Saturday Slight

~~This just in:  Annie and Mr. Legos at the National Boy Scout Jamboree in Virginia~~

Last day of July for another year.  This month has sped by so quickly.  Seems every day has been action-packed, which is typical for us in the summer time.  Today's agenda includes some possible rain and a trip to the Bonner County Fair Horse Show.

Laurie is planning to show her new horse in a couple of classes, and I'll be taking Mother to watch.  Tomorrow I'll be announcing again cuz Marcy Bloom, the fair horse show chair, caught me at a weak moment.  With the temperatures dipping a bit, though, it should be kinda fun.  Barbara will be showing her Dusty in several classes tomorrow.  Plus, both sisters are showing horses in halter classes.

I went to Roxane's yesterday to watch Miss Heather do her workout.  After the setback of a stubborn and huge hematoma (about the size of a small watermelon and hanging off her rear quarter; it had to be lanced last Friday), Heather's doing well.

I'm really impressed with Roxane's methods----meticulous, quiet, kind, firm and consistent.  Heather visited with me at a spot in the round pen after Roxane had saddled her, bitted her and put side reins on her.  When Roxane stood in the middle of the pen and quietly told her to get to work, Heather trotted off and did everything Roxane asked without a lunge line.

Roxane has gotten to the point of mounting her and putting full weight on her both sides.  She's taking it slowly and figures she'll be sitting on her today or tomorrow.  The daily ground training will lead to pretty smooth sailing once Heather learns how to balance the extra weight on top.  

I might add that Heather is a cutie under saddle, and she seems very willing to learn.  I'll be excited to see her progress over the next week.

~~~~~~

I noticed that someone had commented on one of last week's blog postings about having taught with Miss Jones in Stark.  Bill tells me that's Louisiana; I'm just curious who you are.  It's always fun to know the principals in the small-world stories.  

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Thank you to all who gave me the word on my mysterious flower---a yucca plant.  My friend Judy was most specific by identifying it as a "white Adam's needle yucca."  I still have questions as to why it never bloomed until this year.  I did cut it back in the spring one year, but it should have bloomed the first summer we were here and the next year.

So now I'm wondering if it's a plant that takes a while to bloom or if conditions need to be just right.  The latter makes no sense since it's a plant from the Southwest that likes dry weather.  With our cold, wet spring, I'm stymied as to why it looks so beautiful.  

It certainly has done much better than some of our North Idaho standbys like strawberries and cherries. 

~~~~~

Annie had a fun-filled day yesterday.  She visited the International Spy Museum and then hooked up with Bryant Jones who took her on a tour of the White House West Wing.  Then, the two headed out for some serious D.C. geocaching.  Haven't heard the results, but she did post a photo of herself in the White House on Facebook.

Today she's starting the grind of trying to beat Virginia's summer heat while occupying a tent with other Groundspeak, Inc. colleagues who will be showing hundreds of Boy Scouts the fine points of geocaching. 

Bill and I kinda figure Annie's involvement at the Jamboree is a "full-circle" story since we first met at the National Boy Scout Jamboree here at Farragut in 1973. 

~~~~~

Bill, Willie, Debbie and I had a fun dinner last night.  Just as we were walking out the door to go to town, the phone rang.  It was Betty from the Idaho Forest Products Commission.  She and her hubby Dave were in town and wanted to get together.  So, we all met at Ivanos for dinner.  

Betty just turned 50, and she'd pinched pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters for years in preparation for the big celebration.  She and David went to Africa, visiting Kenya and Zanzibar.  They also spent time visiting schools in poverty-stricken areas.  

David was amazed at how advanced the students' education is with just a chalk board and a teacher.  His comments reaffirmed my belief that you can have all the gizmos in the world, but the teacher is still the central essential in learning. 

It's always fun to visit with Betty and David and hear about their world travels and their world-class garden in Boise.  Betty is the undisputed tomato queen of Boise.  I believe she told me that she grows more than 100 varieties of 'maters.  

On that news, I was quick to tell her I would not be inviting her out to the Lovestead to see my crop.  

~~~~~

Bill's off to Costco this morning.  He buys huge boxes of Tide each year and dates each box, just to see how many months it will last.  He also buys his Double A batteries in bulk, and I swear he must purchase 50 rolls of paper towels at a time.  

He reported a first yesterday----soap, batteries and towels, all down to the last drop at the same time.  Bill's desperate and won't feel right until the supply is replenished. 

~~~~~

I guess that's all for this morning.  Since the clouds aren't dropping any rain yet, I'll head off to the hoses and then to go watch the horses.  

Have a great Saturday. Enjoy those final hours of July.

Family fun and a flower

Miss Betsy June is one little bundle of lively energy, constantly renewing itself and very entertaining all who watch her.

She's my great-niece, and she's 2 1/2.

Those are Grandpa's legs. Grandpa is my brother Kevin.

We had a great family barbecue the night before last, and our friend Cis asked me where the pictures were on yesterday's posting.

Well, they were in my camera, which I left at Colburn.

So, I'll feature some of the fun today.

Plus, I've got a mystery flower pictured at the bottom.

If someone who knows perennials can tell me what it is, I'd appreciate it.

I cut it back the past couple of years, thinking it was leftover growth from the year before.

So, it has either bloomed for the first time, or I've destroyed all past year's blooms.

Pretty and unique, whatever it is.

Enjoy the photos.

Grandma Joyce, Betsy and Aggie talk pickles.

Betsy and Aggie eat pickles while Pita begs in the background.

Great-Aunt Laurie, Betsy June and Pooh

Great-Grandma and Aggie Sue enjoy a visit.

Aggie Sue's new front teeth are almost grown.

She'll be going to kindergarten this fall.

She's Betsy June's older sister.

Backward and over-the-shoulder shot of a coy little girl

Waiting for the burgers and hotdogs: Joyce, Betsy, Aggie and Debbie.

Debbie's still icing her knee from the 204-mile bike ride two weeks ago.

A pensive moment

Any ideas what this flower is?

Catching up

All is calm.  All is a bit gray as I write this morning.  We're back into the usual routine.  Bill has left for work.  He'll be in Bonners Ferry today.  Since our return, I've made it through the old newspapers, the mail and the answering machine message.  I've checked out the gardens and harvested berries and broccoli. Even took a dip in Big Blue yesterday afternoon.

So, this morning the need to scurry around has diminished, and I'm letting my normal schedule guide the day.  I know that Annie has arrived in Washington, D.C., on her red-eye flight,  and she'll hang out in the Mall area for the next two days.  Tomorrow she and Bryant Jones are getting together for geocaching and maybe a White House tour.  Saturday she goes to the Boy Scout Jamboree for a week.

While I was gone, another family development occurred.  Laurie bought a new horse.  I made it over to see him yesterday and to watch the tail-end of her dressage lesson with Gail.  

"Manny" is an 11-year-old black bay Arabian-Warmblood with four white stockings and a big wide strip.  Quite eye-catching too.

He's a step up, not only in height but also in natural ability for Laurie in the dressage world.  His motion is phenomenal----such ease, such smoothness.  I'm figuring the shock absorbers are superior to what she's experienced in the past, and she's driving with automatic transmission and power steering.  Looks like some fun times ahead for both of them.

Manny had been standing in a pasture, not working for a few years, so he's rough around the edges, but the potential is limitless.  I think she's even planning to ride him in a class at this Saturday's fair horse show, just to give him some ring experience before taking him to a full-fledged dressage event later next month.

Anyway, Laurie's tickled pink as is everyone else who's seen her new horse.  

Last night was indoor-arena night for some potential equestrians.  My brother Kevin and his wife Joyce picked up their grandchildren in Hayden and brought them to Sandpoint for an overnighter.  We gathered at the Colburn ranch for a nice family barbecue and then headed to the arena.  

Miss Aggie Sue (5) and Miss Betsy June (2) pulled on their lovely pink cowboy boots, donned helmets and climbed aboard.  Betsy rode in front of Laurie on Rusty while Aggie Sue, who's had a lesson with each year's visit to Colburn, took the reins on Coquie and rode to her heart's content.  It was all seriousness for these little gals, who appear to like horses---no understatement there!

Anyway, we all enjoyed the mini-horse show in the arena, including Mother who came down in her golf cart.  The cart is suffering a few burps from weak batteries, so she was  towed back up to the house with the 4-wheeler.  Not a problem, though.  Mother was delighted for the opportunity to watch a fourth generation of her family looking so good and so confident aboard their horses.

I'd say the beat will go on with horse activities in this family.

I think Aggie and Betsy may stop by the Lovestead this morning on their way to their Montana grandparents' home.  And, of course, they'll meet a few more horses.

In other developments, I see by this morning's paper that today is an anniversary of sorts for my friend Helen.  Their barn burned down out here in the Selle Valley 50 years ago today.  Helen's folks had a dairy, and the cause of the fire was said to be spontaneous combustion of recently stored hay.  

Which brings to mind that we still haven't heard when our hay will be cut for this season.  I think we might set a record of having hay cut for the first time ever in August.  That's how the long cold/wet spell in spring and early summer has affected virtually everything involving crops around here this year.  

I heard that hay harvesting will probably take a break for a few days because of predicted rain.  At this point, folks start getting a bit nervous, wondering if it will happen and what quality the hay will be when it finally goes to the barn.   So, we'll keep our fingers crossed for some good luck.

Those clouds haven't dumped anything yet, and the humidity is evident.  So, I'd better head outside, grab the hose and stick to my morning routine of dousing the gardens and the flower pots.

Happy Thursday to all.

Fond feelings of home

I like going away on trips.  I LOVE coming home.  It was a grueling day yesterday, getting here.  We drove through wild thunder, lightning and rainstorms near Houston to get to the airport, and for a while, it looked like flights would be backed up because of the storms.

The sun came out, though, and so did the planes.  We did sit on the tarmac for a few minutes, waiting for the flights in the long line ahead of us to take off, but we arrived in Salt Lake City early.  The ascent out of there, though, made me wonder for a few minutes if I was in Silverwood,  riding the roller coaster.

The turbulence settled down after about ten minutes, and our last leg of the day's traveling (the day started at 4:15 a.m. PST) went well.  We collapsed into bed just before midnight.  

Of course, returning home gives even a tired traveler a bit more zest, so I was out of bed by 5:15 and watering gardens by 6.  My first trip around the place tells me that things sure did grow during the last six days.  One of the gardens looks like a jungle.  My lovely lettuce out in the north planter grew a lot and definitely attracted Mama Deer.  She was nice enough to keep it mowed.

As long as she leaves enough for our summer salads, I won't complain.  Blueberries are big and ripe as are raspberries.  Broccoli needs to be cut.  Love it!

I loved the experience in the South, every minute of it.  In fact, I can't remember a trip that went so smoothly each day.  Nobody got mad.  The flights were great.  Our accommodations were perfect.

All family and business goals for the trip were met.  People did exactly what they wanted to do, and all the food, right down to my DICKS whammy and chocolate shake last night, was splendid.  The memories are and will remain priceless AND yes, Mastercard did its part too.

My only complaint----too much sitting.  But when you're driving, flying or visiting, you have no recourse but to sit.  And, when the humidity matches the temperature, you don't take a lot of brisk strolls.  That will come today as I scurry around with watering and harvesting and catching up with family around here.

There's a pack of Lime Bud Light on the kitchen island, and some notes from Willie and Debbie, i.e., "Willie didn't get the lawn around the shop mowed (smiley face)"  and "Debbie didn't get the berries picked (smiley face)" and "Welcome home; we missed you (smiley face)."

I like the last one the best, and maybe tonight we'll all sit on the deck, enjoying an ice-cold lime Bud Light, catching up on the past few days.  In the meantime, Annie will be attending a Sounders soccer game and then climbing aboard a red-eye flight to Washington, D.C.,  to attend the National Boy Scout Jamboree on behalf of Groundspeak.

Never a dull moment in this family, it seems AND we love it.  Glad to be back, and to all those lovely folks we met along our travels, thank you for your gracious hospitality and for your friendship.  We love that too!

Off to pick berries and mow around the shop!  (Smiley face)

Tuesday Twitterdeegoinghome

Photos include some tranquil scenes taken yesterday at the Dixon home in Oakdale and part of a monument in the Oakdale Cemetery.

                                           

Bill's going through his travel bag, organizing his clothes.  I've got most of mine packed but am still remaining casual and comfortable.  We'll be leaving Oakdale in a few hours, headed to Houston and then home.

It's been a great trip and we've enjoyed meeting and visiting with some wonderful people.  Yesterday's highlight for me was my visit with the Dixons.  Tom was the realtor on Bill and Margaret's house sale; he's a forester like Bill.  We also went to the Dixon's house for coffee and rum cake with Gene and Gene Ann (hope I spelled that right).

The Dixons have been Love family friends forever, and I've seen one or two Dixon family members every time I've come to Oakdale.  Gene Ann and I may have met for the first time yesterday, but I felt like we became good old friends instantly.   Of course, anyone who rode horses as a kid is okay in my book.

Gene Ann and I went for a drive through the Oakdale Cemetery.  Her mother serves on the cemetery board.  The Dixon family owned a fine department store in Oakdale for years.

I can remember during the years when Bill's mother Ora was alive, she'd send me a lovely pair of panties, purchased from Dixon's Department Store----every Christmas.

In fact, one of those pairs of shimmering panties made it into a story in my second book, thanks to Bill finding them in his coat pocket one night at a Bulldog basketball game.  Ya gotta read the book to know more (that would be Postcards from Potato Land, by the way).

After all the deal-making details on selling the house were finalized yesterday, we headed to dinner in Kinder at the Casino.  When we arrived, I wanted to call Annie to tell her we were at the Casino cuz we had stopped there in 1997 when we traveled around Texas and Louisiana looking at potential colleges for her.

Before I could call Annie, she had already called me.  We had a nice conversation and she told me about hearing from Grandpapa.  He's a geocacher with another name, but he's one of the longtime geocachers that we know.  

She told me about Grandpapa's loyalty to my blog.  Much appreciated, and since you're reading, Grandpapa, I must tell you that yesterday Bill showed his sister Margaret where he had planted a geocache in a small Oakdale park a few years ago.  It's still there---a tribute to military personnel.  

So, geocaching never leaves the mind no matter where we happen to be.  I'm sure you're proud, Grandpapa!

This trip has gone by fast and fun.  I'm sure we're all going to remember it for a long time, especially all the wonderful people and the ever-delightful Southern cuisine.

Bill and Margaret signed closing papers on their house yesterday, and I told them this experience seems like the closing of one door and the opening of another----after meeting all those new family members.

As for me, I loved watching it all, and that's why I came along.  Now, it's time to go home and tell the kids about another fascinating branch of  their family tree.

Five days in, one day to go.

We'll be back in Idaho late tomorrow night.  In the meantime, we're somewhat settled in Oakdale, with a day's worth of miscellany---business and old friends from Bill's hometown.  It's obviously warm here, as every glass door entrance is steamed up. 

Things are kinda quiet around Oakdale, and that's an understatement.  Lots of empty store fronts and generally looking like tough times have hit---even to the point of seeing the main seafood restaurant shut down.

Bill and I took a spin around last night to several of his old haunts---the high school (home to the Warriors), the city pool where he worked as lifeguard, the old "rich" section where the former mayor Mr. Mowad lived.  And, yes, we passed by his former girlfriend's house.  She, by the way, and Annie are getting together in Virginia in the next few days.

We went to the Popeyes chicken house and dined on nuggets, chicken strips and cold slaw.  The server, who was receiving a lot of irritating static about the rules from her upwardly-mobile assistant manager was hanging in there doing her best to be nice to the customers.

"Be careful out on that highway," she told us.  "The storm has started, and her name is Bonnie."  Never mind that Bonnie fizzled a couple of days ago; this gal still had our best interests at heart, and I gave her a couple of dollars for a tip, just to dull the chatter she was enduring from the irritating boss man.

We had a relatively quiet night after going to see Bill and Margaret's family home, which we're hoping officially changes hands today or tomorrow.  Some last-minute obstacles still loom.

While Bill and Margaret swam in the pool, I sat on a hot curb outside (for more cell phone bars) and talked to a sad mother.  She had just learned of her best college friend's death.  Dorothy Ringlein remained a constant factor in family conversation throughout our lives.

She, Alice, Mary Jane and Mother all attended Nazareth College in Kalamazoo, Mich., and always kept in touch over the years.  Mother is the only one remaining.

Mother and Dorothy planned to bicycle across Europe after their college days back in the early 1940s.  They both made it to Europe but never on bicycles and never together.  Still, they enjoyed several visits over the years.  Dorothy worked her high school librarian career in Flint, Mich., while Mother moved West.

Dorothy and Alice first came to visit her in 1948 on a road trip, which took them through Yellowstone.  Somewhere in Mother's photo albums are pictures of them in front of the old house on Euclid---one with Dorothy holding me as a toddler.

When my younger siblings were little, Dorothy came again.  On that visit, we went on a day trip to Banff (crazy, yes but fun for sure).  At the time $14 worth of junk food all purchased by Dorothy took up a lot of space and filled a lot of tummies.  My little brother got car sick, so they also bought him some Dramamine. 

He was wired for the rest of the trip, and Dorothy thoroughly enjoyed his antics.  We had a flat tire that day also, and I remember some nice tourists from England stopping to help us change it along the highway.

My mother loved her college roommates so much that she named two of our Hereford cows after them, and my first-ever 4-H beef project was Dorothy.  She did well for me.  Every time Mother and her friend Dorothy got together, we could count on plenty of reminiscing and lots of laughing.

I also have a little pewter pitcher given to Bill and me by Dorothy for our wedding gift.  It's packed away somewhere among the boxes, and I think I need to get it out when I return home.  I'll do a keep-fill service of sweet peas in the pitcher for my mother so she can have some fragrant daily reminders of her dear friend.

Sad time for sure.  We'll all miss the Dorothy Ringlein aspect of our lives.  She was truly one fine lady, a class act and a great friend to my mother. 

~~RIP Dorothy~~

Shreveport family gathering

A little Southern-style barbecue from curbside for the Shreveport family gathering: a turkey drumstick, two slices of white bread and orange soda, all for $7.

Priceless.

Thanks to the cook and her assistants. I loved meeting you.

Bill with his only living uncle: Grady Tingle, retired banker from Shreveport.

Bill and his cousin Mike Tingle

A lovely couple and wonderful hosts for our invasion: Regina and Grady Tingle.

Bill's mother Helen was Grady's older sister. Both said she was "the sweetest lady" and one of the smartest women they ever met.

Great information for Bill and Margaret, indeed.

Grady shares some family history.

Huck and Regina look through a photo album.

Yes, she was a beauty queen.

Candace, married to Bill's youngest cousin Chris (son of Grady and Regina) was first runner-up in the Miss Arkansas pageant---twice.

Lovely lady and wonderful mother to her children, Scout and Hud.

I'm looking forward to hearing her sing a country tune one of these days, cuz I heard she's good. 

Bill's youngest cousin, Chris.

A couchful of Tingles: Candace, Chris, Scout and Regina.

Sandra has a find: an old family photo and some recognition.

Reunited family members gather outside the Tingle house in Shreveport.

Grady, Bill, Sandra, Margaret, Regina, Mike and Huck.

A good and meaningful time was had by all with hopes for visiting in the future.

Are we in the South? This was right across the street from Church's Fried Chicken.

Mildred's chair along Front Street in Natchidoches, Louisiana, and directly across from where we dined last night.

Mouth-watering seafood and good company topped off our day here as Huck, Debbie, Sandy, Margaret, Bill and I dined.

I can now say I've eaten aligator. Not bad.

Main plate, though, was crab cakes topped with fried green tomatoes over dirty rice.

I ate every bite and had room for a couple of bites of fresh-made key lime pie.

Oh my!

Saturday Slight from down South

Ya know you're in Luzianna when . . . .

If y'all don't know you're in Texas, eat your waffle.

Howdy, Uncle Bill, I'm your niece Sandra.

Long-lost relatives meet in Orange.

That's Margaret hugging Huck in the background, and Huck's wife Debbie in the middle.

Yesterday, Huck and Sandra met an aunt on the other side of the family for the first time in more than 50 years.

Wanda Jane Jones aka Kim is their aunt cuz her dad was their grandfather.

Their grandfather was once married to Helen Tingley who later married Edgar Love.

The marriage between Helen Tingle and Wanda's father produced Mildred, who was Bill and Margaret's older half-sister and Huck and Sandra's mother. She was killed in a car accident in the early 1950s, and, as a result, the family unit scattered a bit.

Convoluted story, but we figured it out yesterday when many of the faces converged at Wanda's house. Huck gave Wanda/Kim a letter to read aloud, which she had written more than 50 years ago.

She was a school principal in Orange for years.

Huck and his Uncle Bill enjoy a laugh. Huck's a year older than Bill, by the way.

Huck, Bill and Margaret look at family pictures.

The key figure behind this family reunion: Debbie Walling started researching family history, and the discoveries were made.

She has to be really enjoying what she started. Thanks, Debbie.

A reunited group of family members enjoy their present-day family photos.

More reunions today in Shreveport when Bill and Margaret, Huck and Sandy meet some aunts, uncles and cousins.

Day Two: Love family odyssey

View out our window in Galveston

Bill and Margaret are enjoying the continental breakfast downstairs, and I'm enjoying my latte up here in Room 505 of the Quality Inn here in Galveston.

And, yes, I feel a bit of perspiration, even with the air conditioning.  We'll go outside in a while and walk along the Gulf of Mexico beach here.  Then, we'll head for a ferry which takes us back to the Texas mainland.

Around noon we'll be in Orange, meeting the other family members involved in this odyssey of sorts.

Huck and Sandra, Bill and Margaret's niece and nephew, are flying in to Houston this morning from Oklahoma City.  We'll all converge at an Aunt Wanda's house.  I don't know much about her except she's a retired school principal and somebody's relative, probably associated with Bill and Margaret's mother Helen Tingle Love.

I'm sure the day will be filled with fascinating information and some rich family history. I love this stuff, having participated in several similar situations with my own family roots.  It will be especially fun to gather the information and pass it on to Willie and Annie so that the stories will perpetuate themselves among future generations.  

Yesterday's activities were pretty much without incident, except I did encounter my first-ever body screening.  The machine at Spokane International Airport was encountering its first use yesterday, and I had the honor of being selected from our group of people going through security.  

Hope they liked what they saw, and apparently they did cuz they sent me on my way.  Bill got a little flustered at check-in when he inadvertently swiped his state credit card for the $25 baggage charge.  He was on the phone almost immediately calling the powers-that-be to let them know of his mistake.

We had great flights and a little more than we bargained for here in the Houston area.  Thunderstorms around the area kept us in the air, circling for about twenty minutes before the pilot got the go-ahead for landing.

It will be a big day ahead with plenty to report so stay tuned.   And, we're going to do our best to STAY COOL.  And, for any readers with whom I usually correspond by email, please use my Hotmail address.  For some reason I can't access my normal email.

Always happy to hear news from other folks. 

Happy Friday.

Tortuca Mexican Restaurant is located next to our motel, and since the rain began to fall in sheets, we opted to walk across the parking lot to eat there last night.

Good Mexican food and a British bartender. He said he could speak Spanish for us if we'd like.

Into the Southern Heat

I'm sipping on my latte a couple of hours earlier than usual.  The fan is going overhead, and I'm relishing the last semblance of cool, natural morning air, knowing it's gonna be a lot warmer in a few hours.  We'll be taking off this morning and flying to Houston.

I looked at the weather forecast the other day and have read this morning headlines.  It may not be pretty down there with temperatures in the mid-80s, humidity in the 80s and "feels like's" of 92-94 degrees for the next several days.  And, with that, they're talking thunderstorms and a big tropical storm.  

So, I'm gonna throw that rain jacket into the suitcase and hope for the best.

We'll be living essentially in air conditioning for six days, so I'm throwing in the Airborne too.  Without a lot of fresh air to breathe for any extended periods, I have a feeling it will be essential.

Our purpose for this trip is very exciting, but thoughts of the heat are not.  We'll live through it, though. 

It could be worse.  We could be Annie who's gonna be occupying a tent all day long for a week at the National Boy Scout Jamboree outside Washington, D.C., during the first week of August.  Now, I'd say she's gonna feel the heat!

I was noting to Bill last night how priorities have changed over the years as we pack for trips.  My clothes and bathroom essentials have been kept to a minimum---all in an effort to allow enough space for the techno stuff one has to take along.

And, my assortment doesn't even include a GPS.  Bill's does----probably two of them, in fact.  I'm sure he's looked up some geocaches to find while we're in Louisiana, but he also borrowed Debbie's GPS last night for navigating addresses to motels, restaurants and Texas/Louisiana residents we plan to visit. 

My personal menagerie of techno toys and accessories includes the cell phone, along with its in-house and in-car charger; my digital camera and it's chargeable batteries, along with the charger.  I brought extra double A batteries, just in case.  And, of course, I don't travel these days without my laptop.  In fact, my laptop case will serve as my over-sized purse while we're flying.  

I plugged in the computer for a few hours last night so it can be operated on the battery either in-flight or at airports.  Of course, I'm hoping the wireless card will work in Salt Lake City Airport but am smart enough not to hold up too much hope of landing a service during our short time there.

On these trips anymore, I don't care about what I eat nearly as much as I care about the accommodations and that they have wireless.  The great fun of a trip like this is taking the pictures, observing, listening, enjoying the off-the-wall, unpredictable happenings and reporting about them on the blog.

So, I hope there's enough gear stuffed in with the jeans, blouses, undies, shampoo and chondroitan supplies.

That raincoat may be an essential,  but much more important to me is a bunch of equipment that works so that I can satisfy my cyber-obsessions.  Wish me luck, and, if all goes well, you may see the results over the next several days.  

In the meantime, Bill and I will be chalking up some miles today and hopefully ending the day in our techno-equipped overnight residence in Galveston. 

Wednesday potpourri

For Linda who commented yesterday:  I did not take pictures of dewberries during my limited time of picking yesterday.  I didn't even let the four dogs out of the pickup.  I didn't stay long.

Seems the dewberry crop took it in the shins like so many other fruit crops have in North Idaho this year.  One aspect of dewberry picking will change for the better.  Most of the berries I did find yesterday need a week or so to ripen.  Again, the cold spring put another crop behind.

Still, the volumninous vines from years past are simply crawling across the ground with no fruity accessories.  Occasionally, I'd find a few but not nearly in the numbers of the past couple of years.  

Makes me wonder how the huckleberry crop will be this year.

I do believe that the cold spring AND that week's worth of frigid temperatures with no snow back in December had a lot of influence on the sporadic yields we're seeing among many fruits this year.  So, we'll just have to chalk it up to an off year and make the best of it. 

Thank God for hearty blueberries.

I'm asking Willie and Debbie to pick the ripe berries  while we're gone cuz I don't want to see them fry on the branches over the next few days. 

We're taking off tomorrow for Houston and ending the day in Galveston.  Bill's sister Margaret says after all she's heard about the Gulf disaster, she wants to put her hand in some Gulf water.  So, we'll be just across the street from an area that, as far as we know,  has not been affected by the oil spill.  

We're not looking forward to the "balmy" temperatures, but the rest of the trip should be a great and valuable family memory as we meet Bill and Margaret's niece and nephew and visit  with a couple of elderly relatives in Orange, Tex., and Shreveport, Louisiana.  Then, we'll go to Bill and Margaret's hometown of Oakdale and spend a couple of days.

My plans are to stay in the background and quietly chronicle the happenings,  both photographically and with written word. If all goes well with our nightly accommodations, I'll be blogging from each overnight stop.  

So, that means a busy day today, getting everything in order around here.  Of course, one of the kitties, Licker,  had to catch a few ear mites, so I'll be doctoring her today.  

And, we still don't know when Harvey's crew is coming to do the hay.  More than likely, it will happen while we're gone, so Willie will have to see that all goes well in that department.

Debbie's lame these days.  Her knee, compliments of  the 204-mile bike trip from Seattle to Portland continues to swell and stiffen.  So, she's icing it and heating it as prescribed by the doctors.

She also spent her first-ever experience in a hospital (except for being born 32 years ago, that is)  Sunday night after crossing the finish line,  with a case of dehydration.

Debbie was one of several patients the staff had seen over the weekend, thanks to the biking classic.  After three hours of IV's, she was released.  In spite of the setbacks, she's overflowing with exuberance at having completed the ride, every last mile of it.  

She told us lots of stories last night, including a few tales of "cheaters," who would ride part way, then load up themselves and their bikes in cars and take the easy route for a few miles.

All the "no pain, no gain" and "what doesn't kill you builds character" declarations definitely fit Debbie in this "ride of her life."

Well, I'd better get on the move with trips to town, lawn mowing, packing, house cleaning, watering, etc.  A busy day lies ahead, as does an exciting Love/Tingle family adventure.  

Happy Wednesday.

Summer berry-picking nostalgia

On Saturday I saw the owner of the land where the dewberries grow.

He was one of the many locals who visited the Women of Courage event in Glengary.  His wife was buying a book, and my mother and I were headed out the door.  I introduced him to Mother and then had to ask, "Is it okay to pick berries on your land again this year?"

"Of course," he said.

I then apologized for not getting him a jar of jelly this past year.  That's because last year's berries are still in the freezer waiting for me to make that jelly.  Time gets away from us with our best intentions, and that intention remained unfulfilled.

It would be a good idea to get down there and start picking on this year's crop.  If I go, I'll have to take four Border Collies to keep me safe from wild critters who might come trotting, lumbering or stalking through the wooded area.

A couple of summers ago, I was picking away on a hillside when I heard a wind-filled snort just out of sight but close enough to wonder what the heck was up there.  On the second snort, I summoned Kiwi to the car, and we moved to another area.  

Bill told me later it was probably a doe, sending out the message to stay away from her fawn.  We've encountered maternally-endowed does before here at the Lovestead, so I maintain a healthy respect for their wishes wherever I go.

People have been talking about all the bears this year, so I'll be more wary of their potential presence while picking those tasty dewberries from their prickly vines and once more rekindling some fond moments of my childhood.  

Summer July mornings were spent along the North Boyer and Woodland Drive ditches surrounding our farm and in various spots throughout our woods.  We had a few good patches of dewberries among our trees---lots of which grew near brush piles created by my dad in mini-thinning projects. 

The ditches, however, offered the best berry yield and a few obstacles. In addition to the pin-point stickers on the vines, my fingers had to wade through layers of thick roadside dust to pluck each normally dark purple berry from its leafy base. 

Like my current favorite picking spot, I worried about critters.  In this case, however,  they'd be the slithering kind.  

A garter-snake sighting could keep me away from a rich berry collection for days.  Little did I know at the time that the snake probably got the heck out the ditch with its sighting and smelling of my ragged, dirt-filled tennis shoes coming its way, allegedly threatening to squash it to smithereens. 

Snakes aside, I still found a good amount of berries on my daily runs, stretching over a period of about two weeks. By the time, I'd finished each day's picking, my jar or tin-can might be half-full of clean and dusty berries, along with all the viny residue that came along from picking quickly.  

Since those days, my berry picking has gotten a bit obsessive-compulsive.  I don't like bringing back half the woods or the roadside with my fruity bounty.  Vines, stickers, leaves and branches (when picking huckleberries) make a mess in the kitchen sink.

So, I'm obsessed with cleaning the extras from my container as the berries reach each new level.   I've noticed my family members who get appointed to pick their fair share don't share my fetish for uncluttered containers. Still, I'm happy to have their contributions.

I'm always on the look-out for new dewberry patches, and our own woods, which was eaten down by goats for years, is now renewing itself with a blanket of grass, weeds, wildflowers and berry vines.  Maybe in a few years, the ever-growing patches we're gradually discovering will provide an ample homegrown supply.

For now, I'll continue driving down to my secret patches and picking to my heart's content.  This year's dewberry harvest will be particularly important because the strawberries from our garden, which we usually enjoy on top of Meadow Gold French vanilla ice cream did NOT appear, except for about a dozen here and there.  

The raspberry plants given to us by the Dolsby's and the Meserves are just getting started, so I'm guessing this year's yield might fill a large freezer bag.  On the plus side, blueberries----on the older plants---have huge clumps of fruit hanging from their branches.  Some berries are just starting to ripen.

Since the lawn mowing can be put off another day, and my morning watering project will last just an hour, I think I'll put those doggies in the car, grab a bucket and head on down to pick my berries and send my mind into some more reminiscing about the pleasant berry-picking days of long ago.

Both situations will satisfy my stomach and my soul.

Sweet and Sunny Thoughts

Lots of disappointments this year on the garden front, but the sunflowers and daisies are doing well.

And, these first blooms in the Lovestead patch for the year have me thinking about the positives.

~~~~~

The brightest thought occurred over in Portland around 7 p.m. last night when our daughter-in-law Debbie Love and her friend Paige pedaled across the finish line for the Seattle to Portland biking classic.

"They would have to take the bike away from her," Willie told me over the phone yesterday morning.

It had been doubtful whether or not Debbie should continue a second day of biking down I-5. She'd completed 99 miles the first day but did so with a painful pulled tendon in her knee.

Lots of ice and pain pills later, she climbed back in the saddle and proved to everyone how much heart she has within. Sunday's ride to the finish included 105 miles and a lot more hills than they had originally anticipated.

Willie sounded ecstatic when he called to let us know she made it.

"She's tired, her knees hurt, but she said she'd do it again," he told me.

Congratulations to Debbie and Paige on fulfilling their 18-month goal of a couple of gals getting in the saddle and seeing what they're made of.

We're proud of you, to say the least.

And, we hope your bodies recover in a timely and painless fashion.

~~~~~

My mother is still talking about her visit to the Bird Aviation and Invention Museum for the Women of Courage event, honoring specifically women aviators but also all women who participated in the WWII effort.

It has been a weekend down Memory Lane for Mother for sure. She told us a few more stories on our way out to The View Restaurant for dinner last night.

And, speaking of which, Bill gives a "high five" to the fish and chips plate at the newly remodeld Cocolalla restaurant which reopened after remaining idle for quite some time.

I give a high five to the quick service and the food but especially to the restroom. I can recall feeling like I was taking my life in my hands years ago when I stepped in to its predecessor.

And, being a restroom aficionado, I have to hand it to the owners for the lovely and user-friendly decor.


~~~~~

Laurie finished a weekend of dressage on a high note. I don't know too many details except that yesterday went far better than Saturday, and she finished second among her group in one test. She rode in four tests over the weekend.  

Her success in the event qualified her to enter the Sport Horse Nationals in Nampa this fall.

~~~~~

Bill and I are taking off on a family odyssey of sorts this weekend. We'll be entering the torrid zone when we fly into Houston and spend some time with his sister Margaret, his niece and nephew from Oklahoma and their spouses.

We'll also go to his hometown of Oakdale and take care of some family business.

This should be a very special trip for all involved, and, of course, I'll report on it.

Willie and Debbie will be minding the Lovestead while we're gone, and it looks like Willie may have to turn into Farmer Love if the hay gets harvested during our absence. My sisters assure me that he has the know-how since he was the crew boss on their hay crew one year.

~~~~~

Lots going on---all good. So, that lovely sunflower seems pretty appropriate today as do the daisies below.

Happy Monday.

Front-deck daisies

Old Memories, Old Friends at Bird Aviation Event

 

My mother had a great time at yesterday's Women of Courage event at the Bird Aviation and Invention Museum.  Women aviators received center-stage attention, but countless other women who had played a part in the World War II war effort or who have served in the military attended the program.

Along with them hundreds of visitors came to take in the event and tour the Bird Aviation and Invention Museum at Glengary.

On the way out to Glengary, Mother was scripting the main headlines of her own personal war-effort story, which took place at 327 Sub Depot at Kellogg Field in Battle Creek where she earned $1.50  an hour and often worked ten-hour days putting her drafting skills to work.

The focus of her efforts was on light bombers which had suffered damage in combat.  Design work was done to repair the bombers as fast as possible because the need was so great.  Mother loved the duty and remains proud of her role as a vital contributor in the nation's military effort.  

Besides sharing her story, Mother also delighted in seeing lots of old friends in a typical "old-home-week" gathering.  She also had the opportunity to meet Kurt Kopsa (one of my former students), owner of Keystone Masonry of Colburn who created the brick work for the special monument above.  

And, she chatted for a few minutes with the famed inventor and owner of the Bird Aviation and Invention Center, Dr. Forrest Bird.  Turns out the two were born about six weeks apart in 1921.  Forrest is the older of the two. 

Enjoy the photos below, which include some big smiles on the face of one of the millions of Greatest Generation folks who teamed up to create a positive outcome for our nation during WWII.  

Kurt Kopsa and Mother

It was a pleasant surprise to see my longtime friend and former teaching colleague, Cheryl Benjamin, who came over from Western Washington to take in the event.

Of course, Mother loved telling Cheryl her story.

We hadn't seen George Perks in years. His dad, Floyd, served as mayor of Sandpoint and worked with my dad for the City.

George flew his plane into the Bird Aviation and Invention Center for the event. 

Two behind-the-scenes workers on the event AND good friends, Nancy Pucci and Adrienne Nelson, spent some time visiting with us.

Nancy and her husband Skip housed some of the special WASP guests at their home.

Adrienne, a cater extraordinaire, prepared meals for the week's events.