The final push

I'm really glad that I declined her request when the local 4-H coordinator Nancy asked me to announce one day of the Bonner County 4-H Horse Show. At the time, we were in the throes of moving our household goods to this place, and I wasn't sure how long it would take for us to complete the entire moving process.

So, instead of sizzling in an announcer's stand for hours on end in triple digit temperatures, I'll be sweating alongside Bill as we do the dirtiest, most dreaded aspect of moving----emptying and cleaning the outbuildings. Last night we spared ourselves a bit of misery by removing the dog and cat beds and a bunch of garbage from the bunkhouse.

Over the past year, Annie Dog's bed has continued to grow as I've bought new pillows and cast off the old ones as well as old bed spreads. By the time we moved, it had expanded to king-sized doggie and cat bed. Each night "Beddie Bye" meant that Annie and her feline friends Licker and Fuzzy Wuzzy shared the rather large palette, which took up about a third of the bunkhouse. The only problem with this bed and all the pillows, doggie beds and blankets that made it up was that Annie is also known as "Stink Dog."

She has always set off a pungent aroma which would curl your nostrils. We've found over the years that no amount of bathing, swimming in Lake Pend Oreille or Lady Levi could ever dull her personal odor. In fact, it's possible the milfoil doesn't grow so well out Trestle Creek way, thanks to Annie's occasional visits. Maybe the folks in the know about ridding the lake of milfoil are missing the boat with their 2-4-D. They need a good infusion of Stink Dog instead.

Annie Dog always be Stink Dog, no matter how friendly or loving she tries to be in making up for her doggie BO. So, removing Annie's bed during the relative coolness of the evening last night saved us from dreading the event during today's heat. By the time, the pickup heads back to the old place, bed and all its parts will be residing in a dumpster at the Colburn Transfer Station.

We've been frequent patrons of that place over the past month. In fact, we've gotten to know the expected routines out there. Bill informed me the other day that I'd have to flatten the load of empty moving boxes before depositing them at the landfill.

"They'll show you how to do it," he assured me. I wasn't looking forward to a hot afternoon of flattening cardboard boxes, which I'd already assembled from their flattened state after collecting them from Schweitzer Conoco, but I headed to what we used to call "the dump" to face the music. When I arrived at the gate, however, the lady just whisked me on in and said, "You can have any dumpster you choose, Honey." She didn't say a word about flattening boxes, so I didn't either.

While unloading the pickup, I saw an elderly couple drive in with their station wagon. They didn't empty anything into dumpsters. Instead, the lady got out with a framed painting and took it to the "freebie" pile. I'm assuming those folks didn't have a lot to do on a hot afternoon if they felt the need to drive to the transfer station and make one measley deposit. I'm sure they made someone happy though and that the painting is now a treasure in someone's house.

Anyway, even though we'll miss the daily action at the transfer station, we're looking forward to the conclusion of this huge enterprise of moving. We should have the outbuildings cleaned by the time this hot weekend cools off, and Dan Smith of Evergreen Towing should have our farm implements dropped off at their new home by early next week. Then, we can hand over the keys to Quest Aircraft Co. and let them worry about the next chapter in the saga of our former Great Northern residence.

Happy Saturday to all. Stay cool.