Spring pedaling

With the lawn getting its first spring manicure and looking lovely, indeed, I actually had some free time last night, so I took advantage of it to simply enjoy all that lives around me. The dogs and I first set off through the fields toward the woods.

I could even wear my bright-red North Face tenny runners because most of the standing water in the fields has dissipated except for that which runs from swale into the back-fence neighbor's pond. And, there were high spots enough to keep from getting wet toes. As Kiwi found trees where squirrels might lurk and where she could sit at their bases to watch and hope, I kept my eyes fixed on the ground cover, and Annie just ambled to no place in particular.

This is the first year without goats grazing in the woods, so this is a year of discovery for whatever vegetation does normally grow among our ten acres of trees. So far, I've found two volunteer tree seedlings---a white pine and a grand fir. I've also found a section where several small dewberry plants are making their appearance.

This makes me happy because dewberries represent a symbol of my childhood when I'd go off to the woods and the roadside ditches each morning in July with a jar and pick my share of black dewberries and slivers. When there were berries enough, Mother would make a pie. There's nothing better, except maybe dewberry jam. So, I'm hoping the goatless woods and the ditches along South Center Valley Road will yield enough for such treats once again.

After a peaceful walk through the woods, I grabbed my bike and did the Forest Siding loop, which includes Selle Road for about a mile, then a left turn off to Forest Siding, which is near the Spokane International (now UP) railroad tracks. While pedaling down Selle Road, I saw Monique Miller's brand-new miniature Shetland baby. She stopped by on Sunday as I rode Rambo out the driveway and told me the foal had been born that morning.

Next, I pedaled past a pond where two ducks were engaged in an eating fest. I couldn't look at them too long because a car was behind me, and I needed to pay attention for fear of pedaling right off into the pond. I saw very few vehicles during my ride last night, which is a new pleasure after living along Great Northern which had gone from a quiet country road to a main thoroughfare. Selle Road is busy, but that activity falls off once folks get back home from their jobs or other business in town.

The only other vehicle that got my attention was a riding lawnmower with Shelley Marine Neely mowing her grandmother's lawn. The deep green grass put out a strong, sweet aroma which is so telltale of spring's full arrival. Not even my own lawn had smelled so sweet when I'd mowed it the day before. Further down the road, I must have caught a robin snoozing because it suddenly flitted from the ground to a tree branch.

The ride down Forest Siding featured an ample number of deer grazing in their chosen fields. I'd never noticed the rustic and charming old house on the right just before Stockdale's place. In its field I spotted a herd of turkeys and a tom in full-turkey regalia strutting behind what must have been his hen harem.

There's a new development on Forest Siding near the railroad track just past where the road starts running east and west. Lake Country Realty is offering this plot of old farm land, but its entrance road is pretty rocky so I didn't pedal too far before turning around and returning the the main road. Lots of small farms along this route have lots of ponds, and the colorful images reflecting off the sky and mountains were breath-taking during these moments just before dusk.

Back on South Center Valley Road and headed south, I pedaled a couple of pastures and said hello to Jack Filipowski's Hereford cows and their adorable baby calves. They did not return the greeting, but they all gave me a good stare. Further on, I met Bill Carter (SHS 1978) who was at the Outpost Arena to practice drums for the Albeni Drum and Fife Corps. He was walking along the road enjoying the solitude of the evening when I interrupted his reverie.

We talked about the beautiful country areas outside Sandpoint. He told how he had lived in Portland and "about went nuts" cuz he's not a city boy. He's hoping for a job as the city water filter operator, which excited me because that's what my dad did for the City of Sandpoint for 33 years.

Bill says he'd even work at McDonald's if that's what it would take to get to stay here. He never wants to leave. He also told me about a great concert with the drum and fife corps at the Panida this Saturday night and encouraged me to go. An Irish band will be there too, he said. I promised I'd look into tickets and then headed on my way.

An artist or photographer would have been in heaven with the photo or painting possibilities along my bike route last night. I know I was.