Slight Detour: Nifty Gifts and Finding Lost Lake

She's from Port Angeles, Wash., and she does all the lettering.

Twas a busy day yesterday, especially so because I skipped over a key word in a text sent to me in the morning. Amazing how words matter, especially when you planning out your day.

My niece Laura sent a group message to my sisters and me, telling that she would be driving through Sandpoint enroute to Clark Fork for her son Jacob's basketball game. Seems like she said the game time was at 1.

So, I texted to the group that Bill and I were going on a hike in the afternoon but I would be around all morning, so to stop by. Then, I hurried up on a race around the house, vacuuming and dusting and generally tidying up.

Well, Laura never showed, and shortly after noon, Bill and I headed out. He wanted to walk a new trail into Lost Lake.

"We have to watch the time," I said, explaining that I had to arrive back in time to pick up the car, race home and feed horses and then hurry back to the Tracie Finney's annual craft show where I was planning to pick up some items.

So, we drove out past the popular Green Bay campground on Lake Pend Oreille and on to Mineral Point, which provides spectacular views of the main lake channel and the rugged mountains across the way.

The spot also is home to a monument honoring law officer Brent Jacobson who died while in the line of duty back in the late 1980s.

Once we'd walked around and taken a few photos at Mineral Point, we headed on up the road to U.S.F.S Trail No. 81. Twas pretty muddy at the parking lot, but the wet trail wasn't too bad for walking with its heavy carpet of this year's fallen leaves.

In the midst of the walk, just before reaching the lake, I stopped and checked messages on my cell phone.

One message indicated that Laura was going to swing by Marianne's house to pick up some photos that my sister had sold to one of Laura's friends.

This just didn't make sense because I had texted earlier that we would hiking in the afternoon. Then, I thought about the dogs and how a family member would probably walk through the garage to see if we were home.

So, I texted that we were out on our hike, would not be back until about 4 and to please DON'T open the garage door and let Liam out.

Well, it turns out that Laura was a bit befuddled at receiving that message, and then my sister Barbara had chimed in.

"I don't think Marianne saw your first message," Barbara texted. I thought I had, so I scrolled upward and saw that key word which my eyes had sped past in the morning.

TOMORROW

Yup, it's fairly important for all parties to know. Laura knew what she was talking about. As did Barbara.

But Marianne----oops, she did not see "TOMORROW" in the first read and was responding to Laura as if Laura's plans were "today."

All the sudden everything made sense to me, and eventually when Laura read my apology text, my correspondence made more sense to her.

Anywho, we found Lost Lake a few minutes later. I asked Bill if Lost Lake had any historical significance.

No, he said, it's just Lost Lake.

So, we went on our way, albeit a few minutes behind schedule, but I picked up the car, fed the horses and came back to Bronx Road to drop in on the craft sale and check out a few booths.

It runs again today from 10-6 p.m. Lots of fun and interesting and festive items and very nice folks at each of the vending tables. So, check it out.

In the meantime, my grand nephew Jacob has a basketball game in Clark Fork TODAY, so my niece Laura will be rolling through town, and it will be quite all right for her to stop off at my house.

We'll all be cheering on the ZAGS as they take on their biggest challenge so far this season----Arizona. 2:30 p.m. PST on ESPN. Should be a great game and it's TODAY, not tomorrow GO, ZAGS!!!