Saturday Slight

We have received blessings this morning:  two brief rain showers.  I hope we have a few more coming over the next few days.

This morning's showers provided a pleasant and refreshing clean-up job in the neighborhood, washing off a well-developed film of dust. 

The dirty dust coating probably built up even more with all the traffic our road received for a few hours yesterday afternoon.  

A very sobering event occurred a few miles away on HWY 95 just north of my sisters' farm. It was early afternoon, and I had just arrived home from a short bike ride to my neighbor Bev's to deliver some lettuce and other garden goodies when my phone rang.

My sisters were checking to see if I was out driving because they had just witnessed two Life Flight helicopters and more than a dozen emergency vehicles heading to a spot just out of sight from their place. 

Traffic on the highway had been stopped, and it was apparent that HWY 95 would be blocked for a long time, so Center Valley Road became a detour with South Center Valley allowing drivers to go south and North Center Valley leading them north. 

Two people died in the accident, which involved three vehicles, including a Kenworth dump truck, driven by one of our family friends. Fortunately, our friend and the occupants (including five children) of one of the cars were not injured.  

The driver of the car, which, according to police reports, was passing another car, smashed head-on into the dump truck. Her passengers were the fatalities, and she was taken to Kootenai Medical Center in Coeur d'Alene. 

Needless to say, the magnitude of the accident sent shock waves around the community and dramatic reminders about taking chances while driving certain sections of two-lane highways. 

I'm sure this morning's showers have not washed away the emotional trauma experienced by all involved in yesterday's incident.  

The early-morning rain has, however, given hope that maybe a few more showers will fortify what grass we have in our pastures and maybe extend the grazing season.  

It's been looking pretty bleak, especially when walks across these fields over the past few days have yielded disturbing amounts of dry, crispy, yellow grass which crinkles with every step.

On a brighter note, earlier this week, my friend and former student Chris Pietsch posted the photo below on his Class of 1975 reunion site for Throwback Thursday.  

I ran across it for the first time yesterday, and, for a while, the actual photo event presented a bit of a mystery.  I recognized most of the young people (even me at the time) on the bus, but others were definitely unfamiliar. 

That cowboy at the bottom of the photo is Bert Wood, who pastures his cattle in the Meserve Preserve next door.  And, I recognize some McNalls, including Bert's wife Liz. I see Cathy Russell and Cathy Crandell.  The rest is a guessing game.

Finally, this morning, it dawned on me why this particular group were riding together on a school bus with a cowboy at the wheel. 

I think this occurred back in the 1970s when I was a 4-H leader, and our local groups hosted some 4-H'ers from Wisconsin.  

At the time, Jim McNall's wife-to-be, Susan, was working as home extension agent.   She had come from Wisconsin, and I believe she set up this exhange.

If I remember correctly, we were headed to Priest Lake and other local points of interest. I'm sure some folks who see this can fill in the blanks.  

For now, it brings back some fun memories of fun people and good times to be associated with 4-H.  Plus, any time I see a photo of me with my youthful hair color, it makes my day. 

As for this day, it's looking pretty pleasant, and maybe I won't need to water.  Baby, the rain can fall, and I won't complain a bit. 

Happy Saturday.  Drive carefully.