It's cold here!!...

Well, winter has been with us here in the Inland Northwest for some time now but the temps have really bottomed out the last few days. After a few inches of snow the sky is now clear and the thermometer is dipping to the single digits. Sound like a good time for a fire! so this past weekend Andy and Vic met up at Tim's place to help him get rid of his biggest slash pile left. It took some work but Mikey and Paul got the fire going with the supply of old phone books and junk mail Tim provided. It took a while for it to really get going, but when it did it was a rip roarin' good fire. the pile started out about 8 or 9 feet tall and while it didn't cause the commotion that the Mid-South posse's fire precipitated, it was a hot one none the less.

Tim bought along his Grandma Billy, she is one of the coolest grandmothers I've ever met. We were glad to have her as she provided corroboration on some of Tim's wilder family stories... Mikey is the newest addition to the NorthWest Posse. Another one we've stolen from California. Mikey will be here at High Mountain Ranch when he is not on the road trucking.

New Year's Eve is almost here!!

Since last year's Y2K bash at Priest Lake was so good, we've decided to ring in the 'true' millennium at Tim's High Mountain Ranch. If ya have been thinking about coming to hang out with the NorthWest Posse, this is yer chance. It's an informal gathering, with everyone pitching in for meals and beer and such. While some may prefer New Year's in a major city with huge crowds, there is something special about getting away from the noise to be with friends, old and new, and reflect on the year past and the hopes of the one at our doorstep. If ya want to attend just drop me a note at nwp(at)northwestposse.com and I'll e-mail ya the particulars.

'A day that will live in infamy...'

Pearl Harbor Day, time to remember that there was at least one nation that didn't perceive the US as the super power we held ourselves to be. Now viewed through the filter of Time, the questions that could never be raised before are asked. Did the government know about the attack in time to warn people? Was it used by politicians as a way to push us to commit to the war completely? If so, does it justify the means to the end? In a war lives are lost. But that doesn't mean there aren't needless losses. ( I won't even get into the philosophical ramifications of all losses being needless...). Regardless, many lives were lost and there numerous men and women who acted bravely to save other's lives. Some at the expense of their own. It is a time to remember them and honor them, and leave out the second guessing of motives and political meddling. And maybe time to ponder that being the top gunslinger in the old west always carried with it the burden that others would seek you out, just because you were the 'top dog'. there weren't many gunslingers who 'retired' alive. A somber thought in what is considered the Holiday Season. But appropriate that it falls between a day of giving thanks and a holiday symbolizing peace on earth.

Slow days, and thankful for it.

Things are in a sort of lull here abouts. A calm before the Christmas season really whips up on us. Time to think about what gifts will tell loved ones more than just 'I went to the store for you'. Right now plans are to spend Christmas here in Spokane with Vic and any other friends who find themselves here.

If I gotta be a freak for something...

From Andy....

Anyone who has spent any amount of time with me can tell you that I am a music freak. I mean that in a good way. I love music and listen to just about every style there is. I can't profess a religion, i.e. just Country or just Alternative (Alternative to what?), etc. I just find that so many songs get a hold of me somewhere deep inside my psyche. I'd like to take time when I have some space on this page to let you know about some favorites of mine that you prolly won't hear on any radio station, unless you live in a major city that has very diverse radio play. This week I would like to tell you about a band call Pavement. I couldn't tell you where they hail from, but their last album 'Terror Twilight' (don't be scared by the name, Marilyn Manson they aren't), really is one of my favorites. I would place them somewhere on the spectrum between 'Alternative Country' and 'Alternative Rock'. Not a very good descriptor, I know, but it's hard to place something unique under a label. If you have Napster point it at their song 'Spit on a stranger'. Again, the name belies the song's gentle rhythm and wonderful melody. I thoroughly advocate the use of napster if it gets you exposed to a band you never heard of before. If you like them, maybe some time you will buy one of their discs or a ticket to see them live. I've included a piece of 'Spit on a stranger' here as an Mp3 file for you to check out. If you have a particular song or artist that really turns your crank, let me know who, along with why they connect to you on that level. I plan on featuring some of these musical bits on future pages.

Report from N.F.R.

Our buddy Buck, a saddle maker and buckaroo featured in a news page earlier this year, will return from his trip to Vegas to the National Finals Rodeo. We will post his report and hopeful a few pix here in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.