It's a daily event, occurring two or three times each day, but I never tire of "three-dog days." They're funny, they're fun, and they're beautiful to watch.
Green grass of spring makes them even prettier.
A year of maturity for Liam has helped too.
We still won't just send him out the door to play. We watch him all the time, but our lives as pup owners have gotten much easier over the past few months.
That's because there's a routine, and these dogs like to follow a pretty strict routine of what they do and when they do it.
Unfortunate for them, the routine doesn't always follow THEIR plan, but when it does, life is good several times a day.
Plus, it's good for me because I not only get a lot of enjoyment and fresh air but more than enough steps to satisfy my Fitbit desires each day.
On another note, it's Shakespeare's birthday today, so: To HEAR or not to HEAR, that is the question and the news in today's local paper.
http://www.bonnercountydailybee.com/front_page_slider/20170423/fairgrounds_mounts_sound_system_drive
If ever there were an AUDIBLE need for our community, its story appeared in today's North Idaho Sunday. As one who signed on to announce one day of a horse show in July, I'd love to see this need funded and put into action by July 9 please!
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| Indeed, a worthless piece of _____, which has cacophoniously limped along for years at our fairground outdoor arena. |
Even then, it would be at least 20 years overdue.
Anyone who has ever sat through any event at the fairgrounds outdoor arena would most likely agree that they have missed out on some of the more important aspects of said event because the sound system was making alien noises or very little noise at all.
Situations include everything from inaudible instructions, introductions and announcements of event winners.
Anyone who has ever announced an event at that outdoor, like me, can testify that the job can be stressful, irritating and sometimes downright ineffective.
The last time I announced a horse show, that contraption you see pictured above took on a nervous tick, ticking or tocking smack dab in the middle of virtually every phrase that came out of my mouth FOR A FULL DAY.
I can recall announcing several times, "Does any TOCK know how to TOCK this TICK sound system?"
Well, of course, nobody ran up to help me out. That sound system has a way of making an announcer look like a total fool. In this case, the audience had no idea from which planet I had just arrived. Secondly, nobody had yet gone through the language primer for the strange new language emanating through the outdoor air of the fairgrounds.
On that occasion, yelling at the top of my lungs from a bee-infested, beastly hot announcer's stand in mid-July was not gonna do the trick for several hours.
So, I simply tick-tocked my way through the rest of the show, and everyone adapted. After all, many of the regulars are used to a lifetime of not hearing the stuff the announcer is saying.
That ancient sound system is infested with so many old-age diseases it would be difficult to summarize all the frustrations I've personally experienced while using it over the years.
Long story short---tick tock---the fairgrounds has needed a new sound system since before the advent of the microwave.
The staff and the Fair Board have moved forward on a fundraising project to earn the $40,000 or so needed to put up new speakers (those that work more than five feet from that not so comfy and remote announcer's stand) and, of course, an up-to-date system capable of projecting sound to those speakers.
I would happily serve as the poster child for this community need, and I have a feeling a few other announcers could do the same. Before anyone gets all fired up and starts talking about how they can hear the sound whenever they go to the annual Idaho Draft Horse and Mule International Show, I think they'll learn that those folks bring in their own sound system.
I have a feeling that if they do, even they wouldn't mind leaving it home and using the system which should be a vital part of the fairgrounds infrastructure.
So, on this Sunday morning, I move that anyone who has ever thought they needed to buy a hearing aid after attending a fairgrounds outdoor event-----read the article (link above) save your money even the lesser amount you'd spend purchasing a hearing aid at Costco and donate to the Bonner County Fairground speaker cause.
I hope this happens sooner rather than later because I know the results would mean music to my ears as an announcer and probably everyone else who'd like to hear their granddaughter's name loud and clearly when she earns first place in the lead line class.
Thanks so much and Happy Sunday. Enjoy the rest of the doggie photos.
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