Slight Detour: Hello, April; Happy Birthday, Willie

A quick walk around the yard this morning indicated that a few daffodils are about to burst open.

It will be great to have splashes of yellow letting us know that we truly are in April and that spring is upon us.

Actually, our yard received a little color yesterday when a bunch of flamingos landed and situated themselves in the front yard near the driveway and our road.

It was an amazing scene when my sister Laurie and I pulled into the driveway with two horses bound for the barnyard.

Adding 11 wooded flamingos and one blow-up to our menagerie certainly was not in my cards.

But they don't eat and do not require any special attention. They simply add hot pink and a little humor to the yard scene.

It was amazing. Laurie and I left for Roxane's to get the horses. All went smoothly, meaning that our trip took about half an hour.

I was noticing on our drive home that Laurie seemed to be fixated on her phone.

Then, we saw the flamingos.

"That looks like something Karren Williams (a former student) would do," I said. Laurie seemed to go along with that but there was something about her manner that made me wonder if she knew anything about the birds.

It didn't take too much interrogation. She admitted that she and Debbie, our daughter-in-law, were in cahoots with this grand plan.

Laurie's job was to keep me away from the house long enough for the flamingos to be planted anonymously.

"Don't you have to get some more stuff from the tack room?" she asked after we had loaded the horses.

"No," I said, "I brought all that stuff home a week or so ago."

Off we went, and, by golly, our narrow window had apparently been perfect for the bringers of pink flamingos to do their job without getting caught.

It's a fundraiser for Leadership Sandpoint, and I'm told that the local museum will benefit.

I've heard from different instigators, and I did hear from Debbie that Karren and Lennie were the delivery crew. So, my initial guess was spot on.

The flamingos will stay for a while today before moving on to another yard.

And, through this process, the museum should benefit.

All fun, and definitely a surprise for me, as I thought we were adding only two horses to the Lovestead beloveds population.

At least, these pink birds are just visitors, and they've been good visitors.

I'll take pink flamingos over turkeys any day.

The horses are home.

It was a smooth transfer from Roxane's stable---so smooth, in fact, that it seemed almost like a non-event, 'cept for the flamingos, of course.

Lily and Lefty hardly made a sound, exiting the trailer and wasting no time snipping off every spear of green grass they could find in the barnyard.

Eating hay came later. They've spent the night and have settled in.

Of course, this creates a new dynamic because Bridie now has some serious work to do, making sure those horses behave themselves.

That involves lots of Border Collie vigilance.

It's that day when Bill and I can dote over and wish our son Willie a Happy Birthday while reflecting upon the fact that we have been parents for 49 years.

We couldn't be prouder parents, as both Willie and Annie are amazing human beings---both following their passions.

In Willie's case, it's basketball and teaching, while Annie has become a rock star as a geocaching world traveler. And, while we're talking, what's not to love about Willie's wife Debbie, a beloved Sandpoint shining example!

It's Willie's special day, and, yes, because of the calendar, he's an April Fool but nothing close to a fool otherwise.

He can be a quiet soul. I think of him as an observer who, when he does talk, always nails it with his one-liner observations.

I also think of him as cerebral, especially when it comes to basketball. He's been like a sponge most of his life, picking up knowledge of the game and sharing it.

Most of all, he's our son, and we love him very much. We wish him the happiest of days as he celebrates on the Oregon Coast.