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.