Fun Sunday with Friends . . . .

Kinda nice hearing the rooster crow next door and to know that the most pressing item on the agenda today is a visit from the world’s best plumber, Ron Kauble, Jr.   

He’ll come over later this morning to put a new hose in one of our livestock automatic waterers. 

A couple of times this summer I stood at the barn and could hear water gushing.  Both times it was the same waterer down the lane, and both times a lot of  Oden water had escaped and irrigated a pathway down the fenceline.  

In each case, I simply tightened up the bracket at the end of the hose and all was well, except for my wet head and face from intense spray that would not stop until the hose was secure again.

The last time a geyser erupted at the tank, I knew we needed a plumber cuz the hose had cracked open and frayed. 

So, that will get taken care of today.   

In addition, I’ll haul my mother’s horse cart to a carwash in town and give it a good bath.  It’s been sitting idle in my sisters’ arena for several years.  The dust and pigeon dung have left a thick coating virtually all over the cart.

The tires need airing up and maybe even some new tubes, so I'll go to a bike shop and see if they can help me.

I’m borrowing the training cart to get Mr. Lefty started with his new career as a cart horse. 

Lefty has the even temperament and the adorable good looks for such a role.  And, he has had a lot of prior experience in harness and being driven. 

So, with help from my friend Lori, maybe he’ll be pulling that Amish cart within the next few weeks.

With those items on the agenda, today is fairly laid-back compared to the weekend.  Yesterday’s busy schedule elicited some good memories, right down to the shrimp skewers and barbecued chicken breast Bill prepared on the grill last night.

It was a day filled with familiar faces from times past and familiar faces from the community.   

For example, I hadn’t seen Gail Cinelli for at least 30 years until she walked through the door at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church for the WOW  fall  with my friend Verna Mae.

Gail lives in Maine, but she used to live in Sandpoint.  Bill and I are thinking that she and her husband Peter went along with us on a canoe trip down Priest River right after we were first married in 1974. 

We had a nice but brief visit, but I’ve discovered her on Facebook, so we can catch up some more.

In the morning, two members of the SHS Class of 1982 came for a visit.  Jim Imholte and Laurie Blackwell were up in Sandpoint this weekend visiting from Arizona.

Jim had arranged with me earlier in the week for Laurie to have a ride on a horse at the Lovestead.

So, while Laurie rode Lily, Jim and I walked the fields, and we all did as much catching up as possible.  Jim started first grade at Lincoln School with my brother Jim.

 And, when they were initiated into the Lodgepole Society, Jim was wishing he had the photo of the two Jims and Johnny Rogers from first grade.  Johnny’s a well-known local logger and one of Bill’s former Boy Scouts.

All went well with the ride, and Laurie knows where there’s a horse whenever she returns to Sandpoint.

 A side note:  I realized while introducing Laurie and Jim to our three horses that two of their classmates, Roxane Conrad and Monty Collison, had trained all three horses.

Later, Mother and I attended the WOW tea, and thoroughly enjoyed a couple of hours of good visiting with WOW honorees and Women Honoring Women committee members.

One visit included yet another Class of 1982 grad, Jeralyn Mire (hopefully pictured above with Mother). 

It was a great day all the way around, but I have to admit to being pretty tired after three days of nonstop activity. 

So, today will be a nice breather as we rev up toward the end of the week and Bill’s retirement.  He left a little while ago for his last Monday on the job. 

Soon, life will be all Saturdays, and I have a feeling he’ll enjoy it.

Happy Monday.