Slight Detour: Weekend Focus

Hard to sum up yesterday, so filled with images, not only here in North Idaho but also from Annie's travels in Europe.

So, here's a potpourri of what was seen in the various scenes and happenings.

Let's see: hay hands, hay in the barn, some time at a horse show and scenes of a somewhat scary fire in the Naples area along with a daughter traveling and enjoying the sights while finding some geocaches in three European countries.

Those would be the highlights.

I felt a sense of euphoria for most of the day yesterday. My needed supply of hay for the next year was in the barn. Always a great day.

I can't say enough about the young men who bucked the bales and another young man named Levi who came by for a visit in his BIG tractor.

He had put bales in our barn before, and his younger brother Logan was part of our crew.

Levi does this visiting sort of thing. He has stopped by our place the past two years during bale-bucking time.

It gives him time to talk with us and for us to catch up on what's going on in his life.

Levi leaves for college next month, right after the fair.

I've known him since he was a little guy, and I've watched that sweet and kind little boy turn into a confident, responsible and amazing young man, whom I'm proud to call a friend.

Ben and Dana Wood are doing a phenomenal parenting job with their kids.

Their second son Logan turned 12 this year. Logan took responsibility from the get-go once he knew that we needed to have our hay stacked in the barn.

He lined up the crew. At first, they were supposed to come Saturday night, but it turned out that a family event for Ty and Zak meant changing the barn work until yesterday morning.

Twice, though, in our phone conversation, 12-year-old Logan insisted that he would come over and do it himself. That's responsibility-plus. Overnight, he sent me a note to let me know the crew would be here at 7:30 a.m.

We were happy to wait until Sunday morning, even if the boys had to eat some reheated McDonald's Quarter Pounders and fries for their hay hand meal. And, they didn't seem to mind the semi-worn-out non-Woods burgers either.

Bill and I really appreciated the hard work, determination and thinking skills of this young crew, which also includes a set of twins who excel as high school wrestlers.

What we really appreciate even more is their thoughtfulness, politeness and genuine enjoyment in sharing their life experiences with a couple of old codgers.

These boys are being raised right, and their parents can pat themselves on the back.

It was a joy to have Logan, Zak and Ty put in our hay this year. Thanks, guys. And, thanks to Levi for caring enough to come by and say hi.

After the hay was in the barn, I spent some time at the horse show. Twas hot, though, and I arrived when it was going to be a long time for one class to end and then the lunch hour, so I came home to the coolness of the house.

Later, we went to Sweet Lou's to celebrate the hay in the barn. And, who was sitting next to us? Our next door neighbors Becky and Shawn and their friends.

Bill and I also drove up toward Naples where the afternoon fears of a fire had subsided after several agencies came at the fire with precision and stopped it from spreading.

Big relief for the residents up that way.

And, now it's Monday. Another week begins, and it's looking pretty busy too BUT the hay is in the barn.

So, I'm relieved.

Happy Monday. Enjoy the photos.

Longtime horse friends at the Spots of Fun Show: Barbara, Monty and Laurie.

Levi Wood, great young man.

There were some hungry bees in the barn.

Below: that's Moriha Yetter on the right. She's the manager of the Spots of Fun Open Horse Show talking to my sister Laurie. Moriha took on the torch after her mom Moreen, who ran the show for decades, passed away.