Slight Detour: Rain Breaks

Foster has been with us five years this week, so he gets top billing this morning. He joined our family after his previous owner in Seattle realized that the little guy needed more space and freedom than city living would allow.

So, one weekend in April, Annie brought him home to test the waters. After the weekend at the Lovestead seemed to go well for Foster, Annie took him back to Seattle and soon called, saying, "Looks like you have a puppy."

Ironically, the following weekend, Willie and Debbie were accompanying journalism students to Seattle for their national convention, just like this year. So, Foster rode home on the bus with the journalism group.

Aussies and mini-Aussies (like Foster) are very loyal to their people. They never forget. Since Annie introduced him to the Lovestead five years ago, she is little Foster's "top human." He loves his family here but really loves Annie, and each time she comes for a visit, the rest of us play second fiddle.

This time when Willie and Debbie come back from Seattle, maybe just maybe, we'll have another new member of the Lovestead critter corral. We keep waiting for Lily to give birth, and we are learning quickly that patience is truly a virtue when waiting for a mare to foal.

Today we are starting out with a lovely day, and it may stay dry for 24 hours, if we're lucky.

Yesterday turned out to be anything but dry with rain, hail, wind and even some thunder. It was wild, to say the least BUT there were breaks and my sisters and I were able to distract ourselves from the bad weather by driving to Bonners Ferry to celebrate Laurie with a birthday lunch.

Barbara made a comment along the way when we waited for the flag person and then passed by the mud slide which caused a car to go off the road two weeks ago.

Looking at all that oozing mud on the hillside near the road, which is now blocked off by barriers, Barbara suggested that we may not be able to get home and that we might have to go the Bull River loop.

Well, we did not have to do the long detour but learned that after we passed through on the way home, the mud slid again across the highway, causing another big mess to clean up.

So, we were lucky, and we enjoyed our sisters' lunch. Afterward, while Barbara and Laurie went home to work with their horses, I spent the afternoon on the Lily watch and racing outside whenever the rain stopped.

The never-ending rain is ugly at this point in time, but the earth is beautiful, clean, fresh and spongy when the clouds part and the sun makes brief visits.

So, the brilliance of ever-greening grass and general cleanliness makes for some lovely color photography.

You'll see the assortment taken intermittently throughout the day.

A brief story about the deer who came to visit our front lawn last evening. Bill has been going to the woods with his chainsaw off and on this week. Twice now, the family has suddenly appeared, almost walking right up to him.

They're pretty tame, and last night I think I could have even lured one my way as I stepped closer and closer to snap the pictures.

We have a feeling they may know some other humans in the neighborhood who might be fairly generous with the handouts.

For now, we're happy to see them, but I'm sure my mood will change as tasty flowers try to bloom and all that other garden stuff starts happening. That's a while off, so we'll just enjoy the visits.

Hope you enjoy the photos and do have a wonderful Saturday. We'll be enjoying our beautiful day here at the Lovestead.

Three toms equals a lot more turkeys in the neighborhood.

Festus, my diabetic kitty, is spending a whole lot more time out and about these days. I think he's doing much better now that he gets his insulin twice a day.