Good day (30)!

Hi Brenda....Glad to hear your "OK" through all of this...I had  one time worked with an lady named Louise Smith at the nursing facilty where I was an Supervisor...she was an RN..promoted to an Director of Nurses..she had this great big beautiful house out east of Sandy, off the Sandy River about 1/2 mile. .Her husband, son, daughter an her. It was around Christmas time as they had their tree still up in their livingroom, with an nice big old "tube" type TV set next to it...an tube as it cooled down apparently "exploded" one night after they had shut the tv set down..and caught the tree on fire...her carpeting was as most were back then Nylon....and it started melting and catching on fire. Well, they were awaken in the middle of the night with everything ablaze.They thought they were all outside and safe....when she discovered her son was not with them....she went back into the burning house, to have her husband grab her by the waist telling her it was "to late" as she desparately fought with him to let her loose. She  severely burnt her hands just hanging on to the door knob.  By then the fire deptatment had arrived...and they used what water they had, but this house was just far enough away from the River they couldn't tap into the River to save it either. This was many years ago...by now things are probably different. It opened my eyes up to being very clever on what houses you buy in remote areas. I went to work and heard what happened...and I asked everyone there to give an  "token" donation if they possibly could... on their miserable minium wages...and sign the sympathy card. Everyone responded. I took the card into to her and we sat in her office and we talked about it. She told me as my friend had said to me also when she lost her son to an car accident...that she felt it must of been an purpose of God to do this to her...that he was needed elsewhere. The fire department told her he probably died of the fumes and smoke inhalation before the fire ever got to him...it was but an sad help to deep sorrow she felt. She collected her things and left her job...moved out this way...but ended up selling that house also through the years. I hope somewhere along the line she has reconciled her life with "the other side" and the bliss over there. I do my thing in an "spiritual" manner....and absorb the sorrow some people feel when the burden gets to heavy...this is why I ask people not to bother me...not to always "do" as I do...don't make an attachment to me, or be one better above my head...because they don't understand what I am about with "God"...there's other ways they can help. Sometimes I hear from these people...sometimes they have to "move on" and that they do....and sometimes I hoped I've healed them an bit also from the worse of worse. My angels are an tremedous help to me in these times also.

Tell us what was the maker of this heater you bought so we can be careful if we should go out looking for one. You would be surprised if you already knew the amount of times I've had near fires here already. It is an good time now...to ask people to buy fire extingusihers...and put them OUTSIDE the door....front , back, and car trunk..or in the vehicle you drive daily if possible. My house here we bought with an installed house fire alarm that covers inside the wall circuits as well as in any room..but even with that we have also installed fume/smoke detectors also...with an light that comes on it if goes off ....that's ran by an battery system.  We had one outsde our garage door when my son's car engine blew up one time...parked in our driveway...we were able to get it out before everyone called 911...as this rocked the neighborhood like an dynamite explosion. The people that had the car before we did had such an heavy firewall in the car...we could barely at times get the hood down....and that is the only thing that saved my son's life that night. It caused the fire to shoot out the wheel area on both sides and catch my landscaping on fire, but we put it out quickly also. By then everyone three houses in every direction was over here. They determined it was an gasoline leak.You never know some times what will happen.Everyone can not be safety minded enough in my estimation. It is an good time to check your chimney's and see to it they are clean also....and I have both an woodstove and an glass fireplace insert that I can shut the fireplace front close before going to bed.  As far as Louise Smith's old home goes...we went by the day after...all that was left was the chimney in the air and the cement slab it sat on....and an errie feeling looking at it for me...listening to her screams...as if I'd been there going through my mind first hand. We should be thankful for the inventions that come out to correct the materials made in the things in past years... that were dangerous in an way.  May you stay safe.

Been checking the web to find yet more stolen pics of mine and didn't think the one of my Mum on Poe  under  Southall would ever be one of them, but now on Flickr which the page owner refuses to remove. My comments added to it also keep getting removed in the mornings, though not the second time at the moment. 

Your comment is still there at this moment, and I have added one about it not being right to use it in his photostream.  Wonder what will happen now?

Btw - How do you track your photos to see who might be using them? 

Paul how do you find those pictures...I had someone show me an picture of my kid's wedding on  line one time that I didn't know was on it...but my son as an small kid was always getting his picture taken, I know one was for an newspaper...and one was taken up at the Chinese Gardens here in Portland. Teh lady photographer that took his picture eating an ice cream cone on an hot summer day over at coast asked for permission to take it..none of the rest have...not that I really care so much...as long as its not for something bad. The picture of me at the kid's wedding made me look like an old lady and then some by the way....since hubby and I paid for the wedding we also had the responisbilty of arranging it also...that day I didn't have time to get my hair fixed properly...makeup on professionally either and I'm not one for doing it much myself....trying to work with the tuxedo's, the wedding cake, the flowers, the buffet table and the music and photographer...and limosine rental, and honeymoon arrrangements. Gifts....there's an lot to do on the day one gets married. Her mother looked years younger that day then did I...my best friend pointed that out to me looking over the pictures as to how exhausted I looked in them. It was an realtively simple wedding also..in an small historical church.. Her older sister did the video of it for them. There's an pictur eout there in her dress just the same on-line. It still cost an pretty penney though in some ways. I still have decorated bottles of Sparkling Cider Champagne (she requested no drinking at the wedding of alcoholic beverages). 

I am watching "Occupy Portland" ths morning on the news...they havent' stopped the protests...and they are now nation wide with them getting moved off the streets...though I guess they took the one in New York to an different Park. I know they want jobs also, but they seem to need an place to live also...that would require outside help with churches giving  help in basements....stores possibly..esp.after Christmas Sales....and/or people own empty warehouse buildings...or like many of the chinese did...live underground in the city....or like in the depression days give them the train cars with sleepers in them for over night..or the Red Cross as if this was an disaster. I wonder how Jimmy Carter can build houses for those in Haiti but not his own people that at one time elected him President...though I guess the people of Haiti never got housing after the last hurricane/earthquake..and I thought they sent huge ships to house them in for a bit at the local dock. Anyway...there aren't many places they can "wing it for free" like our ancestors in the past...because everything is owned by someone else. So where do they go if they don't have the money to buy something with?...or pay rental fee's. There is no longer an"frontier" to live amoung the animals and the Indians with any longer to chop down the trees and erect an cabin on...not even an off-earth spaceship. At any rate they had best be nice to our police...as the chief is running for our next city mayor. But then again...we don' t need as many cops with big pensions and pay checks... if the people aren't stirrred up and restless, crime ridden...and its those working  now that's picking up the tab in the end anyway. Ironic and weird world we live in these days. Occupy Portland the city says...cost them $720,000 in security...clean up crews...and bathrooms....and such expenses. I hope the next time these guys learn how to really camp...in which the "Boy Scouts" teach you to leave the area as pristine and as untouched as you found it. Only once have I known us to leave what we made and we made an small boat dock for an campground that needed it and didn't have the money to do it themselves...our gift for free useage back then. Occupy Portland to me was very disorganized as an camp also...we use to have our bathrooms off one area...where we could see daily who went into them...and came out...off to it we had our community firepit and American Flag for morning ceremonies and in this huge firepit we burned an few logs constantly 24 hours...more at night...we dropped logs to sit on around the fire pit...and at oen end we had an grill for the food to be cooked on and what we called our "Bear" which was an 55 gallon drum with an coil that we set into the fire going constantly that circulated the water on it's own as cold water came down the hot water rose in the drum...this was our make shift hot water...we also had an spigot and bucket near it...and it served as our shower water...our dish water also...and we took the water out of the lake and it boiled in the bear..so it was disinfected also....off that was one, our wood lot fenced off...and our two portable showers on wood pallets that drained down to the lake again and no soap could be used unless it was the camper's soap...and people had to bring that themselves...this soap is envirometntally safe to use. On the other side was our camp "kitchen" in front of that our eating or picnic tables and behind that according to ages and expereince were the Scouts themselves...young in the front with the Scoutmaster and his aides....the parents on the  outisde perimeter with next the older scouts to help the then younger scouts in front of them. Ribbon taped us off from the public. I mean it we never left an thing on the ground where we had camped in in an week and we never camped on the grass...we did it on the bare ground...as we know that it kills grass....and we made wooden walk ways that we later on used as fire wood before we left..we did that on teh family Sat. night of closing ceremonies. We also before we left toopen camp...knew what each and every scout was doing every miniute they were there...as well as what they would be eating... and who was their leader.... and that he was trained before-hand...our first aide camp was one end of the "kitchen" area. We had to have all the leaders trained and all these papers handed in before the district council would allow us to have this summer camp. What di dit accomplish....saving $100 per boy...and one parent it helped him to save $300 for his family alone. We  were able to get most the boys merit badges done in outside activities that they couldn't do living in the city area. Tha tincluded...water skiing, learning to operate and boat, learnign to row and boat, learning how to use an canoe, learning how to save someoen's life in the water..learning how to "fish" learning how to hike, use an compass, learning Astronomy, learning rope and tying techiniques, we made out of rope and wood...three wooden chairs, and one camp person hygenie area, where all you had to do was drop down tha plastic bucket and the rope held it for the sink...off that was our water hole and the garbage sack of the day...mostly recycleable plastic and cans. Down below the spigot on the bear was an bucket...and it was supplied with boiling water and

the boys cleaned off their plates, and then put them in an mesh bag, dipped them in anothe rbucket with campers soap, swished the bag an coupel of times and then into the boiling clean water, shook ecess water off and hung them to dry in their own tents. boy you wanna bet you picked up your own stuff as we had the ladies going through daily scouting for unzipped tents or with things hanging outside the tents and they were taken away...they were held till the end of camp...and then they came...Dorothy behind Sharon...like some kind of an monster....one had on swimming fins on her feet and the other an snorkle from her mouth...attached to each other with socks and towels of varioous colors, hats...mittens hanging off elbows and those that left things had to go get it back form the "monsters" as well laughed our heads off. they had also painted thier faces for this and were carrying an flashlight or two. boys got the point though. Inside..zipped shut on the tents. We also had roped off the camp down lower so anyone tried to leave it or come through at night fell flat on their face....an could wake someone up as well...though I  think the older boys also did guard duty around the clock. We learned how to use tree pitch to start an fire. It was an relay race to see who could do it the fastest...they learn swimming...life saving techniques...and making all kinds of things. While I know that Occupy Portland is an different kind of camp...they looked very unorganized in ways also....I can see why they cost the city so much in not taking care of themselves in some ways. But an lesson was learned also...on both sides because in case of an disaster...people might have to evacuate buildings...and the city needs to know what it would take to help them with...and I think the people needed to know what it takes to help and large group and the un-expected at times also. I know this is not the end of them....they need jobs to support themselves....only the business people can help them at that if they can't create thier own jobs themselves. What needs to be free is an way they can live off the land for food...and safe place to stay...with or without an tent....and of course out of the elements of the weather if need be. I go for now.  Yes, they are on all our minds. All of us to some degree have thier problems these days.

city finally came by today for leaf pick up...an rarity...but I thought you mmigh tlike to knwo we learned to use the lawn mower on the leaves....it cuts them down to tiny pieces and picks them up for you at the same time...and then you can add them to your garden for composting or else throw them over the plants for winter insulation to the plant roots as god intended...what doesn't break down even more over the winter is easy raked out of the flower beds and burned in the Spring fire pile...we are allowed to have burnign season an bit in winter and an bit in the spring. Hubby uses an blower to get them in an huge pile. If you decide to let the recyclers haul them off, cutting them smaller allows twice as many to be placed in an trash can. Atany rate...they can't blow away again as fast as your rake them upif they are left whole leafed. Birds and small animals are more apt to take them home in smaller bits for nesting in the spring also. I would guess they came out today because after WEdnesday...the first low elevation snow storm is cominmg in...I know it's going to be out at the kid's house most likley...but probably not here....we will still have three days of freezing temperatures though later this week.Anything over 1,000 feet they are saying 6-12 inches of snow Wednesday night into Thursday and the next day 1-3 inches of snow. I'm getting ready to move my lap top and what other things I use daily in other rooms to the livingroom/dining room so I can close down the bedrooms. Upstairs we have an heatolator "wood" fireplace and downstairs the wood stove and can close an door from upstairs to downstairs also. Plus I have off my enclosed back pation downstairs my propane cooking BBQ....and an briquet grill. As you know...all electic house depends on if we lose electricty as to how comfortable we are during an snow storm...and I'm not expecting this one to be as low in elevation as it is here. Merry Christmas early perhaps Read another book and listen to Christmas music on battery operated radio maybe. Keep some hot water on the wood stove for tea, coffee, or hot chocolate or apple cider.