HELLO FROM CATHERINE

Well, as I said on the Front Page, I am now settled into our log cabin. It has been an interesting experience, to say the least. For starters, the river flooded! We still have water clear up to our yard fence. A flood equates to mud and muck for my three dogs to play in. It follows that they bring in the mud and muck when I let them in the house. Not a pleasant turn of events! Leaving them outside isn't an option, though. They are members of our family. To make matters even worse, this crazy cold weather has their bodies confused. They don't know whether to shed or grow more fur. That has resulted in an ongoing hair festival. No matter how often the floors are cleaned, the hair balls soon return. Sigh. Being a dog mom does have its drawbacks.

It has also been a challenge to grow accustomed to the smaller house and limited storage. I love this cabin. It was built by a man and woman who cut their own logs, poured the foundation themselves, and then created the house from the foundation up. It is such a quaint, different kind of house. You feel as if you just stepped into the 1800's when you enter. We also have a fabulous view of the river, and I never tire of looking at it. I am glad of the opportunity to live here again, if only for a few months.

After living in seclusion on Cinnamon Ridge for so long, it has been difficult for me to adjust to having close neighbors again, though. One morning I forgot and stepped out onto the front deck in my nightgown. I can only hope no one saw me! I'm accustomed to having only wild animals to see me. Not so now!

I am enjoying the wildlife here. We have so many species of birds that my feeder must be refilled with seed on a daily basis, and the suet blocks last only for a few days. It is fun to watch the mallard ducks that are nesting right now and soon will have babies. The Canadian geese already have goslings that are getting large. In my yard, I have a resident bunny. He is so cute! I also have a pair of black birds who have created a nest for their fledglings in our shrubs along the deck. On Sunday when I went out to enjoy the first sunshine we'd seen in far too long, the mama bird kept squawking at me. I had no idea her nest was so close to our deck table. Anyway, my husband finally figured out where the nest is, and our table is now moved to the opposite end of the deck so she can feed her babies in peace. After the table was relocated, she came to sit on the deck rail and scold me. My husband teased me about talking back to her. But, hey, she wasn't shy about giving me heck, and I'd done my best to accommodate her, so I felt I had every right to defend myself. Back to having neighbors again! There I am on the deck, conversing with a bird. They probably think I should be at the funny farm. Hmm. Maybe they're right.

Another nice thing about living at the cabin is that we're closer to our son, who now stops in to see us almost daily. I enjoy that!

Well, Parker Harrigan is still calling to me, so I need to go and finish his story. It must be very frustrating for him to have his life put on hold because mine has been so crazy.

I hope all of you are enjoying nicer weather than we are getting here in Oregon, east of the Cascades. If the sun is shining, sneak outside for a while to enjoy it and think of me. Read a good book while you're at it.

All the best,

Catherine