Slight Detour: Monday Miscellany

Foster and I took a walk around the farm yesterday.

My outside work was done for the day, dinner was in the oven and the Seahawks were winning big. Plus, thanks to CBS Sports, I was able to watch the ZAGS women pull off a victory over a strong Toledo team.

So, it was time for some outdoor enjoyment which involved no work and some time with our little dog.

Foster appreciates his leash when we go for longer walks because he knows that it will guide him on where to go and not bump into things.

We walked across the hay field, where he stopped occasionally to check out a smell.

When we reached the far pasture, a deer stood in the trees keeping track of our every move. Later, when we came her way, she watched for a while and then bounded off toward the woods with her tail in the air.

She stopped several times to observe us, but every time we progressed a little closer, she would take off again.

We eventually caught up with Bill and Bridie who were doing their respective jobs out in the woods.

Bridie's involves a ball, while Bill was piling an impressive stack of wood which will probably be used next year.

After visiting a while, Foster and I went on our way where we saw more deer followed by white tails flashing off further into the woods.

It was a pleasant little jaunt through our beautiful park-like woods, and I know Foster enjoyed himself. He's always ready to go, especially when his leash is involved.

Hope, when the other work dies down, we can turn these walks into a habit where we can enjoy our beautiful piece of ground as often as possible before the snow flies.

I saw an article last week in the Spokesman announcing all the attention this novella is receiving now that it's been made into a movie.

The story concentrated on all the attention the Spokane area is going to receive thanks to where the movie was filmed.

I read the book shortly after its release nearly 15 years ago, so it surprised me when I didn't see much, if any, mention of the Bonners Ferry area.

Here's what I wrote for a blog post in 2011 shortly after reading Train Dreams.

~~I read a book yesterday in record time. A friend from way back in my childhood days sent me a note via Facebook telling me about the book, which is set in Boundary County and parts of Western Montana.

It's a novella--116 pages, published this past August. It's written by a winner of the National Book Award: Denis Johnson.

Suzan Cantrell Syrett told me she checked it out from her local library to see if any it dealt with any of her relatives who lived in the Bonners Ferry area.

It's called Train Dreams. It's surreal, and it's a great read.

Since the book came home yesterday afternoon from Vanderford's, both Bill and I have read it and chuckled about some of the little stories within.

We found it especially intriguing because it's mostly set in the woods near Meadow Creek where my dad's mother (Iva Tibbs) taught in a one-room school, back in the 1920s.

I'd recommend this to anyone who loves a gifted writer who uses snippets of history from a local area to craft a great story.

And, now, Denis Johnson's award-winning book has been turned into a movie, receiving widespread critical acclaim and even talk of an Academy Award nomination for Best Movie.

Can't wait for Train Dreams to show up on Netflix, and I hope Meadow Creek, where we as a family have spent so much time throughout our lives, also gets some attention in the movie.

Many leaves picked up this past week and hauled away or mulched but many yet to drop and those poplar leaves always seem never-ending.

I was surprised yesterday to see baby lupine leaves in one of the flower beds. Apparently, we're having a little touch of spring during this beautiful extended fall.