Sunshine Plus Fall Equals Pretty

That's Schweitzer.  That's some of Filipowski's hillside and those are Dan Wood's oats. 

Occasionally over the past week or two, I've seen deer enjoying them thar oats.  

That hillside is just gonna keep getting prettier with color, and we're all hoping that Schweitzer's runs don't turn white too soon.

The neighborhood is just mighty pretty these days. 

And, speaking of neighborhood, I visited briefly with my neighbor and classmate Gary Finney yesterday. 

Gary had come to get Uno.

Uno, a well-mannered Quarter Horse gelding, had come to visit our horses the night before.  

Since he showed up in the dark, we knew the likelihood of his owner even knowing he was missing was pretty slim.

We posted on Selle Valley Neighbors that night with no picture cuz it was dark.  

Nobody bit.  Yesterday morning I posted another announcement on Facebook in general with a photo of Uno enjoying his quarters in our first pasture.  

Within five minutes of posting that photo, Liz King provided his name and his owner. 

We enjoyed Uno.  I'm not sure Uno enjoyed Liam who figured he had a new critter to herd. 

Soon after calling Gary, Uno went home with his owner and Gary planned to go see how his horse had escaped his pasture down by the Selle railroad tracks. 

All in a day here in Selle.  One never knows quite what to expect as we enjoy our beautiful autumn in this rural pocket of Bonner County. 

There's much worse news outside of Selle than horses escaping their pastures, and these days most of the news of real things happening at different levels of power within our country defies any kind of logic.  

I made the statement yesterday that we're eventually gonna be so completely inundated with outrageous, bizarro behavior and lies, lies and more lies, that we may get to a point of questioning if 2 and 2 really are 4. 

From a discussion of George Orwell's novel 1984:   

 As Winston thinks, “For, after all, how do we know that two and two make four? Or that the force of gravity works? Or that the past is unchangeable? 

If both the past and the external world exist only in the mind, and if the mind itself is controllable—what then?” 

The mathematical sentence 2 + 2 = 5 thus becomes a motif linked to the theme of psychological independence. Early in the novel, Winston writes that “Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four.” 

The motif comes full circle at the end of the novel after the torture Winston suffers in the Ministry of Love breaks his soul; he sits at the Chestnut Tree Café and traces “2 + 2 = 5” in the dust on his table.

I truly hope we don't arrive at the same place where Orwell takes his main character in the novel. 

A "slight detour" on the road our nation seems to be traveling right now would be really nice and reassuring that we really are not morphing into the United States of Insanity. 

In the meantime, nobody's gonna convince me that life isn't pretty good here in our Selle Valley sanctuary where occasionally well-behaved horses do sleepovers at other horses' farms. 

Happy Tuesday.  Enjoy the photos. 

Scenes at a Country Swimming Hole, Et. Al.

No particular theme in these photos today---just out trying to take in every aspect of autumn as its characteristics of color and quiet peacefulness reach their height. 

It's amazing how one cold night can change the perspective pretty much anywhere in dramatic fashion.

I've watched it closely in our yard this year, and have had no problem surmising that today looks a lot different from yesterday. 

My afternoon travels yesterday took me down Selle Road, along a side road, to the much beloved Pack River swimming hole and a short way down Gold Creek Road. 

I even took time to park the car at the popular swimming hole on Colburn-Culver Road---partly because I could and mainly because I could enjoy the place to myself.

Quite a contrast from just a few weeks ago when anyone but the most punctual of swimmers needed to park nearly half a mile away.  

During summer drive-by's and quick glances toward the river, pretty much every time, I could see the place was crawling with recreationalists spending time sunbathing, swimming or launching their river craft for a trip down the Pack. 

In the summer, one must snatch quick looks at the shoreline and river activity to ensure safe driving through the maze of vehicles and humans, coming and going.

Yesterday, the living beings included just a merganser and me.  

While the duck peacefully floated up and down the river between the sandbar and the shore, I walked through the sand, wishing the sun would hurry up and reappear from behind a big gray cloud above.

That urgency, however, in no way interfered with my blissful enjoyment of the gift of supreme solitude in that lovely place where the bustle of beach activity has passed on for another year. 

Eventually, the sun reappeared on my walk back to the car, I snapped some photos and went on my way while the merganser probably cheered, knowing it once again had the place all to itself. 

A great outing, indeed, and definitely a daily staple for this camera-clicking nature lover.  

Happy Monday. 

   

I met these nice folks yesterday while out taking photos.

They were performing a civic duty along Gold Creek Road when I met them.

We had a nice get-acquainted visit.  Then, I went my way, and they headed theirs. 

Soon after my departure, I think a retired paint horse and two minis were enjoying some garden treats.

Great to meet you, Mike, Gail and your California cousin.  

Autumn Delights, Near and Far

Hello, Autumn.

Don't tell the other seasons, but I like you best of all . So, it's nice to welcome you officially. 

I also hope you aren't in a big hurry and that your pleasant temperatures, brilliant colors and supreme opportunities for enjoying our great outdoors last as long as possible. 

On this first full day of autumn, we have two family homecomings.  

As I type, Annie is in Dublin, Ireland, waiting to board her flight home to Seattle, after several adventure-filled days in France and Germany.

During her grand finale yesterday in Paris, she hosted a geocaching event AND walked 17 miles around the City of Light. 

I've included a few of the photos she took----toward the bottom. 

Back here in the States, my sisters Barbara and Laurie, brother Kevin are bringing Pache aka Ravenwood Hot Stuff home from several outstanding days of performance at the Arabian Sport Horse Nationals in Nampa.

Pache did go five for five in the Top Ten placings, which means five beautiful ribbons along with five impressive plaques. 

You'll see Barbara's photo of the two among today's collection. 

Once he gets home, Pache will return to his life of being one of the herd with a whole lot of time for grazing and being downright lazy with his friends, much like the Wood's horses in the picture below.

Up through last weekend, some of that herd were still appearing in local horse show classes, all spiffed up and ready for competition.  

By late afternoon today, Pache will be "letting his hair down," just like the Wood horses. 

Some Lovestead autumn color . . . .

In the midst of the photographic flower show, I want to share some information about a group of University of Utah students who are wrapping up their visit to Bonner County today. 

Many locals have probably already talked with them during on-the-street type interviews about the area---what's right, what's wrong, what could use some improvements and what interviewees envision as the ideal lifestyle mix.  

I promised the Amy and Brady, who were stationed at Wal-Mart that I would fill out the survey on line and that I would encourage others living in Bonner County to do the same.

Their efforts are the main ingredients for a class they are taking at the university this semester.  Past teams have gone to other communities and published their findings in an attractive full-color booklet. 

Today is the final day for teams will be asking questions in the area.  They'll be at two venues----the fairgrounds at the Inland Northwest Preparedness Expo and at the Blanchard Community Center. 

If you have not met these students around the area and you can't make it to either of today's events, you can go online at www.listeningtobonnercounty.org to learn more and to participate in the survey. 

Laurie Tibbs and Ravenwood Hot Stuff aka Pache, and their loot from this past week's Arabian Sport Horse Nationals.

Congratulations!

Travels through Paris yesterday with Annie . . . . 

Annie and her French geocaching friends. 

Finally, back home here at the Lovestead . . . .