Indoor Adventures

The slop show from above took me by surprise.  I thought yesterday morning that we had one more dry day before the next series of rainy days. 

Twas not to be as tiny, wet snowflakes began to fall from the sky around 9:30.  I grabbed the rake and spent about an hour gathering up the latest thin layer of leaves which had dropped to the ground since my last go-round a couple of days before with the lawnmower and bags. 

Dying, dropping leaves here at the Lovestead are finally limited to two small areas of the yard, one of which was still so wet and soggy yesterday that I didn't bother. By the time my leaf-gathering project was finished, a tangible coating of white AND wet snow had covered the ground. 

I hope it goes away so I can finish raking up those leftovers, but if not, the spring cleanup won't be too bad.  

This morning is looking much better than most of the day yesterday with a comparatively clear sky and a coating of almost crunchy snow on the ground. 

As the day continued to get uglier, I finally gave in and spent the rest of my time inside, as did the dogs.  

Bill went to the library for an afternoon fly-tying session, while I watched birds at the feeders and prepared some dough for homemade hamburger buns while listening to and watching some great college football games.  

Once the buns and a couple of loaves of bread were out of the oven, feeling a need to get out of the house, I took off in the pickup with my camera, hoping to find something worth photographing.  

Well, nothing "purty" was to be found outside as steady snow mixed with rain and a dark, heavy cloud cover persisted virtually everywhere.  

I passed a very sad situation at Selle and HWY 95 where crews were still cleaning up from a fatal early-morning wreck involving a Sandpoint woman which caused a semi from Canada to roll over and lose its load. 

As I drove on, and it became obvious no outdoor photos would be taken, I headed to the fairgrounds, parked and walked through drizzle and eventually through the door into a bright, festive and colorful setting, filled with Christmas cheer and a host of familiar faces.  

Twas the annual craft sale in the main exhibit building, and the scene immediately revived a few fond memories of years before when Mother and I had a booth at that sale, featuring my books, her cards and even some key chains, crafted by my sister. 

Those were always fun times, and as I met a few of the vendors and took their photos, memories of Mother and her beautiful Western artwork came up in conversation.  Those moments always warm my heart because I get to talk about her. 

With my arrival being at the end of the day's sale, I scooted around as quickly as possible, but took time to visit with Margaret from Sagle who paints on exquisite glass hummingbird feeders, etc.  

She says she's going to be featuring her work again at Tracie Finney's Home for the Holidays Christmas Boutique and Marketplace at 157 Bronx Road beginning at 4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2 and running again on Saturday, Dec. 3 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. I said I'd probably see her there because it's a wonderful show and gathering of fun people. 


Moving to the next booth, I thoroughly enjoyed meeting Jeff and Mindy Stearns who moved to the area a few years back from Oregon.  Mindy was justifiably proud to tell me that she had recently completed the Portland Marathon and has plans to add more runs to her belt. 

Of course, I was attracted to their booth after spotting a very meaningful word, crafted in metal and appearing in a number of their pieces:  LOVE.

I visited briefly with a couple of ladies who really had no business name but definitely showed their talents through lovely Christmas boxes, jars and other decorative accessories.  

Merisa Turnbaugh's booth of paintings, jewelry and photography offered by her friend involved a nice visit and talk of how Merisa hopes to put together a business plan and enhance her marketing activities.  

Of course, I've known Merisa and her family for some time through horse activities, so it was fun to do some catching up with her. 

Seeing people dismantling their booths, I sped up my pace after leaving Merisa's display, stopping by for a bag of kettle corn to bring home to Bill. 

And, at home, those fresh, homemade hamburger buns awaited.  

I couldn't wait to bite into one with a tasty Wood's burger, homegrown tomatoes, pickles and melted cheese. Almost immediately after sitting down with his plate, Bill took a bite and announced, "The buns are good."  

That made my day.  To heck with the slop, I thought, I had found ways to brighten it up and to feel a sense of accomplishment with those buns. 

Happily today is looking a lot drier and, of course, the first-place Seahawks are playing this afternoon.  

Dogs should be able to return to the outdoors and play again, and, if need be for dinner, I can always throw another burger or two in the frying pan and enjoy another sample of yesterday's indoor kitchen achievement. 

Happy Sunday.