Friday Mutterings

 

Annie Love and Laura Schmid aka Swiss Miss in Lugano, Switzerland, earlier today. 

The last time we saw Laura aka Swiss Miss, she had flown from Zurich to Dublin, taken a bus to the north of the Republic of Ireland, checked into a hostel at Malin Head and then walked a mile to the Seaview Restaurant where Bill, Willie, Debbie and I were about to begin our dinner. 

It was one of THE wonderful and happy surprises of my lifetime to look up and see Swiss Miss walking into that dining area. 

She spent a couple of days hanging out with us, then took the bus back to Dublin where we met her that evening and hung out in Dublin, mainly walking alongside the River Liffey. 

Earlier today she took a shorter trip to meet up with Annie in Southern Switzerland. 

Swiss Miss stayed with Willie and Debbie as an exchange student for a semester a few years back. While here, she rode horses, played basketball at Sandpoint High School and even attended a ZAGS men's game, compliments of a very generous Pat West. 

The first tradition Laura learned after touching down in Spokane and heading to her home away from home in Sandpoint was "GO, ZAGS," but she gave it her own sophisticated style:  "GO, ZAHHGS," she would say, and we were okay with that. 

We have many wonderful family memories with Laura since those days.  This is the second time Annie has met up with her in Switzerland. 

Laura now works two jobs---in a museum and in animal rescue.  With her intellect and passionate love for animals, I am sure she's in Heaven with her careers. 

And, we are thrilled that the long distance relationship between the Schmid family and the Loves, et.al. continues to unfold whenever and wherever possible. 

My lettuce crop is coming along nicely.  

Bill has been eating homegrown romaine lettuce in his salads for three weeks, and hopefully the heat will hold off for a while to allow salad fixings for the next few weeks. 

She's going to be 94 in August, and she says "you've got to keep going." 

Frankie and I enjoyed a quick and lovely visit yesterday in the Yoke's parking lot.  

I asked her what she was doing these days, and she said "the usual---pulling weeds and caring for chickens." 

Frankie has a wonderful attitude about life, and she definitely continues to be an inspiration. 

This was the sky before the storm last night.  

Happily, the worst that happened here was a brief power outage. 

I heard there were some problems in other areas around the community, including a direct strike sparking a fire at an apartment building in town.

I don't think I've ever seen so many lightning strikes so close together. 

Along with the lightning came a good amount of rain but no wind to speak of. 

Nice to have no damage and a day when the earth has been cleansed and very little watering is needed. 

This is a view from the dockside road to the jetty near City Beach.  

The locust trees are in bloom and the fragrance is pure delight, as is the view. 

One would have thought it was July with the beach parking lot almost full. 

With temps in the 90s, it felt like July. 

Gary Finney's pasture, up the road from us, includes three brands of riding/driving animals:  mules, light horses and draft horses.