TGIF and all that . . . .

Today would have been my parents' 56th wedding anniversary. They were married March 12 in Thompson Falls, Montana, after farming my brothers out to the Best's dairy down the road and me with Helen Crockett in town.

It must have been a Friday when they took off because I remember going with Helen to Bonners Ferry to watch a basketball game. I think her daughter Sally was an SHS cheerleader at the time.

After the game we ate at a Bonners Ferry cafe. I had a hamburger and a coke and poured way too much ketch-up on my hamburger. Surely the beginnings of public klutzdum for me.

Mother and Harold (our late stepfather) drove around Montana on their honeymoon and took pictures of deer, hiding in bushes. The slide shows afterward kept us three kids jumping from the couch to "spot the deer."

This is also my grandnephew Rory's birthday. Let's see, he must be 8 today, or is it 9? Time is MARCHing on, so I could be wrong on my guess. Whatever the case, Happy Birthday to Rory.

We had a lot of rain overnight, and I'm guessing they must have had a few inches of new snow up at Schweitzer. I can hear the dynamite blasts up there to take care of avalanches. In fact, there goes another. They're actually as just loud as Taylor's rooster across the road.

I don't know if he has his internal clock working cuz I hear him crowing at different hours of the day. It's a good sound because anything that reminds me that I'm in farm country makes me smile.

By the way, I met another rooster the other day on another trip to Bonners Ferry. He came strutting out from somewhere as I stood introducing myself to Maureen Hooten.

I'm sure I stopped in mid-sentence the minute I laid eyes on him. I think she calls him "Ru-Ru." A rooster is usually a rooster, but this guy had feather leggings. I've never seen such a thing on a rooster.

He seemed pretty proud of himself as he strutted around the yard, standing tall with feathers waving from head to foot.

She also had a fat cat, and there's no symbolism intended here. It was the fattest, roundest cat I think I've ever seen.

"He's not pregnant," Maureen assured me. It looked as if all the animals at her place, including the two adorable and loving Aussies, lead good lives.

If you go over to (http://www.riverjournal.com/vivvo/), you can read my most recent column. I called it "Meet the Unsinkable Molly Klein." I also noticed in the print edition an oversight where I thought the audience ought to know that she's "energetic." Yes, she's "energetic," just in case you didn't notice the first time.

I always wince big time (and maybe cuss) when I notice those glitches cuz I hate 'em. But once they're in print, there's not much one can do. Molly's got a lot more going for her than simply being "energetic . . . energetic," so be sure to read her story and all the others in this month's River Journal.

The rooster has now been replaced by the robins who are out there in the front yard singing their spring songs. So far, Annie Dog hasn't started her daily demented "Arf . . .Arf . . .Arf's," but I do hear the whistle from the Union Pacific as it rolls through Selle about a mile away. The rain has ceased, it's warm and wet outside and definitely a lovely early spring day.

We've got even better days coming over the weekend too, along with Daylight Savings Time, so I'd guess we're MARCHing along in proper spring fashion. Happy TGIF.