Ma is such a big tease

NORTHERN NEWS
by Maxine Deeter
Folks are still busy, busy, busy with summer activities.  And, it is still hotter than the Fourth of July! 
That holiday recently behind us, it must be time for the 24th of July, aka Pioneer Day, aka “This is It Day!”  The La Sal annual celebration of this holiday will be this Friday, July 14. 
It will be held at the usual place as well – the snowmobile parking lot on the Dark Canyon road.  If you are not sure where that is, just follow the signs to the Dark Canyon road and drive ‘til you see a large crowd of people looking like they are having a good time. 
Everything is scheduled to get underway at 6 p.m. La Sal Standard Time (LSST).  I’m predicting, from past experiences, the LSST will indeed by in force that night. 
So, if you are running a little late, don’t worry, probably everyone else is as well.
The LDS Church will furnish and cook the meat.  Don’t know what that is yet, but I do know that our Branch President likes a good cut of meat on the grill. 
In the past, some of the menfolk have been assigned to cook up those famous La Sal Dutch oven potatoes.  Not so this year. No one has been assigned the spud dishes, as in years past, lots of folks beyond those assigned brought potatoes. 
So, if you are a Dutch oven potato expert, stir up a potfull and bring them along to share. 
You don’t even have to know anyone at the gathering, come along anyway and by night’s end, you’ll have a lot of new friends and so will we.  (Bring containers for leftover too.)
As you can see by some of the small articles here and there in this week’s and last week’s paper, the youth of La Sal are having a busy summer.  The Johnson trio:  Patience, Dakota and Gauge along with their pal Mikhala spent four weeks involved in the local Upward Bound program, concluding with a trip to Phoenix and San Diego.
Tyler Beshoner shipped out this week for the east coast and the 2017 BSA Jamboree.  More on that when he returns, and we do an in-depth interview.   
The same holds true for trumpeter Chance.  He is currently somewhere in Europe on a two week plus band tour.  Both young men were instructed to take lots of picture and notes, so they can present a good report upon their return.
Well, that Ma Nature came tripping through here last week with a big tease.  First there was the sound of thunder in the distance.  We hadn’t heard that sound in a while. 
Next, came the smell!  The smell of rain – another rare tickling of the senses.  She dropped just enough raindrops to wet the surface of the ground, then headed elsewhere. 
Hopefully, this is just the priming of the pump for the monsoon season, which all folks are praying will be here soon.  You can sit and almost see the area’s vegetation burning up.  Don’t make me pull out all the stops and do my naked rain dance!
Now, this next item is the honest to gosh truth – I swear!  No exaggeration. (Do I ever exaggerate?  Don’t answer that.  This time it’s the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.) 
I saw this on the Channel 4 afternoon news a couple of weeks ago.  They had guests touting a program or lecture that evening to be presented by an animal whisper.  You will never believe what animal on which he focuses his whispering. 
Not a horse nor a dog.  No, he is a prairie dog whisperer.  No, really, I kid you not.  This dude claims that p dogs have one of the most extensive languages in the animal kingdom. 
I don’t doubt that, as my spouse swears they tell each other, “Here comes that silver Dodge; you better dodge!”
Well, I guess it takes all kinds to make the world go round.  Just hope he doesn’t try his whispering around here – he could become a casualty. 
I confessed a few months ago that I’m not a critter killer, but I do draw the line at p dogs – I do try to smash them.  I once hit two at once.  My husband wanted to put me in for a medal!  
The old grandpappie p dogs used to whisper about a wild lady in a big, dark grey Cadillac; she’ll go all the way into the bar-ditch to squish a prairie dog. 
Well, you p dogs beware.  Listen to grandpappies warnings.  She’s coming back. 
Yes, the Bs, aka Loris and Jim Blankenagel, will be home next month after nearly two years of serving an LDS mission in Kirtland, OH.  Prairie,   you’ve been forewarned! 
Though I may not be able to squish the life out of most living critters, I am not a “bunny loving, rock licker”!  (You gotta admit that’s hilarious!)