Saturday Slight

I didn't get started as planned with this morning's post because someone came an hour early, and someone let us know that the platform at the bird feeder was void of peanuts.

Someone----that would be Mr. or Mrs. Jay---has a very loud mouth and uses it at morning feeding time.  Usually someone shows up just as I finish my blog post.

Maybe someone thinks we've already switched to daylight savings time. 

Well, knowing I was gonna be distracted if I did not feed the noisy, hungry mouth, I went outside, grabbed a handful of peanuts and saw both Mr. or Mrs. Jay and Stella (that's what Bill wants me to call the Stellar Jay).  

They bounced around from tree limbs to the ladder to the television antenna uttering their shrill pronouncements as I emptied the peanuts on the platform.

Within seconds of my walking away, Mr. or Mrs. sorted through the peanuts, picked a good one and flew off.  Stella waited on the TV antenna until I rounded the corner to go back into the house.  When I walked inside Stella had landed and plucked his/her peanut.

Now, all is quiet, and I can think about this Saturday.  One week ago today at this time my sisters and I were soaking up the Arizona sunshine at the Scottsdale Arabian Show.  

On this day, a coating of overnight snow reaches about halfway down the mountains.  So, I'm guessing the skiers will be happy today at Schweitzer. Looks like a lovely day ahead, albeit a bit crisp outside. 

The consensus around the area seems to be quiet but definite approval of this year's winter. Oh, I do still hear, "but the mountains don't have enough snow."  When I hear those comments, I just think about all the years when we've more than made up for what we've lost in moisture.  Maybe this year will be the same.

Last night at Friday-night eat-out at Sweet Lou's, Barbara brought her laptop so we could watch the Lady Bulldogs take on the top-rated team in Division 4A.  

Once the game started, all visiting ceased, we enjoyed our dinner while watching and trying to hear the score.  The Bulldogs had a strong first half, trailing by just 2 points before the break.

As we listened to the third quarter on the car radio while traveling home, it was apparent that the Bulldogs' scoring had turned cold and that Century's success at the basket had turned up a notch. 

The Diamondbacks dominated the second half, moving on to the State Championship today, while the Bulldogs will play for third place at 10 a.m. PST.  Again the game will be broadcast on streaming video at www.idahosports.com. 

This has been a wonderful run for the Lady Bulldogs.  In our perspective it has also been a wonderful experience for our son Willie to work with head coach Duane Ward---who always insists, "We're co-coaches." 

Duane Ward, the more "senior" guy of the two, knows basketball and may even love basketball as much as Willie does----although I wonder how that could be possible. 

In addition to his coaching knowledge, Duane offers anyone who works with him a phenomenal example as a human being and a true gentleman.  

Sports scores and victories are great, but it's been a true delight for us parents to see Willie to be working alongside Duane as a friend and a coach. 

Same is true of Duane's wife Marilyn.  The two just celebrated 50 years of marriage.  They are family people through and through, and at each game, the Ward contingent filters into the gym to watch Dad, Grandpa and Coach do his thing.  

So, this season has meant much more than a successful basketball run, and we're thrilled that Willie and Debbie have enjoyed their time spent with Duane, Marilyn and their family. 

In other news, I spent part of my afternoon yesterday, slapping address labels on a mailer promoting the upcoming school district levy.  It was fun to meet some new people at the worker bee table and to exchange chuckles with the group in general. 

I also brought home a sign for my yard, considering that we live on the back road to the dump where a steady stream of pickups and trailers, filled with goodies for the landfill travels by every weekend. 

The levy is March 10, and its purpose is to replace the last levy which has generated operational funds for the school district, including staffing, books, supplies, techology, etc. 

So, if you're local, please pass the word to support our public schools with a "yes" vote. With continued phenomenal achievements at all levels of the educational infrastructure, our students and teachers deserve this showing of support. 

And, if you're a ZAG fan, we have an important game tonight.  The Bulldogs can clinch the West Coast Conference title, and, of course, keep that increasingly magical record of wins alive and well. 

GO ZAGS vs. St. Mary's----tonight at 7 p.m. PST on ESPN2.  

Happy Saturday.