Slight Detour: Something Old, Something New

Now, Aunt Gladys has been around a long time, but she's got a new look AND a new home. I think I can get away with stating the Jim Thompson's been around a long time and that he has a new passion.

So, there's the old and the new of it.

Wanna know more?

Okay, here's the story of Aunt Gladys. She came into the world, thanks to my friend, the late Boots Reynolds.

Boots created her for a contest at one of the Idaho State Draft and Mule shows several years back. He used another mutual friend Bonnie Shields, the Tennessee Mule Artist as an inspiration.

Well, after Aunt Gladys made her debut at the Draft Horse Show, she spent some time downtown, sitting outside The Texas Connection where Boots and friends sold artwork.

Later she moved to Boots' studio at Trestle Creek, and she's kinda sat in the corner doing nothing for years. Well, Boots' wife Becky, another of my dear friends, decided Aunt Gladys needed a new look and a new job.

So, Becky dolled her all up with a gardening theme, and then she spiced her up even more with some lovely pumpkin jewelry.

Betcha can't guess where Aunt Gladys is gonna live well into her beyond golden years!

Yup, you've got it. She is now a resident of Hickey Farms where she'll soon be greeting pumpkin patrons and posing with folks in pictures.

She's SO excited about her new role and especially thrilled to be back out in public cuz she's kind of a downtown girl.

Boots would be thrilled. Becky and Bonnie ARE thrilled, and the Hickey/Holt family members are downright ecstatic about this glamorous new addition to their pumpkin-patch family.

I had the good fortune to do a little very easy negotiating----well, all it really involved was telling my friend and classmate Jim Holt to make sure someone was at the farm about 1 p.m. yesterday so we could drive Miss Gladys over there, have introductions and seal the deal for Aunt Gladys' new home.

So, that's what we did. Two Jim's greeted us at the beautiful farm with Schweitzer and the gorgeous Selkirk peaks in the background. The two Jim's were Jim Hickey and Jim Holt, who's married to Jim Hickey's sister Jackie.

Aunt Gladys sat, smiled and visited with Jackie while Jim and Jim took the rest of us on a quick tour of the pumpkin patches, et. al., which are set to be open to the public Friday afternoon Sept. 30.

Pumpkins, crafts, good food from the Klondyke owner, entertainment----all that stuff---will be available on weekends at Hickey Farms through October.

And, of course, Gladys! She can't wait.

Now that ya know Gladys' story, wanna know about Jim Thompson?

Well, he's one of the family "outlaws" cuz his sister Mary is married to my brother Mike. Everyone in that family has been lovingly dubbed as an "outlaw" by yours truly. They don't seem to mind.

And, Jim is married to my brat buddy, Rose Marie. Yes, Rose Marie, we're on for a brat at the draft horse show.

Anywho, Jim is good friends with my neighbor, friend and classmate Gary Finney, who owns Percherons and who has participated in the Idaho State Draft and Mule International Show forever.

Gary and one of his drivers aka our hay cutter extraordinaire Lori Jasman, have been giving Jim lessons with one of the Ponderay Percherons teams.

So, Jim will be entering next week's draft horse show for the first time in senior men's driving competition. He seemed to be quite calm and happy to be directing the team up and down the road last night while I was out snapping photos.

Yup, it was definitely a "something old, something new" kind of day for me yesterday. I'd say it's also "something good" for both Aunt Gladys and Jim Thompson.

Stay tuned as draft horse show and pumpkin days roll around here in the next couple of weeks. Should be fun.

Happy Thursday.