NORTHERN NEWS

By Maxine Deeter

Okay, I hope this item does not keep my friends from talking to me now and then. I ran into Margaret Garcia at the post office last Saturday. It had been awhile so we did some catching up.

Her grandson Lelo (a favorite young son of La Sal) is learning to be a bull fighter. Translated, that means he is a rodeo clown who puts life and limb on the line to distract the bull long enough for the rider to make a hasty and hopefully safe retreat from the arena.

I'm sure it is a super adrenaline rush, although it is hard for this Grandma (and his) to appreciate or even imagine. Crazy kid.

Well, it is probably okay for a 20-something man to rodeo, but his 70-something Grandpa? I think not.

It seems that Grandpa Tom Garcia, still cowboying after all these years, did some trick riding with his work horse recently.

We are glad he is up and around and back to work. Leave the "rodeoing" to the younger set, Tom.

I gotta report this too as I hope my children are reading. It seems Tom and Margaret's kids take them to a baseball game every year. This year it was in Chicago! What fun. Wonder if they would adopt me?

Through the grapevine, I hear that friend and neighbor Cruz Madrid recently had a 100,000 mile major overhaul on his heart. Hopefully we will see him out and about doing his a.m. walk very soon. Bless that heart of his, we hope it heals well.

Also hitting the road recently were Lori and Brittney Blankenagel, along with German exchange student Maren van Baal. Brittney left to pursue life after high school this week and Maren (who spent the year with the Blankenagels as an exchange student) will head back to Mom and Germany in another week or so.

Prior to leaving, she had a lot of American sites to see. First there was "Les Miz" in Salt Lake City, then a road trip which took the trio to the rim of the Grand Canyon one night and the bright lights of Vegas the next.

Also taking a road trip this past week are Diane and Steve Hansen, who headed to Wyoming to visit sons Ryan and Kevin and families. They returned home with Granddaughter Tristin Davis, who will spend the summer with two of her favorite grandparents and old friends she left behind when she moved to Arkansas.

Now for the social news. Remember that this Friday is a pot luck dinner at the LDS Church. The plans are to eat outside in the lovely La Sal springtime evening weather. If it rains (oh, we can only hope!) then the eating will be moved inside. I hate to think it, but the wind will probably force us indoors. Come on rain! Eating will commence at 6:30 La Sal standard time. This is a "ya'll come" affair.

I'll report this next item, but only reluctantly. The ladies train trip to Nauvoo, led by Ruthie Nicol, departs the station today. Couples are able to go along this year, not just ladies. I "sour grape" the report this year, after having gone with the group the previous two years.

Ah, well, it is fun to stay here and just watch the grass grow.

sjrnews@frontiernet.net