January-- and all I can say is what a year so far.

Farm Boss and I came home from town to see that the little cedar planted down near the creek was about to be carried away by the still raging water. I went into panic mode as I'd been worried about this since several days ago I had seen the bank crumbling away a foot or so from the small tree. This little cedar has fought for its life before with beavers gnawing it off. It's been tough, but the creek was doing what creeks do with arranging its path to suit itself.

Farm Boss was able to get a rope around it but nothing was easy or even safe. The creek has undercut the bank enough that we have had to fence the sheep out of the house pasture to prevent them walking too close and also going downstream.  Using the tractor, he was able drag it and its root ball away from the water.

When he was doing that, I walked down to be sure he didn't end up downstream himself. Right after I had walked part way, I heard a sharp crack behind me. One of the limbs on the big oak trees fell off. I was lucky when I walked is all I can say.  There was no wind, but just a tree doing what a tree's gotta do.

Besides the weather he and I have had miserable colds that led to other problems and finally a visit to the clinic to see the doctor. I hate going to doctors and put it off as long as possible, but three weeks of not feeling good was too much, and my ear was beginning to hurt. Farm Boss had to be even more convinced that he should go as he likes going in even less than I do. I feared though if he didn't also get on antibiotics, he'd end up reinfecting me; so selfishness said to get him there.

The doctor told him that he looked like what they are seeing a lot of from the university students. Since Farm Boss works with students in one of his start-up companies, he likely brought it home. They say you get it-- you think you got rid of it, and you get it again. That has been our pattern since the middle of December. Okay so... when does spring come?

Otherwise it's been a lot of work on learning how to get the word out about those indie books, figuring out what is a waste of time and what works-- not that we have just yet. I took out a twitter account last week as they say it's a good promotion tool. I don't really see how it could be; but if anybody wants to follow me on twitter, the link is in Rain Trueax. Surprising to me I do have followers already but why, that I am less sure of as I doubt these are potential writers although they could be readers maybe?

With twitter I am sticking to brief blurbs about what I am writing, with a few photos once in awhile. I really had no interest in following anyone but then clicked on a few which were all political pundits. That didn't make sense; so I cut that back. I do not have time to read what they say. I also haven't found writers, other than political ones, who I might like to follow.

Most especially, I don't know that Twitter, despite what I have read, could help on promoting the books, but it takes almost no time to mention the editing or marketing. Right now I have five books on Kindle. I am learning a lot more about what the other writers are doing and thinking. That alone has been interesting.

Originally I had planned to put more onto Nook also but it's not looking at all easy to figure out promotions there. Basically books on either site are more easily found based on purchases by customers. No purchases, and your book disappears into the wilderness to never be seen again.

Kindle does have a place for forums which has been a bit of a wilderness itself with dangerous regions into which authors must not transgress. But it does enable getting out information on the books although I am not sure if anybody but authors read the forums where authors are permitted to post. I do know it's led to me buying a few new ones which I will read whenever I have time to just read for pleasure.

And we have had our first lamb of the season. It's the ewe who always has the first one and fortunately this time the lamb is a ewe which means mama gets to keep her. ;) I will take photos when she brings her out as I hate to disturb them in the barns when the lambs are so vulnerable. Okay, I also don't want to wade through the mud to get to her...

Otherwise, I am waiting for spring with much eagerness... It is coming, right?

A few more photos from the flood. The cows look ready for spring too, don't they? We learned that our area had 11" of rain within 48 hours. Near us they got 15" in same time. Ack!