Ahhhh! Finally!

Stars were twinkling, and the moon was shining brightly in a cool early morning sky.  

On that first dog walk on this late March Tuesday, virtually all outside elements were blending for the promise of a spectacular day. 

And, now the sun shines brightly over our beautiful North Idaho. 

Indeed, it will be wonderful for the ground surface to dry and for the vibrant colors of spring to add an extra boost to our lives. 

This day is especially nice because we're on the post side of doggie surgery.  Liam seems to be doing just fine. 

Most doggie rough housing remained on the shelf last night as I sat with a comparatively drousy Liam, making sure he didn't "wrestle" with Foster and that he did not lick his incision. 

Those were the two instructions at the vet hospital as a staff member handed over the leash.  They suggested that I use an Elizabethan collar to keep him from licking.

So, for a brief time Liam's facial expressions manifested the ultimate in humiliation as his head stuck out of that collar. Three times within that short time frame the collar came off.  

At that point, I decided Liam would be worse off with the collar,  so it now sits on the dryer, soon to go to a shelf in the garage where it will catch another deep layer of dust through years of inactivity.  

Worried about what he might do during the night in the crate, I tried putting a pair of shorts on him.  

Don't know how long they lasted, but they were off this morning.  Happily, it appears that Liam didn't get carried away with too much licking. 

And, now he's snoozing on the bed next to the computer, separated from Foster because both Liam and Foster would like to wrestle this morning. Although I'll do my best to keep him fairly quiet today, I'm confident he's gonna do just fine.  

Besides keeping an eye on the doggie patient on this beautiful day in North Idaho, I'll be spending more time with my Chicago relatives, showing them around the area and the Lovestead. 

So far, they seem to be enjoying themselves, and the beautiful weather for the rest of their stay will certainly add to their positive experiences.

This evening Bill will return from his two days in Moscow at the annual Idaho family tree growers gathering. Seems he's been attending that event every March for most of our married life. 

I see from Facebook this morning that the Wood family (Jim, Virginia and children) of Sandpoint were honored yesterday with the Idaho State Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year award at the convention. 

Congratulations to the Woods!  No pun intended. 

Today marks a monumental event for one of my brothers as he has now reached the milestone of 70.  Happy Birthday, Kevin.

Happy sunny Tuesday.