Stormy Weather, O Yeah

For those who lie in the path of Gustav, I am sending you many prayers. Even if you are a Republican at the Convention with the Shrub, I send you prayers. Please, God, spare New Orleans the grief of a third anniversary Blow Out.

For my Friend Jerry, who is the Pops of my Teeghkii & Dianne's Thunder & Storm, you hang tight, Pal. All your Kidz will be safe, now you just have to hang tight. For all my Tribe who are in the path, we are sending you Light, Love & Bright Blessings.



Here in Oregon, we have funnel warnings, and thunderstorms. Lots of flash bang, in comparison.



Stormy weather. A great song,
Lena Horne, O Lord, sing it Grrrrl
Not so good for them that's livin' through it.

Prayers

>^,,^<

ASL is Life

I have been *chuckle* "teaching" myself ASL (American Sign Language) I know that were I to speak to someone fluent in this beautiful, wonderous language, I would be laughed at, I know I would such silly linguistic mistakes.

ASL Browser
Life Prints

These are the two best lexicons I've found.
I am teaching myself "At Last" by Etta James
At Last

It's beautiful when you sign sing it. (well, it's just beautiful anyway)

I think flowers sign in the breeze.

>^,,^<

Have You Ever Been Experienced?

Into The Night

I love this video. At the very beginning, when he screams and drops the bottle to smash into tiny pieces into the cement far below... This is how my heart feels, felt, is.... The dove bringing me back from the brink of destruction.

In these times of desolation, of isolation, of terrorism, we all need to clutch onto the Goodness of Life, where ever we find it. If it be in the smallest of herbs :



the most insignificant of wildflowers...



still, they feed others.

>^,,^<

Simple Life, Simple Pleasure

The sky is filled with silver clouds scuttling by like lazy bovines grazing across the horizon. Last night, as I drove home (oh such a short distance. Just up the hill) the tops of the pines were awash with water-color drench of bronze. Fall is peeking through, and we have had no Spring, not much summer. My tomatoes are large, but green.. and I will either surprise my love with fried green tomatoes (and a watching of the movie which bears the name) OR they will ripen until lusciousness rich ripe fresh garden tomatoes.

I have so much to do with my Farm. This is a picture of my first garden plot:



I have made many mistakes in this new life.


Such as: improper weed abatement. Not having any first hand knowledge of just how pernicious Oregon weeds, grasses, and blackberries are, I thought a stern warning would suffice. Au Contraire, mon aimes! Nay! These scoff at my stern warnings, and indeed, add them to the fertilizer of their disdain.

Now, this would not be nearly as much trouble as it seems, but I have chosen to go organic in all things, have chosen to leave tender footprints on this land. This land which has been neglected, abused, forsaken. I have chosen to pursue the Higher Ground. This leaves me with cardboard and newspapers and vinegar, with constant diligent hand-yanking, hoeing, and on-my-knees praying to the Great Spirit of the Garden Fairies.

I WILL prevail, but Lordy! Lordy! It will take longer than I thought. Ah, that's OK, I have a portable CD, earplugs, and good tools. Life is Good.

>^,,^<

Glad Tidings!

Today's post is about music and gardening. I've been listening to Janis, who makes me so exuberant yet so incredibly sad... I dream of what Janis would be singing now.. If she had... if she had Love... She took a piece of my heart wit her.. & if you think that's trite, think about it. The girl had soul, had vision, had love bigger than her capacity to bear, and was so incredibly lonely.

Have you ever been lonely? Have you (I KNOW you have) ever felt like if there was one more night spent alone in your own skin without someone to share the night sky with, without someone to turn to and murmur "Did you see that? Look at the way the sky pinks the pond, wavering betwixt now and forever" and to have that someone just put their arm about your shoulder and squeeze?

"Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them". (W.Pooh)

And we'll send you glad tidings from Estacada
Open up your eyes so you may see
Ask you not to read between the lines
Hope that you will come in right on time
And they'll talk to you while you're in trances
And you'll visualize taking all those chances
and meet them halfway with love, peace and persuasion
And expect them to rise for the occasion
Don't it gratify when you see it materialize
Right in front of your eyes
That surprise"

(with deep thanks from Van Morrison)

I'm going to try to write more here. Not that anyone reads this Blog, *chuckle* I notice by the views they do not... But possibly I will acquire the habit of writing. Of speaking my heart, of living life arms-wide-open, of taking chances. I am hoping I will acquire the habit of seeing love in each unfolding of leaf, in each glance of the deer in my orchard, even in the taking of my ducks by the bobcat, or the BooBoo the black bear living on my orchard. In every bee hive I try not to disturb. In ever wasp nest I must disturb. In each ripple in the pond, and every step forward I take. In living every day, today is a Good Day.

I am dead broke, but I have green tomatoes, spaghetti squash & crookneck squash up the gump stump. Life is Good.

Dear Janis. I miss you.

>^,,^<

First Generation Ducklings!

We have been raising Ancona ducks
a very interesting duck... They are still rare, but definitely increasing in population. When I first got my starter flock, they were considered critically endangered. Glad to see they are "just rare" now!

Last year, they nested, but never sat their nests. This year, we had two who diligently sat their nests. The first clutch lasted all of about two days before succumbing to predator snack food.. The second clutch we duckling-napped and brought inside to raise, like we did for the starter flock.

Do not attempt this at home. Be wise, and prepare ahead of time with a heated brooder house outside. Ducks are stinky butts! Unlike chickens, unless you are there AS they hatch and do the imprinting thing, they aren't very prone to being happy to be petted. They like us, and follow us around, but they don't much care to be hugged. This makes it difficult sometimes!

Photos will follow as soon as I get the time to upload some! We are hopeful that this first generation of Wolfdancer Creek Farm ducks will be happy and produce lots of eggs that I can harvest without hiking through the fir-ry woods.

One nice thing about ducks and gardening. Here in slug country where the national bird is the banana slug, the ducks have decimated the population. There are few slugs about to harass my plants! GO DUCKS!

>^,,^<

News from Wolfdancer Creek Farm

Well, we have some newsworthy stuff happening in Paradise. I applied for, and got --pending a couple of addition soil tests-- Organic Certification from Certified Organically Grown
*Happy Dance!* Because I have a very old apple orchard, there are a few extra soil tests I need to perform. My livestock is also certified!

I am just delighted about this, I've tried very hard to make sure I was kind to this land. It has been so abused and neglected, that I felt it needed some extra TLC. My dear friend Michael-from-Mountains turned me on to these fine people at CNG, and I feel as if this is yet another big step to achieving my dreams!

I must take some new pictures, & have to get mowing! The recently groomed apple trees are in leaf, and the cleared and cleaned portion of the orchard --now up to nearly 3 acres-- looks just lovely! I don't know how many apples I will get this year, it being QUITE the year for "interesting" weather patterns, nevertheless, healthy trees are nourishment for the eyes as well as for the land.

This July, I am checking off a "Bucket List" item: I am taking a train down to San Diego to attend one of my Bestest Friend's wedding. Yes, Ralph & Christie have finally decided to stop fooling around. I am beyond delighted with their decision, and wish them years and ooodles of love & luck! I've scheduled enough time to go and visit my friend Michael's organic farm, Fenton Family Farm where he's going to give me a tour and I'm a'bringin' my notebook to take idea notes! I have lots of people to see, and my Family to visit, so it will wind up being a whirlwind tour. I'm very excited! I will be taking tons of pictures, and I promise to post them. I have to save up some money for a new digital camera, my old beastie finally gave up the ghost.

Well, off to toil in the soil! I remain, the Woman Who Runs, Skips, Dances & Hops with Wolves

>^,,^<

Lathery stuff!

OH BOY! a new crafty!! I am being taught how to make soap! And not just ANY soap, but rich, luxurious, fragrant sticks-to-your skin-and-makes-you-soft-and-nummy-all-day soap! WOW! This stuff makes the skin incredibly soft, carries a scent, has lather enough to shave with, and is jam-packed with FUN & exciting & intellectually stimulating stuff! All natural ingredients, with real essential oils, not those fragrance knock-offs... Real goat's milk, herbs, WOW! just wow!

I am learning to create my own, as well. I'm working on a Healer's Soap, a Barber's Lathering Soap, and a Pet Shampoo soap. Have now made three batches, Wolfdancer's Delight, Vanilla Sin, & Off! Ye Tricksy Bug!

I have a bunch of equipment to buy, none of it very expensive, but some fairly spendy essential oils. I am really excited about this! VERY fun! Thanks, Greig, you're an *angel* among men! Pictures will be forthcoming.

>^,,^<

So we have had snow events throughout the month of April. Last month, my cook's job ended, but my relationship with those fine people will never end.

I made a deal with a local fellow to trade some of my trees for labor... Pruning & brush clearing. I now have a goodly couple of acres cleared! Now if we can just get some sunshine & warm weather, I should have MUCH healthier trees (in this part)

Colder than normal Winter. What did I say? eh?
/nod, colder than normal. >^,,^<

WOW! Mr. Toad's Wild Ride

So we have been pretty socked in here for the past couple weeks. January has proven to be quite a weather event! For a person who glories in weather events, I must admit to being delighted in the beauty and magnificence of God & Mother Nature. The snow is coming down hard and wild, blown about by blustery bursts of negative ions the landscape is embraced by a velvety silver wildness. Turning into a white out.

I love this song by Natasha Bedingfield "Unwritten"

" Release your inhibitions

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten"

YES! Dance like you mean it, Sing like no-one's listening except God, feel the snow on your skin!!

One of my Bosses came up to fetch me out of the snow that my wee Toyota cannot push aside in its' two-banger-impotence even with chains, bringing me to work at The Country, and then taking me to the store after my shift so that I could get 4 cases of chicken quarters for the Kidz. My Other Boss, Tim from the MGC Garden Center (Website to be open soon! *open*open*open*) has already come to fetch me (read that: "rescue") out from the elements several times in the past years in order to come work.

I tell you, I feel Blessed. Life is Good.


My wee "Amy" Hebe is still valiantly flowering, although you can only see a teensy bit of color.

White Christmas

So c'mon, chant with me! WHITE CHRISTMAS! WHITE CHRISTMAS! WHITE CHRISTMAS!
Several weather channels are prediction the snow level to drop to 1000' ft. I'm at 1100' ft.
Since I will be home, Blessed Home for the Holidays, I want snow.

C'mon Santa Baby! Slip some snow beneath me tree.

>^,,^<

Before Pictures

These are two pictures showing my "before" Perennial Garden
called "The Winged Garden" because almost everything I planted I planted with an eye towards feeding or attracting winged wildlife such as bees, butterflies, hummers & other birds. I should have labeled the pots! BUT I saved the pot stickers and they are next to the plants. I have planted gobs of different lavenders, butterfly bushes, crocosmia, California & Oriental poppies, Rosemary, Salvias, Monardo, Creeping Thyme, Phormiums, Sedges, (orange, evergold, cappacino, among others) & two Rose Mallows. OH! & mustn't forget the hardy geraniums & huecheras!

I also accidentally planted oats, & didn't get all the crack grass out so this year will be the Great Struggle Against The Naughty Grasses.

Off to work, Merry Christmas if I don't get back here!

>^,,^<

Fa La La La La, Glucosamine Blues!

So my baby boy scared the snot out of me last Wed. His arthritis is now "officially" bad, he wouldn't get up, and laid and shivered. So now he is relearning his house manners. He has a comfy sleeping bag, and gets to come inside at night, along with Spirit. It is rather daunting! He's as big as a small lion, I kid you not. This boy is basically massive. Since I don't trust Harley the kitty to behave with anything vaguely resembling respect for Teeghkii's sensibilities, all the kitties are banished to the bedroom while Teeghkii is in the house. I slept with him for the first four nights, to make sure he didn't get nervous, and of course, because I was REALLY worried that it was some horrible terrible no-good rotten Emergency Vet-time sickness!! I'm actually relieved that it's "just" arthritis. Glucosamine/Chondroitan/MSM combo can definitely help, especially since he's still relatively young. It's nice having him in. It's nice that he has decided inside is nice!

So far, seems as if my prognostication about a colder Winter for PNW is fairly accurate. The rest of the country will wind up with a warmer than normal Winter, but we'll get it cold. C'Mon let's see a White Christmas! The plants at the Garden Center are all sorts of confused.. We've had to fire up the greenhouse heaters a few times, and the silly Peonies think they might want to push bud. Great Googlie Mooglies! Feels like a balancing act in the greenhouses, keeping it warm enough not to lose the tenders, but keep it cool enough so that the plants don't wake up and think it might be a good idea to put out some new growth. GO BACK TO SLEEP, YOU PLANTS!!

I have a ton of work to do on my perennial garden this Spring... I have to pull all the crack grass out. I have to get some wee garden fencing (I'm think a miniature white picket fence!) because the ducks think I planted all that succulent ornamental grass for them to 1) lie on or 2) eat.
*bah* But the trade-off is, I haven't seen a slug in months. I bought some block to line the bottom of the garden, that will look nice when I get it installed. I pulled out all the bronze Fennel that I (mistakenly) planted.. As much as I love the plant, it's WAAAY too big and WAAAAY too happy in the perennial garden. I am hoping it'll take off around the pond. It will provide a nice food source for the finches & chickadees. AH well, ya live, ya learn... It's not the worst mistake I could have made.

I discovered a few other garden blogs that I am quite enjoying:

http://www.gardenrant.com/my_weblog/
http://coldcalculation.blogspot.com/
http://www.gardenpunks.com/
http://heavypetal.ca/
http://yougrowgirl.com/
http://www.coldclimategardening.com/
http://www.thisgardenisillegal.com/

What a delight to discover like-minded souls!

Over and out till next time.

>^,,^<

La Nina & Weather watching

Of course, it would help if I advertised my blog, but oh well, so be it, it is an on-again/off-again diary of sorts then.

I have been watching the weather http://www.accuweather.com/news-blogs.asp?partner=adcalerts&blog=sobel
and watching carefully the effects of this particular La Nina event. Now, since we (the Royal We here) have only been monitoring approx 10 La Nina events in recorded history, we really have no clue as to what the long-range accuracy of this forecast may be.

So.... I am going to prognosticate that this Winter will be colder & wetter than "normal" for the PNW. I cannot share this with my Roomie, because she, as a Courier, does not want to hear anything about cold weather. I, on the other hand, having my two jobs right close to town, can basically --although unwillingly-- walk to work. Or slide, as the case may be, if the chains on my wee truck decide not to grip the roads. But, the truck is small, she slides well, she just doesn't go back UP willingly. DOWN is easy.

Since one job is very dependent upon the weather, --that of being a plant nerd extraordinaire-- I spend alot of time monitoring the weather. What will it do tonight? Will my plants freeze? How hard will the freeze be? Will I need the heater? Or will the lightbulb suffice? Should I drag all the one gallon orphans --those not yet firmly escounced in their soil-y beds-- into the now-refreshingly cleaned & insulated greenhouse? Which, by the way, is now the home of two clutches of praying mantis egg sacks, and one dragonfly to eat the mosquitoes.

And, of course, precipitation is an important need-to-know event.. Will the Goatie Girlz (The Nubian Queens) be able to spend the day up in their Yard? Or will they be forced to languish in their small, warm stall? I think I'll buy a couple of dog coats and see if they will keep them on. Since dog collars work just fine on the Girlz, maybe quilted coats will too.

The Woofers are getting their sublime coats in, rich & luxurious I am not embarrassed to admit I love to bury my face in their fur. Of course, I get kisses as a reward, so hey, it's a Win-Win situation.

We have also finally answered the age-old question: Does a Bear Sh** in the Woods? No, Virginia, he saves that for the Apple Orchard. Sleep tight, Boo Boo.

>^,,^<

*whew!* Spring is in the Air!

Finally tightened my belt and bought that Osmanthus Delaveyi, and the two Firepower Nandinas I've had on hold for a couple months... I'm not sure where I'm going to plant the Osmanthus, somewhere close to the front door where we can smell it when it blooms.. I'm going to have to be firm with my pruning schedule, because 6' tall & wide is just hard to accommodate! OH well, I'll find a way ... The 2 Nandinas are going into the perennial bed right out front. They are JUST what I needed ! Some Winter color!! Small mounding evergreen shrubs that go scarlet for Winter, chartreuse for Spring, and rich green for Summer into Fall. Who could ask for anything more?

Trimmed up a few of the "Midnight Blue" Penstemon, there's another beaut for the perennial bed, evergreen, lacy & loose with rich red-orange stems. Summer & Fall bonus with a 4 month+ bloom season of tubular deep purple-blue flowers a couple of inches long. Match them up with Rose Yarrow and a nice "Cirrus" Dusty Miller with a back drop of Porcupine Grass, and a couple of Orange Sedges interspersed and my oh my oh my.

We're in for a few weeks of nice weather, and I am sure getting the itch!!

>^,,^<

Snowed In!

Well, well, well. I made it to work, but I have no way home. My poor ol' truck with rear-wheel drive is just not up to navigating the ice rink hill upon which we live. The Garden Center is socked in with snow, but I've watched the snow plow clear off the hiway, so traffic is moving along Hiway 224 at a fair clip.

It's OK, I have extra socks, a sleeping bag and plenty of firewood available, but BOY am I going to miss my kitties, my woofies, and my husband! (not necessarily in that order!) Plus, if I DO get stuck here, I won't have to worry about getting to work tomorrow morning! It's expected to snow again tonight, into tomorrow, and I could sure use the opportunity to make up for the lost hours yesterday, since I simply was unable to make it down the hill.. The Garden Center closed at 11 am. It was just an ugly, snowy, icy mess.

I'm working on the Spring Newsletter, but I have no idea if my manager will let us use it, or if she'll file it in the circular file. We'll see! At least it's time well spent.

I'm prepared, I have my laptop, and a good book.. So if I'm stuck for the night, I won't be bored. I've got a couple projects I'm working on, one I'm really excited about! I'm researching a tutorial on rescue protocol!! Maybe having a tutorial available will make it better for the animals. If we manage to educate even just a few rescuers and transporters, it will all be worth it. It's a group effort, and I am really excited to be a part of it !!

OH well, gotta go fetch more firewood, don't want the fire to go out, it's too darn cold ! Y'all stay warm, hear??

>^,,^<

Snow Day!

Pretty amazing that east county doesn't seem to get much news coverage, back in San Diego, they used to tease us Country folk about there being "No Intelligent Life east of I-5", and it appears, if one was to view the mainstream media as Gods, that the same applies here....

No-one of import lives in East County, Portland, Oregon.
No-one works in East County, Portland, Oregon.
None of us needs to know the weather conditions in the Country.
The only people who deserve to know what's going on are the Flat Landers.

(my ex-Boss used to call anyone who lived west of the Clackamas "flat-landers")

We're all socked in up here on the hill, 6" of snow, the one access road is a treacherous slick of ice, slush & snow. The neighbor kids are making it worse by tobaggoning (using trash can lids, tupperware lids, sleds, and those round thingies with handles) up and down on the road itself, rather than up & down on their own property, thus packing down the snow, melting it with their hot little snow-suited butts, and then packing it down some more. You can see the shine of the glassy pack from my driveway. I'm missing a day's pay due to the weather conditions up here, and now I'm worrying that I'm going to miss tomorrow... Since it's going to freeze again tonight, will the ice-skating rink the kids are creating make it more difficult to get to work? Am I going to have to ditch my truck again tomorrow?

I know this is fun, but if you have to actually do the grown-up stuff like WORK, or drive or walk, it makes it impassable, and treacherous.

AH! But I remember when that didn't matter. So now I struggle to not walk out and hollar "HEY! You goofy kids, don't you know you're making it dangerous for me to get my groceries? Get off the road, and go sled on your own land!" (You've ruined your own lands, and you won't ruin mine!)

>^,,^<

Wolfdancer Creek, Paradise Revisited

This is my first blog, heck, very close to my first viewed Blog. I don't know what the purpose of it will be, I do not know its' function yet. We are Becoming.

But what the heck are we Becoming? OK, since this is my first Blog, maybe you'd like to know a little about me. I suppose that's a good start to a Beginning, eh?

I'm 49 years old, and am considered an "Official Aging Hippy". I left Sunny San Diego the year my Grandmother died, in 2003 for the rural life in the foothills of the Western Cascades, in a small town in Oregon of population 2,100. I was my Grandmother's primary Caregiver for the past 20 years of her life, the last three being pretty intense, as she had developed moderate dementia after a surgery, involving anesthesia. I'm married, have been for 9 years, it's both our first marriage. My husband has developed some serious health risks, and is disabled. He blew his shoulder out on a work-related accident, and settled for far less than he should have, and now we'll be paying for that choice. He has also developed seizures, and as we have no health insurance, we have no idea as to the cause. He'll be on anti-seizure medication for the rest of his life.

I've had several careers in my life, Food Service for a kazillion years, in all aspects -and I mean ALL- Long Lines Telephone Operator & Sales Rep for 8 years, Pre-School Teacher for 8 years. I loved this career, until I lost one of my students to abuse. I told my manager I thought there was abuse, and no-one believed me until his step-father killed him with blunt force trauma to his stomach at age 4 years, 3 months. I remember wondering what on God's Green Earth a 4-year-old could have possibly done wrong enough to deserve a beating like that. I was called to witness, and it was my testimony which nailed the bastard to the wall. He got a slap on the wrist, because he was Navy. Despite child abuse classes and therapy, I just could never get over it. It just slapped me in the face how powerless I was as a Teacher to protect my students if their Families decided to hurt them. So I waved good-bye to that career.

When I moved up here, I tried to apply as a Vet Tech, even as a Kennel worker, to no avail... and on the way home, I applied rather half-heartedly at a nursery right in town. *laugh* & they hired me! I have found that I love it, love working with plants, love growing them. Love helping people create their own little piece of heaven, their Home Sanctuaries. I'm taking classes at the Community College, and am slowly working towards a degree, which will be my third Associates' degree. I am trying to live a sustainable life, and I steer my customers towards organic products, and organic living. I am learning about integrated pest management, which is a proactive method of dealing with plant pests & diseases which do not use harsh environment-destroying chemicals.

This Spring I am getting a flock of ten critically endangered Ancona ducklings, and I bought 2 doe Nubian goats for blackberry abatement, (they eat their weight in blackberries PER DAY!) and when they are old enough, I plan to make goat's milk soap.

Back in 1989, I was Gifted (fooled! set up!) with my first wolfdog (a canine who has "recent wolf inheritance", ie: part wolf, often erroneously referred to as "wolf hybrids") and I have been involved with raising and rescuing and educating about them for the past 18 years now.

My Great-Grandfather was assistant District Attorney for San Diego back in the early 30's, and he gave me a passion for Politics which my Grandmother (who raised me) encouraged.

We have a room-mate who lives in a yurt in a polebarn with her four wolfdogs as a pack. Like a ship in a bottle! The wolfdogs aren't allowed to enter without her, because they are naughty, and like to pull the mattress out and play king of the mattress. We are taking a Divine Feminine class together called The Emerald Code, it includes Teachings from Shamanism, and it has been a life-altering experience.

My plans for the future include getting a commercial greenhouse, and propagating small plants & rare trees, building a pottery studio for my husband, and setting up a booth at Saturday Market to sell the plants I grow in the pots he makes. I am working on a couple books, and my Roomie bought me my first working easel, and 2 canvases, so I am going to FINALLY begin to play with my oils. I have had them for years, but was unable to experiment with them while Grammy was alive, since she didn't like the smell.

I forgot to mention I'm an EverQuest addict. Anyone else know where that is?

Life has been full of changes for us since 2003, would this be considered a Mid-Life Crisis? Maybe, only we didn't choose it, and what does not kill us makes us stronger.

So that's the Introduction in a nutshell, I'll be talking about wolfdogs, plants, gardening, sustainable living, my goats, the ducks, maybe even the weather here in Beautiful Downtown Estacada, you blink, you miss it.

Blessings, O Bloggers! Be Most Welcome Here.

>^,,^<