WHILE EAN IS THE KING....

Now how can you look at those 'baby blues' and not want to grab this kid up and hug him?

Yet, at only 18 months old...he already has to 'move over' from being an only child and the "King" of all the household...and will soon have to welcome a 'sibling' into the family...and a new baby 'brother' at that.

Just doesn't seem very long to be the "King"...

...before you have to be just one of the two little "princes"...around the homestead.

...and what about poor Larry, their cat (who was the King before Ean was born) who seems to be moving down the 'royalty chain' rapidly I think? He has been so kind to Ean laying on him and bopping him...and now Larry gets 'two' boppers very soon. Do you think it will send him into some sort of 'trauma'?

Ean was such an easy going baby...both during Lindsay's Pregnancy and for months after birth, he is still a little angel from what I've experienced. Lindsay says that this pregnancy is a lot different...she is getting pummeled from the inside everyday and all day, and this baby seems more than just 'active'...so, I'm hoping she gets another 'easy going baby', like Ean...

...but preparing for a"busy bee" might be the order of the day. I just wanted to post these pictures of Ean "while he was the King" so one day I can share those blessed memories with him after another 'tussel' with his brother...

MOVING THE SOFTER, EASIER WAY...

Well, the professional 'Movers' will be coming out on Monday to give us a quote on "packing and moving" our current home to our new home about three miles...we have quite a few 'heavy pieces'...and three levels of stairs to deal with. We're already packing up the 'unnecessary'...
and Allen is getting the 'shop' ready to move himself with our two local helpers.

...but, from what the Movers and I discusse so far ...I think we can get it all moved for under $500. and that is the best bargain I have had in a long, long time.

Allen and I would be the one's 'pointing' on this one...Whoo Hoo...

HELP IS ON THE WAY...

Here's a photo of two of my Grandson's...Tom, 16 is going to be a Senior soon and when he graduates he plans to move to Oregon to live with us while he goes to our Local Community College and then on to OSU in Corvalis.

The little brother he's holding, Ean (16 mos)...won't be ready for Kindergarten for a few more years...but he is going to have a new baby brother toward the end of September. YIKES! Two boys, 18 months apart....my daughter Lindsay is very brave...and her husband Jim is very kind. When Lindsay and Jim married, Jim had two teenagers...so starting over so that Lindsay could have some babies of her own...is definately an act of 'love' on Jim's part. He knows what they are getting into.

Anyway, Tom is heading our way via the Train and will be here August 5th...and he's going to help us with whatever is on the venue at the time he gets here, and working on the Ranch is probably where we'll need his help. Of course, we'll have some fun too, as we always do.

It is always a pleasure for us to have Tom around, he's like a walking library most of the time...so when he leaves, we don't know what the weather will be like tomorrow...or what is playing at the theatre, and in the 'good kid' department, well, he is just one of the 'best' as far as we're concerned.

We're having professional 'Movers' pack and move the house, so at least we will ALL be spared that 'chore' for the most part...but enclosing a huge shop on the ranch is first on the venue, and cleaning up overgrown brush is too. We're going to rent a tractor for that daunting job...as it would take months to get the job done with a weed eater...so, with Tom heading our way for a week or so of just hanging out with the "oldies"...more HELP IS ON THE WAY! Hip Hip Hooray!

KEEPIN OUT THE REVENUERS...

Now, if you happened upon a road with these signs at the entrance, do you think you would continue on without an invitation? Well, so we can be clear...the sign with the 'red' letters and a picture of a human target says in the small print:

"THERE IS NOTHING IN THIS AREA WORTH YOUR LIFE

NO TRESPASSING
NO HUNTERS
NO GARBAGE DUMPING
NO SOLICITING

WE WILL PROSECUTE!"

Still think you might enter? I don't think so. The numbers on the pole are the addresses of the five properties beyond this 'warning'...with ours being the first on the pole and the last one to drive to. I asked my big, strappin, tough and strong as a bull...' son-in-law.. Will to drive by the Log Home long before we ever looked at it and let me know if it was worth calling on, and he came back and reported that he came to these signs, thought about it, and decided it might not be a good idea to go on.

So, we wondered about this seemingly 'mean spirited' neighborhood and the people we might live next to...but soon had an answer we could live with. It turns out that these are all 'large parcel' landowners...many of the parcels much larger than our 43 acres...and I guess that for quite a while...in the middle of the night...people would come onto that road, and simply dump their garbage, old furniture, junk and other throw away items along side of the road.

Most (if not all) of the Land Owners keep their places pretty nice...have horses and nice homes, great barns and some even indoor arenas...and again and again they were forced to clean up other people's 'garbage' and pay a tidy sum at the dump site as well. Oregon doesn't like garbage 'landfills' and it is expensive to go to the dumps...and rewarding to 'recycle'.

So, some of the 'low lifes' of the community found this area a 'bargain' of a dump site...(no matter where ya go...there's always a few...) and came back to it time and time again.

So finally, one elderly lady who resided on the road was seen posting the signs you see here.
Hammer in hand, she was determined to keep those 'dumpers' out of the neighborhood. At first, the other neighbors felt it was pretty 'harsh'...and 'foreboding'...but as time went on, they noted that no more garbage was being dumped along side of their two mile stretch of private road. It worked!

So no...we don't live down a road with a lot of extremist 'militia' or survivalists as it may appear by the warning signs posted...just some horse and ranch people tired of picking up other people's garbage.

Just to let friends and family know that they don't have to stop to consider this sign anymore, just come on in...you are always welcome!

SELLING AND MOVING...AAARRRGGG!

Well, along with the euphoria of planning the changes and remodeling of "hog Heaven" comes the awful deed of packing and moving...something I hate with a passion.

First though, is getting our current home and shop ready to put on the market. After being in the Real Estate and Mortgage Industry for 25 years, one becomes pretty picky on how their home 'shows' to prospective clients...so the cobwebs, dustballs, windows and floors...and every piece of lint must be 'picture perfect'...and that sounds like an awful lot of work.

We're running on 'zero' in the help department in that category...so my fingers will be doing the walking through the yellow pages tomorrow to get some hired hands on the job. We tried to do all the moving ourselves from California to Oregon...but when Allen broke his leg, right after I broke mine...our friends and some family just loaded boxes so we still have lots of mystery boxes left from that move...and missing 'stuff' we've needed now and then.

So, this time we'll just have to pay for help, maybe end up with less broken things, and see how that experience turns out. Even under the best circumstances...I see a headache coming on, and a nightmare beginning. I think 'moving' is about on the bottom of everyone's list of 'things I love to do with my time and energy'...

AAARRRGGG! I feel depressed already...

BETTIN' ON THE COME...

We're now the proud owners of this "Hogheaven" a 2700 sq. ft. Log Home on 43 acres of Timber Conservation Land, including a Timber Mill, lot's of outbuildings, fenced and cross fenced pastures, tack room, ponds, wildlife galore, and lot's of 'trails' to explore! Even an 'Elk'crossing on the North 40...

It even sounds a little 'nutty' to me... for anyone to take on this sort of responsibility at our age, but this happens to be a property that can double or triple in value in a short amount of time...so the old investment nose...got the best of us, I fear. I have a feeling larger acerage parcels are going to be the thing of the future for a lot of reasons. So, preparing for a better nest egg than we have seems wise to me...

...and perhaps even wiser, is our concern for our future economy. 78 million baby boomers are heading for the Public Trough and that means Retirement, Social Security and Medicare Benefits will be demanded by the largest single group of people in our Nation, and they will be supported by one of the smallest population Groups. Our Country is currently more than a trillion dollars in debt, with China holding a large share of those "notes". It is unlikely we will balance the budget for some time due to the Boomer aging factor, and a long drawn out War in Iraq.

How will our Grandchildren pay for the 'debts' we are creating for them?

We're sending more and more of our manufacturing industries off shore everyday. Just try to buy something that doesn't say "Taiwan or China" on it? Even the Harley Davidson Stores (once respected as American Made all the way) are bringing in all their Name Brand items from Taiwan. So the great middle class is disappearing.

When American Corporations started sending our Factory jobs over seas, they said we would still have the higher paying, high tech...white collar jobs for our kids...but guess what, they are going too. Microsoft just opened a 3,000 employee "Research Center" in Bejing, but not to worry...we have another hi tech Research Facility in India. IBM just sold off their Computer Division to China. A billion strong, China is already flexing muscle around the Globe...and like Rome...we seem to be imploding from within. WalMart is opening more than 4,000 stores in China this year...so the big money and the big markets are betting on China...not the good old USA.

Service Industry jobs are still available, but they tell us that American's don't want these lower paying jobs and won't work them so we've imported 35,000 million illegal aliens across the open border of Mexico to do them for us. Nevermind the free medical American's have been paying for have Bankrupted Hospitals in every State on the Border...to the tune of Billions of dollars the Feds had to use to plug the dike for now. In California, the politically correct term is "undocumented workers"...since we don't want to offend anyone in our country illegally!

So, you'll have to forgive me as I don't see the 'rosy' outlook for my grandkids and their children...and I and my own kids have enjoyed. It appears it could get very grim, very quickly in the not too distant future.

For the past three years, the Mortgage and Real Estate Industry has been the major column holding up the American economy, but the Re-fi craze is over and homes are being priced so high only 17 per cent of Californians today can afford to buy one.

The 'Greatest Generation' is dying off, and there is about to be the greatest 'turn over' of wealth in history...especially through Real Estate, and the spendthrift Baby Boomers will soon have all that 'savings account and CD' wealth in their hands to squander.

It will be our children and grandchildren who will be burdened with the enormous debt we're creating...and with good paying jobs going off shore, we tend to agree with the economists who believe we are going to face a "major recession" within the next five years, and many believe it could decline into another Great Depression.

When and if that happens, I don't think people are going to behave as 'nicely' as the Greatest Generation did, patiently standing in bread lines...waiting their turn.

I see most Americans perfectly willing to take from their neighbors by force, anything they think they need...in order to feed their families. We had an electric blackout in the Central Valley a few years ago, and I witnessed people almost going to 'blows' over bags of ice...so you might imagine how it would be for food, warmth, or transportation out of dangerous metropolitian areas.

So, this "Retreat" we're buying, will be free and clear very soon...and may end up being the only place my Grandchildren can build a home of their own for their families should that become something they would like to do. I'm not trying to appear some sort of 'dooms dayer'...and I will completely change my mind as soon as the demographics give me some hope...but in the meantime, no harm in buying paradise is there?

I'd rather share these concerns, and I would rather err on the side of caution, than to be one of those 'wonderers?"....you know the drill. There are three kinds of people in the world. Those who make things happen, those who watch what happens...and those who wonder what happened? I would be in the 'watcher' category and totally powerless when it comes to stopping runaway trains, I fear.

So, we're bettin on the come...only this time, we don't see money 'coming'...we see it going...and going out faster than it can come in as boomers retire and hit the 'gravy train' in a dozen ways. Just think of the Federal, State and Municipal Retirement accumulations...and let's not forget that almost half of all employed people in our Nation are now Federal, State or City Government workers.

Government workers do not create wealth...so the take from just the govie end of the spectrum is a mind boggling 'debt' our progeny will be left to deal with.

So, as a small cushion to ease the financial pain we're passing on to future generations, the least we can do is try to provide a little plot of land somewhere for them to lay down their own roots should they need it.

...and that little plot of land would be, of course....Hog Heaven. Broad, massive and "defendable"...should a need ever arise to do so. I don't think anyone is going to 'take' from our family without a hell of a fight...but as my Federal Agent son says, "It's best to put yourself in a position to defeat your opponent completely."

In the meantime, and should we by some miracle avoid 'paying the piper' for our excess...what a place to play paintball, ride ATV's, fish, hunt and Mill Timber...raise a few goats...and watch a Doe birth two Bambi's every year.

Even more important, to share something with our Grandchildren more important than the latest TV program, X Box, computer game or lurking around the Mall. In a place like 'Hog Heaven', they may learn first hand...a respect for the earth, sky and all the creatures who reside in it.I'm not sure kids can 'get it' by just watching the Discovery channel...but watching a coyote stalk duck on a pond will help them get the importance of natures 'food chain' real quick.

So, I see good in it all around, and feel good about getting a little further out in nature than we are now. It has a draw all of it's own...and can be addicting as well. So, yes we're crazy like foxes...but the bunker is always open to family and friends. Just a thought.

Maybe our Grandkids will become better "stewards of our planet" than we have been...and maybe they will see the word "consumer" as something less desirable to become than we have...and maybe the incessant seeking of money, property and prestige won't take up as much of their lifetimes as it did ours. Maybe....

GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN...

This is my daughter Wendy, and the Girls are her models for the 'Hogfather's Fashion Show" that we had at the Bike run. That would be Wendy in the middle 'mugging for the camera'...and The 'Divine Miss Genn..." on the end in a Boa...The Models did a routine to Aretha Franklin's Hit song "Respect"...and they were a hit with the Bikers. Yes, I know Wendy is gorgeous...but she's a worker too and was a real 'Trooper" helping with this event. She's the Mom of little Emily Below and 'growing up too fast' Jordan Nicole...plus she has Ashleigh and Jonathan who she married right along with marrying Will. So with four kids, a full time job for Lincoln County, Oregon as a Prevention Coordinator for Underage Drinking...and an immaculate home and home cooked meals every night...Wendy is pretty busy in Life...but you know that old saying, "If you want something done, ask a busy person"...and believe me, I do!

Some of My Perfect GRANDCHILDREN...

Everyone remembers their first Boyfriend, and this is Jordan Nicole with her 'first' at the Adventure Run. Jordan will be a Freshman in High School when school starts, and Casey (I think that is his name...will be a Junior). They are in the teasing stage now, but should they get too serious..we'll have to call the Chief of Police of Toledo...the boy would be his son.

The one with her tongue out is my Grand Daughter Sierra MacKenzie (7), and you can tell by her shirt...we can all "Blame Her Parents" for this lovely pose in the photo taken by her Dad. At 'seven' Sierra likes to boss her Dad and everyone else around, and that is as it should be...she is in training to become like the rest of this families women. Bossy and In Charge.

.... and next we have Emily Alexandrea (2) who seems to be wondering if the Picture taker (Papa) is going to tell her to clean up her dinner. Emily has always been a picky eater, but Wendy breast fed her well over a year and Emily is very particular about textures of food, and of course has a sweet tooth...I liked this serious pose, but had we mentioned 'snack' the room would have 'lit up' with a beaming smile!

Maybe tomorrow I will share more of my precious grandchildren...and the real apples of our eyes.

THE OLD APPLE DOESN'T FALL TOO FAR FROM THE TREE DOES IT?

You might think that these are two pictures of the same baby, but you would be thinking wrong...the first would be my Grandson Ean watching the fireworks on the 4th-2005, and the second would be his Mama at about the same age at the park at about the same time of year...June of 81! Now the Apple doesn't fall too far from the tree I know...but my grandson's 'daddy' sort of looks like his 'mama', but I guarantee they are NOT RELATED...(Yikes).

So, I guess it was natural that Ean looks a lot like both of THEM, who as I said, look pretty much like each other. Go figure. lol

CALM BEFORE THE 'NEXT' STORM...

Well, I finally got two images to Load of the First Annual Adventure Run 4 Kids.
the 'white' Fender on that Heritage Springer belongs to Jim Moore, my son in Law. He drove all the way from Visalia, California to Toledo, Oregon for the Adventure Run...and then home again. About 1,600 miles in All...but It paid off for him since he won the 'Show & Shine' for Best Stock
Bike...and also won for 'Traveled the Longest Distance'...and he was up against some very pretty Bikes entered in the Show & Shine.

This First Year Run was so stressful all I wanted is for it to 'BE OVER' last week...the workload seemed overwhelming...and the night before, I was up all night getting the last minute things done for the Run. Now, we have people coming from all over the place who want to join Central Coast Riders 4 Charity and help plan (and WORK) on next years "Adventure Run"...every single comment has been 'great', but I especially like the one "Of all the Runs I have been on, and I go to about five a year, this was the most well organized."

A comment like that makes it all worthwhile! The only SPONSOR we had for the Run was HOGFATHER'S, which is my husband Allen's Motorcycle and ATV Service Center and Retail Store. I haven't tallied all the money we spent on the Run, sort of afraid to...but it was in the thousands, I do know that. We couldn't get anyone to help with the cost of the Event, but now...they are calling us and wanting to Sponsor next year. It is, in a word, "SWEET"! We're having an 'After Event Party" at Wendy's...and then in August (hopefully my daughter Lindsay and Jim and Tom and Ean) can come up...as our son Joey is coming home from college for a few days...at that time, and we will have a big barbeque and party at our new Ranch!

A 2700 Sq. Foot Log home sitting on 43 acres...complete with Band and Deep Pit (will have to ask my son in law how to build a Deep Pit...but won't that be YUMMY...maybe serve ELK)...anyway, that's the plan so far.

Stay tuned for further Developments in my crazy world!

FIRST ANNUAL "Adventure Run 4 Kids" a success!

For the last few weeks I have felt like running far, far, away...as this event neared and the work to be done became more overwhelming with each passing day...in fact, the night before the "Bike Run" I was up all night putting together prize and drawing packets, creating flyers and meal tickets for the Run Packages...and with two hours sleep, I looked forward to a day of making sure Bikers and Participants received a warm welcome and their money's worth...as best as one person can.

During the Afternoon Events, Main Street started filling up with Motorcycles and it was an awesome sight to see for Little Toledo, Oregon. My husband Allen, his Partner Pat, our son in law Jim (who rode in from Visalia, California about 800 miles) our Daughter Wendy, and son in law Will, grand daughter Jordan, were all in the middle of the "action" already and then an unexpected blessing came with Allen's cousin Cheryl Ann and her husband Todd from Idaho, who jumped right in and probably helped save my sanity as it was just the two extra helping hands we needed.

I think my husband put it best when he said "To all the Bikers, 'We' looked like a duck on the pond, smoothly gliding along without a care in the world, but underneath...the this Duck's feet was kicking fast and furiously to stay afloat. Lot's of things went wrong, power to the band went out, we ran out of Registration forms, when it was time to stop taking Registrations at Hogfathers, we found out Allen and Pat had the key to Hogfather's so Cheryl Ann and Todd couldn't lock the shop and come up to Main Street, since Allen and Pat were 'on the Run'.

To the 'Rescue' came Toledo Chief of Police Don Dennison, (whose Challenge Camp for Kids is one of our Run Funds Beneficiarys) who got the power on from City Hall, brought in some tables and chairs, and helped with all things of 'the City' that came up. Another unexpected, but needed Blessing. He wants a Motorcycle, but his wife has been dragging her feet on giving the go ahead.
By the end of the day though, Don said that she was thinking it might be a good idea for them to get a 'Bike'...especially after she won a MC Jacket in the Raffle AND It didn't hurt that Allen had the Chief sit on our Road King either.

As the day went on and the Bikes started rolling in, there were about 100 Motorcycles lining both sides of the street. The "Show & Shine" Competition had son-in-law, Jim winning a prize for 'Best Custom Bike" and he also won for "Traveled the Farthest".

The comments from the Bikers themselves was such a great uplifting feeling that I forgot I hadn't slept and was ready to jump off the bridge just 24 hours prior to the event. One said it was the "Best Organized" Bike Run he had been on, and he goes to about five of them a year, others said the Drawings and Prizes were 'awesome' (and they really were), and still others said they had a great time and felt so welcome! Even the Band wanted to come back for any event we have in the future. Some Bikers were on their cell phones telling their friends what a great Ride and Event this was, and everyone we talked to said they will tell their Riding Buddies to come next year! So, with more Bikes next year, comes more money for the Charities!

Smokin' Pig, our food Vendor...wants to join CCR4C (Central Coast Riders 4 Charity) and have a big Chili Cook Off next year in conjunction with the Run, the Vendors want to come back, and even our Charity Booths made some money for their causes that day! But, pictures are worth a thousand words, so here's some photos to digest.

After the Run, it was out to MAD DOG's who sponsored a barbeque for the Bikers, and we were able to go out there and Relax and listen to the live music and talk about the day and perfect weather, and ask some Bikers how they felt about the Run and would they come back...to a one, they said absolutely!

So there is no 'healer' like success, and I think we may have raised a few thousand dollars this time around as well...with really only ONE sponsor "Hogfather's" (Allen's Store) who foot the bill for everything but the Food, and one of the Bands. So, I'll let you know what the 'money count' was later...when I know.

ADVENTURE RUN OVER, time to start packing for the Move to the Ranch. C ya later alligators.

VERY PROUD OF MY SON DAVID!

How many people have said, "I'm going to write a book?" There must be millions of them, but for one reason or another they never do.

My son David just completed a book and sent it for copyright today. Soon I can share more about it, but it is of significant importance to Americans as the future will reveal. If the 'book' never makes a dime, I am still so proud of him.

He had an important story to tell and he told it. That book is a legacy like no other. His daughter will consider it an important part of her inheritence and his grandchildren will know his character through it, and it will be passed from generation to generation.

Publishing a book makes us a little 'immortal' in a way, even if the readers are only in our own families. The other day my cousin sent a book of sorts that my Aunt Evelyn wrote about her childhood....it was on a Nebraska farm in the early 1900's. Her younger sister, Faye has lived with us for almost 10 years now and she is 94 and was born in 1911.

Our coming and our goings are to most people like a slight ripple in a brook, and leaving the world without doing a single meaningful thing in life for humanity is surely a shame. The 'things' so many covet and protect and trade their lives for...become just items in a garage sale upon our passing.

Leaving a 'legacy' is simple, but not easy. I am very proud of the legacy David is leaving for his child (or future children) and for his grandchildren...each of my kids brings to the world a special 'gift' of something 'bigger than themselves'...for this, I am truly Blessed as a Mom...but this is a blog to uplift and support David. Here's a photo of my new 'author' son, David and my Grand Daughter Sierra.

Job Well Done, son.

I'M JUST TOO OLD TO (fill in the blank)

I went to my 40th Reunion not too long ago and thankfully there were a lot of 'kids' there who think like me about this topic.

Unfortunately, I had to spend some time with a few who think they are too old to do just about anything 'fun' or 'dangerous' or 'risky'.

They probably have about 20 to 30 years left in their 'life cycle' due to modern medicine...so I gave them my $ .02.

You can sleep when you're dead! Sadly, I don't think they 'got it'. Seems to me that is a lot of use on the 'remote' remaining in their lifetimes, but hey...not mine, and that's a fact. I'd rather "Burn out than Rust Out"...so there ya go.

So my Advice is..."Go for something!" (and I don't mean to the fridge during a commercial break!)

WELCOME TO MY BLOG - IF YOU DARE...

There is nothing 'normal' in my world, and if you dare to enter it...you may experience emotions you forgot you had since so many of them are not 'politically correct' these days. Many folks seem to worry about 'offending' someone else, they can't be themselves anymore.

Not me. I relish good old fashioned common sense, don't much care who I offend with my thoughts, ideas or perceptions in life, and promise to share it as I see it...no matter what!

If that idea makes you a little 'queasy' or 'weak-kneed' Log Off now and play it safe...you won't be alone. If you want to jump in and disagree with anything, be my guest...a little fire in the belly will be good for you, and it sure is for me.

This thing called 'life' goes around one time, and for the rest of mine I plan on being exactly who I am. Believe me, I spent many years pretending to be someone I was not for the sake of the business, or the sake of my children, or the sake of my husband, or for my own sake in not wanting anyone to not 'like me'. Silly stuff for sure.

I'm not setting out to offend anyone, but it's a natural consequence of being honest about what one thinks and feels about things happening in our little piece of the world, in our little place in the world and in our little stage of the world.

We're all just 'ants on a beachball' so my opinion is about as good as the next ants I figure...so we'll start here and see where this wacky world of mine ends up.