November 21st update-
The river is in good color, but is way too high for my liking. Some like it high, but... this high? Don't think so! I'll go take a video, if you like. I like taking videos as long as you don't mind silly singing! Singing is a must by the river!

November 21st

We wish you a Merry Christmas!
We wish you a Merry Christmas!
We wish you a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!

May I do that, yet? I don't care! I am!
It just makes me smile. I'm in the mood for the Holidays! My hands are all crafty and died in different colors. I have glitter from head to toe! It MUST be Christmas!
The river is fun to walk, but that's it. It's brown and cloudy and really full! It doesn't seem like the Kilchis! Here is the Kilchis! This area is what we call "The Bedroom Hole" Hope it doesn't come too close to the bedroom. It's on its way, actually. We have lost a lot of bank, this year.
Kilchis is so funny. He walks around digging for dead salmon. Once he finds one, he uses his paws to roll it up to the shore so he can roll in it. ICK!
Both dogs have learned the word "Acky!" When we say that, they leave the salmon alone.
I'm going to go get my Holiday decorations from the storage, today and have more fun, decorating.
I miss fishing. But, there is just no way to fish when the water is so high. Maybe today the river will settle? I hope!

November 17th

Good afternoon my darling Christmas elves!
Guess what I'm doing!?!
I can't tell you!
I can't tell you because I'm making gifts for some people who may read this. (Is it you?) I'm broke this year along with everyone else, so even the kids are getting home made things!
I told them. I told them that this Christmas will be different. We are going to adopt a family that is not as lucky as we are. I mean, one that doesn't have the luxury of running water and electricity like we do. We are lucky! We can help someone else!
And, my priority is keeping a roof over our heads and making sure that we have the basics.
Anyhow, my hands are just whacky colored with an array of different inks and I'm just a mess, but I'm having an absolute blast! It's so therapeutic! I even turned off my phone, yesterday!
I drove to Lincoln City to get supplies, and I went wild! It was so fun! I love craft crap! Is that cussing?
Alright, crud, then.
I got colored crud, and glitter crud and ribbon crud and holly crud and glitter glue and crud to put crud on!
Let's say it together! Everyone is getting Crud for Christmas!
Did I tell you how much fun I'm having?
Why is it, though, that I keep getting interrupted? By UPS, and the mailman and the doctor who wants to change appointments, and the VISA people wanting me to take a new card? And Bill, who wants to convince me it's time to shoot the varmints instead of trapping... Everyone wants to crud up my Christmas fun!
Christmas will be purely about the Birthday of Jesus, this year, and except for my crafty gifts, it's going to be so good to be mostly crud free!

November 17th

Good morning, my sweets!
Remember... Francis Caldwell's column is up "around" the 15th of each month!
Frankly, that wasn't my original intention, but it seems to be that way, so that it is. I will try harder to get it up on the 15th! I promise!
It seems that everything I read is about losing your favorite pet, these days. I hope we turn to a brighter topic, soon.
In Chapter Fifteen, we find Captain Caldwell talking about losing his favorite dog, Buddy, and how he gets too close to dogs and refuses to get another.
I can relate! Especially after Kilchis goes. How on earth will I be able to put myself through this, again?
But, somehow I always do. They say the best remedy for a broken heart is a new friend.
Perhaps now that I have read Fred Archer's explanation of where these "friends" come from, I will understand why I always give in, and bring that new friend into my life.
It's because the dog that you lost picked it out and sent it to you, to make you smile, again! Also, without people like us, there would be an awful lot of sad puppies and kittens around! They need us! They do!
So, if you've been putting off getting another critter, listen to Fred. Listen to your heart! Next time you run into a pet that looks at you with those longing eyes, take it home. It's been picked out especially for you! Don't walk away!

November 16th

No storm, yet! But, they have upgraded the warning.
Click here for the latest. Note the red printed warnings at the top of the forecast.
Pete (the admin) lost his beloved dog Stoney a couple days ago. His dog was 13 1/2 years old and has been struggling for a while, now. Stoney died peacefully.
It hurt me to have Pete lose his dog. It's the beginning of the end of an era, because some of the mods are losing their long time friends all at once. Just as we got these dogs all at once, it is their time to go, soon. STGRule's was the first to go, and Pete's was next.
Who do you bet will be after that? :(
The day Pete lost his dog, I conversed with Fred Archer about his long lost love.
Fred invented those Archer bars and is a sponsor of the Salty Dogs board.
Anyhow, Fred sent me some material and he allowed me to post it. It has really hit my heart.
You know, years ago, I wrote a poem about holding your hand to your heart, and feeling the "thump, thump" of your heartbeat. That, I wrote, was the wagging of the tail of your lost friends. I still believe that... but this poem by Fred really goes deeper than that. This made me cry, but a good cry!
To think that my last beloved dog, Hershey, picked out and sent Kilchis to me, makes so much sense! I had to hug my Kilch for a long, long time! Thanks, Fred! -and for all of you who want to read Fred's poem, please click here!
Have a wonderful stormy day!