Grousin' and moanin'

Not a lot of excitement to report this morning about yesterday's introduction into hang gliding. The plan was for Jim to run off the side of Hall Mountain (north of Bonners Ferry) with his glider and land in a field owned by the Botkin family. Before leaving, he made arrangements with the Botkins and promised to bring them a release form.

We invited Mother to come along. So, she packed up a sack of goodies and bottled water and eagerly awaited the big moment of watching the youngest of her flock run off the side of the mountain and fly. We drove to the Botkin house on the Porthill side of Hall Mountain.

Dr. Botkin had just finished his day's rounds at the hospital and was munching on a homemade bread-and-cheese sandwich when we met him. His wife and three handsome sons came out to greet us. It was fun to learn their background and interests. Diana Moses Botkin is an artist.

The family had recently traveled to France to see their oldest daughter who's a U of I journalism/French grad. One son plays quarterback for the Bonners Ferry Badgers, while the other is an intimidating defensive player. They're all home-schooled and very nice young men. While backing out the driveway, we witnessed why there's a star quarterback in the family as he drilled a pass directly to his sprinting brother's waiting hands.

After Jim planted his wind flag in the landing field, we backtracked down the highway and headed up the Eastport side of Hall Mountain. It took 11 miles of bumpy road to get us to the launch site. Unfortunately, the wind was blowing the wrong way in the most desirable spot, and two trees provided enough of an obstruction to nix the other possible site.

We drove around looking for other possibilities and then returned to the mountaintop expanse of moss and wildflowers where a lookout once stood. The Camelot-like scene looking southward along the expansive Kootenai Valley was magical with the glasslike river silently winding its way through an endless blanket of green. Definitely a view to behold.

While hoping and waiting for a change in wind patterns, Jim and I walked down the colorful hillside of red succulents and deep blue lupine only to be abruptly chastised by a frightened mother grouse. Don't ever disturb a mother grouse and her babies! Never in 33 years of teaching did I ever get in a student's face quite like Mother Grouse bombarded mine yesterday. I knew instantly not to fool with her or her nine tiny babies.

By 5:15 p.m., Mother Tibbs had sat in the back seat of Jim's Green Dodge 4 by 4 truck long enough. She took a much more diplomatic approach than that startled grouse, simply saying she was ready to go home. So, a somewhat disappointed Jim cranked up his pickup and headed back down the mountain, figuring on a better wind on a different hillside on another day.

We may not have gotten to watch him fly off the mountain, but we learned enough about another winged creature to stay the heck out of her way.