Already?

How could it be that we have reached October?  Seems like those last two weeks of September slipped before our eyes----or should I say "zipped"?

Not much we can do about it 'cept turn over the calendars and pay the bills.  Those two are a given on any month of the year.

The rest is up for grabs.  They say the weather will change this week.  It's supposed to get cold but still dry.   I say that's okay.  

I do admit we could use some rain, but it seems like once the moisture starts,  the spigot won't turn off.  Still, the fall pastures could use a good soaking. 

Otherwise, hay bales will have to come out early.

Anticipating this calendar change, Bill could see a lovely fall quickly slipping away.  

And, knowing I would be gone for a few days, he announced to Willie and me Friday night that he was going on a trip in the new old motor home.

I had kinda suspected something was up when he took the big ol' thing out for a spin around the neighborhood earlier this week.

Once his announcement received an encouraging response, Bill set out on his usual Boy Scout "Be Prepared" mission. 

Grocery shopping, organizing cooking gear and fishing gear, figuring out items for evening entertainment----all received meticulous attention.

In one case, he commented, "Here I go camping, and it turns dark at 6:30."  I suggested he may be hitting the hay by 7.

Then, I saw a pile of DVD's come out of the entertainment center.  Bill has a portable DVD player.  He also took along the latest copy of one of his fishing magazines.

He went online to get his Montana fishing license.  

When I saw the piles of food go out to the motor home, I asked him once again, "So, you're only going to be gone one night? That looks like two weeks' worth of stuff.

He didn't think it was THAT much food.   I DID think that he would not starve.

Yesterday, just after arriving home from church, he said, "I knew I had forgotten something, and when the Bible verse mentioned "salt," I knew what it was."

Bill came in, grabbed his salt, had a little lunch and then took off for his great adventure to Ross Creek Cedars and the Kootenai River.

Apparently, the new old motor home was pretty cooperative cuz I didn't receive any calls. 

He was figuring his first junk food stop would be at Heron.  Again, I knew he would not starve.

He also mentioned something about the "boogie man."  I think that was why he took his movies---in hopes of drowning out sounds of any scary monsters lurking outside the motorhome at the Bull Lake campground.

Well, here at the Lovestead overnight, the boogie man stayed away.  I actually slept for most of the night, and no dogs barked.

So, I'm assuming over there in Montana, Bill may have survived his night.  

He's probably already out on a fly stream or cooking up some blueberry pancakes with a Schwan's sausage on the side. 

I'm sure he's having the time of his life with that new old motorhome.  

Today I'm planning to attend a funeral.  Eddie Parkins died last week after a long, good and productive life.

His family members tell me he was sharp to the end, which is a gift, for sure. 

Eddie hired my mother a long time ago when he owned Sandpoint Cleaners and she had three "active" pre-school kids at home.  

Mother hired lots of babysitters during that time cuz they usually didn't last very long with us. 

I'm guessing the Parkins kids may have been a lot like the Brown kids, so Eddie was probably pretty understanding whenever Mother would get the frantic calls from frantic babysitters. 

After we matured enough to go to Sister School at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, the Brown kids and the Parkins kids got to know each other.

We've been friends ever since.  I have so many good memories of the Parkins clan---one in particular occurred when they asked me to follow them around with my camera for a day as they celebrated a giant family reunion.  

The day included a Baptism, a trip to Ponderay and the old brick house where some family had lived, a gathering at the Edgewater where my friend and classmate Mike and a few of his Parkins siblings sang all the words to Marty Robbins' "El Paso."

The day was topped off---for me anyway---with an exclusive family movie at the Panida Theater. 

I laughed all day and felt blessed to share in their special day.

The Parkins clan has been good to me all my life----as they have to so many in this community.  

Probably the best gift they've shared for all is their gift of abundant laughter.  I'm sure today, a tear or two will be shed as they say "good bye" to their dad.

I'm also sure that Eddie would be happy if the laughs outnumbered the tears.  

So,  the family will likely honor their father with some of their infectious good humor. 

Happy Monday and Good Laughter to all.