Monday Miscellany

First words out of Bill's mouth this morning, after the usual "Good Morning," were that if his information was accurate, winds were gusting at 71 mph on Lake Pend Oreille.

 "Hope nobody's boating out there today," I said.  

It was 5:15, so the likelihood of someone out fishing for trout was pretty slim.

I think Bill had been listening to his weather radio, which he often does in the early-morning hours.

I opened the sliding-glass door, and, sure enough, a blustery wind was swirling in high gear.  Not 71 mph but definitely enough to notice.

I like high winds on cold, brisk days.  For me, they suggest a feeling of calm escape into another time or place.  Hard to describe, but I especially like the sound of a blizzard wind in the midst of winter.

Not for long, of course.

The wind is still whooping it up out there as I write, but it looks like a dry day ahead.

The week ahead will be a busy one.  

Debbie takes off for Omak for a few days and Willie will be full bore into basketball practice, so I'm figuring grandpuppies will be hanging out here more than usual.

We're joining Mother for dinner tomorrow night, and it's a Western theme.  So, we're helping out with the decorations.

I'll be taking two old classic bridles----one Mother's, one Harold's---for the troops to put on display.  

I'll probably also take a lariat and if they want to use my neat draft-horse collar, they can do that too. 

Should be a fun event.

This is also the week for the Barbara Bristow Cancer Treatment Benefit.  It's this Friday beginning at 4 p.m. at the Pend Oreille Events Center (dinner featuring pulled pork sandwiches and the trimmings,  served by Stacy's of Sagle).  

Garry Bristow called me a few days ago to tell me about some of the prime auction items. 

Those include an overnight stay with spa at the Kootenai River Inn in Bonners Ferry and an overnighter at Spokane's elegant and historic Davenport Hotel. 

Also, the folks at Western Pleasure are donating a 12-person sleigh ride. To go with that, Carolyn at Second Avenue Restaurant will provide pizzas, and local musician Miah Kohal will entertain.  Sounds like a great package!

Garry says there will also be lots of gift baskets, lube jobs and restaurant dinners auctioned off. 

Oh yeah, I'm donating two complete sets of my books, autographed. 

Donated items for the auction can be dropped off at Sandpoint Furniture and the Sagle and Northside Fire Departments.

Dinner for Friday's event is $10 a plate, and raffle tickets on beef will be sold.  So, if you're local and can make it, put it on your calendar.  

Also, if you'd like to donate money to help out Barbara's husband Rod deal with the $150,000-plus treatment costs, you can do so at Horizon Credit Bureau.  

Thanks for helping out. 

On the fun and nature and not-so fun and nature front, I must report on squirrels and turkeys, respectively.

A couple of weeks ago, I placed peanuts on the penthouse of my makeshift bird feeder by the window, in hopes that a squirrel or the lone blue jay visitor would find them. 

Well, yesterday I was walking through the living room at the right time.  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement.

It was a beautiful pine squirrel---fat and sassy with a warm reddish brown coat---heading down the post from the feeder.

Once on the ground, it scampered up a nearby poplar tree.  A few minutes later, it came back to the feeder, and after dining on sunflower seeds on the ground, it moseyed up the post to the penthouse.

Sitting there for a minute---surely for me to admire---the cute critter grabbed a peanut and headed back down the post to the poplar. 

I was thrilled, to say the least.

When the squirrel chose not to return soon, I went outside and put some more peanuts on the penthouse.  Maybe next sighting I'll have my camera.

Now, to the not-so fun nature story.  We're no longer enamored with our turkey herd.

In the past week or so, the herd has grown significantly, from about a dozen to more than 30.  

Apparently this is a late-fall phenomenon for turkey herds to merge.

Our dissatisfaction with the turkeys did not exactly start when I looked out the sliding-glass door to see a big bird leading the way for its friends through the yard. 

First one, then another, then several, then about a dozen more. We were enjoying our turkey watching at this point.

They converged in the south lawn feeder area and gobbled away.

Some made their way over to the window feeder, and that was okay until I saw the first evil turkey sign appear on the ground. 

I had resolved long ago that the turkeys were welcome as long as they made no messes.

That telltale green-and-white poop told me it was to erase the welcome.

Time to call Kea, our herd dog.

We'd never sicced her on turkeys, just cows.  So, this would be a test of whether we really have a full-fledged natural herder.

We do.

"Kea, send 'em out of here," I yelled, once she saw the turkeys.  

It's actually kinda fun watching a Border Collie race into the middle of a herd of great big turkeys.  The sound effects are great and the general chaos of the birds is fun too.

Turkeys didn't know whether to run or fly, to go north, to go south or whether to just keep grabbing bites.

Yeah, it was pretty crazy for about 10 or 20 seconds, but by that time, all turkeys had left the yard, and Kea stood back, quite proud of herself.

The situation repeated itself yesterday when I drove into the driveway to find turkeys in the barnyard, turkeys in the dog kennel, turkeys in the barn and, yes, turkeys out pooping and eating at the bird feeders.

"Kea," I hollered. 

This time, Kiwi, certainly feeling a bit left out in the "praise, praise, you're a good dog" compliments, decided she was a turkey herding pup too.

Yup, those doggies removed those turkeys within seconds.

So, we've got good times ahead with our Border Collies, as long as the turkey herd keeps growing and visiting and thinking they can poop all over my yard!

I guess that's it for the Monday miscellany, and I know I'd better get outside and make sure those gobblers haven't sneaked in for their morning treats.

Happy Monday.  Oh, and the wind has stopped, and it has started snowing great big flakes since I last looked out the window. So much for dry days.

Ah, Winter!