Hello!

I know it's been forever since I have updated. I have now moved to Chico, CA. I live out in the boondocks now. I really mean it, the GPS unit can't even help me get home. There are three ways to get home and all of them involve at least 2 miles of gravel road if not more. I am about a 1/2 mile from the Sacramento River. I have a neighbor across the drive, but other than that, the nearest neighbor is about 1 1/2 miles down a gravel road. I live in the prestigious "gated" community on the Deseret Farms of Chico. I say "gated" because if you leave too early or come home to late the gates aren't open. I have now had to open the gates twice.

I moved out of my house on September 29 and arrived at my new place that night around 11. There are deer where I live and so I kept my eyes out for them and spotted two as I was coming in that night. Luckily since it was a gravel road I couldn't be going fast enough to worry about them. The only way I would hit them is if they decided to commit suicide and run into my car.

The next night I needed to go to town to pick up some groceries. The missionary couple that lives next door made me a map on how to get to town. However, they forgot to write down the names of the streets I need to turn on. So on the way back home, I had my GPS unit on to see if I could at least get close to home and then try to nose my way around. All of a sudden I saw a sign for a street I thought I needed, so I slammed on my brakes and turned quickly....so sorry to the car tailgating me. My GPS unit freaked out and wanted me to make a u-turn. Then Mom called and I was talking to her and it was pitch black and I missed the road I was to turn on. Luckily I made it to work and then could make it home. So in the two miles of gravel road, I saw about 10 deer that night. I spotted three, then about another 1/2 mile, I saw another two, and so on. By my house there were another three.

Apparently we have wild turkeys and boar as well. Allegedly there are also coyotes, but no one has seen them. They only know little pets disappear. Sam and Phil will not be venturing out of the house.

As for Sam and Phil, they made the trip okay. They are a bit traumatized, but that is to be expected. I thought the road trip was going to be torturous with 6 hours of two meowing cats. But as soon as I got up to speed, they settled in and only meowed when I yelled at the stupid drivers around me. Finally when we got in that night I put them in the bathroom and left them there since the movers were coming in the next day. I didn't want to have to try to hunt them down. So when the movers left I opened the bathroom to let them out. However, they wouldn't come out. They stayed in their crate all day Wednesday and when I came home from work on Thursday they were still there. They are still mad at me and Phil wouldn't come out from under the bed until about 8 tonight.

On a sad and disturbing note, I have a rodent in the house. I am a bit scared it may be a rat. I am not sure if it is a mouse or a rat. I found fresh droppings on the carpet in the living room. Yuck. I guess I will just have to get some Decon and put it in places Sam and Phil can't get to it.

I am halfway unpacked and just found out I might be able to move to another (smaller) house in December. Yeah!!! One of the other workers has bought a house and will be able to move in December so I will be able to get that house. It is significantly smaller. I am in the 4000 sq ft home, and it is only 1200 + it has a garage. Boo Hoo. But I think I can handle that. I don't need 4000, and I had been in 1600 so going to 1200 wouldn't be bad. It is right across the street from work and the company pool is only a couple hundred feet away. That will be good in the summer.

As for the weather here, it has been great. It is chilly for me. I know all you northerners will make fun of me, but is only getting up into the 70's and the lows are in the 40's. I can't find my sweaters and I don't even have a jacket. I have had to dig trough my boxes until I found a blanket since I have been cold. However, the people are scaring me a bit with the El Nino stuff. I have heard several times that the floods are coming. Floods are coming??? They also state that I need to be ready to be without power for several days. What? No power!!! No power means the well pump will not work, which means no water for the toilets, showers, or cooking. That would be why my walk in freezer is currently full of bottles of water. That makes sense now.

Oh the joys of living in the middle of nowhere. I am having my moments of thinking "WHAT THE HECK DID YOU JUST DO???"