MERRY CHRISTMAS!

We have a white Christmas here! And when the sun is out it is lovely! Saturday before Christmas a bunch of us got together and went snow shoeing out on the Skillet Handle by Klamath Lake. Christmas Eve we gathered again at Nancy and Ed's for dinner and fellowship but the continuous snow cut our evening short. Being 12 miles out on Hwy 140 they get more snow than we do in town and the plows run less often. We were safely home by 7 pm!

The bueaty of life has been reinforced by recent events. I am exceedingly grateful for Jack and I's health, our reasonable financial stability, and my extraordinary sons.

I am so proud of how they work together in times of crisis - no matter what the crisis or the form of support needed. Not only do they come to each others aid in the form of money, but even more importantly, they give each other time, energy, compasssion and companionship!

I don't view myself as having been sucessful in very many aspects of life but the fact that my sons are good to each other and to people in general gives me a sense that I was a good influence as a mother. The proof is in how they are today.

These thoughts and feelings have filled my mind and heart this Christmas and made it rich!

-3 DEGREES!
I've always said I wouldn't go any further North because it's to cold up there - so the cold is coming to me! It's a record cold for Klamath Falls! I'm staying in doors but I see lots of cars going by outside so there are many that are braving the outdoors. It's actually warmed up to almost 20 degrees now that it's afternoon.

All the presents are sent out and I'm just sitting back with my crocheting and staying warm! Hope everyone is doing likewise!

HOLIDAY GREETINGS! Here's our holiday snapshot! The poinsetta is our christmas tree this year!

Shiloh has healed up wonderfully and is going at full throttle again. The vet's assistant had suggested we put a child's tee shirt on Shiloh to keep her from licking the stitches they'd put in. We got two for her and Shiloh liked her tee shirt so much that when I took it off of her to show the stitches to Mom she crawled up in to the chair I was sitting in and hide behind me! She nuzzled the tee shirt in my lap as if asking me to put it back on! We all got quite a chuckle out it! She did the same thing each time we "undressed" her! I went from never having "dressed up" a dog to putting one in tee shirts and then angel wings for the parade in one week! She looks cute in both!

I spent a few days with Mom and Teri in Anderson, California. I was great being 'just us girls' ! We sat and visited about anything and everything that came to mind! We also tried out some great receipes which I brought home and made for Jack. He loves the "Best Dip" Mom! I haven't made the Cream of Chile soup for him yet but I know he'll like that also!

Shiloh was in the Klamath Falls Snowflake Parade - wearing bells and angel wings - on December 4th! There was an Angels with Whiskers float but we were part of the group that walked our dogs and let the kids (and adults) in the crowd pet them. It was a quick mile! I was dressed warm so as not to get cold and had to strip gloves, headband and scraff off after jogging to catch up with our float each time I stopped to let folks pet Shiloh! It was fun!

Mike and Shiloh have their individually embroidered Angels with Whiskers vests! These dogs are starting to have wardrobes!

The glucose test came back that I am not diabetic... no news there. I was referred to another doctors office to look in to sleep apnea. I went and I agreed to do the sleep study they recommended but after receiving the information on the cost I am going to cancel the appointment - $3,500.00 for the overnignt sleep test. I may have some degree of sleep apnea but it is not life threatening and I can deal with it by taking naps as needed! It's a case of ROI - a lot of money spent with questionable return. Although the technology exsists to diagnose and treat any and everything - the cost is to great for the minimally insured. Once again I am reminded it is VERY costly to become involved with the medical world and one needs to limit contact to only instances that REQUIRE medical attention.

I want to spend what money I have LIVING life not giving it to the medical community to figure out all the details of my personal oddities! I've survived just fine without figuring out why I feel tired so often. It's not diabeties, thyroid or anything else they can figure out with the blood tests so I'm going to just drop it and continue to live with it as I spend the money they would use up in diagnostic tests on trips to Florida and Thailand.

Ha!

Reno was where Jack wanted to go for his birthday so we did. I surprized him with tickets to see Athlion in the Eldorado Showroom. Athlion was a Cirque du Sole type show and was great. Jack had never seen anything like it. We also drove up to Virgina City and spent the day going through the mining museam, the town itself, and even a walking tour of the least productive mine there! Aside from that we ate good food and gambled just enough to bring back what we took for gambling money! All in all a good trip!

We drove into quite a snow storm on the way home! I guess we timed that trip just right. It has since all melted way but it remains cold most days and snow covers all the mountain peaks around us.

This last weekend we attended a funeral for a friend that lost her battle with heart disease. It was an amazing service. She had planned the music and many aspects of it herself. What struck me was how she could exude love from the casket that set before us! It was very positive and comforting. Jack had known her for 30 years and he said she'd always been that way. Amazing.

That same day Shiloh somehow managed to cut her shoulder! The ten stitches and drain are covered with a very chic looking tee-shirt tied at her mid-rif. Makes me think of aoreobic's teachers every time I look at her! She got used to the tee-shirt fairly quickly but the not being able to run, jump, or fetch anything for two weeks is a different matter. It's been two days and she thinks she is "well". I'm hoping she won't pull the stitches out!

We are going to spend Thanksgiving Day with friends here in Klamath Falls. The boys are going to family dinners in Coquille and Coos Bay.

Traveling to and from Klamath Falls in the winter is always so risky! It's the greatest drawback to living here. Once winter sets in we're pretty isolated.

Later this morning (8 am) I go for a two hour glucose test... again. I told them the results of the one I took a few years ago...that it takes three hours for the "drop" to hit me but they want to do the two hour test anyway. They are testing for diabeties...I have the opposite - hyper-glycemia. Oh well.

Good news is my liver enzymes have almost returned to normal! Jack's are back to normal! We are jazzed about that!

Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

Murder Amoung the Mateys was a great sucess I believe! Signe and I marveled at having 20 friends that would be willing to participate in a murder mystery pot luck dinner and I was thrilled at how creative everyone was with their costumes and characters!

Rebecca, aka Jean Golddust, lead a revolt against the Govenor when he wouldn't cave in to her blackmail efforts and the Napiers were stripped of their jewels and mystery money. The booty was returned to the pirates - the 'rightful' owners!

Karrin, aka One-Eyed Wanda, had alliances with everyone and even got Jack, aka Cutthroat McPherson, and Judy, aka Gurglin Uma Scarr, to make a blood pact! She really drew blood on their fingers! Alan, aka Buckaneer Bradshaw, had the most outlandish outfit with a nose ring and a huge antique light switch cover on a chain worn as a necklace!

The pirate ship cakes were a surprize for everyone. Several people thought they were just props...like the galley rat on the table!

Signed did get all the candles blown out - after a couple trys!

Jack had a great time with 'Uma', 'Wanda', and 'Breathless Betty' all attempting to win his alliance to their various schemes! I ended the night with a big slice of chocolate cake and ice cream which gave me a sugar hangover the next morning! I really had a blast planning the party and all the guests exhuberent participation made it a birthday party the Signe will remember for a long time.

Thanks to everyone that came and played their part - which was everyone!

Commodore Clearing (Brad) won the Men's Best Costume award and Julianna Napier (Cary) was voted Women's Best Costume. Cary and Michael (Mrs. and Govoner Napier) and Karrin ( One-eyed Wanda) took the Most Dramatic award - a three way split! And four people correctly identified the murderer! Tracy, AJ, Carrie, and Rebecca are super slueths!

I enjoyed this mystery dinner even more than the Chicago Caper dinner we did a couple of New Year's Eve's ago!

Now I'm back to finishing up the Angels in Whiskers web site. I'll be posting our fur kids graduation pictures soon! We got our names in the local paper as the latest graduating class of therapy dogs in the Angels in Whiskers program. I have to close now because Shiloh and I are going to visit the folks at Pelican Point Retirement Home at 6 pm!

Our fall days are brisk and clear! I love it. A couple of folks have mentioned it being a sad time of year but I don't see it that way at all. The plants are dying back to take a rest...they'll be back in the spring!

We've spent a few hours in the yard the last couple of days - getting yard debris raked up and hauled off, pulling up the plants that have frozen and adding them to the compost. I'm sprinkling all the seed from the flower heads throughout the wild flower section...all volunteers will be welcome come Spring!

Last week I got 318 bulbs planted - an assortment of daffodils, tulips, crocus, grape hyacinth, dwarf Iris, Dutch Iris and Puschkinia(Striped Squill). All but about 30 of them went in to the 8" wide by 46' long strip between the chain link fence and our driveway in the front. I am trying the layered thing where supposedly I'll have flowers blooming there from February through June. We'll see...

Today I spent some time setting the guest bedroom up in such a way I can also use it as my "workspace". I've been working on the Angels In Whiskers website on the kitchen table. Between the laptop, printer, folders and papers the table is full... and then it's time for dinner and/or company so it all has to be "put away". Wednesday a girlfriend said she uses her guest room as a "study" where she keeps a desk and can leave projects spread out. What a concept! Dual purpose room! I didn't have to buy a thing! All it took was some rearranging and now I sit infront of the window at my desk/sewing machine creating this blog! Friends are so wonderful!

Just an update on the family - Caleb returned from his rock climbing trip at Smith Rock last weekend safe and sound, Mike is nursing a pulled muscle in his leg and getting grumpy at not being able to "do" anything with this wonderful fall weather, Brett just did a quick trip to Malayasia - stitched foot isn't stopping him! Brett is currently looking for another teaching position in Bangkok. Maya went smoothly from one position to another and is in her second week at the new job! Rod has returned from 6 months at sea and S'te and the kids are estatic to have him home. Diane and Keith are canning up a tuna storm in Coos Bay before they leave for San Diego at the end of the month to visit S'te, Rod and the grandkids.

Life is good!

It's "Angels with Whiskers" and Green Tomatoe Relish days here!

Today was the second training class for Shiloh and Mike to become "Angels with Whiskers", therapy dogs! It is a local group of people that take their trained dogs to nursing homes, hospitals, libraries, and schools to allow those participants to pet the dogs which work the magic they do to calm and bring some happiness to those that touch them.

Shiloh and I got busted back to basic training. She is young and easily distracted. I am simply uncoordinated! Giving a command, correction, and serving up a treat at the same time is more than I seem to be able to do! Poor Shiloh - she ended up just confused! We get to go to an "extra" class Tuesday morning - a basic obedience class - to give us both a chance to get the hang of all the routines. Mike is just a doll and doesn't need the extra attention.

Last night the temperature dropped to 19 degrees here. Knowing the freeze was coming I spent Friday gathering all the green tomatoes off my plants. The haul was 12 quarts, or a peck and a half, of green tomatoes! Jack and I reviewed Green Tomatoe Relish, Chutney, Pickle and pickled tomatoe reciepies and choose an Uncooked Green Tomatoe Relish to use this wealth of green tomatoes in. We've chopped and diced for two days and now are ready to fill the mixture in pint jars come morning. I hope everyone we know likes Green Tomatoe Relish. We are thinking we'll require all vistors to take a pint with them when they go... otherwise I think 20 pints are going to last YEARS!

Life is full!

Camping was fun. We hooked up the trailer and went to Dairy Point Campground for a few days before continueing on to Lakeview to meet up with Gary, Susie, Patty and Wayne for a day of fun at Dust Devil's Mine in Plush. While we were at Dairy Point Jack and I got to cast for rainbow trout on Dairy Creek and the Chewacan. I haven't been fly fishing for over 12 years and was really tickled to catch four when we went to Jack's favorite spot on Lower Dairy Creek. We had to do a little steep downhill four-wheel driving to get there which may be why there were fish in that spot!

This was Shiloh's first real camping for days trip and she got so tired she lost the curl in her tail for a day or two! She fetched sticks from the water and swam to her hearts desire. Even though there were cattle all around (it's free range country) she didn't chase any of them OR roll in the droppings! YEAH! She must have learned from her very brief "life on the ranch" in Tulelake that those activities bring great displeasure from the people in her life!

Mike enjoyed exploring the willows along the streams and even worked himself up into a fit of barking once when a group of cows forged their way through near our camp.

Sunstone digging this year was more enjoyable because we went in October instead of late June. It warm enough to wear sleeveless shirts but not so hot is sapped your strength. Jack and I sent off the stones that the Dust Devil's crew said could be facetted so we'd have finished stones from this outing. We still have last years stones in baggies on the shelf. Gary and Susie had sent theirs off - through Dust Devil's Mine - and they came back just bueatiful so we followed suit this year. They said we may see them back in as little as 6 weeks!

Mike, Shiloh and I went to our first Angels with Whiskers training yesterday. We will be going to training classes every Saturday in October and then will do our testing in November. If we pass Mike and Shiloh will get their green Therapy Dog vests and we'll start going to the local nursing homes, hospital, schools, and library for sessions with people with disabilities, health conditions and/or emotion problems. It's really been proven that contact with dogs lowers blood pressure, generates endorphins and calms down many stress related conditions.

Caleb did a super herculian job on the trees! The neighbor's roof is no longer in danger of being damaged by falling limbs, sunlight streams through to my flower beds, and all the debris is hauled off to the dump!

Jack and Caleb worked together with ropes, power and hand saws to get the over hanging limbs off the trees we wanted to keep. Then Caleb went to work on the the saplings. Saplings sounds small but most of them were 30 or more feet tall! We got the elms and birch done Thursday. We planned on attacking the willow Friday morning with hopes that it would only take another 2 or 3 hours.

Friday morning plans changed drastically when Caleb got a call from Portland that his roommate was in ICU at OHSU! Tim had been involved in some kind of accident and had suffered brain trama. While I fixed Caleb food for the road he went up in the willow tree and knocked what he could out and then was on his way back to Portland check on Tim in the hospital. The good news is that Tim was released Saturday and it looks like he's going to be ok.

We enjoyed having Hank and Jasmine as much as seeing Caleb! Hank and Mike seemed to remember each other. They wrestled and raced around the yard. Shilo and Jasmine are the same size and temperment - both love to fetch and are mild mannered. I got to take "the pack" for a walk in the Klamath Falls hills and it was a hoot! I'm easily entertained these days!!! Four big dogs streached out on our livingroom floor was a great sight. We had a full house!

Today I got the ground ready for rasberry plants that I'm getting from Fort Klamath tomorrow. Gifts from Leo and Signe. They have a huge rasberry patch at their cabin and are letting me dig up enough to start my own patch! They'll set roots this fall and may even produce berries next July! I'll have strawberries, blueberries and rasberries all from my own back yard next year! So cool!

Waiting now to find out "the rest of the story" from Thailand on stitches either Maya or Brett received Saturday, the 20th...

Talked to Mom and she asked for pictures of the backyard so here they are. The wildflower section is really in all it's glory! We have two pears on our pear tree and one apple on the apple tree this year! Although some of the vegetables in the raised garden have been bitten by the frost I'm still getting lots of kale, swiss chard, zuchinni, yellow squash and carrots! Brussel sprouts and pear tomatoes are still ripening too.

The sunflowers and hollyhocks made a good showing this year and will be even thicker next year. Neighbors, Dan and Bev, told me today I can dig up all the lambs ears I want from their front walkway... they were going to just toss them! I'm excited about that ... it will line the grass "walkway" from the south side yard to the back wonderfully.

This is how it looks this year.

What have we been doing lately? Logging! Really only trimming the trees around our house before winter hits. The frosts have already bitten the squash and pumpkin leaves in my garden so we know that fall is not far away. Here is our current project!

We were happy to say we have managed to miss the roof, rain gutters and MY CAR! Sometimes only by inches!

We have called in the calvery. Getting that group trimmed down and hauled off took Jack and I three days!

I was feeling pretty embarassed at being so "out of shape" until I remembered we returned from Mexico on August 14th. We were down for 8 more days with dengue fever. So we have only been on our feet for alittle over 2 weeks. That is not very far in to the 12 week recovery period the doctor said we'd experience. I've marked my calendar for the remaining 10 weeks so I won't forget again!

Caleb is coming to help us get the rest of the tree work done! The 6 chinese elm's between our house and the neighbors have to be trimmed so they don't lay on their roof and thinned so the suckers don't break this winter. The willow tree is the really BIG project. Several dead sections need to be cut out!

Prior to the tree project I drove over to Coos Bay and spent a couple days running around Coos County with my sister, Diane. She drove us up to Powers to visit Aunt Nita and Uncle Jimmy. I haven't been on the Powers road for many years... I still don't like it! The visit with Aunt Nita and Uncle Jimmy was great with the added bonus of seeing our cousins Linda and Debbie, who just happened to be there too. Years go by between seeing my Dad's side of the family and I don't even realize it until we get together and catch-up!

This last Saturday we attended the 1st Annual Blues Festival at Veterans Park in Klamath Falls! Can you believe it? Klamath Falls! It was a great day and I was there from 11:30 am to 7 pm! The day could not have been better - blue skies and not to warm! Tommy Castro was the big name band of the day but my favorite, of the 4 bluegrass bands, was the Craig Allen Band - local KF guys.

Bangkok Thailand in "State of Emergency" is the headline. I'd been watching the hurricaine news with an eye on Vero Beach but now I'm all over the net looking for all the news I can on what is going on in Bangkok and find that the protesters shut down airports in Krabi and Phuket in Southern Thailand as well. Irish newpapers state that the International Schools have shut down for the week and Thai schools will be closed for three days.

Brett teaches at one of the International Schools in Bangkok and Maya teaches in one of the local schools so I'm assuming they have a few days off. Sounds like the trains aren't running, also due to the protesters, so they may not be able to do much with the unexpected free time. I'm anxiously awaiting a reply to my email to Brett asking how this is all effecting them.

When I hadn't gotten a reply by this evening I attempted to make a telephone call to Thailand. All three attempts ended with busy signals. Are they on the phone or am I dialing incorrectly or are the unions doing as the reports stated and disrupting utilities?

Mike had shared with me this weekend that he has called Brett a few times so I called Mike to inquire as to how one correctly dials Thailand. Whew! He'd read a post from Maya this morning on Facebook that they were ok and not in any danger from the protesters.

Now I need to learn how to do Facebook. Or is that another site that parents aren't expected to be on? Like MySpace.com.

Learning is a lifelong task.

Oh, it is official. The tests came back positive. Jack and I had dengue fever. Did I post that? We found out our liver enzymes are about 3 times higher than normal and at this point that is the only remnant of having the fever. That and having low energy levels still. So we will be very choosy where we travel and when. It's the second bout that can be life threatening! Tests will be run on our blood counts and liver enzymes in 3 months to make sure everything goes back to normal.

Jack, Mike and I enjoyed my 52nd birthday on Sunday! First was the 5 hour, 13 river miles trip down the Upper Klamath River!

It was awesome! The rapids were Class 4+ because only one turbine released water Sunday. When the John C Boyle Dam releases two turbines some of those Class 4+ rapids become 5's and there are different routes that can be taken. It was all fine with me. I had a great time and got to work my muscles plenty. The pictures don't do the rapids justice but I'll post a few.

One memory is of our 10 ft raft going sideways down into the trough of a wave and the wave breaking right over Mike's helmet, our raft filled up to our knees with water and the guide was yelling "Paddle forward!" How did they do it before self bailing rafts! I didn't get a picture of that... I was otherwise occupied! It was a thrill a minute for about seven miles! We were soaked to the bone and a bit chilled because it only got up into the low 70's that day. The water was pretty warm but the wind kept us chilled.

I was really pleased with Noah's Rafting Tours (http://www.noahsrafting.com/klamath-river-whitewater-rafting.php )and two of the couples that were on the trip were repeat customers with nothing but praise for the outfit for all the rivers they run. Our guide, Clayton, did an excellent job of letting us have lots of action but not ever making us fear for our lives. The safety talk on the bus on the way up to the launch site was the scarest part of our trip.

Paco put "the fear" into us with what to do "in the unlikely event". And then we saw the streacher board strapped to the tree at the end of Hell's Half Mile of rapids and we got a little sobered up again.

Then when Mike and I got back to Klamath Falls Jack had the worlds best barbaqued rib steak dinner ready for us! After that he brought out my birthday "cake" - Strawberry Cheesecake! Jack and I were asleep by 9:30 pm!

I don't know how long Mike stayed up Sunday but he slept in until 11:30 Monday morning. I had been up since 7:30 but had also taken three "naps" by then! I roused myself up to eat brunch and then napped some more. Mike was fine watching TV, reading some of the stuff we brought back from the Yucatan, looking a pictures of the trip and generally just relaxing with Jack as I dosed off and on. I really used ALL my energy on Sunday! Labor Day did not have any in it at our house!

I hope everyone had a safe and happy Labor Day weekend!

Our Yucatan Trip - 1st 3 days, Aug 5, 6, 7 (Tues, Wed, Thurs) 2008

Our first night, Tuesday August 5th, we spent in Playa de Carmen which is the standard tourist town. We paid $2.20 a piece for our dinner of tacos by going to a "local" resturant on Calle 15 (as recommended by "Let's Go Mexico") and then $12.00 for two ice cream cones on Calle 5! Granted it was Hagen Das but it was a quick lesson on how important it is to know where to go!

The beach was beautiful and completely lined with hotels and resorts. This was not the Mexico we'd come to see so I didn't take many pictures. I did snap a shot of the the military patrol that we followed out of Playa de Carmen on our way to Tulum! And this was the "nice" town!

Here are some pictures from our days in Tulum, Mexico. We spent Wednesday and Thursday there.

Wednesday skycycling and swimming in cenotes at Hidden Worlds Adventures.

Thursday at the Tulum Ruins

followed by swimming and sunbathing on the beach in front of our $35 per night cabana!

The toliet and shower were in a seperate building and the electricity was a car battery that could light the single light bulb hanging from the palapa roof but we were right on the beach! The other places we checked to the left and right were $150 a night and they didn't have electricity either!

Our cabana was just far enough below the one sand dune between it and the beach that the wonderful sea breeze didn't get to it. After spending all of Wednesday night in our cabana sleeping fitfully in the still, hot air I made arrangements with the resturant owners to have a beach lounge chair left out for me so I could sleep on it in the area where they served food outdoors - literally on the beach. Jack sat up with me until everyone had left the beach for the night and then he retired to the cabana and his mesquito netting. I sprayed myself down liberally with insect repellent and streached out on the lounge chair. It was wonderful. I watched the stars brighten, listened to the surf, and enjoyed the wonderful ocean breeze as I drifted off to sleep.

Sometime around 11:30 or Midnight I was awoken by a "noise". Looking over at the "doorway" off the beach I could see a dark shape on the white sand. Visions of the HUGE iguana's we'd seen at the Tulum Ruins that day made me shudder at the thought of one coming any closer than it already was! Rolling off the far side of my lounge chair I shoved the chair in the direction of the "shadow". The end of the chair came up against something solid. Much more solid than I imagined an iguana would be. Maybe it was the low wall that seperated the resturants area from the beach proper. Cautiously I stepped over the knee high wall to see the "shadow" from that side.

It was a sea turtle! She had made her way up the beach to lay her eggs and had it in mind to make her way through the opening in the wall. I had startled her and she was already turning around. She was 3 or 4 feet long and moving as frantically as a sea turtle can in the sand. I moved away and she rested. It was a magical moment for me. I love turtles. Especially sea turtles (tortuga's). She resumed her trek back towards the water, resting after every two or three "strokes" in the sand and I moved along with her at a respectful distance. I waded in to the water as high as my knees with her which is when a large wave freed her from the sand and she disappeared into the dark water. I sent wishes with her that she find a safe beach to lay her eggs on tomorrow night and returned to my lounge chair smiling.

I'd thought about running for the camera and waking Jack up but decided against it. She did not need any additional stress and this was a memory for me. A reward for sleeping on the beach.

In the pre-dawn I woke again to sounds from the beach - this time it was a group of four armed soldiers or policemen making their way from the beach resort at the left end of the beach to the path between the two hotels at the right end of the beach. They didn't seem to notice me and I didn't move. With full daylight I saw lots of little lizard tracks around my lounge chair too. Not a magical moment at all.

At breakfast the next morning the owner of Trescelunas Cafe told me I was extrodenarily lucky to have seen the turtle... she has lived in Tulum for 5 years and has never seen a sea turtle! Jack wondered why I hadn't waken him. I explained I wasn't sure it would be a special thing for him and didn't want to break the spell of the moment. He seemed to understand.

Next installment will be of Friday's drive to Isla Holbox and our stay there!