Wednesday, September 27, 2006

The news today is that our new web design will be completed in 4 to 6 weeks. I've put the down payment in. So, at the latest, we should see the change on our website and on eBay the first week of November. I made my first order of Rustic Decor today from SPI. I have several other orders to process in the next week or two. Then my real job takes place in taking pictures, measuring, weighing and getting ready to place them on my product pages in my newly designed webpage with a shopping cart, so everyone can buy like crazy and make this all worth while!

I have a small budget to work with. I will not exceed this budget no matter what! The webpage ended up costing me a few hundred more than originally expected. It was just a matter of bit of mis-communication. The shopping cart was the most expensive item. In the end I will get my seamless look between my eBay store and my personal website. Customers will not get confused with the use of many of the same features and wording. The only difference will be is that I will not have to pay eBay fees when I sell off my website!

I will continue to use eBay as one of my important selling venues. eBay is amazing with its ability to reach a world-wide audience. I am dissapointed in their recent decision not to make the eBay Stores more visable in product searches. It forces me to create new and innovative methods to draw attention to my items. eBay does make it necessary to re-invent yourself every time they make a significant change.

I am filling out paper work to teach an intermediate eBay class at our local community college. The teacher I had for a beginning eBay class was very excited that I would consider doing this. I look forward to chewing up and spitting out everything I have learned. It only helps me solidify all the many great tips I have learned since starting my eBay adventure. I plan to end each class by collecting questions that students have written down. Taking them home and spending time researching the correct answers. I would like to have instructors do the same for me. I should be way more knowledgeable at the end of the semester! Hopefully, the students will also benefit.

Sadie, our yellow labe who recently had knee surgery has another bum leg. She goes in Friday for a check and I am afraid that it may be another $800.00 experience! I surely hope not. eBay is paying vet bills. I would like to see a profit going into the bank instead of always finding a new expense to cover!

Here is a local bear looking for food before the long winter. This was taken in a friend's neighborhood.

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

I opened my email this morning to find that my web designer is about to start working on my site! That is great news. Now, the pressure is on to make sure that I am ready to do my part of this demolition of my current web page and re-inventing myself one more time!

I told my web designer that I am so ignorant when it comes to this internet world that I don't even know for sure what to expect from her. What do I need? What does she do? What do I do? All of this thinking and reading is a bit overwhelming for my tired old mind. I am determined to make my ecommerce business successful. I must gain enough knowledge to make it work for me. I am so envious of those that have knowledge of how all the inter workings of this vast wonderful world of interent business works. My next book to read should be, "Ecommerce for Extremely Challenged Dummies". Who wants to write this book for me?

If any of my real-life friends vs. my cyber friends (who really don't know me!) are reading this, life on the Winchuck couldn't be better. Early fall brings warm sunshine with cool breezes. Mom is doing rather well. Her back hurts less after having Prolotherapy and now Mike Worthey is doing Physical Therapy on her lower back. She should be able to get off her pain meds by Christmas!

We have adopted a little mutt of a Shii Tzu after Little Molly died of advanced age. She was found up the Rogue River and it is thought that she wondered about in the woods for at least 10 days. She is very scruffy looking and has her first grooming appointment today. She should smell better and look a lot better.

Jim is still busy tweaking his kayak. He is actually going salmon fishing today in his kayak at the mouth of the Chetco River. I'd like to see him haul in a 40 pound salmon. He has modified a fishing net to fit into his kayak. We may see a wet cold Jim returning from his adventure.

Ocean Salmon season starts again on October 1. Lynnette and Wayne both plan to come for the short season. Our home will be bursting at its seams, but it is always fun to have Jim's family show up. They stay up late, drink lots of wine and still manage to go fishing early in the morning! I find with two glasses of wine, I must find a bed to curl up in.

Sadie has recovered from her knee surgery. It was tough keeping her on a leash for 6 weeks. She hated it and I dreaded early mornings of walking about the yard waiting patiently for her to do what she must. She learned that finding an apple on the ground made her life worth while. She ate 5-6 apples a day!

We have had only one bear entry over the fence so far this apple season. I imagine they will be back. Sadie often lays out by the back fence late at night reminding those buggers that they aren't welcome. I am always happy to know that we haven't managed to rid our Oregon forest of the wild black bear yet.

Check back often to catch up on our news. I am off to our first appointment today...the vet for our new mutt!

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Winchuck River Store On America's Wild River Coast


Good morning! This is my first blog. I am using my blog to let everyone know about my soon-to-be updated website. Winchuck River Store will have a fresh new look by mid October! I have been working with a web designer to give our website and our eBay store a whole new more professional smooth sleek appearance. Our customers will have a seamless experience going back and forth between eBay and our Winchuck River Store at www.winchuckriverstore.com.

I have been busy going through catalogues firming up purchases of unique rustic decor, rustic furniture, lodge style bedding, hand-crafted lampshades, camping survival kits, stainless steel mugs, walking sticks and even a few great gift items and Christmas ornaments that reflect a rustic outdoor woodsey lifestyle. We will use a theme so that we don't get buried in carrying items that have no connection to each other. We are going to target customers that will be interested in joining our lifestyle on America's Wild River Coast in the Pacific Northwest. Our customers can live in an apartment in New York and still feel like they have joined the good life living up river feeling snug and secure in a welcoming warm atmosphere of the Pacific Northwest. Our website winchuckriverstore.com will also carry kayaking items, fishing supplies and garden tools that I have tested in my passion for weeding and maintaining our little piece of paradise here on the Southern Oregon Coast.

My husband, Jim, has designed and built a hands-free fishing kayak. He has been busy drawing up the plans and will be offering these on our website. Yesterday, he was down at the port with his Kingfisher taking calibration measurements. You can bet his plans will be very detailed with all the needed information to build your own Kingfisher.

We have made Power Seller status on eBay, so we will not be changing a good thing going with our eBay busness at Winchuck River Store . In addition to what we are already selling, we will be adding some of our rustic decor, fishing supplies and kayaking items that will be exclusively sold on eBay. We will keep our two internet ecommerce sites separate from each other in that what is available on eBay will not be for sale on our website.

I will post pictures of items that will be for sale soon. I will keep everyone posted on our progress and to share news about our ecommerce businesses.

We Welcome You to Our Blog!



We blog about our rural area in the Pacific Northwest . This blog is all about my life and the places where my mind wonders from day to day. Have fun reading and looking at pictures. We welcome comments.

Be sure to watch, just above this blurb, my husband, Jim, using his 10 foot hands-free electric fishing kayak

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Electric Powered Hands-Free Fishing Kayak

Be sure to check out the separate blog to find out about our electric kayak, Kingfisher 10! You can find the blog at http://electrickayakkingfisher-10.blogspot.com . You can also read the features list on this kayak and purchase building plans and building kits at www.winchuckriverstore.com .

About Me

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We moved to our current home on the Wild River Coast of Southern Oregon from San Jose, CA. Our family consist of Jim and Karen, two dogs and two cats. Karen's passion is gardening. Jim's obsession is building electric powered fishing kayaks and fishing.