Saturday Slight

I fed horses in the barn this morning. No horses made any effort to throw their weight around and force out other horses from their grain bucket. Lily usually does that: she gobbles up her share and then steps outside her stall enroute to either Lefty or Heather's.

The minute they hear her hooves hit the door threshold, they're scurrying to get out of her way. Fortunately, they've had time to finish most of their grain before "the big spotted beast" horns in on their goodies.

This morning, however, Lily was quite content to stay in her stall. With the rain falling unrelentlessly and creating even more soupy mud outside the stall doors, thoughts of munching on a pile of hay in the dryness of a box stall seemed like a good idea to each of them.

So, they're happy on this rainy day. Bill's reading the paper. I can hear the TV upstairs where Willie and Debbie are taking it easy.

Don't know what time Willie got home last night, but he wrote two late-night stories about Sandpoint's 30-0 football win over Middleton. They've appeared in two papers, the Spokesman-Review and the Idaho Press-Tribune. They're also on each paper's online version.

Those writing gigs and the extra cash are nice for the kid who's loved every aspect of sports since his toddling days when he performed all positions on his own football team---quarterback, receiver, tackle. That was always a joy to watch, just as it's a joy to see him lapping up his sports journalism with the same passion.

Brownies, a Hoot Owl lunch, Slate's nachos and a Boise State win----how can it get any better than that for Willie's wife Debbie who's here for the weekend. Well, she also got to see the lodge at Western Pleasure Guest Ranch for the first time yesterday, and she met Star, the resident 13-year-old Border Collie who greets all visitors.

A quilting retreat was in full session during our visit.

Debbie also spent some time visiting with Grandma Tibbs while I spent time with Tony, the equipment repairman, who was figuring out what was wrong with Mother's golf cart. After jiggling a few connecting wires among the fleet of batteries, Tony worked a miracle and the golf cart started working again. He still doesn't know what he did, but it works. And, that's okay with us.

Maybe Mother will get a few more days of driving her cart around the farm before the snow sets in. With luck, the snow will limit itself to higher ground and leave us alone down here in the valley.

I saw a Jim Kershner column in the Spokesman this morning where he actually wrote a letter to "Mr. El Nino," expressing the same wishes that I have------basically to give us a break this year.

I do see snow on the bare spots of the mountains to the west, but I don't see it on the ground at our level. And, that is good.

Willie saw something a couple of days ago that we've never seen around the Lovestead or anywhere we've lived, for that matter. He was driving home from school and just south of our place, he looked off to the side, and there was a bobcat, staring back at him. It was crouched in Taylor's field.

He said the creature didn't seemed too concerned about his presence, and he figures maybe it lives around here. I guess we'll keep our eyes out and maybe we'll get to see it also. I don't know if bobcats are a threat to any of our domesticated pets, but I can tell the critter that we've got a mouse or two we'd gladly share.

So far so good on the mouse assault. No signs inside the house all week, but the traps have been busy. I'll leave it at that.

Looks like an indoor day here in North Idaho on this Saturday. Maybe I'll peel some more apples with my new apple peeler. I know the TV will be on and we'll see a football game or two.

Basically a hunker down and stay dry day. Have a great Saturday wherever you are.