Vexacious.

Well, it’s that time of year again:

(Yeah, things are getting a little stinky in the liner department.)

Date night!

Night commute:

First time to this gem:

The 70-mile drive had me down until I realized that would be a stock commute if we had moved to the Front Range.

You say you want another sunny day? Hmmm. Let me see.

Aw, look at the cute little sleeping city.

Well-placed turns:

We found this: Megan figured a wolverine smelled the elk carcass and dug to it – about four feet down.

Second time to this spot:

Early start, early finish:

Does baby’s allowance cover re-trueing for a 29er?

Twilight train spotting; we got a short hoot from one conductor as he passed underneath:

Long shadow on the M:

Yes, the wheels have come off the bus in Ravalli County.

Ah, how to explain the current state of things down the Bitterroot? Let’s try and cut this down to the essentials:

1. Last fall commissioners appointed Valerie Stamey as treasurer ($50,000 a year!). Suzy Foss noted Stamey lacked any experience treasurering but did in fact have a lot of enthusiasm.
2. Most of the remaining deputy treasurers promptly quit.
3. Stamey fell behind. October statements still aren’t out and tax disbursements have not been made in months – meaning everyone from school districts to irrigation boards are short of operating cash.
4. Stamey asked for help, and some commissioners agreed [though Foss – who, remember, first introduced herself to me as “a pissed off grandma” - said, “Things are not a disaster in my opinion.”]. Commissioner Jeff Burrows voted to use vacancy savings to pay for outside help in the office (and whoever gets to fix the county’s balance sheets will get $9.67 an hour), saying that there was no net extra expense to taxpayers. (I don’t remember which tea party platform Burrows ran on, but I’m pretty sure it was not “a penny saved is a penny we can spend later on”). Oh, the meeting where this was discussed? Stamey skipped it.
5. Commissioners learned Stamey used a few different last names, one of which was the subject of a 2010 default judgment in South Carolina which claimed she cashed the same $18,149 check twice after refinancing her home. She’s also apparently been sent to collections for a $312 vet bill.
6. Stamey stopped talking.
7. Commissioners asked what was up.
8. Stamey delivered this:

Actually, she did not deliver it. She read it, then ran from the room. It was Jan Wisniewski (yes, that Jan Wisniewski) who came in later to deliver the paper copy. And yes, it does appeared that Stamey's first name is spelled incorrectly.

Don't ask me.

Perry pretty well summed things up

Once again, this is a problem Suzy Foss could fix pretty easily. I’m pretty sure Stamey, as an appointed official, serves at the pleasure of the board – and is probably still a probationary employee.