Saturday Slight

 

It was our first family dinner since enjoying steak/potato cakes at PF McCarthy's in Kenmare, Ireland,  June 26.

Reminiscing about our Ireland trip kept the conversation lively as we first sat on the deck at Old Icehouse Pizzeria at Hope and then moved inside. 

Talk about recapping experiences in a magically beautiful country while enjoying one of the most spectacular views Lake Pend Oreille has to offer----a nice combination, to say the least.  Plus, the pizza was great, as usual.

I also saw a former student for the first time in several years.  

Kent Compton who's moved back to the family homestead in Western Montana, emceed the infamous pie eating contest sponsored by the Ponderette drill team at Sandpoint High back in the 1970s. 

Let's just say he used his persuasive skills and his play-by-play efforts to encourage a few aerial assaults of chocolate cream and lemon meringue filling after pie eating turned into pie flinging. 

Kent claims his total innocence, insisting that he never did such a thing, but I'll stick to my perspective in the story telling.   

Friday-night dinner topped off another beastly hot day where most of the activity took place in the morning. 

Annie worked remotely here at home and then later in a downtown park.  Bill did his usual rounds, and I did my watering and picking. 

On my way back from my sisters' house, I came upon a guy flinging chains on the back of a big truck. I drove past slowly and suddenly put the car in reverse when I realized it was my longtime friend Cliff Irish. 

He was spending his day driving heaving equipment from one venue to another.  

It's always good to see "the Wild Irishman." 

Back home, at separate times and unaware of each other's intentions, Annie and I filled doggie pools---mine near the deck and hers behind the oregano patch out by the barn. 

We now have two different places to dabble our toes in something wet and cold. 

This morning, Bill, Willie, Debbie and Annie are headed out for some stream fishing at Upper Pack River.

In the meantime, I'll do my morning chores, and, later, when they come back, we hope to do some family kayaking. 

We're packing this day with activity in hopes of trying to forget the heat. 

When day is done, we should have only one more day of high 90s and then a cool down, which will be most welcome. 

In spite of the intense heat, these are beautiful times in gorgeous North Idaho.  

When we remember the drought conditions of last year along with the ubiquitous vicious bees waiting to attack the minute we walked out the door AND the smoke, we feel blessed that so far this summer has been very good to us. 

Folks are generally finishing up the haying season and smiling with the abundance.  Beautiful, clear night skies are adding to the delight of evening activities, gardens are starting to produce items for summer meals and life is just plain good. 

Happy Saturday.  Stay cool. 

  

Kent Compton, SHS Class of 1973

Cliff Irish, SHS Class of 1967