12/1/99 Eleven degrees windchill. Lots of wind. I lingered in front of the fireplace for a moment before heading out into the predawn for a warm dip in the tub. As I lay there sipping my Mocha, with a crescent moon high above, a thin layer of clouds turned this most incredible shade of orange - the sky was on fire! And from down in the valley somewhere, came the clucking and racket from a flock of turkeys, which echoed throughout the wilderness. Aspen was off in the forest chasing this bug or that. It was a pretty good start to December at Cloudland.

When I climbed out of the tub, dripping wet in that frigid air, I had to repeat my usual chant of "way of the peaceful warrior, way of the peaceful warrior." That is the name of a book my friend Vicki gave me during our trip around the country back in 1995. One of the points of the book was that pain, such as freezing in the morning air, really shouldn't hurt, as long as you are like the "peaceful warrior." And by gosh when I chant that line, the pain mostly does go away - I am tough, I can take it, no big deal - way of the peaceful warrior. It works. Well, most of the time. And then Aspen comes running up and starts licking my ankles and my trance is shattered, and I realize that I AM dripping wet and FREEZING! Back inside to the fire.

It was a frigid walk up to the office too, but the cold air did feel great. As I am sitting here at the computer, I can look out three windows and see brilliant blue sky, bright sunshine, and a robust wind blowing the trees around. Since the building is dug into the hillside a bit, I am basically at ground level, which gives me an interesting perspective.

The office is working out great, though it will require a little tweaking here and there as time goes on. It is roomy, with a good layout for efficient work flow. There is a shipping department, photo editing area, print area, poster area, and the computer workstation and file area, where I will spend most of my time. And there is tons of room left over in the warehouse portion - just right for stashing a ton of junk out of sight.

Aspen seems to like it too. He is asleep in my lap right now, having played with every toy and misc. object on the floor all morning.

12/2/99 The wind has been howling all day long, and tonight it has blown in one heck of a storm. Aspen and I just made a quick trip up from the cabin, in the dark, through a forest of trees bent over nearly double, huge raindrops blowing horizontally, and all kinds of stuff whizzing by. We made it to the office OK, but it sounds like a war going on out there right now. Some pretty good sized hail coming down. I just love these windy times. Aspen is not so sure.

The rest of the day was a little more sedate. I spent it filling a couple of large book orders - singing books and boxing them up, and dealing with a large order of photographic prints too. With the cold and wind outside, and all of the business going on inside, it finally felt like the holiday season around here.

I heard from a long lost lady friend of mine - from way back in grade school. And from a guy who wanted to buy 500 of the picture books. The new UPS guy must wonder what is going on here, as he has already picked up packages going to a number of different states in the two days he has been picking up. Everything seems to be working out fine as far as the stuff that I set up for the UPS truck goes. I designed and built a place for the truck to pull under and load boxes of books without getting wet, like in a storm tonight. I don't know though, with the wind blowing so hard, I don't know how anything could keep from getting wet.

It is very warm out though - in the upper 50's, so it was nice making it up the hillside in the big blow. Aspen hasn't really been in a storm, so I might venture out with him in a few minutes just to see what it is like, and return to the cabin through the woods (the car is right outside the door). It would be a good time for him to learn a little, and for me to get hit in the face with an ice ball.

12/3/99 Wow, what a storm! It was one of the most severe and longest lasting that we have ever had here. The wind remained very loud and fast all night, staying in the 40 and even up into the low 50 mph range. The cabin even shook a time or two. And lots of blowing rain, more than an inch. Plenty of light flashes too, and big boomers that echoed through the wilderness. I didn't sleep much, although Aspen didn't seem to have any problem. We sure did need the rain, so it all was welcome.

Daylight came very late today. A thick layer of clouds hung low over the ridgetops, and in some cases even engulfing the trees. It was warm though - still in the upper 50's. And for the very first time in a long, LONG while, the river was singing a hushed tune. And the flock of turkeys deep down in the Whitaker Creek valley was making a lot of noise too. They have been there every day this week.

No leaks in the new office that I can detect. I cheated and drove up this morning, mostly to keep Aspen's feet dry. That is one problem that I don't know how to deal with - wet and muddy dog feet in the office. Down at the cabin I have it set up so that he has to run across about forty feet of carpet runner before his feet ever touch the cabin floor, but that is not the case in the office. There is no dog door here, so he will be more controlled, but I still don't know how to keep his feet clean. I don't want my bird dog running around with those little booties on.

The fog has moved in now, which I guess is just the bank of clouds settling in. And the wind has picked up a bit too. They say another front is rolling in, with more rain. That sounds great to me!

Roy and Norma rambled in late in the evening. Not much going on outside, although there was a feeling in the air like something was going to happen.

12/4/99 The wind picked up and it howled once again for most of the night, with one big bout of pouring rain. It was calm at daylight, and Aspen and I took off on a short hike. When we returned, Roy had blueberry biscuits going, and Norma was perking up.

After breakfast, I drove them on over to the Kaypark Cemetery Trailhead, where they took off for a dayhike through the wilderness and back to the cabin. It rained on and off all day, and I tried to get some work done around the office. Aspen and I spent a while rigging up a new opener for the gate (the $75 transmitter broke after a couple of weeks, so I took it back to the store). This one cost about two dollars, and works just fine. But in the process, Aspen got good and muddy. Not wanting him to return to the office that way, we ran around in the woods in the rain a little, which helped wipe off most of the mud. Then I got him wiped down enough so that he could enter the office. Only problem was that I was a mess, covered with muddy dog prints!

Back at the cabin, I decided to move the computer there down into the TV room in the basement. Then move the futon in the old office space back to one end, and then move in an oak table and chair set from my house in Fayetteville. I really hated to get rid of that set, and this would give me an additional dining table, a great card table, or just another spot to get away from the main traffic. And I can go down and check e-mail or whatever at night when I don't want to return to the office. You can't sell old computer equipment for anything these days, so I might as well keep it. Now I have to find something to put the computer on downstairs, get the table and chairs moved out here from town, and find something to do with the rather large corner table that the computer is now resting on. No deadline, but once I get an idea about something, I can't rest until it is completed.

Aspen and I are snug inside at the office, listening to the pouring rain. And we found a couple of radio stations. I was considering putting in a satellite dish just so that I would have some good music in the office - couldn't get any good radio stations with my little Bose Wave Radio. But this morning I went through every single number on the dial, and found three radio stations that I like. The best one so far is in Russellville.

I had to call MCI for the FIFTH time because I discovered that AT&T and once again stolen my long distance service. I cannot believe that companies are allowed to do this in America. The AT&T rate is about .25 a minute vs. .09 for MCI. I know, I know, AT&T has other plans available, but when they switch you without your knowledge, they put you in the most expensive plan. Damn shame, and a crime if you ask me.

Roy and Norma just checked in via radio. They are down at Hubbard Hollow, getting drenched. It is a great day to hike, since the temp is so warm (still about 60).

They arrived back at the cabin right at dark, a bit soggy, but making a lot of noise about a wonderful hike. After hot showers (one of the advantages of returning to a log cabin instead of a tent), we whipped up a large dinner, then retired to the TV room for a night of movies.

My TV room is set up so that three people can be comfortable. Any more than that, and someone has to sit up in an odd position. The big, leather recliner is right in the middle, of course, and then a futon runs down along either side of the long room. I was in my usual reclined position in the chair, with Roy stretched out in one futon, and Norma in the other. Aspen kept hopping back and forth between the two futons, getting loved and then making a pest of himself and then leaping away from swatting hands towards the other waiting victim. By the middle of the first movie, he finally settled in, all snuggled up next to Norma.

12/5/99 I had to get up and leave well before dawn, leaving my guests behind to enjoy the chilly and wet morning. After a day in town signing books at the Walton Arts Center, I returned at dark. It was still cloudy, and the temp was hovering down near freezing - the coldest it has been here so far.

After I got the fireplace blazing, we stepped outside into a glorious night filled with a million stars. Now that the cloud blanket had been swept away, the temp would drop, finally, to below freezing.

12/6/99 Twenty-six degrees when I slipped into the hot water just before sunrise. This was Aspen's first taste of freezing weather, and the first touch of frost on his feet. He didn't seem to mind.

It was still and silent all around. Then a flock of ducks flew up the valley, heading downstream towards Boxley. Then a much larger flock of geese came from the Boxley direction, flying to the South, where they should be heading, and honking all the way. Just before they disappeared on the horizon, they were all lit up by the rising sun.

Aspen and I decided to take the long way up to the office, so we headed off through the woods on the East Meadow Trail. I could tell that Aspen certainly approved of the frosty morning, as he took off running full speed and never let up. He charged up the hillside and quickly out of sight. Then he came bounding back down again, criss-crossing the hillside, his feet just barely touching the ground every now and then.

He is very observant while in the woods, and has always been disturbed by the maple tree that is leaning over the trail. And today he was stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed a large gall about six feet up in a nearby tree - it just didn't look right, or fit into the streamlined formes of the forest.

The heavy carpet of leaves was mostly silent this morning, due to the heavy cover of frost, which softened the blows of our feet. My feet were slipping a little though, as there isn't much of a tread on my moccasins. I have found that I much prefer to wear slip-on shoes when going back and forth between the office and cabin, since I go in and out so often. Since shoes are not allowed in either building, it is a pain to stop, bend down, and tie or untie shoes all the time. But that tread just does not work too well, especially in the frosty leaves. I continue to hunt for a slip-on shoe/low-top boot with some sort of tread.

When we arrived at the office, Aspen was still hyped up, and decided to remain outside, where he still is now, running around from tree to tree, exploring his new frozen world.

Today will be filled with more office duties, both inside and out, and things get to be a little more normal, as opposed to doing business in two locations.

A renowned artist (painter) from southern Missouri, Tim Tyler, dropped by in the afternoon for a visit. It was an honor to spend some time with such a talented person. A lot of his work is sold in galleries out west, in places like Aspen, Colorado. His paintings are very good. We strolled through the sunny woods and discussed many topics, including different types of cameras (he is also a photographer), and selling our work. As we approached the cabin, a pair of red-tailed hawks called out. They were flying down low in the valley, gradually working their way up on the warming afternoon air. Two things that I would like to be in a later life - a hawk, and a painter.

The rest of the day passed quickly, and before I knew it, darkness came a calling. After a big bowl of Greek Pasta for dinner, and a bit of TV time-which I spent folding price lists-Aspen and I went out for a hike.

It was very dark out, with a black moon, and a billion stars high above. I started out with a headlamp, but soon realized that all of those tiny dots sent down enough illumination that together lit up the path just enough for me to slip through the forest. And, of course, Aspen was running around like crazy, somehow knowing where each leaf and tree was located.

It was still and quiet out. Once when I stopped and gazed up into the heavens, I swear I could hear those twinkling stars making noise. Perhaps they were speaking with the bare trees, whose trunks could just barely been seen in the starlight. The cold of the night and all of those stars made me think of John Denver.

There is something refreshing for the soul to go out and hike in the darkness, especially on a chilly night like this one (about 35 degrees right now). I love to ramble around through the forest, or just stop and sit down against a mossy rock and stare up and out into the universe. At no other time can one see so far. I find that it is a great time to look within as well.

Even though I am alone and isolated out here in the wilderness, I spent a large part of my day communicating with many people. The artist's visit; many telephone calls with friends (the Wildman called me talking through his computer), business associates (I got one call while on a short hike and made a deal worth several thousand dollars), and others that I had nice conversations with; a couple dozen e-mails from folks in several states; and a couple of faxes. I just love this wilderness and technology all rolled into one out here.

But mostly I enjoy speaking with the trees, finding out about life from the rocks, and sharing time on earth with all of the living things of the forest.

Time for us to head out into the chilly and dark night air once again, and head down to the warm cabin. I suspect that Aspen will lead me off course a time or two, just to see what we can find.

12/7/99 As I opened my eyes a chill ran down my spine - was the cabin on fire? Or the forest right outside the window? The inside of the cabin glowed red. I perked up in a hurry, rolled over and found the source of the fire - it was in the sky, and the pre-dawn colors up in the clouds were just simply incredible. And not only were the clouds wild colored, but the sky behind them in the cracks was this most brilliant blue.

After the fire died down and the sun came up, I dried off from the hot tub and then stretched out in the long couch that I had recently moved into the cabin from town and placed up in the loft. This has become somewhat of a habit lately - I retire to the couch after soaking in the tub, am joined by Aspen, and then we take a short nap while listening to the news on NPR.

It was not quite as cold this morning, and no frost, but the wind was blowing and it seemed even colder. We took the long way to work again, which I suspect will happen a lot. Aspen found another odd-shaped tree or two to bark at.

We went on a longer hike later in the morning - out to the mailbox and back. The sunshine felt great, but the wind really cut through. This is the time of the year when a forest of young beeches like we hiked through really stands out. The sunshine lights up the golden leaves, which will hang on all winter until the new spring leaves push them off the limbs. And the breeze sends all the leaves a shaking, reminding me of the quaking aspen of Colorado.

No birds out, nor other critters. Guess they were all wrapped up inside their wooded homes.

And another odd thing - the phone didn't ring a single time. I spent a lot of time answering e-mails, but didn't speak to a live human all day.

I worked in the office until dark (installed a special GIANT file to hold all of my limited-edition posters), hiked down to the cabin for dinner, then returned to the office for a few more hours (signed about 200 of the special posters - my hand got tired!). It was very dark with a zillion stars out again, but still quite cold since the wind was blowing. No, it was howling. And it has been coming from the east, which means a storm is on its way. Even though the river is singing fulltime now, we still need a LOT of rain to get things back to normal.

Pulled a couple of ticks off of my assistant today. We need a long spell of below zero temps too. Ticks and tomatoes in December!

12/9/99 When I opened my eyes this morning a different kind of fire hit me in the face - a GIANT bolt of lightening flashed. It was hanging there in mid air, out across the valley to the east. The shock wave rolled towards me and engulfed the cabin with a loud rumble. The cabin shook and vibrated for several seconds. Then the sky opened up and it poured. That was the only bolt I saw or heard all morning. But the rains continued. It was great.

I stoked up the fire, cooked a big breakfast, then crawled into the soft couch with Aspen and listened to the rain and the radio for an hour or two. Hey, when you work for yourself, and live in the middle of the wilderness, it is OK to hang around the cabin all morning if you want to.

More rain, so I cheated and drove up to the office - still don't know what to do with a wet dog at the office. Aspen was in the mood to continue with the napping, so he hung out in my lap while I worked at the computer. He is getting a little too big to be a lap dog, but I haven't been able to resist those big brown eyes yet.

A heavy fog rolled in, then retreated, then returned. From my chair I can see a squirrel way out at the edge of the fog working in the trees. It is a nice view through the forest from each of the four windows here - three windows wrap right around my seat at the computer, as planned.

People are always asking me if I know of any property for sale here. Well, now is your chance. There is a two-acre plot for sale over on the main road near the Hawksbill Crag Trailhead. Nothing very scenic about it, but it does back up against the wilderness at the head of one of the prongs of Whitaker Creek. When I bought Cloudland I offered half of it to all those who had been asking me about property, but they all rejected it. They all realize the error of their ways now. I had all but given up when I brought Bob Chester out here and showed him the place - he said YES on the spot, and the rest is history.

As I was typing that last line, the power went off. And it stayed off all day and into the night. I am pretty much shut down without power, especially when it was as dark outside as it was all day. So there was nothing for Aspen and I to do but hike, and nap - we did a lot of each.

The rain continued, and our first hike was a really nice one. Aspen took off at top speed immediately, and soon disappeared into the forest. This dog was made for running in the woods. I've never seen another dog quite like him. The forest is like catnip to him - he just tears around as fast as he can run, leaping up and over stuff, and "springing" for no reason at all. Sometimes he will be tearing down a hillside, and then go airborne, landing eight or ten feet later. And there is always a big smile on his face.

And when we left the forest, he really got excited. He raced across the meadow and into the waist-high (on me) brush. I think there were a number of small birds hanging out in that brush. Aspen is a bird dog you know, so he especially enjoyed tearing around in the brush.

It was a light but steady rain, and I was enjoying the walk as well, just rambling around wherever my steps happened to take me. I was stopped dead in my tracks though as I passed one of the dicidious holly trees. This was one of the most highly decorated things that I had ever seen in the wilderness! The little tree was covered with these bright, plump red berries. And since there were no leaves on the tree any longer, the berries really stood out. Each berry was crowned on the lower side with a drop of pure liquid silver - a raindrop. Even though the sun was not out, each one sparkled as bright as any diamond. I doubt that a camera could record the brilliance.

Speaking of cameras, I'm going to order a digital one next week, and if I can ever figure out how to use the darn thing, I will be able to post images from around here with some frequency. I'm going to get one of those that takes regular floppy disks. Since I don't have a color printer, nor want one, the images will just be for this web page. Hum, a pretty expensive accessory, but I know many of you have been yelling at me lately becuase there are no pictures. It will be fun I'm sure. Maybe even a video clip of the little puppy, who is getting larger by the minute.

Over an inch and a half of wonderful rain. And countless dreams during the day. A guy can't hike all day you know. Plus, I was required to lay in front of the fire, just to make sure it didn't burn the cabin down.

Darkness came and still no power. With the exception of that first big jolt of thunder early in the day, there really wan't any severe weather, just rain, so I'm not sure what happened to the power. It finally returned around 8pm. I had used my backpack stove to fix lunch and dinner, and lots of candles were burning.

When the power finally did come on, it was still raining. Neither of us felt like returning to work, so I put on and old classic DVD that I had just bought - THE BIG CHILL. What a terrific movie, especially the DVD eidtion. After the movie was over, I discovered a documentary that had been included on the disk, and sat up and watched it too. That movie is full of big stars (most of them on the way up at the time, and not really household names yet). But one thing that I found out in the documentary, is that the soon-to-be biggest star of them all was cut from the entire movie. He was the actor who played the dead guy. They filmed a flashback scene of all of them having Thanksgiving dinner in Atlanta during college, with the dead guy being the main character. They never included any of this footage in the movie. And, of course, the dead guy is never shown during the movie, except for parts of him in the opening credits. An unknown actor named Kevin Costner played the dead guy. (I can't for the life of me remember the dead guy's name!) Anyway, the acting was terrific, and the music was great, especially on my home theater system.

12/11/99 There was another brilliant sunrise this morning, but the multi-colored clouds soon gave way to a grey day. It was cold and windy, and felt like more rain. After a big breakfast, Aspen and I took the long way to work. The river is running pretty good now, and singing a lovely tune. I still haven't taken the pup down there yet. Perhaps later today.

Fed-X brought a package of photographic prints by yesterday from my lab in California. I was in town, so they left me a note instead of the box. Can you believe that they are going to drive the sixty miles back out here again on Monday?

I may have finally got the long-distance phone thing fixed. At least, that is what they tell me. It seems that AT&T has not been stealing my business, but rather MCI has not completed any of my requests - at least five of them. The local phone company people told me that MCI has not been sending proper papers for more than three months! Boy, someone has really been screwing up. I found all of this out by being a pest and a jerk, and finally speaking to someone at MCI who made the effort to get things straightened out. She ended up calling me back, and then calling the local phone company, and getting everything on tape and properly recorded. We'll see if it actually works this time. I don't mind AT&T, and they are actually CHEAPER than MCI, but AT&T's rate for my toll-free order line is something like THREE TIMES as expensive as MCI's rate, which is why I have wanted to switch in the first place. Most people just don't think when they use an 800 number - the person on the other end of the line is paying for the call! My 800 number costs me $75-$100 a month, and every minute costs.

OK, back to the wilderness. I never really paid it too much attention until recently. But now with all of the leaves off the trees, it has become noticable to me that there is NO ONE out here but me. All day. All night. The nearest neighbor is almost three miles away. I wander around all day and never see anyone.

The lights flickered, and then the computer screen went dark - the power was out again. But this time, only for a few seconds, but long enough to shut down the computer. I took it as a sign that I should get outside and go hiking.

But first we went by the cabin to stoke up the fire. It was still chilly - about 39 degrees, and very foggy. Everything was dripping wet, although it was not raining. The phone rang, and it was Roy, calling to say that the traffic in town was bad. He and Norma had planned to come out today and we were all going hiking, but Norma didn't feel well, so they stayed in town. Roy made it clear that he would much rather have been out hiking than driving in all that traffic.

And then something horrible happened. There was a noise over the phone. A loud noise, like metal crunching, glass breaking, and several dull thuds. It went on for several seconds. "Roy, Roy" I yelled. Nothing. It was obvious that he had been in a wreck. I heard him cry out "Oh fu#@!" And then the phone went dead. I have been in several car accidents, including one bad head-on collision. My sister has been in a head-on too. And one of my brothers was killed that way. A chill ran down my spine - I was petrified. Oh my god, what had happened to Roy?

I felt helpless. The only thing that I could think of to do was to call Norma. Perhaps it may have not been the best thing, but I just had to. I told her Roy had been in a wreck, and the approximate location. It was such a strange feeling. God, what could I do.

The seconds passed very slowly. Minutes felt like hours. It was dark outside, and began to rain lightly. Still no phone call from Norma. I was sick to my stomach. Roy had been wounded three times in Vietnam, so I knew he was tough. But it sounded bad, very bad, on the phone. And being a part of it all by remote control was very strange. My head-on collision changed my life in many ways. I can still feel the impact. That is what I heard and felt over the phone.

So many things ran through my mind. Was he hurt? How bad was he hurt? Was he even still alive? Lordy, we nearly lost Bonnie just last summer, and now Roy. It would have been tough enough to lose Roy, one of my best friends in the world. But dealing with Norma would have been REALLY bad - she would KILL me no doubt for letting Roy talk on a cell phone while driving!

And then the phone rang. "I was in a wreck." It was ROY! He was alive, and I breathed again. Norma had made it to the accident site, and they were on the way to the emergency room. A lady ran into the back of his truck, and there was indeed a lot of crunched metal and broken glass. He was knocked out or something, because he did not remember ever talking to me. He said he felt glass in the back of his head, and he was very disoriented and wobbly, but otherwise he thought he was OK - nothing broken that he could tell. I breathed twice.

I still felt sick. But it was time to hike. So Aspen and I headed out into the rain and the fog, wanting to drop down to the river and kick around there for the rest of the afternoon. Aspen had other ideas. He wasn't the least bit interested in going down the ladder, so I gave in and we returned to the bench below the cabin.

I really didn't have a destination, so we just sort of moved along that bench, around the hillside, then continued on. We rambled on, me slowly and deliberately (the footing in the wet leaves and hidden rocks was tricky), and Aspen with reckless abandon, flying here and there. He was really having a great time playing in the forest, but he was working too, sniffing out birds and squirrels and such. I guess that is one big thing that he and I have in common - we both work hard at play, and play hard at work.

But I was not quite with it. My body and soul and mind were all still quite num from the phone call. Gosh, I knew that Roy was OK, but being right there still had a tremendous impact on me. I was in a very somber mood.

After what seemed like no time at all, I looked up and couldn't figure out where we were. Was I lost? Nope. We had rambled right on down to my secret spot, a place that I had not visited since the day After Chally dumped me last April. God, I needed to be in this place today! I'm not sure if Aspen had led me here, or vise-versa. But it felt right.

I took a seat on a moss-covered rock under an overhang, out of the rain, while Aspen continued his inspection of every stick and leaf in the area. My mind drifted from the giant boulders next to me on over to the little stream nearby, which was running and singing a hushed tune. Aspen disappeared behind a bluff. There was no sound at all, except that of the stream, a few raindrops now and then.

Then a movement caught my eye, high up in a tall beech. Something had broken off, or was falling out of the top of the tree. It was a pretty good mass of something. Just before it hit the ground, a pair of wings opened up, and I realized that it was a red-tailed hawk, and he pounced on a chipmunk or some little critter at the base of the tree. Man, this dude had dropped straight down from the top!

The hawk flew back up into another tree, sat there for a moment, then flew off into another tree. And then another, and another. Each time getting just a little farther away. Finally, he jumped up and flew across the valley and out of sight.

As I followed the hawk, I discovered another bit of movement - a tall waterfall. At almost the same moment that I saw it, I could hear the splashing. I got up and wandered over to it. How nice to have the arteries of the wilderness flowing once again!

I realized that I had probably been sitting under that bluff in my secret spot for an hour or more, and my mind had been swept clean, and the horror of the accident was gone too. I felt good again, and the world was at peace.

On the way up the steep hillside, we slowed down to investigate a flat area filled with large, tall trees. I noticed one mature beech that was growing right next to a giant black gum. Both of these species have interesting bark. The smoothness of the beech's contrasting with the coarse blocks of the black gum's. When I looked up, I discovered that these two guys were partners of sorts. About thirty feet up, a large branch from the beech extended over and had grown into the trunk of the black gum. Looked like they had been connected for maybe ten years. I would make it a point to keep an eye on them and see how they did over the years.

After another hour or two of rambling around, we made it back to the cabin, a bit damp, but grateful for having such a wonderful backyard to go play in. The fire felt great. Aspen has decided that he likes one spot right in front of the fireplace. Smart dog.

Oh yea, I must tell you about a trick that Aspen did while I was on the phone with Norma telling her about the wreck. There is a neat pottery vase in the middle of the dining table. It was given to me by my lady friend in Texas, Vicki, and is filled with dried flowers that Mary Wright brought out. Well, right in the middle of this dramatic conversation with Norma, as I was still in shock, Aspen walked on over, grabbed the tablecloth in his mouth, and ran off through the cabin with it. What could I do - I couldn't interrupt my conversation with Norma, so I just turned away and tried not to look. I didn't return to the table until an hour later, after Roy had called, and I was breathing. I was expecting to find my vase shattered on the floor. The vase had landed right-side-up, and didn't even disturb any of the flowers! Good dog.

The rest of the day was grey and rainy, with lots of fog. I fixed a big dinner, listened to some music, then did a little writing. And hauled up a few logs to feed the fire -it was getting cold outside. It's now near midnight, Aspen is sprawled out on the floor in front of the fireplace, it is raining hard, and there are flashes of light.

12/12/99 No sunrise this morning. Just rain. It rained all night. Fog banks and clouds (what's the difference?) wandered around the valleys all morning. The tops of the ridges were all sticking up into the clouds. The river below was running nicely.

It took Aspen more than an hour to get me up. Nothing like laying there and getting in a few extra winks while soft raindrops fall. The temp remained around 40. Gosh, is it was a little colder, I would be getting down the cross-country skis and heading out on a foot or two of new powder. I can't wait to ski out to get my mail!

After a big breakfast and a couple of logs on the fire, we got ready to go out for a short hike up to the office. Then I spotted a flock of turkeys. I'd been hearing them just about every morning, clucking and carrying on down in the canyon. This must have been them - about fifteen or so birds, making their way across the forest floor up the hill a ways. OK, this was a good chance to see what kind of a bird dog I really had.

These birds were several hundred feet away, but as soon as I opened the front door to the cabin, they all turned around, ran about twenty feet, then took off in flight. Aspen never got the chance to see them. But he did get pretty excited when we walked on over to where they had been.

One thing that I have noticed lately is that when Aspen and I are out on a ramble, like we were this morning, I go a lot slower than my usual brisk pace. It's not because he is slow - quite the contrary. He is out there running everywhere in all directions. But for some reason, having him bounding all over makes me slow down to a saunter. And when I stop to look at something, he is able to do a 360 degree search of the area before we continue on.

As we made our way up the hill we came to a small bluffline that I hadn't seen before. Not too big, but lots of character. Besides the main bluff, which was five or six feet tall, there were lots of chunks of the bluff scattered around, some laying flat, others up on end. All were covered with lichens and mosses. Many different shades of green. I'm not sure if it is the wet conditions, or the fact that most of the forest is now brown and grey, but all that rich green color really stands out now. I guess it will do that all winter. I love it. Many people avoid the forest in the winter, thinking it is drab and uninteresting. Oh what all they miss!

It continued to rain all morning and into the afternoon. One of those long, soaking rains that is so good for the earth. Almost two days solid now. I just checked the weather station - three inches since Friday, and six for the month. The river was roaring, with whitecaps, and the water was a little dingy. By mid-afternoon, the rain had stopped, but it remained wet and cold. A GREAT December day at Cloudland!

12/13/99 As I laid back in the hot water and gazed up towards a blue hole in the cloudy sky, a mature bald eagle floated by, just above the treetops. When you see them up close, eagles are REALLY big! He didn't seem to be in any hurry, just soaring around. He spent about ten minutes weaving back and forth up above Whitaker Creek, then disappeared behind a hill. He came back into view several times before we headed out for a hike.

My steps were quicker and more determined this morning for some reason. Aspen was way out in front, covering a lot of ground. We made a wide circle around the property before ending up at the office.

The phone rang a lot today, and I was usually out in the woods somewhere when it did. Sometimes I feel odd leaning up against a tree writing down a book order. On the other hand, I guess it feels just right!

I shut down the computer early and went down to the cabin, with the car filled with all of the tools from the office construction. They had been living on a big shelf in the warehouse, and it was time to move them. And then I spent a half hour building a wood box for the living room. I had been planning to build this for some time now, using left over aspen boards from the basement project. I'm glad that I waited, because I was able to use a wood frame that I had built for Chally to use as a table in the darkroom that she had set up in my house in town. I returned her darkroom stuff after we split up, but kept the frame. With a few alterations, it worked perfectly as the frame for my wood box. All I had to do was cut the aspen boards, nail them on, and presto, a fine wood box! The only problem was that once I had it in place next to the fireplace, I had to fill it with wood. Oh well, one of the joys of wilderness living.

Soon after dark, Billy and his wife Mary stopped by for a visit. I don't mind unannounced guests too much, although these days I do require a little notice in order to clean up the mess that one of the occupants of the cabin makes every day. Hum, I wonder who that could be? Aspen likes to sit in front of the fireplace and chew on logs. The system that I have in place to automatically clean his feet after he comes into the cabin seems to be working pretty good, and the upstairs wood floor stays mostly clean and free of paw prints.

It was a crisp and clear starry night out, with a sliver of a moon sinking low in the west. Oh yea, the sun set very close to the fire tower tonight. It still have a week more to travel to the south before stopping and heading back the other direction. I have never been able to determine if the sun does indeed set directly behind the fire tower this last week or not - it has always been cloudy. But I am hoping for clear skies this year in order to settle the argument once and for all. I still won't be able to take a good picture of the event - the fire tower is just so far away and too small to really show up in a picture, even with a long telephoto lens. So you will just have to take my word for it if it happens. Keep your fingers crossed. I have no plans for the next week but to sit on the deck at sunset and see what happens!

12/14/99 Crunch, crunch, crunch. It was a noisy hike up to work this morning. Bright sunshine, and a heavy frost on the ground. With the help of the wind, the wind chill was down in single digits. But since the office is UP the hill from the cabin, I always begin the day generating a bit of heat. The down jacket doesn't hurt either.

Remember all of those books that I hauled out here a few weeks ago? Well, I've got to load up the trailer this morning with a solid ton of them and deliver to town. I'm not complaining - the sale of 500 Wilderness Reflections picture books will buy a lot of dog food! That is the way that I measure sales these days - in bags of dog food. It used to be house or car payments, or tanks of gas. Now I'm reduced to working for dog food.

By the way, several of you have written about Roy. I am happy to report that he is doing fine, with no ill effects from the accident. And he is driving a shiny new red Blazer this week while they are fixing his truck. He still has no memory of our phone conversation during the wreck though. I suspect the lady who hit him from behind got a fat ticket, and higher insurance rates, as she should. Norma works for one of the major insurance companies, and was amazed that the adjuster for the lady's company came right out to their house on Saturday after the accident to settle the claim. The adjuster said that it was the 23rd wreck that he had worked THAT DAY! Good grief. Too many people in town these days. Which, by the way, is what Roy had called to tell me just before the wreck happened. Ironic.

On my way home from town late at night, a couple of odd things happened. First, I had to come to a complete stop on the main highway - there was a deer standing in the middle of the road, staring at the Christmas lights from a farmhouse. After closer inspection, I saw that there were several reindeer all lit up. Hum.

And the other thing that happened was that it snowed! The first snow shower of the season. It wasn't really much, but it was snow, officially.

I hauled the trailer back loaded with lumber and a new clothes dryer. My main project for the week at the cabin is to build a platform and install my washer and dryer down in the utility room. I've had the washer for nearly two years - still boxed up. My goal is to do a load of laundry this weekend!

The glow of firelight kept me company as I stayed up late learning all about my new toy - a digital camera (Aspen was fast asleep in front of the fire). It took me all of five minutes to figure out how to take a picture, but I suspect it will take me a very long time to learn how to put a good picture on this web page. Please bear with me as I post picture after picture these first few days and weeks. Many of them will be too large or poor quality, or uninteresting subjects. I've got a good camera, but I just need to learn the basics of internet usage, which have so far all been way over my head.

12/15/99 As I stepped out of the hot tub, a double chill ran down my spine. One was from the blast of arctic air that hit my behind - the wind chill was 3 degrees - and the other was from the fact that I had stepped barefoot into a pile of snow. Yikes! Actually, it wasn't all that bad, considering how cold it really was. I didn't bother to dry off, but instead stepped quickly into the warmth of the cabin.

It howled all night, and several times I awoke to the sound of snow pellets pounding the roof. I still have not stuffed the large vent in the ceiling right above my bed, so outside noises get right through (and heat gets right out). Most of the snow never really landed anywhere, as it was blown away at 35mph.

A thick bank of dark clouds were moving fast overhead at daylight, and there was no sunrise. The entire sky was heading east at a pretty good clip.

I spent most of the day processing orders and playing with the new camera. The first post was not very good, as my Canadian computer guru informed me. I got it fixed OK I think, thanks to her, and will continue to experiment with different resolutions and sizes and stuff. I am trying not to post a hundred pictures of Aspen. It would be easy to follow him around all day taking pictures. Although, come to think of it, it is actually difficult to get a picture of him. When he is outside, the little devil simply will not hold still - he is in CONSTANT motion.

OK, so here are a few snapshots from the new camera that I shot today:

12/16/99 Cold and clear at daylight. One of those special moments happened again this morning. I was sitting in the tub just before sunrise. Very quiet out, with only the song of the river. The bald eagle returned, and circled low over the tub. He was lit by the sun, and gorgeous. Aspen saw him, ran up onto the deck, and sat there, staring up at this incredible sight - my dog had just made a connection with our national symbol. For some reason, I began to whistle "America The Beautiful" softly. Just then, the sunlight illuminated the deck and Aspen, and the eagle looked right down on us and let out a great scream. I don't know, but that was a very moving moment for me, and I was reduced to tears and couldn't finish my little song. It was one of the most incredible things that I had ever seen, and me being neck deep in hot water, could not photograph it. That image will be etched in my mind for a long time to come.

We took the long route to work this morning, through the east meadow, past the deciduous holly tree and the Faddis meadow, and then on to the office. I now carry the digital camera with me everywhere that I go, and here are a few of the snapshots that I shot this morning. All of these were shot in the low res. mode. I'm trying to figure out what is going to work best. I want the images to look good on screen - I don't care what they look like printed because I don't ever plan to print them. They are uploaded at 72DPI. The images from yesterday were shot in the high res mode.

Just before noon, I ran out to the mailbox to get a couple of books in the mail, and came across Dr. Bob. He was working on his bright red tractor, and so I had to stop and take his picture.

The rest of the afternoon was spent working on the utility room. I built a special platform for the washer and dryer to sit up on. I have never understood why the doors to these things are always down near the ground - just doesn't make sense to me. So I put mine up a little, so that you can easily look and reach into the machines. My washer is a front-load one, which uses a great deal less water than the ones that load from the top.

It took a bit of swearing, but I finally did get both machines up onto the platform. I spent more than an hour just undoing all of the brackets and stuff on the washer - could have shipped it to the moon with no damage the way they had it packaged. Aspen was in heaven though - lots of bits of foam and plastic for him to play with and chew up.

Just before I finished the platform, I had to take time out for the sunset. There have been a lot of wonderful sunrises and set out here, but this was indeed one of the best. I ran to get the camera, and fired off a few frames as the incredible colors spread across the western sky (one is at the top of the page). As the light faded, I realized why the sunset was so magical. It was seven years ago today that I purchased Cloudland, and the wilderness just wanted to send along a little congrats (the cabin was built in the summer of 1997).

Later in the evening, we headed out into the brisk wind of the moonlit night. About half moon, which was plenty for a walk in the woods without flashlight. The wind nearly knocked me over a couple of times though. Just before I went into the office, I stopped and gazed up into the sky. Directly overhead, a brilliant shooting star streaked eastward with a bright yellow glow. Another present from the wilderness.

Before I put the anniversary to bed, I thought I would tell you how I got this place in the first place. When most people see Cloudland for the first time, they talk about how lucky I was to get the place. Well, luck really had very little to do with it.

I had been looking for land in the Ozarks for nearly fifteen years. Searching through every newspaper and realtor brochure. Calling and looking at land, over and over and over again. Asking everyone that I knew, or ever came in contact with about land for sale. Then finally, a friend from the Forest Service in Jasper, Marny Apel, called and told me that the Faddis place was for sale. She said the Forest Service really wanted it, especially since it stuck out into the middle of the Upper Buffalo Wilderness area, but the price was just too high. I was afraid to ask how much, but did get the phone number of Willie Faddis, who was born in the cabin.

I knew the Faddis Cabin, as it had been the place that everyone parked at for many years to get to Hawksbill Crag. But it was really not much more than a falling-down heap, and I wasn't looking for any buildings. I scrambled for maps, and finally found a topo of the area and tried to figure out how the land laid. Then I called Willie, and, gulp, asked how much - $35,000 for 80 acres. That was high for raw land back then, but not all that high. I got the particulars from him as I looked at the map. Since I didn't want the cabin, I asked if he would sell just half of it. "Nope."

Willie was in the poultry business, and he was trying to raise some cash to build another chicken house or something like that. Then a thought raced through my mind - he might build chicken houses on this land if he didn't sell it - yikes, that would be terrible! So I took a deep breath and told him right there on the phone that I would take it.

First thing next morning I drove to Gravette and gave Willie $1,000 to hold the property. Than I drove out to Newton county. I raced past the cabin, which I knew I didn't want, and headed out towards the end of the ridge, where I hoped to find a panoramic view of the Buffalo Wilderness right at the edge of my new land. Lots of trees, but no view. The land began to fall off the hillside, down a very steep bench - if it only went to the bluffline, I would have my view that I had been looking all my life for.

My heart sank when I came to the corner post, just above the bluffline. Damn. No view. Although the view from the top of the bluff was one of the most spectacular ones that I had ever seen. I sat down, a little disappointed, but yet very hopeful. A red-tailed hawk came soaring by on the wind currents, looked down at me and screamed something. I took that as sign, went back up the hillside, and located a spot for my cabin. Still no view, but I figured if I cleared out a small opening in the trees, then I would have my view. Although I had no idea what that view would be like, or even if I would be able to see over the trees below.

There was something about this place that inspired me, that hit me down deep, and as I walked through the trees back to my car, I decided that I would make this place my home. It just seemed right.

OK, now it was time to find a partner, because I still didn't want the cabin. Over the years many friends had told me to let them know when I found something because they wanted to go in with me. I spent the next three weeks calling everyone that I knew, and guess what, not a single person wanted in on my deal. They all had one excuse after another. I would still go ahead and buy all 80 acres, but it would be easier if I could get someone to buy the other 40 up front.

Then one day while we were building the Artist Point Hiking Trail, I said something to a new club member who was working next to me. It was Bob Chester. He perked right up, and said that he would like to take a look at the land. I met him the next day, and we drove out to Cave Mountain together. We hadn't driven 100 feet inside the property line before Bob said "I'll take it!" He fell in love with the place, and while he tried to talk me out of my little cabin spot right away, he was thrilled at the front 40 acres with the old cabin on it. On December 16, 1992 we signed the papers and Cloudland was born.

By the way, since then just about every one of my friends who turned down my offer has told me how sorry they were that they didn't go in with me. And they all continue to beg me for part of Cloudland! Never. In the unlikely event that I ever would want to sell a part of Cloudland, Bob has first refusal rights.

12/18/99 Another spectacular view out of my bedroom window this morning! There are a few places in the world where the quality of light is more special, and I do believe that Cloudland is one of those places. This is the view that I wake up to many times a month:

After all of the color faded, a heavy cloud cover moved in, and the day became grey. Today was going to be a day filled with guests, but for one reason or another, every one of them had to cancel. I swear I bathe at least once a month!

Aspen and I took off on our usual long hike to the office. There were lots and lots of birds out this morning, especially robins and bluebirds. My bird dog had a great time chasing them through the forest. Of course, he will never catch one, but it is great exercise and fun for him.

At one point it began to rain, or at least I thought so. It sure did sound like rain, and heavy rain at that. But there were no drops falling. The leaves were producing a lot of noise. I looked up and discovered a couple of black gum trees towering overhead. And each one was filled with bluebirds. They were having a big breakfast of the blue berries that covered the limbs, and many of the berries were falling to the ground. I had never witnessed bluebirds eating blueberries in the forest before!

It is about an hour later now, and I am sitting in my office typing away. The flock of bluebirds has moved here now, and the pounding on the roof is very loud - there is a large black gum right off one corner of the office, and the birds are cleaning it of berries.

It's funny how those berries will go untouched for weeks, and then all of a sudden one day, a flock of birds will descend on it and make short order of the berries. I suspect the holly berries will be stripped one day soon too.

By the way, Aspen is sitting out on the porch gazing up into the tree of bluebirds. Happy dog.

I have received the following notice from several of you (thanks to all), and I thought I would pass it on. You may know that I am very lunar, and will certainly be out hiking on the 22nd:

"This year will be the first moon to occur on the winter solstice, Dec. 22. Since a full moon on the winter solstice occurred in conjunction with a lunar perigee (point in the moon's orbit that is closest to earth), the moon will appear about 14% larger. The earth is also several million miles closer to the sun at this time of the year than in summer, sunlight striking the moon is about 7% stronger making it brighter."

Sounds like everyone needs to get out and do a little moonlight hiking! In fact, consider this an official invitation to anyone who would like to come to Cloudland that evening for snacks and a moonlight hike. It is in the middle of the week, so I don't expect any takers, but I hope some will join me (just send and e-mail to let me know you might be coming).

After about an hour of bombs, the bluebirds must have stripped the gum of its berries, and the roof is silent once again. Or perhaps Aspen climbed up into the tree and scared them all away - that would be a funny picture. Hum, now that I have this digital camera and photoshop, it IS possible for me to create that picture.

OK, daylight was burning. I had a couple of options: Wire the utility room for the washer and dryer, clean up the cabin, or go hiking. There was lots of sunshine outside, so I opted for the obvious choice. As I left the office, I noticed that the ground was covered with the blue berries. It appeared that there were more berries on the ground that the flock of birds could have eaten - they should just drop down to the ground instead of flying on to the next tree! Of course, then they would have to deal with Aspen.

It was one of those spectacular and wonderful winter days in the Ozarks - just PERFECT for hiking! The sun felt warm, not much wind, and, well, it just FELT great to be out in the woods. Aspen like it too - he simply exploded into the forest and ran and jumped and ran some more. Lots of birds around - mostly robins. This dog is simply uncontrollable when outside sometimes.

We wandered on over to the Crag, and found no one there. Aspen was cautious about getting too close to the edge. A little smarter than his master much of the time. Then we hiked on out to get the mail, passing that holy beech tree that I have talked about several times before. Now that I have my trusty digital camera with me at all times, I took a snapshot of it. Beeches often have interesting cracks and holes and stuff in them, and this one has always grabbed my attention. It is right next to the trail, so is hard to miss.

Got a check for $20, and a bill for $85. Hum, I need to turn that around. A couple of nice Christmas cards too. It felt a little strange, but I sat down right there in the middle of the forest and opened my mail. Aspen continued his exploration of the forest, and his pursuit of the birds. I think the birds had a good time playing with him, knowing they were in no danger.

We hiked on down through the woods and back to the Crag, where we found a group of young people enjoying the afternoon. I was happy to see that no one has been camping at the spot right next to the Crag. Lots of folks have been using the campsites up on the bench above, which is good. One firering there is beginning to get built up pretty good.

It was about a five mile hike for me, probably twenty for Aspen. After a nap by us both, I fixed a big pan of Greek Pasta - wanting to eat half for dinner, the rest being for lunch on Sunday - but I ended up downing the entire lot while watching a couple of movies. While I was in the kitchen, Aspen was opening presents in front of the fireplace.

12/19/99 Lots of fog way down in the valley this morning, and no wind. After a big breakfast of taters and smokie links, it was time to get the laundry room in order. It took me most of the day, but I finally did get all of the holes drilled and sawed, the wires strung and outlets hooked up, and the washer and dryer leveled. Then I pushed the button and presto, a new washer and dryer that actually worked!

The front-loading washer is small, but the dryer is the largest that I could find - the additional space will keep the clothes a little more wrinkle free. And I think I'm going to like the platform that they are up on. Later this winter I will finish off the utility room with a bunch of cabinets and countertops for sorting and folding clothes. Plus I will build a wall around the heat pump, water pump and central vacuum that are all in the same room.

Today was Sunday, and I normally make up a batch of Cloudland cookies, but I decided to pass today, mostly becuase I would have eaten them all myself! But I did install the special bear cookie platter that my friends Joe and Linda gave me. It looks rather smart hanging over the spices in the kitchen.

Good grief, I ended up spending nearly the entire day underground in the basement! It was a fabulous day outside - I had to chase Aspen down a couple of times to retrieve something that he had grabbed and took off outside with. The temp got up into the low 50's and remained sunny most of the day, although it did cloud up near sunset.

Veggies and pasta for dinner, plus a bag of chocolate-covered almonds. Once all of the tools and dishes were packed away, we headed out for a hike, finally. It was well after dark, but a 3/4 moon lit the way just fine. There was a thin layer of clouds too, which served to diffuse the moonlight.

Now that Aspen takes off and runs out in the woods at will, I don't have him in close to show me the way. No matter, the trail was easy to follow.

As we got close to the Faddis meadow, I discovered a large rock/boulder next to the trail that looked like it had been dug up, or at least dug mostly around the base of. I didn't have a flashlight with me, but I could see large holes all around it. The darn thing must have weighed over a thousand pounds, but the digging had loosened it enough that I could easily move it back and forth. Hum, what in the world had dug it up? I would think most bears would be in their dens by now. A big cat? No telling. Aspen was VERY interested in it, although he mostly just sniffed around. I could tell that he seemed a little nervous though.

We walked on out into the Faddis meadow. Bob had been out burning stumps and stuff the past couple of days, and there were two large spots of smoldering embers. It looked a little odd out there in the moonlight. We pressed on down the lane towards the East meadow.

About half way along the lane, something large and dark crossed the road up ahead. I didn't get a good look at it - the moonlight was muting everything. Seeing this sent a chill down my back. When I came to the spot, I found Aspen standing there, looking off into the woods in the direction of where it had gone. He wasn't barking, of sniffing the air, or ready to take off running. He was just standing there, looking kind of puzzled. Now the hair was standing up on the back of my neck.

I couldn't see a thing in the heavy brush. I wondered why Aspen didn't go after whatever it was. Or was he looking right at it? Was this the same large critter that had dug up the boulder? It was all a little spooky. I didn't want to linger any longer, so I dragged Aspen away and we went on to the East meadow.

Aspen bolted out in front of me when we hit the edge of the meadow, and headed to the opposite end - I soon lost sight of him. Every now and then I would catch a glimpse of white flash here or there. I walked out into the middle of the ten-acre meadow and sat down. It was quiet. Very quiet. And eerie out. Not much wind. I felt pretty safe way out in the middle, thinking that I would see any bear charging or boggie man coming after me in time to get a good head start in the other direction. Aspen continued to run at top speed in one direction, then spring up into the air and turn on a dime, charging off again.

OK, I was getting a little nervous, so we left the meadow and wandered through the woods towards the office. Just as I was about to enter the powerline right of way, which is pretty open, Aspen came running back to me with a very worried look on his face. In face he acted like he was coming back to me for protection. Good grief, what was out there? I think I was about as spooked as I have ever been out here.

We eased on through the opening, back into the woods, and finally arrived at the office. Aspen usually likes to hang around outside the office for a little while, running around and inspecting things. But tonight he was the first one in the door. Hum.

That is where I am now, at the office, typing away, with the hazy moon and something big and spooky outside. Aspen is asleep at my feet. Once I add the pictures and post this to the web page, we will head out into the moonlight again and make our way back down to the cozy cabin...

12/20/99 Clear and cold this morning. In fact, the temp was dropping as the sun came up and we headed out for the office. It 32 degrees just before dawn, and 29 at 8am. The forecast is calling for snow today, a high in the upper 20's, and down to 10 tonight. Yippie! As we made our way through the frozen forest, a blast of frigid air hit me in the face - it was coming directly from the north, something it rarely does here. I guess my Canadian friends are sending me Christmas wishes!

It has been about three months or something like that since I began the banana peel experiment. Since I thought about it this morning, I uncovered it and took a picture. Looks just like it did a month ago - black and shriveled up, but no apparent breakdown. I suspect this will go on for a long time. I want to keep tabs on this peel so that others realize what happens - or doesn't happen - to garbage that is thrown out into nature.

No sign of spooks or bigfoot this morning. I will go investigate the dug-up boulder later this afternoon, after I get a bit of office work done.

When I opened the mail this morning (from Saturday - hey, when you live in the wilderness, sometimes the mail doesn't get opened right away), I found a picture that I took from the back deck of the cabin used as a two-page spread in a national magazine! Well, kind of a national magazine. It is on page 12 of the January-February issue of BUGLE, the slick magazine published by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. The article is about the recent elk season just downstream here in the Buffalo area. The fall picture is also in the Buffalo River Wilderness picture book, and is reproduced very nicely in the magazine. No credit given to Cloudland though. Aspen will get a couple bags of dogfood out of the deal.

One thing that I have noticed recently is that since I have been doing a lot of short hikes between the new office and the cabin, and I have been wearing the slip-on moccasins, that my feet are beginning to hurt. I finally did find a good pair of slip-on low-top boots, and ordered two pairs. When they arrived last week, they were too large. So I have sent them back and ordered a smaller size. They will be delivered tomorrow, and at last my feet will be happy!

Well, the big rock mystery has gotten even stranger. I just took a look at it in the daylight, and it appears that whatever dug it up might have been a who - a person. While the digging marks could have been claw marks, it looked like a rock was used to pry it up out of the ground, something I doubt anything but a two-footed critter would have done. The top of the rock contains some very interesting details, so I could imagine someone trying to dig it up and take it home for display. However, the darn thing is very heavy, and not in an easy place to get to. It probably would have to be loaded onto a sled and hauled out by a four-wheeler - no way even several guys could have picked it up and hauled it out. The digging seemed very fresh, probably done just before I came across it last evening, or maybe just before dark, but I was in that area and didn't see anyone just before dark. Very strange indeed.

Lots of sunshine so far today, with no snow in sight. The temp has risen up to about 35 now, and it is a most pleasant day outside. Time for another hike.

Well, I just solved the mystery of the rock. I finally got in touch with Dr. Bob, and it was him who dug it up. He is going to use it at the Faddis Cabin, as a natural bird bath - there is a perfect depression in it for that. Darn, I was going to make up this big story about the Buffalo Bigfoot that was working the area. It will be fun getting that big rock out - we could use a real Bigfoot! One end of the rock is nearly two feet thick.

12/21/99 It was downright balmy when I stepped out into the morning air, dripping wet. The temp was 19 degrees - the low for the morning, and not even close to the 10 degrees that was forecast. But no wind at all. And 19 degrees with no wind is a whole lot warmer than 40 degrees with wind.

I spent the day in town picking up a new load of Arkansas Hiking Trail Guidebooks that had been trucked down from the printer up north. Man, the traffic in town was really bad, even in the middle of the day. Thank goodness there are no stoplights out here at Cloudland. With the new books safely tucked away in the new warehouse, we hiked on down to the cabin.

My supply of wood was about to run out. In fact, for the past several days I have been going down into the meadow and fetching a handful of split logs that I have stockpiled there every time that I got to the cabin. This is well-seasoned wood, and burns well. I realized that I have had a fire in the fireplace going constantly since December 1st. When the coals and ashes have gotten too deep - about every three days or so - I would empty most of them out, but leave a good pile in the middle that has been enough to start up another pile of logs.

Even though it has been a bit chilly all month, the heat pump at the cabin has not turned on a single time. The fireplace keeps the upper two floors plenty warm. The main floor remains in the 60's, the loft is about 70, and the basement remains in the upper 50's, although I have turned on a space heater down there to help counter the drafts that come in through Aspen's dog door.

But my supply of wood is low, and I will run out sometime later this week. Oh boy, I get to go chop some wood! That is one of my favorite activities, especially in the winter.

While I was working around the cabin, I looked around and noticed that my puppy had been playing with his favorite pillow. Oops.

A bright moon was already up in the evening sky as the sun dropped below the horizon. The sun is setting now right next to the Buffalo Fire Tower. Tomorrow it will be at its southern most point of the year, but I think it will just miss setting directly behind the tower - we'll see.

Anyway, the moon was spectacular, although it rose at the far north end of the ridge over yonder. Man, that moon has a mind of its own, and rises and set pretty much wherever it cares to, and doesn't follow any set pattern that I can see.

Aspen and I hiked up to the office for a few hours of work, and it was SO bright outside. And it was QUIET!. I sat down once and stayed put for about ten minutes, and never heard a single thing, except for the leaves under Aspen's paws. No critters out that I could tell.

12/22/99 It was COLD as I got out of the tub this morning about an hour before dawn. Yet it was only 28 degrees - but the wind was blowing. The sky was completely clear, except for a few stars and a very bright planet rising in the east. Sunrise or sunset is not too colorful when the sky is clear - that is one reason us wilderness photographers love WEATHER!

As I was sitting there in the hot water staring up into the blank sky, a barred out gave a shout from across the valley. That is the first owl that I have heard out here in a while. I've seen a number of them, but for some reason they have been silent. Haven't heard from the turkeys since my pup had a run at them last week. Getting too close to Christmas dinner I guess.

We took the long route to the office this morning, as usual. Looking up the hillside I noticed something odd - spots of white. You don't see white in the woods here very often. I climbed on up and discovered the first frost flowers of the season. These things have always fascinated me. There were dozens of them, but only in one small area about fifty feet long by ten feet wide, right at the top edge of a boulder-strewn bench.

These frost flowers are extremely delicate, only appear every now and then, and don't stick around too long. In fact, the sun had already hit them, and they were doomed to meltdown within a few minutes (I cast a shadow on them in order to take their picture, otherwise, the light was much too harsh). Since I had my trusty digital camera in my pocket, I pulled it out and spent a few minutes taking pictures. This camera does not do a very good job with macro shots, but it did OK I think. These flowers were about 2-3 inches across and high.

Then I had a thought. I wanted the flowers to last a while longer, so I gathered up a few of them, carefully placed them into my hat, then jogged back to the cabin and placed them in the freezer. I wonder how long they will last in there? We'll see. As I was leaving the cabin to head to the office, I put my hat back on, and got a real jolt - a bunch of frost flower pieces - which are nothing but ice - covered my head!

It was time for me to find the answer to the age old questions of whether the sun sets behind the Buffalo Fire Tower or not. Clear skies, and an open view to the tower. Several folks joined me on the back deck to witness the spectacle. The sun inched its way on down, ever closer to the tower. And then it set - just to the right of the tower - never touched it. Darn. Oh well, at least I know now.

Then we proceeded out to the Crag to await the full moonrise. Since there is a hill to the east, the moon would not rise until a while after sunset. It got kind of dark, and the wind picked up a bit. A barred owl cried out from across the way, over on Beagle Point. And then the sky lit up, I began to jump up and down, and there it was, one incredible, lovely, big and bright full moon - the largest and last of the century. A moment of silence was in order. And in a fitting gesture from the moon to this lifelong moon worshiper, it actually rose directly behind my cabin - something totally unexpected.

The trip back through the woods was an easy stroll, our path lit by moonbeams. We celebrated with a Cloudland pizza, and a bit of liquid cheer from France. It was a special evening for me. And oh, by the way, the frost flowers seemed to be doing just great in the freezer!

12/24/99 I spent most of the day in town, but had one chore to do when we returned to the cabin well after dark - putting lights on the Cloudland Christmas Tree. I found this little cedar last year, and it grows a few hundred feet away from the cabin, the only green at this time of year in a forest of brown oaks, hickories and maples. My brother had given me two short strings of small lights that are battery operated - perfect for this little guy. The tree is only about two feet tall, but really stands out because of its green color. It was easy to find my way to the tree because the moon was up and bright. It was a might chilly though, so I didn't waste any time. Within a few minutes, the forest was lit with not only moonbeams, but with the glow from the tiny colored lights. Christmas Eve at Cloudland.

12/25/99 A wet tongue slid across my cheek - not quite the wet tongue that I had been dreaming about. Aspen was telling me MERRY CHRISTMAS, and to get up. Sure enough, it was late on Christmas morning, and I had overslept. The sun was just peering up over the ridgetop, flooding the cabin with light. It was clear and chilly out, and not a bit of wind.

After a quick soak we headed out for a loop hike around the area before we drove into town to spend Christmas with my mom. Crunch, crunch, crunch. No snow, but if you looked really close, there was a thick layer of frost that was kind of white. The chilly morning air felt great as I took big gulps of it deep into my lungs. Sometimes frigid air makes you feel ALIVE.

Aspen was having a ball, as usual, running back and forth at top speed. The East meadow was empty. The lane between there and the Faddis area was littered with coyote scat - looked like there had been a pack of them by during the night. At this time of the year, a lot of wild animal scat is filled with persimmon seeds, which pass through the system undigested. This is the trees way of spreading their seeds around an area.

A flock of bright bluebirds awaited our arrival at the Faddis meadow. They were everywhere, flying from tree to tree, and hopping around on the ground, providing plenty of fun for Aspen. The meadow was green with new winter wheat growth. It all looked pretty neat as yellow rays of sunshine lit up the entire area.

We plunged back into the woods, and Aspen took off bounding down the slope, flying as high as some of the bluebirds. We leveled off and rambled on towards the cabin. Just as we reached the edge of the bench - where we can look down the steep slope onto the wide bench below - we both froze, and so did a third party. Down there on the lower bench, stood Mr. Big - the giant whitetail buck that I had seen a couple of times year before last. He was magnificent, with his HUGE rack spread out above his head. This guy was king of the forest, and had been for a number of years.

All three of us stood there breathless and a little stunned. Seconds passed. This was the first deer that Aspen had made eye contact with, and he really didn't know quite what to do. I did - just stood there stunned and breathless until the buck decided to do something. I had hoped that Aspen would not take off after him, and like a good boy he just stood there and did nothing.

Finally, the buck had enough, and in a single motion jumped up, spun around, and took off in the opposite direction. Within a split second he was over the edge of the bench below and out of sight. Aspen turned and looked at me, then sped on down the hillside himself. I just sat down and began to breathe again, then enjoyed the sight of my pup running through the forest. I knew the buck was in no danger - Aspen only went to the edge of the bench, sniffed around a little, then turned around and returned to the top of the bench by my side.

This was one incredible sight - a special present from the wilderness to us - and I was thankful to have shared it with my little buddy.

It was well after dark when we returned from town. I had spent the day eating, while Aspen played with not one but four other dogs at my mom's house. All of the other dogs were rather long in the tooth, and Aspen's energy got in the way a lot. He also got put in his place often - those older pups would only put up with so much youngster play!

The fireplace was empty for the first time in over three weeks, and there was no wood in the cabin. In fact, there was no wood in the wood rack outside either. I had to go down into the meadow and bring up several arm loads of split wood from the big pile down there. Since the moon had not risen yet, I made my way by headlamp. It was great exercise.

My next chore was to vacuum up a pile of dead wasps - I had set up a bug bomb or two before we left for the day, and they had done a good job. Not a very nice Christmas for the wasps. Aspen has been grabbing them more often all the time - live ones - and I worry that he will get stung. So far, so good, and he just plays with them a little while, then enjoys a tiny snack.

With all the wasps sucked up, and a crackling fireplace with pup spread out in front, I settled into one of the leather couches to sip a bit of brandy and enjoy the moonlight that had begun to creep into the cabin.

My mind wandered back to the days of my youth. Those memories had been refreshed this week by a couple of incidents. First, I spent one of the most enjoyable evenings in a long while a few days ago in lengthy conversation with a new friend, and much of the talk was of the past. And then a couple of days later one of the most important items of my youth that had been stolen twenty three years ago was returned to me - quite anonymously - left at the door of my old office in town.

As I eased back to ponder all of this, the flickering of the firelight bounced off of a book that was sitting on one of the log tables next to me. I had it out the other night to show my new friend. It was the first book that I had ever read cover to cover, and was given to me to read by my mom after the breakup with the love of my life. That single book pretty much set the stage for the rest of my life, and is the reason who I am and what I do.

The book is "The High Adventure of Eric Ryback." It is the diary of Eric's incredible solo 2300 mile hike/struggle through the wilderness along the spine of the Pacific Crest from Canada to Mexico. He was only eighteen years old. This book spoke to me in a way that no other ever has. It remains the most important book that I have ever read.

I did a book report on it for English class, and this shy kid who was afraid to speak to more than a single person at one time, was forced to give this report (one of only three chosen) in front of the entire senior class. I was petrified, but somehow managed to make my way through it.

After I read that book, I was determined to hike across the national forest in Arkansas. I got a job with the Forest Service, learned all that I could about hiking, and eventually did hike across the national forest (at age eighteen - that was 1974). My hike was a struggle too, but on a much smaller scale. After that hike (my very first backpack trip), I got on TV and in the newspaper. I began a fight to establish a hiking trail along the same route that I had followed - from Lake Ft. Smith to Ben Hur - which eventually led to my starting the Ozark Highlands Trail Association.

The Ozark Highlands Trail, the Ozark Highlands Trail Association, my hiking trail guidebooks, programs that I have given to more than 1,000 groups, and even my nature photography career were all the result of me reading that single book. Wow, reading sure can be powerful!

Anyway, Eric Ryback was certainly a god in my eyes (still is), and became known as one of the greatest hikers of his time. Many years later, some friends of mine found Eric's address. I corresponded with him - me the babbling groupie - and he sent me copies of his two books, including the very one that started it all. In it he wrote the inscription: "Tim - May your vision of life be from the top of a mountain." That book would be one of two or three things that I would grab on the way out of a burning building.

I had not read that book since high school, but since all of the visions of my youth were swirling around in my head this evening, I thought, what the heck, why not open it and see what old Eric had to say. Several hours later I had once again read this great book end to end.

The first time that I read it in high school, I read each paragraph with amazement and wonder. There was still plenty of that this night, but I also was filled with thoughts of "oh yea, I have done that, and I know exactly what you mean and how you felt." Wow, what an adventure! I would never be half the hiker that Eric was, but at least now I could relate on a more human level. I was, however, still impressed, amazed, and in total awe at this incrdible human being.

Eric lives at the end of the trail that I have been working on since the 70's - a thousand trail miles away - and I have often wondered if I should ever go meet him. Perhaps I should wait until that project is complete - that would be my ultimate reward for 25 years of work. Sometimes meeting your idols is a big let down, but somehow I don't think this would be like that at all. It would be more like meeting that huge buck this morning - I would simply stand there in stunned silence, unable to speak or move.

Several times during my marathon reading session, a snack would appear on the floor next to me. Aspen had taken up residence right in front of the fire, and would come on over and lay down at my feet from time to time. I needed to get out the mustard and relish, because he was a real "hot" dog! Sorry about that.

12/26/99 I was in the hot tub when it happened, and had almost gone back to sleep. I opened my eyes to one of the most incredible color displays that I had ever seen - the clouds above the eastern horizon were simply on fire! And there was a band of clouds that stretched all the way overhead, and they too were all lit up (sorry Lisa). I leaned over and looked through the rail down to the river - it glowed orange from the reflection. I really do need to take the camera to the tub with me for such images!

It was warm - 42 degrees - mostly clear and no wind at all. A TERRIFIC day to be in the woods! But I had lots of computer chores to do this day, so Aspen and I took a short hike and then I sat down inside and worked most of the morning.

But when the clock stuck noon, we were off and headed down the hill towards the river. This time I grabbed Aspen in time to get him down the ladder and we were on our way. It was a SPLENDID day to hike! Lots of sunshine, with temps in the 50's. Didn't look like the trail down to the river had been used in some time. Aspen loved exploring this brand new section of woods for him.

We quickly reached the valley floor and the edge of the river. Aspen had never been to a river before, and he really did not know quite what to think of it. At first, he just splashed right out into it, but soon retreated. It didn't take him long to realize that something out there was cold and wet! But the water was SO clear - it just looked like another pile of colorful rocks to him. I got a kick out of the several times he just stepped right off of a dry rock and into the river, thinking it was solid! Poor little fellow. He does have webbed feet though, and is a natural born swimmer, so I expect him to spend a great deal of time in the water. But today he was just learning what "wet" was all about.

Clearest water that I believe I have ever seen in Arkansas. And with the blue sky and a slight breeze blowing, there were a lot of nice patterns of color and shape on the surface of the water, with polished stones visible beneath.

After a half hour or so of playing in the water, we headed into the woods and started on a ramble up the Whitaker Creek Drainage. A "ramble" is different from a "bushwhack" - a bushwhack is basically hiking without a trail, but still trying to get to someplace specific. A ramble is hiking without a trail too, but with no particular route or destination in mind. I have been doing a lot of rambling lately, and rather enjoy it.

Whitaker Creek was flowing pretty good, and we followed along beside it for a while, with Aspen splashing through one pool after another. At one point I stopped and laid down across a large smooth boulder. There was a small waterfall at the far end of this boulder, splashing down into one of the pools. The waterfall was made up of dozens of bands of silver and blue, and created hundreds of tiny bubbles as they hit the surface of the pool. Waterfalls don't have to be large to be beautiful.

Further up the drainage I came across a number of beechnut hulls. I had never really examined these little guys before, and I soon got fascinated with them. The outside of the hull is covered with micro spines. The seeds had burst out and dropped to the ground no doubt before the hull plunged to the ground. Looking up, I could still see a lot of the hulls attached to the bare limbs. Hum, these hulls would make a good picture I thought. Good thing I brought my camera!

The digital camera does not take good macro shots, so I would need a number of the hulls in order to photograph them. It seems that one of the best things that I do out here is gather nuts and stuff. And collecting beechnut hulls was no exception - I jumped right in and soon had a handful of them.

And then I discovered that there were also lots of beechnuts around on the ground too. I had never seen these little guys before, and decided to include them in the picture. Beechnuts are very small, about a quarter inch long, with three sides, all coming to a point on one end. They are very hard too. I've seen deer grazing on them before, but never any other critters.

I really got into this beechnut gathering thing. And the best spot for them was this large round boulder, about six feet tall and ten feet across. It was covered with thick moss, which held the nuts and hulls quite well. Before long I was spread out across the top of the boulder, hanging down the side, collecting and making little piles. Then I heard voices. Oops.

A young couple was hiking downstream and came across the creek to where me and my boulder were. Aspen ran and took cover. They were a little surprised to see someone down here, as was I. They had hiked down from near the main trailhead, and said there were a lot of folks hiking out to the Crag today. I could understand why.

They wanted to know what the heck I was doing. "Collecting beechnuts" I said. Hum. At first they were not impressed. Then I showed them my little piles, and they got more interested. "Why was I collecting them" they asked. "So that I can take a picture and put it in the online journal." "What is the journal about?" "Well, today it will be about collecting beechnuts." I know that sounded a bit odd, but that is what I was doing.

Much to my surprise, they got down on their hands and knees and began collecting too. Hum, now there were three weird folks in the woods today. After about five minutes, I proclaimed enough nuts and hulls, and thanked them for their help. They smiled and then continued their trek downstream, holding hands.

I didn't really want to say anything to them, but I had been gathering the nuts for over an hour! Oh well, it was a glorious day outside, and I was having a great time. And so was Aspen. While he didn't help with the nuts, he never stopped moving, and explored everything in sight at least three times. This dog was made for the outdoors.

With pockets full of beechnuts and hulls, I moved onto a rock where I could pile all of them up and get a good vantage point for a picture. My first attempt at this ended up with nuts and hulls all over the place, as Aspen ran right through the middle of my picture.

I had to work fast because the sun was setting and the light was constantly changing. Yet it was only 3pm - Whitaker Valley is quite deep, and the sun sets early down there!

With my picture finally taken, we headed up and away from the creek and back into the deep woods. I left the nuts all piled up, hoping that some little critter would stumble onto the motherlode and have a happy Christmas.

The trip out was a warm and quick one. There was a lot of heavy breathing, and a bit of snickering. The breathing was me. Aspen had no problem scaling the steep hillside, and in fact did it several times, as he ran back and forth, bouncing along just like it was flat land. I made it to the top without stopping, but had to suck a lot of air.

It had been a terrific first visit to the river for Aspen. I know he will eventually take to the water, and it will probably become an issue of getting him to ever leave and come home.

After a bit of dinner and a hot shower for me, I hauled some firewood up and stoked up the fireplace. Then we wandered off into the darkness towards the office to get a little more work done. It was coal black outside, with a million twinkling stars above. The moon rise will be late tonight, and it will still be high in the sky when it is time for my soak at dawn. I love winter in the Ozarks!

12/28/99 Wind chill of minus one degree at dawn. That was cold enough for me to forgo trying to dry off in the wind after my soak in the hot tub - I simply ran to the cabin and headed for the fireplace. Sometimes "The Way of the Peaceful Warrior" just doesn't sound as good as a warm fire feels.

Today was a newsletter day, and I spent more than four hours processing the OHTA newsletter that I had written yesterday, and then drove the large box full of them out to the mailbox. The new office layout is great for doing the newsletter work - there is so much counter space that I can lay out all of the copies and put labels and stamps on them. My goal is to keep all of that free space, and not pile stuff up on it all, as is usually the case.

I have decided that Monday will be Cajun day at Cloudland - which means red beans and rice. I missed Monday this week, but decided to make up a big batch of my special recipe at noon today. The recipe is finally just the way I like it now, with a little extra of this or less of that as ingredients are available. They always eat beans and rice in Louisiana on Mondays. The best bowl that I ever had was on a Monday at the Ernst Cafe in New Orleans.

After a couple bowls, it was time for the afternoon chores, which was to be wood chopping today. Only problem was that the temp was up in the 50's with clear blue skies - perfect hiking weather! Plus, a pair of red-tailed hawks were soaring over the valley, calling out to me to come and play. What could I do?

Just as we were leaving the cabin, Aspen spotted a flock of bluebirds in the front yard. There seem to be more and more birds around the cabin lately. Could be that I have been throwing out a bit of seed here and there. But there are also more creepers in the trees, and juncos, and all sorts of birds around. Aspen is glad to see all of the activity.

But we headed off to the west, for some trail walking and some bushwhacking and some rambling. It was a glorious afternoon for a stroll through the forest indeed. Not hardly any wind at all. Before we knew it, we had arrived at the mailbox. After pocketing a couple of letters, we took off across a nearby field. Then rambled through the woods, then across a giant green field. Aspen must have run ten miles by the time we reached the far end - chasing birds, mostly meadow larks. I never saw a dog smile so much.

Then we headed down through a stretch of woods that I had not been to before. And soon we came across a pond, and it was filled to the brim. Aspen still doesn't realize that the web feet he runs on are for swimming, but someday he will, and then I won't be able to keep him out of the water. And next to the pond, a long straight rock wall. It had been fifty years or so since this area had been clear I bet - lots of big trees growing up all around.

On the way back, we passed the big rock spot, and saw that Bob and been there with a tractor, and had moved the rock. End of that story. The rock will now become part of the Faddis cabin.

The sun was setting by the time we reached the cabin. The low light this time of the year has a very special quality about it, and a bit of nice yellow/orange color. And there was no sound at all, except for the low rush of the river far below. If we don't get some rain soon, that river music will go underground.

Oh yea, I was supposed to chop some wood today! I dug out the maul and got right to it. While my favorite time to chop wood is in the snow, it felt great today as well. I need to get into the habit of chopping wood for an hour a day - then I can eat all the M&M's that I want to! (I do anyway.)

With the wood chopped, and another bowl of beans and rice down, I sat and talked on the phone for a few minutes. Aspen passed out at my feet - I'll be he went 15-20 miles this afternoon. I hiked 6 or 7.

Then it was off into the woods once again, this time by flashlight, up to the office for a couple hours of work. I really love having the office out here.

12/29/99 Another warm and sunny day. Spent the morning moving the computer station in the cabin down into the basement. That will free up space for an oak dining table and chairs that I will move out from my house in town. Plus create another out of the way place for folks to read, play cards, or whatever. I guess that spot will be called the library, since it is also where the bookshelves are located.

But the call of the sunshine was too much to continue indoor work all day, so Aspen and I headed out. We saw a pair of hiker right off the bat - they had come from Hawksbill Crag and were right outside the cabin, looking for a route back to the trailhead. Before we reached the mailbox, we had passed FIVE MORE groups of hikers! Good grief, all these folks out in the middle of the week. It was great to see all of them, and why not, since the weather was so terrific.

I did a little test at the mailbox, putting the outgoing mail there, and then waiting around until the mailman arrived with the days incoming mail. I found a nice spot right in the middle of a nearby field, then laid down on my back and gazed up into the cobalt blue sky. Aspen took off and explored every inch of the field and surrounding woodland. It felt kind of like an early summer day out there in the field, with the warm sunshine and not a care in the world. I think that everyone should take a bit of time out of every day and lay or sit down somewhere and just let the world go by. Or chase birds like Aspen was doing. It does help renew the soul.

My plan worked, and before long the mailman had arrived, and so I was able to turn two trips into one. I will be getting a mountain bike soon so that the trip out to the mailbox won't take so long, and then I may make two trips a day - great exercise for both of us.

We took another short hike around the area at sunset, which was spectacular. One the way back to the cabin, a group of coyotes sang out from over on Beagle Mountain. Stopped Aspen in his tracks - first time he had heard them before. He wasn't really sure what to make of them, and didn't know if he should run towards them, stay put, or strike up a conversation with them. We stood there for a few minutes listening, then moved on.

The sky full of stars tonight was as brilliant as I had ever seen! I mean the kind of vision that takes your breath away. Just incredible.

12/30/99 The sky was filled with black clouds at first light this morning, and they were moving rapidly towards the east. Then a bit of pink begin to show, but the color was on the SOUTHERN horizon. Odd. The color spread and grew more intense, from delicate pink to vivid orange. And then it spread some more. Soon the sky overhead was orange, and the entire eastern horizon. I turned around and found that the WESTERN horizon was also lit up! It was nearly 100% color all around, something I had never witnessed before. Of course, it was impossible to photograph something as wide as that, but I did take a few snapshots, once I got out of the tub.

It was 50 degrees, but since the wind was blowing pretty good, it was a bit chilly on my dripping body.

The rest of the day was filled with color too - blue and red. I hate to paint. Loathe it. But the steel doors on the new office had to be painted, and it didn't look like anyone was going to do it but me. So I picked the warmest day in December - it got up into the 60's this afternoon. All three doors blue, to match the metal roof. Although it isn't really the same shade blue. Somehow Aspen managed to keep his tail and the rest of his fur off of the wet doors long enough for them to dry. And then, finally, I installed three door knobs - haven't had any up to this time. Not that there is really anything to steal here, but it has just looked kind of funny without any knobs on the doors.

After that awful chore was complete, we took off in the warm afternoon sunshine for a little hike. I took Aspen up to my favorite little hilltop. He seemed to really like it, and spent nearly an hour running through the thick brush chasing the wind. I just laid back and counted clouds - although the sky was pure blue.

OK, it was back to work. As I fired up the computer, I noticed a flash of red on the floor - blood. Aspen was covered with it, and he was getting it all over the new office! Lots around his neck, on the back of his head, jaw, and on most of his paws. I quickly rounded up a damp rag, got him outside, and tried to figure out what was going on. Unable to find a wound, I took him down to the cabin for a good washing with warm soapy water. I got most of the blood off his fur, but still never found a wound. The only thing that I could figure is that a briar punctured him around his neck area, then he scratched it and spread the blood around. Puncture wounds are often difficult to find, especially under all of that fur. He seems to be OK tonight, although is sticking very close to me. I suspect that he will get torn up quite a bit around here as time goes on - a lot of the fun stuff for a dog is in the middle of briar patches and at the edge of cliffs!

12/31/99 New Year's Eve was mostly calm and quiet at Cloudland - well, maybe not too quiet - I spent a bit of time with the stereo turned up listening to some old favorites. This night has always meant music to me. And while there were lots of Y2K bugs that popped up, Aspen took care of them in short order - he just loves to gobble up those wasps! And I gobbled up a plate full of a new dish that I made of smoked salmon pasta - a ton of calories to help keep me warm, just in case the world shut down and I had to live off of my own fat for a year.

And speaking of favorites, I'm sure most of you have grown tired of all the lists of things that turn up at the end of the year, as I have. But I decided to put down a list of some of my favorite music, and thought now was the best time to do it. So here goes. I limited my Beatles selection to just one - could have easily made up the entire top ten with just their songs.

• I Should Have Known Better - The Beatles
• Dying To Live - Edgar Winter
• Lady Of The Island - Crosby, Stills and Nash
• Sweet Baby James - James Taylor
• Stairway To Heaven - Led Zeppelin
• Home Again - Carole King
• Make It With You - Bread
• Diamonds And Rust - Joan Biaz
• Poems, Prayers and Promises - John Denver
• Cherish - The Association

These songs represent not only favorites, but some that have made a big difference in my life. Like for instance, I spent an entire night jogging next to a tree in freezing temps singing Home Again - had it not been for that song in my head, I probably would have froze to death. Sweet Baby James is one of many theme songs of mine, and I always sing it at the top of my lungs. Poems, Prayers and Promises was my favorite song of all time to play on the guitar. Cherish is the way I have felt about many girlfriends. Stairway to Heaven is the best song to make love to. Dying to Live brought me out of deep depression in high school and gave me hope for a future. And some songs, like I Should Have Known Better, Lady of the Island, and Make it with You, simply make my lay back and smile, dreaming of the love of my life, a future soulmate who has not checked in yet.

I could easily come up with a dozen "top ten" lists of my favorite music, including many newer songs. But the above list has stood the test of time, and will always be up there at the top.

My first New Year's at Cloudland was back in 1992, right after I bought the property. I had to hike in because there was no road, and rung in the new year from my tent (the cabin sits right on top of that campsite). I'm sure that in the years to come there will be many more nights spent here, and some spent elsewhere. I can think of no finer place though to celebrate the end of one year, and the beginning of another. Cheers!

January 2000 Journal