Changes Ahead

 

On this last Sunday of February, 2022, we have some intermittent snowfall and warmer temperatures. 

We'll say good bye to the relatively dry and cold weather and hello to rain and warmth. 

In just two weeks, we'll be springing forward to Daylight Savings Time. 

My hope is that the snow will finally slide off from the east side of our house and then melt. 

Before we know it, we hope, winter will be a distant memory but probably one that will remain in people's memories.  "Yeah, the good ol' winter of '21-22 about did us in," some will say.

Others still alive to remember will always remind the observers that the "Winter of '68-69" was much worse. 

And, it was.  

There will come a day, though, in the days ahead, just like what we've seen with the passing of the Greatest Generation, that the populace in North Idaho no longer talks about the "winter of '68-69." 

Sad to think about but for now, it serves as a good reminder to us oldsters that it can and has been worse during our lives. 

Anywho, the last sunshiny day of February, 2022 provided some stunningly beautiful scenes against the dropback of deep blue skies contrasting with bright white snow. 

I enjoyed a nice drive through all this prettiness to take some photos for a story. 

Later, the day provided a disappointment with Gonzaga's loss to St. Mary's last night. 

Bad day for the ZAGS and a bunch of other top teams, but don't we all have those days?

For the ZAGS it doesn't happen very often, and, on Twitter after the loss, someone from ZAG Nation, displayed a wonderful sense of grace, which is quite palatable for many of us these days. 

"Dream performance for SMC on senior night.

Nice cap to a regular season for the Gaels, and it will act as the apparently necessary late season loss for eventual national champion Gonzaga.

                                                                              ---ZAG NATION--UnitedWeZAG

Yesterday morning, Bill asked me to look at a bird he was seeing outside the window on the south side of the house where the feeders are located. 

I'm thinking it might be the same bird I saw the other night in the plum tree, same one I thought was a robin. 

Well, this moment yesterday felt like a deja vu, and sure enough, it was. 

That bird or another exactly like it appeared out of nowhere a year or two ago.  We both looked at it, and then Bill got the bird book and found that it's a Varied Thrush, which is common to this area. 

The real deja vu moment when he brought the book to me and we stood looking at the illustrations.  I know we did that before. 

Anyway, the bird is beautiful, like so many that are hanging out at our house. 

Off and on yesterday, I tuned in to news events to see what was going on in Ukraine.  

One of the highlights, amidst the tragedy of this despicable invasion, is seeing the president of Ukraine showing such courage and such a great example of leadership and cheerleading for his people. 

I marvel that this man was born the same year as my daughter, and I think it's time that the world defer to the younger generation who are already and will be the stewards of the planet. 

Time for the old fogey autocrats/dictators to go someplace where they can't destroy things and authorize the killing of people. 

And, that's all for today.  

Happy Sunday, and GO, UKRAINE!

 

During his inaugural address in 2019, Zelensky told lawmakers: “I do not want my picture in your offices: the President is not an icon, an idol or a portrait.  "Hang your kids' photos instead, and look at them each time you are making a decision.”                     -- Benjamin Ramm