The Slice: Ground Marmot set to do his thing

Remember, if the Ground Marmot sees his shadow on Tuesday it means six more weeks of talking about how different this winter has been from the previous one.

Family Phrases Department: “On a trip to the Lochsa River, I told my kids that once we were out of the city they could smell the pine trees,” wrote LuAnn Suryan.

A ways further down the road, a stench started coming in the car. My son took a deep breath and said, ‘Ahhh, pine.’ ”

Actually, it was a skunk.

“Now every time we are going somewhere and we smell a skunk, we say ‘Ahhh, pine.’ ”

Appealing the birth order: “When my youngest daughter was about 12 years old, she was so upset that she couldn’t attend a function with her two older sisters that she put her hands on her hips, stamped her foot and said, ‘I’m NEVER going to be the youngest again!’ ” wrote Mary Shelly.

“That was 40 years ago, and she’s still the youngest.”

Right to remain silent: Chewelah’s Tim Whitley has a daughter who is a college student in Spokane. She told him about seeing the police arrest a young man on an STA bus she was aboard.

“I asked her what he did and she said it seemed inappropriate to ask at the time,” he wrote.

Last weekend in Spokane: “My wife and I went to the ladies figure skating final Saturday,” wrote Brian Hunter. “After watching several of the early competitors skate, and fall, we overheard someone nearby remark, ‘It must be slippery over there, three skaters have fallen there.’

“Made me wonder what part of the ice wasn’t slippery so I can head there when I put on skates again.”

Today’s Slice question: Is there agreement in your household about how often sheets and pillowcases need to be washed?