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This summer didn't turn out like I was hoping it would back in February when all I wanted to do was to concentrate on doing my best with what I have. I've done an absolute crappy job. I have been diligently working hard and doing most things that I was supposed to do but some key elements were passed over for ever so many reasons and have rendered many things a rather big fat flop.

Remember, I have said that September is really my January, I am coming up in a few days on my New Year. (no it isn't my birthday, that was back in August.)

Oh not all was a loss and even the stuff that didn't come to fruition, or at least not abundant fruition, it all has been a tremendous lesson, either those things that didn't quite turn out came together to teach some of us here at Vicktory Farm and Gardens new things, or made some of us hear concepts that others have been stating all along, a few cemented, permanently, concepts and principles that we know now we cannot monkey with from here on out. And some have helped up renew some lost or put away ideas and visions for our little enterprises here.

So, there you have it. My, our, evaluation of this last year, in lovely vague terms. Resolutions will be thoroughly flushed out in the weeks to come. The nice thing about having an unconventional New Year is I am not under pressure to have it all ready on a particular morning, along with a crushing headache and a fuzzy tongue.

The other nice thing is that I ring in my New Year up in my favorite part of the mountains, doing my absolute favorite things: huckleberry picking in Alpine meadows, poking the campfires my husband builds and getting scolded for it, being free to be silly with my girls, and my boys, walking the river, making a pathetic attempt at fishing, identifying mountain flora, fauna and birds... . I always throw several books into the trailer but they rarely get read and I often take paper and pens but I'm not sure I've ever written up there.

So I suppose it isn't entirely true that I am going to be doing my absolute favorite things least ways not all of them eh? But it is a grand time for me to break camp down here, leave what didn't get done to rest and head up to the hill for a time of change not-change.

What this means for you Dear Reader is that I will continue to be absent from my little corner of the blog world. And now even more so.

I am sorry that for the last week or so it seems like I have entirely abandoned coming out to walk around the neighborhood to chit chat, but some crazy exciting and a couple incredibly sad heart wrenching things have been going on in our lives here and though I read everyone that I can incognito off of my Google Reader, I felt I didn't trust myself behind the wheel very well to do some serious driving. There are a boat load of entries for my journal hanging out in the draft section. I have been oozing words lately, just not sure they are for public consumption. Not sure the ones I have shared are necessarily for public consumption, but there you have it. The confusion of the Web and Journal and their child, Blogs.

Maybe things will look different when we get back home or shortly after, the Queen of Lets-Change! certainly hopes so. And so I leave off here. Our favorite farm hand on call, Miss A., will be here and her sister will be here at night with her. So we are always at ease that most likely with those two here instead of us, fewer things will die or wander off.

We will return after the National Holiday. I'll try to take pics. Oooh that reminds me, I need to pack the camera charger into Dirt's truck. Toodles Dear Reader.


Praise God, we just sold our last puppy! Were you worried Dear Reader that we wouldn't or that we would send him to live with you? I wasn't, in fact yesterday after a failed looky lou left I declared he would be sold before we left for camping.

The couple was sweet and sort of new to dogs but I am confident that he is exactly where he is supposed to be. Why God would be interested in our puppies? I don't know, but now I am convinced (again) He is, truly!

Got a call this morning, a woman was asking about our sign out by the highway, (thanks Anna for changing it up and putting our number on it).

"I'm calling for my friend," she says. "Did you have Rat Terrier pups?"

"Yes, we do."

"Do you have a male?"

"That's all we have left, and just one."

"How much?"

"Three hundred."

"That's exactly what she has." (Maybe you shouldn't have disclosed that but okay).

"I'll call her and let her know."

"Oh, one other thing. He is not a puppy puppy, he is five months old. He has had all his shots, is potty trained (well except for the excitment dribbles) does basic obedience (thanks Bet and Anna) sit, stay, come.

Some people like that, a puppy but without all the early puppy stage mess."

"Okay, well I will let her know."

Less than a half-hour later I get a call from a soft spoken man, asking for our address to put into his GPS, direction giving lately is way to easy.

They get here and I'm wondering if someone else will have to call because Mister Howel seems a little worried and stand offish and the gal is clearly nervous around dogs and the fella is not a thousand percent better himself.

But then we hand them dog treats and everyone, including the lady and ginormous Fluffy, are fast friends.

"I'll take him," she says.

"Okay," I say and then to Bet, "Go get the papers for her."

Out of the corner of my ear I here the very pretty gal call him Mister.

"Oh, you can change his name if you want, you don't have to keep it."

"What do you call him?"

Now I am confused because I thought she was calling him Mister as in Mister Howel, I thought Anna who had greated them first with the puppy, had told them his name.

"Mister Howel," I say.

"Oh that is funny because I named him on our way here. I suppose I shouldn't have but I did. I already named him and I named him Mister."

Woah! Thank you God for that enourmously huge confirmation that this is you working.

Mister Howel, now just Mister, rode off down the driveway in a very fancy ride. A shiny black SUV with those cool wheels that go 'round and 'round after you stop.

A lot fancier than what he would have iffin' he stayed here that is for sure!