Its been a good day.

The heeler sisters and I got out of town before sunrise this morning, found sage grouse cocks strutting on two leks out of four we checked (but still no hens), and managed to get back before the roads thawed and turned into clay mud.

That's not quite true. There was one spot where we had to plow through a snowdrift, following someone else's tracks. I could feel the tires slip, and knew we were skating on a skim of melted clay on top of ice.

Snowdrifts forced us to turn around at the Continental Divide. Those of you in California, the masked heeler pee'd in your water supply. Those of you on the Mississippi side got a present from the unmasked heeler.

On the way back, that slick stretch was well thawed. So I had a decision to make... follow the slushy, well thawed beaten track through the mud or try to carve my own path and stay out of the puddles. But that risked sliding into the ditch and into some real serious trouble. Since I was kind of cruisin' a little faster than I should have, there wasn't really enough time to mull that decision over. Sometimes the beaten path is the wiser route.

Our part-time semi-adopted foster 3rd son was baptized today. Went really well, and we were surprised to find out we knew some of the other good folks in his life, but didn't know we had him in common. Happens, even in small communities.

After a pleasant breakfast we all attended mass together. Enjoyable, but it was enough to remind me I cannot make a habit of this. (Anybody else out there old enough to remember Hipshot Percussion, and his conversations with his Boss?. I think that's me.) Not to mention I could feel all the Lutheran Deacons in my lineage rolling over in their graves. Did get to hear my wife sing again, and not through the crack in the doors. She enjoyed knowing I was there.

Celebrated the afternoon with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, before it leaves town on Thursday. Was nice to see at least one of the Oscar-nominated films before the awards.

I have a favorite place in the desert, some 94 miles from here (or anywhere), that I love to go. Can usually only make it once a year, and it will be well into May before I can get there this year. It looks exactly like the badlands where Lo kept his treasure cave. Talk about homesick. And now I know I can always move to the Gobi and be happy when this place gets too crowded or is demolished supplying California with all their energy needs.

We did watch most of the Oscars, a first for me. Would agree with most of rip-tv's comments. Wife called Tom Hank's moustache "cheesy", and hopes it's just for a role and not real life.

Best dressed and most gorgeous woman was someone we briefly glimpsed in the audience, with a low-cut gown and either gold beadwork or a thick gold necklace that draped low into her cleavage. Tasteful, almost celtic. (Wife spotted her first.) Best dressed male was the Scot in kilt and full regalia seated behind the Gladiator crowd.

I like Russell Crowe a lot more now, and I'm glad Bob Dylan won. Now if I could just find my LP of his greatest hits that I was given in 1972. (Surely you've seen LPs in a museum, or some where. You know, the black plastic disks like DVDs, only they were dull and you had to turn them over to hear the other half. No?????)

Well, anyway, a good day.