Changes in downtown Sierra La Sal 

Downtown in our village consists of Ana’s Store, the U.S. Post Office, La Sal Elementary, and the community center, which includes our little library in a closet.

Starting last Saturday, the familiar face at the post office was absent. Friday was the last day at work for Postmaster Naomi Schultz. She has moved on to new adventures but still remains in our community.

For now, the mail will be handled by a not-so-unfamiliar face, Alyssa Wilcox. A job announcement will soon go out advertising the postmaster position. For now, Alyssa will handle things at the post office.

There have been efforts to hire a part-time clerk without any success. Ergo, the postmaster has put in a six-day week but with hours that only equal a part time job. Leaves little time for – oh, say – a life! Hopefully there will be a new postmaster for the La Sal post office soon.

A few months ago, the face at the little local library also changed, with a new librarian and new library hours. Current library times are Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Our little library in a closet may be small by most standards, but it is a full-service facility. Besides the latest books for adults, youth, and children, there are movies on DVD, audio books, and full internet access.

The latest read for the La Sal Literary Guild has arrived. It is The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd. I read the book a couple of years ago, and it is a worthwhile read.

The main characters are a young woman of privilege living on a plantation in the deep south and her slave of the same age.

Sue Monk Kidd is also the author of The Secret Life of Bees which is on my top-ten books list. This current read is good but does not make my list.

While we are speaking of top-ten books, librarian Shannon suggested This Tender Land a couple of weeks ago. Feeling a little under the weather, I was able to devour the book of over 400 pages in just a couple of days.

This one did make my list. It’s a Huck-Finn, Grapes-of-Wrath, coming-of-age book. I highly recommend it.

My spouse does not have time to read (horrors, is there such a thing?). We listen to audio books when we travel, so I thought I’d just download this one from the state library system and we could listen to it.

Evidently it is a very popular book as I was number 68 in line to check it out! I guess we are lucky to have a hard copy at the La Sal Library.

La Sal has long been sheep country. The woolies aren’t always here, but on and off there have been herds or bands of sheep. That is again the case.

Ana of La Sal Store fame and her hubby Hal recently purchased 300 bred ewes. They have been lambing hot and heavy. Several locals have volunteered to help with the process of birthing. No previous experience necessary.

If you drive down to the Rio Algom Road, you’ll see lots of little white fuzzballs with big ears hopping around the field. Cute.

Did you get your first sunburn of the season last weekend? It was certainly prime conditions for it. For me, I remembered my sunscreen as we Easter egg hunted with the grand- and great-grandkids.

Well, I remembered this time at least. But, it was so wonderful to complain about it being too hot after the long months of winter and complaining about being cold.

I know that the bad weather isn’t gone forever. It’ll be back – maybe even as you read this. I don’t care what anyone says, we deserved that little taste of spring.

Like one of our local sages says, “Snow on the mountain, rain in the valley. However, we know, there will be wind.”

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