Throwbacks, Oh My!

I don't even know where to begin with this photo except to say that it had to be on a 4-H tour sometime back in the early 1960s.  

The other for sure is that it validates my oft-stated claims in books that Marianne was, indeed, a klutz and maybe lacking a little self-esteem.  Can ya blame her?

After all, she's stuck between two queens here---Lana Sommerfeld Hanson was a Miss Sandpoint, and I'm thinking Susie Baldwin may have been among the Schweitzer Royalty at one time.  Maybe even Nancy Patton (extreme right) too. 

Let's just say I never made royalty and probably never will. 

Now, let's go back to the left.  I believe the little squirt is Connie Roberson standing next to her brother Charlie.  They're Lana's nieces and nephews.

Moving on, we have Kathleen Brackney whose dad Tom ran the University of Idaho Experiment Station, now home to cross country skiing and a haunted forest.  Next to Lana is Louise Holzemer, who still rides horses in parades.

Her dad Pete worked with my dad Harold for the city water department. 

I'm trying to think of where this photo was taken.  Looks like Best's dairy but very well could be somewhere else. 

Anyway, we were a photogenic lot, to say the least. 

Here we have two years worth of Reddy Kilowatt, living better electrically, thanks to Pacific Power and Light, later Washington Water Power, then Avista.  Besides the floats, I love seeing Sandpoint as it used to be in yesteryear's Fourth of July parades.

I was telling Bill yesterday as we were driving through town to pick up our car that the oldsters, like us, in Sandpoint are probably gonna have a few fender benders in the near future when they change the streets back to two-way.

The good thing is that they're not adding a digit to our telephone numbers like they did last time.  We're just too old to deal with two new routines in our lives.  

I've written about Milford in one of my books.  That's our dad Harold holding him. Milford had the flatest, widest back I'd ever seen on a bovine.

Because of the level playing field, Kevin used to ride him through the pasture, standing up.  Twas great entertainment for visitors who had never come to the place, to see that big tall kid coming up from the field atop Milford.  Milford didn't seem to mind one bit, but the guests' jaws definitely dropped. 

This house was located almost smack dab in the middle of the present-day Mickinnick Trail parking lot on what we used to call the "old Schweitzer Road."

Twas a house belonging to the LaPrath family, and when it burned, the neighborhood showed up. My mother had her camera that day.

The "old Schweitzer Road" is now known as Woodland Drive.

All I'm gonna say about this one is, "Betcha can't guess who!"

I always loved this photo of my mother's horse Cricket when she was an adorable little baby back in 1958.  Her mother's name was Janis Love; she was a registered American Saddlebred mare who became a brood mare after being crippled. My folks bought Janis from our family friend Pearl Irwin whose maiden name was Love---no relation.

Pearl was known for the beautiful silver-mounted parade outfits she and her Saddlebreds wore while performing in area parades.  A beautiful rider, an 'aw gosh' humility, a funny lady and always an inspiration. 

Jean Martin, I think this one's for you.  Is this a decent photo of Traveler, your first horse.  I'm thinking it is. 

I have no idea who "Long Legs" is, but he sure is a tall drink of water, as my dad would say.  Legs longer than a horse.  Amazing. 

Cadet Michael J. Brown, ready for inspection in his quarters at West Point circa early '60s. 

I included this one because it's our hay field where huge airplane hangars now stand and because it has Best's barn in the background.  As kids, we spent many a day back and forth to the Best dairy just down Boyer from our farm.  Lots of good and funny memories. 

Such a little angelic lady:  Miss Laurie Tibbs, ready to greet the guests at her birthday party.  Also starring the yellow metal kitchen table with its vinyl chairs.

We, as a family, spent many hours around that table fighting for the last bite of food and formulating our perspectives on life.