Saturday Slight

I was actually behind the wheel when I took this photo last night.  

Our plan was to meet with Debbie for dinner at Farmhouse Restaurant and then go to Willie's game. 

Figuring it was a relatively safe but short stretch of road to drive at night, I drove at night last night!  

One evening in the summer of 2022 when I came home from Pack River Store after a book event AND after dark, I drove the back roads, feeling definite fear every time I saw headlights from an oncoming car. 

The lights in the darkness along those roads all but paralyzed me as I had no idea if I was too close to the ditch or too close to the other side of the road. 

My eyes at the time would not allow me to see anything but glaring, larger-than-life blurs of light emanating from the oncoming cars. 

A couple of times on that drive home, I simply pulled off to the side of the road and stopped until the cars passed by. It seemed the only safe thing to do. 

That was the last time I drove more than a mile at night, and that experience happened only out of necessity.  

Overall, it's been about four years since I've actually been behind the wheel at night. 

So, last night's trip to the Farmhouse was definitely a test drive to see if my eyes would guide me down the right pathways. 

They did, even when a deer bolted across the Selle Road.  

I saw it in plenty of time to slow down and even honk the horn to scare it off the road. 

The trip to town marked one more test of "life after cataracts," and I passed. 

Bill also seemed happy because it means that occasionally he won't have the sole duty of getting us places at night. 

When we came rolling to a stop at the Schweitzer intersection, we both wondered what kind of rig was directly in front of us. 

"It looks like Santa Claus," I suggested.  

Of course, I was sure my eyes were playing tricks on me. Bill was more concerned about the lack of back lights on the rig than who was driving. 

When we rolled to a full stop, sure enough we could both see that it was Santa waiting for the light to turn green and waving at the guy in the other lane who was also taking pictures. 

Santa must have had a Friday-night gig somewhere as he took a left turn and waved again at the traffic waiting at the light. 

We did worry about him, though. 

Someone needs to talk to Mrs. Claus and tell her to go to the workshop and ask the elves make Hubby some better tail lights. 

All in all, I was thrilled that once again in my golden years, I can drive at night.  

We enjoyed dinner with Debbie and our mutual friend Lenny and then went to Bulldog Gym, which had a pretty good turnout of fans for the girls games against Post Falls. 

Once again, like Coeur d'Alene, it was a scrappy, close contest, but once again and, happily so, the Bulldogs passed another test against a bigger school. 

They're now 5-0, which probably hasn't happened for a LONG time. 

We enjoyed lots of visiting at the game, especially seeing Sadie Nitcy and her little nephew Bo.  Sadie and her brother Sam,  both former SHS athletes,  now teach in Montana.  

 

It was fun day, doing some outdoor decorating and watching Willie's team continue on its winning ways. 

Today, it's GAME DAY for another Bulldog team, the Gonzaga men.  They take on Washington tonight, late at 8 on ESPN2. 

We'll definitely have to brew up some coffee to keep our eyes wide open for this game, but that's what we'll do.  

GO, ZAGS!  

Happy Saturday. 

 https://bonnercountydailybee.com/news/2023/dec/08/prep-basketball-banks-26-leads-sandpoint-girls-past-post-falls-for-fifth-straight-win/?fbclid=IwAR2WDVmnKGStiZholvfanJZB2fCDs0hgfKmPwcRO696lYyyujvxNgcM6mXM