Saturday Slight

Need I say more?

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Fall and cold have come to North Idaho. I just snapped this photo out the sliding glass door. Yesterday's dusting of snow has been enhanced by the overnight dump.

Fortunately, the snow line is staying where I wish it would remain all year---on the mountain.

I've always wished that winter would restrict itself to the mountains. Everyone would still be happy. Skiers and boarders could ski and board. Snow can build up for spring run-off into the rivers, creeks and lakes. Folks in the lower echelons wouldn't have to complain for several months.

What I hate the most about winter is having to wear all those clothes and putting boots on, taking boots off. It gets tiresome really quickly. I won't gripe today, though, because if we're lucky, winter still could be a long way off, and there will be plenty of time to whine.

For today, I am happy to see the moisture. Our pastures were getting really dried out, and with the upcoming nice week, the torrents of rain we received yesterday probably gave them just the boost they needed to last another few weeks.

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Yesterday I began the tedious task of pulling up the rest of the dead plants in the gardens. Remind me never to leave kale for too long. I'd never grown it before, so, of course, I had no idea how thick its roots get and how hard one has to tug to get them to let go.

The nasturtiums came out easily and hundreds more seeds fell off as I pulled each plant and threw it into the wheel barrow. I discovered more onions and potatoes that I've forgotten were there, so that was a nice surprise.

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Before tearing into the garden, I took a trip down memory lane yesterday. Karen Hayden was in town. The day before she and her son Brian had taken my mother to lunch. Karen told me she was planning to surprise our mutual friend Penny Armstrong at the Hydra Restaurant, so to come on down.

I've known Karen off and on over the years, but our link dates to my beginnings. Her father Dr. Wilbur Hayden delivered me back at the old Sandpoint Community Hospital, which overlooked Sand Creek. Dr. Hayden had come to Sandpoint and opened a practice shortly after serving in WWII.

My mother says my brother Kevin was one of his first patients. Later, he delivered my two sisters, my younger brother and thousands of other Sandpoint babies.

During those years of "way back," my mother and Dr. Hayden's wife Marge were good friends. Both were artists, and both loved horses. Karen went on to become a lab technician, working in hospitals around the area.

Anyway, yesterday's visit was a lot of fun. Besides Karen, her son and Penny (Dr. Hayden's nurse) her step-sister Claire Lewis and friend Mary Bonar came along. Lots of stories of good times in old time Sandpoint filtered through the air.

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Today, here at the Lovestead, we've got grandpuppies and Debbie. She rolled in about 8 p.m. last night, and she's sleeping in right now. Doggies keep wanting to help me with my blog, but all I need to do is point a camera at Brooke and they leave. For some reason, she has a phobia toward cameras.

Willie has asked me to order the Sports Package for our satellite TV. He's promised Second Avenue Pizza tonight so we can sit back and watch the Idaho Vandals and the Boise Broncos take on this week's opponents. Only one game lost between the two Idaho teams, and the remainder of the season is looking good for both.

Should be an exciting Vandal-Bronco match-up this year.

Anyway, it looks like we won't have so much rain today, so lots of outside stuff can happen too.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Saturday.