Monday, March 21, 2011

Bird Cam

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Water

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Gratitude

O.k. so you've heard me complain about the snow, the rain, the cold. Ive whined about unemployment..
I forget...
It's all in the viewpoint, I tend to be a glass half empty sort of a person, so it comes out negatively.
Sometimes a few moments of reflection can change what seems to be a totally bad situation to a relatively positive one.
Without a rehash of the details I can say my life is a little better off than those in Japan, or on the coast, or one of the countless families who have someone in the military. For those people times are tough!!
Let's face it times are challenging, either you will step up or crumble and fold. A lot of the time I feel like folding but somehow I always find one foot moving forward on the other. I've heard folks say that they're tired, I am, my wife is, aren't we all? Yet when I lay my head down to sleep I can't, they call it nervous energy. My mind just spins looking for options, a better, a easier way. Know what that means? It means I still Hope...
And for that I thank God..

Friday, March 18, 2011

Bulldogs


























To be
exact, they are American Bulldogs. Lizzy with her sweater on and Ms. Trinity on the right.
I've shared photos of my other bullies, but never told how we got into bullies.
Not a long story, My daughter Britt started asking for a dog when she was about 4. Sometime around the time she turned 6 we finally got a place where we could have a dog, so we went to the Humane Society. They had a litter of 12 of these little brown and white dogs that were solidly built, Britt instantly fell in love. Only one of them wasn't definitely spoken for, so we left our name and number and the next day they called and said the puppy was ours. So Britt got her pup! The papers the H.S. gave us on her had her as a mix between a Australian shepherd and a bull dog, hmmm..
At the vets for a puppy check, the receptionist said, "wow, that's a really nice American Bulldog pup you have." What? I'd never heard of a American. She was very healthy, however, I was going to need to socialize her because Americans are fighters. Well that's a different story, suffice it to say Lizzy turned into A very sweet family dog, so long as you didn't let any of the other family dogs around her. I still loved her!!! So years later when one of our other dogs had to go, Ms. Lea asked me what kind of dog we wanted to get to replace it with, I said " A bull dog", and so started this families love affair with our bullies. When Lizzy died about 5 years ago, we had 2 Olde English Bulldogges, so decided to get another American and socialize her with them, thus, Ms. Trinity! She's 100 lbs of rambunctiousness, so much so that the smaller OEB's get mad at her and get on her, but I'll tell you right now, 100 lbs of big old tough American bull dog or not she's the sweetest dog anyone could ever own!!
I LOVE ALL OF MY BULLIES!!
MR. FREEWAY, MS.MAZY, MS.TRINITY.

They're the best!!!

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Hen House

I build chicken coops. I build lots of chicken coops.
For many years when the weather got really bad or I had to spend all day tying rebar with my hands at my feet, (back pain) I would swear that I would someday find something I could do at home in a nice warm comfy garage. Well I found something to do at home, only I don't have a nice warm comfy garage, I still freeze when it's cold. Now don't get me wrong, I've found something to do that I'm very good at and for the most part I enjoy, I thank god everyday for the money that gets us by, but... well at times I get tired of building the same coops over and over. It has to be done that way in order to be cost effective but it gets boring doing my designs over and over, so sometimes I take on a coop that's a little different.
About 6 months ago I was contacted by a guy from Crescent City Ca.. Yep, the very same CC that was just hit by the tsunami last Saturday, any way he wanted one of my smaller coops but with some alterations to the original design. Treated 4x4's, expensive plywood, drop out ladder, corner trim, etc.
It was fun to build and to be perfectly honest with you I'm pretty damn proud of the finished product!! What do you think?

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Driveway?


This used to be the back drive way to the back door of the garage, and access to the wood shed. It seems to have turned into a creek this year! Last year it was merely a little wet out here, if you drove in it the vehicles tires would spin, I think now if you drove in it you'd probably need a tow truck to get you out, if it didn't just wash you down stream into the river.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Yellow

Here's another one of the wildflower photos I took yesterday. This was the only little yellow flower I could find in the whole yard.
I like yellow!
It makes me happy!

Monday, March 14, 2011

Wildflowers

Ha, Told you so, told you so, told you
so!!!
Spring is too on it's way!!!

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Thunderstorm

Sorry the vid is sideways! I spent 4 hours trying to get it turned right side up and up loaded. The software provided by flip doesn't allow my to do that.
I'm sure there's a way to do it in the html, however, after hours of messing with it and trying to get other stuff done today, I gave up.
The little squall that blew thru was absolutely the strongest I've ever seen here! The little valley we live in is so isolated on sheltered that the wind hardly reaches the ground, so the severity of this was amazing. Even the sound conveys the message...

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Sales

I suck at it!!!

Friday, March 11, 2011

spring?

Hey, Maybe Phil was right. Amidst dire news of tsunamis and earthquakes, flooding and fires, I took a few moments of contemplation and meditation, cogitating on calamity and adversity. The master bathroom happens to be 50' from the chicken coop. My reverie became disturbed by the rowdy agitation of one or more of my 6 guinea fowl. I looked up and toward the general direction of the noise and realized I was gazing on small blue flowers blossoming on the rosemary bush which grows so fragrantly right outside the bathroom window.
A small moment of happiness and hope... Maybe spring is on it's way...

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Baffled

It's a word I like the sound of, it's fun to use in a everyday conversation. I use it presently, as I have questions on the sheer perversity of the universe.
My wife asked me why life goes on but sometimes your wallet stops short! I make my living by building and selling chicken coops through my wives business, advertised by Craigslist. That's not easy! You've got scammers all over c/l, trying to find ways to steal your account or get into your personal info. Isn't there a flaw in that reasoning? I sell coops off of Craiglist, I'm 50 years old, NOBODY, not even my family will loan me a dime anymore, my credit score is in the negatives!!! and someone is going to the effort to try to steal my identity. Here's my word..BAFFLED!!!
Someone else is selling their coops at the local farm and garden for $350, but I've got people trying to haggle me down from $150...BAFFLED!!!
I've gone a week with ZERO bites, none, nada, zip, all of a sudden I've sold 2 coops to be finished in 2 days, that will be hard, but thank god!!! It's stressful and worrisome to go for a week with no orders, come to find out the email link was broken and I had people trying to contact me that couldn't reach me. How does this happen? Baffled..
Why does the font color for the title of my daily posts have to be orange.
Baffled...

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Lonely

Ms. Lea left home at 9am.
She was supposed to be home by 7:30. However, since nobody will show up to do their job, she's filling in until.. she just called it's 9:24. Another 40 minutes 'till she's home.
Amazes me that people have jobs, and don't bother to show, when I couldn't get a job to save my life! I show up!
Home alone all day, no wheels, no job, no life...
Will it ever change?

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Indecision

What if I can't decide which word to comment on?
It seems to me, more and more these days that every decision made is of utmost importance. I find myself terrified into indecision because I'm afraid to make the wrong one.
Maybe I'm blowing the whole situation out of proportion due to over thinking...
I don't know.
I can't decide...

Monday, March 7, 2011

Rant

I'll spare you....

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Rowdy

Rest in peace, buddy.
Miss you!!!

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Relieved

I'm not sure why, but now that I'm without wheels and can't deliver the coops myself, I worry about people blowing me off and not coming to pick up their coop.
Most of this is probably due to the fact that I have absolutely no control over my life anymore. I am totally dependent on my wife for a car to get someplace.
From one coop to the next most of the time wondering where my next job is coming from.
I'm supposed to go to my parents to help them with some closure on their new metal roof, I can't do that as trying to work out a time when I both have wheels and don't have to get a coop out is impossible.
No control!!
I'm coming to terms with it, however, I just finished a coop and the lady has to come about 100 miles to pick it up, so when I didn't hear from her right away,
I panicked...

I just got the email,
she'll be here between 10 & 11 am.


I'm relieved...

Friday, March 4, 2011

Serenity

Most folks have heard the Serenity prayer, "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference".
Personally, it's one of my favorites! Something that I continually focus on. However, I don't really think I've ever really achieved it. How would you know? Would one find themselves in nirvana or something?
As a card carrying member of AA, It's a matter we discuss extensively. It seems to be a consensus though that there are no hard and fast rules, serenity is for each individual what they perceive it to be. That's too bad.. for me I need concrete... I like it spelled out.
I don't know if I will ever find "serenity". Occasionally I have enjoyed serene moments. I feel like I've reached a kind of peace with the way the economy has changed my role in the family. I think I'm finally getting comfortable with month to month, week by week, insecurity. It is teaching me a faith and reliance on god that I have never had.
Myself.. I'm happy with that. For me that represents a huge improvement.
One day at a time. One moment of serenity at a time. I'll take it.....

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Hopeful

I'm looking back at yesterdays post thinking that I forgot to mention that while I strive to be contented and I pray for contentment it doesn't always happen. So.. If I want to be contented...
Well I'm hopeful that I haven't confused you.
Talked to a good friend of mine tonight at the supermarket, he was telling me that another friend of ours that we used to work with is now a big time superintendent with a company that does bridges. He's going to work for him. Sounds like there may be a opportunity there for me as well.
It would mean relocating but an opportunity is worth it's weight in gold these days. I'm hoping between these things and the changes being made to the carpenters union, that I may find more than a few months of work this summer.
Gas prices are skyrocketing, cheese prices are insane! The country, Oregon especially, is doing it's damnedest to rally and get on top of this economy. It just seems insane the uphill battle we're faced with..
And yet, I remain Hopeful...

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Contented

Another word that appears frequently in my prayers. What really is life about? A collection of material goods? a gathering of people to call friend? a daily search for that one great moment to tag "legacy". Immortality? I don't know!

My goal, personally, is to get thru each day with as much joy as can be mustered for that day.
Trying not want or desire anything more than what I have.

Is this contented?

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Patience

For 3 years now, Patience has been a favorite prayer, a watchword, a mantra if you will. I've been so long without structure that I'm not sure I will be able to abide it when it does come. Patience! Should that word go hand in hand with waiting? Seems to me waiting implies impatience?