Buck's Babble

So its no secret we have a few cats. 7 to be exact. They all have their history and personalities so let me introduce each one. See my photo album, 'Cats', to see each one. I'll start with the oldest: Princey. She is the oldest of our cats and around 13 years old. She came from Texas when our other black cat died. She is all black (except her bare belly which she loves to pluck her hair out). She's been through a helluva lot with all the moves we've made since our Army days in Texas. For now, she's settled in as an inside cat. Her place is in my room on the top of the couch. She mostly sits there and plucks.....or pukes. Yeah, she's known as the puker. She goes into a huge body spasm every so often and poltergeists hopefully somewhere safe. If not, and if Zelda (see below) doesn't get it, it makes a mean mess. Princey loves me for some reason, even though I ignore her and give her a bad time every time she ralphs somewhere. I'm her fav...

Yreka High School Academic Scholars Award (GPA 3.5 - 4.0) Spring 2008 Grade 9 Jessica Alvarez Michael Atchley Wade Berryhill Kalina Betts Theresa Borg Taylor Brooks Samuel Buckner

Yreka (pronounced why- REEka ) is an awesome, quiet, small town. So how did I end up here and what the heck is Yreka ? I was living in Salinas, my hometown, with my mom in the late 80s wondering what the hell to do with myself. My girlfriend at the time mentioned the California Conservation Corps might be up my tree-hugging tree. I checked them out and joined, wanting a location way out there. I was assigned to the CCC in Siskiyou . After my training I hopped into a CCC van and headed north. After Redding , CA, suddenly there were no more signs of people as we headed into thick forests and beautiful mountains. Finally I ended up out at an ole Air Force Base which the CCC had made their home. It sat out in the middle of a beautiful valley all by itself, with Mt Shasta towering over the entire valley. I was in heaven . I worked 2 years with them, climbing into the...

Mossbrae Falls 2003 

Watching football today, cleaning house, playing catch-up. Ang is working, they've started their Fall burn projects so she will be doing a lot of prescribed burns. Been busy at home. School, work, soccer, kids, busy, busy. Kids have soccer practice Tues/Wed/Thurs and games on Sat, and Mon. I have classes in Weed on Tues and Thurs. I pick up Ang on Tues nights and take her back on Fri mornings. Weather has cooled but is still real nice. Had a great visit with my sister and John. Wish they could've stayed a week! Emily really liked having Christy around. Gas has been bad. Thinkin about trading our Xterra in for a 50-60 MPG sedan car or something. 18/21 just don't cut it with all the driving we do and gas the way it is with no end in sight. Love to all.

Hey, guys, how do I look?! 

Spanky lookin to unload! 

AHHHHH! 

My bed tonight! 

The Soccer Queen. They won their game 3-1 on Saturday 

Art by emily 

Blue Horizons 

Kickin it good today and watching the NFL. Awesome to see the New Orleans Saints win their game considering they have no home stadium and probably wont play a single home game this year. Sam spent the night at a friends and Emily did too. So, I took off, went to USA Gas and spent 3 hours catching up on work I hadn't done there for over a month. Felt good to get it done. Ang took a sick day Friday which was nice to have her home an extra day. Emily had a soccer game Saturday morning after dropping Ang off at work. 3 hours of driving by noon. I could just feel the money melting into the highway. Watching the 49ers now, might have a decent team this year. Gonna be a tough first game against the Rams. Otherwise, life goes on. Love.

My pet is a duck. His name is Dick. He wades into the pond. Dick likes to swim in the pond. He kicks his feet and legs to make a big splash. Dick dips into the pond. Then he lets the sun dry his coat as he floats. He goes "Quack, quack" as he sits on the pond. Dick pecks at bugs with his bill as he stands by the side of the pond. The pond is the home of six more ducks. It is fun to see the ducks play tag. Taken from: Morrow, Coletta. My Pet Dick . Beka Book Publications. 1979.

Well, Ang came back and tried to get on a FEMA team through her volunteer dept to head out today or the next couple. Would have been a great experience, addition to her resume, ability to use her skills, and something she would never forget. Unfortunately, finances are going to keep her from going. FEMA reimburses her volunteer dept (probably through the county treasurer like it does now) and so she might be gone 1-3 months, and not get anything until after months after she got back. Unfortunately our family has to keep on living too. The pay was good I just wish they could do it like direct deposit or something. So, she'll be back to Goosenest Friday morning. Wish she could have helped....what a fuckin mess out there!! I have no more tears to give. Both kids are in soccer. Emily will be giving the clarinet a go this year. Sam also wants to play basketball. Sam has different classrooms and teachers for each subject this year so that's pretty cool. We'll see if h...

Veggin all weekend. Working around the house and garden. Emily has been spending the night with a friend of hers who is Karuk Indian. What a doll she is. Emily spent the night there last night and so, as usually happens, the next night is over here, which is tonight. I don't care, whatever to have some fun. I'm watching drag racing and cant keep the tube off of Katrina coverage all weekend. Spaghetti tonight witha sauce which I add meatballs and garlic-sauteed zuchinni from the garden. Awesome taste and the kids love it. One great thing about having a garden always is the kids have grown up loving veggies. Have you seen the movie Supersize Me ? Great docu about Fast Food (especially Micky Dees), obesity in America, and health in general. Pretty eye opening how our country has become so fast food and less good healthy homecooking. Our kids and their future are the ones who will suffer. I made my kids watch it to maybe open their eyes to how corporate America contro...

I am without words for Katrina and the Gulf Coast. Such a mix of emotions. Tears and sadness for the misery people are suffering; anger that our leaders couldn't respond or figure out that we needed to respond until way too late; embarrassed to be an American when our ever-growing FAT people cannot even save themselves---and all paraded in their huge glory across the global screen; embarrassed at the poverty that finally reared its ugly head for all Americans to see. Yes, we have millions living in poverty across the country as most head for relaxation over Labor Day. Enough, thank goodness for people willing to help. Need to send in a SF unit to take out the criminal element throughout the city. Take away our social controls and people revert to pure fucking stupidity. Anyway, I'm heartbroken and at the same time so disappointed in people, especially under the current administration. Yreka has gotten together a crew with the Red Cross and will be heading there if they h...

Here's the latest on Ang's fire. She was supposed to be released today but they told her that yesterday too. So, who knows when she'll make her way back to their station , and then home. Incident: Harding Released: 2005-08-30 11:00:00 Sierraville…The Harding Fire in the Tahoe National Forest is 100 percent contained with 2,270 acres burned. “The fire was well tested by the wind and the lines held”, said Val Lambeth, Operations Specialist during the red flag winds event yesterday. The fire and an estimated control date of Friday, September 2. The fire began near Highway 49, approximately 2 miles northeast of Sierraville and then burned towards Antelope Valley. Approximately 100 personal are continuing fire suppression mop up and rehabilitation efforts that include constructing water bars along fire line to minimize slope erosion. The fire will occasionally smolder in a few isolated areas well within the perimeter probably until the first fall rains put an end to fire seas...