Folks- Over the past month I have been trying to decide what to do. I am having a very tough time getting my creative juices flowing again. Chances of me shedding the medications I am on are very slim. All efforts to cut down have ended in the reverse. I will probably be pulling my blog from the server within a couple of weeks and return to working silently on the book I have been neglecting. Since opening the blog I have made little progress on it and I believe it is worth some e... Read Full Story

We always look over the coupons that come in the newspaper. This must be an age thing. I don’t remember thinking about coupons when I was thirty but now it is a necessary part of life. Look in any drawer near our kitchen and there are coupon stashed inside. Some are pretty old. I’m pretty sure the local auto body and paint shop doesn’t offer a $ 79.95 “Primer ‘n Paint” anymore. I think I can safely toss that one.Coupons are a good way of bringing you in the door in hopes you will return. Th... Read Full Story

Maybe I’m a bit late to the game, but it seems like way too many people are hooked on this “golf” thing, especially men. The way they act you’d think there are naked babes giving out free beer out there. I’ve yet to encounter any. I did hear a tale about four guys who play against each other and whoever loses the hole has to tee off on the next one in the buff but it was only a rumor. If you can verify this just keep it to yourself. I’ll take your word on it.I read somewhere if you added up a... Read Full Story

The results of my physical on Tuesday turned out to be good, a lot better than what I expected. A few random tests over the past months have indicated something weird so I was prepared for the worst. Apparently the numerous medications have been doing what they were supposed to do.I filled out the random questionnaire beforehand and mentioned the fact I get up about seven times during the night to visit the porcelain throne. This isn’t new. For years I have carried around a water container a... Read Full Story

“I called the office in Corvallis twice yesterday, just to make sure I would be able to complete the testing over here. They even called back to confirm. I’ve still got the message on my cell phone. Are you sure I’m not stuffed in some obscure file somewhere?”The girl behind the counter kept looking at her phone, probably in hopes of a call from her boyfriend to bail her out from my query.“No, I don’t see anything. I was here all day and whoever called would have talked to me.”“No, I called ... Read Full Story

Today’s hike was into an area I will now refer to as “Lizard Hollow”. I named it after the Blue-Bellied reptile that I found last year while resting on one of my “mental adjustment” stumps. I almost named it “Finch Hollow” in honor of a large swarm of yellow finches that flew in from the north during one of my visits. They hung around on the stand of medium sized pine trees and went through a typical “finchfest” while I sat in amazement. But the lizard moniker won top honors because it remain... Read Full Story

I’m going to start naming the areas I hike into. On the maps they use colorless names like “Road 220” for what I will now refer to as Big Kitty Gulch. A few areas are going to require some thought but most will be easy to come up with a fitting name. Many already have been given “terms” when I tell Emily of my outing. I find something to describe the area that she can relate to. I rely on things like “remember that place where Jasmine got stung by the hornet?” I’ll call that Hornet Ridge. I c... Read Full Story

Scout and I failed in our attempt to find the wayward dogs but I’m not willing to call it quits yet. They’re out there and I’ll keep an open ear and eye on my walks during the upcoming days. Dogs can live while in the woods but in this case there might be a dilemma. One of the dogs is a setter, the “blond” of the canine world. The other is a Black Lab, a very sensible breed with a keen mind. They are going to clash on how to handle their “lost” problem.“Look, Blondie, if we stay put they wil... Read Full Story

Welcome back. After a couple days of power-pondering I have decided to keep both of my venues going. It’s obvious by now that the chap running Boomernet and I have different visions of what the place should reflect. He’s a very nice person and I suspect he may be having health problems similar to me. I can easily keep up with his requirement while running my blog with the “feel” of before. There is no need for confrontation but if I want the posts to reflect what I’m doing I need to maintain ... Read Full Story

I apologize for being offline for a day or two but there is an exciting reason. My blog will be closing shortly but my writing will not end. I have made a deal with a very popular website to run my blog as an ongoing column. They have a pretty decent circulation already, giving me a lot more exposure than I would have on the blog. Please follow me there.I will be putting the address up here when I am in place there. This should be within the next few days. My archives here have been deleted a... Read Full Story