Shades of Gray

I've seen so many shades of gray, black and white this winter that I'm beginning to feel dizzy. Tonight is another cold one so the wood stove gets another workout. Actually, and this may be my imagination, I think the snow is beginning to melt, at least along the edges or even underneath. Or, perhaps the wild turkeys have just left too much of themselves in my yard.... I'm really beginning to hate them. They're huge, they destroy the garden, they make it unsafe to walk anywhere, they roam around my rooftop, and given that I have seven hens here every day, I dread the idea that I may have around 70+ wild turkeys hanging out in the spring. My neighbor said they had cougar tracks there within the past week, but I don't think either the cougar or the coyotes are doing their jobs because the turkey population hasn't decreased at all. Maybe it's time to call Idaho Fish and Game....or buy the entire neighborhood turkey tags.

I've been so busy working on my book business that I haven't had time to write. I had an interesting book the other day: Twenty-Five by Beverley Nichols, in Good condition (spine-cocked, unfortunately), but the interesting parts were the inscription and bookplates. Mr. Nichols inscribed the book to John Drinkman, and the endpaper included Mr. Drinkman's gold stamped bookplate, as well as an intersting one for Ray Baker Harris. I think this is the author/librarian Ray Baker Harris, but I'm not sure. The book plate seems Art Deco to me, in black and white of a man leaning against a lamp post gazing at the stars. I don't know much about bookplates, so on the advise of Sarah's Books - Used & Rare, I sent an email to the Bookplate Junkie but I haven't heard anything. I just love investigating used and rare books. It's so interesting to discover who owned them before, what sort of value they have, and to read about all the wonderful topics people have dedicated so much of their time to writing. I guess I'm just a true bibliophile because, alas, reading is just not enough. I have to touch the books, smell them, collect them, have them around me. As Nicholas Basbanes has written, I must be one of the "gently mad."

Several wonderful, Democratic events are coming up and I'm looking forward to them. On Groundhog Day, 2/2, the Boundary County Democrats are having their mid-winter, cabin-fever, chili feed and auction at the American Legion Hall, above the Last Chance Saloon, at 6pm. The timing couldn't be more appropriate and I've heard that several of the auction items shouldn't be missed. Fly-fishing anyone? On February 21st, 7pm, at Slate's Restaurant in Ponderay, the Bonner County Democrats are hosting "Pizza and Politics," with several state legislators attending, including Wendy Jaquet.

Then, on March 2-4, the annual Frank Church Banquet to benefit the IDP will be in Boise and I will be attending. I'm rather jazzed about this because, drumroll, big confession, I have never been to Boise. Yes, it may seem difficult to believe seeing that I've been to Fruitland several times, but somehow Boise eluded me. I'm looking forward to putting faces to the names I recognize from the southern part of the state and perhaps running into those wonderful people in the south who have managed to travel to the top of Idaho. I'm also looking forward to the meetings, talks, workshops and social events that come with attending. Perhaps I'll even see a wee bit of Boise....

Returning to shades of gray, my spirits have been slightly uplifted in the past week because of some of the information coming to light at the trial of Scooter Libby. Hearing that some corporations are taking Global Warming to heart, and that some Democrats are actually hoping to stop the escalation of troops in Iraq, and that the Democratic Party actually has some exciting candidates for the 2008 election, has all helped to put sunshine in my life, if not in my backyard. It's only a matter of time....

I'm still blue in red Idaho....

Another absence....but I have a good excuse. I succombed to the cold/flu germs that entered my space. And I have been sick for two weeks. Now, after a major investment in echinacea, vitamin C, and lots of tea, I'm beginning to feel better. Unfortunately my husband was complaining about a very sore throat last night and lives in fear that he'll suffer like I did. We'll hope for the best.

Recently, several of the Idaho blogs have mentioned Bill Sali's stand against raising the minimum wage. Now this is one of the things I don't understand about Idaho. The people who voted for him are the same people who sign petitions trying to repeal the Right to Work policy in Idaho, and who believe in increasing the minimum wage. How do they reconcile this? Our north Idaho representatives, Sen. Keough, Rep. Eskridge and Rep. Anderson, all stated at a public meeting that they opposed raising the minimum wage, yet District 1 voted them into office. How bizarre is that? I had always thought that as an anthropologist I would develop deep insight into this kind of phenomenom, but it remains, for the most part, a mystery that I'm still trying to solve; thus my involvement in politics....

I've also been absolutely amazed by the pundits and bloggers who are all over Bush for being deranged, at best, for his position on sending more troops to Iraq. Have they just realized this? Where have they been for the past six years? Not only is Bush a puppet of a very evil group of people, and not only does he have to be "wired up" (in more ways than one) in order to give a speech, but the guy's speech patterns show the same manifestations as someone who is mildly retarded. He can't stay on topic; he has trouble with direct questions; he pauses mid phrase; he has trouble keeping formulaic language correct; and he doesn't know when to stop his babbling. I can understand how "the masses" might be led astray and vote for this guy, but the Supreme Court's decision to give him the presidency will be another one of those mysteries I may never be able to solve.

So, I caught the flu, political mysteries leave me speechless, and the weather is below zero, but I still love it here! We do have a rather frozen winter wonderland at the moment, the driveway is pure ice, and my cats and kittens have a severe case of cabin fever. However, the wood stove keeps us toasty warm; I'm feeling better; lately Keith Olbermann has been awesome; my friend, Elizabeth, gave me some delicious "county fair" lamb; my local potato farmer and friend, David Ronniger, is dropping off 20 lbs. of potatoes for me next week; my friends in Norway sent me the latest Sissel CD; I'm reading a great book, Wine and War: The French, the Nazis & the Battle for France's Greatest Treasure available at abebooks.com; and, I think I may be able to attend the Frank Church Banquet/IDP Central Committee Meeting, March 2-4. Now, how cool is all that!