Leaping back to Winter

Short night.  Short posting.

This is hardly "out of the frying pan and into the fire."

Maybe it's out of the frying pan and into the walk-in freezer for me.

And, that's not quite a stretch.

When I arrived at Spokane Airport around 11 last night, all went well on gathering the suitcase and walking to the car.

The Jimmy had been sitting in the outside parking lot since Thursday.  Evidence of the weekend snowstorm surrounded the car and covered the wind shield.

I turned the heat up to high and scraped off the ice deposits.

Then I paid my $45 and headed home, wearing my buttoned up fleece and figuring that winter coat in the back seat would not be needed once the car heated up.

Well, about 45 miles later, I pulled over on the Rathdrum Prairie and put the winter coat on over the fleece.  The wind was blowing pretty fiercely out of the north.

The car heater NEVER did heat up.  Good time for it to go bad.

Nonetheless, I made it home on dry roads with a slightly frozen body.

This morning we're encountering a Leap Year winter storm.  

I'm figuring that Mother Nature planned to do this cuz she was busy at other things all winter and knew there would be an extra day to make up for what she did not inflict upon us earlier.

So, the big contrast from lunch in downtown Palm Desert to shivering at the Lovestead.

One more item:  former vice president Dan Quayle rode with us on our Dash-8 jet to Phoenix.

He was probably headed to a Romney celebration party.

I wanted to go up and thank him for the inspiration to my book entitled "Postcards from Potato (e) Land," but things were pretty tight on that full flight.

So, I just looked at him and noted that he is pretty cute and well-groomed. 

This morning, it's nice to be home near the warm fire.  I'll probably kick back today after chores and just enjoy this extra day, thinking about the wonderful memories of the past few days.

Happy Leap Year to All!

A Visit to Indian Canyon

Before Annie left to go back to Seattle yesterday, we took a quick trip to Indian Canyon near Palm Springs.  Our hike included some fun watching hummingbirds and other local species.
Like Joshua Tree National Park, this beautiful place begs for a return trip when more time for hiking is available.

Annie is now back in the snowy Northwest, and I'll be driving home from Spokane Airport at oh-so-late-dark-thirty tonight, probably arriving back at the Lovestead on Leap Year Day.

We've had a wonderful time here, meeting so many nice people, sitting back and visiting, eating too much and enjoying a wine on the side.

This morning we go to the country club for Mow's tennis date, then to a birthday dessert lunch with one of her friends.  Afterward, she'll drop me off at the airport, and, finally, her hubby Joe's question will be answered:  we'll quit talking.

This has been a good getaway, and, God willing, spring will eventually get its start back home.

Life will go on with animals, early garden projects and the day-to-day life of living on the farm.  And, along with it, the memories of these past few days will bring many moments of fun reflection.

Happy Tuesday to all.  Enjoy the photos.  And, thanks so much, Mow and Joe, for your wonderful hospitality.  See you in Idaho!

A Very Special Wedding Visit et. al.

Annie and I went through the "drive-through" at the Very Special Wedding Chapel in old Las Vegas yesterday. 

Do they allow same-sex, same-family wedddings in Nevada?

I'm sure the nice lady at the window had some similar questions as she opened the window and greeted us.

I'm also sure she was a bit relieved when we asked for the geocache.

Her face lit up with a big smile. 

She reached down and handed over the prettiest geocache I've ever seen.

Annie dug through the box, picked out an item and signed the log as I chatted with the lady.

"We get people from all over the world asking for the box," she told me with total delight.  The geocache has been at the wedding chapel for a number of years. I got the impression it creates just as much fun as the couples who show up to get hitched.

It goes to show there's something for everyone who wants to geocache.

Annie and I also went to the "Welcome to Las Vegas" sign and found another couple of geocaches before leaving town.

We spent most of the day driving, but it was still fun heading off across endless expanses and knowing the next potty stop might be 50-60 miles away.

We spent a little time walking around and taking photos in Joshua Tree National Park. . . definitely a spot to which I'd love to return some day.

I have loved our trips through the desert to and from Las Vegas and have especially loved knowing that if I were home, there might be some complaining about all that snow.  Last I heard from Bill, he had measured up to 16 inches and more was falling.

He told me the next "big storm" is due tomorrow night when I come home.  

So now, it looks as if the "wonderful winter" without much snow was just a little late in coming.

Today we'll probably drive around and do some more sight seeing before Annie heads back to the airport and flies home to Seattle.

It's been a wonderful trip, filled with good food, much fun and a whole lot of good visiting.

Bob, the parrot, would like his sheet to be removed cuz he keeps telling me "hello" as I type.  I think he's jealous that he doesn't get to write this morning's post.

Happy Monday to all.   

Sunday Morning at the Excalibur

Somebody please tell Jack O'Brien and family that their huckleberry chocolates are a hit in the desert. My friends, Puz aka Janis Puzuhanich and Mow aka Jean Tobin have been enjoying them this past few days.

So much happened during our fun-filled day yesterday that I don't know if I can remember it ALL this morning.  

We met for breakfast over quiches, paninis and coffee.  The aforementioned did get attention, but the visiting and laughing were the highlights----almost! 

Enter Samantha.

She was ahead of us in line.  She came over and wondered if anyone wanted a free latte.  She had an extra and wanted to give it away---just cuz.  NOTE:  to Samantha.  Can you send me your email address again.  Use my address listed on this blog.  I seem to have misplaced yours.

We thought that was very nice of her, so we jumped into a lively conversation.  Not wanting to cause too much commotion, we finally decided it would be a good idea to order our four breakfasts and help move the line along.

When I went to pay, the cashier said our tab had already been paid----by Samantha.

Samantha said she just wanted to do something nice yesterday morninand she had found her beneficiaries.  We were stunned and beyond appreciative, and we've all vowed that Samantha will be hearing from us and definitely never forgotten. 

Thank you so much, Samantha.  Your gesture made our day and will receive a grand billing in all future stories to tell.  And, yes, we'll pass on the goodwill you extended toward us yesterday.

I got to thinking about giving up things for Lent and have decided that "giving of oneself" could leave a much more positive impact on this earth.

So, I'll do my best through Lent to follow Samantha's example.  I'm sure the rest of her recipients feel the same way.

Hate to even talk about spending the night in Sin City after that wonderful moment yesterday.

We did, however, and I can now say that I've seen the beauty and the "beast" of Las Vegas. The architectural creativity is beyond description.  Seeing is believing, for sure.

We had a good buffet dinner at the Mirage, and we had fun taking pictures and geocaching.  Annie had the camera and the geocaching information.  I acted as assistant and subject for both.

I also set a new record with my pedometer.  I think it hit almost 23,000 steps yesterday.  It will be hard to beat that today, but we'll be doing some more geocaching on the way back to Palm Springs and the Academy Awards. 

Should be another fun-filled day, and we're hoping that introducing Janis to geocaching has started a new adventure for her.
She found her first cache yesterday with Annie's help after breakfast.  When we checked in on Facebook late last night, she had gone off and found a second.  Yay, Janis.

I have heard about and seen some nice photos of the ongoing snowstorm, which has dumped nearly a foot of white stuff at home.

The desert looks beautiful this time of year, and I'm glad that my experience with snow this time has just been on Facebook.  Hope a warm wind blows it away before Tuesday.

Happy Sunday!

We met these nice folks just beyond Amboy, Calif. They were Canadians hot on a geocaching power trail, which involves teamwork and a lot of caches found and logged in a short amount of time.  Annie and I cached a short stretch of the trail, picking up about half a dozen new caches.  When we caught up with them, they were talking caches in the hundreds.  They were pretty thrilled to meet someone from Groundspeak, which runs the geocaching website.

Saturday Slightly Nice

Good Morning from the California desert sunshine. The rock-faced mountain to my right outside Jean and Joe's window is lit up for the day as are all those palm trees.

The top scene is from the country club where Mow (Jean) played tennis yesterday morning. Absolute perfection for beauty and lovely weather.

I hear from Bill that six inches of snow fell at the Lovestead overnight and that the power went out briefly. He says there's a lot of dripping off the eaves and that may the snow will turn to rain.

This morning we're going to a "quiche" place with a view for breakfast with my classmate and friend Janis Puz.

Annie arrived safely around midnight after driving from Santa Ana airport. So, she's snoozing away as is everyone else in the house, even Bob, the parrot. He even snores, I've discovered.

He thought he might have to write the blog again this morning, but since I'm up, I'll just let him sleep.

All is well, especially the hospitality.

I'll simply post a few photos, and then it will be time to get on with the day.

After breakfast, Annie and I are taking off on our overnighter road trip to Las Vegas. Geocaching followed by bright lights. Should be a fun day.

Happy Saturday.

Mow (left) with her tennis partners, Carol and Gay.

From the Land of the Sun and Palms

Hi,

I'm Bob. I'm 31, and I have to bite my nails because that lady who showed up at my house makes me nervous. So, pardon me while I talk and tell you what she's done so far.

She's sitting at Starbuck's in Palm Springs because the folks here at the house couldn't figure out what the wifi password is. Not a bad thing, though, to blog from Starbucks, so that's what she and Mow are doing. I'm actually sleeping right now cuz they put a blanket over my cage.

It's a beautiful day out there, I'm told. She already went for a walk with her camera and met a nice lady from British Columbia who was walking her poodle. As usual, she gabbed with the lady for a while.

I also heard her talking about the very nice young man named Chris Fellers who sat with her on the plane from Phoenix to Palm Springs. He's a show jumper, and he knows and often visits her Colburn neighbors, the Crooks, who also do show jumping. I heard her say something like "small world."

Last night there was so much gabbing going on here that I couldn't get a word in edgewise. That's bad for a parrot, ya know.

All the attention was focused on that ZAGS game (she was really happy that they won) and my doggie friends. I think she must have taken 800 pictures of Webster.

Seems they're related somehow. She kept talking about how Webster looked and acted so much like Todd. Seems Webster's pretty special cuz of that family connection.

After all they wore themselves out telling the dogs how much they loved them, they finally came over to my cage and gave me some attention.

She stuck her finger up close to my beak, and I almost got a bite. Maybe next time.

Anyway, things are pretty crazy around here since she showed up. I guess I'll just have to keep track and tell you more tomorrow.

Happy Friday. Enjoy her pictures.

Bob

Shed Day

Bill tells me it's gonna get down to zero about the time I return.  

That revelation came up when we were discussing the switch on the electric panel in the barn which turns on the automatic-waterer heaters.

I told him the switch was off for now and, even in the 20s, the waterers are okay.

Once I heard "zero," though, I told him he'd better flip the switch once the temperature starts dipping.

Bill has lots of little details to attend to over the next few days, as he's taking care of the place and the animals while I "shed" a few layers and head south to 85-degree days. 

Ahhhhhhhh!

If blogging is on schedule each morning, readers can drink their coffee or lattes to desert scenes.  That is if things go on schedule.

So, this is a heads-up.  I may not always have pictures and may not always be exactly on schedule, but I shall blog.  Keep checking back.

Next Wednesday, all should be back to normal, and I'll be wearing those winter layers again.

Yesterday was a pretty crazy day weather-wise.  

It was February, but we were really getting some doses of March---sunshine, brisk cold winds leaving limbs all over the place, rain, snow, hail, white-outs, a five-minute blizzard. 

We had it all, and everywhere I went, I told folks I could take this weather cuz I was gonna escape it, starting today. 

I'll be visiting my dear, longtime friends, Mow and Puz.  I told 'em last night they must be destined to meet cuz they both have nicknames starting with the first three letters of their original last names. 

I'll also be spending time with Annie.  She's mapped out a geocaching-filled overnighter to "the Strip."  

We'll keep our clothes on, mind you, but I'm sure my jaw will be dropping as I take in all the sights and sounds of Sin City.  And, I may even take a few pictures. 

Last but not least, I've been telling Todd, Brooke and Kea that I'll be seeing and playing with their brother Webster.  

Webster has two Border Collie friends at his house, so that aspect of life will be pretty close to normal. 

I am figuring, however, that plastic sacks will be in order as opposed to dropping those logs wherever you want.

Yup, it will be fun to leave the Lovestead for a few days, go bask in the sun and have oodles of fun visiting.   

Mow tells me her hubby Joe will have the Zags game on when I arrive in Palm Springs tonight, so that part of life will be fairly close to normal too.  

It will be just a different setting for hollering and celebrating----I hope on the latter, anyway.

And, after reading the Spokesman this morning, I must report that all ZAGS fans need to add "Go Johnny Go" to their litany of cheers when the ZAGS take on Brigham Young. 

That's who Mr. Harris is yelling for whenever he watches his son Elias play basketball. 

So, happy Thursday.  

Go Johnny Go

Go ZAGS!

Palm Springs, here I come!

Hammin' it Up

My neighbor said our accommodations were beyond Motel 6 when she came to retrieve her pigs yesterday morning.  Yes, those five visiting oinkers basked in the comfort of a box stall and did sleep until almost 11.  Picture time, however, brought them to life, and soon Marty came down the lane with a feast on a sled.  So, the pigs in their blanket got up and slowly followed her home.  After all when you have a smorgasboard of peas in one kettle, fruit and bagels in the next and a huge helping of grain in the third, you're gonna follow the food.  Debbie and I helped Marty and her great Pyrenees named Stewy take Mama and her "Babes" home.  I must say that Stewy wasn't a lot of help.  He wanted to play, but the "Babes" did not.  We left the Border Collies inside, figuring the pigs had enough help finding their way home.  Lucky they got home when they did cuz we're into some major slop around here with the warm weather, the wind and yesterday's constant rain.  I have a feeling a lot of the snow will disappear today, and that's okay.  Happy Wednesday to all.  

Tuesday Twitterdeeoink-oink

I had to climb the ladder with the broom this morning.  Note that I did not fly up the ladder with my broom.  

The satellite dish needed some sweeping, and it could need more before I publish this post. 

Those thick, moist flakes are filling the air and piling up a new coat of snow on the ground.

And, the south wind is helping them land directly on my satellite dish.

What's most maddening about having to clean off the dish is that it's nearly impossible to avoid big deposits of wet snow falling from the dish smack dab in the middle of middle of my face.

Not fun.

Seems I've got another "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" story this morning.  Now, Geneva did read my post yesterday and called to apologize for Midnight, their elderly kitty, coming over and feasting with our Siamese Jonas in the barn.  

I told Geneva not to apologize cuz I thought it was kinda neat that their old cat felt comfortable enough to join his new friend for a little Meow Mix.  I'm hoping we see Midnight again one of these days.

Now, last night's "guests" decided they needed to dine off from Annie's dog dish,  which sits in a narrow opening between Lily's stall and the tack room.

When you figure that one mama pig and four half-grown piglets all squeezed into that spot to clean off every last drop of Atta Boy, it's truly amazing.

Cuz Mama's a big pig----anatomically speaking, that is.

The excitement all began late yesterday afternoon when I went for a walk down the lane. Upon turning around, I could see Lily and Lefty prancing around the barnyard, letting out occasional snorts.

They were eyeing something to the south of the barnyard.

When they kept it up, I figured maybe a moose had stepped into the yard.  That immediately got me to thinking of places I could escape if the moose decided to come trotting down the lane.

The round pen looked good. I could run inside and shut the gate.  Surely, a moose would not knock down those metal panels. 

As I got closer, the dogs sensed something was amiss.  Shortly after that, I saw a pig's face appear behind the snowbank.

And, then there were more.  Five all together.  I recognized them as our neighbor's pigs to the west.

They had come in to our place from South Center Valley Road, so the obviously closeknit family had been traveling for some time.

Kea wanted to chase them off, but all I could think of was pigs scattered all over a road with the afternoon coming-home traffic having to come to screeching halts to miss them.

So, I told Kea to stay with me until we came closer to the barn.  Figuring the pigs would be better off in the barn, I finally told Kea to send them in there.

She did a fine job.

I pulled the barn door shut and ran to my car to go tell the neighbors.  I moved quickly, only because I had no idea what those pigs could do to that barn in my absence.

The neighbor was not home, so I hurried back.

Opening the barn door, I saw the clump of porkers all huddled around Annie Dog's dish, eating like pigs.

With very little effort I was able to herd them to the back box stall.  They stayed the night.

I eventually tracked down the neighbor, Marty, who took time off work to race by Big R, purchase a sack of pig feed and drive to our place.

Now, if pigs have to come and visit and dine, these swine are among the best.  

Civilized pigs is what I'd call them.

Friendly pigs, too.

Lazy, yes.  

Marty told me they sleep until 11.

Marty was correct.  

When I went out to feed the horses this morning, Lily and Lefty weren't too insulted about spending the night outside (I'm pretty sure I would be writing a different story had the horses spent the night in the barn with the pigs).  

Except for the radio, the barn was perfectly quiet when I opened the door.  Annie Dog came out like she usually does.  

In fact, I even wondered if the pigs were still there cuz it just seemed too normal inside that barn.

Sure enough, as I walked to the back stall,  they were contentedly cuddled up in a corner with big Mama in the middle.

Not a squeal out of any of them.  

I guess I had disturbed their "beauty rest."  

Anyway, Marty's coming this morning with fruit, hoping to be the Pied Piper of pig owners by leading them home down the lane and through the west woods. 

I don't know what's gonna show up next here at our Lovestead with a "What's for dinner?" look on its face, but I must admit our visitors of late have been kinda fun.

Happy Tuesday, from a place and on a DAY when FIVE PIGS WOULD LIE.  

Happy Presidents' Day

The sun came out several times on our snowy Sunday.

One of those times I carried the camera with me down the lane.

The rays were short-lived on that particular trip, but they hung around long enough for me to snap this photo. 

Those are definitely the "Christmas-card" trees between the Lovestead and the Meserve Preserve.  

They're also a favorite place for the cats to hang out---our cats or theirs.

Beneath all those spruce limbs lies well protected mostly dry grassy ground, a great spot for cats to snuggle up and watch the world go by. 

By the way, Geneva, if you're reading today, your black fuzzy feral friend joined our Jonas at the dinner plate in the barn one day last week.

There they were, side by side, the best of friends, it seemed.

Jonas gets along with everybody and every animal.

I disturbed their little buffet dinner, and Mr. or Mrs. Black Fuzzy found a quick way out of the barn, even after I had issued a warm welcome.

It is President's Day, and my "retired" husband is the only one among our Sandpoint working family who will be going to work today.

Happily so, though.  He seems to love his new job.

Busy week ahead. 

 I have to do the final, final on my share of income tax preparation.

I'm also documenting information from two beautiful scrapbooks featuring the late Sam Wormington.  The information will come in handy when I write my story in a couple of months.

Plus, I want to get the books back safely in the hands of Sam's daughter Colleen because they are so precious. 

It's fun to turn the pages and to learn all the dimensions of a man who, I believe, may be under-appreciated.  

His contributions to communities in both the United States and Canada are pretty amazing. Plus, his war time experiences as a gunner during WWII for the Canadian Army and his involvement in reunions decades later reveal a very patriotic soul. 

I'm looking forward to putting this story together.

Later in the week, I'll be heading south for a few days.  I've been looking at the temps for those days, and it's looking good.  Not too hot.  Not too cold.  

Just right, ranging from 70s-85.  

It will be nice to enjoy the warmth of sunshine and to shed some of the heavy clothes we wear for so many months out of the year. 

I'm ready for that right now, but work must be done and time must pass.

Have a happy Monday, and enjoy the holiday if you're off today. 

  

Walking down a Snowy Road

I'm almost positive I heard a robin this morning.  It was a welcome, distinct sound coming from Meserve's tree grove as I walked by.

Even if it was a chickadee trying to impersonate a robin, I'll take it. 

Most of my post-chores, pre-paper-reading time was spent walking down our snow-covered road.

I had the road all to myself, so I could plod right down the middle if I wanted.  

I left most of my foot prints in the tire tracks just to the left of center.

Our snowfall overnight was deep enough to wet down the cuffs of my jeans, so having tire tracks as a pathway was nice. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this morning's walk, maybe more than the usual.  

The beauty of new-fallen snow along with the warmth of an early spring temperature AND that robin sound made for a nice blend.

The lone disturbance to nature's early-morning artwork came in the form of those tire tracks filled in with my footprints.

Otherwise, silence, broken by occasional bird sounds,  made for a peaceful stroll down the road almost as far as the Johnsons driveway.  

I turned around at the bottom of the first hill, just to burn a few more calories.

Calorie burning was necessary this morning after that brownie topped with ice cream topped with chocolate syrup last night as we drowned our sorrows in the ZAGS loss to San Francisco.

That loss was definitely an "OUCH!" as only one point separated the Dons from the ZAGS.

Usually, while losing their few games this year, the ZAGS have thoroughly disgusted us throughout the contest with their mismanagement of the basketball.

Well, there was ball mismanagement, all right, i.e. 20 turnovers, but it was still a hard-fought spirited game. 

Even my claim,  while dishing up those desserts,  that the ZAGS need to be proud because they've made the WCC a stronger league, received less than enthusiastic agreement. 

"We don't care," one of my sisters said.  "They still lost." 

So, we ate our thousand or so delicious calories, trying to forget.

By this morning, I had forgotten the sick feeling in my stomach that comes with every ZAGS loss but had not forgotten the dessert.  

So, trudging up a small hill on South Center Valley Road helped my overindulgence.  I hope!

Just before arriving back at the Lovestead, I did need to move over into deeper snow for our paper deliverer. 

He drove on past me just a ways, delivered his papers and then caught up with me just north of the driveway.

Perfect timing on a lovely morning.  Good walk and then some good paper reading.

I can't say I loved everything I read, though. 

It was especially painful to turn to the sports page for a reminder of last night's ZAGS loss.

This is a new day, though, and joy shall return to ZAGS land, but hopefully not any more snow.

I'm on my way outside to listen and to make sure that really I did hear that robin.

Happy Sunday. 

Saturday Slight

Well, I'm figuring Kate, the Queen of Ireland, got her wish this morning.  Kate, the Queen of Ireland, is also our Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce CEO.

One of her big jobs right now is promoting the Sandpoint Winter Carnival, and in this year of moderate to little snow, the event got a gift overnight.

We have about three inches of new white stuff.  Plus, it's fairly warm outside, so conditions for winter activities should be good today.

That includes ski joring at the fairgrounds.  Matt, the organizer, knows the area well enough to have a contingency plan when there's no snow.  So, I'm guessing the conditions for this year's competition ought to be prime with this extra dose of snow.

The event caught on big time last year when the weather wasn't exactly perfect, so this weekend should see some big crowds.

I haven't decided whether I'll attend or not.  Lots going on around here, especially with preparing to take off for a few days later next week.

It's been a busy week with many unpredictable elements to attend to, but so far, all is going well.   And, if today's snow is the worst and the last of our winter storms, I'm not complaining.

This morning I'm planning to break with my usual scurrying around to finish outdoor projects and head to town for the coffee cult gathering.

I haven't visited with my coffee-drinking friends for quite some time.  So, it IS time.  Saw two of them this week, and they invited me to please come back.

Though it probably won't be a regular thing like it was when we still lived in town, I'll do my best to show up a little more often.  

The women are fun, longtime friends,  and I miss the lively Saturday-morning discussions where if ya didn't know about something before, you will when you leave the gathering.

And, of course, what gets told in the coffee cult stays in the coffee cult!

We also have a ZAGS game event later this afternoon.  My sisters and I will figure out the food theme for the night.  Last week Barbara put together a delicious stew, which we all enjoyed. 

Could be a hamburger night tonight, which is always okay with me.

Debbie and I both ordered our usual bacon cheeseburgers at the Blue Heron last night.  I never tire of the combination cuz of the home-baked, toasted buns.  Definitely a yum-yum.

And, of course, Bill enjoyed his usual Friday night fish and chips, while Willie ordered that mouth-watering chicken parmeson.

Best convenience-store restaurant around, for sure!

We've got some excitement coming to Sandpoint in late April, but I'm going to keep the specifics undercover for now.  I'll just tell you we at the Lovestead are VERY excited.  Lots of folks in this area will be too when they learn the news.

That's all for now!  Have a wonderful Saturday.

Go ZAGS! 

Go Sandpoint Bulldogs boys varsity basketball in your continuing quest for STATE. 

I'll Take The Middle, Thank You

Who in this crowd has ever volunteered to sit in the middle?  Who in this crowd never had a choice when it came to sitting in the middle?

Not me.  Me.

Simple answers when I think about my early life riding on the hump in the back seat of whatever car we had, namely the '58 Ford ranch wagon---two-toned brown, complete with a blinker system for signaling turns.

I don't think the old '49 Ford had a blinker.  I do know, however,  that it had a reverse, and there was a time I wondered if it had any forward gears.

That was the one day that I did not have to sit in the middle between my two older brothers.

I sat in the driver's seat.

I was about 10. 

Nobody was home.  Mother had parked the Ford sedan in the front yard for me to wash.

Then she went to town to buy groceries, something she did often---something she had to do often cuz of us thieving gluttons.

I turned on the ignition, stuck my foot on the gas, and the car started rolling backward.

It moved backward rather speedily across the yard, across the driveway, onto another patch of yard and into a fence.  It was nice enough to stop there.

I could not find a way to make the car go forward that day, but Mr. Best did.  

He was driving his equipment in the hay field across from our house on Boyer.  I ran bare-footed through the stubble to summon him.

He came.  He put the car back where it belonged, with plenty of time left before Mother's return.

He did not keep our secret though.  He told his wife.  She told my mother by late that afternoon. 

Most other days of riding in cars during my young life were spent on that hump in the middle with aggressive elbows on either side of me.

So, readers may ask "why" about my title today.

Well, this has nothing to do with being squashed between humanity in a car or an airplane seat.  

This has to do with a television show on ABC.  This morning's paper included a feature about the Wednesday night show called "The Middle." 

I was pleased to see the series getting some positive press because it's one of my favorite shows on TV.  

The writer said "The Middle" has been pretty much been under the radar because of its placement before "Modern Family"  on the Wednesday-night comedy line-up. 

Viewers, however, are discovering and tuning in to the show on a more regular basis three years out, and the numbers are growing.

I love the show because it reminds me so much of vignettes experienced during my childhood, growing up as an awkward, precocious, impish klutz. 

The more viewers watch the show about a blue-collar family from Indiana with two boys and a girl, the more loyal they seem to become, as numbers are indicating.

From week to week, each character maintains a believable, albeit quirky, consistency.  

Brick, the intellectual bookworm, often repeats words or phrases to himself in a whisper.  He drives the rest of the family crazy, always imploring them to watch presentations of his latest creative effort.

The family seldom wants to watch, but they make themselves do so, just for Brick.

The older brother who thinks he's pretty cool is horrified by his dorky, upbeat sister who now roams the same high school halls he does.

Oh, how I remember the walks home from our school-bus stop down at the corner of Boyer and Woodland Drive---being lectured by my brother Kevin, "Don't talk to me at school." 

I broke his rule one time while he was walking around with his friends.   I didn't do that again.

The girl is so klutzy that I feel a kindred spirit.  Somehow, though, I could never be quite as resilient as she.  

Instead, I allowed myself to fall into the deep, black hole of utter humiliation, remaining there for days before clawing my way back toward putting myself out there to do the next dumb thing.

Some things haven't changed.

Anyway, I'm glad to see that this show is receiving its due.  The writer compared the series to "Roseanne," only with a nicer family. 

Because of its humor, its real-life, everyday situations and its generally upbeat tone, I'll keep choosing "The Middle" on TV-----as opposed to the middle in the back seat of a car with a hump and a pair of mean elbows on either side. 
                                

Lovestead Critter-Corner Report

There's nothing more gut-wrenching than that dreaded day when it looks like "it's time" for a pet to meet its maker.  We thought that "time" had come for our Annie Dog this week.

She's a Yellow lab, just months shy of turning 16.  We've been told it's unusual for big dogs to live that long.

Annie Dog looks a bit like a junkyard dog these days.  After all, she's old, skinny, stinky and moving much differently than she did in her younger, busier days. 

Annie's also incontinent---both No. 1 and No. 2. She's been living in the barn for more than a year.  

So, in the mornings I'm usually cleaning three stalls and a pile of dog marbles.  Yeah, they aren't logs any more for Annie.  They're like over-sized marbles.

The trip to the barn each night, leading Annie, who is SO stove up and tired that she can hardly put one foot in front of the other, takes great patience.  I've learned a lot of patience over the past several months---from Annie.

Please note the description given with Annie's attitude during the trip to the barn.  

Any other time, the old gal can move from one place to the other so fast that she's almost been run over a time or two in the driveway.

Someone gets in their car, thinking that Annie's hundreds of feet away.  After all, she was a second or two ago.  

I swear there are still speed-demon cells working inside that old frame cuz she's had some close calls, suddenly appearing directly behind or in front of the moving vehicle. 

We thought the end was coming for Annie Dog this week because,  after treating a spot on her leg which she'd been licking for sometime, I discovered that she had an ingrown dewclaw. 

I could not imagine anyone removing it without surgery.  Plus, I was sure Annie Dog was filled with all the ravages of old age.

Having taken more than my share of pets on their last trip to the vets, I asked Bill if he would take Annie to the Center Valley Veterinary hospital just north of my sisters' place.

It was agonizing as we had to wait two days for the appointment.  

The strategic thinking before taking her was that if the dewclaw removal turned out to be no big deal, Bill was to bring her back.  If not, let her go. 

Well, I can report after Tuesday's appointment that Annie is still acting like a stove-up, miserable, pathetic old pup when I lead her to the barn at night.

And, I'm still cleaning up those green boulders.

Annie's new lease on life came from the fact that the vet just snipped that dewclaw right off, found a little ear infection, took blood and urine tests, handed Bill some antibiotic and anti-inflammatory and said take her home. 

Her tests showed nothing of concern.  Her leg feels better without the dewclaw sticking in to her flesh, and she can still move from one place to the other pretty darned fast---when she wants to. 

So, Annie Dog, we find you amazing!

Barn cleaning has changed, though.  

Yes, I'm still cleaning up after Annie Dog.  She stays out there with her kitty friends who snuggle up next to her at night.

Heather left the Lovestead yesterday for a lovely new home on a hillside about three miles down Selle Road, just behind the Clydesdale farm.

I told her she was gonna get to live in a palace, compared to her home here.

Susan Beebe wanted an Arabian, and a friend told her about Heather.  She called me last week.  She came and met Heather and fell in love. 

So, Bill and I hauled her to Susan's yesterday morning.

There was yelling and screaming, cuz Lily rode in the trailer with her.  Bill had to wait with Lily in the trailer down on the road while I walked Heather up a long driveway to Susan's indoor arena.

And, when Lily arrived back home, it was obvious she missed her friend.  Even this morning, she was looking for her.

I find it amazing how Lily (the boss lady in the horse corral) treated Heather like dirt all the time.  Still, Heather loved her, and I guess Lily really loved Heather after all.

My one goal with Heather was that she could find a home as good as or better than the one she had here for four years. 

She has, and I've already seen that Susan will love her as much as I have.  Susan and Heather will spend the month of April working with Roxane, who knows both very well.

The plus side of this is that I can concentrate better on riding and working with two horses than three.  

So, I'm looking ahead toward the spring and summer, putting more time into Lefty and finally getting him to pull that beautiful cart. 

Stay tuned. 

It's been a stress-filled emotional week here at the Lovestead, regarding the animals, but I'm feeling much better knowing Annie is doing okay and that sweet Heather is living in luxury.