Mosquito Fleet Winery

If you're a wine lover, put Feb 4th on your calendar. This weekend the Mosquito Fleet Winery will be having a wine tasting party from 10am to 4pm  for anyone interested. Check out their website cause it's down right cool, plus it's interesting reading on how the two couples started their partnership and the history of the original Grapeview winery.

The Mahler Project

I have 2:00 on the afternoon of  Feb 18th set aside because I have a date with Gustavo Dudamel on the big screen at our local movie theater. He will be directing Mahler's 8th Symphony from Caracas, Venezuela and my wanting to see this is all the fault of my friend Ron in Alaska, who introduced me to Mahler's 8th  after he flew to Philadelpia to see and hear the symphony of a thousand. I had never heard of Mahler and could have cared less, but now, I too am hooked.  I'm not alone, because there is a woman who plays clarinet in our New Horison's Band with MAHLER on the license plate of her car.  I was told, it's her husband that's the nut.
My friend Ron just spent the past two weeks at the Walt Disney Concert Hall listening to nothing but Mahler, The Mahler Project,  and I loved his reaction at the end of the 2nd Symphony. It was tears and more tears and it was all he could do to stifle the sobs so that he wouldn't disrupt others.  Who'd a thunk music could affect one like that, but just listen to the finale of the 8th and see what you think.

Sat Feb 18th 2012 5PM ET/ 4PM CT/ 3PM MT/ 2PM PT

Live from Caracas Venezuela
Dudamel leads the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela, combined with multiple choirs and soloists in Mahler’s 8th, "Symphony of a Thousand," the apotheosis of the Romantic symphony. This live performance will put more than 1,000 musicians on the stage in Caracas, Venezuela, giving North American audiences a chance to witness Dudamel making music on his home turf. Enhanced behind-the-scenes content will include special footage from Caracas.

This exceptional presentation is the climactic performance of The Mahler Project – one of the highlights of the LA Phil’s season – which features the complete symphonic cycle presented in both Los Angeles and Caracas.

Nancy=*$%#*

This woman is driving me to drink though she does look great. A few nips and tucks and a quality cut and die job can do wonders. Nancy figures she's got something on Newt that will keep him from becoming president in November. Watch the video and see her at work. What a *itch :O)
If this is what she has on him, it sounds like he was finally exhonerated. From the comments from his students, he must have been a great teacher....I know I love hearing him speak...speaker...speaker of the house...heh :o)

My choice

Okay...I know I probably wont be able to vote for him in the next election, but I think Rick Santorum would be the best man for the job.

Thomas Sowell thinks Newt would be the best............................
"Is this a gamble? The painful reality is that everyone in this year's field of Republican candidates is a gamble. And re-electing Barack Obama is an even bigger gamble.

Whichever candidate the Republican voters finally choose from this year's field, they are bound to have reservations, if not fears. Gingrich's worst could be worse than Romney's worst, both as a candidate and as a president. But Gingrich's best is much better than Romney's best.

Sometimes caution can be carried to the point where it is dangerous. When the Super Bowl is on the line, you don't go with the quarterback who is least likely to throw an interception. You go with the one most likely to throw a touchdown pass."

And.... here is more proof that Obama is the worst thing that has happened to this country...and it keeps on keepin on.

Okay....one more !!!!

I lied....one more for you to listen to. With our state 5 billion in the hole, instead of trying to find ways to balance the budget, our legislators are doing this.  They know that the citizens would vote against gay marriage, but they are going ahead with it.  I think I need to pull out more hair.

Main Stream whatever

You have to read this and watch Newt...and the standing ovation he got which the media refuses to mention.
And..if you're in need of a good laugh...check these out.

Scattered ice

Kevin Baerg took this picture of the harbor entrance early in the morning yesterday. It must have been cold enough to freeze the surface of the bay and when it snowed, then broke up from the wind and tidal movement, it ended up looking like this.  This morning it's 28 degrees and what was beautiful yesterday is now a treacherous ice covered mess. Warming is coming by afternoon and it will be most welcomed.

Snowy Day

It's snowing this morning with about 5 inches on the deck railing and  lots more is to come.This storm is an easy one and nothing compared to what we had in 1950 when we lost power, half the bay froze over, strong enough to iceskate on, and a cold snap that lasted long enough so that when the thaw finally came, heavy vehicles weren't allowed on the roads, which meant no school. Finally,when buses could run again, we kids went to school on Saturday  to make up the lost days. I was almost 10 years old and the one thing I remember most was that our teacher, Mrs. Pratt, let us listen to our favorite Saturday morning radio program, Let's Pretend.

Just for fun, here are the recollections of an old friend and classmate of mine, Ron Reierson,  who also experienced the storm of 1950, and took the time to put them on paper.....................oh...and our phone number was 36....a long and a short. 

THE BLIZZARD OF 1950

In 1950, only radio and newspapers were available to the general public, and certainly to those of us in rural Gig Harbor. We had lived there less than 2 years, on 40 acres with several farm animals, including cows, horses, pigs and chickens. By Thursday 12 Jan, the news reports forecasted severe weather ahead: heavy snow, high winds and low temperatures unlike we’d ever seen. By Friday afternoon, we had lost electrical power. We took the contents of the freezer section and placed them in a box and placed it outside: near the back steps,in the alcove near the wood supply. Dad made sure we filled several (former) 7-gallon milk cans…used to supply raw milk to a local dairy… with water and placed them on the back porch. Paul was a junior in high school; I was in 3^rd grade. We moved the farm animals to the lower shed part of the Chicken House, where the horse stalls were located, as well as the “Maternity Ward” for calf birthing, where the cows resided during this period. We closed the outside opening of the chicken coop, and spread straw liberally on the floor of their compartment for added warmth. We stacked the outside entry area of the house with wood for both the wood stove and the fireplace.

My maternal grandmother was visiting from Seattle, and as the weekend progressed, the winds continued to increase, snow began to drift outside and we listened to the wind whistling around the house as the temperature dropped into the teens, and lower. The card game, Canasta, was very popular in those days. Mom, her mother and I played that multi-deck game for hours on end. No power meant no radio; portable radios were not in general use yet. Dad had what were known as Coleman Lanterns…powered by white gas (highly volatile) being pumped through metal tubes in vapor, across twin “mantles” covered with tear-drop shaped asbestos-fibred “bulbs”. It was lighted by a match. Air pressure, by means of a small, internal pneumatic pump, had to be restored periodically, as the brightness of the light dimmed. The sound of the gas hissing through the mantles, and the crackling of the fire in the fireplace were the only sounds within, except our own voices. We also had candles as back-up as well as flashlights for trips to the bathroom and bedrooms. Without power, the pump furnishing water to the house was inoperable; thus, the fresh water previously stored was also used in the toilet tank to ensure flushing, esp. for #2’s. We learned to “accumulate” #1’s without flushing each use. Because the back porch was unheated, we kept an old blanket over the cans of water to keep them from freezing. Brother Paul always slept upstairs…in the unheated attic…his “nest”. Flannels and lots of blankets made the sleep good. He didn’t tarry in coming down to the warmth of the fireplace each morning!

By Saturday morning, the hot water pipes, which circulated the water through a water jacket (“manifold”) in the firebox in the Monarch wood stove, had frozen in the N. wall of the house, near the bathroom. Without circulation, we could not use the wood stove anymore or risk burning out the pipes,so our heat depended on the wonderful fireplace in the front room. The kitchen became like a walk-in cooler since we kept the door closed to the front room to conserve heat there, esp. for grandmother. Mom even improvised, cooking stew and soups on the hearth of the fireplace. Sandwiches, soups were the order of the day; cereals and milk helped the morning fare.

  

Telephone systems in Gig Harbor in those days were family lines. that is, several families shared a basic phone line. All residents had a four (4) digit phone no; there were seven (7) families on our line: our “ring” was 2 long rings and a short ring. One didn’t spend a lot of time lollygagging on the phone in those days; too many folks could listen in. But, there was little reason to use it, ‘cept to check with neighbors as to their situation during this blizzard.

We had a 1946 Ford Truck, purchased soon after we moved there, from our neighbor, Russell Lloyd. On Saturday, Dad put chains on the drive axle tires, and we visited our neighbors to ensure they were OK. Dad always drove the wheels into the snow; widening the “ruts” made by prior drivers in the deep snow, to aid others driving later. We provided eggs, water and other necessities to folks more needy than we were…one of my first lessons in service and sharing.

During the day…and into the evening…we continued to provide the horses and cows food and water. Hauling those pails of water, transferred from the 7 gallon cans, was a real chore for us, but necessary.

By Sunday morning, ice had formed on the salt water in North Gig Harbor, enough for skaters to enjoy the day. About 18 gill netters and purse seiner fishing boats, most owned by Yugoslav-Italians, were encased in the ice; many owners enjoyed walking out to their boats, and a holiday spirit abounded! We carried on, doing our daily chores, and obligations toward or neighbors.

At home, snow drifts continued to grow: eventually, several would reach 3.5 feet in height! Ice on the inside of the window in my bedroom was approx. 1/8^th inch thick! But, full flannel pajamas, long-john style(feet enclosed), plus 4-5 wool blankets kept me warm during the night. One didn’t spend a lot of time dressing in that environment! Dad was always up early to stoke the fire and get heat building once again in the front room, where “grandma” (who NEVER wanted to be called that) slept during this time, due to her health and age, since it was the warmest room.

By Monday, the storm had eased. Gig Harbor (and for that matter, the Northwest) had never seen such a cold front. We were another day from restoring electricity, so we struggled through the warming of this event. It took a day or so to restore order to our lives: We got electricity back on Monday afternoon , 16 January. We again checked with our neighbors to ensure they were OK. We were pretty much “canasta’d out and the return to civilized living was welcomed. As a child, I knew no different: to me, it was “business as usual”. But, it turned out to be a signature event. I’ll never forget it.

Happy Birthday Sue

Happy 72nd Sue :o)  Sue and her hubby belong to the  smart people club...they spend January and February in Yuma, AZ where it's warm and sunny while the rest of us stay  here in the cold, wishing we were anywhere but here :o(  We have been friends since we were kids and have stayed connected through the years, thanks to ma bell and now Gates and Jobs.  She grew up in a little house that used to sit where the football field at Peninsula High school now sits.   They had a huge barn and at least one cow, because I remember trying to milk it, with no success.  She could eat a glob of fresh butter without batting an eyelash and  lived on the best hill for sledding.  The cute little fella sitting next to her is all grown up now, with a crane business and he's  the one my son called when he needed  to lift the engine out of the hatch of his boat....and to put it back again.   HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUE :o)

Roof Cleaning

This picture is from one of my favorite Alaska blogs, Fish Taxi. She is visiting  Valdez helping with snow removal and took a few pictures while there.  When we lived there we had lots of snow, but this year's must certainly be a record.
For another interesting story, read this.
And, something completely, completely, completely different.

Mom to the rescue

Son called and could find no one to man the hydraulics while he lifted part of his hydraulic steering out of a tiny hatch so who do ya call?????  Why mom of course :o)

Bed for Grace

Here is the finished product. I took the fabric off the old stool/bench, left the webbing on and made the bedding for the doll.  When Grace isn't using it, it makes a comfy place to sit for any friends who happen to be visiting.  Hmm...I wonder if a person could sell these online.  I bet ya could :o)

Happy Birthday

Bergen is 8 today and this picture was taken as she and her American Girl Doll, Grace, had tea yesterday with friends. Granny finally finished a doll bed for her and will take it over today.  If you look closely, Grace has pierced ears now, but Bergen has to wait a whole lot longer before she is old enough to have hers done :o) 

Skiers garb.

Yesterday was a fun day for these little ones....two of them being my granddaughters and the other two being their good buddies. The were dressed and ready to go as they posed for their picture at Snoqualmie Pass in the morning sun.  Their first job was to take a ski lesson and then put what they learned to good use. I have yet to talk to them since their return, but sumthin tells me they had a fun day. When I think about the length of skis we learned on and that no one had even considered protecting our tiny brains in case of a giant smash up, maybe the nanny state had a good idea as to the helmets.

Let's hope this is just the beginning of years of enjoyment on the slopes.

Gotta stop reading

Lordy lordy...please give us a republican president in November.

http://pjmedia.com/victordavishanson/being-there-the-obama-sequel/

http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2012/01/doj-steers-countrywide-settlement-cash-to-leftist-groups-with-dem-ties/

Lordy lordy...stop judging Santorum on the way he and his wife handled the death of their newborn.

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/01/was-santorum-weird-for-bringing-home-his-stillborn-baby-updated/250957/

http://patterico.com/2012/01/05/in-mocking-santorum-eugene-robinson-reveals-a-sickness-in-our-society/

Paradise empty

I checked the Paradise cam this morning and see the park still hasn't been opened. I think we all have heavy hearts because of the loss of the young park ranger and mother of two small children. Lord knows, it's not going to be an easy road for the young father left with the two little ones. I guess the only thing we can offer is lots of healing thoughts and prayers. As I have found, life does go on and things do work out, but there will forever be that tiny ache in yer heart that never, ever goes away :o(

Happy New Year

2011 came and went in the blink of an eye so I imagine 2012..there...the first time I've typed 2012....will do the same. My youngest got married, my three grandchildren have grown like weeds, Len made it through a very difficult year, but made it through, and I am still able to do most of what I set out to do....though I don't set out to do a lot of things that I don't want to do and blame it on ..cause I'm old :o) 
My hopes for the new year are that all stay healthy and happy, that plenty of fish swim into my son's nets, that we have an easy January and February weatherwise, that Ingrid loves kindergarten, that summer is warm and we can spend lots of time in and on the water, that our orchestra keeps on making wonderful music, and that I can finally grow beets.

Alfred Lord Tennyson.
The strifes and sadnesses and laughter and joy and work and play and songs and silences of another year are now sealed up and put aside and stored away in the attic of memory. And now the new year with its prospects and menaces, its tediums and discoveries, its old friends and new ones, comes faintly into view.