Labor Day 2026

Strengthen your happiness muscle.  

It seemed like good advice for starting out this Labor Day Monday. 

There's a steady warm rain falling, and I love it---the perfect antidote for the dirty and dry outdoors.

Today I did a reverse itinerary with my morning chores.  I brought the horses to the barn rather than sending them away. 

They stayed in the front pasture last night---probably for the first time in 20 years. 

I kept them there because the barnyard is dirty and inside the barn are layers upon layers of dust. 

That would not be a big deal, but CB injured his knee a couple of days ago.  At first, I thought the two wounds on his knee were superficial.  

As time went on, however, it was evident that one had gone a little deeper as it was draining, the knee swelled up, and CB was having a hard time deciding how to walk with the pain. 

So, yesterday I called the vets.  After an exam, which included clipping away hair, Dr. Jacqueway concluded that the injury had not affected a fluid sac, which was great news. 

She gave him an antibiotics shot and will come back Wednesday to administer another. 

CB and his friends did okay in the front pasture, and, happily the wound stayed clean.  

Now that it has rained, the barnyard is muddy rather than dirty, so he should be okay there while it rains. 

As everyone says, horses find the darndest ways to hurt themselves.  I have no idea how CB sustained this injury, but I'm thrilled that it should heal up soon. 

And, that gives my happiness muscle a good workout. 

I liked seeing that happiness reminder this morning.  With all that is going on in the world and within our own circles, happiness muscles need daily exercise more than ever. 

My photos today pretty much reflect the day yesterday.  We didn't go off on any drives because of CB, so we watched a little football and worked on outdoor projects. 

Bill finished off erecting another Forest Service sign near the entrance to the woods.  It looks really neat. 

While we were hanging around home, Annie was up in Alaska sight seeing.  She went for a geocaching adventure, but the weekend stay has turned into far more than that, especially the eye candy. 

When I saw the photo of her with "the bus," I remembered how captivated I was while reading Into the Wild by John Krakauer.  

It's a true story which makes it all the more mysterious as to why this young man took the journey he did and ended up in Denali National Park dying in that bus. 

If you have not read the book, do.  The book is hard to put down. 

Annie has posted some amazing photos on her Facebook feed. 

As I walked down the road through the rain this morning, I thought about how tomorrow morning and many mornings after will be different with yellow school buses back on the road. 

School begins tomorrow here in Lake Pend Oreille School District, and I'm hoping to snap my annual morning bus photo. 

With school, we officially usher in the fall and all that goes with it----lots of autumn beauty and more than enough work preparing for winter, but it's my favorite time of year. 

For now, we'll spend this Labor Day trying to stay dry and not complaining about the needed rain.  

Finally, thanks to all laborers and all who labor endlessly to make their working conditions the best possible. 

Happy Monday.  

Enjoy the photos, and work on that happy muscle. 

Sunday Babble

 

Yesterday seemed like a perfect September day.  

Comfy temperatures, blue skies with billowy clouds and just plain pretty. 

This t-shirt arrived in my mail yesterday. 

It's 61 years old and, as of yesterday, finally worn. 

My friend Jean aka "Mow" sent it to me from her home in Palm Springs. 

She said it really never fit right and asked if I'd like it. 

Besides being pretty, the shirt has special and historic meaning. 

Mow and I met during the summer of 1965 when we both worked at Camp Neewahlu on Lake Coeur d'Alene.  

My job as a dishwasher was financed by the college work-study program which had just begun. 

Before working at Camp Neewahlu, I spent the first part of that summer at the University of Idaho working at the Radio-TV Center.  

It was a job I would have all through college except for the last semester when the work-study program got the hatchet. 

I borrowed $800 from my parents to finish college and paid it back as quickly as possible. 

Back to Camp Neewahlu. It was a Campfire Girls camp which served the groups from North Idaho.  I washed dishes with Terry Chronic, who was also from Sandpoint, while Mow, who had come from Kansas served as a Water Safety Instructor.

As the summer wore on, Terry and I developed some efficiency strategies to speed up our dish-washing, enabling us to spend a lot of time at the dock where Mow hung out. 

We worked throughout the week and weekend, getting one afternoon and one morning off each week as each new group of campers showed up on the Dancewanna, which provided access to the camp. 

Those daily experiences and some crazy "weekend" breaks led to a friendship which has lasted as long as that t-shirt. 

As I told Mow when she asked me if I wanted the shirt, I probably did not have enough money to afford a shirt of my own. 

So, now, going on 80, I have a Camp Neewahlu shirt, which represents a host of great memories and a lasting friendship. 

So, thank you, Mow.  I'll treasure the shirt and probably not wear it too often because it's in mint condition, just like our long friendship.

BTW:  the camp eventually closed and the land was purchased by actor Dennis Franz of "NYPD Blue."  

The birdies have been competing with a big family of squirrels at the bird feeder. 

Sometimes I look out on the lawn and it seems to be crawling with critters with big bushy tails. 

Yesterday Bill and I received our Covid 19 shots.  

The new vaccine was approved and apparently arrived at Wal-Mart and other outlets in the past few days. 

We are always relieved when we get the shots, which have kept us in good health ever since they were first administered in early 2021. 

We enjoyed the visiting pharmacist named "Get" who gave us our vaccinations.  

As a native of East Africa, he said his full name is too challenging for most folks to pronounce so he goes by Get. 

Nice guy and he did an okay job giving us the "jab." 

Proof that I raised at least one cob of corn with fairly uniform kernels and no big gaps. 

This is an achievement after all the bad luck I've had in the past few years. 

My only regret now:  that I planted only four corn stocks as part of my mound of veggie and flower variety. 

Bill has actually eaten two cobs of homegrown corn along with with corn grown by my friend Becky, an Iowa native. 

I did not want to disturb this little friend which was taking a break from whatever praying mantises do when they're not taking a break. 

It was stationed on one of the camp chairs on the deck and it seemed perfectly happy for me to take its picture. 

Saturday Slight

 

It's a sneak peak of the gorgeous, beautifully laid-out concert venue at the Samuels Store/Blue Heron Restaurant north of Sandpoint. 

The spot has drawn music lovers to concerts every weekend throughout the summer. 

Plus, the restaurant, where we dined last night, has great food and service.  

My cousin Sue turned 70 this week.  

Her celebration of this milestone includes some breath-taking experiences in Switzerland, including working out with a cow. 

Seems like the cow is getting the easier part of the deal. 

Our Friday-night crowd touring the Blue Heron Restaurant concert venue after dinner last night. 

Willie, Bill, Laurie, Marianne, Barbara and Debbie. 

Typical plate at the Blue Heron Restaurant north of Sandpoint. 

Two former students and great peeps, Candy and Pat were dining at the Blue Heron Restaurant in Samuels last evening. 

 

My former student Adrian sent me this photo this morning.  

It's the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Spain. 

The Cathedral marks the destination for pilgrims walking the various Caminos in Spain. 

Adrian and his wife Lindsay are on a cruise.  

Congratulations to Coach Ryan Knowles and his Sandpoint High Bulldog football team:  now 3-0 after a victory over Post Falls last night. 

It was so good to see my neighbor and classmate Gary last night at dinner.   

He has rebounded from a long illness that kept him under medical care throughout the summer. 

Welcome back, Gary.  

Can't wait to hear your honks when you drive by. 

The link below takes you to a great article about Becky Sawyer and her new Sawyer's Bakery in downtown Sandpoint. 

She has a lot happening in her establishment, the former home of Image Maker. 

https://sandpointreader.com/flour-butter-tradition/

Happy Saturday.