Saturday Slight

It's crunch day. The thermometer has dipped enough that each step to the barn this morning set off that distinct squeaky sound of colder-than-usual, tightly-packed snow. Crunch, crunch, crunch. It's also that time of the year that I listen closely for new sounds---sounds suggesting spring. So far, cheeseburger birds, flicker peckers and an occasional solitary crow are the only winged creatures to have broken the silence of Nature's sleep.

It's that gradual awakening on this new farm that excites me this February. Thus, a few minutes of every trip outside is spent standing still, watching and listening for whoever's gonna show up next. Will it be the blackbirds? Or, will all those robins, who seem to love this place, suddenly appear out of nowhere before blackbirds? I love the adventure of the early spring watch. And, I love the looks of today, a crisp, cold, dry Saturday with crunchy snow.

Now for the Saturday Slight:

Two weeks in a row, Bill and I have gone to town for our weekly Friday dine-out. Two weeks in a row, we've felt lucky to find a parking space in downtown Sandpoint. Last week, after learning the wait would be 20 minutes at Jalapenos and noticing swarms of diners lining up at other restaurants, we just headed to Ponderay's Slate's, which was fairly crowded itself. Last night, we enjoyed a meal at Mick and Duff's after finding a parking spot in front of Nieman's.

Seems the crowded downtown at night is more the rule than the exception these days. I commented on the way home from dinner that we're lucky. We can pop into town, watch the night action of the new Sandpoint, get in our car, go home to peace and quiet of the country and forget that things have changed so much and so quickly. I can remember winter weekends of past years when going for a bite-out didn't involve so much driving around town. I guess this phenomenon of overcrowded downtown eateries is here to stay.

My aunt Rita turns 80 tomorrow. She lives in Ephrata. She's also my godmother. I don't know if she'll claim that, but I've always thought she has stood as a great example as a godmother. She's raised a fine family, she's been married to the same wonderful Uncle George forever, and she's always been as steady as they go. I've not spent a lot of time around my aunt, but I do come out of every visit glad for the opportunity. Happy Birthday, Rita Waltho. You're a great lady and one wonderful aunt!

My friend Dennis turns 70 on Monday. At least, I think he does. One time when I wrote in a posting that my book would be coming out Feb. 5, 2007, a DH commented that the date was his/her 70th birthday. I immediately broke my cardinal rule of journalism and ASSUMED that Denise Huguenin was advancing herself in age by ten years. I think I accused her of senior, senior memory in the note I wrote reminding her that she would be turning 60 in February, not 70.

Well, Denise wrote back and said she knew when her birthday was and knew precisely how old she'd be on Feb. 19. Oops. "Who then?" I thought. Well, my senior mind finally figured it out because Dennis Hanson also reads my blog, and if I'm right, my favorite Lutheran minister (and a favorite to a multitude that extends far beyond Lutherdom) is the DH who will turn 70 on Monday. Now, if I'm wrong about all this, what's the hurt in sending Dennis a greeting. You can even do it here in the comments section.

And, if I'm correct, my dear, dear friend and former student Jeralyn turns ?? the same day. If I've got all this wrong, at least you know I was thinking of these fine folks. Tell 'em they're something special, cuz they are whether they're celebrating a birthday or just plain being themselves. In the meantime, I'm getting ready to razz Denise whenever her birthday happens to be.

As far as the book is concerned, I've heard Feb. 28 as the next possible date for release. I've seen the cover art, and I've heard that the manuscript is being converted to galley proofs, so there's work to be done and time to be spent with production. When I hear something more definite, I'll post it on the blog. In the meantime, thanks for your interest and thanks for spreading the word wherever.

Talked to Willie yesterday. He's training for a half-marathon in Boise this April. He says it's one of the most challenging courses in the Northwest. He's taking a class on Saturdays to learn strategies for the event, and he's doing a lot of running. Soon, he'll be gearing up for covering spring sports in the Treasure Valley high schools.

I think we'll nail up some more boards this weekend. We have most of the top row around the barnyard pasture, but a couple of stretches need wooden posts. It will be a while before we can dig into the ground to set those posts so we're going to start on the second layer of boards today. I'm anxious for spring when I can buy buckets of white paint and dress up that pasture. Slowly but surely the long-held image of galloping horses, green grass, and white board fences will come to life.

Guess that's all for now. The Zags pulled off a beautifully-played upset over Stanford in double overtime the other night. Today, they're at Pepperdine. 12:30 PST. GO ZAGS!!!

Happy Saturday to all.