Dunsmuir, CA - Today is the first day of sun in weeks it seems. We've had so much precipitation. It started the Thursday and Friday before Christmas. We got slammed with a storm that dropped nearly two feet of snow in about 12 hours. We got another foot or so of very wet snow the following Thursday and Friday, followed by a lot of rain. Needless to say this didn't help Christmas shoppers. We spent too many days in quiet retail mode with the Christmas tunes cranked up. But I did get my wish for a white Christmas (watch what you wish for). Just think of the fabulous spring we're in for with all this moisture. This is an abbreviated edition of the Brown Trout News ­ a concise outline of what's to come in the next three months at the Brown Trout.

Spring Treasures -
I have many items on my list for the upcoming buyer's markets. The trend this year at the Trout will be a continuation on the garden theme, but with a small detour towards more garden & household decor items; lanterns, garden furniture, baskets, decorative and functional pots, cast iron hooks and accessories, floating candles, decorative bird baths, houses and feeders; Valentine's Day and Easter specialties, weather vanes and whirligigs, statuary and stepping stones ­ just to give you a taste.
We will grow our very popular bath and skin care lines. These products are all natural and use essential oils providing aromatherapy treatment too.

Women's Clothing & Shoes

In the clothing department we will continue our trend towards high quality, natural fiber women's casual fashions. I haven't been to market yet, but will continue with lines such as Bryn Walker, Cut Loose, Putumayo, Basic Threads, Jump Jeans, Pacific Cotton, Tianello, Gertie's & many of the other lines we have historically relied on. In the shoe department, now going on its third season, we hope to build our inventory. With spring coming we are looking at summer sandals again like the Cudas, Eclipse & Undertow styles we had last year.

We continue to have Blundstone boots and will be restocking our fall & winter shoes through April. The Blundstones have been very popular. If you are unfamiliar with these Australian boots, they are GREAT! They are totally water proof and people who have had them in the past have reported them lasting several years. I, of course, have a pair and can get through an entire day on my feet without any discomfort. I love them.

Books & Music - You'll continue to find many books of interest on our shelves; garden books, cooking & decorating books. Books that make you laugh. Books that lift you up. I will be getting The Cultural Creatives, a very optimistic book on the state of the world. It doesn't discount any of the world situations, it focuses on the growing numbers of people waking up and doing something in their individual lives to change the world -one household, organization, country, individual at a time. World music is our main focus; Cuban, flamenco, Latin, middle eastern, Tibetan, Celtic, and some domestic surprises like Sirens of Song a compilation of great Women artists of the 30's, 40's and 50's.