Bare this in mind, observers
You may have heard that CNN featured Sun Meadow nudist resort near Worley in a recent story. But did you know that vacationing at nude resorts is the fastest-growing vacation trend in the travel industry? So sez Mary Clare of the Terra Cotta Inn in Palm Springs, Calif., a “clothing optional” place. Mary entered the Huckleberries Online discussion when she noticed that several Merry Hucksters were yucking it up re: the CNN story. (Cabbage Boy, ferXample, offered this rimshot: “speaking of the sagging economy and shrunken retirement accounts …”) Quoth Mary: “Last year we were the only resort that had an increase in sales in Palm Springs. We were up 5.85 percent. And this year business is fantastic, too. I can tell by the comments that no (Berry Picker) has been to a real nudist resort. Just like Marriotts and Hiltons have guests of all ages, so do nice nude hotels. Our guests range from their 20s to 70s.” The No. 1 home state of Terra Cotta’s guests? Washington. Ah, I think I’ll pass.
Paying it forward
For more than 30 years, late Kootenai County 911 dispatcher Alan Broden was the calm voice in the face of chaos, directing patrol officers and emergency responders to their destinations. His retirement on Dec. 1 left a hole in the 911 dispatch center. His unexpected death Feb. 28 left a hole in the lives of his loved ones and friends. Hundreds attended his funeral. A day later, hardship hit the family again when a daughter fell and fractured two bones in her lower leg. Which required surgery and a wheelchair. In an e-mail to Huckleberries Online, Alan’s daughter, Cyndi Broden Holbert, of Pocatello, tells what happened next: “My parents’ house was not equipped for wheelchair access, but thanks to the EMS crew from the Northern Lakes Fire Department (who transported my Dad to the hospital the day he died), and with materials and funds donated by Avista, a wheelchair ramp was built on Sunday (March 22).” By being the person he was, Cyndi concludes, her father “somehow made sure he would take care of us even when he was gone.” That’s what you call “paying it forward.”
Huckleberries
Poet’s Corner: “Begging for alms from/Congress and voters,/henceforward known as/Lieutenant Motors” – The Bard Of Sherman Avenue (“Reduced In Rank”) … And: “When all the bailouts/Have run their course/It might be time/To Get A Horse” – Berry Picker Escapee (“One Horse Power”) … Be There Or Be Square: Charlie Nipp’s friends are staging a light-hearted roast at Cricket’s from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, for those who want to show their appreciation for the ex-LCDC chairman – and are tired of the beating he’s taken at the hands of Duane Hagadone’s newspaper and allied community nags … Seems Farmers Insurance doesn’t have the burden of proof that your average jury might. On Monday, my wife and I each received a letter from Farmers District Manager Gary Louie stating: “Your former Farmers agent Jerry Carlson is no longer with our Companies as of March 26, 2009.” No mention of the federal drug charges that Carlson is facing. Just, seeya … Bumpersnicker (on a dark-green Jeep parked on Spokane Avenue/CdA): “You can’t trust the government. Ask any American Indian” … At Scurvy Jake’s Pirate Blog, the blogmaster offered an open letter “to the guy selling the two snowmobiles on Mullan Avenue in Post Falls.” Quoth: “I think you’d have better luck if you sold them before snowmobile season.” If the winter weather continues much longer this “spring,” the guy might get a few bites yet. And laugh last.
Parting shot
Imagine Liz Arakelian’s surprise as she approached Poplar and Fourth en route to her son’s school recently – and saw a car turning in front of her, pulling a rope. At least Liz thought the car was pulling only a rope. Looking closer, she saw a dead squirrel attached to the other end. “I could see its horrible little teeth and everything,” Liz reported at Huckleberries Online. “It was rather bloody, as well.” At that point, Liz considered the scenarios. Best case? Someone had tied a dead squirrel to the guy’s bumper as some sort of bad joke. The driver, of course, might have tied a dead squirrel to his bumper to shock other drivers. Which he did, if that was his macabre schtick. Worst case? The guy dragged the squirrel to its death and beyond. Frankly, none of the scenarios works for me. Sick.