1. Debbie took Charly to the vet and he surmised that her problems are in her back and to ease the inflammation and possibly help Charly get around more readily, he prescribed her some medicine. We will begin to administer it to her on Monday and it's possible we might see some positive results in three days or so. Later this evening, after dinner, Debbie sat in the grass in the back yard and Charly sauntered around and, at one point, Debbie called into me that Charly had been running. It's been several weeks since I've seen Charly run -- she surprised me one morning when I came out on the back porch to check on her and she temporarily cast aside her hobbledness, bound across the lawn and up the stairs, and dashed into the house.
2. Kenton Bird contacted me about a week ago. Kenton and I were fellow troop members at the 1969 National Boy Scout Jamboree at Farragut State Park and one of our other troop members, Mike Wilson, invited us to his place on Rockford Bay on Lake Coeur d'Alene. Mike's dad, Paul, had been an assistant scoutmaster of our troop and had kept a lot of memorabilia. Mike spread it all out on his and his wife Carol's dining table. Along with Kenton's wife, Gerri, we all began looking at the pictures, diaries, medallions, patches, kerchiefs, souvenir newspaper inserts, a scrapbook, and other items. We were all at the Jamboree on July 20, 1969 when the moon landing occurred so Mike had interspersed moon landing memorabilia along with the Jamboree materials.
Newspaper articles along with our conversations help bring back memories of the Jamboree and we all tried to piece together what we were doing at the moment the astronauts landed on the moon. I don't trust my memory 100%, but for the last fifty years I've carried an image in my mind of a cheer breaking out in waves across the entire park, a mighty sound given that over 34,000 Boy Scouts attended this Jamboree and that there were also thousands of visitors and people working there. Mike, Kenton, and I agreed, and a newspaper article supported our memory, that the landing was replayed at an evening show in the mammoth amphitheater on the Farragut site.
Carol and Mike fed us a moon-themed lunch, giving the cheeseburgers, brats, salads, and cookies names related to the moon. I wish I'd taken a picture of the menu they created so I could list some of the clever names, but, to be honest, I was so overwhelmed by memories and conversation, I didn't take any pictures and I didn't commit the menu to memory.
I had forgotten -- if I ever knew -- that Mike Wilson had been a manager of the CdA Vikings boys' basketball teams of 71-72 and 72-73 and that the next two years her served as manager of the NIC Cardinals. We had a great time remembering players from these teams, certain games, and it was fun to listen to Mike share his high regard for both coaches he worked for, Dean Lundblad and Rollie Williams. Mike had also been a student at IHM Academy before it closed after his sophomore year and we had a lot to talk about regarding people we knew and IHM sports teams.
I had fun talking with Carol Wilson about the fact that she grew up in Cavendish and went to Orofino High School. She was surprised when I told her that often on our drives to and from Orofino from Kellogg, Mom requested that we drive on the Cavendish Grade ("So you actually know where Cavendish is?") so she could admire the golden farmlands.
I also enjoyed talking with Gerri about the week of writing and invigoration she just completed at Fishtrap. She got to meet Colette Marie. Colette and I have been great friends for over thirty-five years and I loved that they got to meet.
So, it was a superb five hour visit. Kenton, Gerri, Carol, and Mike will all be in Kellogg in a couple of weeks to attend the memorial service for Jim Vergobbi. I look forward to seeing them all again. I'm very grateful for the time we spent together today and to have the opportunity to relive great memories of the Jamboree and reminiscing with Mike about CdA High, IHM Academy, and North Idaho College.
3. It turns out that Christy bought some whole chickens on sale at Stein's Grocery (RIP) some time back and discovered them in her chest freezer and wants to cook them. So, tonight, she and Everett invited Debbie and me over for dinner. I arrived a little late, but joined in the cocktail half hour. Christy made a pitcher of Caesars. Soon, she served us tasty and tender beer can chicken, a delicious salad of zucchini and cucumber dressed with olive oil and lemon and seasoned with fresh dill, mint, and (I think) other herbs. Debbie roasted a bowl of Brussel sprouts. Then (WOW!), Christy announced she'd baked a peach cake in a cast iron skillet and she served us each a piece with ice cream. It was a splendid dinner and we wondered if, possibly, while Christy is working on reducing her whole chicken inventory, we might just have chicken Saturdays for a while! Ha! We'll see!
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