Twenty-one

 

Dec. 4, 2012

Hard to believe that much time has passed since that Thanksgiving weekend when my brother and I stood in my mother's kitchen, talking about how we could get some exposure for his cartoon booklet entitled "Slight Detour."  

A week or so later, my blog was born.  As I've said in earlier reflections about my now daily addiction, I never dreamed of keeping it going for more than a few weeks.

Eight years later "Slight Detour," the blog, is still alive and kicking.  I believe, in this eight-year run, that I've missed no more than four or five days, if that.

There was the time we moved, and last year, I know I missed posting the morning after we took my sister to Kootenai Medical Center, where she was diagnosed with viral encephalitis.  I'm guessing both of those absences might be considered acceptable excuses. 

I was thinking this morning, while walking in the rain (a recurrent theme of Slight Detour), about the major changes in the cast of characters this blog has featured:  Ebbie, Annie Dog, Licker, Lonesome Love, Charlie, Rambo, Casey and Heather.  

All played loving roles in our Lovestead family, and all remain permanently tucked away in our memories.  

Since then, the cast has added Kea (Kiwi has been involved since Day One), Foster, Lily, Lefty and Jonas.   I'm sure a few robins and chickadees have come and gone.

In 2006, the blog reflects our major lifetime move here to Selle where we coined this beautiful farm The Lovestead.

Since the beginning, the blog has been followed by readers from around the country and even the world, along with some new friends---totally blog inspired.  Wonderful people, they are, and thanks so much for sticking with me----even when there's a lot of griping about the weather.

I don't know how much longer I'll keep this up----there are days when I wonder why---but, so far, the rewards outshine the disappointments.  

So, Happy Birthday "Slight Detour."

Thank you to Jim and the Blogfather Dave for giving me a reason to start this experiment, which keeps me tied down to this computer every single morning from 7-8 a.m.

To all readers, especially those who've stuck with me all these years, you have my undying gratitude. 

That rigorous discipline keeps me out of trouble at least one hour a day----or does it?   

Well, 13 years later, I'm still typing away and posting photos pretty much every morning. In today's Thursday Throwbacks, I'll include some of the cartoons by my younger brother Jim which inspired the blog. 

Since then, it's been a labor of love, albeit occasional frustration when the blogger gods pull tricks on me.

Hope you enjoy the throwbacks, and, as always, the future of the blog is unknown from day to day, just like our lives.

  Regardless of how long it continues, I'm happy about two things.  Because of "Slight Detour," 21 years of observations, daily happenings and images have been documented. 

Secondly, I have a perfect reference for answering the question, "What did you do yesterday?"

Thanks, as always for your readership and friendship. Deeply appreciated. 

My sister Laurie has agreed to help me continue CB's education.  

Over the winter, she'll be working with him once a week with the goal of turning him into a Western dressage horse. 

CB has a good teacher; she's won a few Regional and National Championships in Western dressage.

He's in great hands, and I am thrilled.

Yesterday's starter session involved extensive lung-line work. 

CB seemed to enjoy himself; plus, he's especially pretty while lunging.    

Bill's forest continues to become more and more picturesque. 

BOYS Basketball, Tuesday Night

by Daily Bee Sports Editor Max Oswald

Lewis & Clark 56, Sandpoint 44

SPOKANE — Junior Logan Iverson and senior Logan Roos both recorded a tied for team-high 11 points, junior Brock Yarbrough had eight points, including two three-pointers, and the Bulldogs dropped a non-league contest to the Tigers on Tuesday night at Lewis & Clark High.

Iverson also drained two three-pointers, Roos had one of his own and was 4-for-6 from the free throw line, and Tyler Weisz scored six points, all in the second quarter, for Sandpoint, which trailed by just two points at halftime, 26-24, before Lewis & Clark went on a 27-6 run between the third and fourth quarters.

"They shot the ball really well and did a good job of executing their offense; they played some really good defense too," Sandpoint High head coach Will Love said of Lewis & Clark, which is 1-1 on the season and got a team-high 10 points from junior Brady Dowling. "I'm proud of the boys, because I told them to keep working and focusing on getting better despite the score. Credit to them because they bought into that."

Junior Derrick Chamberlain had five points in the loss for Sandpoint (1-1), which closed the contest on a 12-3 run and will look to get back on track when St. Maries comes to town on Thursday for a non-league matchup.

"A great program over the years; we know that coach Chase is going through some tough times right now," coach Love said of 12-year Lumberjack head coach Bryan Chase, diagnosed with neuroendocrine pancreatic liver cancer, a rare, slower-growing cancer, this past summer. 

"He loves that team and St. Maries is going to come to compete like they always do."

Sandpoint 10 14 8 12 — 44

Lewis & Clark 13 13 20 10 — 56

PTS: SPT — Iverson 11, Roos 11, Yarbrough 8, Weisz 6, Chamberlain 5, Williams 2, Corbett 1, Inge 0, Gion 0. LC — Dowling 10, Kimmet 9, Pearson 8, Gehn 8, Partch 6, Conklin 6, Kinkade 5, O'Donnell 3, Meija 1, Kasomo 0, Sydor 0.

🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀

Coach Love's Bulldog boys are hoping to bounce back tonight when they host St. Maries at Les Rogers Gym. 

Tip-off is at 6:30 p.m.

If you can't make it to the game, you can watch by clicking the following link. 

https://fan.hudl.com/usa/id/sandpoint/organization/7601/sandpoint-high-school

GO, BULLDOGS!!!

🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀

Thursday Throwbacks:  Some "Slight Detour" early memories, et. al. My brother Jim Tibbs' cartoons started all this daily work 21 years ago. He works as an architect in Central Point, Ore. 

 

And more random picks from the photo library