A Bad Day Fishing is better than....

I believe the saying is that a bad day fishing,
is better than a good day at work. And that is
true.

Yesterday the King and I went to a small lake
near by and went fishing. We got there about 6am.
The lake was smooth as glass. And so quiet.

The Rustic cabin from the days of the movie that
was made on that lake about 10 years ago, was
quiet so we put out money in the lock can and
head down to put the boat in.

We had an electric motor as gas is not allowed.
Which makes the lake all the better. We trolled
fished. I found out I may love fly fishing, or just
fishing from the shore or the boat, but I am not
a troll fisherman. (ok, PC people, a fisherperson).
It isn't boring...it is the fouling up of the pole that
I don't do well... I want a dot of lead on that baby.
I want it to sink. Not wrap around my pole like a
slinky or lay on the top of the water like a slice
of bread, until the boat finally pulls it down enough
to fall thru the water.

I really love fly fishing. I am not good at it..but I
love it... I fly fish, Patrick McManus style. You
know, like a flailing rug beater. Well, not quite
that bad...but surely not like it was done on
River Runs Thru It movie. My favorite movie.

Two half hours later...
Fish.. free...
Fisherpersons... 0
Time.... priceless.....

But quiet conversations with my guy,
on a quiet lake, listening to ducks flying
and landing on the water. an occasional
fish flop on the water, a dive of a hawk, the blue
sky, the green of the trees, No closer to my
God, can be thee....

Palin, why does she irritate me?

Screechy voice? Flirtation, or just what
she says that doesn't make sense. Almost
double talk. If a man was trying to get my vote
with a flirty movements,I would be turned off.
Flirty movie stars or singers, yes. Politicians, NO.

She is like a bat in a cave, either holding still or
batting against the walls in a storm. Where are all the
good women? You hear, well, there is a woman for
you.. you want a woman for President. My answer
is NOT THAT WOMAN. It was the same with Clinton.
Not that woman.

There are a lot of Congresswomen. Why aren't they
running. I mean, serious, intelligent women. There are
some judges, or corporate women... who would be
great.

We just need an intelligent, serious woman. Some one
who can run a country as well as they run their states,
companies and etc. Not one that feels like fingernails
on a blackboard. Palin is like bilge water, that keep
surfacing in the boat and you wonder if it is going to
come up and sink the boat.

More Information than needed....

As I was fixing my coffee and getting
ready to read the paper on Tuesday
morning, I hear it. Jackson's brain not
being buried with his body. It seems the
coroner needs more time for test and couldn't
release the brain yet. So released the body for
the funeral... Now that is way more information
than I needed. In fact the thought of it, kind of
stuck in my head, when I saw anything else
the rest of the day. Even at my job. I can
just imagine what the thoughts of his fans were.
Hopefully none of them heard it before the funeral.
It is a visual that is hard to get out of your head.
And then the rumors and jokes. Ugh.

Then the paper didn't help me much either. The
headlines read Researchers Can Guess Secret
SS numbers. Just by your birth date and where
you were born. Seems the first 3 numbers tell
where you were born. I forgot the next two, and
the last 3...well, never mind. But in this day and
age of ID theft, we surely don't need to advertise
how the crooks can get your SS number. So do
we really need to help the crooks out? Most of them
are pretty resourceful enough as it is. Do we really
need to help them?

No New Car for Me

I have never owed a new car.
The newest one that I bought
was 4 years old.

So the likelyhood, at 69, I will never
owe a brand new vehicle. Not unless
I win the lottery. Which I forget to buy
tickets or just don't.. and last I heard,
you had to buy. The King buys when
he remembers, but even he has cut way
down on buying them. So a new car is
just not in my future.

Maybe the King, being he is younger than I.
He talks about that red convertible sports car
with a hot chick, when he gets that life insurance
money. I asked him if people will laugh at him
with a chicken in the front seat. (before people
get upset... we are joking).

Also even if I was to win the lottery, I would not
be buying one of those little cars. The reason
behind this reasoning is, the comparing the prices,
and the gas mileage. The average mpg is 30-33mpg
for those cars. The average for a full size vehicle
is 28-30. If I am going to be traveling, I want some
thing I am not looking out the window at the semi's
hubcaps. I want something that is comfortable.
Not folded up, short casket like thing.

I thought those vehicles were great on mileage. But
was disappointed to see that it is just a little bit more
than a regular vehicles. Even the hybrids are not doing
that well. I don't think it should be legal to sell a car
that gets less than 35 mpg. After all if they make it a
law you have smog stuff... they can make it for that too.

My father had a diesel Chevelle in 1981. It got 50 mpg.
Yes, it sounded like the pistons were trading places when
it started up, and a sewing machine after...but it was pretty
comfortable and it got 50 mpg.

Two friends have Volkswagen Jetta diesels. Both get 45 to
50 mpg. Both vehicles are 2002. Tell me why the newer
ones only get 32? What changed since then?

Anyway, even if the government gives us the $3,000 to
$4,000 for our older cars/trucks...we just flat out could not
afford the payments on a new car. I think that speaks for
about 1/3 of the retirees. And a good share of the general
public.

The rule of thumb that a certain percentage (low) trade in
their vehicles every year. Another certain percentage trade in
every 3 to 5 years. And I think it is safe to say that more than
1/3rd are like me, and never have had a new vehicle in their
lifetime. So that makes it 10 years or more before the new
vehicle will trickle down to the used car lot for those of us to
buy. In 10 years I will be almost 80.. so not really a good
chance of me owing one.

So how is it the government or the powers that be... feel we
will be all green in the next few years?

Happy Birthday, GBW

Of Lawn Mowers and Cows

Thank you, Congressman Tiahrt of Kansas... some common
sense has prevailed. Seems that Congressman Tiahrt came up
with an amendment to send to the House Appropriations Committee.
An amendment that they adopted,called the Tiahrt Amendment,
which prevents the EPA from regulating livestock as a greenhouse
gas source..
Thank you,Congressman Tiahrt, thank you...

Now I watched a show that was showing about lawn mowers.
They were talking about how much gas is used with all kinds
of lawn mows.. Riding, or push. And how it effect the ecology.
Seems the fumes from the exhaust of such mowers, is quite a
bit... hummm... do you hear that EPA... now are you going to
pass a law, to charge all home owners a tax for mowing their
lawns? Maybe I shouldn't say that too loud. As I said it in
jest, and you know how the government can take a joke and
make it into a tax before your eyes blink.

4th of July 2009...Sandpoint style

Are we ready to get this started? The lining up process.



Pipper Chuck Lane, looking to see if they are ready to start....



Yes, here comes the flag and the Veterans

here is the only band of the parade....
President Bill Lewis of the Lions Club, who put this whole 4th of July on for all of us. They do the parade, the fun things at the beach, the afternoon and the fireworks... They sure do need new members if anyone would like to volunteer their time.

Of course you have to have horse...

Now there is a dump truck...

I asked the King if this was part of the bypass equipment, but he said no..so don't know

where they would be using this local...but from my view... they were BIG!!

Elk, Wa. (I think) Shriners truck

Fire in the Hole, car was back...remember it was in Lost in the 50's parade

Geof & Johanna Crosswhite with their car in progress, next year's Lost in the 50's?

old trucks

Even the ice cream lady was there...

old cars

The parade lasted an hour, and it was a nice group of people, clubs, businesses and etc. My only complaint is not enough bands.. They only had the drum and pipe group. Remember the marching bands of pass? I use to love them.

Every time they hit into John Phelp Souza tunes it made my heart sing..

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY....

Life, Liberty, and pursuit of Happiness

if you think I look bad...

You should have seen her.....

The Thrill is Gone...

When I was a kid I remember seeing the fire
works with my parents. R.I. was really strict
with fireworks so we didn't have them as a family.

When I had kids, we always had fireworks at our
house. And I always took the kids to the city, town,
or county fireworks. We all loved them.

We use to do our own when we lived in the country
which was most of the time. We had spin wheels that
we nailed to a long board and set them off, one after the
other. We had the kind that went up about 18 feet. We
had the noisy ones. The bigger the bang the more we
loved it. And the kids had sparklers... they were really
bummed out, the 4 years we were in R.I. As it is against
the law.

But now, it just doesn't seem as much fun. We haven't
had personal fireworks for about 8 years. And we haven't
been down to the city fireworks for over 4 years. It was one
of those been there, did that. Went down and sat for 3 flaming
hours before the fireworks started... we saw more in the
surrounding hills than we saw at the beach. And the ones at
the beach lasted 10 minutes. I know this because when they
finally started I looked at my watch to see when they actually
started, which was at 10 o'clock pm straight up. As I folded my
chair to start back to the car, I looked at the watch, and it was
10:11pm. Been there, did that, won't do that again.

So now on 4th of July, we hear the bang of the fireworks, and
think, oh, yea... fireworks. And continue what we are doing.
As we might see one or two from our house. And it sure isn't
worth finding a place to watch for 10 minutes. When I took
my kids it was at least 30 minutes.

So now the thrill is gone.

Do We HAVE to Fix Everything??

When my kids were young I ran interference
for them. And then when they grew up, I still
had the urge. The worse one I had to fight was
my youngest one. She was fine, it was me.

When something came up that a was hard to
handle, I felt it was my duty as a mother.... a parent's
duty to help. The very few times I did, she always
paid me right back, if it was money. I think I did that
3 time out of the hundreds of urges.

The funniest part of this is that, she did quite well,
when I DID NOT help. As I stood on the side lines,
ready to encourage or the urge to jump in if needed.
It was NOT needed at all. She did it and did it well.
So did the rest. But it was a rough time for me, to
keep not only my mouth shut, but not to interfere.. to
not help.

So I feel the same about our country. Why should we
feel like we HAVE to fix everything for everyone.?
Aren't we arrogant, when we think we have the right
answers, the only answers to others problems?

Why does any country think they should domain the
other? Why do they think they have the only real answers?

You know, if you take the greed of money that war brings,
(the oil, the money the suppliers for the troops) away, what
is the gain? We are helping? Maybe if we did not HELP
the countries would do fine on their own. No wonder other
countries hate us. We are so self righteous.

Just once or more really, I wish our country would just
shut its mouth and let the countries manage their own
country.

RISK, is a game board, not suppose to be life for the
world. But all of our governments seem to think they
are still playing the game.