There was so much I left out of yesterday through sheer weariness. But I can’t leave out the gang from Burley High School. Burley is about two hours south west of Idaho Falls and grooming the next era of political operatives. As I was walking Calli along the river, two girls came up to me with big smiles and wanted to pet her. One was a rising high school first year, the other a second year. They had Burley Student Council on their matching tee shirts, matching braces, matching blond neat hair. They were adorable, the textbook definition of bubbly, and full of questions. Fun to chat with but even I, rapidly becoming that weird intrusive rambler who chats with everyone, thought they were a bit too friendly for their own good. “Well, nice chatting with you. Have a great student government conference.” And I moved along. Five minutes later and here comes another contingent from Burley. Four of them this time, three girls, one boy. Again! “Can we pet your dog?” Again! Instant chattiness. Lots of people are attracted to the ever-smiling Calliope, but this was something special. Idaho must be not only pristinely gorgeous, but supremely safe. A few minutes into the conversation, the boy revealed, in the mostly charmingly guileless way, that the group at the conference had been instructed to walk along the river and talk to people. Respect my control: I did not burst out laughing. I have now officially contributed to the socialization of the next generation of Idaho leaders.
We went for another walk along the river after dinner (the weather was too perfect not to) and met the usual run of dogs, walkers, cyclists…but the Burley Bunch must have been securely huddled in some conference room, plotting their next conquests.
