Beneath the Wraps

            We live in an area that was highly productive in logging and timber.   There is still production in some cities such as Riddle, but I don't think there are as many employed in the entire logging/timber industry as there had been 45 years ago.   That is when Myrtle Creek Saw Mill closed from what I understand.             I did not understand why it had closed down, or why the entire operation seems to have dwindled and why the railroads have almost a deserted feel.   As we were visiting with a native Oregonian who had remembered generations of her family living in Myrtle Creek though she now lives in Winston.               She had remembered a time when the community thrived and when there had been more logging and timber related jobs.   I've actually met others who ...

Happy Star Wars Day I'm not actually an avid Star Wars fan, but I have relations who are.

                Roland had asked Troy if he would like to earn some extra money by cutting the grass on our hill.   What a chore!   Troy came by about 9:00 the other day and Roland showed him what we were attempting to do outside.   Troy said he could return the following morning to remove the debris so that we can continue our garden.                 So yesterday, Troy showed up with his wheel barrow and worked hard.   Fortunately the sun was not blazing yet.   Troy is a good worker.   He was the most productive yesterday.                 Ike is a retired electrician but had told Roland he would come over to check out some sensitive spots that we would like to change.   I had been on the computer attempting t...

          As a child, I can remember my dad planting a garden each year - not that any of us were avid gardeners mind you.   I don't even know where his interest had come from as it didn't seem as if his family had gardened.   Perhaps it came from his grandparents or church.   I'd never even thought about it until now.           Dad was not one to express emotion.             I honestly don't know if he felt joy with planting a garden, apprehension, pained, or what.   I never questioned it.   Perhaps my mom did, but I hadn't connected the dots and perhaps was not aware of expression.   I think Kayla and I perhaps express more emotion than our brothers, but not much.           Take Saturday, for instance.   Roland has wanted to plant a garden every year...

    Shortly after I finished my last post on this blog, I decided to get a jump start on this week's discussion post (for class) which I posted this morning.  I remember hearing this song parody on the radio.  This was my inspiration:

Procrastination drives me CRAZY . . . I don't understand the logic.   Logic?   I don't believe that logic and procrastination can exist at the same time.   Why do people procrastinate?               I've posted a bit about the qualifications for school.   We have to have our initial post on the discussion board by midnight Wednesday.   I have always posted either Monday or Tuesday by afternoon.   It absolutely boggles my mind when I there's not a great selection of those I can respond to as the majority of my classes have students that don't do their initial post until Wednesday night or Thursday morning - or often not at all.   What is up with that?   Granted, the research can eat up much of one's time.   Why not just spend a few hours at the beginning of the week and get it over with instead of creating a post at the last minute.   I suppose I've had time to read through ...

            As I was growing up, I can remember doing a lot of role playing with my family members.   What would you do if you were in this situation?   How do you think you would react?   What would you do differently? . . . I can't speak for my sibs, but I believe they felt prepared as I when we were approached with a given situation.   We didn't have to analyze because we already had the answers.           For example, when we had been approached by the doctors in the final stages of mom's life (before we knew they were the final stages)we were faced with a decision.   We could have put mom on dialyses and had her leg amputated.   Long before she got dementia, mom had been quite vocal about not ever wanting to be on dialyses.   With her state of mind, she really wouldn't have known whether we honored that wish or having even requested it.  S...

          The   definition for the verb "butcher" is to slaughter or cut up.   Recently I had watched four butchers compete on chopped.   I wouldn't say they "slaughter" as they seemed to have a craft.   There was an art to their skill. My skills live up to definition of "slaughter" and it isn't just with meat, but with plants as well. Give me scissors, a cleaver, a knife or whatever.   I "butcher" things - but not in a pleasant way.           We had a ham on Easter.   When it was more than half gone, Roland asked me to cut up and remove   the remaining meat from the bones.   I think I heard a bunch of butchers roll over in their graves as I'm certain my mutilation was quite brutal in comparison to their skilled perfection.   I know my butchering skills themselves would get me disqualified.       ...

I used to spend more times reading others' blogs.  After we moved to Oregon, the time I spend reading blogs has diminished.  Once in a while I will go through a certain post.  After reading some of  Mrs. Pepper's posts, I decided to take a challenge/invite that she had created for certain bloggers.  But I'm guessing she also has a bigger following than I do.  Many of my readers don't have their own blogs.  So here are my answers : 1. If you could have chosen your own name, would it be the same one you have?   no.  My mom has ALWAYS Loved my name.  I got to the point where I tolerated it.  But it's still not my favorite. I chose LaTiesha Cannon as my blog name.   But I really do like name that starts with J: Jenna, Julie, Jaime, Jennifer . . . probably Jenna or Jamie. 2. What is your favorite song? It varies from time to time.   There is such a large variety of songs that I really like.   I don't k...

            Roland has wanted to take Jenna to Comic Con for several years now - but we can't afford it.   The closest we'd come to it was on Saturday at the Winston Community Center.               The Winston Library closed down the same time as all the other libraries in Douglas County.   I had been to four of the 11 libraries, but it wasn't until yesterday that I'd ever been to the Winston Library - housed in the community center.   I should have gone there before.   It is probably the same distance as Canyonville.   I believe that Winston's population is larger than Myrtle Creek, Canyonville and Riddle put together.             Annette had spent the night, and we took her with us - unfortunately we were not there that long when she got called home.   We ran some...

          It's been raining quite a bit this year - more than usual from what we understand.   More downpour and more frequent.   And yet the riverbed told a different story - as though it had been recently drained.   The last two times I checked, the water was fast and appeared to be near overflowing.           Springtime came early last year.   Mid-February it seemed.   This year Spring just barely started.   It snowed on December 12, 2015 and again in January 2017.   We heard that snow in these parts is rare.   December 12th snow was gone on December 13.   This year the snow didn't stick around, but did snow more often.             We've also experienced hail.   I have not used my winter boots since February, but have not returned them to the shed just in case.  ...

        Thus far I am enjoying my economic class.   It is the study of human behavior as far as decision making goes.   There are "luxuries" that we give up when we trade what we have for other things we want or need. Although we may not view them as luxuries at the time, we may miss certain situations while we are grateful not to have others.         Take our move from Salt Lake County, Utah to Douglas County, Oregon.   The major thing that drew us to Oregon was clean air quality vs. breathing deadly smog.   Myrtle Creek is certainly a lot smaller (population wise) than any city I had lived in within the Salt Lake City area.   There aren't as many roads or traffic or pollution.   The crime rate is definitely lower.   I'm not saying there isn't any crime here - it just doesn't seem as common.         Take the other night, for example.  ...