"Winter"

Good morning. Here comes the sun. Winter has come to our cabin in the woods. Burrrr! Gypsy and I are dealing with it best we can. I put on many layers of clothing and Gypsy gets covered with her favorite blanket while she sleeps. We like the cooler weather, but , sometimes it gets alittle too cold for us. We were greeted by a beautiful, clear too cold a morning to sit on the porch. I poured a pitcher of fresh water into her dish and as I turned to hurry back in the cabin something stired inside my memory of another time and place. I will think about this later and just be happy now to be back in the warm cabin. The fireplace held onto the warmth of yesterday's fire. The smell and sound of my expresso coffee maker on the stove got my attention, telling me to stop the morning chores and pay attention to the arrival of a new day. Gypsy barked with urgency telling me to hurry and open the door. She was very cold. Since it is cold, we will do our meditating inside the cabin, watching the fire in the fireplace, listening to our Christmas music and watching the blue and green lights and decorations sparkle on the Christmas tree standing in Grandmother Milnor's antique, copper, applebutter kettle. Wonderful memories come with this kettle. The kids first memories are of blue and green decorations on the Christmas tree. They object to any changes in this tradition. It is time for me to give thanks for all the wonderful memories filled by those who touched our lives in so many ways. This is music for my soul.
As the sunrise came, the clouds were orange with a dark, gray edge, surrounded by a very blue sky. It was crystal clear. The trees in the woods filtered the first sunlight with there lacey branches, filling our eyes with impressions that will be stored in our memories for another time. As the sun moved higher up the horizon, the light around it became a blinding, white, silvery glow, too bright to look at very long. The camera in my mind snapped this picture providing fuel for my mind. Some white clouds have drifted over the sun and softened the light that will lead us into another day.
The smell of wood burning in the cabin fireplace took me to another time and place. It reminded me of the Christmas Holiday's our family, Nick, Sarah, Daniel and John and I spent at our Tie Siding, Wyoming Ranch. Tie Siding was one store on highway 287, just south of Laramie. It housed a library, post office and grocery store. It marked the corner where we turned onto the Cherakee Park road that went to our ranch roads. The snows came early here at 8000ft where the Cherakee Park Road ended and the cattle guards that marked the beginning of the 5M (5Milnors) ranch roads began. The first ranch road was to our good friend's Juan and Joni's house. The second ranch road went to our log house. Often when we arrived the pinon and ponderosa pine trees and the mountains were covered with a fresh, white snow. Sometimes the drifts were so deep we could not open the doors to the house. Animal tracks made snowflake like patterns in the snow. During the day the sky was blue mingled with white, fluffy clouds. The wind whistled around corners and windows and through the trees. At night the landscape took on a blue color as the moon brushed it's light over the snow. This was a magical light. It created a winter wonderland.
There were fires burning in the fireplaces as the kids were bundling up to go sledding and ride the snow mobiles. There tracks joining the animal tracks for their adventures in the snow. We had decorated a Christmas tree and wrapped gifts. All was well. Just to be at a place like this was a gift to our family. We realize where we are now is a small version of the Wyoming ranch. The memory called me back until I found this cabin in the woods. I count my blessings from the past and look to the blessings of the present. There are many.
The gifts are hidden where wandering eyes cannot find them. The Christmas music is playing softly as it finds and winds around the Christmas decorations you so carefully placed around your house. You have been thinking about what gifts to get for all the special people in your life and are wondering when you will have time to shop for them. You think about Baby Jesus and His journey. You think about your journey and all those whoe shadow crossed your path. What a great time of the year to remember old friends and be thankful for new ones. Blessings fall on us like raindrops from heaven. All we have to do is close are unbrellas.

Misc.

Spend your time and money at the organic grocery store, not, at the doctor's office.
It is a warm, December, Sunday at the cabin. There was a huge buck at the feeding area this morning looking for a meal. He was very wary. It is hunting season here at the cabin and these boys know it. Sort of like downtown.
I have been watching Gypsy watch a squirrel on the squirrel tree where the feeder hangs. Her passion. She has been on point for a long time. The squirrel is very entertaining, keeping us spellbound with it's antics. Time well spent. Not at all like watching television.
Since moving to the cabin I have learned the meaning of a good night's sleep. It is dark and quiet. Not at all like taking sleeping pills.
When I look out my window I see no people, houses, tall buildings or cars. I don't hear them either. It is not like the city.
The city offers many wonderful things and deserves a visit now and then.
The squirrel is gone and so am I.

"Words"

"Words" By Cara Milnor

the words surround us
pulling us into them
weaving mind tapestry
capturing us like a prisoner
holding us in wonder
a writers love affair with you
who choose to read his words
forming an endless string
that twists and turns
completely entwining us
the reader completing
the writer searching
for the last word

Wind

Today is the first day of December and our first, first day of December at the cabin. The wind played us it's song all night long as it whistled through the windows we opened to catch the wind's gift, the breeze. As we layed in bed we wondered what the wind would bring to the woods for us. It was a damp, muggy breeze as a front had gone through leaving it's clouds and a misting drizzle for us to discover as we awoke to start our morning chores. Gypsy reminded me of the most important chore as she crawled out of her pink, sheepskin lined dog bed, that rests on the navy, blue leather sofa she owns. Hide the dog biscuits on the backporch and in the cabin. This was done as soon as I had my morning pot of expresso brewing on the stove. The temperature is almost seventy degrees, so Gypsy and I spent time on the backporch. We watched the woods as the curtain went up and the performance began. As the sun came up above a heavy layer of gray clouds, it cast a pink glow over the woods and sky, our stage. The trees and the tall, pink grass did their dances, directed by the wind. The moving clouds had picked up just a hint of the pink sunrise providing the perfect backdrop for this scene. The sound of the wind was the orchestra for this beautiful production. The harp and flute Christmas music we had playing wrapped it's notes through the fingers of the wind. It took our breath away. Surely this was our first Christmas gift directly from God's theatre. We hope we have sent it on to you. Gypsy and I were content to sit backstage and watch this performance. God has given us this time. We know how lucky we are to be here. We give thanks for all of you and our many blessings.

"Bad Guy!"

A couple of nights ago as I sat down on the edge of my bed to take off my slippers, I felt something crawling on my left ankle. As I looked down at my ankle I saw a scorpion making his way up my leg. Just where does he think he is going? I took my left hand and swished him off as fast as I could. Nothing to ponder here. Don't want a bite from that guy. Then, I discovered I had no idea where that swish landed him. What pursued was a search of most of the room, inclucing my bedding. This is not good just before you are ready to put your head on your pillow for a GOOD night's sleep. However, this is his territory and I am the visitor. I didn't find him , but, one of the glue traps I put down caught him as he wandered the floor around edges of my room in the dark of the night. Sometimes it isn't hard to recognize a bad guy. When they have a tail with a venomous sting, they are a bad guy. Gypsy missed this adventure. She was asleep on the navy blue leather sofa in the living room in the new pink, sheepskin lined dog bed I just purchased for her. I don't know maybe, I should try the pink sheepskin and let Gypsy have my bed. So it goes, here at the cabin, where we are wiling away our days pondering the events great and small of our life in the Texas Hill Country. News from the cabin gang minus one scorpion.

"Buried Alive?"

Shortly after Gypsy, my English Pointer dog and I moved to the cabin, a few feral cats began to apppear at our front door. You might ask," How do you know they are feral cats?" Easy, they walk with their tails down. We thought a few of these beautiful cats would be a good idea to keep unwanted critters at bay. So, we put some food out on the front porch for them. There was a good bit of nose to nose hissing until we put a dish of food out for each cat. We are learning. They had to be happy with dog food at first because that was all we had. They ate it like there was no tomorrow. We named one cat Butchie Bull's Eye because he had a bull's eye on his side. Not a good thing since he lives here in the center of a hunting area. My daughter named one cat Half and Half because he is half white and half gray. We named another cat Bobbed Tail Boss, because she turned out to be the boss of all the cats. She was also the mother of two beautiful kittens. One was a bobbed tail. Several other cats have tried to move in here, but, to no avail. Bobbed Tailed Boss said no and the food supply said no. The food supply normally determines the number of feral cats you will have. Gypsy and I and Bobbed Tailed Boss felt six cats were enough for us.
So, on with my story. I soon discovered the kittens liked to crawl into the interior recesses of my car. So, before I could start my engine I had to honk the horn, jingle my keys above the four wheel wells and open the hood to check for hidden kittens. When I started to back up, I would do so in short bursts to give any stragglers a final chance to get away. Well, you may have guess it. One day as I was getting ready to go to town, little bobbed tail kitty did't make it out of some recess of my car in time. As I was constantly checking, I found her dying by the back tire of my car. I was extremely upset and was not at all sure I could go to town. However, after contemplating the situation throughly I decided to bury the bobbed tail kitten and go to town. Because the ground around the cabin is mostly rock, I could not get the shovel in the ground for a proper buriel. Then I spotted my cedar compost pile. I could bury the cat there. So, I carefully picked up the kitten and wrapped in in a soft cloth. I then dug a small hole in my compost pile and buried the kitten. I cried on the way to town, but, felt I had done all I could to protect the cats. This was a sad beginning to an otherwise lovely day at the cabin.
Several days later my eight year old grandson Kody came to the cabin for a visit. I told him the story of the little, bobbed tailed kitten. He said,"Grandma, can we go check on the kitten?" I reminded him the the kitten was dead and buried. He said he did't care, he still wanted to check. I said,"OK." We went to the pump house to get a shovel and headed towards the cedar compost pile. I put the shovel in the compost exactly where I had buried the kitten. Once, twice I turned the compost with the shovel. No kitten. Kody and I pondered this situation. He said,"Maybe, Grandma the kitten wasn"t dead when you buried it." Oh my! I decided it would have had no problem getting out of the compost pile if it was still alive. That was a definite possibility. Had I buried a kitten alive? This would definitely be a first. Then, we decided some critter might have come in the dark of the night and snatched the little kitten from her grave. We then decided we would probably never know for sure what happened to the kitten. We decided that life is like that. We are reminded life is fragile, and we must be content in each moment of everyday. We don't always have answers to some of the situations life throws at us, but, we do know that after the situation is pondered for a time, it is best to go out and take on the day.
The West wind has come to the woods today telling us a change is coming. Gypsy went back to bed and I went to my writing desk to write. The morning glories on the fence outside the cabin window next to my desk are dancing in the wind. They are cold. The hummimgbirds have gone to a warmer place. Winter is coming to the Texas Hill Country. We like the cooler days. We don't know what the Winter will bring to us and the woods, but, we will ponder it and go out and take on the day.

" Listening and Looking"

One day this week we stopped our car to watch a black and brown tarantula continue his journey across our gravel road. Why does a tarantula cross the road? Perhaps he was on his way home after visiting the tarantula that lives near our back porch. They are gentle, beautiful creatures that share and belong in our beautiful woods. They are welcome here with Gypsy and me.
Early one morning while Gypsy and I were wiling away the day on our back porch, we spotted a small spider who seemed to be suspended in midair. He was surrounded by trees and was busy making a web that we could not see. It was a long distence from the spider to any tree, yet he continued his task. Would his breakfast consist of some unsuspecting creature that became entangled in his web? Would a bird see the spider and have a midair, midmorning snack? Would a branch fall from our newly trimmed trees and break the spider web into tiny pieces rendering it useless? Questions of the day, only the woods can answer.
One of our feral cats persists in roaming the area inside Gypsy's 5ft. cedar post rabbit fence. When we open the back cabin door at 6am, we give it a quick couple of gentle slams to warn all who might be foolish enough to enter Gypsy's area during the quiet hours of the night. Get out while you can! In the morning she goes out to reclaim her territory from any creature who might still linger there. She very nearly got one of the ferel cats. She was shaking it like a rag doll. Not good. I threw a pan of water on her which was intended for her dish and it distracted her long enough for the cat to get up a tree. I was very concerned about the cat. Would it live to return for another bout or die and fall out of the tree? The cat was ok. It recovered after spending time up in the tree after I put Gypsy in the house. It has not returned. Lesson learned.
It may be I have one of the nine lives of those feral cats. I put some chops on my gas grill to cook and when I returned to check them I saw the heat regulating knobs on the front of the grill melting like water running down a water fall. I saw flames comimg out the front of the grill. Zounds! This was a first for me, and might have been my last. Thinking as fast as a 69 year old can, I reached down and turned off the gas. One of the men who were here at this time trimming my trees came to help. He checked out the grill. The hose from the gas tank to the knobs had deteriorated and was burning the gas intended for the burner. He said it was a good thing I came out when I did, since the tank could have exploded. Not a good thing! He snipped one of the grates and hemmed and hawed and told me I could now burn charcoal in the grill. Seemed like a good idea to me. Thank you Jeff.
The wind whistling through the Texas cabin windows sounds the same as the wind whistling through the Wyoming log home windows. The wind here last night reminded me of the sounds I heard while staying there. Sometimes the woods not only sounds like Wyoming, but, it smells like Wyoming. Have you ever counted how many times a smell reminds you of a lost memory? Happens alot as you get older and is a joyful experience most of the time. You know Fall is here at the cabin, when the cool wind blows all night and the red oaks change the color of their leaves to paint a new face on the woods. Everything is changing in the woods and since this is our first Fall season here, we don't want to miss anything. There is one exception. I wouldn't mind having missed the poison ivy that is making my right wrist itch. Bad stuff! .
It is good to lay aside the tasks of the day and listen to the wind in the woods. The wind and the woods will not wait. They call to me as I listen to the sound of the wind making the trees talk. They call to me as I sit by the open window next to my desk and feel the soft, cool breeze cover my arms and face and whisper in my ears. They tell me to count my blessings and be thankful for friends near and far, neighbors and family. They tell me not to worry and complain and critize. They tell me not to be angry. They tell me not to judge and to be kind to all living creatures. They tell me to walk softly, rest easy, be at peace and listen.