They just seem to appear out of nowhere when they hear water dripping.

 

The West Seattle Grand Parade was a shorter and more subdued version, but after two years the community was glad to have it back. Other than that, we stayed close to home all weekend. I'm still nursing a sore back, although it finally feels somewhat better this morning. The doctor pronounced it "muscular-skeletal" and sent me on my way with some muscle relaxants. Ho hum.

OK, I can't help being proud Nana and showing off these incredibly athletic girls. Here's a couple of short videos taken by Tom of Nova (12) and Maya (9) burning up the lanes at Brewster swim meet on Saturday. Both of them on the Twsip Killer Whales Swim Team, and having a very good summer.

 

Summer food

 

Hard to beat a platter of grilled vegetables and chicken sausage. We're headed into a heat wave next week, with temps around 90. Way too hot for Seattle folks, most of us without air-conditioning.

The West Seattle Grand Parade returns tomorrow after a two year pandemic hiatus. We'll carry our lawn chairs a block to watch in the usual place, as we have for 30+ years. But times change, and the popular Seattle Police Motorcycle Drill Team will be missing at the start of the parade. The police department is spread too thin to spare them. Go figure. 

In other news, the Wall Doctor guy said the damage was pretty typical. The electricians give them plenty of business. They'll repair everything on our laundry list in about a day, then we'll take care of the painting. Their carpenter will probably build a "door" to cover the hacked out electrical panel.

Unfortunately, the electrician is coming back again to do more work they uncovered that was not part of the original estimate. That means even more money and mess, but it doesn't make sense to come this far without completing the job 100%. If we ever decide to sell the old money pit.

Have a good weekend.

In other news

 

Maya got a first in the back stroke event at the local swim meet this week. Way to go. That's beautiful form for such a young kid-- the girls have excellent coaches with the Twisp Killer Whales Swim Team and they're natural athletes in the water. You might remember, the season was cancelled last summer because of the fires and smoke which was a major disappointment for the community.

Summer finally got started here in Seattle and the weather is cloudless, 80 degree perfection, although by next week it will be too hot for most people. We worked and worked yesterday cleaning house after the project, John more than me in the basement vacuuming up gobs of dirt. The wall repair won't be a clean process either, but I can't imagine anything more disruptive and dirty than old house rewiring. But like John says, sometimes "I lack imagination" when it comes to things that can go wrong.

 

The Wall Doctor estimator comes this morning.

Up to code

 

At times over the past week, dynamite seemed like the more attractive option. Anyway, more money into the old money pit as they say, and now we're up to code. The inspector should be by in the next couple days to rubber stamp the new wiring system.

We did a final walk through with the electrician yesterday, and they did impressive work.  It was a huge, complex job and the crew was polite, clean and considerate. Nasty as it is, I'm sure they kept the wall damage to a minimum. As John says, it could have been much, much worse. We picked (or rather lucked out) with a good company.

Of course we're not done yet, but I have to hope the repair process won't be as stressful as the tearing apart. The Wall Doctor estimator pays us a call tomorrow morning. 

My upper back still hurts like bloody-you-know-what!  Is it worth the trip to the doctor to tell me what I'm already doing? Ice, rest, some gentle stretching. This project just about did me in.

Ouch

In more ways than one. I have a sore shoulder (wonder how that happened?) and the house is filthy. Short post today. The crew gets here in about an hour to finish up and haul all their stuff out of the basement. Nice guys, but happy to see their backs for the last time! We're not sure when the inspection is scheduled. Stay tuned. The Wall Doctor estimator comes on Thursday. 

I'm tired of posting pictures of busted up walls. Maybe something pretty tomorrow.

Well, well, well

 

The project was supposed to be completed today, but now it's stretching into Tuesday or Wednesday. We're not surprised, because for whatever reasons, the guys don't work full 8-hour days. On Friday they left at 2.

Which is OK actually. We've lived through some disruptive remodels, but nothing quite so invasive. The work covers the entire house, from attic to the basement, and three big men and their tools take up a lot of space. 

 

This is not dainty work. It takes brains and brawn. They seem to be doing a good job, but I wish the estimator would have prepared us for the amount of wall and ceiling damage. But then, he's a salesman not an electrician. When he started singing the praises of The Wall Doctor business, that was a big hint. 

They gouged out the lathe and plaster on almost every switch plate and plug. I thought they would just pop replacement boxes in the existing holes. Silly me. And as John says, these are electricians, not carpenters and they haven't been trained much with "those kind of tools."

On the bright side, it's been an opportunity for cleaning up and cleaning out. Especially behind seldom moved things. Ugh. How many times have I emptied the vacuum cleaner? It will feel great when the wall repairs are finally done and I have a call into The Wall Doctor to get an estimator out asap. Oh boy, making more new friends with power tools. 

Since I've been outside trying to stay out of the way, I cleaned up the cluttered shed and hauled a big pile of stuff (old garden tools, rusty bench, cracked pots, a beach umbrella frame, etc.) to the curb in front of the house. It looked like junk to me, but within an hour it was gone. Hauled off for free! 

The good, the bad and the ugly

 

The power was off for seven long hours yesterday. Yea, the new panel is in but as you see, they cut a large and ragged opening in the drywall. 

After the dust finally settles, we'll make new friends with a company called "The Wall Doctor" who specialize in repairs after the electricians go their merry way. 

 

There was no corner to hide from three large men and all their tools. And they were everywhere, from the attic crawlspace to the basement. Thank goodness for the beautiful weather. 

After running a few errands, I hung out in the yard all afternoon listening to alarming noises. To an old home owner, there is no sound more psychologically hideous than a saw grinding through lathe and plaster. 

 I imagined the worst, like chunks of ceiling coming down, but the damage (while unsightly) is cosmetic. So far at least, fingers crossed.

More outlets to finish today, including the bedrooms. Like I mentioned, they've been eager to move furniture, but not as carefully as we would have done it. A few more scratches on the floors, but fortunately none of our nicer pieces were damaged.

Well, here's a good thing. I've wanted an outlet on the front porch for over 40 years. I can see the Christmas lights already, when all of this is just a distant memory.

"Chop and change"

 

When life got chaotic at Downton Abbey, Mr. Carson, the butler, would say the kitchen was "chop and change." An archaic expression, meaning all the regular routines are off. So a plate of cold sandwiches instead of a 5-course meal at the manor.

Anyway, it's day 3 and happy to report things are going pretty much as expected. Adam, Derek and Shane have been courteous and eager to help move furniture, which we didn't expect. There's some perks to looking like their grandparents. Ha!

John and I pulled the kitchen stove out (it wasn't heavy) before they got here yesterday and I'm glad, because it was disgusting. 10+ years of food spills and dust. If nothing else, a good opportunity to clean out forgotten spaces. 

Along those those lines, I was trying to stay out of the way yesterday and went on a tear in the garage (aka shed.) Now there's a big pile for the junk removal people. I feel lighter already.

Today they're installing the new panel and working upstairs on the outlets. The power will be off for "up to 6 hours." No opening the refrigerator, no Internet except our phones. When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping.

It's another beautiful morning, we're so thankful for this perfect weather.

This too shall pass

 

Day two. Tools and equipment the electricians left in the basement last night. This is a big project. 

We have a crew of three courteous workers. They are very professional and you can tell this isn't the first puzzling old house they've rewired. I like the can-do, we'll figure it out attitude. Unlike some past contractors, there isn't any of that standing around, sighing and head-shaking. 

They were working only in the basement yesterday, so we could hide out upstairs and listen to the alarming noises.

Yes, that's a hole cut in the ceiling drywall and there will probably be more. Today they move upstairs and begin the process of running new wiring to each and every plug and light fixture. Furniture needs to be moved, starting with the kitchen range this morning.

On the bright side, we're so glad it's not February. We can always retreat to the yard. The weather is lovely. With luck, one day down, four to go.

D-Day

 

I'm back in Seattle and the vacation is over. The electricians arrive bright and early today to start the house rewiring project. It should take about 4 days, but there's always surprises with old houses. We can only hope they are pleasant ones. I need to hit the ground running, so short post.

"Almost there, Nana"

 

Testerday we hiked to the top of Lookout Mountain, a wilderness area near Twisp. Well, close as the bird flies. The drive to the trail head from town takes about 45 minutes on a rocky, rutted, narrow dirt road. 

Go, Tom. 

Go, trusty old Toyota.

Honestly, I was a little apprehensive about this "moderately strenuous" hike for a lazy city walker. The trail winds along the side of the mountain, high switchbacks, narrow and rocky, for about 1.5 miles all uphill. And then, the old tired legs have to get you back down again.

Anyway, off we went, rewarded every step with spectacular views of the Valley below and the North Cascade Mountains. Lots of photo ops giving me an excuse to pause. Tom, the girls and Nica way out in front, and the faithful nurse keeping me company in the rear. 

One step in front of the other, slow and steady does the trick. Finally, one more switchback and there was the summit, but still looked so far off in the distance! I guess any climber will tell you, the last quarter mile is the hardest.

 

 

I could have sat on a stump and watched the birds and bees, but they kept me going with the "almost there now" pep talk.  

And the reward. A spectacular 360 degree view and another of Amanda's gourmet hike snacks. It was such a visceral top-of-the world feeling. I'm so lucky. It was unforgettable.

Maya, with her sharp eyes, always finds an insect or injured moth to befriend. Weather-wise it was a lovely day, warm and still. I can just imagine how the wind howls up here sometimes, and the hearty souls who manned this tower.

With encouragement (as in, you've come THIS far Nana so you HAVE to go up) I climbed the narrow wooden steps to the top for a dizzy view, clutching the rickety railing. It was scarier than it looks.

In one place, the wooden steps dead-ended with an open trap straight down to the ground. I was surprised we were allowed to climb on it at all. In the city, people expect to be protected from every possible thing. Nova said, "if your smart enough to get up here, you're smart enough not to fall off the tower." Spoken like a sensible country girl. 

Some history from the Twisp Chamber of Commerce recreation website:

Lookout Mountain Lookout was first established as a camp in 1916 then a log cupola was built in 1931. The present classic 14′ x 14′ L-4 with catwalk on a 25′ timber tower was constructed in 1937 and staffed every summer until 1997. Every fire season the lookout averaged over a dozen first reports of fires, giving it the distinction of being the lookout with the highest number of first fire reports in the Methow Valley. It was placed on standby status by the Okanogan National Forest in 1998 and remains on emergency status. It’s also listed in the National Historic Lookout Register as of November 8, 2000.

 

Weather perfection

The river is still running swift and high (Snoflo says 147% of normal for this time of year) but at 3500 cfs, the little beach is appearing again, looking none the worse.  Weather for the next few days is perfection.  Sunny 80's and cooling down nicely at night. There's no rain in the forecast, and everything not irrigated will soon turn summer brown.

I decided to stay a couple extra days and avoid a massive weekend construction project on I-5 in Seattle. They're calling it "carpocalypse" because only one lane of the southbound freeway will be open. Yes, I could soldier through, but the thought of idling in stalled traffic after the long drive is too depressing. Going back to the big city is jarring enough as it is.

Anyway, on Saturday there's a swim meet at the local pool, the market, etc. Maybe a hike with the super-fit ones on Sunday. The plan is to hit the road early Monday. Meanwhile...

This and that

 

I cut these lily stems the morning we left Seattle. It's an Asiatic lily called "Eyeliner" that John ordered from the Breck's catalog. They were in a pot the first year and not impressive, so last fall I planted the clump in the ground. With a winter blanket of compost and the wet spring, they grew over 4 feet high. 

 

Who could resist this enticing catalog picture? But as John points out, ours are missing the "eyeliner." Nevertheless, a magnificent lily. I've grown lilies for years and they're finicky things. But if you stumble on the right place to plant the bulbs, they can last for years.

What else is new? I bought 5 pounds of Walla Walla sweet onions at Lone Pine. Last year, it was so hot the farmers said their onions literally baked in the ground. We love Walla Wallas but they're very perishable. It was raining yesterday morning, so I cooked down a pot of onion goo for the freezer. I'll make French onion soup next week, if our lives aren't turned upside down by the rewiring project.

The days here pass quickly and pleasantly, even when I have nothing in particular planned. Sometimes I stop by the friendly Twisp Senior Center thrift store, where there's always someone to chat with and things are sold "by the bag" at $3.50. I've found lots of useful and pretty things for the house.

They also have a great collection of quality books, ever-changing, sold by donation. The thrift store is a big community resource for the Valley, with large amounts of stuff constantly recycled in and out. It's a good and generous philosophy that really helps folks. Compared to our profit driven West Seattle Senior Center thrift store, where it's hard to find a single old item under $3.50.

Aw! Another doe with twins just passed by the window. These babies so young they were still a wobbly on their feet. I love that the moms feel safe in this quiet corner of town. Not much bird activity lately except for crows feeding their pesky youngsters on the ground. Guess what? Yesterday they got their first taste of stale bread, and they took to it like their city cousins.

In the misty morning

 

So grey and damp this morning, it almost feels like waking up in Seattle. Not! But these lovely scattered showers across the state a great relief during fire season.

Especially compared to the terrifying sight of a wildfire exploding outside of Twisp exactly a year ago. I looked back on the blog, and see we still managed some July trips, but the hot weather and toxic smoke were awful. The summer recreation season ended right after we bought the house. Everyone who could leave the valley, did.

Back then, I wrote about how nice it was having no garden chores here, other than mowing the lawn. Well, that was last year. It's been a banner summer for unsightly invasive weeds in the driveway and around the house. Meet my new best friend, the stirrup weeder. A fine tool for slicing weeds out of gravel. Not exactly labor-free, but beats the hands and knees method.

With a new crop constantly sprouting, I'm like Sisyphus with the eternal punishment of forever rolling a boulder up a hill in Hades. At least I'm not there.

Small town, big fun

 

The Twisp 4th of July parade was back after a two-year pandemic hiatus. It drew a big, happy turnout of locals and tourists along Glover Street. As in years past, watched from the sidewalk in front of Amanda and Tom's house, where this local entrepreneur also set up shop. 

Maya did a brisk business despite the unseasonably cool weather. It helps to be so cute! The thunderstorms kindly held off until late afternoon, but the weekend was wet and cloudy overall-- a rare summer blessing in the Valley.  

Then we had a full house over for dinner-- traditional grilled sausages, beans and salads. Fresh cherries and brownies for dessert. Of course I imagined sitting with our picnic food on the sunny deck, but we watched the rain instead from the living room. No complaints, but now that the holiday is over, a sparkling week ahead. The world washed clean.

John is headed back to Seattle, but I'm sticking around for a few more days.