For a brief time this morning I thought we were going to escape the power outages due to a big series of storms hitting Northern California.  Esplanade, our ISP, was doing a great job of keeping our connection up by using generators at the antenna site.  We went to bed with power on and network access.  I didn’t sleep very well as the combination of wind, rain, thunder, and lightning made for a noisy night.  I was up very early and headed up to take my shower.  Everything was quiet and now I’m very glad that the tree that fell waited until I was dressed and ready to head downstairs.  I was about ready to leave the bathroom when everything went dark.  Apparently, a tree fell into a major power transmission line.  18,000 people on the north coast were without power today.  I felt my way downstairs and into the bedroom where I had placed the battery powered fluorescent lamp.  Shirley was up and we lit some candles to save battery power in case we would need it later.

We didn’t want to open the refrigerator, but ended up doing it anyway to quickly grab some bread.  Breakfast was bread, butter, and mandarin oranges.  It was good.  After breakfast we played a game of Scrabble.  We haven’t played Scrabble for so long I can’t remember the last time.  It was fun and occupied the time while we waited for the sun to come up.  By 7:30 a it was light enough that we were able to begin a somewhat normal set of activities, minus computers.  We even got in a walk around the block.

One of my tasks for this trip was to assemble some more IKEA cabinets to get exact measurements in the kitchen.  We got two cabinets assembled and put in place.  We think we now have the measurements we need to make the final decisions on the kitchen layout.

We would have stayed, but the radio station in Ukiah was predicting an even bigger storm on Wednesday.  I have an important task to complete for work on Wednesday and we reluctantly made the decision to come home after only one night.  We’re glad we made the trip, but we’ll work very hard to make sure our next stay is a longer one.

We have been away from the Ark since mid-November and we have learned a few lessons during our time away.  Northern California is experiencing some of the heaviest storms in quite some time and the rain is welcome.  The rain and wind did make for a slower trip today.  We saw one doe right alongside the road and drove over many pieces of fallen limbs.  We made our usual stop in Boonville and thought we weren’t going to be able to get gas as every pump had a big “OUT” sign on it.  The signs only meant that they were out of premium, so we filled up.  We found that out when we ran inside to use the restroom. I should have waited a few minutes.  It was pouring when I made the trip from the gas pumps to the main building, but the downpour only lasted a few minutes.

We only had light rain for the rest of the trip out and it wasn’t raining at all when we arrived.  We had forgotten how much stuff we had in the garage, so I was very glad to be able to unload without rain.  The house was not warm, but it wasn’t as cold as it could have been.  We had set the heating system to hold at 60 degrees and that’s what it was.  We’ve had the heat on for about 6 hours now and the temperature has come up 4 degrees.  This is the big disadvantage of an hydronic heating system.  It will warm up, but not until mid-day tomorrow.  Even holding the temperature at 60 has resulted in some very large utility bills, so we’ll probably set it to 55, or lower, when we leave this time.

We were both feeling a little queasy when we arrived, probably as a result of rain, wind, and lots of curves.  We haven’t made the trip in a while and neither of our bodies handled it as well as the last time.  We were going to unload the food into the refrigerator and grab a quick lunch, but when we opened the refrigerator we discovered that it had been off and both refrigerator and freezer had mold that needed to be removed.  I’d also forgotten to clean the microwave before we left and was quickly reminded of my splattered split pea soup from the last visit.

We are fortunate to have power.  I don’t think we would have been up to turning around and heading home.  From Point Arena south through Sea Ranch is without power.  We know this because we didn’t have any Internet connection when we arrived.  Since I’m going to try to work from here this week that is a big deal.  It turns out that the antenna at the Point Arena Lighthouse was without power, but Esplanade got it up and running with a generator so we’ll have network connectivity during most of the day, if our power stays up.  The performance has been great this afternoon and that is probably due to the fact that most people can’t get on.

We have no idea how long we’ll have power.  The lights have been blinking all day as the thunder rolls outside.  For now we’re warm and well fed and looking forward to a good night of rest in preparation for whatever tomorrow brings.  We just heard from our kids who have arrived safely in Colorado after a very difficult travel day.

I guess there is a first time for everything.  I’m a nervous traveler and the flights to and from Florida always require a connection.  I try very hard to have at least an hour between flights.  I would rather have a long layover than risk missing a connection.  For our flight back we had a 2 hour layover and thought we’d be in good shape.  We’d leave Fort Myers early in the morning and arrive in Atlanta with plenty of time to have a relaxing breakfast on California time before getting on the plane and heading home.

That was the plan, but that isn’t what happened.  We got our luggage checked and got to the gate in plenty of time.  When it came time to board we were told that the flight had been delayed.  The gate agent was either ignorant or trying to be funny and told us that they were bringing a truck with hot water to get the ice off the wings.  There was ice on the wings.

They eventually had us board the plane and we quickly pushed back from the gate, but not very far.  It turns out there is no deicing equipment at the Fort Myers airport.  It didn’t seem that cold when we arrived at the airport, but there was frost on the wings.  We were sitting just behind the wing and we could really see it once we got out into the sun.  It was a strange sight, all of the airplanes scheduled to fly that morning were scattered over the tarmac and runways looking for good angles for the sun.  The early morning sun isn’t very warm at this time of year and we sat and watched our 2 hour layover slowly disappear.

The airline took care of us as well as they could.  They put on a movie and brought water to anyone who requested it.  We were allowed to move around the cabin, but it was still a long wait and almost everyone was realizing that they were going to miss their next flight.

We didn’t rush and we ended up being sixth in line for a seat on the next flight, but it was already overbooked and it soon became clear that we weren’t going to get home that day.  We just barely got the last two seats on the first flight the following day.  Fortunately, we had our laptops with us and we were able to book a hotel and the ground transportation system easily got us there.  We got a good night of rest and had a smooth flight home.  Now I’m hoping that the cold snap will have moved on before my next trip to Florida in a couple of weeks.  I have a very early flight on a Saturday morning with two connections to make.  If it is still really cold I’ll be anticipating a later than expected return home.

It is early on Christmas morning and the only sounds in the house are the fan on my computer, my typing, and and occasional squeak from the newest addition to our family.  The baby is sleeping, but every once in a while there is a little squeak or groan that confirms he is there.  Shirley has just joined me in the kitchen since she is cooking a special birthday cake for Jesus for us to have for breakfast.  We’re all trying to be very quiet so that Mom and Dad can get some extra sleep and the two older boys will stay in bed as long as possible.  I think they are enjoying having Grandma and Grandpa here to visit, but they were really tired when they finally went to bed last night.

It was a long day filled with special activities.  Christmas Eve is even more special because it is the birthday of our oldest grandson.  The day began with a special breakfast at Perkins.  The birthday boy had rainbow pancakes and thoroughly enjoyed them.  He didn’t finish, but he gave it a good effort.  He didn’t need much syrup as they were covered in sugar sprinkles.  After breakfast we came home and played with dinosaurs for a while before taking off for a Christmas cookie decorating event.

Our son’s family will soon be going to China and the cookie decorating party was at the home of the couple that they will be partnering with.  We didn’t get that many cookies decorated as all the children were more interested in eating cookies and frosting than in putting them together and setting them aside.  It was almost 2p when we returned home and all the boys were really tired.  They went down for naps and we crashed on the couch to watch a couple of episodes of Monk. 

When they woke up is was almost time for dinner and then we all took off for the Christmas Eve Service at church.  Our son was playing the piano for the service so he actually left early.  The boys had their reindeer antlers with flashing lights on and the excitement was building.  I don’t remember what this type of service was like when our children were this age, but a very adult service in an auditorium filled with 1000 people is a challenge.  The middle grandson is a bundle of energy and very much a two-year old even though he hasn’t turned two yet.  He did discover that the back of the pew made a great monkey bar and grandpa spent most of the service worrying that he was going to crack his head on either the pew or the concrete floor.  With 3 adults and 3 boys we did manage to avert all potential disasters.  On the way out Grandpa got to wear a pair of reindeer antlers and was very glad that no one had a camera. 

When we got home it was time for Grandma to take us all through the Christmas story and add a new character and phrase.  Grandpa and the boys are slowly learning all the special phrases as we add a character to the story each day.  We used this Advent nativity activity with our children and it is a great way to mark the days and learn the story at the same time.  Once the wise men were in position it was time for cookies and milk.  Then the family gathered on the couch to hear the Christmas story from dad and open a special present before bedtime.  Opening the present made a lot sense as the boys got a special new pair of pajamas to go to bed in.  After taking some pictures we all headed to bed. 

The boys didn’t make it until 7a this morning, but they slept longer than I expected them to on Christmas morning.  They’re on the couch now enjoying their milk and their favorite Boz Christmas DVD.  Grandpa is getting hungry and hoping that everyone will be up and ready for breakfast soon.  We’ll miss our California family today and hope they all have a Merry Christmas. 

If you’re reading this I pray that you and your family will have a very Merry Christmas as well.  Wherever you are and whoever you’re with remember that  because of Jesus God is with us.

Jet lag is gone and this morning was typical of what we’ll experience the rest of our visit. We got to bed at our normal time, so I was up at 4:30a enjoying the quiet of the house. Elijah sleeps in the living room, so the only light I turned on was the laptop screen. I did my Bible reading on-line, finished up some email work from yesterday, and then caught up on personal email. By the time I got all that done both of the older boys had woken up. I attempted to get them settled back in their room and went to take my shower. By the time I was done they were ready to be released. It was almost 7a, so I got them their milk and they sat on the couch watching a Boz Christmas DVD, while I had my breakfast. Then it was time for their breakfast. They really like the 9 grain cereal, especially if it is fixed with brown sugar and a little butter the way Grandma likes it.

After some major kitchen clean-up I began to fill up the dinosaur eggs in preparation for the birthday party. Dinosaur eggs are water balloons. After filling up over 50 balloons I think I finally learned how to tie them. This is a skill that I never had learned, but if you’re going to fill that many then learning to tie them is a really good idea.

Lots of kids came for the party and it was funny to observe how a few adults took on the challenge of entertaining the children while most of the adults sat in a group and talked with each other. The kids behaved very well and seemed to have a good time. It probably took an hour to fill all the water balloons and they were all gone in 5 minutes. The kids had fun tossing them into the nest and that’s what mattered.

After snacks and cupcakes the families began to drift away. Corban was so tired that he didn’t get his feet under him when swinging out of the tree he had been climbing. He didn’t fall far, but it surprised him to hit the ground on his side. I thought he and Josiah would be headed down for their naps early, but somewhere they got a second wind and didn’t go down until 12:30p. Shirley just got Elijah back to sleep and the house is very quiet. It won’t last, but we’ll enjoy it while we can.

Our travel day began with packing yesterday.  We did our best to squeeze everything into one suitcase, two computer backpacks, and the breathing machine bag.  We thought we were going to able to take everything until I put the suitcase on the scale.  It weighed in at 62 pounds and was well over the 50 pound limit.  After removing most of the books I was going to read it was back down to 46 pounds.  Maybe I’ll have to get a Kindle someday after all.  I also had to call the airline.  We booked our flight over two months ago and there have been several changes in itinerary since then.  One of those changes ended up deleting our flight from San Francisco to Atlanta.  I had gotten the flight reinstated earlier this week, didn’t discover until yesterday that we were no longer seated together.  The reservation agent at Delta was very nice, but could not do anything to change our seats.  Instead, we were instructed to get to the airport early and attempt to change our tickets at check-in.

After getting everything packed and Shirley getting snacks baked we went next door for dinner.  It was a wonderful meal of polenta and stew with bread pudding for dessert.  We got to bed at 7P, but this is only too early if you aren’t thinking of making a three hour time change the next day.  We were up early and ready to go by 5:30A.  Our neighbor Dave went with us to bring the car back and we had a very smooth drive to the airport.  We got to the airport by 6:50A and Shirley went to check-in while I went to the bathroom.  I asked more than once and discovered that the check-in process has been completely automated.  The employees at the check-in counter are only there to assist you with the terminals or check your bags.  I had some books back into our bag and cut it a little close.  The bag weighed 50 pounds (maybe a little more), but a very nice Delta employee checked the bag onto the plane.  He asked us to be cautious on the way home not realizing that we’d be much lighter after leaving Christmas gifts in Fort Myers. 

At this point we proceeded to security and took a long time getting through.  Shirley’s breathing machine even got the privilege of being x-rayed twice.  We got to the gate more than an hour ahead of the flight departure time and asked the gate agent if he could find us seats.  We moved further back in the plane, but he was able to reseat us and put us together.  We were in an early loading zone so we didn’t have any problem getting one bag in the overhead compartment.  The flight was bumpy, but there were few turns and Shirley did as well as she ever has.  Her music player battery went dead about an hour into the flight, but we were on a 757 and she was able to watch HGTV the rest of the way to Atlanta.  I was a little surprised, but pleased.  We’re now sitting in the Atlanta airport and Shirley is playing Freecell while I write this blog. 

I sure wish that the larger airports provided free Wi-Fi for passengers.  I guess if I want it that bad I’ll pay for it.  It is now possible to connect to the Internet while in flight.  The company that provides that service just handed out free access cards for the customers going to Minneapolis. 

Our flight to Florida boarded on time and we had a smooth flight to Fort Myers.  It is a very short flight and was very smooth.  Shirley was delighted that the approach to the airport was a straight on approach rather than the normal turning and turning and turning.  The ultimate indicator of a smooth travel day is when your luggage arrives.  Our not only arrived, but was sitting to the side of the carousel when we walked into the baggage area.  When we walked outside we knew we weren’t in California.  I don’t know what the temperature was, but it was warm.

The bed is done.  After I got back from Santa Rosa this morning Shirley and I began assembling the bed.  Our neighbor had ripped some scrap lumber to create the cross pieces to go under the plywood and mattress.  It could be called the scrap bed, but it is named the safari bed because of the paint effect that Shirley put on it.  We did buy a little hardware, but most of the assembly was done with scraps we already had.  It will sure be nice to roll out of bed and be able to stand up without having to push up off the floor.

After lunch Judi and I looked at the cabinet layout in the kitchen.  We haven’t finalized our decision on how to proceed, but it was clear that we didn’t want to begin installing anything until we decided.  So, Judi and I moved onto the bathroom and began installing the fixtures.  We got the main plumbing fixtures installed before I had to go to work.  They look good.

Tomorrow we’re expecting a lot of rain and high winds.  This will be the first time any of us have been here during a real storm, so it will be good to see how everything works.  The heater is keeping up without any problem.  I think we’ve got the program worked out so that they house stays very comfortable.

Shower Fan/Light Fixture

Rearranged Kitchen

Wiring the Under Cabinet Lights

Measuring for the Lower Cabinets

Big Buck

Big Buck

Today was a day of completing some little stuff.  Shirley had painted the ceiling of the downstairs bathroom, so I could install the lighting fixtures.  The fan/light unit for the shower area went in easily, but then we rethought the wiring.  The light was tied to the main light and the fan was on a separate switch.  We decided to switch it so that the fan and light come on together.  This way we save some energy, because only the CFL light comes on when you switch on a light at night.  I also got the track for the track light installed.  There is a little problem with the power coupling not lieing flat against the ceiling, so we’ll need to sort that out before we install the lights.

The most exciting thing today was the appearance of a big buck next to the garage.  I went out to get some tools and when I looked up he was only about 10 feet away right outside the window.  I called Shirley and then decided to go inside and try to get some pictures.  None of the pictures are great, but he hung around quite a while.  There was a doe laying down under the Scotch Broom and she didn’t even move when we walked around attempting to get pictures of the buck.  He was really interested in the Purple Hop Bush.  In fact he was ripping them out of the ground and then taking them a little ways away to eat.  I wouldn’t want to tangle with him, but he was sure fun to see up close.

I did succeed in getting another gopher today.  It is amazing how big some of the tunnels are.  I was proud of myself becuase I managed to locate the tunnel between two groups of dirt piles on the surface.  The only problem with trapping the gophers is the dip in the yard that is left when the dirt is replaced and the tunnel filled in.  I estimated that this tunnel was at least 3″ in diameter.

We started working on installing the kitchen cabinets today.  We didn’t finish because there are a number of things we need to discuss with Judi before we go much further.  I also need to get some sheet metal pieces for installation of the microwave.  It is going to be great to have the cabinets in.  We moved our temporary cabinet today to make it possible to measure and begin the installation process.  IKEA really has done a great job of engineering the installation process.  We only got one cabinet up, but it was really easy.

Buried Trap

Hole in the drip tubing

Hole where the leak was found

A dug up gopher tunnel

Deer Eating Lunch

Sprung gopher trap

It has been quite a day.  It began with a phone call early this morning from our son in Florida.  He and his wife were checking in at the hospital for the birth of our 4th grandson.  Early this afternoon we got another phone call  informing us that Elijah Lemayan Whitney had been born at 2:15p.  He weighed in at 8 lbs 6 1/2 ounces and was 21 inches long. Lemayan means blessing in Masai.

As the pictures show my gopher trapping yesterday was unsuccessful.  Once again a gopher managed to fill the trap with dirt and then completely cover it.  I did manage to catch one gopher today.  In the picture you can see the sprung trap within 3 feet of a Solar Sonic Spike.  This isn’t a very good testimonial for the Sonic Spikes.  I don’t know if they are discouraging gophers from entering the yard, but I know that they certainly aren’t chasing them away.

All of the interest in gophers is due to the damage they seem to have done to the septic system.  When we had the system serviced they confirmed that we had a leak in the leach field.  The weather was beautiful today and the ground was just right for digging so I decided to see if I could find and repair the leak.

I began by digging a hole right where the wettest spot was, but after getting deeper than I thought I would find any of the drip tubing I began to think that the leak might be further up in the gopher tunnel.  I proceeded to dig up the tunnel and did find drip tubing, but it was below the gopher tunnel and intact. I went back to the other end and noticed a little bit of gravel on one end of the hole.  I dug carefully and found the tubing with a nice hole chewed out of the side of it.

I then switched the leach fields to make the one with the leak active and pumped out some water and confirmed that I had found the leak I was looking for.  After a quick trip to S&B Market in Manchester I returned with a 1/2″ drip union and was able to repair the leak.  All that digging wore me out.  I was encouraged.  The drip tubing in the leach field is much deeper than most of the gopher tunnels I’ve been finding, so I’m optimistic that aggressive trapping will keep us from having to continually dig up the leach field.

While we were having lunch the deer appeared to have a little lunch themselves.  One of the young does did some nosing around Shirley’s new plants, but for the most part they all seemed satisfied with new shoots of grass.  They do love the purple hop bush and chewed a little of of those before they moved on.

Shirley has done a little painting today and the downstairs bathroom is ready for me to do the final finish electrical work.  She also put a few more coats of paint on the new bed frame.  Other than that we’ve been doing some reading and napping today and even got in a quick walk around the block.  We hadn’t done that all week.

Wavy Tile Shower Wall

Shower Seat

Sink and Mirror Wall

Toilet Installation

Toilet Paper Holder

Cabinet Assembly

I know that the world is full of people who would be thrilled to have one indoor bathroom with running water.  So, we are truly spoiled to consider the occasion of reinstalling the downstairs toilet a big deal, but it is.  No more climbing stairs to use the bathroom in the night.

Getting this done today would not have been possible without the hard work that Shirley has done over the last several days while I’ve been in Santa Rosa at work.  As I noted in the previous post, epoxy grout is difficult to install and even more difficult to clean up.  On her own she has finished the entire bathroom.

When she wasn’t installing or cleaning up grout, she was working on our new bedframe.  We’ve been sleeping on a mattress on the floor which is way better than sleeping on air mattresses, but not quite like sleeping in a real bed.  It has brought back memories.  I don’t know how many years we slept on a mattress on the floor when we were first married.  For some reason spending the money for a box spring was never a priority.  In fact I don’t think we’ve ever owned a box spring.

The yard is also full of many new plants.  It hasn’t rained, but the humidity is so high out here that everything stays wet a long time after just a little moisture.  All of those cuttings are really paying off and if everything survives until spring this place is going to look very different.  The deer will also have a feast.  We’re hoping that many of the plants are deer resistant and that they rest are able to get established before either the deer or the gophers kill them.

I did work a little today as well and was reminded again of why we built this place.  I got up to take a break from staring at the computer screen and headed out into the yard.  I wasn’t really looking where I was going and was surprised to look up and find two deer just ahead of me.  I think we were both surprised.  It was a great reminder to take a real break.  I was really grateful coming out last night that I was able to avoid hitting a deer.  I was able to make a panic stop and had a about 10 feet to spare.  I saw two dead deer alongside the road on the rest of trip so not every driver or deer was so fortunate.

The other big news is that I brought out the majority of our kitchen cabinets yesterday.  All that weight really tested the ABS brakes in the Subaru, but the only thing that moved was my computer backpack.  Getting everything loaded was a little rushed, so I was pleased to find that we do have all of the upper cabinets.  I’ve started assembling the cabinets and we’re hoping to get the upper cabinets and microwave installed before we have to go back.  We’re going to have an IKEA kitchen and so far everything is going together well.  The real test will come when we hang the cabinets on the wall.  We’re really looking forward to the extra storage space.