Even Sky’s No Limit For A 90-Year-Old Who Thinks Young
For her 90th birthday, Florabelle Dunkle memorized a 32-line poem about young spirits in old bodies and recited it before 265 friends.
That was last year. This year, Florabelle slipped on a harness and hit the sky in a parasail over Lake Coeur d’Alene.
“It was something I hadn’t done,” she says, giggling like a little girl with a secret.
Florabelle had seen the colorful parasail from her downtown apartment for years. Her bridge buddy, Mildred, had parasailed at 85 and intrigued Florabelle with her stories.
As her Aug. 25 birthday neared, Florabelle phoned her son and told him her plans. He wasn’t surprised.
As a child, Florabelle had ridden stacks of boards down dangerous log flumes near Culdesac. All her life, she’d hunted, fished, collected mushrooms and camped. She was no stranger to scabby knees and wind-knotted hair.
Her son had only one concern with Florabelle’s birthday plan: wind. She agreed to wait for a calm day.
On Aug. 27, Florabelle brushed her cloud-white hair, slipped her pint-sized body into comfortable clothes and smiled at the encouraging crowd gathered at Independence Point to watch her.
No second thoughts flashed through her as the parachute pulled her from the back of the boat into the air.
“I didn’t even think about being up high,” she says, surprised that height would concern anyone. “It was too beautiful. Coeur d’Alene looks so big up there.”
The parasailing adventure wasn’t a triumph over age for Florabelle as much as a celebration of good health.
“I try to do the things I want to do,” she says, beaming like a milk-industry poster girl. “I’m just mighty thankful I can do them.”
She’s set her sights a little higher for her next birthday.
“I still haven’t ridden that hot air balloon in Spokane,” she says eagerly. “That’s next year.”
To your health
Doctors agree that many ancient health remedies work - they just sound weird to people used to intravenous drips and $6 million medical machinery.
Coeur d’Alene’s Barbara St. Dennis uses herbs and holistic methods. She’s a practicing shaman - a priest who uses magic to cure ills - and a licensed holistic health counselor. She’s also a down-to-earth next-door neighbor.
Barbara will share her secrets 7-9 p.m. Wednesday at Group Health Northwest, 2010 Lakewood Dr., at the Holistic Health Network’s monthly meeting. Tune her in - her ideas may keep you and your wallet healthy. Call 765-1945 for details.
A stroke of bad luck
Post Falls’ Dennis Hayes is home recovering from a massive stroke and heart attack he suffered during last week’s thunder storm. The storm and chaos with ambulances at the Hayes’ house chased away Coco, Dennis’ collie-mix dog. Coco still hasn’t returned.
She is dark brown and fat with short legs. Dennis lives at 810 Maple St. and needs his dog. Call 773-0324 if you’ve seen Coco.
Magnificent music
Coeur d’Alene’s Performing Arts Alliance will bring the Spokane Symphony to North Idaho College’s Boswell Auditorium in October and April. In December, NIC’s symphony and the Eugene Ballet will perform “The Nutcracker.” No cultural desert in this neck of the woods.
Tickets to any of the performances are $2 less if you buy by Sept. 25. Call 667-0547.
Happy homecoming
‘Tis the season for homecoming queens, students cross-dressing at school and pies in the face for administrators - all in the interest of bringing generations of students together.
What high school homecoming pranks are you finally willing to admit? Confess your sins to Cynthia Taggart, “Close to Home,” 608 Northwest Blvd., Suite 200, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814; fax to 765-7149; or call 765-7128.
, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo