Three Beautiful Things 01/23/19: Shoveling Snow, Off to Corby's, Old Friends Get Together

1. Overnight and on into the morning until about 11:00, fresh snow blanketed Kellogg. I wanted to get the sidewalks shoveled before Hillary, who delivers our mail, arrived. I succeeded, even though she didn't use our sidewalk leading up to the house. I was shoveling the front sidewalk when she arrived and she handed me one piece of chintzy junk mail. The snow was wet and heavy and shoveling it was a good workout.

2. Once the snow stopped and the skies began to clear some and it warmed up, I figured driving conditions were going to be pretty good when I drove out to the Rose Lake General Store, parked the Sube, and jumped into Jake's pickup. As we rocketed over the 4th of July Pass to Byrdman's house, the roads were clear, just wet. Byrdman piled into the pickup and we were off to Corby's in Post Falls.

3. Terry Bushnell (KHS Class of '71) put the word out that a bunch of guys from the Class of '71 were meeting at Corby's at 5:00 this afternoon. The invitation got extended to guys in other classes, too.  Illness, vacation travel, having to deal with the snow, and other factors kept some guys from coming. But, it was a solid turnout and I had a great time catching up and swapping tales with Terry B., Dave Macri, Craig Burkhart, John Hinkemeyer, Chester Larson, Jake, and Byrdman. We've all lost moms and dads -- I think three mothers are alive; dementia or Alzheimer's has struck at least three family members; I heard about knee and hip replacements, travel, life after retirement, and plans to retire; and I heard stories about long ago friends I had lost touch with and great stories about playing baseball and basketball. I missed a lot over the years by living so many years away from North Idaho, but I love hearing all the softball and rec basketball stories. The guys at this table have been through many difficulties and have also had a lot of fun and good times.  I fell into silence more than once just so I could soak in the stories and feel my admiration swell inside me for these guys I've known for fifty to sixty years.