Let's Do This, America!

 

I want to say to everyone in the United States to “vote like you love this country.” 

But I know full well that many have taken a road of loving this country in a way that makes them forget what makes us strongest. 

Our communities, our diversity, our education, our health, our freedom, loving our neighbors, and working with our nation’s allies - those are the things that make us strongest.

If we don’t vote for a government with checks and balances on this current administration, we all stand to lose everything we loved about this country.

                                    ----Annie Love

Mom Love seconds what Annie has to say. 

For some reason this song resonates with me on a day as monumental as this voting day in America. 

As we do our civic duties today, in behalf of all Americans, may some of the ideals in this song's lyrics appear closer than we could ever imagine. 

Today we celebrate our daughter-in-law Debbie.

She has a birthday today, but not a day goes by when we are not grateful and appreciative that she is a part of our family. 

One good-hearted and caring human being: that is Debbie Love. 

To Debbie:  hope you have a wonderful day, filled with the same love and caring that you give out to others. 

Happy Birthday from Mom and Dad Love. 

Monday Miscellany

 

After finishing all but a small portion of my fall brush hogging project, I finally found some time to go visit my horses yesterday afternoon.  

CB earned the first nod for some grooming and clipping.  

He seemed to enjoy himself, and I enjoyed spending the time with him. 

Lefty will be next on the list and finally Lily because I have to find a mounting block to clip her. 

With fall projects winding down, I'll have more time for the horses. 

After my visit there, I drove around the neighborhood and snapped a few photos.  

Becky Meserve Colpaert and her hubby Shawn. 

AI enhanced for color. 

I had a nice visit over the fence with my neighbors next door at the Meserve Preserve yesterday afternoon.  

With Bert Wood's cows now gone for the winter, Becky and Shawn were checking out their fence lines, with plans to do some fall fix-it projects. 

We live just a few hundred feet away from them, but that was our first real visit in several weeks. 

Twas nice to catch up and enjoy some good neighborhood conversation.

Overall, yesterday was a great and productive day.  

JUST A PRETTY AMAZING AND NEAT STORY

~~The movie or mini series should be fun.~~  

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/englishman-karl-bushby-returns-home-walking-goliath-expedition/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab7e&linkId=1030685265

At first I thought it was a flicker that I saw land in the apple tree from across the barnyard. 

It would not shut up, so its nonstop conversation inspired me to look closer as I walked that direction. 

I was almost to the house by the time I realized it was a piliated woodpecker, most likely pecking away at an apple in the tree. 

Most of the apples left on the tree are too high up for me or the resident deer to reach. 

But for woodpeckers, the tree offers at least a few dozen apples to feast on. 

I walked on into the house and grabbed my camera.  

Once outside, I walked slowly toward the tree where all the squawking continued. 

I think the bird was so busy with its solo conversation that it did not notice me inching toward the tree. 

I sneaked behind the big fat blue spruce just feet away from the apple tree, and when I reached its north side, the bird kept on squawking and pecking. 

So, I was able to get a few photos, but it must have spotted me as I moved closer to the tree. 

It flew off and talked away after landing in a pine tree across the yard.  So, I continued my pursuit.  By that time, however, with no apples to eat on the pine tree, the bird flew off to Gary Finney's woods.

More than likely, it will be back for some more apples. 

Birds don't forget where the goodies are.  

The former ZAG up above, who gave me his autograph, now works for the Gonzaga Bulldogs basketball staff.  

He used to be one of my favorite players.  

JP Batista came from Brazil to play for the ZAGS several years ago. 

One day while driving through Spokane Airport, I saw him on the sidewalk, stopped my car and asked him to autograph my piece of paper.  

He did so, happily. 

Below:  Dan Dickau, now a CBS sports commentator,  was waiting to board a plane on the same Southwest flight I was taking.  It could have been the same day that I ran into former assistant ZAGS coach Ray Giacoletti, or maybe I just pulled out the Dickau autograph and asked him to add to the fun. 

In the collection of ZAGS autographs, Bill and I attended a ZAGS game at the Marriott Center.  After the ZAG defeated Brigham Young University and earned the No. 1 ranking in college basketball, we met the team as they left the center and boarded their bus. 

They were all SO nice and looked SO young.  Two of those ZAGS serve on the staff at the University of Arizona Wildcats with coach Tommy Lloyd, and one has had an amazing career with the NBA.

It's fun to meet members of the ZAGS from time to time, and it will be fun this year to add some new names to our favorites from over the years. 

BTW:  in a bittersweet note, one of last year's ZAGS who visited our neighbors on Selle Road and met their pigs, played for Notre Dame yesterday, and more than likely was the player of the game for the Irish who defeated Villanova during a special game in Rome. 

Braeden Smith stole balls, directed the offense and scored in the double digits in the win. 

Neat to see him do so well; sad to know he's transferred and no longer plays for the ZAGS. 

  

Anyway, there's a big ZAGS game today at 4:30 PST in Las Vegas. 

Gonzaga takes on Purdue in their first official game of the season. 

Hoping the team of mostly new players has jelled and that they pull off a victory.

GO, ZAGS

Game will be telecast on TNT or TruTV. 

Also, I'll be calling this morning to see if the team posters are finally ready. 

Fingers crossed.  

Stay tuned. 

  

I have two flower bushes still blooming.  Wonder how long they can keep it up. 

Don't forget to VOTE tomorrow, if you haven't already. 

Voting is always important, but this time, I  fervently believe it is one of the most important elections in our lifetime. 

A national government from across the nation of, by and for the people will be chosen----at least we hope it will be. 

The results will definitely determine which direction this country we have loved so much is headed. 

VOTE!!! 

Happy Monday. 

It's a Wrap

 

We thought we were going to have a blank slate for the 2026 trick or treaters' report. 

Then, at 7:58 p.m., the doorbell rang.

Bill went to the door and welcomed in the Taylor family, minus three older boys. 

The first time Peter and Jen and the five boys came on Halloween was a few years ago on a warm late October evening. 

The boys had a great time, climbing trees and heckling each other around the yard while Bill and I became acquainted with Jen and did some major catching up with Peter. 

 Peter had been one of Bill's Boy Scouts before he joined the Navy after high school.   When his Navy career ended, Peter and his family returned to his roots at the Taylor farm across the road from us.

Since then, he's purchased a fleet of farm machinery and spends most of his days farming around the Selle Valley.  

The young Taylors live just up the road from us and not far from their parents. 

Since his return to Sandpoint, the Taylor trick-or-treating contingency has decreased with just the two younger boys showing up for Twix or Butterfinger bars. 

The other three have graduated from high school, and two of them have joined the Navy, just like Mom and Dad. Another is working with concrete while he waits for his 18th birthday, which allows him to train for wildland fire fighting. 

Along with candy gathering, the boys generally sit patiently on their Halloween stop while Dad catches us up on some of his experiences on farms around the valley. 

Our visit last evening lasted long enough for Jen to eventually poke Peter and tell him that his mom over across the road was about to go to bed.  

So, team Taylor left,  with a few extra candy bars, enroute for the parents/grandparents home for their annual Halloween visit. 

At least, after their visit,  we have some data for our Halloween 2026 slate:  4 trick-or-treaters, i.e. a family of neighbors. 

That's pretty much how it goes here at the Lovestead on Oct. 31, and the best part about those dismal numbers:  Bill has half a bowl of Halloween candy bars to enjoy. 

  

Our Kubota is just like new after its trip to the Boundary Tractor shop for a complete maintenance update. 

I spent a couple of hours at the wheel yesterday doing what I love to do:  brush hogging/grooming our pastures. 

Two down and two thirds of the hay field yet to go. 

It was bitter cold, but when you're out in a farm field enjoying the late autumn beauty, there's nothing better.  

Plus, the fields look so much better, minus the dead grass and occasional weeds, once the job is done. 

I'll be wrapping up this post fairly quickly today because we're watching some college basketball on this Sunday morning. 

Notre Dame is playing Pope Leo's alma mater Villanova in Rome today. The game is being telecast on Fox 28. 

One of Notre Dame's starting five played for Gonzaga last year, and he even came to the neighborhood one day to meet our friend Tricia's pigs. 

That would be Braeden Smith.  So far, he's done very well for the Irish. 

They say the Pope was not expected to be at the game, but then they added that miracles can happen. 

Anyway, it's a fun matchup and the players have been pretty hot with their shots so far. 

So, Happy All Saints Day, and enjoy your Sunday.

I'm off to watch some Catholic teams, and Bill is wondering if we get credit for going to church if we watch the game.