Slightly cold Saturday

I learned yesterday that the forest fires have been terrible in Australia. In New Zealand, it hasn't gotten really hot yet, but January and February are expected to be brutal. Folks are sailing and planning picnics on Lake Taupo. Summer is in full swing.

In spite of that, my Kiwi penpal Robyne hasn't had too much time to enjoy her usual summer recreation because she's thoroughly enjoying helping daughter Giselle with her new set of twins born around Christmas time.

Robyne says she's set up a short-order venue in her kitchen and spends her mornings cooking up good meals to take to Giselle's farm where there are new twins and a visiting veterinary student who's spending the summer. Robyne's a wonderful cook, so those folks are getting some good care, I'm sure.

I thought about my dear friends, the Jollys, in New Zealand this morning while using the crowbar to tap the layer of ice that had formed overnight in each water bucket in the horse stalls. Over the past two days, I've kept tweaking my new routine in feeding and watering the herd. This morning I turned them out early so they'd have quick access to the big water tank where an electric heater keeps ice from forming. I wouldn't have to fill buckets.

Because of clear skies and gorgeous snow-capped mountains with their afternoon show of hot pink around sunset time, it's hard to get too mad at this weather except when we slip and fall on the ice.

Bill brought home a cure for that problem last night after stopping off at Idaho Stone and asking them to fill the pickup bed with a pile of sand. We spread it liberally along the driveway, near the house and on the trail to the barn. I noticed this morning that even in the darkness, my gait had sped up significantly over what it's been for several days.

So, to my Kiwi friends, I'll send a little of our cold air your way, if you'll reciprocate by sending some of your hot air to the land up over. Just make sure some sun comes with it. To all others in this latitude, I'll just say, "Stay warm" and will welcome you to the Saturday Slight.

• Willie had a good week of writing sports news. That included a story about Boise State's football coach and his royal treatment since the Fiesta Bowl win (http://www.boisestatefans.com/index.php?path=article§ion=fball&id=002475). My son says Coach Peterson is a down-to-earth guy who doesn't seem to be too affected by all the hoopla. Willie's also covering the Boise State men's basketball home games, so he's been sharing some of those stories with me.
• Annie has a new set of photos on her blog after a visit to the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, so check 'em out (http://www.nnlove.blogspot.com/)
  
• I talked with my friend John Snedden (http://www.unicep.com/) earlier this week. He called me for some ideas about organizing his class reunion. For a while, he seemed to think it was his 20th coming up. I don't know if John was senior class president for the Class of 1967, but he sure does have "senior" memory. It took an older gal like me to straighten him out and make him realize that it's, indeed, his 40th-year class reunion coming up. Note: "40th-year," if you're reading, John. A newspaper editor told me a long time ago that if it was your 40th reunion, that would mean you've reunited as a class 39 other times. Anyway, John did eventually figure out the 40-something stuff, and he put an ad in this morning's paper. The ad indicates that he's planning to add a feature we didn't think of when our SHS Class of 1965 celebrated our 40th-year reunion in 2005. We were concerned about having free taxi rides for over-imbibers to get home from the reunion activities, but John's really hit the nail on the head by offering free rides to reunion activities from the rest homes. Good thinking, John. I always knew you were smart.
  
• It's Winter Carnival time in Sandpoint. My friend Billie Jean left a message for me to show up and cheer on the Keokee crew at the adult spelling bee last night. Got the message too late to do much about it, so if anyone attended and wants to report which team won and with which spelling word, I'll be happy to hear from you.
  
• Saw a young lady last night who's bought into Spuds. She's 23 and now a partner with the Micos in running the restaurant, which has some of the best home-cooked-style meals in town. Michelle Kelly sat with us at Mick and Duffs pub last night and told us about her recent decision to take on the restaurant ownership challenge. I told her I thought that was pretty gutsy for a person her age. She's really excited about learning all aspects of the business and putting her mark on Spuds, which just this week opened up a website for take-out meals. You can learn more at (http://www.spudsonline.com/butler.html). Michelle is one of several students in her SHS graduating class who've found a way to make it in Sandpoint. That's easier said than done for young people these days, so they deserve a big pat on the back.
  
• It's a hot basketball day today. We'll be staying warm in the comfort of our house and watching WSU at Stanford later this afternoon. Then, at 8 p.m., the ZAGS take on Santa Clara, which has a record equal to Gonzaga's. It should be a good match-up, and it should be kinda fun because one of the Zags who's had a broken foot, may be playing today. GO ZAGS!!
  

Happy Saturday to all. Stay standing. Stay warm.