Slight Detour: Wet Warm Winter; Perpetuation Project

So far a very, very mild winter.

It's been wet.

It's been warm.

Occasionally, we've had some snow.

This morning, after a full day of steady rain, most of the snow has been washed off.

Water is flowing freely and abundantly in a culvert down the lane.

I saw earth worms slithering through the grass during my first trip outside this morning. I also heard an owl occasionally breaking the predawn silence.

I suggested to Bill after my second, very easy trip through the woods that we could have some damage similar to what we incurred last winter.

The ground has not frozen. If we do get a freeze, more tree roots could go bad, and we may lose a few more shrubs and fruit trees.

I hope that doesn't happen.

As usual, we're all getting a little tired of the rain, but the rain we've had in the valley has been snow in the mountains.

This morning's Daily Bee headline: North Idaho ski resorts thriving

https://bonnercountydailybee.com/news/2024/dec/29/north-idaho-ski-resorts-thriving-bonner-county-dai/

I'll take it.

How often does the weather accommodate a variety of wishes?

Skiers and non skiers can enjoy themselves outside in December.

Anyway, it was a great morning of walking in the dark, and soon, those walks will have a little daylight to go along with them.

In other news, yesterday wasn't a great day for our Bulldog teams EXCEPT for Willie's Sandpoint girls varsity Bulldogs.

They pulled off a win at the West Valley tournament near Spokane, and Bill was able (after watching the ZAGS women lose in overtime) to drive from the Kennel to West Valley to watch the game.

The Bulldogs now have a 6-3 record.

https://bonnercountydailybee.com/news/2024/dec/28/prep-basketball-sandpoint-boys-and-girls/

Congratulations to coaches and team.

I've been thinking lately about the annual New Year's resolutions push.

Very seldom anymore do I try to come up with some goals for the year.

It used to be that binge dieting offered an easy resolution, especially after gorging myself for a couple of weeks with Christmas goodies.

These days my tormented gut won't allow such things, so eating less has turned into a normal routine.

Physical drawbacks of old age often prevent us from climbing to the top of some mountain or running the New York Marathon, etc.

In most cases, our goals in the physical department have to be minimized to suit our individual abilities.

So, what lofty goal does one resolve to accomplish at this age beside the age-old (designed for old age) adage of remaining upright?

Maybe staying off the floor or off the ground would be good.

I know and have heard from others how difficult it is for some of us to aspire to the upright position after landing on the surface.

So, it's a good idea to stay upright as much as possible.

Another resolution possibly appropriate for me is to watch an entire episode of any TV program, no matter how riveting, that airs after 8 p.m.

That hasn't happened in a long, long time, so it might be good to set that not-so-lofty goal.

Actually, this past year I have inadvertently caught myself engaged in an ongoing project that needs a little more attention and that could be long lasting.

This project is an especially good one for those of us who may not be staying upright on this Earth THAT much longer.

My wish, at this age, and because my interest in our family lineage and desire to see knowledge of family roots perpetuated, is to do whatever possible to ensure that ongoing generations get acquainted with each other.

If that happens, think of the fun these folks can have in future years enjoying each other while adding some more glue to the family bond.

Because her parents died early in life, my mother knew very little about her side of the family.

Along came the Internet and soon thereafter connections to two branches of her family. Mother had the time of her life in her later years getting to know these people.

When I think of the joy she experienced, I feel certain that having younger generations learn their extended roots and maintain them by attaching faces to names could lead to decades of joy in their lives.

So, my New Year's resolution will be to gently forge some bonds among the younger cousins and second cousins and so on.

This past year saw a start to that with the visit of two 19-year-old Chicago family members and some later visits in Ireland.

Thank goodness for the Internet; it's relatively easy to suggest young people get connected virtually in hopes that they'll find the desire and opportunities to actually meet each other in person.

I know that my experiences of visiting with younger family members this past year have been inspiring.

If such visits can inspire an old lady, think of the wonderful stories that could happen if younger contemporaries could get acquainted. s

Speaking of this last year, I'll probably post some 2024 highlight photos over the next two days as we make our way to 2025.

Nice to have those photos back to do a rerun.

Stay tuned. Happy Sunday.