Lemon Pie Reprise (End to an Eternity!!)

Friday, 30 April 2009; In South King County --

Well, dreams really do come true ... sometimes! In Grumpy's case, his dream was at least one more of the Grand Mother's delectably delicious Lemon Meringue Pies before he checked out of this Earthly tour. Unfortunately for the prospects, however, the Resident Grandson somehow just kept getting Grumpy in trouble with his First Wife, and the dreaded words would be uttered, "No more Lemon Meringue Pie forever (translation: one eternity)." Of course, the Grandson got great satisfaction from hearing these words -- no noticeable sympathy at all for his poor old Grandpa. In fact the Grandson was even heard to urge his Grandmother to add on another eternity or two!! [No sympathy whatsoever!]

As I was saying, Grumpy's dream came true today when the Grand Mother offered up one (1) of her infamous (best in the World, believe me!!) Lemon Meringue Pies. And there is no Grandson around to steal the biggest piece!! The Lone Son who is here says that his favorite pie is the Grand Mother's Apple pie. She baked one of those the other day and there is still a piece of it left, so Grumpy anticipates absolutely no competition in his devouring of this golden-topped beauty. Yes, there will be a stomach ache tonight!! Plenty of TUMS on hand, though, so Grumpy does not expect to suffer too badly!

Now the Grand Mother opined that this was not a good-looking example. Grumpy disagrees [she says I disagree with her "all the time"!]. Not only does it look good like it should, but even if it didn't, Grumpy knows that it is the inside of the Lemon Meringue Pies that the Grand Mother bakes, which is the part that really, truly counts!!

I'll tell you in the morning how good it was. And I should probably also tell the Grand Mother that she needs some more practice -- so that she will be in good form to bake two or three for her First Retiring Son when he arrives in early June.

Or maybe Grumpy should just learn to keep his mouth shut. Except to eat some pie, that is.

A Walk in the Forest

Memories from Friday, 17 April 2009; In a Clark County Forest --

After school this Friday afternoon, the Great Grumpy was invited by his Great Grandson Jamey, to "explore the Forest!" How could any Great Grandfather resist the urgency of this request!? The previous day, Jamey had suggested we "go into the Forest" to read a book. Unfortunately, Grumpy had expended all of his energy that afternoon (Thursday) driving down from King County and helping the Amboy unload and emplace about a ton of used conveyor belting, so he declined. Today, although it was raining, Great Grumpy was not about to ask for a "rain check". Younger brother Arthur donned warm jacket and joined us.

[It might have been interesting to see what response I would have gotten from these two wise-cracking Great Grandsons if Great Grumpy had asked for a "rain check"!!]

Shortly after entering the Forest, we were joined by "the Cat". [Note that there are two cats in this household but the other one is more secretive, mysteriously surviving while living outside, somehow evading predation by cougar, black bear and coyotes that invade these premises!] The Cat persisted in accompanying us through the entire exploration of the Forest, although he would otherwise insist on residing inside the house or as close as possible to one of the entry doors at all times!! Scaredy Cat!!!

Jamey carefully avoided stepping on this Trillium (as well as numerous "baby" Trillium that had popped up all around this little open area in the Forest); he lectured his Great Grandpa about the importance of preserving these delicate plants, including not picking the beautiful white flowers "because that will kill them!"

Soon we arrived at "the House"! The House consisted of numerous 3 or 4 inch diameter saplings that had fallen in a random manner to form a skeleton framework under which little boys -- and agile Grand fathers -- might crawl and sit while pondering the wonders of Space, Time or Quantum Physics and such other mundane subjects that cross the minds of little boys. This particular House was fortuitously provided with an Emergency Exit (in case of forest fire, I was told). [The Mother of these two boys may now realize how that yellow and white striped shirt went from perfectly clean right after school to the motley condition it was in only an hour or so later when we were called to supper.]

Certainly there can be no greater fun for three boys, than exploring a mysterious Forest together!! Unless it is would be that of three or four boys going fishing together.

Green Mountain School

Clark County School District 112 --

Grumpy started his education in a country school. But that was then and now we have Green Mountain Elementary School where Jamey G. and Arthur attend. The school of Grumpy's memory and the school where Jamey and Arthur attend are totally different! For one thing, the Green Mountain school has the boy's and girl's restrooms inside!! There are other differences as well, some of which you will see as you read this POSTing.

In the classroom shared by Jamey and Arthur, Grumpy found a cacophony of eager 2nd and 3rd graders; as the photograph showing the students "at work" might suggest, not all students remain focused on the work at hand! But what would you expect with the Grumpy one there -- a huge distraction if there ever was one!! I mean, how often is it that someone's Great-Grandfather comes to their 2nd & 3rd grade classroom?!

Recess was even more fun! Jamey was able to "pump" himself up on the swing this far, to the amazement of Grumpy and the horror of his Great Grandmother who viewed the picture a day or so later! Notice the sagging chain, indicating that Jamey has reached approximately the same level as the cross bar that supports the swing!! NO FEAR!!

Then there was a fire drill -- right in the middle of recess!! All of the children (1st through 6th grade) got out to the meeting place on the play field in quick time!!

Finally, there was Arthur, who daintily placed his jacket at the top of the slide "so he didn't get his pants wet from the rained-on slide"! See the slide show of the sequence, using a 1 second interval.

Grumpy was truly honored to have had this opportunity to witness a bit of his Great Grandsons' education. How different was their school compared to that of their Great Grandfather; and how different were these boys' achievements compared to their Great Grandfather -- he got a big, fat zero on his first Math paper!! Oh, for shame!!!

Tea and Tofu in a Liberal Venue

A Clark County Hangout --

Having arrived here early enough on this Thursday afternoon to be enslaved, by the Tall Grandson, to assist in unloading and unrolling about a ton of used conveyor belting around said Grandson's Castle, a monstrous appetite was whetted. You know the kind: Rare beefsteak with smashed potatoes and gravy, homemade biscuits on the side with plenty of butter and stromberry jelly!! Oh YUMMMM!!!! Whoo-oops!! Wrong address!! Grumpy found himself invited for dinner at none other than Ms. Liberal, that Tree-Hugging Vegetarian Hippie Freak of Clark County herself, the Height-Challenged One -- the Adopted Swede Granddaughter!
No, there would be no beefsteak, rare or cooked tonight -- nosirree Bob!! No smashed 'taters 'n gravy either, Buddy! Nope, just good old nouritioning Tofu and Tea for supper tonight! And if you don't like it, then "go take a hike!"

Supper consisted of spaghetti with Tofu substituting for cubed venison, Chinese egg-rolls -- with Tofu in lieu of chicken, and Chinese pot stickers stuffed with Tofu and rice. Now, if the reader thinks that this was not a delicious dinner he (or she) has another think coming!! Not only was the meal very tasty, but the company was uncommonly delightful (possibly excluding Grumpy himself) with the conversation and the entertainment provided by two inquisitive Great Grandsons named Jamey and Arthur.

After the strenuous afternoon, Grumpy was glad to retire to the roost normally occupied by Arthur.

Use for Surplus Coveyor Belting

Somewhere in Clark County--

Many of you have been queried (begged, really!) about making use of the left-over conveyor belting that Grumpy bought from the Bar-B mill auction a couple years ago. The three rolls of the stuff that remained were much too heavy for Grumpy, or any two men like him, to lift or even roll! Using the trusty electric winch that the Grand Mother had given him many years ago, Grumpy succeeded in getting the half-ton rolls loaded into his utility trailer. The plan now was to find a willing consumer and get HIM (or her -- Amazon-type!!) to help unload them at the new owner's location.

The Amboy volunteered to make use of these white elephants! Grumpy was delighted and set about post-haste to ready the old Red Gas Guzzler ('86 Ford F-250HD) for the 167-mile trip down here to Clark County. Arriving early enough in this 70-degree day, Amboy and Grumpy were able to take advantage of the good weather (no rain in sight!) to unload two of the big, black conveyor belts and unroll them directly into desired locations: providing a grass/weed barrier between the lawn and Heidi's flower beds on three sides of the house.

Having a substantial length of the wide conveyor belting still remaining, the idea was conceived of providing a grass/weed barrier along the length of the clothesline! Amboy opined that a bonus benefit would be that his long pants would not touch weeds or grass. Note how the blue jeans on this line (hung by the Amboy himself) are laid over adjacent lines to prevent such interference.) Grumpy asked the obvious question:

"Why didn't you make the clothesline higher in the first place?"

"I didn't want the Short One to think I would always be the one to hang up the clothes!"

"Good thinking", Grumpy thought to himself.

Who Really Has the Green Thumb?

Around Home; South King County --

Grumpy was surveying his castle today when he couldn't help but notice the lush foliage being cultivated by the Grand Mother right under his eyes (in the Kitchen). Now this would not have been so amazing if said Grand Mother hadn't become known far and wide as a sentence of death to anything belonging to the genus "flora". She has been more favorable to the likes of "fauna" -- mainly belonging to the feline family.

Pictured above is the object of my admiration: a miniature African Violet given to his Mother several years ago by BoPop. At the time, BoPop was working for a small software company in Bellevue and was propagating these little beauties in prolific numbers, using cuttings from a parent violet that had been given him earlier. He cultivated these little beauties in a miniature earthen pot which in turn was closely-fitted inside a plastic vessel. The external plastic vessel provided a reservoir for nutrient-rich water which kept the violet happy -- as long as the reservoir was maintained at a suitable level of water (and soluble fertilizer).

Grumpy thinks the Grand Mother has done an outstanding job of taking care of this African Violet in all ways which it obviously likes. Just look at those big, deep pink flowers and multiple buds showing on this top view!

Grumpy is jealous!!

Look, now at the standard African Violet that Grumpy has been caring for since the Grand Mother received it for her birthday in October last year. When received, the leaves were a healthy deep green and the flowers were each as big as a Silver half-dollar! Under Grumpy's questionable care, all of the original big green leaves have been replaced by the much smaller leaves now seen; it bloomed again early this year (flowers about the same size as those currently proudly-showing on the miniature violet!), but shows no signs of new buds setting on.

As you may perceive from the photograph, Grumpy has the violet in the original plastic pot in which it came, sitting in a shallow sauce dish in which he maintains a reservoir of water varying in depth from one to zero inches. This violet is kept in a somewhat cooler location: the Master Bathroom window, where it enjoys a mildly-moist environment and filtered sunshine during morning hours on days when such exists in Seattle.

Somebody: Please give Grumpy a hint as to what he is doing wrong!?

SD to WA; A Long Day's Drive Home

US-212 & I-90; Across three States --

As mentioned in the previous post, I left Spearfish at about 9 am (MDT) and topped off the Red Rocket's 17-plus gallon tank in Belle Fourche, planning to fire-ball all the way to Missoula for my next fuel stop. Before breakfast this morning, I had checked AccuWeather on the INTERNET. This is a website that Uncle Bob and I had used consistently, as it gives both good imagery of the cloud patterns, but also the enhanced radar which detects precipitation. The image can be animated, showing the cloud and precipitation movement over a three-hour period.

AccuWeather imagery suggested that Grumpy might run into intermittent precipitation (presumably snow) across Eastern and Central Montana, but that the showers were moving South and East, so they might be "out of the way" by the time I got there. The imagery for the Pacific Coast was more ominous: a huge storm moving in off the ocean promised much precipitation. Grumpy thought the heavy precipitation might mean heavy snow in the Cascades with dire problems for Snoqualmie Pass! And even more problems in a day or two when it reached Fourth of July Pass in Idaho and Mullen Pass between Idaho and Montana.

Grumpy concluded that he had best drive as far as he could before encountering bad conditions and the potential of closed passes.

Driving along at the now-standard cruising speed of 65 mile per hour, Grumpy took several photos at different points along this route home, each one showing potential problems of snow in the distant up ahead, but later a seemingly divine clearing of the clouds, often with sunshine! The highway was bare and dry, mile after mile.

After refueling in Missoula, I stopped at Lincoln's $10,000 Silver Dollar bar (and restaurant, motel and gift shop). I had tentatively planned to spend the night here, not wanting to hazard driving over icy roads at night. After choosing some gifts to take to the ones left at home, I got current information that the condition of Mullen Pass (13 miles up the road) was "very good".

Proceeding over Mullen Pass on bare and dry roadway, I anticipated the possibility of staying in Kellogg if the air temperature indicated a problem for Fourth of July Pass (elevation 3,000 feet). The outside air temperature on the Red Rocket showed a comfortable margin above freezing as I neared Fourth of July; at the Pass it read 33 degrees! The roadway was bare and wet -- good driving conditions still!!

Grumpy drove on, now past midnight, going through Spokane with snow coming down fairly heavily -- but the outside air temperature remaining in the mid-thirties! Roadway bare and wet.
Climbing up out of Spokane, the snow still heavily falling, slush was accumulating on the road. Grumpy wisely stayed behind a semi whose big dual wheels "blew or blasted" the slush clear in two tracks that Grumpy could safely follow.

At a rest stop somewhere this side of Ritzville, Grumpy finally had to succumb to the desire to sleep. His "nap" lasted about an hour and a half -- the cold probably awakened more than the feeling of adequate rest. Underway, the car soon provided warmth and the snow had subsided so that the roadway was again mostly bare and wet -- diminishing slush. Cruise speed of 65 miles per hour was finally again reasonable.

Before stopping for his nap, Grumpy had considered stopping in Ellensburg for a cup of coffee and piece of pie. Now, his appetite was gone and the thought of a cup of coffee actually made him nauseous. Turning to the prescribed AM frequency, Grumpy obtained a current report on the conditions at Snoqualmie Pass. Unbelievably, the report said the Pass was clear, with traction tires required on vehicles under 20,000 lbs gross; chains required on all vehicles over that weight.

A little past Cle Elum, a long line of trucks were parked along the highway, evidentally stopped by the fact that they did not carry chains, or that their drivers didn't want to install them. Slush again appeared on the roadway, but Grumpy again used the tactic of following in the tracks of a big truck (apparently chained up) and was able to easily proceed, albeit at the ponderous pace set by the big truck. Grumpy was "in a groove" now -- sleep was not an option; "I'm gonna make it home tonight!" (Lyrics from an old "trucker" ballad that Grumpy used to play on the tape in his pickup truck.)

The heaviest slush was on the last steep section just before and going over the Pass proper. Down the West side, the worst hazard were a few passenger vehicles and pickup trucks that acted like they thought they were late for the Indy 500! Their passing at high speed, with slush flying everywhere and the possibility of their losing directional control as they passed; this was the scariest part of the night's travel -- indeed, of the whole trip!! Four miles from the top of the Pass, the roadway reverted to bare and wet. Heavy rain was encountered as the outside air temperature rose to the low 40's at North Bend and then 47 degrees at Issaquah and on home.

Grumpy quietly entered his "Castle" and tried to sneak into bed without disturbing the "Queen" , the Grand Mother. Alas, he got caught!!

"Who's there?" cried the alarmed voice of the Grand Mother.

"It is I, your husband!" Grumpy pleaded.
Grumpy was rewarded with an affectionate hug and a welcome kiss. Home at last!!

Into bed at 5 am (PDT), after 21 hours on the road. Sleep was not difficult to achieve!

Visit with Cousins in Spearfish

Tuesday Daytime & Evening and Wednesday Morning; Spearfish SD --

Saying goodbye to Hazel after breakfast in Kearney, Grumpy survived a hectic drive through North Central Nebraska (Thedford NE to Mission SD), with blowing snow crossing the highway in short sections, and a brisk wind out of the West. Grumpy managed to avoid the pitfalls of other, speedier drivers. Their impatience resulted in their cars being pushed by the wind off of the road when they hit the patches of slush where the blowing snow crossed the highway. Some vehicles wound up upside down or on their side; a couple of them "merely" wound up in the ditch on either side of the highway. The accumulation of frozen slush in the wheel wells and rocker panel on Grumpy's Red Rocket tells the story of this leg of the journey.

Arrived in Spearfish in time for supper at a nearby restaurant with Cousin Bitsy; afterwards a dish of her homemade custard pudding, and then a good night's sleep in the Spearfish Creek Cabins, a place the Grand Mother and I have stayed three times previously; they remember us.

Breakfast the next morning with Cousins Bitsy and Jimmy concluded my visit with these "Spearfish Cousins". Jimmy generously shared a ZipLoc bag filled with some of his homemade venison jerky. This would be a treat for Grandson Ramiro -- if there is any left by the time I get home, that is!

I left Spearfish at about 9 am and topped off the fuel tank in Belle Fourche for the long drive to Missoula MT -- 600 miles away!