Saturday Slight

On this Saturday morning, Willie's reading the paper and checking out whether or not we get the Hawaii-Idaho game on our Direct TV. Looks like we do---Channel 682. It's a big one for the Vandals at 2 p.m. today. I'm sure he'll be watching.

Before that, however, he's headed to the school to help out his colleague Mary Bird with the Academic Decathlon activities. He's been taking in the extras in an effort to get to know more kids in hopes of attracting more kids to the journalism program. The other night he attended the school play, which he enjoyed.

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The weather has held off its plans to dump more rain on us. That is good. We were expecting a wet day today, but Tom Sherry told us last night that it may be a wet night instead. That opens the way for a possible trail ride with my sisters. They've had activities all fall which have prevented them from getting out and going for a good ride.

So, with luck, we'll get 'er done today. Just in case, however, I saddled up Lily and took her for a nice ride around the neighborhood yesterday afternoon. What a horse! Things that upset her a little bit earlier this year----railroad crossings, mules appearing in a pasture from out of nowhere---none of that even fazed her yesterday.

We even had a friend go with us part way. That would be Bullet, Gary Finney's fox terrier. Bullet does whatever Bullet wants to do, so I made no effort to tell him to go home. I think he likes Lily, and Lily likes him.

'Twas a most enjoyable afternoon, and I think Lily enjoyed it as much as I did.

My only regret from yesterday's ride is much more awareness of our lack of fall color. When you're out riding, you notice all the more how the leaves most likely will not turn from their black or brown crackly state to gold. So many got hit during that unusual freeze that we've probably missed the whole autumn show. Sad.

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In the "Whatever-You Know" category, I've learned that I'm guilty of the most annoying of annoying phrases that tend to dribble out of people's mouths---all too often. "Whatever" topped the list, and as I think back on the multitude of drivel coming from my lazy brain, "whatever" has been there far too many times.

Now, I won't take credit for "you know." My son can. After all, he's a sports guy. Listen to virtually any sports interview and by the end, you'll know that you know.

We listened one night while he was doing his radio show with the Boise Hawks, along with his counterpart from the Idaho Statesman. They did a weekly 15-minute gig with the commentators where they were expected to commentate on sports in general, you know.

Well, I must say that was one competition Willie did not win, but he put out the effort. The Statesman guy left him behind, you know.

Whatever! I guess we all have our favorites. I think Bill's is "things like that."

That reminds me of when the students on the Cedar Post years ago wrote a piece on the idiosyncrasies of their teachers. In my case, it was holding up my chin and sometimes stretching my neck muscles in an odd way when I talked. Most prominent, however, is the lifelong tongue chewing that accompanies every dextrous act I do.

No way to get rid of that stuff. It's just us, so we have to accept whatever things like that happen to be, you know.

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We dined at Eichardts last night and enjoyed a whole smorgasboard of Fueling family sightings. First, we saw River. She's Andy's daughter. Just as I was telling Willie that Andy's daughter was walking by with some family friends, a guy looked over our way from the bar. That was Andy.

Hadn't seen him in a long time, nor had Willie. Andy's been a lifelong schmoozer and he got an A for telling Willie how good the Cedar Post looked, sorta like it did about 12 years ago when someone else advised it-----and, through all that, he wasn't even bucking for a grade.

In the midst of our Andy conversation, along came Andy's older sister Mimi. Haven't seen her in a long time, even though we drive by their farm up in the Kootenai Valley all the time. Mimi raises organic pigs---is that right, are they organic, or is their meat.

Whatever, they're pigs with pork. So, Mimi promised to get in touch with me when she has a pork half to sell. We haven't had homegrown pork for a long time, so it will be a treat to have a freezer full.

And, speaking of homegrown products, Bill bought some of our neighbor Wes's apple juice the other day. Wes did like they do in New Zealand. Stuck the jugs and the money box on a table out on his driveway next to Selle Road and utilized the honor system. He sold out.

Down South Center Valley Road we've got some folks selling farm fresh eggs. I think this method of sales could easily catch on out here, and I'm hoping I can join the crowd with next year's garden produce.

For now, I'm drying a lot of it. Onions over night and tomatoes earlier. Apples are next. We didn't get the 18 boxes from our trees like last year, but the apples are bigger and will be easier to peel.

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A string of family birthdays starts today. Happy birthday, Sefo. He's my niece Laura's hubby and a good daddy to the triplets. Tomorrow's my brother Jim's birthday, and Monday is Annie's.
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The sun is shining. It's time to leave this 'puter and get outside. May you have a great Saturday and may your team win---whatever and wherever.