Regional Champs and Throwbacks

"We're from Sandpoint and couldn't be any prouder . . . . "  That chant is definitely a throwback to my days as a high school student whenever our teams did well.  We'd scream it at top of our lungs on the buses or in the cheering section.  

Happily, these days, it's one of those lines that comes in handy more often than not, and this time we can shout it out for the Sandpoint High girls' basketball team.  With coaches Duane "Woody" Ward and Will Love, the girls sealed the deal for a trip to State next week by defeating Moscow in the Regional Tournament. 

On Willie's Twitter feed throughout the season, he has stuck with one major theme in regard to the Lady Bulldogs, "Keep believing."  

And, that they did.  

Congratulations to the Bulldogs and to their coaches on a successful season, yet to get better.  

Go, Bulldogs.  On to State.  And, we're all proud. 

Now to the true throwbacks on today's post.  I love pulling out my mother's artwork.  Today's samples are illustrations of days gone by for our family.  

The top pencil sketch includes our mountain, Greenhorn, now the setting for the scenic Mickinnick hiking trail, and the old barn, which before our folks bought the place, was centerpiece to the Harney dairy.

The barn exhibited great distinction with that wooden silo, which tipped slightly, reminding me a bit of Pisa.  Below it stood the old milkhouse, which turned into Harold's "doghouse" where he puttered and snoozed and rolled his own tobacco smokes.

Several years ago, after the place was sold, the owner dismantled that big barn piece by piece, taking much of it to his eventual new home in Santa, Idaho. 

The other painting below is an illustration featuring our North Boyer farm.  This sketch has become all the more meaningful since there's no sign of that farm left these days.  Airport hangars occupy the field in front of the buildings.  

Structures have been long gone, but last fall marked an end to final vestige of what we knew and enjoyed during our youth when the woods behind the buildings disappeared, thanks to a logging project. 

This photo was taken a few years ago on the present Tibbs Arabians ranch at Colburn.  My sisters have given riding lessons for years, and this is one of their students. I can't tell because of the helmet, but I'm pretty sure the student is a grandchild of much beloved Sandpoint residents Cap and Verna Mae Davis. 

I really miss that lady riding the white horse.  Sylvia Scribner was a favorite to all who knew her.  She used to write me notes asking if I'd announce the annual horse show, always signing them Mavis.  This photo was taken on a St. Jude's trail ride several at Western Pleasure Guest Ranch.  The ranch still hosts the ride every year.

Sylvia left us a few years ago, but memories of her warm and caring personality live on. 

A trio of chums:  Mother, Gail and Lillian at a fairgrounds event a few years back.  Yes, I love to post pictures of my mother; they take me back to good times with the most influential lady of my life!

And, below, another bittersweet day with Mother.  It was the Sunday after 9-11, when a bunch of flag-waving locals stood out on the walking bridge sending a message of American patriotism. 

My brother Kevin and sister Barbara participated in that St. Jude's trail ride, noted above.  

As did Bruce, who, even with his eyes closed, is one handsome cowboy. 

Sandpoint Furniture's Mike Gunter has long been a horseman, and he went on that rainy day St. Jude's ride also. 

Pascal, patriarch of the Spade family

My first 4-H beef project, after a bath.  Her name was Dorothy.  She was named after my mother's college roommate.

She stands in our front yard on North Boyer with Best's hay field in the background.  All of the aforementioned played integral roles in my first book Pocket Girdles. 

Jean M., this one's for you:  in a note a while back, you mentioned that the unnamed horse in one of my photos may be one of Traveler's parents.  I'm pretty sure this is Traveler, standing in our North Boyer barnyard.

GO ZAGS! Pummel those Pilots!