Thoughts from a Sunday morning...

I didn't think we'd get out of this fire season unscathed. A very smoky fire started at the top of the pass 11 miles west of town (about 8 miles, if you're an undiscerning forest fire) on Friday afternoon. Helped along by a stiff wind, we were treated to the taste of smoke all night, and it did wonders for the eyes, too. On Saturday, evacuation plans were discussed for the various gulches between here and there. And for the first time that I can remember, there were actually thoughts that it could come into town. As they described it, it would work its way through the hills south of town, and down the gullies leading towards the hospital. The same hospital I live two blocks away from. Fortunately, we've had little wind, cool nights, and today wasn't terribly hot. But it's still out of control, and could flare up at any time. If I happen to disappear without warning...

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I went to Carroll College's homecoming football game on Saturday, and came away with some observations:

• Gosh, it's smoky! (see above)
  
• There were over 8300 fans at this game. An NAIA game. There's plenty of NCAA 1-AA teams that would love to have that size of a crowd!
  
• It was pushing 90° by the middle of the afternoon, yet there were people there wearing sweaters. What's up with that?
• Conversely, I hadn't realized that really short shorts had come back into style. Must have been the freshmen. Lots of long, long legs.
• Also noticed many ill-fitting bras under tight t-shirts. Don't girls help each other out on these sorts of things?
• I noticed things like this since I was seated next to the railing to the exit ramp to get to the concessions under the grandstands. I wasn't ignoring the game...
• Speaking of seating...I was next to the pep band. The pep band that didn't exist before I started it in 1994. My baby. It was a sad shell of the band that I left. And they're paying the kid leading it the same amount that they paid me, the owner of a Master's degree in music. I was more than a bit disappointed.
• Cheerleaders are a waste of student funds, donations and tuition dollars.
• Oh, yeah. The Saints won! As you can see in my sidebar, all of my teams are undefeated again so far (just like last season)!
  

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I got home in time to watch the Griz play a late afternoon game at Northern Arizona. It went to overtime, which was unexpected, but a win is a win. Planned to watch more football into the evening, but found that "Ben Hur" and "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (celebrating their 5oth and 40th anniversaries, respectively, this year) were on. You know which I watched!

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I think the big tree changing will happen next weekend. There's a few that have turned already--mostly those young college-grad whippersnappers trying to outsmart the older trees. The older ones recognize the benefit of hanging on until the last vestiges of summer have gone. And that won't happen until October. Which, conveniently, is the first day of really cool weather we're supposed to get.

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Mom's birthday is this Thursday. I want to do a nice post, but it's Thursday. Hmmm....