Tag Archives: weather

Aug31

Ho Hum Humpday

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Ho Hum Humpday

In Manitoba I was getting tornado alerts on my phone. Here in Washington I’ve been getting evacuation alerts due to fires. With temperatures soaring around 100 degrees and no rain in sight, the fire risk is extremely high. There are fires burning but not near where I’m living right now.

There was some smoke in the air yesterday morning on the drive in to Leavenworth. It cleared and Joyce and I enjoyed a leisurely lunch on the patio at the golf club after our SAIL class.

Monday morning bright and early my four year old granddaughter surprised me with a video call. She was dressed and eating breakfast before daycare. Grandma was still sleeping but woke up fast when she realized who was calling. Grandma is also excited because on Friday she gets to hug her granddaughter for the first time in three years.

Just when I thought I was done sorting through photos stored on my Seagate, I discovered another folder with close to 850. But I definitely am enjoying my new laptop.

And here is Alexa’s joke for today.

Why does a deer follow its mother? Because it’s so fawn-ed of her. 🙂

Aug21

Happy Sunday!

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Happy Sunday!

Leavenworth Summer Theater’s production of The Music Man was spectacular. It definitely is one of their best performances yet. The weather was perfect, a clear and starry night, and the smoke hadn’t yet rolled in.

However the following day it did roll in. And the day after that it had filtered in to East Wenatchee. It isn’t that bad yet, but the fire risk is still extremely high.

I’ve been spending more time on my new laptop. My WIP is completely transferred over and I’ve sorted through well over 4000 photos that were on my Seagate and my phone. Of course I’m constantly taking photos and I know there will be more.

The hot temperatures continue with no relief in sight. There was a tease of a few raindrops yesterday but it was very short-lived. Mainly intermittent cloud and smoke.

Did I mention that I live with seven chihuahuas? No. They aren’t mine. They belong to Christina and Danny, the people I live with when I’m in Washington. I’ll take a photo one day if I can ever get them all to pose together.

It’s great to be back teaching fitness classes again in Leavenworth. And this coming week I start new classes here in East Wenatchee. I really missed these classes when I was away in Canada.

September long weekend is coming up. My daughter and granddaughter are coming from Kelowna. I haven’t seen them since before Covid so I am quite excited. Yes, Madeline, I am a real person and do not live in a phone. And Grandma cannot wait to hug you!!!!!!

Aug17

It’s Hot Here

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It’s Hot Here

Last night at 7:30 it had cooled off to a comfortable 86 degrees. I’m getting used to the heat again after the cool temperatures in Winnipeg. Daytime highs here in East Wenatchee are supposed to continue in the range of 105 degrees plus for at least another week.

Yesterday morning I taught a fitness class in an un-airconditioned room in a church. And I get to do it again tomorrow. There isn’t even a fan in the room and unfortunately this means we open windows in an attempt to get some air circulation.

Church was air-conditioned on Sunday. It was great to be back at Sage Hills in person and not on line.

Tonight we’re going to see The Music Man, a Leavenworth Summer Theater production. The venue is the amphitheater, one of my favorite places in Leavenworth.

Because it’s so hot and dry here, the fire risk is extremely high. So now the alerts on my phone are no longer for Manitoba tornados. Instead they’re wildfire and evacuation alerts.

BTW, I visited my tree in Cashmere yesterday. It’s still really green and I hope I’ll still be here when the leaves turn that gorgeous crimson red in the fall.

My characters are talking to me. Time for coffee and writing.

Aug3

And I’m Still Here

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And I’m Still Here

We came out to the lake and I do have Wi-Fi this time. So I am able to post today after all.

It’s official. Photo day is August 10th. Then I can finally head home to East Wenatchee. Calgary and Kelowna just aren’t happening on this trip.

I went to Old Navy, not the one I usually go to at Valley North in Wenatchee. It’s interesting shopping in Canadian dollars again. I haven’t done that in years.

We took Cooper for a run along the floodway the other day. I think I appreciated the walk more than the dog. Walking in downtown Winnipeg is a dangerous place and not conducive to the long walks I usually take. So it’s nice to be out in the burbs again. Saw lots of hay bales and canola fields on our walk.

I spent an hour with my computer guru familiarizing myself with my new laptop and Windows 11. But I have close to 3000 photos to organize on my Seagate and Passport. And I need to get my WIP onto my laptop from my tablet. Laura has the patience of a saint which is greatly appreciated.

Tornado warning out last night for a change. It missed us here in Lester Beach. Decided to touch down elsewhere. Got to love Manitoba summers.

Happy Humpday!

Jul20

Happy Humpday!

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Happy Humpday!

I thought I was back in Mexico yesterday with hurricane season. Torrential rain, flooded streets. Nope. I’m still in Winnipeg.

I’m staying with my son for a couple of days. I don’t think he quite gets it when I tell him we need to get together more often. Kyle has no family here in Winnipeg and I live in another country. Over time you get used to being on your own and then it does feel rather strange when you get bombarded with family. But it’s a nice kind of strange. And I think that the older you get the more you value that kind of time.

My WIP is going well. My characters have been quite talkative lately. And they’ve had some interesting adventures. I am definitely enjoying writing fiction.

Because I’m constantly flipping back and forth in time when writing, I vary my background music. For a while there, The Stones were inspirational, especially Voodoo Lounge. The Beach Boys and The Byrds are also favorites, as are John Denver and Elton John. But last night it was Handel’s Water Music.

Computer shopping with Laura is on the agenda for today. I was a tad overwhelmed looking in Seattle and Wenatchee didn’t have much to offer. I know. There’s always Amazon. But I want to play with a laptop before I buy it. And Laura is my computer guru.

Happy Humpday!

Jun8

Let’s Go

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Let’s Go

Ok. I’ve been in areas and experienced tornados, hurricanes,thunderstorms and blizzards. I’ve seen hail the size of golf balls and have been caught up in flash flooding. But on Sunday I added mud slides to the list. From sunshine to rain to flooding to mud slides in a matter of minutes. Power outages affecting traffic lights and even shutting down Walmart and the movie theaters. Wenatchee was a mess!

Yesterday I was in Ellensburg. It was a gorgeous, hot and sunny day. The drive over Blewett from Leavenworth was beautiful. I never tire of driving through the mountains in Washington. The scenery is spectacular.

When I write I always have music on in the background. The latest added to my playlist is some Marianas Trench from about ten years ago. Don’t ask me why but Celebrity Status has always been one of my faves by this Canadian rock band.

The other day we went exploring at a Coastal store. My friend is an avid equestrian and showed me all kinds of saddles, chaps and other paraphernalia associated with horses. My favorite area was all the cute baby chicks in cages. Coastal also has clothing, kayaks, wood burning stoves,cowboy boots, toys, feed, outdoor furniture and so much more.

I’ve started researching my travel to Canada. Winnipeg is not the easiest city to get to from East Wenatchee. By the way, East Wenatchee and Wenatchee are two completely different cities. The former is where I live and is in Douglas County. The latter is in Chelan County.

Back to travel. Shuttle to SeaTac and two flights or an Amtrak out if Wenatchee and hope someone wants to pick me up in Grand Forks and drive me across the border. Like I told Lise the other day, maybe I should just fly there on my broom! LOL!

May22

Kreplach or Perogies

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Kreplach or Perogies

I can’t believe that it’s Sunday again already. I just wrote a Sunday blog post a few minutes ago. But wait. That was last week’s. And it was a week ago.

Tomorrow is my birthday and it’s one of those where you leave one decade behind and enter a new one. People often refer to them as milestone birthdays. But I call every birthday a milestone.

The weather here in Washington has been a lot cooler than usual as well as being rainy and windy. Well, it does beat snow and my friends back in Mexico tell me they’re roasting in the heat.

Yesterday was interesting. The clouds allowed some sunshine to peak through so Christina and I headed for the community wide yard sale in Cashmere. Our biggest find was an oak armoire with lovely shelves and drawers and not even a hint of particle board. $5 well spent.

Back at home in the afternoon the rain finally poured down. I decided to spend my time doing research for one of my characters in my WIP. What’s App was the medium I used to chat with a friend in Mexico, a doctor from Calgary originally from England where she received her medical training. The topics wavered between bipolar 1 and atrial fibrillation. Heavy stuff.

Now where was I going with this post? Oh yes! Kreplach or perogies. I guess it really doesn’t matter what you call them. They are delicious.

I grew up with a Jewish background and they were kreplach. My Bobba had Russian roots and I can still envision her in the kitchen making them from scratch. I did it that way exactly once. Much easier to buy them frozen from Naleway or to head down to the nearest Ukrainian church where the ladies there offer homemade ones for sale on Friday afternoons. I also recall driving out to restaurants in rural communities where the Mennonite version was available.

But I’m far away from Manitoba now and here in Washington I’ve introduced several people to the frozen perogies I’ve found at Safeway or Albertsons. This afternoon I’ll be frying up some onions and getting out the sour cream. And ketchup. You heard me right. That’s a new twist for me. My friend Clairesse is coming over and she is one of the rare Washingtonians I know who enjoys perogies. She grew up on Camino Island and ate them with ketchup.

So there you have it. Call them what you like. Kreplach or perogies. Happy Sunday!

Apr20

Typical

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Typical

Wenatchee Valley Crime and News is a group I belong to on Facebook. I am amazed at all the crime reported just about daily on this site. Everything from stolen bicycles to hit and runs to sexual assaults. Lots of videos posted too. The following event was Monday’s highlight.

To get to East Wenatchee from Wenatchee there is a bridge that crosses the Columbia River. There was a shooting in Wenatchee and the suspects led police on a chase over the bridge and then abandoned their vehicle. The chase continued by foot throughout our neighborhood. Schools were locked down and school buses were temporarily grounded. Two men were finally apprehended.

Tuesday’s highlight….Someone jumped off the bridge. He was rescued. Seems to be a popular place for jumpers. I recall reading about a couple when I was still in Mexico during the winter.

But the posts on this site are not all bad. Occasionally someone finds keys, glasses, phones or credit cards and they’re returned to their rightful owners. This kind of restores your faith in humanity.

On a high note, the mask mandate on public transit has been lifted. No violence or protests about that. Instead we’re all celebrating.

Here’s a pic of the snow on the mountains on the weekend. Most of it is gone now. Temperatures are rising and the streets are clear and dry again. No snow on the grass or trees.

Charlene and I were out for lunch at Sleeping Lady yesterday and were joined by this delightful robin.

I’m planning a trip to Winnipeg soon and am just waiting a while longer until the snow disappears and it warms up.

In the meantime, I’m enjoying spring here in Washington. It’s exciting to see bushes and trees budding and tulips growing.

Apr13

It’s Raining It’s Snowing

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It’s Raining It’s Snowing

Yesterday was April 12th. With April Fool’s Day weather. It was also a Tuesday which means I commute to Leavenworth from East Wenatchee to teach a fitness class. I usually hop on Link, but not yesterday. The rain had turned to snow. Will I ever get rid of this ski jacket? Do I really need to dig out my Sorrells?

Driving along Eastmont, the town of Wenatchee below us had totally disappeared from view, as had the mountains beyond. Visibility improved as we made our way along Highway 2 towards Leavenworth.

I must admit the mountains look very pretty with all the freshly fallen snow. But the snow didn’t stay up on the mountains. Instead it graced the town itself.

I snapped these pics after the fitness class.

The snow had finally stopped and didn’t resume again until late afternoon. On the drive back to East Wenatchee, we noticed a drastic change once we got out of Leavenworth. Instead of snow on the ground, everything was green again. And the sun even began to peek through.

Elsewhere in the USA the weather ranged from vicious tornados to blizzards. My friends back in Manitoba were also bracing for severe winter storms.

Did we skip spring, summer and fall and head directly back to winter?

It’s now 9 am Wednesday, today, just before I post this. The snow is still coming down in East Wenatchee. I know the mountains are out there somewhere.

Apr6

Snow Kids Chocolate

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Snow Kids Chocolate

The spring solstice was on March 21st. But I think winter has returned to tease us. Here in East Wenatchee we had daytime highs approaching 70 F for a couple of days. But now we’re back to 30s at night and 50s during the day. And there has been snow up on the mountains.

The above photo was yesterday in Leavenworth. The photo below was yesterday in East Wenatchee where it’s quite a bit warmer.

There is far less snow on the mountains and the trees are blooming more and more everyday.

Yesterday Joyce and I went out for lunch and wound up at the Wenatchee Valley Mall. We had a great time at Macy’s and Ross. Amazing how quickly two hours can go by at those two stores. And those sacks can get heavy too!

I’m still thinking about a couple of trips to Canada. Possibly next month if I can pin down some dates with my daughter in Kelowna. And, yes Winnipeg, you are also in the running. But I’ve just settled in here in East Wenatchee and am not overly anxious to pack up another suitcase and head out so fast.

Once in a while I like to embarrass my kids. I guess today is the day. This photo came up as a Facebook memory from 2010 before I left for Mexico. The occasion was Kimmy’s birthday.

Let’s talk time zones. For my friends reading this, Culiacan is now one hour ahead, Winnipeg and Aguascalientes you are two hours ahead, Indiana, Alabama, Maine and Toronto you are three hours ahead. Times like this I wish it was the same time everywhere. At least Kelowna is the same as Washington. I’m not sure what’s happening next year everywhere, but in Washington they’re doing away with the time change in the spring and fall.

Look what the chocoholic found at Costco the other day!