Bears hibernate in the winter, right? I've been a little late getting to my warm, cozy cave. I took one last ramble through the berry patch, and I'm dripping black berry juice, but I'm fat and my fur is sleek. Time to go to bed.

I really spent way too much money on product this month, which is exactly the wrong thing to do. The good news was that it was all re-orders, which I can change this very moment, whereas my base pre-orders are already low. Since I started slashing my pre-orders back in early fall, all the late product has worked it's way through and my orders are predictably low.

Sales this last Sunday and Tuesday were truly awful. Yesterday, I could look out my window and see multiple empty parking spots, which is something I haven't seen much over the last few years. For the first time in a long time, sales dropped below my low estimate range, which means I need to readjust my estimates.



Sad story about Prineville in the Bulletin. It's hard to revive a downtown. Towns all over America have been trying to figure out how to do it for decades now. Few succeed. Downtown Redmond has a long way to go, too.

One thing I wish reporters would quit saying; a few 'new' businesses have just opened, despite the loss of the old businesses, so there's hope. Well, these new businesses just haven't jumped off the cliff, yet. Give it a couple of years, and then it will be a sign of hope. The independent bookstore business is full of such stories -- Mainstreet Books, that has been around for 40 years is closing, but don't worry. Amy Lou has opened a little nest down the street, and she serves coffee!

The comment in the Sister's Nugget about how the housing market is affecting realtors and mortgage bankers...."flashes of activity that defy logic." Well, that is exacting what it is "flashes of activity that defy logic."

Not a sign of renewal or hope.

Hunker down and hibernate, business owners. Bears will survive the winter.