Sun, Rain, Snow Sunday

I was actually lying on the ground in our hayfield yesterday, shortly before noon, when I snapped this photo of our Jonas.  

Since coming to our home from the Panhandle Animal Shelter in late summer, Jonas has converted the barn from a barrage of leaping, thumb-your-nose rodents to an occasional mouse sighting, always in corpse form.

Jonas loves the horses and accompanies me up and down the lane each morning, waiting patiently for his ride back to the barn (on my shoulders, of course). 

Jonas has also gotten to know the lay of the land.  I'm never surprised where I see him these days.  

Yesterday I looked across the hayfield while taking crazy horse pictures and saw Jonas coming my way.  

It was dry enough in the field for me to lie down on my side and snap a few photos of Jonas on his level.  

It was also fun seeing our newest member of the menagerie, looking pretty "outstanding" in the beautiful fall field.

A while later, Bill came home from church.  A drizzle had started, and it was COLD outside.

I asked him his plans for the afternoon:  geocaching.

We had two choices, one of which included a trip back up to Rapid Lightning Road and beyond the lovely Aspen grove.

Janice Schoonover had told him about a geocache called "Boulder" on a gorgeous vista.

Only 4-wheelers and walkers could get to it.

Ever since hearing about it, I'd wanted to go see the spot.  

Well, yesterday was hardly the day to go looking for beautiful vistas, as the clouds closed in, dropped lower and dropped more and more rain.

We dressed warmly and figured we could deal with the wet.

We parked at a spot where forest owners had blocked the rest of the road.

The 4-wheelers had found their way around the road blocks.

Just feet away from the car, we walked through the first snow of the season, and as we proceeded further up the trail, the white stuff was substantial enough for us to see that someone else (probably two someone elses) had walked the trail and had returned before our visit.  

We figured they must be geocachers.  We would know once we found the cache.

Yesterday's 4.2 mile round trip hike offered no breath-taking views, but we still saw a lot of color along the mountainsides.

If low hanging clouds could be pretty, our location was a good spot to appreciate them.

Occasionally, they opened up a little, giving us the desire to come back to this spot again.

The boulder is huge.  One can stand and look forever, I'm betting, when the sun is out on a clear day.

We could hear Rapid Lightning Creek rushing down its course in the valley below.

And, I found the cache.  

Bill had looked in the same spot but had overlooked the exact location where the film cannister and its rolled-up geocaching log were hidden. 

"I've got a nose for geocaches," I told him.

"Geocaching takes teamwork," he added.

We also learned that those two sets of tracks had not come for the cache, as the last folks to sign live at "WP Ranch," and their entry was a few weeks ago. 

This cache will be a definite "must do" on the list when our daughter Annie's home sometime next fall.  We'll all go---on a sunny day---and I'm sure we'll have some drop-dead gorgeous photos to show for it. 

By the time we reached the car just before 5 p.m., the rain was intense and my arms and legs were wet.  Still, I didn't mind the temporary chills from wet clothes.

As I said to Bill, it sure beat sitting in the house all afternoon.

On this dryer Monday at the Lovestead, I'll wish all a Happy Halloween.

A Naughty Dog Tale . . . .

Brooke has picked a new place to visit during her daily escapes from the Lovestead. 

 She had actually been pretty good about staying put until a couple of weeks ago.

Now, the escapes, always at moments "when I least suspect" are leading her to the neighbors directly south of us.

Twice in one day this week, she went over to visit her canine buddy Duke at Wes and Alicia's place.

For some unknown reason, the next day, when she had disappeared, the little rebel eventually returned directly from the south.   At the time, I had no idea where she had gone.

Wes and Alicia live slightly west of our house.  Our woods border their north pasture, and we've gotten to know each other quite well, thanks to Brooke.

Wes and Alicia are now quite accepting of those moments when they see me pulling into their driveway, parking my running car, surveying the place and either leaving or getting out.

I get out when I see Brooke.  If I don't see her, I just go home, still perturbed.

Well, the new pattern for Brooke started Friday.  She repeated it again yesterday.

I'm still in to the old pattern which goes like this:

I walk to the barn or go inside the storage shed.

I come outside and sense that at least one of the four black-and-white doggies is missing.

ASIDE:  Brooke's wanderings have far exceeded Todd's.  His usually involve more sleuthing on my part, figuring out just whose garage or shed he has chosen for curling up and sleeping. 

Todd's been pretty good lately, although I did retrieve him from a Selle Road field a couple of weeks ago.

At least, he keeps his escapes down to once or twice a month.

Upon determining which of the Border Collie Nation (always the grandpuppies) is missing on a given day, I call out the escapee's name.  

That's when my suspicions are fully validated.

All remaining dogs take on that familiar behavior:  heads down, shrugging their shoulders, looking around, looking at me, waiting for when I'll summon them to the kennel and lock them up once again. 

Invariably, they visually register their disgust of "Not again." 

Once I shut the kennel gate, I apologize and then head for the car.

Well, we went through the usual drill yesterday morning. 

I parked in Wes and Alicia's driveway, waited a few minutes but saw no sign of Brooke.

By the way, Brooke has other given names at times like this, but I'll leave that to the readers' imaginations.

Yesterday, by the time I returned home, Brooke was coming around the house with a Folgers coffee can in her mouth, proudly greeting me.

Behind her walked my neighbor Bev.

"I walked her part way home and then decided she'd probably follow me right back to our house, so I brought her all the way," Bev explained to me.

While justifiably irritated Border Collies looked on from the kennel, Brooke took advantage of the company, gathering up all the Folgers cans she could find, lining them up in the driveway.  

I did not see her thumb her paw at her buddies, but surely she did during Bev's and my visit.

Later in the afternoon, I decided to take a walk through the woods. 

This time, three Border Collies ran free, with plenty of time to thumb their paws at Brooke, who trotted along with me who had leash and dog in hand. 

I still managed a few photos along the way, including the one above of horses grazing in their fall pasture. 

The walk brought to my attention that our trails needed trimming.  I felt bad that Bev had walked through foot-tall wet grass to bring dear Brooke back.

So, out came the tractor and the brush hawg.

Grandpuppies stayed in the house as I trimmed all the trails and even widened a few. 

Kea happily ran along with me as I delighted in preparing walking areas for the winter.

Now, if Brooke decides to go visit Bev again, and if Bev decides it's easier to just bring Brooke home, there will be a nice trail for her to walk from her house to mine.

Just another chapter in life at the Lovestead with the Border Collie nation. 

I guess I should thank Brooke for her efforts yesterday because we sure do have some nice walking trails through the forest.  

Saturday Slight

When I went to bed last night, the KHQ weatherman was showing a web camera at Schweitzer Mountain Resort.  It was dark, but he pointed to the snow activity hitting the camera lens.

This morning, I can look out the window and see that the resort runs are white, as are the ridges of mountains to the north.  

In the valley, last night,  we were experiencing a pretty drenching rain storm.  Fortunately, the leaf pile I lit in late afternoon had burned off almost to ground level before the rains came.

We're starting this Saturday morning with clear skies and moderate temperatures---also a very clean landscape.  

I enjoyed walking in the dawn this morning.  While I was leading horses down the lane to the pasture,  the sky was sparkling with stars.  

Later, when I went to the paperbox and found it empty, a morning walk down South Center Valley Road seemed like a good idea.

It was a good idea for a few feet, but then Annie Dog appeared on the road behind, standing smack dab in the middle.  

Annie Dog may be old and deaf and a little blind, but that's just for statistical purposes.

Fifteen-year-old-plus dogs should be deaf, blind,  stiff and slow moving from arthritis.  

There is an instant, temporary cure for all this, I've found.  

I just step outside the house, try to sneak around to avoid Annie, and within seconds, she appears out of nowhere, quite willing to follow my every move, maybe even galloping a bit to demonstrate just how  happy she is.

Annie can topple over at any second with the flick of a feather.  

Well, she topples over mainly when Kiwi does the ceremonial run-and-ram action toward her old canine friend.

Nobody can convince Kiwi to take it easy.  Upon impact Annie hits the ground, plays dead and allows Kiwi to roughhouse with her. 

Once Kiwi leaves, Annie comes back to life, jumps up and heads on her way. 

Annie has a dangerous affinity with any moving vehicle, usually placing herself in harm's way.  

She loves standing in the middle of the road, acting like she's off in another planet while traffic slows down and meanders around her. 

Anyway, this morning I tricked the old gal and walked back to the front yard, moving quickly through the darkness.  She came back from the road, looked around for me, gave up and headed for the garage to sleep on the couch.

I then enjoyed my walk to Selle Road and back, noticing naked black tree limbs silhouetted against the gradually brightening eastern sky.  I listened a train whistle off in the distance and could hear a car rolling down Selle Road at a pretty good clip.

Last night we didn't complain about the rainstorm cuz we spent the evening with family members,  dining out at the Samuels Store.  

Every time we eat there, Willie orders chicken parmesan, Bill usually has fish and chips, while Debbie and I settle for the bacon cheeseburger with homemade bun.

I decided to try the chicken parmesan last night cuz I've been hearing that it's the best you can find anywhere in the area.  

Steve Holmes is an amazing chef, and now I know firsthand why Willie always orders the same plate. 

Mouth watering, delightful and definitely a meal for savoring every bite.  My sister ordered the pan pork chop---pork from Wood's Meats.  

I've never seen a pork chop quite like that.  It would have been fun to have a measuring tape to see just how thick it was, but I'm guessing twice as thick as any normal pork chop.

Barbara loved it too. 

Anyway, it's easy to say that Samuels Convenience Store/Blue Heron puts out wonderful dining choices, no matter what you order. 

After dinner, we watched the Gonzaga-Carroll College exhibition game----well, all but the last five minutes. 

My sisters had taped the game, but a technical glitch cut off the end.  It was obvious to us, however, that the Bulldogs would control the rest of the game.

Looks like an exciting season once again in ZAG land.

Hard to believe that we're back to watching basketball already!  In a couple of weeks, Willie will be back to coaching basketball, so we have a busy, fun winter ahead.

Snow on Schweitzer is good, and green grass down here in the valley is even better.  So, I'll just wish everyone a happy Saturday and take on the nice day ahead.

Frosty Friday

Looks like leaves in the yard will get some attention today.  It's supposed to rain over the weekend, so our gorgeous red, gold and green carpet south of the house will have to go.  

We have another crisp, sunny day ahead, and if it's anything like yesterday, it will be fun and productive. 

I finished my brush hawging and pulled out the push-behind weed eater to chop down left overs along fence lines and at the round pen.  

If time allows me to finish the weed eating project, our pasture area should look very neat and tidy for winter. 

We're hoping for the stars to line up with nice weather and a day off for Debbie, our daughter-in-law who got her first taste of dragging the hayfield with the Kubota and the spring-tooth harrow last fall.  

She loved it, so we've saved that job for her.   Spreading the horse apple gold helps fertilize the field for next year. 

Right now, all I can say is a big thank you to Mother Nature for the past several days.  "Glorious" hardly seems adequate in describing them and the wonderful feeling of enjoying them outdoors.  

~~~~Bill is going to Farmin School this afternoon to do a short teaching stint.  Laurie asked him if he would teach a group of her students how to use the GPS.  

I think "Mr. Love" is thrilled with the teaching assignment, and I'm betting he'll go back again.  

Laurie has him pegged to help her out with her forestry club which will compete in next year's Idaho State Forestry contest.  So, I think he's going to fill up what little time he's had as a retiree with activities he dearly loves. 

~~~~~On another note, I received more specific information yesterday about the Barbara Bristow Benefit, scheduled for Nov. 18.  Barbara was going through treatment for a rare form of cancer.  Sadly, she died last week from complications with the disease. 

At this time, expenses for her treatment have exceeded $150,000.  The benefit, originally planned a few weeks ago, will go on to help out her husband Rod.  

So today I'll include some more specifics, and if local readers can pass the word, I know the family will be most appreciative. 

The Barbara Bristow Cancer Treatment Benefit will be held Nov. 18 at Ponderay Events Center behind Sandpoint Furniture. 

Dinner served from 4:30-630 p.m. Stacy’s Country Kitchen of Sagle will prepare delicious pulled pork or tri-tip sandwiches, Italian salad, baked beans and homemade potato chips. $10 per plate. Silent Auction: 4:30-7 p.m. Live Auction begins at 6:30 p.m. Several raffle items with tickets selling for $5 apiece or 5 for $20. First prize: Quarter of Beef, Second prize: 25 pounds of ground beef, donated by Wood’s Meats. Tickets will be sold in the community and at the auction. Anyone wishing to donate money or auction items can do so at Sandpoint Furniture, Sagle Fire Department or Northside Fire Department. Also, a fund in Barbara's name has been opened at Horizon Credit Union in Sandpoint. All proceeds go directly to Rod Bristow to help defray medical costs associated with Barb’s cancer treatments. Barb passed away Oct. 18, 2011, at Bonner General Hospital. Expenses exceed $150,000. More Information: Call Garry Bristow (290-8642) or Jim Corcoran (265-4036).  Thanks for whatever you can do to help generate financial donations or auction items for this event.  A happy Friday to all.  Go RANGERS!  Bill and I had the opportunity to watch them in Seattle last month with Annie, so we want them to win the World Series.

Seasonal Thinking

~~~Autumn Phyllocide~~~

Yup, it was as blatant as it comes yesterday.  

Jack Frost was on a murderous rampage, taking no prisoners.

Leaves were hanging bravely in their last hurrah.

Soon, I'll have work to do---the major project of Fall. 

I'll have to go to Big R to buy me a new rake cuz my plastic model with the big wide sweep broke a week or so ago.

I tried duct taping it back together.

Then, I tried using the rake. 

Even duct tape won't work for some fix-its.

Anyway, within the next few days a new rake will be sweeping up Jack Frost's collateral damage into piles.

I'll also use my pull behind lawn sweeper for the major collections.

Leaf pickup around here can last for weeks cuz some leaves die a slow death, hanging on as long as they can.

The leaves get hauled to Pasture No. 1.  After a few dumps, the growing pile gets ignited as fast as possible before rain and snow weight it down to stay there for the winter. 

Any leaves that don't get torched in the fall get eaten in the spring.

Seems that horses don't care much about conventional health standards.  They'll eat just about anything, and after a winter of dining on my board fence, those winterized leaves must taste pretty good.

Yesterday's gray day turned out pretty productive for me with my pre-leaf clean-up projects. 

I finished painting one of the fences.

The barn now has a new layer of gravel extending through the aisle from one end to the other. 

And, I engaged in what I view as one of the ultimate activities of living on a farm:  brush hawging the pastures.

After a summer's worth of grazing, the fields could use some manicuring, especially where weeds have found their way in and stand tall and proud.

I love wiping out the tansey and thistles while sitting on what was my dad's Ford tractor.  

While going round and round as the field gradually transforms into a tidy-looking pasture, I enjoy the simplicity of eyeing the land around me and symbolically pinching myself.

I do have to keep a close eye on Annie Dog, who, at 15, still thinks she needs to be standing (rather unsteadily) directly in the pathway of the tractor---every time it rolls around the field.

Annie always manages to "MOVE !" at the last moment. 

Anyway, while brush hawging in the fall, I revel in the fact that we get to live here, and life can be so good.  

They always say that men have to have their tractors, but I'll tell you that it's an equal-opportunity world:  women love 'em just as much.

Today I'll head over to Samuels Store, load up on some more gas and take that old Ford with its brush hawg for another spin through yet another pasture.

So, you'll know that there will be one very happy camper at the Lovestead today.

Now, leaf pickup, that's another story!

Happy Thursday. 

Oops . . . .

I was getting carried away in another writing project and looked at the clock.  Oops, it's blogging time, I thought.  So, the other project went into "saved" status.

And, while I was deep into my thinking and writing mode, the outside landscape transformed.  A deep blanket of fog has enveloped the Lovestead.  It's dark out there.  I hope it warms up enough to lift the gray soon.

But it's cold, cold this morning.  I turned on electric heaters in at least three rooms during the morning rounds.  The kitchen was especially frigid, even though Bill was up getting his breakfast, and the coffee was perking. 

~~~~~Bill headed off for Trout Creek, Montana, this morning.  He had to meet a realtor at 8 o'clock our time, 9 o'clock theirs.  It's a project for Idaho Forest Management, for whom he's working these days.

His responsibilities seem to be varied, and I think he likes that aspect of the job.  In today's meeting he'll be looking over the forestry possibilities on a piece of property and then reporting back to the boss.

The boss calls here fairly regularly, looking for Bill.  So, it's been a fun experience for me, exchanging snippets of small talk.  All of this activity with IFM definitely adds a new and fun dimension to our lives.

~~~~My other writing project this morning involved drafting a letter for Sandpoint High Alumni.  One aspect I'll share this morning could get the ball rolling quickly on a multi-faceted project to connect our alumni with the SHS students and staff.  

And, that is for alumni to start receiving the monthly online SHS newsletter.  I read my first copy a few weeks ago and found it attractive and very informative.  

So, if you're an alumnus and want to see what's happening at your alma mater on a monthly basis, send a note to administrative assistant Beth Dean at Beth.Dean@lposd.org   Tell her you'd like to receive the newsletter and let her know the email address where you'd like it to be sent. 

A few weeks ago, Dr. Becky Weller Meyer and I came up with three or four ideas which should prove fun for current students/staff and alumni.  So, with luck you'll be hearing about them soon. 

Again, if you know graduates who have not registered at the http://www.sandpointhigh.com/ alumni site, encourage them to do so.  

Also, we encourage people already on the alumni-site roster to update their profiles and contact information as we'll be drawing from that data base for planned projects.

~~~~~Tom Sherry called for today to be just like yesterday so when the fog lifts, it looks like another good opportunity to work on outside stuff. 

Yesterday I resumed my fence-painting project which stopped abruptly with last Friday's unexpected rain.  One side is all finished, and an hour or so should finish up the project.

I also had a bag of what I thought were hyacinths to plant yesterday in a spot near the road where more hyacinths appear each spring. Last week I added a dozen.  

Over the weekend I saw bulbs with good prices but apparently wasn't paying attention while grabbing a bag.  So, the hyacinth patch will be skirted by about three dozen daffodils.  Maybe that will be a better show anyway. 

Love these fall days where thoughts of enhanced spring beauty turn into fun projects.  Then, comes several months of waiting AND I love the days when those efforts transform into beautiful spring reality. 

~~~~Guess I'll quit my dreaming and get on with the day.  Happy Wednesday.

Tuesday Twitterdeefrostypumpkins

Yup, it's fall. 

I shot this photo yesterday morning at my sisters' home.

And, I'm guessing the yellow carpet surrounding Laurie's VW has grown considerably this morning.

Cuz there was plenty of frost coating the gate latches, pumpkins and especially the cars when I went out to lead horses to pasture. 

The horses will be surviving on less and less pasture and more and more flakes of hay over the next few days.

This morning, we've reached a "write-your-name-in-the-windshield" kind of cold.

I like days like today with crisp, cool air and clear skies.

Looks like we'll have a few, and the forecasters call for us dipping into the 20s overnight.

I'm not so sure we haven't already reached that point here in Selle. 

Anyway, I took a few cold pictures this morning and will include them with those I took at my sisters' yesterday. 

The horse is Dusty.  He's starting on his winter coat, and I'm sure it will be growing as those tamarack on the mountain turn more gold with each day of cold. 

Happy Tuesday.

Stuff

Things are almost back to normal for our family, but my brain's output seems pretty limited this morning.  

Guess I've been focusing on one topic and pretty oblivious to the outside world.

There are a few items, though, to report.  

I just read this morning on Facebook that my niece (Mike and Mary's daughter Maureen) went back to Washington, D.C. to a national conference to receive a big award for her outreach work with families and children.

Here's the basic headline:  The Alliance for Children and Families awarded the 2011 Spirit of the Alliance Award to Maureen Peterson Oct. 18 at the Alliance and UNCA 2011 National Conference in Washington, D.C. Peterson is a therapist at Alliance member HopeSparks in Tacoma, Wash.

So, congratulations to Maureen.  We're very proud of her. 

~~~~Annie spent time at the Oregon coast this weekend, staying at the "Blue Motel."  It's no longer blue, but it was when our family first stayed there more than 20 years ago.

Over the years, the motel expanded and improved.  It now offers a condominium-style stay.  Would love to go back and stay there again some day.

I haven't heard if Flamingo Jim's is still over in that area, but when Annie was a little girl she was fascinated with the place, which offers those big pieces of cement yard art.

Annie did tell me yesterday, however, that she has seen lots of Jersey cows over there.  There have been not-so-subtle hints that I need to get a Jersey cow to wear the cow bell she brought me from Switzerland.

Must admit it's a tempting idea, even though none of us is adept at milking cows.  I figure if we had this cow, we'd share with its calf and milk her when we feel like it.  

Do cows allow that?

The thought of a cute little Jersey grazing in the green grass with its lovely bell tingling through the air next to the lane is pretty appealing.  

Who knows what might happen?

Let's see what else has kept my interest this weekend?

The fall colors have turned ever so spectacular and I need to get out there with a camera to snap some more photos.  Hard to believe, though, that we'll be moving into winter bleakness soon.  

Somebody asked me yesterday if I was ready for winter.  

I simply replied, "I'm always ready for winter  . . . to end, and it seems like it just did."  

He nodded in agreement.

We have no choice, though, to roll with the weather punches, and I am glad that we have that shelter out there for the horses.  

During the heavy rain the other night, three horses had plenty of room to stand under a roof and keep dry.

Soon, they'll be standing or sleeping in their box stalls at night.  Hate to get back into the shoveling stages, but again, we don't have too much choice in the matter.

Guess that's enough brain engagement for now.  I'll move on with the day, and maybe tomorrow I'll be back in normal gear.

Again, thanks for your good thoughts.  Have a great Monday.

Just Thoughts . . . .

We have experienced a family emergency this weekend. It looks very much like all will turn out well.

Because of this family emergency, most of our daily routines have taken a back seat to the situation at hand.

Also, through this situation, we've experienced the power of love, thoughtfulness, prayer, unselfish sacrifice, valued friendships, medical guidance and family concern.

Thanks to these interventions, the urgent necessities associated with personal and professional lives have not missed a beat. 

This crisis has almost passed and we're all the better for it. 

Thank you. 

All in a Day . . . .

Phoebe took on a daunting responsibility for a teenager.  While serving as a housekeeper for Gen. Washington, she also eavesdropped, listening for specific information. 

A bodyguard for the general whose name began with “T” was plotting to harm George Washington.  Phoebe was to report to her father the minute she heard any information about this man.

I don’t know what happened, but I’m assuming Phoebe fulfilled her mission.  History tells us Gen. Washington successfully led the Patriots to American Independence and lived on to become the first President of the United States.

I did not learn firsthand the rest of the story because of running over on the time I was supposed to spend with a student reading aloud to me about Phoebe.

My sister had to come and retrieve this young man for the next segment of class, so I left Farmin School and went on to the next item on my agenda. 
That was a visit with my mother, who was thrilled to see the photos from our Tuesday fall-colors drive.  She was especially proud of the one she took.

We visited for a while, and I headed home to do some outdoor work.  
I'd cleaned out the sweet pea and petunia bed south of the house.  Now it was time to take on Love Canal and all those dead lupine.  
A few days before my sister had commented on their "beauty?" She remembered the day she stood near the lupine patch in June, taking pictures when it presented a spectacular burst of color.

For weeks, I'd looked toward Love Canal, thinking about removing the hundreds of dead, black stems lining the area which had transformed from breath-taking beauty to total ugliness.

It took a couple of hours to chop them down, rake them into piles and then move the piles to the woods. 

All the while, as I worked away at the project, dogs surrounded me, taking a relaxing breather from their usual duties of racing around the place, keeping track of squirrels and horses.  

Seemed the harder I worked, the more relaxed they became sprawled out on the green lawn, never missing a move I made.  

One time they all decided it was time for some love, so one by one, they rose from the ground and came to snuggle and to hear the ever-welcome words, "Yes, you're a good doggie."  

One Border Collie wants some love at our place, and three more wait in line for their personal dose.  That's how it goes.

I finished the lupine project, went in for a minute to watch the news and got grossed out by all the blood involved in yesterday's accounts of the Libyan dictator's demise.  I'd use his name but still haven't figured out how to spell it.  I don't think it matters now.

Having seen enough gore, I headed back outside toward the shop and the rototiller.  Now in the past, I've written a few blog postings about my temperamental rototiller, but today I have nothing but praise.  

The only off-the-wall incident during yesterday's interaction with the machine was having to pour gas in the carburetor.  I learned to do that first thing after past failed attempts and more than enough effort pulling that cord to get the thing started.

The stars must have been lined up in the rototiller Heavens yesterday cuz the thing started right off, kept going and allowed me to work up my enlarged garden spot to my heart's content.

I was downright giddy while going up and down and around and then down and up and around some more.  A few large rocks brought in with the new dirt from the manure pile caused a some hiccups along the way, but minor ones at that.

It was a good day yesterday, accomplishing some notable goals. 

And, I forgot to mention another nice aspect of yesterday's memories:  a parcel that arrived in the mail.

Chris Pietsch is an award-winning photojournalist in Oregon.   He likes to say that he got his start mopping the darkroom floor at Sandpoint High School.  

He also took pictures for Bill and my wedding more than 37 years ago.  

Chris found a bunch of those pictures, along with some others, among his collection and decided to send me a batch.

They're priceless, to say the least, especially the series of black-and-white 8 by 10s of my dad "rolling his own."  

After opening that parcel and seeing those photos, I'm reminded once more how valuable cameras are in recording our special moments. 

I'm also reminded that in 1974 everyone in our family had hair, and their hair had color.  

Thanks so much to Chris for adding a few more visual pieces to our unique family story. 

And, with that, I guess I'll shut up about yesterday's memories and go start some for today.

Happy Friday.  

June 15, 1974 at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Sandpoint.

Thursday This and That

Well, the retiree just left for work again this morning.  He'll be back home around 8 this evening.  Yesterday he left while I was writing my blog post and arrived home around 7 p.m.

"Whaddya gonna do with Bill around the house?" I was asked several times before his retirement party Sept. 30.

I still can't answer that question cuz he's been around the house less than usual since retiring.

Now, there may be a hidden message to his absence, but I think not.  Yesterday's schedule meant working near Spirit Lake, driving to Priest River to catch the Smithsonian exhibit called "The Way We Worked," and then heading into Sandpoint for choir practice at the Presbyterian Church.

How did he like the Smithsonian exhibit?  Darned if I know cuz I haven't had much time to ask him. 

Today he'll be working somewhere down by Ramsey Road near Coeur d'Alene and then attending a church session meeting which lasts until 8 p.m.

"Don't make me any dinner," he said. 

"Will you be off tomorrow?" I asked.

"Yup, I'm gonna go cut firewood," he responded. 

I'm guessing at least one day of the weekend will be spent pheasant hunting or fishing the Moyie.

Of course, with the lovely weather we've been having, anyone who's not making full use of it will be sorry once the winter gray days set in. 

Then will come the test of how Bill and I get along when he's around the house more than usual.  I think we'll survive.

~~~~Today I'll get a chance to meet one of my sister's students.  Laurie is happy to have volunteers come to Farmin School each day at 12:15 to work individually with her students.  My role will be to sit and listen while a student reads aloud from a book they've chosen.  

As the student proceeds through the reading assignment, I'll do periodic checks for understanding. That's the nuts-and-bolts aspect of the project, but I'm sure the experience will reap additional rewards for all involved. I'm looking forward to this weekly connection with education in action. 

~~~~The horses now have their additional shelter space.  Brad and his son Jonathan finished up the addition to the barnyard shelter yesterday. So, any time it rains or snows, there's plenty of room for the three of them.  

Lily just has to learn that she's too tall to walk under the back end of the shelter.  I think her experience of bumping the overhead board with her withers last night gave her a pretty good clue.  

Our shelter sheds on the Lovestead were built with goats in mind, and the back end to the barnyard shelter has always been low.  For some reason, Lily forgot that fact as she attempted to walk through the back end of its new addition.
~~~~It's with great sadness that I must update a segment of my blog posting from two days ago where I was announcing a benefit for Barbara Bristow.

I learned yesterday that she passed away that very night. 

Her family says the benefit Nov. 18 will go on as scheduled because they have incurred massive medical bills from her recent struggle with a rare form of cancer. I'll continue to provide information about the benefit as it draws nearer. 

My condolences to Barbara's husband Rod, her children and all of her extended family.  I taught some of her children and thoroughly enjoyed them; she left behind a legacy of fine children and grandchildren. 

~~~~Guess that's all for now.  Have a great Thursday. 

Right and Wrong Pictures

First, I’ll deal with what’s right in the picture.

Mother and I enjoyed a wonderful trip to Feist Creek Falls Restaurant yesterday.  It’s near Good Grief, about two miles off the highway just south of the Canadian Border.

I love the place because it’s so beautifully laid out with its pond, full of  lunker trout,  and the ever-present supply of goodies to feed them.  Plus, there’s a waterfall coming off the hillside behind the restaurant.

The food is always good, and everyone who works there loves to visit with the guests.  Yesterday our cook was a native of Copeland.  She now lives in Bonners Ferry, but she knew a lot of folks we knew from the good ol' days.

After our lunch, we went out and fed some fish and took some pictures.  I’ve included the one of me because Mother took it, and she was proud.

It was difficult for her to hold on to my new camera cuz it’s kinda big, but she managed.  And, when I told her we had a bona fide picture she was proud. 

It’s nice to be reminded from time to time how the little things can be pretty monumental and very important at some stages of our lives.  Dexterity is difficult for 90-year-olds, so succeeding with snapping a well-composed photo meant a lot to Mother.

There was a day a few years back that Mother’s photos recorded a lot of rural history around this area.  Her house is filled with a collection of photos from the days of building the old rodeo grounds and the many events held there.

We picked up some fresh bread and delightful Gingersnaps at the Bread Basket Bakery, and we took a spin through the Meadow Creek Campground.  Except for a little low lying fog around Bonners Ferry, the weather and the fall colors were spectacular.

Now, for what’s wrong in another picture:  I just read in the local paper a story about the commissioners deciding officially yesterday at their meeting to scrap the poll they had planned to send out with tax notices next month.

Its purpose was to garner public opinion from property owners on what to do about funding the fairgrounds, the 4-H extension program and the county museum.

The story told of how some residents in the county would be disenfranchised  because of the poll’s methodology of failing to reach all who should have a voice in the issue. 

In the same story, the reporter stated that the Daily Bee would be surveying its readers online as to what they think ought to be done to fund the three entities.

What’s wrong with this picture?  

 How will this information be used?

If sending out surveys to property owners in Bonner County would disenfranchise the residents, how will surveying the public through the local newspaper,  in one segment of the county,  improve on the problem?

How many people read or receive this local newspaper? 

Will only subscribers of the Daily Bee be able to participate in this poll?

Will the folks in Priest River have a survey in their paper? 

Will the River Journal survey the citizenry? 

Will the Sandpoint Reader participate? 

Will I decide to survey my “Slight Detour” readers?

Will readers of any of these media be able to stuff ballot boxes, so to speak?

Will all the results of these polls---whenever they’re deemed completed---be thrown into the county commissioners’ data basket so they can make a reasoned and fair decision on how to fund the three countywide instititutions currently threatened with a future fiscal chopping block?

This whole issue just gets curiouser and curiouser, just like what I also read this morning about the "mediation hot potato" which seems to keep rolling across the commissioners’ meeting desk.

One commissioner does not want to pay for mediation out of his pocket.  Two others say they will pay for mediation out of theirs. 

From what I’ve been able to deduce, those are the same two commissioners who don’t agree with the other guy who happens to disagree with future budget cuts to the museum, 4-H and the fairgrounds.   

They’re also the same two who recently removed him from the commission chair.   

And, they’re the same two who suggested the mediation because they just don’t agree on issues with the first commissioner.

We may have a long-awaited Byway about to open here in the area, where traffic patterns should flow smoother than ever.

At the same time, we seem to have dysfunction junction among our power brokers where common sense and confidence in leadership have hit a major roadblock.

What irritates me is that the three local institutions in question---all of which continually demonstrate and illustrate some of the most positive attributes of our community---have to suffer while those in power use them as pawns to play their political games.
Maybe our county leaders need to enroll in a 4-H club next year for a refresher course on effective leadership. 

Tuesday Twitterdeedum

Today could be one of the perfect fall days around here.  Low 60s, blue sky, autumn colors peaking.  

I'm planning to make good use of it with outdoor projects and taking my mother for a "fall-colors" drive.  I think she's pretty stoked.  

We'll probably head north and drive up the Moyie River to Good Grief, and I'm betting we'll make a stop or two to snap some photos. 

There are lots of memories up there, including the family picnics at Meadow Creek, where my dad's mother taught in a one-room schoolhouse back in the 1920s. 

~~~~The day will be especially perfect for Mother too, cuz it's her youngest child's birthday:  he's 48 today.  One of his classmates---also a Jim---asked on his Facebook wall if "Jimmy" had brought cupcakes on this day in Mrs. Riffle's first grade class.

I don't know if anyone remembers about the cupcakes, but it's still nice to think back on those days when little "Jimmy" started wowing his teachers with his smarts and spent much of his time building a "city" out in his sand lot behind our house on North Boyer.

Jimmy eventually became an architect and has designed many a building throughout the West ever since.   Happy Birthday, Little Brother!

~~~~In an hour or so, Brad Boyce will be pulling into our driveway.  He's a builder, the same one who constructed a beautiful new deck and roof in front of my sisters' house this summer.

Brad will be making our horses very happy the next time it rains and throughout the winter.  We have a shelter in the barnyard where they can stand during inclement weather.

Only problem is there's room for just 2.5 horses.  The unlucky half, which always gets wet, is gonna love having double the space under that shelter when Brad finishes the project tomorrow. 

And, it's supposed to rain Thursday, so Lily, Lefty and Heather can try it out right away.

~~~~This morning I'd like to start the information rolling about an event scheduled for one month from today at the Ponderay Events Center.

It's a benefit dinner (with delectables from Stacy's Country Kitchen; $10 per plate) to help out Barbara Bristow.  Barb, a local mother,  grandmother and wife of Rod Bristow,  is undergoing extensive treatment--much of it in Coeur d'Alene--for a rare form of cancer.  

Family funds to pay for this treatment are very limited, so other family members are putting together the benefit dinner and auction.

I'll provide more details about the menu as the date draws nearer, but for today, if readers would spread the word that financial donations or donated items for an auction can be dropped off at the Northside and Sagle Fire Department or at Sandpoint Furniture.  

You'll also be reading and hearing more about this in the papers and on the radio.   Thanks for helping out and for passing the word. 

~~~~Guess that's enough for this gorgeous Tuesday.  I'll post another photo from our weekend activities to remind folks once more why it's so nice to live in this country, especially this time of the year.  Happy Tuesday. 

Monday Miscellany

This pumpkin has gone full circle.

 The Northside School Garden Club gave me the seed when I went to visit one of their gardening meetings in June.

I took it home and planted it in my manure pile garden.

At first, we all thought it was a squash seed, but when the fruit started appearing, it didn't look like any squash I'd ever seen.

I was thrilled to realize it was, indeed, a pumpkin because the pumpkin I had planted one manure pile over went bad on me in August. 
I don't know if it got too cold or if I gave it too much water, but its fruits started shriveling up and the the vines died.

So, to have an extra plant that magically turned pumpkin was a relief.

That plant produced about a dozen pumpkins.

When I was invited to Kootenai School by Master Gardener Michele Murphree to see several Home Depot staffers partner up with the school's student garden club on a major project, I decided to take along one of my pumpkins from that Northside seed.  

I told Michele to do with it whatever she wanted.  She took the pumpkin back to Northside and presented it to the students. 

Many positive lessons sprouted from that seed.  
Seeds tend to do that, whether they go into the ground or inside someone's head.

Anyway, I thank Michele for including me in some of her activities as she gets gardens growing and plants seeds in the minds of many future gardeners at our local schools. 

Now, it will be interesting to learn what the Northside students do with the pumpkin.  

Will there be some tasty pie in its future?

Bill and I took Kiwi and Kea on another hike yesterday.  

This time we headed for Grouse Creek, where the first three miles of the road has been rebuilt.  

It's a smooth ride now, compared to the washboard and potholes of past years.

We drove to the end of the present road and then walked more of the old road, which has been shut down for several years.  

Part of that route is the Hemlock hiking/riding trail leading to Boulder Meadows and other areas.

We stayed on the old road and spent some time in an area overlooking the creek.

Bill said the road would end in another mile or so.  It was getting late in the afternoon so we turned around.

When we arrived back at the pickup, these riders came down the trail just behind us.

They had put in 17 miles, riding the Wiley Knob trail down below us, moving on to Grouse Mountain, Bald Eagle Mountain on the Orville Heath Trail to Pend Oreille Divide and down the Hemlock Trail.

One of those riders (in orange) has it in his genes to be out on a horse/mule, plodding through the back country.

His name is Bill Hawkins, son of Will Hawkins (well-known local photographer who died several years ago).  

Bill's grandfather Dal rode one of his Appaloosa horses named Pend Oreille's Tonkawa for nearly 60 days on the Sundance Fire back in the late '60s.  We eventually owned that mare, and my brother used her as his 4-H project.

His Uncle Ed founded the Pend Oreille Trail Ride decades ago.  The annual event attracted riders in the hundreds who came to drink up the scenery of high mountain trails and dine on Ed's wonderful gourmet cooking.

The Hawkins family, through Ed's leadership, later turned a family salad dressing recipe into one of Sandpoint's best-known businesses:  Litehouse, Inc., the nation's largest refrigerated salad dressing producer. 

Anyway, Bill, who was aboard a mule named Pend Oreille, and his friend from Seattle were really glad that their friend Arnie had agreed to drive their pickup and trailer (parked five more miles down the road) to the trailhead. 

Fun to see them and to visit. 

Miss Kiwi had her usual fun time on yesterday's hike, but she enjoyed an added treat when Arnie came with the horse trailer to pick up the riders. 

Out jumped her litter mate, Mac.  He belongs to Arnie.

I took their photo, but it's too blurry.  He's a tri-colored collie and very friendly. 

~~~~

Today may be filled with another adventure.  My friend Kari is coming.  She'll be riding Lily while I take Lefty out for his first road trip under saddle.

My main concern is the screaming that goes on with the one left behind, but we'll deal with that.

~~~~

Happy Monday.