Wow, where'd the time go?

Since my last post there has been a ton of life, but I suppose rather than allow it to take up the next dozen or so blog posts, I should just leave it back there. The kids are older, one about to head off to college, one playing highly competitive baseball and one in Little League. My better half, partner and best friend has gotten a wonderful job and we are in our dream home. That part I hate to leave in the past, because it is a source of such joy for me.

We have a beautiful home on over an acre at the foothills of the Cascade mountains,. April Fools on us, we awakened to a ton o' snow this morning! The kids were hoping....hoping.....BUMMER! No school delays! We do love here in the forest. We have elk in the yard most days, deer, plenty of squirrels and rabbits. I saw a bobcat a while back who looked like he owned the back yard. Just strutted out of the woods like Paulie Walnuts - all confident swagger. He strolled across the backyard nice and slow until I made a break for the camera. I don't know if he sensed it or heard me, but there wasn't even a sign of him when I returned. I did find his 'scratching post' in the woods bordering the back yard - he scratched the snot out of one of our trees. I keep saying 'he' because it was so stocky and muscular, not because I glimpsed any equipment or name tags.

Our house looks like it belongs out in the forest. Two years old, it has some serious beauty to it. We are truly blessed. I have my little guitar building shop in part of the garage until I get to build my own out back. Our family each has a place here, and my oldest has a car to drive, so he's happy. I've been busy between my ears, both writing and reading - so expect a few reviews in the near future. I'm reading four pretty disparate books now, McCulloughs "John Adams," "Marley and Me," by John Grogan, "Dear Mr. Fantasy" by John Bannon, and "The 5th Horseman," by James Patterson. I jus tfinished Kellerman's, "Obsession," last night. Pretty good read, familiar characters and one day I hope there will be a little more meat on their bones like Crais has done with Elvis Cole and Joe Pike. We've gotten to know so much more about them over the years, and that is yet another reason that we read these books. The story is enough to get me to read them, but it takes more than that for me to seek out an author's work.

I'll close for now, sorry for the absence. I try to do better. I am doing more writing and this is good warm up. C-ya later,


Mark