Saturday Slight

No complaints about this day.  

Before sun-up---long before sun-up---I looked outside to see a myriad of sparkling jewels in the sky.

Yesterday I watched a big jet fly east in the sky overhead.

In both cases, I must say it's been a while since I've observed either of those sights.

It's also been a while since I've found myself suddenly stopping in mid-step just to take note of magical scenes around me.

This morning, while going after the papers,  I stopped in the middle of South Center Valley Road and marveled at the sounds and sights.  

Bullet was barking.  That was a lovely sound; I'll tell you why later.

And, Taylor's huge pasture in the early dawn reminded me a peaceful white sea with gentle, rolling white waves,  frozen into place. 

There is no way I can adequately convey the scene outside the west window.  

My little camera provides merely faint hint of the dramatic backdrop unfolding by the minute as the sun lights up Schweitzer Mountain and its other Selkirk buddies.  

A beautiful Saturday, indeed.

And, I'm sure skiers and boarders will be in Heaven up on that mountain today.

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Magic Bullet

I call him Magic Bullet because,  to his neighbors surrounding Gary Finney's place, this little barking Fox Terrier has miraculously come back to life.

We have not heard Bullet's continual barking for almost a month.

A while back Geneva Meserve called and asked if I knew anything about what might have happened to Bullet.

She went on to tell me that she awoke one night to hear shots and people talking.  The next day she could not hear Bullet, and he did not make his usual daily visits to their place just down the road from Gary's.  

Bullet is often out in the road.  He thinks he owns it, and the traffic all stops to let him have his way.  

He also goes visiting quite often and has been known to follow horseback riders for miles before returning home to Gary's. 

We all know and love Bullet, so this news from Geneva was very disturbing.  I told Geneva I'd ask Gary the next time I saw him, knowing that if something bad had happened to his little dog,  Gary must be very sad.

I did not see Gary to talk to him in the next weeks.  

And, we never heard or saw any sign of Bullet.  

Two days ago I went out to start my car.  Suddenly I tuned in to a most wonderful sound:  Bullet barking.

I rushed in to call Geneva.  She told me how Stan had come into the house that morning and summoned her outside, not divulging the reason why.  

She thought it was to see where the snow had fallen off their new tin roof.

While standing there, she also had tuned in on the barking.

"We just stood there and smiled," she told me.

I told Geneva I would go up to Gary's and make sure.  

So, I drove up Gary's driveway, parked the car, got out and there appeared Bullet jumping from the depression where snow had surrounded his dog house.

It was a happy moment for both of us as I petted him and he whimpered back.

Yesterday Gary told me of Bullet's saga.  

Someone had picked him up from in front of Gary's place and dropped him off at the local Selle Valley School.  From there, he was taken to the shelter or the vets (can't remember which one Gary mentioned).  

He stayed there for three weeks until someone adopted him.  In a conversation with the new owners, someone else detected some familiarity.

"I think that's Gary Finney's dog," the lady said.  Gary was notified.

He and his grandson went and picked up Bullet and brought him home.

To say we love hearing him bark is an understatement.  Life has come back to normal for all of us now that this story has a happy ending.

Welcome home, Bullet!

~~~~

Bill, Debbie and Willie are headed to Moscow today where Willie will be reporting on the Vandals game for those four newspapers.  

Bill just wants to see Akeys Army in action, and Debbie wants to go along to see the game and a friend.

So, I'll have grandpuppies, and at noon John Fuller will come to remove shoes from horses---much needed as Miss Lily has been having a rough time with the ice balls that form inside her shoes.  Not a fun way to walk.

~~~~~

This afternoon I'll go to my sisters' house to watch the ZAGS at the Battle in Seattle.  My friend Janet and her hubby Rick said they'd do double cheering for us since we didn't make it over there again this year.

So, go ZAGS, VANDALS, BRONCOS, COUGS and SUN!  

We love you all.  

Happy Saturday.