I’m going to start with something old, going back to the fall of 2009. Pam and I had stayed at a bed and Breakfast in Estes Park with the aim of spotting some of the area’s elk. I was able to get a 32 second clip (using my Flip recorder) of a bull elk calling for his harem. There is wind noise on the video but if you listen carefully you can hear the elk bugling.

[cincopa A4KACNuZi8HD]

Elk bugling is an annual event that draws many visitors to the Estes Park area every fall.

Moving ahead to now…

We have begun taking mulch off the flower beds as both iris plants and tulips are displaying a few inches of growth. While we expect more winter weather, the forecast is to have a 70 degree day this next Wednesday. Many nights are staying above freezing so it is time for the mulch to come off.

I drove up to Sanderling on Sunday just to check out the shed and utility trailer. I also wanted to see how much snow was left on the place. (Not much, soil appears fairly dry.) Temperature got up to 41 degrees but a chilly wind was blowing. I walked parts of The Lot and left some bread products [at different places] we’ve been saving for the chippies and squirrels. It was good to be back in the high country but it will be a while yet before spring reaches those elevations.

Snow on The Lot, March 11, 2018

Our bath/shower faucet is giving us grief again. The last repair held for a few weeks but the faucet began leaking again. I am going to have to replace the faucet assembly, not a job I am looking forward to mainly due to the cramped quarters and age of the plumbing.

Good news: Pam’s niece Lilly is out of the hospital and beginning her recuperation. We hope this progresses OK but Lilly has been very ill and the healing will take an extended amount of time and effort.

Pam’s Two Cents Worth:

The tulips are starting to burst through in the 100 tulip bed.  At about 40-45%  of tulips breaking ground so far, looks like it will be a lovely show.  Bittersweet – every day when I go to check on the progress of the tulips, I think of my friend and how she will be missing spring this year.

House hunt location:  I am currently keying in on Grinnell, Iowa.  Felicity and I did an overnight there when she was scouting college locations (she eventually decided on Beloit College in Wisconsin).  Fields and I are comfortable with the energy and activities (and politics) of college towns.  As luck would have it, there are some lovely older homes at reasonable prices in the Grinnell area. (Also looking at Montezuma, across the interstate and to the south of Grinnell.) We drive by on the interstate on our way to the Midwest in May, so why not stop and look around?  The list of towns to drive through becomes longer each week.

Happy Trails.

Wow. It has been a very quiet week for us. Here is a rundown on various items I’ve mentioned in previous posts.

Colds: Both of us are recovering (fewer coughs) but our energy levels are not yet back to 100 percent. After nearly 3 weeks of this, you would think we would be over it but we don’t recover as fast as we did 20 or 30 years ago.

Cats: One of the cats we had taken to the shelter, Fonzie, had to be euthanized as he was diagnosed with having feline leukemia, a fatal disease for cats and contagious. While not a “favorite cat” and just an occasional visitor to the feeding station, it was still sad to have his life end like that. The other cat, Cloudy Day, had a dental and is on a medical treatment plan for a urinary infection. She is not adapting well at the shelter, so is scheduled to return to us when her meds are completed. So much for that cat roundup.

Weather: We have had a few warm days (low 60s yesterday) but are looking at receiving 1 – 3 inches of snow by tomorrow (Sunday) morning. Wind has also been an issue with gusts hitting 40+ mph. On the other hand, a few tulips are beginning to show growth so Spring can’t be that far off.

House hunt: We are tentatively planning a trip to the Midwest in May. We want to check out some territories Pam has identified as potential retirement areas as well as visit family and friends. Pam is currently surveying Iowa along the Mississippi River, and found a house at 500 NW 1st Street  Elkader, IA, 

Brick house in Elkader, Iowa (Realtor photo.)

Another interesting town is Dyersville, Iowa, home to Ertl toys and the baseball field used in the movie “Field of Dreams.”  Although somewhat out of our current price range, we both liked the property at 604 9th Avenue SW in Dyersville.  The house hunt continues — southern Michigan is also on the current radar.

Work: I received a 3 percent pay increase and, while that does not sound like much, it was the maximum allowed by our County Commissioners (who control the County budget). At least it’s something; Pam is moving to part-time hours so we’ll have to see how the budgets work out under that arrangement. I finished the final tweaks on our intranet web page, a 70 hour project that turned out well and with which I am quite pleased. I am now configuring a new “ticket” system that will handle Help Desk requests as well as purchasing requests for the organization. It is a big project.

Speaking of projects: I am “older than dirt” it seems. A local lumber yard used to have a spring sale every year. Pam called them to find out when this year’s sale was scheduled, only to find it had been replaced by “Senior Tuesdays,” where I would qualify for a discount due to my age. Chagrin at being a senior citizen is offset by the savings but that doesn’t seem like an equitable trade-off. However, yard projects await, so I’ll take the 10%.

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Two Cents Worth:

I’m looking forward to Spring, this year in particular, as I’m interested to see how the 100 tulips I planted in the “Mary Lynn Memorial Garden” will bloom. We always experience two Springs, one here on the high desert and then another in the high country when we open up Sanderling for the season.

Hey [Tabitha’s mother] Deb, wanna weigh in on what it’s like to live in Iowa? Property taxes seem a bit high (a common thread in the Midwest).  Politics seem a bit “red state” (another common thread in the Midwest, sadly…Fields and I are definitely “purple state” material).

Happy Trails.

On Monday I started feeling the effects of a cold; by Wednesday I left work early and stayed home both Thursday and Friday. Unfortunately I passed the cold along to Pam who is now suffering as well.

(Internet graphic.)

I am coming out of it, still coughing up crud, and Pam is getting better. Both of us had fever and chills in addition to the sinus draining and coughing.

This does not appear to be the flu that has been so common this year.

We don’t keep a lot of over-the-counter medications on hand to ease cold symptoms so a trip to the local market procured NyQuil, DayQuil, an anti-mucus product, and Tylenol Cold and Flu capsules. Pam had started taking Airborne Vitamin C tablets as soon as I started showing symptoms which may have helped; she seems to be recovering in a shorter time than I. It will be several days yet, I am sure, before we are both completely over this episode.

More winter-like weather has arrived with small amounts of snow every few days. The lawn is white but the streets are clear, although several accidents were observed going to and from work this past week.

Politics: Not a subject I like to address at length, so I’ll just include this bit as it pretty much sums up my point of view:

Tweet from former President Obama

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Two Cents Worth:

Having the time to be sick is a luxury. Maybe retirement will be “luxurious” in this way?

Happy Trails.

Most of the week’s news concerns Pam and her “cat project,” aimed at reducing the number of feral cats in the neighborhood.

Two 5 month old kittens were taken to the shelter for spay/neuter operations and, after a few days of recovery, were re-homed with a friend of Pam’s. The lady needed a couple of barn cats. Initially set up in a large enclosure (with food-water-cat box), this pair will soon call the entire barn their new home.

Another pair of older cats will go into the Rifle Animal Shelter this week. Both are very friendly; we believe they may have been house cats that were dumped when their families left town. Pam has named them Fonzie and Cloudy Day. We hope they find homes with new families who might be interested in an older cat or an indoor-outdoor animal.

Fonzie

Cloudy Day

So that relocates 4 cats, leaving at least that many more to try to capture and take to the shelter for operations then, probably, release back into the neighborhood. The February round up continues.

Turning to other topics…

We have bald eagles in the area. We see them quite often as we drive to work, perched around a nest near the river,  but the other day one came closer to town. Sitting in a tree near the Colorado River, the eagle flew off as I approached on foot while trying to get a photo. Good to see them at a closer range, though. The bald eagle is an impressive bird.

Bald eagle flying away from me—only shot I could get!

The Olympics started a few days ago. Mixed curling is an Olympic sport? I don’t mind watching an end or two, but an Olympic sport? A brother/sister team from Madison, WI were the main reason we tuned in to watch. (An “end” in curling is something like an inning in baseball.)

A light snow fell yesterday (stuck to grass but not to streets and sidewalks) which made for a good day to stay inside and watch some of the Olympic events on TV.

Retirement house update:  Pam has begun an initial review of Midwest locations and houses for retirement. Cost of purchasing a house is lower there than Colorado, but other costs (colder winters, higher property taxes) tend to make up for some of the difference. Still, the idea of having a small (or in some cases zero) mortgage payment into retirement is quite appealing and offers us more financial options. I would still have “my” mountains (The Lot @ Sanderling) to come to in the summers. Who knows? The possibility of moving back to the Midwest is not something we’d seriously considered before. But we are more open to the idea after seeing some of the listings, particularly a number of “Grandma houses” that appeal to Pam. (These are older homes with intact woodwork and some include covered porches – also looking for larger lots and trees.) The search continues…

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Nickel’s Worth:

Beginning a housing search in a “new” area that was familiar to us decades ago has its challenges.  We don’t want to move “back” in time to a location where we lived before. At the moment, I’m looking at the lower peninsula of Michigan near the Indiana-Ohio line. Michigan property taxes are on the high end of the spectrum nationally (as are all the Midwest states), but the state has something called a homestead property tax rate that I need to check on, which might help mitigate high property taxes.  Michigan also exempts a certain amount of retirement pension income, which would be helpful to us going forward. (Can we live in a state that helped put President Cheetoh electorally into office?  A definite question which speaks to the political climate of the state.)

Two towns I keep an eye on are Albion and Adrian, MI.  Each has two colleges for “culture,” Adrian also has an old time Opera House and community band. (Take a look at any house for sale on Dennis Street in Adrian and follow the Google street view up and down the street.  It’s like a Disneyland of old architecture.  Very cool.)

If you have been blog readers during our Pacific Northwest property search last year, you are well aware this Midwest search may or may not pan out. Our first choice has always been another location in Colorado, but the CO housing market is rapidly moving away from what we can afford.

Since the death of my friend Mary last August, I have been considering our relative social isolation from family and childhood friends here in the West. I’m pondering if a retirement relocation to the Midwest would be satisfying or disappointing socially? Many things to consider. Where ever we end up, it appears we will be bringing along a bunch of cats…

Happy Trails.

(Internet graphic.)

There is no one theme for this post, just a series of notes about stuff that has been going on this last week.

The main news concerns Pam; she gave her notice for going from full-time to part-time this past Thursday. (First part of the process of going into semi-retirement later in the year.) While Pam was apprehensive about doing this, the actual event was somewhat anti-climatic and caused very little stir at her work place.

(Internet artwork.)

Back at the homestead, Pam has another project lined up: trapping some of the feral cat population.

Cat project sign

This will be her attempt at “doing something” about the expanding population of feral cats in town. A few cats may be placed in homes or relocated as barn cats, but the rest will be released back into the area after their spay or neuter operation.  In the rescue world, this process is called TNR (trap/neuter/release). The attempt will be made — we will have to see what results from the effort.

I thought I would put in this photo of an art piece Pam bought a few months back. His name is Maxwell Moose:

Maxwell is a framed print now hanging over the kitchen entry.

Other households have dead animal heads and horns hanging around; we have Maxwell.

I’ve been able to do a bit of work on the Oliver OC-3. I had some unused vacation left over from 2017 that was paid out in my last January check. Some of this will go to savings but a bit of it went into parts for the tractor.

OC-3 parts: Battery, cables, starter switch, oil filter, spark plugs

After installing the battery, cables, and starter switch the engine spun over. It did not start; I have yet to install the magneto, but at least I know the starter works and the engine will turn over. I’ll take this small advance as a small sign of progress.

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Two Cents Worth:

Regarding the Spirit of De Beque (otherwise known as the Oliver OC-3), the sooner it runs the sooner it can be moved and doesn’t become permanent yard art.

I hate cat trapping. I hate transferring scared and feisty animals from trap to crate to pen. For the most part, I am a reluctant animal rescue person. Most of the time, the females a person wants to trap are too wily to be trapped, and males that have previously been trapped willingly go back into the trap for the tasty food again and again and again.

The sign is to let “the neighbors” know I am attempting to trap the many animals they have seen coming to our property this winter.  And to let them know I am perfectly aware they are throwing their unaltered “pets” outside to eat at my feeders.

Happy Trails.

You know it has been a slow news week when your major blog topic is plumbing.

The shower faucet has had issues over the years; every couple it seems to start leaking. I had replaced the seals at the end of the stems with new ones but this time that fix did not work.

Nothing like a drip – drip – drip to irritate you. Putting a bucket under the faucet just replaced the dripping with a splash-splash-splash.

So, it was off to the hardware store to try and find replacement parts. The house is 24 years old and used generic fixtures; finding parts would be a long shot.

I pulled one of the faucet stems to take along. Here is what the old stems looked like:

Old faucet stems

I lucked out and found new stems but with one major difference: They operate backward.

The original stems opened by turning counter-clockwise. The new stems open clockwise. While replacing the stems stopped the dripping we had to get used to the reverse operation. During the week I cranked the faucets the wrong way and got a blast of hot or cold water for my trouble. You learn quickly after that.

In theory there are right-hand stems and a left-hand stems but the store had only the left-hand stems in stock. Beggars can’t be choosers, as the saying goes, so I bought a pair of left-hand stems. Price was about $10.00 each, well worth it to cure the dripping.

As for the rest of the week, well, we will just say the time went by. We had some light snow but temperatures remain mild for late January. Here is a photo of the yard taken this morning; note the snow is present only in the shady areas.

Our yard on January 27th

We are already looking forward to spring (even though it is still months away). TV commercials for John Deere lawn tractors and folks loading their SUVs with fresh plants have already hit the airways out here – can spring be far away?

The next big event will be when Pam gives her notice at work. We will have to adapt to a new level of income, but both of us are more than ready to retire. For me that will not be for a few years yet.

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Five Cents Worth:

February 1 is the day I submit my resignation at the community college.  You all know how it goes; plans are in place for your job to remain the same until you retire and then wham-o – the administration cancels part of your work contract (in my case, the remote work option) and everything changes. I’ve been using my annual leave benefits on Mondays and Fridays since the first of the year, to shorten my work week while still being paid at the full-time level.  Vacation time runs out in April, at which point I [perhaps] go part-time to train somebody, or I’m done.  Who knows?

I had one of those half awake/half asleep dreams this morning that took me back to the day Fields and I were married.  We were both returning to college after the wedding, and neither of us had jobs yet.  Things were kinda up in the air then – how were we going to live?  I think my brain is telling me I feel the same way now. Even though the financial circumstances are different, it’s about the unknown.

Married life for us has been a constant rotation of “enough money/not enough time” or “enough time/not enough money.” I don’t apply for my pension (such as it is) until the end of 2018 or early 2019, so semi-retirement will likely be the “enough time/not enough money” option.

The search for a retirement house will certainly be impacted by this development, as my reduced income introduces a monetary impact I was not planning on until next year at the earliest.  However, as Fields notes above, we are both more than ready to “retire.” For myself, after evaluating 16,750 (and counting) incoming student transcripts over a dozen years, definitely more than ready.

Happy Trails.

Every few days the dogs get together and have a howling session. We don’t know why but the result is entertaining. I managed to get a clip of one such session “performed” this past week:

[cincopa AUCA8LOjUub6]

Take a listen!

This happens every few days, normally started by Bru but occasionally Blondie or JoJo will lead off. Songs of their fathers? Beagle+Terrier, Beagle+American Eskimo Dog, and Spaniel+Greyhound — not what I would consider primarily “hounds”  but obviously something in their genetic makeup links them. At any rate, the howling reminds me of their wild dog heritage.

It has been another mild week but that is supposed to change beginning tonight. A large storm is approaching that should give us more snow and usher in colder temperatures. High yesterday and today at about 50 degrees; after tonight highs will be in the low to-mid-30 degree range.  I have the John Deere tractor and blade staged for the event, and picked up some groceries after work last night to get us through the weekend.

Forecast for today and next week

In most other respects the week was routine except for some family news: Pam’s niece Lilly is having medical problems that required surgery. Lilly appears to have come through that OK but now begins a long recovery process. Positive vibes to her and her mom Becky.

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Two Cents Worth:

I have actually howled along with the dogs on occasion. Feels great to howl out frustrations and stresses. Wonder what the neighbors think when we are all in full howl mode?

Happy Trails.

While it has been a slow news week, the weather – continuing warm today – has been the major story locally.

We had a couple days of light snow that turned into fairly heavy rain(!) this past week. However, today felt more like spring than the middle of winter.

The moisture was welcome but it’s still very dry. In fact, today we raked the lawn, trying to reduce the level of dry grass the dogs and cats are carrying into the house. Both species love to get out and roll in the dead grass and some of it comes in with them.

Raking the lawn in January

Temperatures approached the 50 degree mark and the day was sunny with no wind, great conditions for spending some time outside!

Our pets continue to entertain us. The other night one of the cats, Cirrus, was playing with his tail. (Not the first time.) I tried to catch some of it on video and, of course, he quit just as I was starting to record him. Click on the link below to view a short clip:

Cirrus#1

Here are two of the cats, London (left) and Velvet (right) sharing a napping spot:

London and Velvet share a nap spot.

Of course they were cuter until I approached with the camera…

Both of us have been busy at work with the start of the new year. A new semester always means more work for Pam, and my fiscal budget kicks off for 2018. One of my projects, nearly complete, has been the re-coding of our company intranet site to change it from its .asp roots to straight html. I tried to find a vendor who would take on this project but no one wanted to touch it. I had to do it  myself and the resulting site has turned out well, but there are some minor tweaks still to be completed.

That sort of wraps it up; no other real news from the past week. Next week is likely to be similar but check in anyway!

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

(Pam has no additional comment this week.)

2018 is one week old. Here is what I have been doing since my last post.

Snow fell last night, a heavy, wet snow (1 – 2 inches) that packs down into slippery surfaces. Being Sunday, our little town has not plowed the roads. I did get out the John Deere and cleaned our driveway, sidewalks, and some of the neighbor’s sidewalks as well in hopes they will melt off quickly, as it is supposed to be in the low 40s later today.

Winter is the time for a few cleaning projects, particularly in the main bathroom. Light fixtures removed and cleaned, vent grill removed and cleaned, and tops of cabinets vacuumed. It is amazing how much lint accumulates in these areas. (And how long we can ignore the buildup!)

I took an ATV ride with my ATV group this past Saturday morning. With little snow in the high country, the ATV season has been extended. The area we rode in is not high in scenic quality but did traverse several forest zones from dry grasslands up through juniper and into aspen then into tall pine. It was refreshing to be out riding and we had a good group of 24 machines.

ATV group on 1-6-18 ride

My odometer indicated the loop was about 66 miles long and took us about 5 hours. All of us pack a lunch and rides include several breaks including a longer lunch break. For this trip I put on long johns under my snowmobile suit and had a sweatshirt on as well. The ATV has heated grips and heated throttle lever (a Christmas gift from Pam several years ago) so I was quite comfortable even though we were getting close to 9,000 foot in elevation. A few snowflakes made their appearance later in the ride but were welcomed, as the ongoing winter dry conditions are of concern to all of us.

Pam had to return to a work schedule without the remote work option, after enjoying two weeks off over Christmas and New Years. This only confirms that she is mentally ready to retire (me too!); getting back into the routine gets harder each time there is a vacation break more than a few days.

The kitten Pumpkin Pie was delivered to his new foster home and is reported to be fitting in very well, even though he squeezed into a small space between a built-in dishwasher and cabinet and had to be rescued. (Pam had specifically warned the foster family about small spaces around appliances!) We hope this works out well and the foster family ends up adopting Pumpkin.

The rest of the week was basically routine — going to work, watching some football, household chores. The next few months are likely to be more of the same while we wait for spring to make an appearance. Pam is looking forward to watching televised events she enjoys at the Winter Olympics in early February, particularly ice skating.

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Two Cents Worth:

The outside cat colony (+ roaming ferals) is eating its way through a little more than 16 pounds of cat food per week. While feeding at this level is financially sustainable at the moment, when I segue into my semi-retirement period — not so much. An ongoing spay/neuter operation starting in February is scheduled, in cooperation with the animal shelter in nearby Rifle.  (I used to work with that shelter’s director, and she looks out for me.) I also have two ranch homes interested in some of the ferals for mousing. In times like this I always try to remind myself that the step from rescue to hoarding is a small one.

Happy Trails.

The past year – 2017 – offered us a mix of personal and professional highs and lows. Here are a few of the more important events that took place over the past year.

Craig and Dianne Paroubek visited us on our Sanderling lot over Memorial Day and we had a very enjoyable visit. (Craig is one of Pam’s two brothers.) This also marked the first use of the brush chipper I had purchased earlier in the year. After a few kinks were worked out, the chipper provided us with a large pile of chips which we spread on one of our footpaths. All in all it was an excellent weekend!

Craig (right) helping Jerry chip brush

Over the summer we semi-retired our 2001 Honda (414K miles) and purchased a 2007 Honda that would become our daily driver. After correcting a few minor problems the “new” Honda has proven to be an economical ride; we have driven it over 20,000 miles to date.

2007 Honda

August proved to be an emotional month. Pam’s best friend and previous classmate since kindergarten, Mary Hayes, succumbed to pancreatic cancer and passed away on August 15th. Mary had visited us in late 2013 and we had visited her (and husband Jeff ) during our Florida trip in 2014. Pam and Mary were very close, having attended public school together, then backpacked in Europe before both married and began families. Mary is greatly missed.

We visit Jeff and Mary Hayes at their Florida home in 2014

Professionally, 2017 had both ups and downs. Pam was notified the program allowing her the ability to work remotely a few days per week was being canceled by administration. As a result, Pam will be going to a part-time schedule at the community college beginning in January, prior to quitting entirely next year.

My work situation was somewhat better; my assistant position was filled and several major projects were completed as planned. While there are more projects in the pipeline for 2018, for the next couple months the work should be routine.

Retirement conversations are becoming more frequent. I signed up for Social Security this year! Since I am still employed I did not sign up for any benefits, just needed to get on the record for future Medicare coverage.

Other activities included attending another motorcycle rally in Colorado and a few trips to look at potential Colorado retirement properties.

Motorcycle group in Rocky Mtn Natl. Park. I am 3rd from right.

That about wraps up 2017; now we are preparing for 2018. Thanks to everyone who reads this blog and a Happy New Year to all!

Pam’s Two Cents Worth:

Another high school friend visited Sanderling in June, plus my Aunt Doris also passed away this summer.  We have owned the Sanderling property five years, and been looking for a retirement house for two years. On the whole, my take on 2017 is — it has been a crappy year for me. (Better for Fields; he acquired expensive machinery and enjoyed his regular motorcycle trips as well as ATV outings.)

No resolutions this year; I will just be trying to figure out how to afford semi-retirement.  Although my workplace has forced the issue, maybe it’s really just The Universe telling me to “stop working already.”  I try to listen to The Universe when given a clear message. My friend Mary reinforced this same general idea in 2017 before she died – you may be only one terminal diagnosis away from the end (cheery thought), so do what makes you happy.

Happy Trails.