Wow, has it been a long time since I've been in to lurk let alone post. We finally got hi-speed internet and I'm like a kid in a candy store, so I had to stop by and say hi! It's good to see some of the pillars of the party are still around.

Life is, lets just say interesting and challenging...and I'm doing well...at least in spirit. I have had to watch my little paradise take care of itself for the most part, which it has done quite nicely I think...in spite of my best efforts to worry over it. It is long past time for a renovation but that too will come in the proper time.

Our weather here has been like my life, interesting and challenging. We ended up with about 24" of snow total just before Christmas...(a little too white most folks decided). Ben finaly got a chance to use the snow blower he found after the snow storm of 2004 which was not near what this one was. It was more snow than I remember seeing in years. Along with it the memories of our first winter here in Oregon in 1968 flooded back to me.

We had moved from Idaho the previous July and none of us but Dad seemed too excited about the move. That year my grandparents were visiting us from Iowa. My older brother and wife were out too, all for the holidays which went swimmingly until the snow arrived.

Once it started snowing the wind started blowing and before it was over we had 44" of snow, complete with snow drifts that blocked the front door. New Years Eve the power went out for 18 hours and we were all huddled around the fireplace in the living room which had a blanket over the doorway to keep the heat in.

The snow had been enough excitement but the icing on the cake, at least for my younger brother and I, was the silver thaw and 1/4" of freezing rain that occurred that evening and the following day. We had never seen it before and it was magical. This was not exactly how my mother saw it as I remember her crying in the kitchen. She had always heard the ground didn't freeze in Portland. I think her experience is where I first learned that, no matter what the forecasters claim it is going to be,I'm not going to believe it until I see it. Great memories. Besides the forecast changes every 3 hours.

The snow stopped and rain and warm temps moved in...and flooding and landslides now fill the newscasts. To add to it we are expecting warm rains from the south Pacific which may bring more flooding. So this will be another year of notable weather.

Hope you all have a wonderful NEW YEAR and God bless