Parks, Montana, landfill and Barney Fife

I recently drove to Steamboat Springs, Colo., for three reasons: 1) to visit my nephew in Jackson, Wyo., on the way; 2) to witness my partner’s son and son-in-law run the Steamboat Springs Marathon, and 3) to rendezvous with my college friend, Glenn, who lives in Denver.  

We cheered the 500 starters of the marathon, on Elk River Road near lovely Hahn’s Peak, 26 miles from downtown Steamboat Springs. As the runners took off, and we had four hours until Tim and Jake crossed the finish line, Glenn said, "Would you like to check out a couple of state parks?”

Of course.  

There are 42 state parks in Colorado and, several years ago, Glenn completed his goal of visiting them all. So we did a quick tour of nearby Steamboat Lake State Park and Pearl Lake State Park. At Steamboat Lake State Park we enjoyed the information-rich visitors center; at Pearl Lake State Park a scuba diver told us about recovering an ice auger and, via Facebook, getting it back to the delighted owner. Unlike Idaho, most of the state parks in Colorado are centered around reservoirs. 

We cheered Tim and Jake at the finish and then added Stagecoach State Park, about 20 miles from Steamboat Springs. The visitors center proudly touts that the impressive dam, which created the reservoir, was built in only 37 days in 1997.  

So, naturally, I checked on Idaho’s state parks. I did not know that we have 27. While I have great appreciation for the incredible diversity and beauty Idaho’s public lands offer, and am a frequent visitor to Idaho’s mountains, rivers and lakes, I am a bit chagrinned so say I have only been to 10 of Idaho’s state parks. I intend to do something about that!

Montana's Buckle Up Program

As I drove east on I-90 and south on I-15, billboards asked "What's Your One Reason?" The overarching theme of Montana’s “Buckle Up” promotion shifts the focus away from the legal penalty — which is notoriously low in Montana with only a $20 fine — and places it entirely on human connection and family. 

Some of the reasons suggested for buckling up include: graduation, a wedding, an anniversary, a birthday, a new baby, that trip you’ve been looking forward to or simply “so we can see you again.” 

I’m glad to say I always buckle up. Montana’s website indicates that the target for this emotional appeal is people in the two groups that are least likely to buckle up: the 15-25 age group and pickup truck drivers.

Kootenai County Landfill

I love going to our landfill! Some of the reasons include:

It means I’m getting something done. 

The employees are an excellent example of HIGH QUALITY SERVICE. I know that I will be greeted warmly at the weigh-in. There will be multiple people around if I have questions, and If I put something in the wrong place, which I’ve done, it will be kindly explained to me where it should go. 

And finally, if Shirley is working at the exit scale, I will be called “Honey” as she thanks me and wishes me a good day.

The Andy Griffith Show

Deputy Barney Fife, played by Don Knotts, is one of my all-time favorite characters on television. In the past year, I’ve watched most, if not all, of the black and white episodes from 1960-65 in which Barney was featured on the show. After Barney left, and the show switched to color, it was sweet but lost the belly laughs related to Barney’s antics. 

Barney is a ridiculous character! He is rubber-faced, has a whiney, high-pitched voice and frequently launches into rants about topics in which he is unqualified to speak.  

Barhey is also a collection of incongruencies. He has spaghetti arms on his 125-pound, round-shouldered physique, yet he maintains a macho self-concept. He views himself as a fearless crime fighter, while Mayberry seldom has a crime more serious than jaywalking. Sheriff Andy Taylor limits him to one bullet that is safely buttoned into Barney’s shirt pocket. Barney imagines that every woman in town dreams of his suave ways while in actuality he is a physical and verbal klutz on the occasional times a woman accompanies him on a picnic or to a movie.

My favorite episode? A team of criminals arrives in Mayberry, presenting themselves as Hollywood filmmakers. Barney is super excited and happily gives them access to the vault in the Mayberry Bank to film scenes for their movie. Sheriff Andy Taylor, however, sees through their charade and stops the heist in process.  

Don Knotts died in 2006 at age 81. Thanks for the laughs!

One Amazing Thing About Our World

The deepest place on Earth is the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean. It's 36,201 feet deep. That's almost 7 miles! The longest river in the world is the River Nile, clocking 4,130 miles in length. Its water resources are shared by 11 different countries, too.

Quote About Life

“Democracy is like a garden. It's not enough to plant it. We have to cultivate it and nurture it if we want it to flourish.” — Liz Oyer 

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David Groth retired in 2016 after 37 years in elementary education. His last 17 years, the favorite part of his career, were spent teaching fifth grade and juggling at Sorensen Magnet School of the Arts and Humanities. He has lived in Coeur d’Alene since 1982 and has always appreciated the people, the geography, the climate, the rivers and lakes, and the simple things that make days special.