Fun with Friends

Busy day yesterday with comings and goings of some fun folks in my life.  It was also Bill and my 41st anniversary.  We acknowledged the occasion but spent most of the day far apart.

Bill and his sister Margaret rode the Hiawatha Trail yesterday.  That means a nice 13-mile bike ride through a historical and beautiful stretch of North Idaho.  There's attractive signage aplenty and several tunnels along the route. 

Bill says Margaret really enjoyed the longest tunnel of the bunch.  She also liked riding my pink bike, so that was nice to hear.  Old Pink has served its purpose through 30 years and one major rebuild. 

After Bill and Margaret took off, Mow and I headed to Spokane Airport, talking all the way and saying our good byes before she flew back to Palm Springs. 

Mow and Margaret has never met until this past weekend, so I think a new friendship was molded there.  Of course, the Border Collie Nation Plus One helped seal the friendship.

I also enjoyed the card left in the R-pod (Mow's Lovestead quarters), noting our longtime friendship, dating back to 1965 when we both worked at Camp Neewahlu on Lake Coeur d'Alene.

Thanks, Mow, for coming and for all you did to enhance a wonderful weekend. 

Later in the day, while Margaret and Bill were still on their bike trip, I welcomed some more visitors, including one longtime friend and former student whom I've known for more than 30 years. 

With this meeting, I became "Emmel" for the day-----no efforts here on my part to create a new identity---just a name coined years ago by Mercury (Jeff Gustaveson) and his yearbook colleagues.

Mercury and his wife Danielle are in town for a short visit, so we started off at Trinity Restaurant where Mercury reconnected with Erik Daarstad.  Erik's daughter Kari graduated with Mercury.

Mercury and Danielle, both actors, own a theater in Buford, Georgia, putting on six performances a year.  And, when you ask them what all they do and who runs what----both will put up their hands as stage manager, director, set design, music, etc.  

It's obvious soon into the conversation that the theater is a truly a labor of love for this couple.  I'd give anything to see their upcoming performance of Steel Magnolias, which they say is sold out.  Darn!

After a short visit on the Trinity deck, I invited them out to the Lovestead where they joined the Lodgepole Society, got acquainted with the horses and dogs and enjoyed dessert and more conversation on the deck. 

Danielle has had experience working with horses, so she'll be back today for a short ride on Lily. 

This morning, Margaret (who arranged that neat bouquet above) takes off for more of her road trip---this time aimed at Seattle and a trip down the West Coast.  Eventually, she'll end up back in Sacramento. 

Life will return to semi-normal around here.  I say "semi" because there seldom is a normal day around the Lovestead.

Happy Tuesday!