2010_January

January 2010
Daniel Taylor

HOME | Willow Oak | Where My Heart Is | Critter Chronicles

January 1 (Friday) 7:00 pm

Kenny, Cliff, and I drove to Cliff's home in Alabama, to retrieve some of Cliff's belongings and some tools
and equipment that Cliff used in his tire business. We are contemplating helping Cliff to revive his
business and perhaps incorporate his business into Stump Busters somehow. More on that later.

We shall be in the coldest part of the year (duh!) for the next six to eight weeks, but with enough firewood
we should survive. TVA called and apparently we shall be back on the job as of Monday. We lost the entire
month of December to bad weather. Stump Busters desperately needs the work and the money.

I have managed to find a way to ensconce Horace Lucky outside while I am away. For now and the
foreseeable future I feel that Horace Lucky must be isolated from the rest of the crew -- as I do Fred. Oscar,
Sam, and Scamp all seem to get along kenneled together, and Grace, Grainger, and Taz, likewise, get along
together. I am still keeping Willie in the small kennel, but that guy is such a houdini that I dare not risk
letting him escape while I am gone away from home. Bonnie, Clyde, and LuLu remain in the house -- an
arrangement that I do not especially like, due to the risk factors, but for now it is all I have.

I was in bed at my usual time between 8 and 9 pm, and arose this morning around 4:30 am. Kenny arrived at
my house by 5:00 am, and we were on the road by 5:30, arriving back to Willow Oak around noon.

December 2009

February 2010

January 2 (Saturday) 6:30 pm

I've experienced better days. Kenny came over, and he and I and Cliff did a bit of work outside around
Willow Oak. We didn't get as much work done as I would have liked, but the tractor is here, and I shall get
more work done over the next day or two.

But from there the news gets worse. Poor Buster has gone on to the Rainbow Bridge. I cannot say
anything more about that now.

The temperature outside approaches the teens, Fahrenheit. But there is wood in the box, and a fire roaring
in the fireplace. Cougar is in my lap, and Horace Lucky lies at my feet. Buster. What am I supposed to do
now?

Buster, the day he came out of the woods and introduced himself to me.

Buster watched me from afar for four or five years, and I him. Buster managed to support
himself without help or interference from another, but in the end he decided to pay me a visit.
He asked me did I have room for another, said he. Of course, said I. I figure it's time for me
to retire, said he. If you could find it within your heart to open some room for me, I promise to
fill your days with love and affection. That I did, and that he did.

Rest in peace, Buster. You were a good friend. You will never be forgotten. God surely did
smile upon me the day you arrived. How blessed my life is to be so surrounded by such of
God's precious creatures as you.

January 4 (Monday) 6:30 am

I finally did what I have been wanting to do for two years: I fixed up one of the back bedrooms, and brought
Darkly and Buddy inside. The setup I had worked fine, and I am loathe to make changes, especially if I am
changing away from something that works, but with temps dropping into single digits, Fahrenheit, I feel
better about the cats being inside. I worked on this yesterday, and by the time the sun went down, both
cats appeared to have settled into their new surroundings and showed no ill effects from the move. I
needed to do something really positive for the cats to aid in assuaging my grief over the premature demise
of Buster. The cats are in a southwest bedroom, so they are bound to receive maximum sunlight during the
winter months, but I may have to make adjustments during the summer. There are two windows in their
room, and I may be able to attach an enclosure to the side of the house and allow for the cats to escape to
the outside without fear of getting lost.

Kenny thoroughly got on my nerves on Saturday, but yesterday he brought me a load of firewood. Kenny is
a grown man, and although he is not mentally retarded, he does have the maturity of a nine-year-old. He
can really get on one's nerves with his antics. TVA did call last week and informed us that perhaps we shall
be back to work as early as today. My hope is that Kenny is on his way to the worksite as I type. Larry and
Melinda are out of town, and to my recollection will not return to town until tomorrow or Wednesday. Until
then I must deal with Kenny by myself.

I have met and developed a few friendships via the internet, among which include Randi Hofman (and her
furry pal, Fister) from Denmark, after whose late husband I dedicated my book; and there is a nice couple
(foursome, actually) from Wisconsin, who bought the book and were regular readers of my online column,
and who are regular readers of my journal. Roger and Sharon Carlson share their abode with Reuben and
Clawdia. The Carlson's met and adopted Reuben from our local animal shelter, and I hear from them
occasionally. The make a yearly journey to the South, and this year they decided to pay Willow Oak a visit.
Reuben, a black lab/border collie mix, enjoys having his Dad, Roger, read to him from my journal, and it was
he that suggested the name of "Lucky" for my own black lab, Horace Lucky. Reuben did not make the trip,
but he sent Roger and Sharon to visit and take back some pictures.

Sharon (foreground) and Roger reach to the cage to pet the dogs.
Horace Lucky is the black lab leaning against the fence. The
Carlson's stayed for a brief visit, and especially were interested in
visiting with Lucky.

I thought she was going to suggest that I allow her to take Willie home with her,
but I convinced Sharon to settle for a picture of her holding the little guy.

January 5 (Tuesday) 3:05 pm

We have entered the deep freeze, but I have experienced worse. Actually, although the temperature
outside is below freezing, it is not bad in the sun. But we have lots of sun today, and the dogs have
enjoyed spending the better part of the day outside, lazing in the sun.

Darkly and Buddy appear to be satisfied with their new digs, and neither cat appears to be stressed over
their move. I hope to so confine all the cats eventually, but since the others all appear to behave
themselves regarding their comings and goings, things will remain status quo for the time being.

TVA won't let Stump Busters work due to the cold. These Mississippi hillbillies can't handle a little cold.
Boo Hoo!

It looks rather barren, but their room is 10' by 12', and has a table in the corner and a book
shelf under the window, where they can perch and get some sun. The window is on the south
side of the house, so they can get maximum sun during the day. They also have their litter
box and another box under the table, should they want to escape to there.

Darkly has a very dark face, and the sun is behind them, but both kitties are really enjoying their
"time in the sun." I have mentioned elsewhere how Darkly received his name, but I see no reason
not to reiterate. Darkly and his litter mates were born to Cleo about six years ago and lived with
my mother. Two of the kitties were of opposite gender but otherwise practically identical. Mother
was struggling with names for them and happened to notice that the male kitty was slightly "darker"
in color than the other. Hence, Darkly and Lightly. I have tried to rename them Prince and
Princess, but neither cat likes the new names. The story of Buddy is already well known.

It is not a pretty picture of me. Cougar is in his usual place, and for him everything is right with
the world. The other members of the crew are happy and satisfied with the world. I have just
returned inside from burying Buster. I try so hard, and I feel failures equally hard. Buster had
come to me, entrusting me to look after him in his retirement days, and I let him down.

January 7 (Thursday) 9:30 am

Snow this morning. At around 4:30 am, when I first looked outside, I could only see a little dusting going on,
but the bigger flakes are coming down now. On the one hand I, like anyone else, love a first snow. The
snow is beautiful and great but difficult to appreciate when one realizes that the weather is hampering
one's effort to make a living. This snow is only going to set us back even further. Nevertheless I am
determined to enjoy the day and take some pictures of the dogs.

I intend to start a new feature on my website titled "Soapbox," and I am hoping that my friend, Randi, in
Denmark can find me an appropriate logo to use. I intend to rant and rave about such topics as education
and politics (not religion, thank you).

Grainger does not quite know what to make of all the cold white stuff falling from the sky.

Oscar found the whole experience to be quite exhilarating.

Scamp decided to follow Bonnie around to find what she might discover in the snow.

The woods around Willow Oak can be dark and foreboding on a cold and snowy, winter morn'.

January 8 (Friday) 7:00 am

Single digit temps this morning. I have seen colder, and so has the northeast Mississippi area, but temps
this cold show up only every 10 to 15 years or so, and the experience is a shock to the area. I feel for the
dogs and cats in our area that are outside and must endure the torture of being so much colder than they
are accustomed. Even with both the 220 wall unit that I have and the fireplace, I am not all that comfortable
inside. Temps are not expected to rise past 20 (F) today. Brrr.

January 9 (Saturday) 11:00 am

Temps are still in the basement, and snow flurries still abound, but the forecast is encouraging. Looks like
we may reach into the 50's toward the end of next week. We are all crossing our fingers in hopes that TVA
gives us a call soon. Of course, with the snow and ground melt the ground is going to be mushy -- not good
for the kind of work the TVA does. In the meantime, the Willow Oak crew is good, and a fire roareth in the
fireplace.

Tax season is upon us, and I have work to do to prepare for that. Usually this time of year I am taking out my
check book for the purpose of writing a check or two, but with all the expenses I had with Stump Busters,
and with showing a considerable net business loss, I should be looking at a sizeable refund from the Fed.
Wouldn't that be nice?

I snapped this photo of Smoky recently. Smoky is mostly an outdoors cat, and he prefers to
hang out with the two BK's; but during really cold weather Smoky likes to come inside, and
when he does he spends a lot of time pestering me. This has become an annual winter event.
I wouldn't have it any other way.

I got this great shot of Tiger just today. He is a very quiet and elusive
creature, and he is one of the forlorn creatures I rescue from some uncertain,
nefarious demise. He is free to come and go, but Tiger prefers to just hang
out at Willow Oak.

January 10 (Sunday) 6:20 am

Temps in the single digits, Fahrenheit, this morning -- ho hum. Well, the low temps are wreaking havoc on
friends of mine, some of whom are daily experiencing problems with frozen water pipes. Cliff has taken up
residence inside my house here at Willow Oak, forsaking his cozy little travel trailer, which is difficult to
keep warm, for a cozy little bedroom, which is already warm. Actually, the room in the house is much bigger
than the room that Cliff had in his trailer, and Cliff seems to have adapted to his new surroundings, not
exhibiting any regrets about the move. To the contrary, Cliff exclaimed just yesterday how "homey" the
house is, with its brick and wood and fireplace. To be sure, the dogs and cats are nervous about having a
new and strange presence to deal with, and I am loathe to contribute to any unrest among the animals, but
it struck me this morning how Willow Oak is beginning to live up to its claim:

"Willow Oak is home to a ragged bunch of homeless, abandoned, unwanted, and otherwise unloved and abused
vagabonds. Willow Oak is open to whoever might be in need of a place to stay, be it of the animal or the plant
kingdom, and those who are in need are welcome."

January 11 (Monday) 5:00 am

The dogs did their duty this morning and woke me before 4:00 am. They woke Cliff also. Cliff came into the
living room and had a seat by the fire. Sitting there he looked about him and seeing all the dogs as they
swarmed him he said, "So this is what they mean when they say your wife has put you out in the doghouse!"

Well, you had to be there, I guess. The weatherman is predicting warmer weather this week. Personally I
am not bothered by the cold weather -- I even like it. There is something invigorating and encouraging
about the extreme cold. When I get out and walk about I contemplate the imminent threat of the hostile
environment. Then I become cognizant of the warmth and safety of the house, with its roof and its
fireplace, and I get a very good and cozy feeling.

I even like working outdoors in cold weather. I am hoping that this spring and summer I can more actively
engage myself in some of the physical labor of Stump Busters and get myself back into shape physically so
that by the time next winter rolls around, working outdoors in this cold weather will be more viable. I love
summer, and I love being warm, but there is just something about the extreme cold of winter that for me is a
necessity.

I wanted to post a picture and a few words from one of my many online friends. Al lives in Atlanta, Georgia,
and has kept me informed about his sister, Rosie, who has had to endure chemotherapy treatment recently.
I include his touching tribute to her.

Hey Dan,

This is my sweet sister, Rosie. You can read my tribute to her that
I wrote to her daugther down the page in another entry. Rosie is a
trooper. This last year she faced cancer. They found a tumor the
size of an orange on her lung. They removed part of her lung and
miraculously the cancer had not spread to any lymph nodes.
Neverthelss, she had to undergo chemotherapy and as a
consequence, she lost all of her hair (and she had alot of it!) For a
number of months, she wore wigs and turbans and then it began
to grow back . She was SO embarrassed because it grew back
curly and kinky.

She called me last night and said that she has taken some kind of
an iron to it and straightened it out. And she sent me this picture.
Here she is up in her daughter's computer room.

If you'll notice her smile, that is the way she always is. As I told my
niece, Rosie is a "take-the-bull-by-the-horns type of person. One
night she and my brother-in-law decided to go out to dinner. They
decided to eat on the patio of the restaurant and a strong wind
blew her wig off. Ken cried for her but she simply picked up the wig
and laid it on the table and finished her meal bald as a baby's
fanny. She told me that was her way of winning.

I love my sweet sister.

Sincerely,
Al

January 12 (Tuesday) 4:10 am

3:15 again! What's up with that? I am an early morning person, and I like waking up near 4:00, but for some
reason I have been waking up much earlier. The dogs are excited anytime I wake up and get up, so they
were bright-eyed and bushy-tailed this morning as usual.

Buddy and Darkly appear to have settled into their new place right well -- almost as if they are excited to be
moved to a "new" house. Whenever I put my hands on them I can't help but notice how clean and fluffyck
their fur is. All of the cats look clean and healthy, but those two just seem to be "manicured" in
appearance. I wonder the other cats might benefit from being so ensconced. Actually, during the cold
snap, I often see all of the cats inside at one time or another (they all have access to the cat flaps).

TVA called yesterday and indicated the possibility of working today. We have not worked with TVA since
November. Apparently, Kenny was in the middle of collecting and distributing firewood when he ran out of
light yesterday evening. If he goes to the TVA job today, Cliff and I likely will go out and finish the firewood
job. Cliff and I could use the exercise.

Cliff and I drove up to Pickwick to visit the site where Kenny was working today with the wood chipper.
There we met Raffuel Parker, the supervisor of the job there, and we visited with this iconic gentleman for
a few minutes. Raffuel is supposedly appraching 73 years of age, but I doubt that he is anywhere near that.
What a straight, ramrod the man is! Stump Busters is surely lucky to have gone into business with this man.

On the way back Cliff and I stopped to visit the dam.

Raffuel Parker, 73 years young and still going strong. He
could work at this for another 20 years and still retire a
young man!

Built in the 1930's by the Tennessee Valley Authority, Pickwick Landing Dam blocks the
Tennessee River, forming the massive 43,000+ acre Pickwick Lake. Located in Tennessee
just south of Pittsburgh Landing and Shiloh National Park, and north of Iuka and Corinth,
Mississippi, the dam provides electricity to much of the area, including Mississippi, Tennessee,
and Alabama.

January 14 (Thursday) 4:45 pm

Stump Busters has received a bit of good news recently in that #1 we have been back on the TVA job for
three days in a row, after having missed about six weeks in a row, and #2, Cliff, after having made contact
with one of his former customers, informed us that said customer is interested in buying a little more than a
dozen on the tires that Cliff had on hand. The conservative estimate on the gross sale would be about as
much as Stump Busters makes in a whole month of grinding stumps.

The temperatures are better, but we are scarcely half way through January, so I suspect that we shall see
more cold and wet and possibly freezing weather. Despite the bitterly cold temperatures we have
experienced so far, we have done a lot of heavy sweating over making ends meet, and I am hopeful that
come spring and summer, we have enough work to put away what we need to survive next winter without
as much drama. In the meantime we dream of summer days at Snow Lake, cutting trees and grinding
stumps, smelling the sweet scent of yellow pine and cedar.

Willow Oak crew is in fine mettle these days. The dogs have enjoyed a day of romping around, chasing and
being chased. Dusk approaches, and in a few hours we shall be hunkered down in front of a roaring
fireplace, and sipping hot mugs of cocoa. And I shall probably light a cigar!

Grace and Willie have been friends since day one of their arrival. I am always entertained to
watch them chase each other around the yard.

Clyde, in one of his more "feathery" moments.

January 16 (Saturday) 5:20 pm

Rain has returned, but Stump Busters put in four days this week with TVA. This is the "dead" time of year
for tree service -- hardly any tree service companies are working. Stump Busters was very fortunate to
land the TVA job, which should be our salvation this winter. Larry and Cliff worked on getting Cliff set up
with what he needs to begin repairing tires next week. As I've mentioned previously the kind of tires that
Cliff repairs usually pay off handsomely -- not your typical tire repair, but big dollar jobs. Cliff's tire service
will now come under the auspices of WT Stump Busters, LLC.

Poor Fred and Horace. Those two have been at it again. The presence of Cliff exacerbates the situation,
but that is not Cliff's fault. Cliff has been a real help, but it is nonetheless unnerving when Horace and Fred
lock horns. Fred gets the worst of things, I believe, and right now he has a very "hang dog" disposition.
Both dog's faces are showing the cuts and bruises of a couple of prize fighters. I hate this, of course, and it
grieves me terribly to see the conflict. I shall have to be ever more diligent.

I have enjoyed becoming reacquainted with high school classmates via Facebook. I've never been much of
a Facebook user, but I happened upon someone with whom I graduated from Haughton High School in 1972,
added that person as a friend, and the next thing I know I am greeting and being greeted by many former
friends.

January 18 (Monday) 6:00 am

Rain has washed us out again, but Kenny is going with Cliff this morning to Alabama to retrieve some tires
to be repaired. We received a nice check from TVA for the work we did last week, but that won't be nearly
enough by itself to see us through. We need to get those tires repaired, and hopefully they are already
sold to one of Cliff's former customers.

I am working toward starting a new feature on my site that I shall call "The Soapbox." I am not quite there
yet, but one item about which I may preach is the topic of "appreciation." It is one thing to show
appreciation to someone for doing something that person enjoys to do, quite another to show appreciation
to someone who does something out of a sense of obligation. Personally, I am of the opinion that the latter
deserves more appreciation than the former. Now you may think differently, and that would be the intuitive
opinion, but hear me out: I was recently informed by a friend of mine that "It doesn't bother me to help out
the wife around the house with washing the dishes and doing the laundry, etc."

Now that would be nice on his part and something for which his wife should show some manner of
appreciation, but that fellow has already admitted that doing those things does not "bother" him. On the
other hand, the fellow who is bothered by washing the dishes and doing the laundry (and any
self-respecting, red-blooded male should be bothered by those things), but helps out his wife anyway, now
there is a fellow who deserves some appreciation.

Buddy and Darkly appear to be very pleased with their new living arrangements. They have a nice spot on
which to perch themselves to catch the meager amount of sun rays that enter that room this time of year. In
addition they are where I can visit them more regularly than I could when they were outside.

January 19 (Tuesday) 2:35 pm

Cliff and Kenny returned to Willow Oak yesterday with six huge tires on the trailer. The tires were
unloaded, and Cliff and I were out this morning at the crack of dawn to get started. Cliff estimates repair
time for all six tires to be around a week. It would surely be great to get the tires repaired and sold by
sometime next week. Pictures of the tires' arrival can be viewed here and Cliff's work today here.

Here is one of the tires prior to inspection this morning. Notice the big gash in the white area.

January 21 (Thursday) 6:50 am

I opened the door this morning to let the dogs out, and what a mess greeted me! Darkness still reigned,
and I could not see that rain had once again visited Willow Oak during the night, but I could hear the dogs
sloshing about in the mud and the mire. I turned on the porch light and could see that my front yard had
been turned into a virtual lake! Oh well.

We may have found a way to circumvent Mother Nature. Cliff has arrived, and he has brought with him an
expertise, which may allow us to expand our company beyond just grinding stumps and chipping brush --
things that we cannot do in this inclement weather. Cliff and Larry made an excursion yesterday to
investigate a few businesses that Larry knows, and apparently they found a few local sources of tires that
we can buy, repair, and re-sell. This type of work the rain will not stop.

In the meantime I designed and printed business cards for Cliff.

January 21 (Thursday) 8:15 pm

Today was a very muddy day, but unlike with stump grinding and wood chipping, which we definitely cannot
do in the rain, we were able to work. To be sure we did not sell anything today, but we did manage to get
some work done on the tires. We estimate that we shall be ready to deliver some of the tires early next
week. Kenny spent the day here working with Cliff. Cliff worked an showing Kenny the ropes, and Kenny is
a quick learner. To be sure, Kenny's primary job is the wood chipper and stump grinder, but the more he
knows, the more valuable he becomes. When and if business really gets going good we are going to need
three good men to work our business.

Larry and Melinda have expressed an interest in taking Horace Lucky off my hands. Horace is a problem.
Today he violently attacked Grainger, and had I not been right there, I am afraid that poor Grainger might
not be here. Horace is not a mean dog -- he is just protecting his turf. Ordinarily he enjoys running and
playing with the others, but he requires constant vigilance on my part, and I am afraid that I am not as
adequate to the task as is required.

Speaking of Larry, he has been pretty sick lately. On Tuesday Melinda took Larry to the ER of the hospital.
Larry was very hydrated and apparently suffered from some sort of stomach virus that has been going
around. Yesterday he appeared to be recovered so he took Cliff on the excursion I mentioned earlier. But
today he apparently had a relapse. To my knowledge he spent the entire day in bed.

Speaking of being sick. I have always been susceptible to migraine headaches and head colds. I usually
come down with one or two really hard head colds or the flu every year. Migraine headaches I usually
suffer from quite often. Or so it used to be. I would say that at least a year and a half have expired since
the last time I had any ailment -- maybe even two years. I am not complaining, but I am very puzzled by this.
I haven't had the slightest ailment of any kind during all that time. Unless you want to count the heart attack
I had in June of 2008. I suppose that would count as an ailment.

To stay on the theme of ailments, Cliff suffers from several. His health failed him a few years ago, and that
was the primary causes of the demise of his business. We have managed to help him set things up again,
but he will definitely need some help to keep things going. Besides asthma, Cliff is a little overweight, and
has other unnamed as yet ailments. He is holding up well, however. He has managed to put in a couple of
full work days, but each morning he arises refreshed and ready to begin anew. I believe that the change of
Venue from Alabama to Mississippi, and the revival of his business have done Cliff much good.

As for me, I am in good health. Even though I am not actively engaged in the work, I end each day worn out.
Just watching someone else work wears me out. Of course, I must carry the burden of caring for the Willow
Oak crew and all of the domestic duties of home. The added burden of keeping everyone encouraged in
their work also saps some of my strength.

I have developed a new web site for our tire business (www.corinthtire.com). The site is not exactly
organized the way we eventually expect to see it, but at least it is up and running. According to Cliff we
should be able to sell tires in addition to repairing the big ones. Evidently there is a market for the big
tires, and they are very expensive. Over the road truckers especially have a need for good tires and tire
repair. Heavy equipment tires are expensive, and their operators are always in need of a good repair.
Some of the tries can cost upwards of two or three thousand dollars. Apparently Cliff has been able to
acquire tires that have been cast off for one reason or another -- tires that we can buy for a few hundred,
repair, then sell for a couple of thousand. That's the plan.

January 22 (Friday) 8:52 pm

My, oh my! I am starting to stay up later. Unfortunately, I still arise at the usual "very early." I completed a
few errands in town today, and Cliff worked with Kenny to prepare tires. Apparently we shall only be
delivering three tires next week. Right now the big tire business for us is only "potential" business. The
customers with whom we have been in contact promise future business, but I won't rest easy until I see a
fulfillment to that promise.

I wonder if my crew have any idea how much I love them. This evening I noticed that Thumper was not in
his usual place, curled up among the dogs, snoozing and snoring along with the rest. I went looking, and
the horrible thought occurred to me that Thumper had managed to ensconce himself in Kenny's truck prior
to Kenny leaving. The cats will do that -- they will crawl into the cab if the door is open or the bed of the
truck and fall asleep. Thumper is a slow mover, and if he had done that in Kenny's truck, and if Kenny had
not checked before he left, well, who knows where poor Thumper would be now? I usually check
everybody's vehicle before they leave, but I have been lax in that duty recently. So I had a sweat of a time
looking for Thumper, while fearing the worse. If I did not find Thumper before I went to bed I would not
sleep. I would be getting up in the night, looking around, and worrying. Even with a dozen or so dogs and
cats I always have to know where each and every one is at bedtime.

After dark I went on an extended excursion around the immediate vicinity of the house, flashlight in hand
looking everywhere I thought Thumper might be. I looked in the bushes; I checked the front yard. I
investigated the shop where Cliff had been working; I extended my search to the area outside the back
fence, where the big tires lay stacked against each other. I checked the wood pile; I made a complete
revolution about the exterior of the house. But I could not find him. No Thumper. Thumper is always inside
at this time of night. Then just as I was about to give up I spotted a pair of eyes shining in the reflection of
the light. The creature, whatever it was, was several hundred feet away, and from that distance in the dark,
it is impossible to tell much. But I studied the movement of the creature as I slowly made my way towards it.
I was still quite a distance from whatever it was, but even then I could tell. That slow and lethargic
movement of the head. I knew even in the dark, and even from that distance it could only be that object for
which I had recently been so anxious to find.

I can sleep easy now.

Thumper is a very bad boy sometimes. I don't know how I could live without him.

Thumper is such a silly billy!

January 23 (Saturday) 6:08 pm

Thumper caused me some anxiety at bedtime yesterday. This evening I had a little fun. Hey, I have my
sweet tooth, and I usually keep a package of cookies on hand in the event that I have a craving. This
evening I grabbed a handful of cookies and a tall glass of ice water (I know that milk is generally the drink of
choice when eating cookies, but I temper my craving with some sensibility).

In the wild, packs of hungry wolves roam the forests in search of food. Occasionally a group will make a
score, and upon killing their prey will gorge their bellies with the fresh meat, after which they return to the
remainder of the pack, which often includes mothers with their pups. The pups cannot hunt for
themselves, so nature has provided for them a mechanism with which they too can gorge their bellies.
When the hunters return to the pack, they are surrounded by the pups who begin sniffing and licking the
adults around and inside their mouths. The hunters open their mouths and the pups continue licking inside
the mouths of the hunters causing them to disgorge some of the digested meat into the mouths of the pups.

Grainger has this strong instinct to sniff around my mouth whenever I have finished eating -- at least he
tries to. I generally discourage this activity, but this evening I decided to have a little fun. I bit a small
piece of cookie and placed it between my teeth, and then I allowed Grainger to take the piece of cookie
from my mouth, the way he would if he were a wolf pup. I tried to do the same with Scamp, who always begs
for something, and even though Scamp touched the piece of cookie, he shied away. I gave him the piece of
cookie anyway. I love my dogs. God really blessed me when he chose me to be the benefactor of these
precious ones.

Today I developed another water leak in the line leading from the road to the house. Kenny came out and
fixed the problem for me. Larry fixed up a hydrant to attach and replace the one that had been in the middle
of the yard, and from which the leak had developed.

Cliff decided that he needed a break, so he got dressed up and went to a movie. I decided to remain where
I love to be the most: at home in front of a roaring fireplace, surrounded by dogs and cats. Ah! Life is grand!

Kenny had to crawl in the mud, but with Cliff's assistance he managed to fix the leak and install a beautiful new hydrant.

The front yard is long, and it is convenient to have a hydrant this far away from the house.

The dogs are beginning to warm to Cliff's presence.

January 25 (Monday) 9:00 pm

Cliff and I put in a full day, repairing tires. Today we had our first call to Corinth Tire from a local tire
company requesting a special repair job. There are a couple of well-known local tire and repair service
shops that do mostly passenger cars and trucks, but often they receive requests to do bigger tires, which
they do not handle. So they must either refer those tires to someone else or turn down the business. The
hope is that within time, all of the local tire and services companies will know about us and refer us to their
customers who have a need for the repair of their big tires. Today was one of those cold, high-humidity
days where the cold seeps deep to the bone. Both of us are worn out and weary. But we made some
money, and money is the salve that soothes the sore spot.

Tomorrow we have a big tire to repair, which will be delivered to the customer on Wednesday. We shall
return with two more big tires to repair, so that all-in-all this should be a productive week. Larry has already
sold a half-dozen tires to one of the service men in our area -- a gentleman who operates a service truck,
that which services OTR trucks that navigate through our area. They are always in need of tires and tire
repair. I say that Larry has already sold the tires -- the truth is, we don't even have the tires on hand! We
do have a supplier, however; we must acquire the tires for a small sum, then after inspecting and repairing
any injuries to the tires, the tires will be delivered and money collected -- at a profit, of course. Our
supplier is a local business man who recycles old and discarded tires.

Tiring and boring stuff there. For now I am in front of a roaring fire, headed soon for "La La" land, just as
soon as I publish this post. Boots is in my lap, and I shall have to wait for him to move on before I can.

January 26 (Tuesday) 5:08 pm

Weather was better today but still cold. Tomorrow we deliver a tire, which alone will pay us nearly as much
as a minimum wage job pays for three weeks! If we could only get one of those each day! Well, we can
dream.

Willow Oak may be acquiring another vagabond. I shall provide an update tomorrow.

In the meantime, Cliff and Kenny will deliver the tire tomorrow and return with two others, each of which will
pay about the same amount as the one we are delivering today. Those are the only big tires that we shall
have for the foreseeable future.

I have been daily checking on Buddy and Darkly and their new living arrangements, and from all indications
they are very pleased with their new surroundings. As a matter of fact, I am quite jealous: they have a room
all to themselves, and it is clean and comfortable. They have a window in each of two walls, and they love
to sit therein and bask in the sun during the day. Each time I go in to see them, they appear to be very
comfortable and quite happy. And that makes me happy. I may proceed with a plan to so confine all the
cats. I would certainly sleep more easily knowing at all times where all of the cats are.

The dogs are all doing well. I have to be extra vigilant with Horace Lucky, and several days have passed
since he and Fred have had a tussle. Fred has mostly recovered his previous disposition, and the nasty
contusion on his face has healed nicely. I treated it with neosporin and confined him to his kennel for a day
so that the other dogs could not lick his wound. That neosporin is some miracle drug!

Well, I have a fire roaring in the fireplace, the sun is going down, and another day is winding down.

January 27 (Wednesday) 8:12 pm

President Obama is giving his State Of The Union address as I write.

Cliff and Kenny delivered the tire today and collected the money, then they returned with three tires to be
repaired. And they brought something else -- another of the forlorn and forgotten. Well, not really
forgotten. Sonny arrived to his new temporary home today, having ridden next to Cliff from his home in
Alabama. Sonny's owner is presently in a position where he cannot care for the pup, so Willow Oak opened
its doors and its arms, and pledged to look after the welfare of one unappreciated and misunderstood
among God's creatures. Hopefully, Sonny will be able to be rejoined to his owner before much time has
passed, but until that time, Sonny is welcome to continue is sojourn on this earth within the borders of
Willow Oak, and hopefully his time here will be pleasant.

Sonny arrived in style, as he drives his Avalon down the driveway at the entrance to Willow Oak.

Sonny's new home is prepared and waiting for its new resident.

Say, "Hi," Sonny.

January 29 (Friday) 3:50 pm

Frozen precipitation has made a return to Willow Oak, but not nearly as bad as anticipated -- not so far, at
least since the day and night are not over. It is apparent that more precipitation is ahead, and we await the
outcome. For now, however, we are seeing the precipitation vacillate between liquid and frozen, which
could be good or bad depending upon the temperature, which itself vacillates from above to below the
freezing point.

On one of the friendly forums that I visit from time to time, some issue has been made of "drivel." How is
the previous paragraph for drivel?

Horace Lucky has a "bag" on his side about the size of a softball. The thing has me concerned. The "bag,"
or whatever it is (I shall call it a bag), is very soft to the touch -- like it is pure liquid, but it really almost feels
like it is full of air -- it is not as dense as I would expect it to be if it were fluid. I have palpitated the entire
area and Horace does not appear discomfited at all by the touch. I shall monitor his condition through the
night, and my hope is that he has suffered a minor contusion in the muscles of his abdomen that will clear
up shortly. That is my hope.

Apparently Sonny is getting along in his new "digs," especially since he must be isolated from the rest of
the crew. According to his owner, Sonny is none too fond of other critters, and we certainly would not like
to see either Sonny or any of the Willow Oak crew suffer any injury as a result of any misunderstanding that
might arise among the group.

Horace and Fred have apparently reached some sort of truce, but I do monitor the two closely in order to
intervene in the event that one or the other commits an offense against the other.

In the meantime the weather has killed our tree work and our tire work. We are in desperate need of a
break in the weather so that we can get back to work.

January 30 (Saturday) 8:23 pm

Willow Oak has become the "frozen tundra." Actually, I have seen worse. But for Stump Busters the foul
weather has been foul indeed. The way things are looking we won't see any work next week -- even the tire
business will suffer. The big tires must be a certain temperature or the "fix" won't be fixed. Part of Cliff's
repair involves more than just patching tires. Cliff actually rebuilds the rubber of a tire, in some cases.
These big tires are very expensive, and operators will do whatever they deem necessary to salvage a tire
before junking it. Whereas a single tire might cost several thousand dollars brand new, a damaged tire can
be fixed for a few hundred, and be put back into service almost as good as new. The rubber must be
rebuilt -- "vulcanized," is the appropriate term, and climactic conditions must be right. For now, the
temperatures are below what is required to do an adequate job on the big tires.

Tonight we are expecting temperatures to be well below freezing, but for now there is a fire roaring in the
fireplace, and the Willow Oak crew are hunkered down. Horace's "baggage" appears to have remained the
same since this time yesterday. I have hopes that I shall see some improvement by Monday morning.

January 31 (Sunday) 7:40 pm

The sun shone brightly today, but with all of the melting ice and snow, the week will most likely be lost to
any opportunities to do any work. Perhaps we shall be able to do some tire work, in which case all will not
be lost.

In the meantime I have spent the better part of the past three days working on my income taxes for 2009.
You would think that I would have no hard time doing my own taxes, and the truth is you would think right.
After all, I wrote an entire suite of fund accounting software that is still in use in at least four school
districts of which I am aware. School districts and all not-for-profit enterprises that use the fund accounting
method are not required to pay taxes, but the federal government has begun to require that they account
for their business as though they do pay taxes. That would include depreciating their assets. The biggest
single adjustment I made to my income this year is the depreciation on all the equipment that I purchased.

Well, 2010 January draweth nigh, and hopefully so does winter. The inexorable march toward spring has
begun. As for tonight, the Willow Oak crew is hunkered down, the fireplace roareth, and I can hear a bit of
snoozing behind me.