I live with the ZOOM king of, well, at least, the Selle Valley.
I may not have enough fingers on my hands to count the number of ZOOM sessions Bill has had here at the house in the past two weeks.
Unlike me, he seldom plots his days ahead out loud. Instead, he suddenly announces out of the blue: I've got a ZOOM meeting tonight.
"Which one is this?" I'll ask.
After all, there's Trout Unlimited, Presbyterian stuff, Forestry Contest planning and Moscow March gathering, among others.
These sessions keep Bill busy, and the crescendo of BUSYness has been very apparent with the rising numbers of ZOOM announcements.
Heck, he even had a ZOOM session right before the ZAGS game Tuesday night, and company was coming.
I think he knew to speed up the ZOOM so as not to miss the ZAGS.
Anyway, yesterday's ZOOM session was announced when he came home to eat his lunch. It would be at 2 p.m., and since I'd been outside all morning, tending to spring lawn projects, I decided ZOOM time for Bill was time for me to ZIP on out the door with my camera.
After all, it was a gorgeous day, and I was even feeling sorry for Bill having to sit in front of that computer inside while I was headed outside.
My destination this time involved another trip to the Clark Fork drift yard. It was difficult to avoid stopping along the way because the scenes in Pack River Flats and Trestle Creek and Hope were so mesmerizing.
I did stop at Hope where there's a turn-off which allows a complete view of the islands, the lake's main channel and the mountains to the west of Sandpoint, including Baldy and Schweitzer.
When I reached the drift yard, I could see two cars parked not too far down the road from the highway.
People were standing next to them, and then one gentleman came to my open window. I had to admit being tongue-tied (or maybe memory lapsed) when I looked into his face and knew where he grew up, where he sat in my English classroom but NOT his name.
He was kind enough to tell me Curtis Wyborny. Curtis had accompanied some aunts and uncles to the drift yard to do what many people do at drift yards---look for driftwood.
After a few quick introductions, I went on my way, then parked and headed off on the same walk Bill and I had taken a few weeks ago when a piercing late winter squall almost blew us to Clark Fork.
I knew it would be different yesterday, though not as dramatic.
The sunshine felt good and the views in that spot were as they usually are, nothing short of spectacular.
Occasionally, awareness of my presence would send a blue heron flying off to another safer perch.
I saw a kayaker coming back from his trip out into the lake. It was somewhat whimsical, seeing ducks going one way, the kayaker another and boat far off in the lake paralleling the ducks' direction.
After returning to my car, I once again met Steve and Christel (hope I have that right), who usually live in Eagle but spend a good amount of time at their place near Dover.
Fun folks and fun conversation and to think, in person, no ZOOM. What an opportunity Bill was missing!
He finished his mission, and I finished mine.
An even lovelier day awaits. I'm looking forward to embracing every minute.
Since my photos today were taken in the area around Hope and because my friend Connie is returning to her sense of normalcy after 1.5 years, not 1 like the rest of us, I thought her blog from Hope would make a nice addition today.
Enjoy.
~~~~~~~
Some Friday Food for Thought, by a thoughtful writer I happen to know well: Annie Love aka Mia Wallace
I’ve honestly never heard of the handful of Dr. Seuss books that will no longer be published. And the choice for them to not be published going forward is not because of the laughable idea of “cancel culture”** - but by the estate that owns them.
That estate, like many folks that have accepted their own growth as time has passed, has accepted the idea of progress.
They realize that imagery, stories, notions and even thoughts that may have been tolerated decades ago may no longer be appropriate and should no longer be appropriate.
And to be honest, they should NOT have been tolerated decades ago.
One of my all time favorite books is and always will be “Oh, The Places You’ll Go” by Dr. Seuss. Mostly I feel like it applies to me because of my spirit of adventure.
But when I think about the story in a deeper sense, I realize it’s telling me that I have the choice to grow as a person, to take risks, to learn from my mistakes.
The story tells me that I have the choice in life to challenge myself against what scares me and let go of past notions that should no longer apply.
To make choices that will better my life and better my own self.
**Please know that when that term, “cancel culture” is used, many folks like me view those using it as someone either choosing or unwilling to grow and progress.
Often when the term is used, we see the person using it as someone who isn’t ready to accept that symbols of racism are simply wrong or that symbols of sexism are simply wrong and to put it simply, unnecessary to keep around.
When folks speak of cancel culture, it appears they want to hold on to symbols that are harmful to so many others.
And they suddenly seem so passionate to defend things that they likely never would have noticed were gone if they quietly disappeared without a company publicly acknowledging that their branding, their storyline, their imagery is no longer appropriate.
I personally love seeing when people or companies acknowledge their own growth.
I hope, so much, that someday everyone will be ready to see that we can all study and remember all these parts of our history and and still decide to move forward with our thoughts and our perceptions in a world that no longer perpetuates these harmful symbols and notions.
I hope for that so much.
I realize that I’m far from perfect on the subject and I hope that I personally continue to learn and grow and not to be afraid to change my perceptions.
As the good and not-canceled Dr. Seuss said:
“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...”
My only comment regarding Annie's commentary: OH, the places she has gone, and we're all better because of her travels.
Finally, a little treat I found in a news item this morning.
Many University of Idaho graduates during my era may remember when the real Maria Von Trapp came to speak and filled the university gymnasium.
That was definitely a treat after falling in love with the movie version of The Sound of Music with Julie Andrews.
To hear her grandchildren singing one of the most beautiful songs from the movie and in the world was a treat for me. I hope it is for you as well as that yodeling lesson given to Julie Andrews.
Enjoy. May your day be alive with whatever sound of music you happen to love.
Happy Friday.
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