Saturday Slight

The rain has stopped, temporarily. I peeked at the ten-day forecast this morning, and I thought about Noah, arks, and slop. I don't know if Noah will come around with his big boat to rescue us, but I can predict with great confidence that we'll be dealing with slop over the next several days.

The rain has washed much of the snow away and some of the ice. The ground is still frozen, meaning the water has to travel somewhere or just stay put. Tom Sherry announced a flood warning for North Idaho through 4 p.m. today. So, things could get dicy.

Still, I'm not complaining. This wet could all be snow, but it's not. That's why most folks are gingerly sliding around the ice masses, smiling and pinching themselves. The winter has allowed us much more freedom this year, and there's a general sense of relief around the area.

Adding to it, January is half gone, and the winter sports excitement is revving up. It's going to be hard to choose, in a few cases, which channel to pick during today's offerings. Bill will, no doubt, be tuning in to the New Orleans-Arizona game at 1:30, while I'll probably take a few trips upstairs to watch the National Figure Skating Championships which airs at the same time.

The championships are in Spokane, so that makes them all the more interesting for us in the Inland Northwest. I've always enjoyed figure skating when it gets to the top level, especially right before the Winter Olympics. This evening we'll probably gather at my sisters' house to watch the ZAGS take on San Diego.

Today's programming will be a welcome switch from the profound sadness we've shared as part of a world community watching the horrid events unfolding in Haiti. I can't even begin to imagine how many viewers have experienced the urge to find a way to get down there and help.

Reality of the horror drives our emotions, but reality also tells us the best way we can help is to keep these people in our prayers and to donate to reputable organizations, trained to deal with such disasters. After watching the news last night in mutual silence, Bill and I went to dinner and discussed the situation.

We both feel that too much is made of criticizing the "slowness" of the relief efforts. Situations like Haiti are logistical nightmares at best. Nobody has the luxury, the infinite knowledge or the skills to plan the most efficient strategies when earthquakes occur. Earthquakes and other natural disasters remind us of how insignificant and helpless we humans, equipped with all our brilliance, can be.

My brother, who went through two tough hitches in Vietnam (one including a SAM shoot-down of his helicopter) said nothing in all his military experience prepared him for what he experienced and saw during the Mexico City Earthquake. He also commented on my blog the other day that the Mexico City Earthquake paled in comparison to what he's witnessed on the news from Haiti.

Bill and I believe all the agencies and relief workers are doing the very best they can in the very worst of environments. Reality sometimes trumps the best of intentions, and in this case, it will take time for all the ducks to fall in line.

Let us pray for the best possible outcomes in spite of what we know is bound to happen with time being the worst enemy for all people involved.

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The week has come to an end. My mother's cupboard is now neat and tidy. All cans in danger of exploding have found a new home. In Western Washington, my niece had her the windows of her car broken and her purse stolen. In Wyoming, my nephew helped save a man's life this week. I don't know the details, but I know his wife and family are very proud of him. My daughter-in-law got off to a good start with her new job with the Girl Scouts. I had the pleasure of putting neighbor's animals back on their home ground twice this week.

In one case, it was the neighbors' horses down the road. It seemed like the right thing to do, especially since one member of that family who died suddenly just after Christmas, did the same for me last summer.

The other case occurred yesterday morning when a yearling steer belonging to my classmate Gary Finney headed past our place toward Selle Road. I jumped on the 4-wheeler and carefully drove the young Hereford with stubby horns back down the road, not knowing who really owned him at the time.

With Selle Road being a danger zone, I knew it would be better for him to remain in someone's pasture rather than being run down by a fast-moving vehicle. The steer moseyed on past our driveway and past Meserve's and then took a beeline right into Gary's. Sure enough, that was home, and the critter stayed put.

I found out the 4-wheelers a pretty good herding tool.

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Guess that's all that's on my mind this morning. Gotta go out there to the slop and get those barn stalls ready for the evening chores. Happy Saturday. GO SAINTS! GO ZAGS!