New Year

Wow! 2008 is almost gone. What a heavy year it was.

Up on the freeway the trucks and cars are rumbling in a constant staccato of action. A vibrato of commerce. A tremolo of transportation. So at least at the moment the superficial appearance is one of vigor and normalcy.

Dad is sleeping off a nice lunch of Burger King. Mom has run to Rogue River to get the mail and run a few other minor errands.

Up on Fielder Mountain, fog banks, cloud shadows and sunlight are playing tag amidst the rocks, shrubs, trees and ridge lines. Craggy cliffs emerge and vanish in the play of light and mist.

In our fields the birds and mice scurry diligently to fill their bellies with the remnants of our farming. We bring so much life into the world with our labors. Rodents, small birds, assorted small to medium birds of prey, turkeys, crows, geese, cats, opossum, fox, raccoon, insects, and lizards. Every year their numbers increase and they spread out, filling the empty places in the land.

The New Year is a time of reflection, opportunity, and peril. Best to be alert in all three cases.

Happy New Year, everybody.

A good place for breakfast in Grant's Pass

My good friend Del invited me out for breakfast this morning. We had a fine meal and our (un)usual eclectic conversation. It was a mighty fine breakfast.

If you or anyone you know is traveling along the I-5 corridor up or down the west coast, do yourselves a favor and stop in at the Powderhorn Cafe for breakfast or lunch. They've got good chicken-fried steak, biscuits and gravy, hamburgers etc. and their pies are absolutely delightful. You probably won't find more polite and cheerful people in a month. Here's where they are:


View Larger Map

Can't win for losin'

Dad and I got a good laugh from this article about how we American's all need to spend more...

Belated Christmas evening entry

What a wonderful Christmas afternoon and evening we had, almost the whole family showed up. We even got to visit with my niece's recent addition of twins. What delightful, bright eyed little joy bundles! We were so surprised when Kaycee (my oldest grand-niece) came gliding around the corner of the kitchen with a huge grin on her face.

A half-hour later we got another magnificent gift as my youngest niece Cassandra came into the house. It was the first time we had seen her walking since her car accident 2 years ago. She's still healing so she spent most of the evening in her wheel chair, but as my brother-in-law Roger said "that just makes me feel good to see you come into the room like that" What courage and strength that young woman has!

The only ones missing were Amber and Travis and their girls, a darned cold had ahold of them so they stayed home. They were missed for sure, but we all understood their priorities.

The evening flew by and everyone needed to get on the road before it got too icy so it was over way too soon. Our memories were so bright that though it was a let-down that evening and yesterday we are still aglow with delight.

Happy New Year, everybody.

Xmas afternoon

What a fun morning we had! Got up around 7, slowly waking. Got out our stockings full of small goodies which Santa left overnight. Then we started opening presents. Too many items to list, but mom got shorted a bunch of gifts. I only had time to find her 2 and dad has been too ill to go out and about.

Well, that is, mom got shorted until my brother brought over the new rocking recliner he and I had picked up a couple days ago from West Coast Appliances at dad's behest. At first mom thought Bro and I were bringing it in for dad, until I told her it was all his idea. Her astonishment and delight were absolutely wonderful.

Mom got me the cheap mp3 player I wanted. Wasn't about to take something expensive into the cornfields with me, but this unit from Coby works ok and I don't have to care if it breaks, other than losing something mom gave me. I also got a Benjamin break-barrel 177 pellet gun with scope from dad for shooting the giant, long-legged rats in our garden ;-) Dad wrote "Don't shoot your eye out!" on the box.

Dad got some warm slippers and sweats from mom and a nice collection of assorted small tools from me. He also got a bunch of other things like a couple books and some other clothing.

We all got the glorious gift of being together for another fun Christmas morning.

Oh yeah, and Sparky got a new assortment of chewable squeak toys.

God bless this good green earth and Merry Christmas to all.

Xmas Shopping

Went Christmas gift shopping with my brother this morning. Haven't done much with him in 3-4 years and I must say it was a sublime joy to talk and laugh with my big bro.

Lots of people on the road were crowdy and pushy and grumpy but despite the crowds in the stores, everyone seemed of particularly good cheer. I gave and got many cheerful "Merry Christmas"'s. Some of my fellow shoppers in the aisles even spoke briefly, all with good humor or at least a sweet level of politeness.

May all this good cheer, spirit of cooperation and human kindness spread and grow.

Merry Christmas, everyone.

Thankfullness

Today was a pretty tough day mentally. Dad is home and convalescing as well as possible and mom is recovering a bit too. But I was pretty down today. Just the vagaries of life I suppose.

But when I went into Rogue River to run some errands I was so delighted by the people there. The post office and stores were pretty crowded but the checkers were so friendly and helpful and the crowds were upbeat. I feel so lucky to have such a positive community to live in.

Then when I got home it was already getting colder and darker and my mood went down again. Fortunately dinner was ready not long after and I was once more grateful to be able to sit down to a warm plate of food with my family.

I hope that all of you find something in your world to be thankful for too.

Al Gore, where are you?

It's gotten up to a blazing 25 degrees Fahrenheit here already. I don't think my pineapple plants are gonna make it.

The whole world and especially the US is showing below average temperatures, but the climate change alarmists won't stop their rhetoric and propaganda for a little thing like evidence. Especially not evidence of the senses. No, no, it's all about model confirmation, and failing to mention that a model can be made to demonstrate anything whatsoever. That's all the energy I have for a rant today.

Dad is going back into the hospital for some more work today, putting a stent in his gall duct now. I can't say more until dad gives me clearance but we are all a bit worried.

There's some beautiful snow on Fielder Mountain this morning but I'm not going out to take a pic, it is just too cold.

Health and happiness to you all, Merry Christmas.

Chicy hair ums

Been busy with some fun and good web design for a delightful small business out of Grants Pass. If you've got a pet that needs some special style, check out Chicy Hair Ums for fine Couture Pet Accessories.

Sense of humor

I'm so glad I have one. Some people out there won't find this funny:
Gay activists offended by UW newspaper image

But I got a chuckle out of it. I think it would've been a better picture if they'd used a pineapple....

The tide of life

I thought I'd finally have some time on my hands at the end of the season here, but as often happens event and circumstance are conspiring to keep me shrink-wrapped into a state of absorption.

Dad is going in for gall-bladder surgery tomorrow. That came on sudden like but thank god for sonograms or they wouldn't have been sure what the problem was. I won't go into anymore details, medical stuff makes me queasy.

Saturday will be our last day at the stand, still a few ripe tomatoes and winter squash to get rid of. But that won't be the end of it because conditions have been so dry we're thinking of prepping some ground for winter/early spring crops.

Also, we finally got a good steel roof put on my barn which means I can begin the grueling process of repairing/remodeling that mess. Now that water won't be running in like a stream.

Gotta go, hope everyone finds a little happiness today.