Do as I say....

It seems that Government heads,
especially Congress men, (notice
I didn't say Congress women,) seem
to have a problem controlling their
"family values". I say, men because
the women either don't or don't get
caught. They seem to get in trouble
thru their husbands. His business
tactics and etc.

The saying seems to be... like our
mothers use to say...
"Do as I say, not as I do."

I do like Mrs. Sanford remark of ..
I don't care about his career, all I
care about is our kids.
Right on...

Health Care Coverage

As I walked by the television yesterday
morning, there was a discussion on
health care and Obama's plan. One of
the ones not happy with it, was a Senator
Grassley, who was talking about not
wasting money on high end insurance. Which seems
ironic when he, being a congressman, like all
congresspersons, has the best of high ended
health insurance paid by ...yes, you and I.

Every time I hear a nay sayer on the health bill,
I have got to ask. Just what does that person
think should be done? After all some thing
has to be done. Or do these people feel, that
not everyone should have health care?

We just had the announcement of our local
free clinic who is going having to close their
doors. Not enough money to run it.

I remember Cliff Arquette, better know as
Charlie Weaver on Hollywood Squares and
other shows... made a remark after his stroke.
He returned to the Hollywood Squares in a
wheelchair, after his recovery. And he said..
"If I was poor, I would be dead". Some how that
remark is still true.

Tree gone....

as you saw yesterday, this was what was left of the tree.... a bowl. Which I thought

was kind of neat. Not bad...until I walked up on the porch and saw only the inside.

I had visions of plants inside.... but..King took one look and said....no, this has to go. So this early morning, and I do mean early... 7:30a.m.... under my protest in defense

of the neighborhood, he started up the chainsaw to drown out my protest.

Misty can't believe it.... who took my tree? That was her hideway in the winter,

when she ran under to do her business, without snow or rain...

So there it is... naked, gone, exposed to the dust and wind.....

And the King promised to find a hedge like to replace the tree. Something

that gives us the protection, something that Misty will be pleased with, and

something that doesn't stop the snow from sliding down off the roof...

We will see. I gave him until Sept. to have this stump gone and it's replacement

in place.

The King hates trees because of the leaves. Which this was an evergreen so

wasn't a problem so to speak. I love trees...

The tree

This is what it looked like after I took out the rotted middle... From
inside the house, looking out, it look like a hole frame.
So here is the King starting up the chainsaw....


Half gone.. (right side)

There goes the last one...

Loaded up for the dump

And here is the bowl that is left. Which doesn't look bad here, but if you are

on the porch, it looks horrible. You look down into the middle. So it will be

replaced...hopefully soon. Just got to figure out what. What will cut the dust & wind.

another crying face

You remember this picture... what in 1988 or somewhere around there...
It, of course is of a preacher who went on television and said....
"I have sinned" and etc... blah, blah, blah...

And here we have on television, no matter what station, or
show... Gov. Stanford. Same garbage.... his confession.

I find it interesting that little is said about his job. The fact he
walked out the door, got on a plane and never said anything to
the people that needed to know he was leaving. Not the Lt. Gov.
Left them all to cover his lies, NOT EVEN BEFORE HE told the
news media....... That is what South Carolina should
be upset about.

Cheating husband, as much as we hate the thought, that is old
news. So many of them have a time thinking with the correct head.
But to dump your job, with little thought, well.... if I was from South
Carolina, I would be ticked and sending the message, to him.
YOUR SERVICES ARE NO LONGER NEEDED....

Personally, I am tired of seeing Mr. Stanford's face on television.

Some Crossroads of Life

St. George's Church, Newport, R.I.

I was raised in an Episcopalian church.
We referred to it as a low class Catholic.
As we stood, we got on our knees, and
then sat and then up and down.and sang
our hearts out, just as the Catholics did.
But we didn't have all the fancy pageant of
Christmas mass, nuns, confessions and
etc. Our particular church was low keyed.

It was an old church, well over 100 years old or so,
made of wood and stone. St. George's
Church on Rhode Island Avenue in Newport,
Rhode Island. That was my first membership.

I had a ribbon for never missing a Sunday for
a year, in 1945. I was baptized there, I was confirmed
there in 1954. By Bishop Bennett and Rev. Mercer.
I still have my little black book of Common Prayer
that was given me.

Which was quite amazing considering my Mother
only went there 3 times. To get married, for my
baptism and to my confirmation. My Father went on
holidays, Easter and Christmas.

Then I moved away. From 1957 to 1979 I did not join
any church. I visited several. In Miami Beach, I found
the people to be more concern about who showed and
didn't and what they were wearing. And how much you
were going to donate. Same in San Diego, when I went a couple times with
my aunt. And then in Roslyn, Washington.

Then I went
back to R.I. and found another church, with Pastor
Parker. My daughter went with her girlfriend. I found it
to be a caring church and so I joined after a year. This
church too, was made of wood. A large white church,
which is common among New England Churches.

United Methodist Church, Portsmouth, R.I.

Once again, I did not join another church when we came
back West. So from 1982 to 1998, no church. My feeling
as I told those who question, is that I feel God just as
much among his trees, sky, and grass, lakes, and oceans,
and didn't need a building.

Then we bought a house in Kootenai.
And in Kootenai was the Community Church. A church of old.
One that looked like my childhood churches. After my
grandson attended a few vacation bible schools, the King and I
join the church. And we were quite happy as it was a
small church. A church of old. And a group of 30 to
70 depending on the Sunday. And Pastor Osman had
interesting sermons. He preached the bible of the bible.

Kootenai Community Church, Kootenai, Idaho

Then more people came and so we outgrew our church of
old. We switched to the school gym, while we built a
new church. A building that is metal. Not really what
I like, but I kept telling myself, that the church is the
people not the building. That was 7 years ago. And
our church still isn't anywhere near being done. And
we have had to leave the school as Kootenai school is
getting its remodel, that has been promised for years.

So we move to an office building. Of which I feel off
kilter. The sound system was lacking, the lights didn't
work that day, a spot showed up during the service,
from the rain water leak. It was like God was saying,
"don't get comfortable here". But I promised I would
trying it, at least once, and maybe three times.

But this past Sunday, my second visit... we were informed
that they are selling the church of old. A church that will
turn 100 next year. This was a shot to the chest. And a
few tears came. To sell the church of old. I know, I know
the church is the people, and it should not make a difference.

But at my age, I guess it does make a difference. See the
church of old is what called me to its service. It was the
Pastor who kept us coming back. So here I sit at a
cross road or a Y in the road. How much will the church
make a difference, the one of old? For I miss the stain glass
windows and the bell to ring us to service.

I guess I will find out Sunday.

update... in my research to find a picture of St. George's Church,

I found out it had been sold for $1,550,000. But at least it was

for another place of worship. This church was well over 100 years

old.

Yo Yo and Paying Taxes

Avista wants more money... then word comes out that the rates are coming down,
and then there is more in the news about asking for more money... This is every year,
what is with this?

The media has us in a yo yo effect.... things are getting better ...slightly but better,
and then the next day it is dooms day we are falling down again... then the banks
are paying back the money they got from the Feds. that seems like good news...
but then we are told no, that isn't good news.
The market is falling, the market is doing better.... the daily reports are driving me crazy.
I wish the media would just SHUT.UP.!!
EVERYTHING TAKES TIME!! give it time.
This is like stepping on the scale everyday... each day is different...up and down.

Aren't you tired of the ads about how some attorney can get people off of paying full price
on the taxes they owe... didn't you pay all of your taxes and on time... so why do the ones
who didn't get a break? The break should be the one who did pay their taxes in time. A 10%
break maybe. What happens, they forgive the penalties and late charges AND cut the
amount in half or less. "I owed 4 million, and I only had to pay one million. I owed $450,000
and only had to pay $20,000. What is with that?

How many of you have paid your taxes for 10,20,30 or even 40 years and ever was late?
Even the ones how didn't work for someone else, and had theirs taken out automatic.
There are millions of business owners, who made sure they paid their quarterly taxes,
on time. Cutting short else where, to make sure taxes were paid. Where in heavens name
did they get away with $100,000's to millions of unpaid taxes? To owe that much you
had to make more than I can get my mind around, never mind earn that much.

Maybe the answer is the poor, low income guy, pays, and the well off feel they can wait?
But that is unfair too...because in those millions of business who do pay... there are well off
millions who also pay their taxes on time.

Cuban Prisoners/N.I.M.B.

NOT IN MY BACK YARD, THANK YOU!!

That was the call from Senator from Montana,
even though he has a very expensive brand new
prison sitting empty in his state. And others are
yelling the same.

Yet, those of us over 50 remember stories about
prisons or even camps for the prisoners of war,
right here on our own land. Over 500,000 of them
scattered around the country.

There was one in Texas, Hearn, Texas, where there
was land taken by the government, for German prisoners.
Nazi prisoners. It was taken for 720 prisoners and it grew
to the count of over 3,500 prisoners from 1942 to the end
of the war. Some of those prisoners ended up staying
after the war.

These prisoners were not your home town boys of Germany,
like our farm boys who went to fight over there. There was a
lot of full fledge Nazi who ran the inside of the camp under the
noses of the guards. With underground connections to
other prisoners in other camps and some what to their own
in their countries.... so this was no picnic. Looking at the
pictures I saw, they looked like camps with wire fencing.
Not like the prison in Montana.

So if the Cuban prisoners are sent here, on our home ground.
It sure won't be the first time. And who knows, it may not
be the last time.

best email of the week - census survey

I got this in the email this week... So this will be one you can answer...
So go read it... and then come back and tell me if they make you uncomfortable
and which ones if you would like. Or just one.
I will tell you the one that makes me the most uncomfortable is my exact birth
date. It already ask your age, so why do they need your full birthdate.
I know most of these answers will help get financing for your local area.
State, county and cities will get Federal money according to the answsers.
But how much do we want to give up about our own privacy for the sake of
our local area? Me... well, there are a few that I am thinking of writing NA.
What are they going to do ... take me to jail?
So go read it, and come back and let me know how you feel.
here is the email I got.


Please be very cautious of anything you receive from the Census Bureau.
There is a very real survey out (from the actual Census Bureau) that is
asking lots of questions about things that the government doesn't need
to know.
Here's a link to a copy of the survey, so you know what you're looking for.
http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Downloads/SQuest09.pdf

It is strange in TV land...

You have the Post Office that
is in so bad straits financially and yet
the PostMaster has gave himself a raise.
And now they are advertising on
television. Now that seem like saving
money for sure.

Then you have the ads about the grocery
stores here in the Inland Northwest. Before
it was the union fighting for the striking
Rousars or was it Albertson. Telling the
people to shop at the other one as the
grocery store they were fighting was
only giving 7% raises to the employees
while the uppers were getting 200% raise.

Now you have the union telling you to not
shop at Fred Meyers because two employees
got fired for "one simple mistake" after all every
one makes mistakes. Wonder what "simple"
mistake they are talking about? It is amazing that
the unions are taking everything to the tv ads.

Television is strange indeed.

Newspapers 5 questions...

In this mornings Bonner County Daily Bee,
the publisher, Dave Keyes column was interesting.
It gave me an idea...that might just help the
papers. If they listen that is.

It seems a lady won a lunch with Dave for a mere
$7, after she was outbid on a hair cut with one of
the local hair places.

So he meet her at Connie's for lunch and she showed
up with her list of questions and comments compiled
by her and her friends.

Dave took it in stride and seem to enjoy the lunch.
Which he picked up the tab. Which made me wonder
how much the tab was, as it surely was more than the
bid to have lunch with him.

But this got me thinking so early in the morning, after
my cup of coffee... what if twice a year Publishers in
small towns that have a paper, were to go to lunch with
4 chosen people. The bigger newspapers like Spokane
could send Dave Oliveria in Coeur d' Alene and Paul Turner in
Spokane. Both men have a sense of humor.

The rules will be. There will only be 4 people. They will
be chosen from letters of why I would like to have lunch
with the publisher. Sent in with $5 to be paid to the
Newspapers in Education fund. (free paper for the students.)
Also you have to pay for your own lunch and so does the
Newspaper person. The $5 is also to keep it to the serious
concerns dept.

Each person is to bring the top 5 concerns they have
about the paper. These can not be just griping, but honest
ideas to better the newspaper for all. And they can also have
one story they thought the paper went overboard on. If they
chose to complain about a story that was too much.

They can have the next 4 runner ups be able to send in a list of
4 ideas or complains that will be read by the publisher at the
lunch to be discussed by the group.

This lunch, the publisher has to understand can be up to
2 hours.

Who knows maybe this would become a monthly group,
if they find 4 or 5 people who will honestly bring to the
table concerns, with out griping about things. That can
meet with a newspaper personal of the Publishers choice.

With this plan the NIE could make more than the $7 they
earned from his last lunch. Wow, had I known the bids
were so low, I would have bid $10. lol

computer down

having computer problems.. hopefully be back tomorrow.

Honey-do's not done

From the front it doesn't look very bad. From time to time, it is frustrating to
try to get the King to do honey-do's.
Some times it takes years. And even
then, they sit.

So what to do? Well, one thing is start
the project yourself.
And then when you get over your head,
stop.

You have a 70-30% chance of it being done.
I say 30% not, as I still have orange cupboards
in the kitchen. The King has promised me a
remodeled kitchen for years. To help prompt
him, I painted them orange. Well, he hates them
but not enough to do anything yet but promise.
Even Sandpoint Furniture didn't think it was
ugly enough to pick it for the ugliest kitchen.

But there are other projects I started that he did
finish. These are the pictures of the latest start of
project I did. This tree has been slowly dying. I had
asked him to cut it down to size so we can keep the
windbreaker for our front door, yet get rid of the dead
part. That was 3 years ago. Each year he has said,
I will get to it, this year.

Then he made the common mistake that all men make.
He said those famous words. What do you do all day
while I am at work? The laundry and housework, but
besides that. Are you on the computer all day. BIG
MISTAKE. Especially when I had been letting him off
the honey-do list because of his summer job and going
fishing with friends almost every weekend.

So I was doing yard work, and there stood all that brown
in the tree...I started to pull the stuff out of the tree. Not
only on the outside but the inside too. I stood back and it
looked like hell. So I decided maybe I could cut the tree
to where I wanted it. That worked fine for the 1 to 2 inch
branches. But as you can see I didn't have anything I could
find in the garage that would cut the 4 inches ones.

He walked by this thing 4 times before he came in and said
those famous words of his... "what ever possessed you to
do that!" As I walked by, I said, calmly, "well, I needed some
thing to do, so I wasn't on the computer all day. And you kept
putting if off."

He said you know it is going to die. And I told him, yup, and you
can replace it with that blue spruce you wanted, when it does. But
in the meantime, the dead stuff isn't all over the yard, and I still have
a windbreaker.

Humm, I wonder when he will finish the job? You know, I think I could
probably take one of the cupboards out by myself. I will have to think about that one.

This is where the major part of the dead branches were... more on the right side.

From my dining room this looks like a picture frame hole... maybe if I put in a

planter.. nah...

Best two emails of the week

This email brings back all kinds of memories of our
parents and grandparents..that is if you are over 45.

THINGS YOU DON`T HEAR ANYMORE

Be sure to refill the ice trays, we're going to have company.

Watch for the postman, I want to get this letter to Willie in the mail today.

Quit slamming the screen door when you go out!

Be sure and pull the windows down when you leave, it looks like a shower is coming up.

Don't forget to wind the clock before you go to bed.

Wash your feet before you go to bed, you've been playing outside all day barefooted.

Why can't you remember to roll up your britches legs? Getting them caught in the bicycle chain so many times is tearing them up.

You have torn the knees out of that pair of pants so many times there is nothing left to put a patch on.

Don't you go outside with your school clothes on!

Go comb your hair; it looks like the rats have nested in it all night.

Be sure and pour the cream off the top of the milk when you open the new bottle.

Take that empty bottle to the store with you so you won't have to pay a deposit on another one.

Put a dish towel over the cake so the flies won't get on it.

Quit jumping on the floor! I have a cake in the oven and you are going to make it fall if you don't quit!

Let me know when the Fuller Brush man comes by, I need to get a few things from him.

You boys stay close by, the car may not start and I will need you to help push it off.

There's a dollar in my purse, get 5 gallons of gas when you go to town.

Open the back door and see if we can get a breeze through here, it's getting hot.

You can walk to the store; it won't hurt you to get some exercise.

Don't sit too close to the TV. It's hard on your eyes.

If you pull that stunt again, I am going to wear you out!

Don't lose that button; I'll sew it back on after awhile.

Wash under your neck before you come to the table, you
have beads of dirt and sweat all under there.

Get out from under the sewing machine; pumping it messes up the thread!

Be sure and fill the lamps this morning so we don't have to
do that tonight in the dark.

Here, take this old magazine to the toilet with you when you go,
we are almost out of paper out there.

Go out to the well and draw a bucket of water so I can wash dishes.

Don't turn the radio on now, I want the battery to be up when
the Grand Ole Opry comes on.

No! I don't have 10 cents for you to go to the show.
Do you think money grows on trees?

Eat those turnips, they'll make you big and strong like your daddy.

That dog is NOT coming in this house! I don't care how cold
it is out there, dogs don't stay in the house.

Sit still! I'm trying to get your hair cut straight and you keep
moving and now it's all messed up.

Hush your mouth! I don't want to hear words like that!
I'll wash your mouth out with soap!

It is time for your system to be cleaned out. I am going to
give you a dose of castor oil tonight.

If you get a spanking in school and I find out about it,
you'll get another one when you get home.

Quit crossing your eyes! They'll get stuck that way!

Soak your foot in this pan of kerosene so that bad cut
won't get infected.

When you take your driving test, don't forget to signal
each turn. Left arm straight out the window for a left turn;
left arm bent up at the elbow for a right turn; and straight
down to the side of the door when you are go to stop.

It's: 'Yes Ma'am!' and 'No Ma'am!' to me, young man,
and don't you forget it!

Y'all come back now, ya hear!

Bring back any memories?

This is the second one, with a site.
Now here is a site to go to... you will need to bookmark it because you
will need a day or two to go thru the whole thing. I started out with the
ads, and then the cars... and then the test ,I only scored 24 out of all of them
not good, guess I don't remember as much as I thought or some of it was
coast realated. As I was raised on the East Coast.
So click on this and enjoy. http://www.billsretroworld.com

Well, Ollie, you really did it this time..

I open a can of worms that I almost
couldn't fix. It took me 6 hours off and
on to fix it. I tried over 12 things. Did
all kinds of research, and found others
having problems with it too.

So what did I do to open this can of
worms... Got a notice that I needed to
update to IE-8. I clicked on install IE-8. What
a BIG MISTAKE. There were a few changes
which I could live with. But one HUGE one
I couldn't.

I went to set up a post for Saturday. My
routine is to do a email form. For many
reasons. One spell check, two I can
change and copy paste things, and also
I save my post. So I can send them to an
aunt who loves my blog. (don't know why).
So I write it up and check it and then copy
paste it to the blogspot form. Well, that was
until today, after the IE-8. Today the paste
would not work. No way, Jose. I tried all
kinds of ways. NOTHING.

Then I found out by Google, that I am far
from the first one. And no one had a solution
that worked.
One said to uninstall it and then the old IE-7
would return. NOT. There is no download for
Vista for IE-7. I ran one that thought it would work,
it took 45 minutes for my dial up. Only to get
to the end to be told... can only use on XP, will not
work on this system.
SCREAM!

So I went and used RESTORE. Twice. Went
back 3 weeks. Then the virus protection kicked
in telling me that I was not covered as it hasn't been
done for 3 weeks. Low gut scream.

After all is said and done, it finally worked. I think.
What a wasted day!!
IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT.

Magazine Procrastinator

What is it about magazines? Why do we allow them to stack

up. I mean to get around to them... but there they are.

The first one with the table..those are the ones

I mean to get to right away. There is Gardening,

Backyard, Newsweek, Time, and Consumer Report.

Why I am so behind in my Consumer Report, I don't know.

Then there is the two books in there and some other

stuff...Papers, Inlander, AARP.

The other one on the foot stool is raining day reading.

There is a lot of Smithsonian, and a few books, They

have been there for a year or two..

I have good intentions..but you know what they say about that.

Image

Our image around the world is not the best.
Especially in the Mid East. So why we have
Paris Hilton of all people...going to Dubai, in
United Arab Emirates, to do an even lamer (is that a word?)
show called MY NEW BFF? Talk about insult to
cultures, ours as well as theirs.

Then the real punch line of the article (IMHO) was, they
were looking into a global franchise with Hilton searching
for the BFF around the world.

In my teen days that was called total desperation.
I know, I know, it is for the money for the Producer
and more 15 minutes of fame for Ms. Hilton.

Thank goodness, we have a choice to watch or not.
Sadly there are people with little to do with their time,
so they will watch.
Me? NOT!!

Football of Life

I have told my grandson, that sometimes
for parents, life is a football field and game.

When he was little, his mother would run the
field with him. As he ran down the field, she
would be there to run interference for him in
case trouble came along. And we, as grand
parents, ran along the side lines in case we
were needed to fill in for her on the field.

Then as he became a teen and in high school,
he became responsible for his own actions, so
his mother would run the side lines, yelling out
dangers as she saw them, and encouragement
as he ran down the field. And we as grandparents
were in the bleachers encouraging him along. And
ready once again, if needed to fill in for mom on
the sidelines.

Now that he graduated this past Saturday, she now
sits in the bleachers with us and cheers him on.
And maybe occasionally shouting out warnings of danger


And here is The Class of 2009



one tired as he waits his turn

Holding on to hat and diploma

the Tossing of the hats

Friends antic's

In Memory of Karyn

KARYN

Karyn, wife, mother, step mother, sister, daughter, grand mother, sister in law, cousin, nurse,
church volunteer, all nouns of what Karyn was.
Tough as nails, could stand up to the best of them. Yet be soft as a cotton ball
with those she loved.

She loved to laugh, her greatest joy was playing with the grandchildren. Her greatest love
was her family, but most of all her husband. The closeness, the unconditional love, which
makes her all the more missed by him.

I always was amazed by Karyn's ability to do anything. She could remodel a bathroom,
plumbing and all. She saw it, she did it. She visualized it and she made it happen.

While Karyn fought the good fight against cancer, we had several conversations.
Sad ones, thoughtful ones, talked about the pro's and con's of treatments. The times
she wanted to give up. The times she said enough is enough. And stopped and yet
went back to fight again. I told her, she was in control. That she was to make the
decisions. That cancer did not own her, so it was up to her to decide what she wanted
to do and how. What ever she decided... we were behind her 100 %.
She went back to fight again. And fight she did. But for some reason, God decided
he needed Karyn more than her family did. Reasons we will never understand. As
57 is way too young to leave us all...
Just as we never understand whys of cancer or any other terminal disease.

She will so be missed by her mother, sisters, son's, daughter in laws, grandchildren.
Us, cousins, her sister in laws, and brother in laws, Those lucky enough to call her
friend. And of course, most of all by her husband.

So as the ones who we call Mom and Dad, stoop to reach down to hold
her hand as she rises to heaven, we all say good bye, on this day of Memorial
for Karyn L.

10 Years and still going strong....

Second Oldest Profession???

When did being a Congress person become a
profession instead of a representative for your state?
It was never meant to be that way.

When the Forefathers set up the government, it was
never meant to be a full time job. It was to be a part
time service for their state. They were to go to Washington
to sit down to talk and enact laws or policies so the country
could be run smoothly. A month was all that was required.

But now, it is greed, power, how to get re-elected and
oh, yea.. I have people I am suppose to be representing,
as the last thought.

Even the most naive person who runs in their state for the
Federal Congress, gets changed over so quickly.
Or they are run out the next election. Because if the other
Congressperson's aren't happy with that person, then the party
doesn't back them anymore.

With out the party, well, we already seen the switching back
a forth of the Congressmen between the parties. It seems like
lately it has become a swinging door.

Militia, am I over reacting?

This was the bottom Tuesday's mornings headlines
in our local paper the Bonner County Daily Bee.
I had read somewhere a very small article about this group
in another paper or somewhere. I remember it because not
only was the subject disturbing, but also their meeting place.

They are in Bonner's Ferry which is about 40 miles North of us.
Bonner's Ferry is smaller than Sandpoint, and has some areas
that remind you of the movie Deliverance. So to have this group
start up.. in the area isn't a really big surprise. But having their
meaning place be a restaurant in Ponderay, Idaho, just a mile
or so away from my town. Well, it just kind of gives me the willies.
If they are from Bonner's Ferry, why are they down in our area?

Then there is the subject. You read the article and it sounds
innocent enough. Just a few good old boys who want to do good
for their community and even the surrounding ones. Will help in
snow storms, flooding, and forest fires and then the kicker....
protecting one's right to bear arms. Sounds innocent enough,
until the last... They meet at Bonner's Ferry City Parking Lot and
caravan from there.....but to where?

They say they aren't a bunch that will be running thru the woods
with a beer and guns... Well, that is reassuring.
But some of the rest of their thoughts are not.. at least not to this
old gal... I could say more, but I better not, I don't want to be
the receiving end of hate mail. But it surprised me that the Bee
had it as a big story on front page, with big headlines, yet didn't
have the story on their online paper at all... were they afraid some
one might find this thru Google? After all we are just finally getting
the story of the Butler and his group to fade somewhat.

It is scary... am I over reacting?

Life's top moments...

We all have moments that are so important
to us in our adult lives. Marking of the time of one's life.
Counting backwards, it is grandchildren
birth. Even great-grandchildren. Then there is
our own children. Especially the first of each.
Each a life changing moment. Then is your
wedding day. Graduation of college, and
graduation of high school, and the one of
mention of today... the prom.

The Prom signals the start of the main event.
Graduation. Becoming a man or a woman.
The start of a adult life, responsibilities.

Here is a small part of the Class of 2009.
14 friends, who did a car wash so they could afford
a limo for Prom night. Lined up here is the group.
And lined up across from them were the parents and
grandparents with cameras flashing. 18 years of waiting
for this day and next week.

Great pride and sadness as they realize that their job
is going to be less. And their children's will be more.

What a great night they had, Dinner in Spokane, Prom
night in Sandpoint. With great friends who will soon be
going their own way.


One of these young men, is my grandson.




HERE WE HAVE..PART OF THE CLASS OF 2009 SANDPOINT

Loading up in the limo, to start the evening...On last wave to mom and sister, (no this isn't my grandson)

Drug Interdictions, what is that?

We went to Coeur d' Alene last Friday. And on
our way home we came across a most unusual
thing.

We were almost to the Bonner County line, and saw
a State Patrol car going southbound. And then saw
a State Patrol car on the northbound side with a car
stopped. Not really unusual as two cars in a
short area,during a holiday weekend that was coming
up, can be normal. Then we saw another State Patrol
car in the northbound lane. We thought, wow, they are
getting ready for the holiday.

We went around the bend of the road and saw one of
those orange canvas like warning signs that the road
crews use. But this said "Police Area". Which really
surprise me. And we asked each other.. what the heck?
Then another one about 50 feet down the
road that said... "Drug interdiction ahead" What is Drug
Interdiction? And then down the road more was another
sign with "Drug dog in use". What is going on?

Then another car stopped with one State Patrol and one
Bonner County Sherriff. Then there is another State Patrol
coming down the southbound and a Bonner County Sheriff
vehicle. We counted 7 State Patrol vehicles and 4 Bonner
County Sheriff in about a 10 mile area. Some of those
vehicles had more than one officer in them.

We were totally shocked. We didn't have a clue what they
use for stopping vehicles. Was it every 5th car or what system
did they use. And we talked about how peeved we would have
been if we had been one of the 5, if in fact, that is how they were
doing it. Or random vehicles. We are of the over 55 group, not
drug type. But I guess if you read the paper, age doesn't have
a lot to do with it.

After talking to my daughter, she went on internet and found this
site
http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19940518&slug=1911176

It seems like this is common, even as far back as 1994, as you can see.
This seems like almost a Police State from a third world. I find it scary.
Yes, I know they have such things for drunk driving...but I thought they
stopped people who look like they were drunk driving.

And 11 vehicles, and maybe 15 officers? Isn't that kind of a over kill for a
hope to find people using drugs? Couple cars maybe.. 4 officers, maybe.
Who was watching the rest of the county? Or state district?