Tuesday Twitterdeedeepwater

No running or jumping off the dock!

No belly flops!

But it's okay to swim ON the dock!

Yup, swimming season should be starting soon, and there's plenty of water.

I drove on Sunnyside Road yesterday to Hawkins Point, where I did not even see a dock. 

And, the picture above was taken in the early portion of a day of steady rain.

This morning, the snow coat on Schweitzer has a fresh look about it.

Bill keeps saying it's just two weeks until they have their summer opening.  

This year instead of bikes and hikes, folks can maybe ride the chair lift to go for an Independence Day slide down the hill aboard their skis or boards.

And, that water in the lake; bet it's gonna stay cold for a long time cuz Tom Sherry says we're breaking all records for going the longest through a year without breaking 80 degrees.  No 80 degrees in sight this week.

Whatever the case, unusual weather patterns continue to create unusual weather conditions.  Only time will tell how often folks get to swim or ski this year. 

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Tomorrow is the big day for Rick and Ann Gehring to fly home.  This is a secret, so don't tell either of them.

Judy Helton and her students have put together a "Welcome Home" poster for them.  It's located in the foyer at Sandpoint High School.

So, if you want to sign it, just go to the school, walk in, and you'll probably find it easily.  

There's a deadline.  I'll probably pick it up sometime tomorrow afternoon and move it to the Life Care Center.  

So, pass the word to anyone who may want to wish them well on their homecoming.   Thanks. 

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I put my flag out today.  It's flag day,  and it's my oldest brother's birthday.  The actual number (67) reminds us that we're not spring chickens anymore.

Still, it's all relative to our attitudes.  I know my brother doesn't spend a lot of time in his rocking chair, and I don't believe very many 60-somethings do these days.  

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Our North Boyer neigbhor "Dicky" Richard DeGroot  sent me a note the other day.  The subject line read:  my first attempt at writing.

FYI: I featured him as 'Dicky' when describing Eleanor Delamarter's phenomenal bread-making skills in Pocket Girdles. 

'Dicky' held the same appreciation for those skills and that mouth-watering bread that I did. He occasionally visited the Delamarters and cleaned up the their leftover toast while I ate Laura Delamarter's bread crusts from her tunafish sandwiches during school lunch breaks.

I think Richard DeGroot has certainly done some writing in his lifetime since those days of yesteryear when he and my brother Kevin use to hang out in the neighborhood.

In this case, however,  he has written a book.

I told him I'd pass the word and that I'll ask my sister to order his e-book on her Kindle, since she's the only one of us around here with a Kindle.

Dick's novel is called First Born, and it is available on Kindle at www.amazon.com  

I'm anxious to read it and to report back.  For now, though, I'll extend a congratulations to another member of the neighborhood who's penned a book.  

I always said our neighborhood was rich in material, but in this case, Dick takes us to Africa.  

Still, when you consider that Pat McManus, Dick DeGroot and Yours Truly all lived within a mile or two of each other and spent a lot of time along the shores of Sand Creek, one has to wonder if "the water" had a literary influence on all us country bumpkins. 

Good Luck, Mr. DeGroot.

Here's a link to the Amazon description:  http://www.amazon.com/First-Born-ebook/dp/B004XWBXKM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=books&qid=1308062144&sr=8-1

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Speaking of neighborhoods, it's a beautiful day in this one along South Center Valley Road today, so I'm gonna get out there and enjoy it. 

Happy Tuesday.