Flaky thoughts

I don't know how intelligent this morning's blog posting will be, but since the big white flakes falling from the sky got it started, I'll issue a disclaimer: expect a little flakiness.

We've had a gradual meltdown this week, which has brought on a most dreaded time for being outside, especially on a farm.

If I were to figure a way to interview our little "Scoutmaster's Horse," Miss Scotch Heather, I think you'd get an earful of "nay, nay, nay." As a baby at her original home of Scotch Acres west of Spokane, she grew up on a slope where water will drain, not on the flat where water likes to stand.

In her "nay rather than yay" responses, she'd be referring to how she feels when I lead her out of the barn in the morning and she discovers that much more of that wet stuff on top of that icy stuff with that green stuff (used grass) mixed in for garnish.

She doesn't like putting her little white toes in the slop, and she lets me know it by doing a left turn HALT right at the barn door. I told her this morning that if she wanted to be with her pal Lefty, she was gonna have to wade through the stuff cuz I wasn't gonna pick her up and carry her.

She seemed to understand.

Maybe tomorrow we won't have to come to an understanding cuz the TV weather gods have told us to expect a winter storm today.

So, what was gained in our gradual movement toward spring will have to start all over again, and Heather can have a day off from getting her tootsies wet and dirty. Of course, I haven't asked her how manages in that barnyard, which is turning just as yucky as her morning walkway to the gate.

On this flaky day, I'm thinking about our kids who are both headed off on journeys. Could be Willie's already left or will leave later today. He'll be driving to Pocatello from Boise to cover the Idaho State Wrestling Tournament.

Our next door neighbors are headed there too. Young Terry Taylor, son of Jim and Mary, is representing the Sandpoint Bulldogs wrestling squad for another year. I think he's a senior this year, so it will surely be a special trip for all involved.

Mary and I talked the other day about the possibility of their taking Willie and Debbie's Christmas presents to Pocatello since we've never yet been able to connect after their aborted-effort during those December storms to make it up to Sandpoint for the holiday.

She offered, but I decided it could get confusing, so maybe Willie and Debbie can celebrate Christmas at Easter time.

This is Willie's busy, busy time of the year because of state tournaments, and I think he's got another full schedule ahead when the boys basketball teams meet for play-offs next week.

Anyway, I'm wishing him a safe trip.

His excursion probably won't be nearly as exciting as Annie's. On Saturday morning, she boards a plane headed for Philadelphia. From there, she flies to Dublin, Ireland. And, yes, I'm so envious my skin could probably turn as green as the Emerald Isle. Annie offered, but the timing wasn't going to work out.

So, vicariously, we'll all have to enjoy the trip. Since we have Irish stock on both sides of the family, she's received some good tips on where to spend time from when she arrives Sunday morning, Dublin time until she flies back to Seattle the following Sunday.

She's made arrangements to meet geocachers, and she's hoping to climb Ireland's highest mountain. She'll be traveling through some areas where family ancestors lived and enjoying the cities.

Knowing Annie, she'll be posting pictures, so I'm hoping to share her experiences as they come flying through cyberspace. I was talking to Fr. O'Donovan---soon to be Monsignor---the other day and told him that when he was receiving his official designation this Sunday at St. Joseph's, Annie would be walking the streets of Dublin.

He said he had just received a call from a relative in Dublin that morning----and he seemed pleased for Annie.

So, that's the flakiness of this day. By the way, the flakes have diminished in size since I started typing. Now, they're more like particles, but I'm not holding out hope that the robins will be happy today.

It's time to get off the flaky snippets and on to the rest of the day, which includes a great basketball game tonight in Santa Clara. GO ZAGS!!!

Happy Thursday.

Update: Annie has begun writing about the anticipation and the experience of traveling to Ireland on her (www.rainiergirl.blogspot.com), so check it out.