Mark 190, Et. Al.

 

If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything. 

The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up. 

"No man's life, liberty, or property is safe while the legislature is in session.

"Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself."

Politicians and diapers must be changed often and for the same reason. 

A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes." 

Today marks the 190th birthday of Samuel Clemons aka Mark Twain.  He was born in Hannibal, Miss., Nov. 30, 1835, during the appearance of Hailey's Comet. He died in 1910, when once again the comet was visible.

Happy Birthday, Mark Twain, and thank you for your thoughts and observations.  

Always timely and pretty accurate.

My solar-powered lights arrived a couple of days ago.  After realizing they had switches under the hood, I have managed to get most of them to light up. 

I'm a bit disappointed because I thought they would be colored. 

Since they've already been stuck in the ground, which is now frozen, they'll have to do and, even with just one color, they create some neat effects. 

As each day gets shorter, the amount of time they stay lit up with shorten also. 

Since they're permanent fixtures in their respective spots, I'm sure that I'll get an abundance of enjoyment from them over the months and years, especially when we have longer days. 

 

Bill and Bridie have been doing a lot of work in the woods, and much of it involves tending little bon fires, which help clean up the areas where he has been sawing and chopping wood. 

I hope that the snow will not get too deep this winter so we can still walk around the woods. 

It's a pretty and peaceful place. 

We see several of the same deer several times each day, but we saw this buck for the first time yesterday. 

I hope he doesn't look in the mirror and get too disappointed with his antlers. 

It was a monumental night last night for our family as we proudly watched Willie coached his boys to a solid victory over Bonners Ferry. 

It was definitely a nice way for him to get his start as the boys varsity head coach at Sandpoint High School, his alma mater where he played basketball and earned a plaque as Most Inspirational Player back in the 1990s. 

The most dramatic difference I've noticed between girls and boys basketball is that the boys jump really high and with a lot of flair. 

As I told Bill when we were walking to the parking lot, I just sat back, relaxed and enjoyed the game.  

We also enjoyed visiting with longtime friends and family. 

Twas a real treat to see Emma.  

As a German exchange student, she lived with Willie and Debbie for a year where she gained experience as a cheerleader, played tennis and received academic accolades as an outstanding student. 

Emma has continued to excel as a student at the University of Montana in Missoula where she will graduate in May. 

We are all proud of her. 

 

This young man is part of the Verby clan. He and I enjoyed a nice get-acquainted conversation.

Below:  Emma 

I turned the deck lights on yesterday as one more step toward Christmas cheer. 

I also baked my second batch of cookies for the gift plates.

Slowly but surely, the holiday stuff is coming together and I'm loving the pace, which, this year is not hurried or urgent.  I hope it stays that way. 

More cookies and more decorating lies ahead on this gorgeous Sunday. 

Happy Sunday. 

Saturday Slight

 

Beautiful morning out there. 

As I look out my west window, I see bluish  and white mountains with pink skies forming a backdrop. 

I heard that Schweitzer Ski Area was going to open today but later I heard, not yet. 

It had not been cold enough for the snow-making machine.

Today I'm guessing it's cold enough for the machine to get started creating extra snow to fill in the gaps and to allow the resort to open. 

The walks outside this morning were crisp and a bit crunchy, but still nice walking. 

Fortunately the little patches of ice that we have are easy to avoid, so no concerns there. 

The beauty of the morning enhances the excitement of this day when our son's boys varsity basketball team tips off for its official season starter. 

The Bulldogs will host Bonners Ferry tonight at Les Rogers Gym. 

Tip off is set for 7 p.m.  PST

JV2 and JV teams will play at 4 and 5:30 p.m. 

So, if you're in Sandpoint and want to see the home teams start their seasons, plan to come attend the game or games. 

It should be fun. 

I don't have the details right now, but will add later specifics on how you can watch the varsity game via Facebook. 

Check back before 7, and hopefully, the information will appear here.

Link to watch game via video: 

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

   

Sandpoint High Bulldog Men's Basketball

 Bonner County Daily Bee Winter Sports Preview

by MAX OSWALD

Sports Reporter | November 29, 2025 1:00 AM

Nice job, Max. 

Last season: 11-12 (5-3 in 6A/5A IEL), 5A District 1-2 Runner-ups

Coaches: William Love ('95), head coach, first year; Chris Taylor, head junior varsity coach and assistant coach; Matt Majors, head JV2 coach and assistant coach; Jacob Schultz, assistant coach; Derrick Hagstrom, assistant coach.

Key returners: Knox Williams, PG, jr.; Logan Iverson, SG/SF, jr.; Brock Yarbrough, SG, jr; Derrick Chamberlain, C, jr.; Logan Roos, SG/F, sr.; Caiden Gion, PF, sr.; Kingston Corbett, C, sr.

Key newcomers: Tyler Weisz, SF, sr.; Dallen Williams, G/F, sr.; Coleman Inge, G/F, sr.

Key losses to graduation: Wil Leisy, SG; Emerik Jones, SG/F; Rece Wolff, C, sr.

Outlook: Will Love has officially taken over as head coach, and he wants to put together the pieces that will build Bulldog hoops into a perennial contender at the state level. 

The program has seen a rise in success across the last two seasons, but a runner-up finish a year ago after winning the district title during the 2023-2024 campaign has Sandpoint searching for more.

Logan Roos, an all-league selection a season ago standing a 6 feet 6 inches tall, is expected to lead a strong core of seasoned returners. The high-flying senior, Roos, who averaged 9.2 points per game last year, is a threat inside, but also makes opposing team's pay when he's hot from behind the three-point line. 

Knox Williams, a junior and now three-year varsity player, is primed for a breakthrough year at the point guard position while junior Derrick Chamberlain, also a three-year varsity player and standing at 6 feet 7 inches tall, is looking to shake off an injury that hindered his sophomore campaign. 

Williams plays a high-IQ brand of basketball and Chamberlain, with his great footwork in and around the rim, is typically a benefactor of that play.

Look out for junior Brock Yarbrough and senior Caiden Gion, coming off spectacular seasons of football and soccer, respectively, to see their roles expanded. 

The same goes for junior Logan Iverson and senior Kingston Corbett. Senior Tyler Weisz, who saw some time at the varsity level last year, will see an uptick in minutes after bettering his game this summer. 

Dallen Williams and Coleman Inge, both seniors, are new to the team this season and will really help with depth when it comes to the style of offense and defense the Bulldogs want to play this year.

As for the schedule, the Bulldogs will head to the TitleOne Tip-Off Classic where they'll see teams such as Coeur d’Alene, Shelley, Century, Boise, Star Valley of Wyoming, Vallivue and Hillcrest at the two-day event at the Mountain America Center. 

Sandpoint will also travel to Eastmont and Wenatchee High for the GESA Winter Shootout, where they'll see some of Washington's best across the three-day tournament. 

New to the non-league slate is Lewis & Clark of the Greater Spokane League, which finished 5-19 last season but returns nearly their entire starting lineup.

Coach's comments:

"We had a really good summer in regards to introducing the ways in which we go about things. 

"It's one of those things where you have to be meeting regularly for it to really work. 

"I'm really pleased by the effort from all the kids in the program. Excited to see us go through the process throughout the year. " — Coach Will Love on the conceptual nature of his offensive and defensive schemes

"I wanted to carry over the scheduling philosophy of facing some of the better teams in Idaho and get us in a tournament mindset. 

"Getting playing experience in an Arena (TitleOne Tip-Off Classic), which ultimately, if we're going to compete for a state title, you have to win games in an arena. 

"Heading over to Wenatchee (2025-2026 GESA Winter Shootout) and facing some teams we don't know a whole lot about will also provide a great tournament feel." — Coach Will Love on getting ready for postseason tournament play

"We return a lot of experience, and for some of them, that includes playing at state a few years ago. 

"Lots of our kids play other sports and I think that all bodes well in regard to the competitive aspect of playing at the 5A level... and competing against the 6A's. 

"I think with these guys, with what we've done during the summer, including scrimmages and camps, we'll have a group that can get on the floor and compete with the 6A IEL." — Coach Will Love on the competitiveness of his squad

"We really want to focus on building on our legacy and making this a program where people are very involved. 

"The mission is to be the best program on and off the court at the 5A level. 

"It's going to take a lot of work, and we'll need to understand how much the off-the-court stuff plays a role in our success." — Coach Will Love on building year-over-year success within the program.

Hey, Washington Cousins and other family members:  maybe we can watch some basketball and enjoy a low-key, loosely organized and laid-back  reunion when the Bulldogs are playing in Wenatchee Jan. 1-3. 

Could be fun. 

🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀

While we're at it, YOU can help the Sandpoint activities and athletics programs by purchasing tickets on this glitzy Subaru. 

Christmas decorations are going up in the neighborhood, and it's feeling more festive each day with every new addition to the colorful magic of lights.

If all goes well, I'll have my deck lights shining by evening.  

Happy Saturday.  

Thanksgiving 2025 Album

 

We took the easy route yesterday.  

We drove to Bonners Ferry for our Thanksgiving dinner. 

It was a nice and relaxing time at the Kootenai River Inn where many others had chosen to enjoy their holiday feast. 

One of Debbie's friends and colleagues, Susan, joined us and took the photo above. 

Bill and I had enjoyed our morning hours by packing up the dogs, leaving behind snow flurries and wind, to enjoy some relatively calm, dry weather and some nice walking at the Clark Fork drift yard. 

A few bird hunters were there also.  

There was plenty of space for all to enjoy their respective outings along with some beautiful scenery.

I have a feeling that our group also did some quality snoozing after a lovely dinner. 

We agreed on our trip home in the dark that it sure felt like bed time AND it was only 4:30 p.m.

Turkey and plentiful eats will do that to you. 

I know that I nodded off a few times before finally giving up and going to bed. 

Overall, it was a nice day. 

Happy Friday. 

Let the Christmas hubbub begin!

⛄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄⛄

Happy Thanksgiving

 

On this 27th day of November, 2025 aka Thanksgiving Day, I give thanks and heartfelt appreciation for the following, in no particular order: 

Little Foster who turned 14 today. 

My friends and my family, whom I cherish. 

Our beloved ZAGS.  

We all can agree that this week it was the best of tournaments and the worst of tournaments, but today is a new day and the ZAGS will continue to provide us joy. 

Congratulations, Michigan. ZAGS will bounce back.

This beautiful area in which we live and our little slice of Heaven on Earth called the Lovestead.  

To be so lucky. 

All who still know the difference between right and wrong and who courageously remind us and give us hope through their inspiring examples and their thoughts.

Those of different trades and professions who make our lives better, whenever needed, through their skills, their knowledge, their labor and their vision.

The good-hearted, the generous and all those who care deeply about and do good for their fellow man, the earth and all its creatures. 

The opportunity to create and experience precious memories. 

The four-legged and winged creatures which co-exist with us, which educate us and remind us constantly of the beauty and the glory in the natural world.  

A special shout-out to our beloved Lovestead dogs and horses. 

The gift of laughter. 

Optimism. 

It's a good life overall, and for that I am grateful. 

Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving.