Farming

Using horses to plow the field just up the road from us.

In Sequim

It's been a busy week settling in, meeting neighbors, learning the area. Neighbors across the road raise the cutest miniature hereford cows (photo below). There are lots of horses and a couple of alpacas in the neighborhood, too. The dogs are slowly adjusting to the new place. Bob is recovering nicely from pneumonia. We've decided to rip out the existing maple floor along with the carpeting and install all new hickory floors, so we've only moved in the barest essentials of furniture. We'll do an official move when we come back next spring and all the floor work is completed. 

Mini-cow

Looking south, back of house

Looking north, front of house

Sportz Dome-To-Go Tent

The Sportz Dome-To-Go Tent

 The Jetta Sportwagon is too small to sleep me and all three dogs on my upcoming trip so I've been looking at tents. The Sportz Dome-To-Go was highly recommended in a few VW user forums. It has plenty of head room to stand up, has big doors, screened windows, and attaches to the back of the vehicle with the hatchback up. I thought it was just the ticket to allow me to sleep in the the Jetta while the dogs spread out on pads in the tent, so I ordered one from REI.

The tent arrived in four days and was a bit bigger and heavier than expected with a shipping weight of something like 28 pounds. The tent comes packed in a lightweight full zip duffle bag with poles, rainfly, stakes, straps, a net storage shelf and instructions.

Here the tent is spread out in position at the back of the wagon. There are two very long poles to pop together and insert in the tent sleeves. Bingo, bango, the thing is up.

Then you go inside the tent and slip the car sleeve around the back of the vehicle. 

Outside again, you hook the sleeve to the rack on top (there is an alternate method if you don't have a rack) and also hook to the wheel well.

Do the same thing on the other side and cinch the sleeve up snugly. 

Now you can open the hatchback and the spaces are joined. You can also use the tent by itself by using the sleeve area as a door/window or just zipping it shut. 

Here is my self-inflating pad in the back of the wagon.

The windows are zippered and screened. The half circle below the window in the picture below is a ventilation port when the tent is staked properly. There are two door options, opposite the car or to the side, and there is plenty of space inside. It comes with a rainfly that I didn't put on because tree branches in my driveway were in the way. I wasn't able to stake it out on the concrete either. 

The tent went up and came down quickly and easily. The hardest part was getting it to fit back in the storage bag. It helps to squash out all the air but it was getting hot and I didn't want to take the time. I'm very impressed with the ease of set-up. If a 63 year old woman can do it by herself, anyone can. I hope it performs as well in use.

The Sequim Chapter

Today we close on our new house in Sequim. I am waiting on delivery of Tux's medication from the UK and probably won't join Bob there until fencing is in place and the floors are finished. The carpeting must go! Here are some pictures taken during negotiations. As usual, I can't place them in any particular order. 

Front entry

Kitchen island, family room in background

Big window at kitchen sink

Ovens, pantry

Bay window nook

Greenhouse

Multi-color rose bush at front entrance

Front of house 

Front yard and view from porch

Invasion

I hate it when monsters appear in the house. This one must have come in with a dog. A scarab beetle is my guess. I don't like killing bugs this big. Captured it and put it outside. The dogs bring in all kinds of surprises clinging to their fur. One of these days one of their surprises is going to kill and eat me.

Here is the critter in action. Don't have any idea what the weird noise is. .

Valley Fever and Chagas

On Valley Fever:

Link to The Atlantic, August 8, 2014

The Mysterious Fungus Infecting the American Southwest

On Chagas:

The fucking kissing bug. Link to The Atlantic, July 24, 2014

Northern Virginia: Ground Zero for Kissing Bug Disease

Latest Clay Work

I tried some new glazes and a new firing schedule on the latest load of pottery and am very happy with results! Here is a sampling of my favorite pieces. Lighting is very bad but I'm rushed to get them packed to take with us to Sequim.

Pitchers and mugs in Eggshell and Red-Gold:

Misc. mugs in Eggshell and Oasis:

A large strainer in Eggshell, Oasis and Red-gold:

Mixing bowl in Eggshell and Oasis:

Storage jars in Alabaster with Coral and Charcoal Satins applied with low-tech mouth sprayer:

Mixing bowls with colored slips and clear glaze:

Mugs with Eggshell, colored slips and clear glaze:

Storage jars with colored slips and clear glaze:

Pot with colored slip and white satin glaze:

This is the blue glaze that gave me so much trouble last firing. It wasn't applied thick enough and turned an ugly gray. This application was extra thick and I got a beautiful deep, glossy blue with a white satin base. The glaze ran a just little but I'll grind that down and call it good.

Packrat Problems

After spending over $300 Monday to repair the electrical wires chewed up in my new Jetta we were not happy to find five plus gallons of mesquite beans and chewed wiring in the Rhino last night. Bob cleared out a pile of wood fast becoming a packrat midden near the garage and was lucky to find the inhabitant at home. We'll have no more problems from this destructive little critter. 

Nest found in wood pile midden

Two evenings ago the White-lined Sphinx Moth caterpillars emerged from their holes in the dirt. A small army of them made their way down the wash, one after another, looking for greens to feed on. I've not seen anything like it in the years we've been here.

Sphinx Moth

Sphinx moths were here in abundance this week. I've never seen so many. They are big, pretty moths that look like hummingbirds hovering over flowers. I'm afraid next there will be an unusually large population of caterpillars that will eat the few plants I can successfully grow. It's always something.

White-lined sphinx moth

Sequim

Expecting to close on a house in Sequim Sept. 1. It's been a long search. Looking forward to the cooler climate. Not looking forward to moving.

Tux doing really well, no problems on this trip. My life getting much easier without all the special care that's been needed the last six months.

Tag and Hoop slowing down significantly. Still my babies.

I am tired.

Tux Weigh-In / Valley Fever Update

54! That's up five pounds from last weigh-in. Itraconazole may be the ticket for this dog. Still waiting for lab results.

Update: Liver function is good and Tux's cocci titer has dropped substantially! From 1:256 to 1:164 in one month. We are to continue treatment with Itraconazole.