The Magic Hour

The old shed. The wood is cut but not finished milling because it came from the lumber mill. The planks are 1 inch thick. If it was milled finish it would be 3/4 inches thick.

The little shed in the lower left center is the old well pump house. Nothing like early morning light, it's so soft and the colors are soft like, sort of a pastel look. That old well house is being eaten by moss and slowly falling apart.

The tree with white on it is an apple tree that was knocked over on December 3, 2008. The snow was so heavy it broke the roots. I trimmed it up and painted the trunk to keep it from over heating in the direct sun light. There are still ropes that I used to hold the tree in place. I used a lot of rope, webbing, levers to pull the tree back up. I cut about half the tree off to lighten it up so I could pull i up. It took about three days. Two days working on the tree, trimming it. Another day was clean up and bring the tools and bi-pod down to the house. It was also the first time I got a pinched nerve in my back which kept me laying down for a month until I got to a doctor for prednesone a steroid that reduces swelling. I couldn't believe the amount of pain I was in. I couldn't do anything because moving just caused more pain. To get up and out of bed I had to roll out. I got myself into what looked like a sitting position laying on me side. I'd bring my feet to the floor the same time I brought my body up. That was the fast version of getting up but took a while to figure that out. At first I was rolling over letting me feet touch the floor laying on my stomach.  From there I'd push with my arms to get me moving upward and would work my feet under my body. I as in a squatting position. Then all I had to do is push with my legs to get fully upright.All this while trying to keep my back from bending. I really didn't know what to do at the time. After a few weeks of the pain not lessening I went to a pain clinic. That lasted through 2009 and 2010. I got surgery in February 2011. I had more pinched nerves over that period. I can't believe all the pain I went though and all the time I lost. I think I put off surgery partly because of fear, since I had two back surgeries 20 years earlier. Compared to the first two this one was a lot more. I had the first part of the surgery on February 2 where they went in through my stomach. February 4 was 15 or 19 hours and they put little bone spaces in with titanium rods bolted to my spine and hips I gained 5 inches which I had lost over time as my disks wore down. It's not over just yet, I'm still recovering one year later. Next is to get my knee fixed. Doctor says I need a metal knee replacement. So won't be doing any running now and in the future. Everyone says I'm doing great but at times I don't feel it. I'm just going through some stress. I should be grateful I'm up and walking around even if it's with a painful limp.

Spring Growth & Deer Friends

Shades of Yellow. I really like the deep yellow in the center of the flower, it's so rich. Flowers started coming up in January when we had the warm spell that was like summer weather. Then it started raining and snowing. This pattern started about 5 years ago. The blossoms would start coming out then be hit with a hard rain or snow storm knocking the blossoms off the trees. That made it real bad for fruit. I'm sure it has something to do with climate change. It's also effecting summer month where we have more over a hundred days back to back. There's no delta breeze which normally would bring moist cool air up the foothills and up the mountains. San Francisco is the only opening in the West coast where clouds move through freely. The clouds normally would travel due East but the last five or so years they make contact with the foothills and mountains farther to the North of Highway 80. Talking with people that have been here their whole life, they say the snow was greater before the 1950's. In one area they said they would get snow to the third wire on a barbed wire fence. Near Auburn at Forest Hill they get two feet of snow and it's a big deal because lately it's only been a few inches. Before they would get three to four feet every winter. Last year they got a couple feet and many of the new comers thought it was a lot but the old times thought it was nothing,

Standing on her back legs the deer is eating the tender green sprouts. I was surprised at how long she stood there eating.

Nibbling on the greens, my deer friends like sweet leaves. They are sure fun to be with. To walk around with each other. They follow me to the fruit trees to get apples and plums. They proved to me that they are smarter then people give them credit.

Kitties on an overcast day

Momma Kittie laying on velvet green. She finds that moss on the old tree stump comfortable to lounge on.

Daddy Tiggers here to lounge and play with the kitties. For being so wild I'm surprised I got this close. Daddy kitty is so big and baby Tiggers is still growing into it's body. When you mix Daddy kitties long hair and Momma kitties extra long hair, you get a baby kitty with a lion like hair style.

What's interesting about the kitties is they seem to get along with all the wild animals here that are about the same size. They really like playing with the raccoon's. Sprockets gets all affectionate at the sight of some of the raccoon's. The baby raccoon's confused plays with Sprockets after seeing if it's okay with Mother Raccoon. I've never seen cats like these guys. The trees they climb and how they play. One evening as  it was getting dark, Sprockets took off running from the walkway near me to the first tree and went up about 10 feet. Then turned and ran to the next tree and climbed it too. She kept doing that through the trees always climbing up about ten feet and running between the trees as fast as she could until I couldn't see her. It was like she was showing of for me.

Tiggers Kitties

Watching birds fly is Tiggers favorite sport beside swatting moths out of the air. What a kitty with those big eyes.

The Baby Tiggers and Daddy Tiggers, lounging on the box together. Baby Tggers is less then 8 month old. Look at the size of Daddy's head, he's still growing.

Daffodils

Daffodils of all shapes and sizes.

Spring showers and snow can't keep them down. After the snow I thought they had it being all bent over but they perked right up. The flowers grow in groups and every group is unique to each other group.

Still Winter, sort of...

With the warm winter we had so far the snow coming this late was mixed, good for getting more water not so good for blossoms on fruit trees. Up top on the mountains the ski resorts got over 100 inches of snow this storm. Not over yet, more rain and snow in the forecast later this week. Was amazing that January and February had 60, 70 and 80 degree days. The Iris flowers came and went. Daffodils are poke up and now laying over pressed down from the snow. The mint plants are all smashed into the ground. Haven't been out today to see any damage but noticed a few downed branches yesterday.

Sunday Morning: A break in the storm. 

 I do like the cast of blue on the photos. This was day break here about 7AM and just getting light out. Snow wasn't over yet and I wasn't going out to see it. Had this dry popcorn snow later in the afternoon and evening. The clumpy stuff seem to be falling on and off through the day. The sounds of snow falling from overweight branch could be heard all night and day.

Cherry tree on right of road. Creeks farther to the right.

My official CHAOS Muscle hat from Canada. It's the warmest hat I ever had. Always seen them in movies and shows. Wondered why people were wearing them. Now I know why, they are so warm.

Little Buddies

 My littlest Buddy walking on three legs with one tucked under him. I don't know what's wrong. If it's broken or a shoulder problem but he can't walk on it. Feel so sorry for the little guy and want to help him when I can. He's so friendly and likes being close to you when held. I'll call to him and he walks over limping to me, looking up with those sad eyes.

The two babies, brother and sister, one male and one female. They have their winter coats on. The male has a scar on his neck from running into something. There's one more orphan baby they hangs out with the kids but she looks like an outsider the way the other deer treat her. Food is sparse. Deer need to constantly be eating to generate body warmth. It takes a lot of grass and leaves for them to stay warm on cold nights where it's 25F degrees out. Water is frozen in the morning except for the cascading water setup I have for them. The moving water doesn't freeze. They are so hungry at times I see them eating cat food.

Suppose you had a town named after the trees around it but they are dying because of climate change. Do you rename the town of Aspen to something else like Weeds, Rocks or Dirt?

P.M. is a B.M

U.K.'s prime minister turns out to be a B.M. defending selling of crap stocks and bonds in the U.K. financial markets. Turns down any deals to stabilize the E.U.. Just amazing how people that caused the economic problems of the world hide behind skirts and get away with fraud causing everyone else to take the loss and pick up the pieces.  Law makers seem to loose there spines and fine a great Christmas bonus under the tree while everyone else gets a lump of coal. It's not even a lump of coal because that's worth something but a promissory note for a lump of coal. Are law makes so weak they can't stand up to the super wealthy who caused all this fraud and economic ciaos around the world. In Asian countries lawmakers would be asked to pull out a long knife and plunge it into themselves. They do because they have a sense of honor. That's a word that has gone by the wayside. When I hear people talking about their morals but do nothing except aid these fraudsters, helping them carry off their truck loads of money to off shore accounts where they don't pay taxes. Evil is evil and it's everywhere. How they can say they are on the side of good is a real joke. It's not good for any country to have this parasites leading the country or in positions of leadership dealing with any kind of wealth. What's worse is they deal with other peoples money taking it all for themselves. At least parasites don't kill the host.

"There is no crisis that capitalism can't get out of as long as the public is willing to pay for it."

Lennon              

Boehner Quest

 photo by AP

"Grover's got his finger so far up my butt, he's pulled my spine out." John walks funny because he houses corporations up his bunghole. Taking advantage of insider trading John invested in the medical industry after the health care bill was past. Since he became speaker he seems to be sober when he's speaking these days. The spray on tan still follows him and rubs off on others saying only what he's told to say. John isn't much of a leader, more a follower like a carrot hanging in front of his face he follows but that carrot is greenbacks of industry telling him what to do. If people ever found out he's only defending the one percent no one would be a republican. Then again republican voters mainly aren't the sharpest pencils in the box. Mostly high school grads they never look what's behind the bumper stickers because that requires reading something voters don't like to do. Like John voters need to be told how to vote. That is what churches do in the republican party. Only a republican voter would vote himself higher taxes for himself and tax cuts for the very wealthy. They would vote for lower wages and less benefits thinking that would be good for the republican party. Yes, republican get out and vote on issues that don't mean anything and they claim it's all about the Constitution some thing they have never read but only heard other talk about. That is the tea bagger for you. Let them keep their guns and second amendment while the bankers rob them blind again. When wall Street implodes again you only have the tea baggers to blame and the defender of the one percent.

Taking note of the Little Buddy

Taking note of the little buddy. Big fellow looks at the hurt skunk that walks on three legs and tucks one under him. He's a real inspiration to keep going when it looks grim. He's been limping around for the last three months. I'm not sure what happened to Little Buddy but he sure gives it his all. He's had a hard life loosing his mother at birth. He's been on his own except for me. He follows me around even into the house if the door is open. As long as I get close to the ground he isn't scared off. Then he climbs on me but not so much since he got hurt.

Pass some crap and go home for Christmas

I can't believe bonehead Boehner, a bondwoman to Texas oil corporation. Why he tacked on the Tar Sands Oil pipeline to the spending bill while 1 out of 2 Americans are in poverty. Michelle Bachman got her two cents in blocking ban on incandescent light bulbs in this bill. She needed to look useful like she did something great but it only means people using old bulbs will be using more energy. That means burn more carbon fuels but then republicans don't care about the planet or peoples health. It's clear because everyone running for the president says they are going to repeal the health care bill. Boehner made investments into health care and made millions because of his insider trading. Newt also made millions over the last ten years in health care. He left running that investment but still getting the big bucks, the profits for people paying high prices for health care. Republicans want high priced health care because they are investing in those corporations. Look at it this way, every pill you take is tied to pennies going into the pockets of lawmakers. Every x-ray you get or test you get profit goes to lawmakers and the inside investments they made. Anyone else in the country would go to jail doing what they do. It's legal for them because they wrote the law excluding them from insider trading.

1 out of 2 people in the United States is in the poverty range. That's 50% of the population of the country. Why don't republican care about those votes because they depend on high school grads to vote for them. Educated people don't vote for them because they know better unless they are rich and calling in favors. When I hear the people in Iowa say they have moral and are conservative I really have to laugh but it makes me angry how easily swayed those simple minds are. They care more about religion like it's a real science. They don't believe in science as the rivers over flow and ask why it's happening. Their answer to that is it's God's wrath on the sinners. No it's global warming from to much Carbon Dioxide and other green house gases.

What amazes me is the basic poor republican voter will shoot themselves in the foot because of the people they vote for. They still think trickle down economics works and if you give the rich tax breaks and they get a token tax break they think they are doing great. Wealthy starts at 800 million dollars or at least it did back in 1980, I'm sure that value has gone up since then. The wealthy don't measure wealth in dollars but units of wealth. One unit is 400 million dollars and you can live comfortably with two units. That is an old stat from 1980. So when you get a check for $250 dollars for your big tax break while the wealthy are depositing hundreds of millions of dollars into their banks, you better ask yourself if bankrupting the country so you can get a $250 dollar check by voting for someone that is giving his friends hundreds of millions of dollars is worth it all.

So what is a constrictive? For the person that's church going and has no knowledge of the world, or the small business owner that might make less then a couple hundred thousand a year, your not even in the playing field with the big boys. What gets me is the pandering that goes on and people say they believe what they are saying. This last tax break for people making under $250,000 which also includes the lawmakers the ones doing insider trading and stashing their cash on some island so they don't pay taxes on the full amount of what they made that year just the amount the tax payers paid them.

When republicans bring up social security and say it's going to be bankrupt in three or four decade, that is if you stop paying into it right now and keep paying money out to people then yes it would. Social Security pays people from the interest made on the money you paid into the trust found. Republicans can't stand it that their that much money they can't get their hands on. They will say, "Lets invest it in the stock market." Well you seen how honest the people at the stock market are. Hedge funds were beating companies and stocks are going to fail while selling them to you saying, "trust us, it's a deal. You can't loose." But when you loose they say that's the stock market, that's the way it goes. Your left with empty pocket looking for change to buy your next meal.

So what is a conservative? They are the ones sending your jobs over seas and will smile as they lay you off. Then tell you in a one company town they your smart, you'll land on your feet. That is after you loose your house because the banks sold you an imposable loan, telling you that you can get a new loan in a couple years and refinance you home so the interest rate will come down them. You buy that up because the banker wouldn't lie to you, would he. He's honest and through in some Evangelical catch phases so he must be a moral person just like Newt. Newt who changes wives as fast as he changes religions. Do you think what he does might have an alternative motive? Is he just doing it for fun and profit? Maybe just profit.

Conservatives are high on anal vapors. When Boehner says he's going to put in a pile line project that's going to help one corporation in Texas doesn't that make you wonder who is leading him around by the hog ring. I'm sure he's got a stock option going with people like the Koch brothers and Koch industries who make a $110 billion dollars a year. You can buys a lot of politicians with that kind of money. You can also write your own laws and push them on law makes to pass too. ALEC seems to do that very well. They were the ones that are going after the unions and collective bargaining to break unions to drive down wages even further.

Think about it, it's just like slavery but you get to go home between the time you work.

The local news had a story about a company on the delta that makes boat cover. The guy said he can't make them fast enough. It's boat covers not for poor peoples boats that's for sure. He wanted them to work hard for $10 dollars an hour. Yet he's making money hand over fist. He can't put in enough hours and is expanding. Seeing that he's the only one there besides his wife, I take it he's not very easy to get along with, seeing him throw bolts of cloth across the table.

NASA scientist say if the Tar Sands pipeline goes in that's it for trying to control climate change. Like George Bush said, "Climate change is good, you can build houses in winter time in the Midwest." Only republican deny the accident in front of them and say it's not happening because dollar signs are blinding them.

350 parts per million was the measurement of the max carbon dioxide could get to and only raise the global temperature 2 degrees. Right now it's at 380+ parts per million of carbon dioxide. Some say that's the point of no return. Countries are fighting about shipping routes in the arctic. They are planning for ice free arctic. An ice free arctic will cause a faster warming of the planet. Right now while they are putting treaties off it's up 3 1/2 degrees. That causes bigger storms and more snow because the oceans put more moisture in the air which blows over land and comes down. Any republican that doesn't believe in global warming shouldn't get any disaster relief.

I don't understand why people after seeing what Bush, Chaney and Reagan did to the country they would still vote for the same people. Is that insane? Why would you vote for someone with a God complex, that thinks or knows everything he's done was right. Oh, that's right God told him. God told him to take over the world.

Lunch at Le Porch

Little Buddy, the one with the broken arm. I do everything I can to help my little buddy. He's such a nice little one and climbs on me and follows me around.

Baby Tigger kitten and Momma Kitty

Tiny one on a sunny afternoon coming for lunch.

Fresh milk for the tiny one and the kitties. Everyone shares.

He out walked me on three legs as I limped behind trying to catch up to see what was wrong with his leg.

Walking away after a good lunch

Relaxed and tail down, still has that bad limp where he hops along on three legs.

Looking back saying good bye, my little friend walks back to his den.

Bye little buddy, see you tomorrow.

Broken Antler doesn't get him down

 Not sure how this buddy broke his antler but he's not giving up.  Was watching him practice on a bush the other night. At first I thought the antlers were starting to fall off like they do every year. I was asked if I could tell the black tail deer from a mule deer. Yes you need to be around then to see minor things like their noses. They bread together so many traits are shared.

The deer here have become nice friends to learn from. I'm just amazed in talking to them they seem to know every word I say. I just don't understand how someone can break up a family and harm these gentle creatures. Would be nice to see a hunter stuck on the front of a car going down the road. At least that would be a game both sides would understand.

 Happy female smiles for a picture  next to the one antler buddy

Can't tell if the antler was broken while fighting or it broke off when it was growing in. They are live bone and bleed when damaged. I've seen one deer that spun his antler downward after falling in the heavy snow December 3rd 2008. That was really hard on everyone. I have a couple bags of grain I fed them until the snow melted a week later. There were so many deer here looking so sad and hungry. They need to constantly be eating all the time to stay warm. Grass and leaves are turned into energy but it's a lot of work. That was one of the worst storm I experienced up here. I heard that it used to snow more years ago but has been getting less and less. That storm covered everything knocking down power and phone lines. Took out the transformer here.

Sprockets and Baby Raccoon

"Hi Baby!" "But I'm a loving kitty that want to play"

 Come on buddy let play.

Your just a baby like me. You want to play with me?

Sprockets Kitty sees every one that comes here as a friend. She watches everyone that I interact with closely. The deer will walk up to her and watch her closely. Sprockets is fascinated by the deer also but keeps her distance. She watches me petting the skunks and picking burs out of their hair from a distance too. It's easier to pet a skunk then get close to any of the kitties.

Flat and little beady eyes

I have only seen this type bug one time but there's another bug that looks like this and blends into the bark of the tree. It was a cold day out and it's antennas were moving real slow. Looks like it has wings too. Sort of looks like a giant tic if there is such a thing. Has to be really specialized to look like this.

Just a big baby

Relaxed and enjoying a nice dinner of cat food. I really find it so fascinating how close bears are to us except the head shape. They have a vey similar frame as we do. Everything is somewhat the same and in the same places. Yes they can kill humans but that's not in there interest. They mainly eat nuts and berries and just a little bit of small furry creatures like squirrels and rabbits. This little guy a big baby is very shy and runs up a tree if I startle him. I've got to the point where he will sit for a picture and you can see he's very happy and smiling.

Puppy Girl

Everyone gets a turkey dinner Out at Bob's. Puppy Girl comes for dinner with her sister and baby. They get along with the kitties, skunks and raccoons although momma raccoon lets out a growl if the babies are there as a warning to stay away from her babies. The kit fox sure is a smart creature and does respond to my voice and hand gestures as good as the deer and bears. She has that classic mark on her nose, that black spot just like the other foxes do. He tail makes up almost half the length of her. I noticed in some books they measure the fox from nose tip to tail tip. As she walks her tails straight out. I think that tricks other animals into thinking the kit fox is much bigger then it is. I haven't seen her hair up close and wonder if it's like skunks hair that grows in two tones of color, half black and half white. If you saw her walking around her you would think it's a tame dog that's been with me for years, it's just that smart.