Tuesday, July 08, 2025

Tuesday Observations

 







Las tres amigas Kari, Marianne and Jeralyn

It was a quick decision for the three of us longtime friends to get together, but, by golly, within hours of the Sunday-night lunch proposal, we sat together in a booth at Sweet Lou's for a much-needed catch-up lunch. 

I think it's been at least ten years since we last enjoyed a lunch together. 

Both Kari and Jeralyn were my students back in the early 1980s.  During consecutive years (1982 and 1983), they served as yearbook editors for the Monticola which I advised at the time. 

During those years the teacher-student connection quickly evolved into what has been a lifelong, enduring friendship.  

I've attended their weddings and have watched their kids grow up and have kids of their own. 

Jeralyn has served as an award-winning counselor at Sandpoint High School, while Kari has used her communications, photography, graphics and leadership skills in a variety of professional setting, mostly local. 

We talked and ate and did some catching up but decided before departing Sweet Lou's that we need to get together again this summer.  

Hope it happens.  It was  fun lunch at Sweet Lou's. 





I ran across this article on Facebook this morning.  As we've watched all the trees disappear where the Chalet Motel on HWY 95 once stood in Ponderay, I've wondered about Margarete. 

It's been several years since I've seen her, so to learn that she is 102 and living between Sandpoint and Grangeville was a nice surprise. 

Margarete has told her life story for years, always with the motive to remind people what it was like during the age of Hitler. 

I had her daughter Jamie as a student and have not seen her for years. 

 Margarete and my mother, born the same year in 1921, used to sing together in the St. Joseph's choir.  

Also, one year I invited Margarete to come and speak to some  of my classes about her early life.  The passion and intellect were impressive, to say the least, and the students were mesmerized.

This article was written in 2023 and updated in 2024, so I'm assuming that in 2025 Margarete has not given up. With the sanctioned cruelty we are currently witnessing here in the United States,  her words in the story below are definitely timely. 





It's a wistfully sad morning at the Lovestead today.  

Mr. and Mrs. Swallow flew the coop with their children sometime late yesterday afternoon. 

The constant begging and wide-open beaks of babies with parents swooping down and dropping off bites ended as quickly as it began. 

I could tell, with my frequent trips to the garden that the babies were at a point where they were mature enough to launch off at any given moment. 

Hopefully since yesterday, they've learned how to find their own food cuz they sure did keep Mom and Dad busy. 

I wish that they could have stayed a little longer, but life goes on, and wherever they've gone, I hope they are still a happy family. 

BTW:  probably one reason the bird family left their house was the imposing and fast-growing sunflower that shot up right in front of their house. 

Within the last two or three days, the sunflower has grown from a plant below the bird house to what you see in the picture AND that was taken last night. 

I have a feeling it will be a garden giant. 



It's beginning to look like a great year for gardens.  My lettuce is so prolific that I'll be taking some to the food bank today.  

And, it won't be long until those little 'maters turn red, get plucked from the bush and popped into mouths for tasty treats.  








We have a flock of turkey mamas and babies, which has chosen our woods for their overnight sleeping quarters.  

So, if I can't watch swallow meal time, I can watch the turkeys go to bed at night in the tree limbs and swoop down to Pasture No. 1 when they get up in the morning. 

Eventually, they make their way to wherever they'll be spending the day and then repeat the same bedtime routine again in the early evening.

 



Monday, July 07, 2025

Weekend Wrap

 


The endless simple gifts of living in the country.  

We get to see sights like these on an early summer morning. 





Another Fourth of July weekend is in the books.  While terrible tragedy has struck in Texas, things were pretty calm around our area.  

That was welcome, especially after last weekend's horrible shooting event near Coeur d'Alene.  North Idaho had enough disturbing national news this past week, so it was nice to experience a sense of relative calm throughout the holiday weekend.

Bill, the dogs and I spent yesterday afternoon enjoying a leisurely drive to the expansive Kootenai Valley and then up the first ten miles of the Myrtle Creek Road west of the valley.  




Lots of folks could be seen enjoying recreational opportunities in the Kootenai Valley and around the Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge yesterday.
 



These ladies were part of a Mennonite church group who were enjoying an afternoon picnic at the Kootenai Wildlife Refuge yesterday. 






This was a pretty scene, but it was Mosquito Heaven where we stopped after ten miles of traveling the Myrtle Creek Road. 

Bill and I have distinctly different levels of tolerance for mosquitoes.  He just lets 'em do their thing while I say bad words and bat them away as much as possible. 

Needless to say, with no spray, we didn't stay long. 








It seemed like an announcement with two conflicting messages:  times are tough and we're trying to save the environment. 

There is toilet paper in the bathroom at the Kootenai Wildlife Refuge but only stocked when someone is in the office.  

In the same restroom enclosure, automatic hand dryers have been installed so that paper towels will not be used.  Another note indicates an effort to cut down the use of paper products in an effort to help the environment.   

Besides the nationwide cutbacks, which will probably affect recreational facilities all around the country, the Wildlife Refuge, northwest of Bonners Ferry, is mostly closed to the public this summer while restoration projects are occurring. 

Some facilities around the office complex, including a picnic area do remain open.

So, as part of our Sunday drive, we spent some time walking along the creek which runs past the picnic area.
  




Forty years ago today, this big beautiful bay Half Arabian gelding named Black Rambo was born at our farm on Great Northern Road. 

His mother was a Quarter Horse mare named Mrs. Black.  His father was my sister Barbara's beautiful red chestnut stallion Sunrise Request. 

Rambo was the first foal I ever owned. He stood 16 hands at maturity, and as a colt he was pretty gangly. The big boy was never fun to work with from the ground, but he was a beautiful horse and looked and felt especially wonderful under saddle. 

In this photo with Barbara aboard, he won a regional reserve championship at an Arabian show in Yakima. 

Rambo eventually lost sight in one eye and then the other.  For about his last two years of life, I still rode him, and his blindness barely made a difference. 

 Rambo died at 22 from an aneurysm. 

He was a wonderful horse whose ending was very violent, traumatic and extremely heart-breaking. 

So, it's nice to remember him today in his youthful beauty.  




The annual pickin' and grinnin' season around the Lovestead has begun.  I picked about two dozen raspberries yesterday.  I'm expecting to be picking both raspberries and blueberries before week's end. 

And, the beans are blossoming along with the cukes.  Small Sungold tomatoes, hanging from the vine, and will probably be ripe  within the next few days. 

It will be nice to be picking goodies rather than just pulling weeds. 

Below:  can anyone tell me what this flower is.  I have especially enjoyed seeing it this year without a thick coating of dust.  

Would love to know what to call it. 

Happy Monday. 







Sunday, July 06, 2025

A Proper Send-Off




Jack and Colleen Filipowski's cow herd was the main attraction during a luncheon held in the barn for our neighbor Eva May Whitehead's family yesterday. 

Eva would be quietly and humbly pleased to see the turnout at her graveside ceremony at Pack River Cemetery.  

She would also be happy to know that, in her absence, cemetery board members are doing their best to keep up with much of the work Eva often did by herself.  

The cemetery was beautiful for her Methodist service, including a newly painted building at the entrance and nicely groomed lawn all around the graves.


Above:  Eva's sister Mary and one of Eva's nieces. 

Below:  the house where Eva lived for 92 of her 93 years. 





 

Eva worked hard and long, giving of herself to the community where she grew up, spent her teaching career and devoted endless hours to her church, the local museum and the cemetery. 

A full life, well-lived, received a proper, warm and impressive send-off. 

RIP, Eva May.








There was a lot of local living history still walking around at Eva's service yesterday, and today it seems appropriate to share some from yesteryear, compiled by the Bonner County Historical Society. 



 July 6, 2025 1:00 AM

Brought to you by the

Bonner County Historical

Society and Museum

611 S. Ella Ave., Sandpoint, Idaho, 83864

208-263-2344


50 Years Ago

Sandpoint News-Bulletin

and Sandpoint Bee

July 6, 1975 – TOO MANY KOKANEE

Kokanee fishing on Lake Pend Oreille turned out to be too good for two area men and two youngsters handlining for the small landlocked salmon. The men were cited earlier this month by Idaho Fish and Game Department conservation officers for having 594 kokanee in their possession while fishing on the lake, amounting to 454 kokanee over the combined limit for the four. The four were reported to have been fishing only about two-and-a-half hours. 

•••

WILL REPRESENT BONNER COUNTY

At least four Bonner County youths will represent this area in the Idaho State 4-H horse judging contest July 22 in Moscow. 

Laurie Tibbs, Cathy Russell, Bert Wood and Cindy Finney were the four who placed highest in a contest consisting of judging four classes and reporting two sets of oral reasons. 

The competition, held at the Bonner County Fairgrounds, involved 70 4-H youths. 

A second team, consisting of Barbara Tibbs, Leonard Wood, Kim Lewis and Debbie Downen was also selected, with the possibility that both teams might go to the state competition.

•••

NEW FENCE AT COMMUNITY HALL

A new fence has been constructed at Sandpoint Community Hall and the Chamber of Commerce Office with materials donated by LPP Fencing, owned by Dell Brown and Duane Ward. The lodge pole pine fence was built by Parks Superintendent Bob Linsday, with workers in the CETA program. 


75 Years Ago

Sandpoint News-Bulletin

July 6, 1950 – KIDDIE PARADE CHEERED

The kiddies’ bicycle and pet parade in the Fourth of July celebration drew a large crowd Monday. Winning prizes for the best decorated bicycles were Linda DeWitz, Patricia Kwatz and Sally Miller. Marilyn Kincaid had the best decorated doll buggy and Carol Kiebert had the most “children.” 

Robert DeGroot had the dog with the most spots; Bobbie Hall owned the dogs with both the longest and shortest tails and also had the best costumed dog. The best-cared-for dog was owned by Dickey Rheinschmidt; Michael Balch had the biggest dog and Carol Powell, the smallest. 

The most unusual entry was the coyote belonging to Barbara Palmer. Betsy Oyen, Gary Girken, Royce Drinkard, Carol McFarland and Dick Parsons won prizes for the largest rabbit, the biggest turtle, the best displayed fish, the best pony and the cleverest display of small animals, respectively. 

Judy Jackson and Sharon Wilkenson won prizes in the cat division and Wayne Meredith, Dena McFarland and Dick Ebbernite won prizes for birds. 

Prizes for unusual costumes went to Nancy Walker, Betty McArthur, Wynona Meredith, Glen Kinkaid, Catherine Nesbitt, Ronale Selle, Penny Goodwin, Kay and Carol Carlson, Curtis Abbott, Terry Goodwin, Karen Anderson, Margaret Forgey, Janice Forgey, Stephen Spealman, Sandra Spealman and Karen Forgey. 

  

For more information, visit the museum online at bonnercountyhistory.org. 



A couple of Pack River Cemetery board members (Tom and Liz) are standing in this photo, along with a young lady of 86 named Terri who comes regularly and waters a display at the cemetery. Plus, there's my hubby Bill and Jennifer from the Sandpoint High Class of '76. 

Eva's service definitely brought on some good visiting among locals and family members. 









Above:  Hazel Perks Sutton and Marilyn Brown Ward from the Sandpoint High Class of 1963 at Eva's service. 

Below:  Gwen, who's 96 and still volunteers every week at the Bonner Community Food Bank, and Alice whose musical talents are impressive. 








Somebody attending Eva's service had a nice collection of rubber duckies sitting in the windshield of their car.
 




This video is just is pretty neat.  

Leave it to the Irish.

Happy Sunday