Fun Fotographing

Three sisters, five cameras and one blue heeler named Pita experienced a busy, beautiful day yesterday.  

The photos above were taken at Kootenai Falls, including a family at the swinging bridge.  Vestie McCormick from Dallas is part of that family, and he asked me to make sure he got the photo somehow.  

So, Vestie, enjoy!  It's all yours. Nice to meet you and your family.

My sister Barbara is a member of a Flickr photography group which presents specific but general photographic challenges.

This week's assignment involved taking candid photos of strangers engaged in activities.  Once photos were taken, the activity needed to be connected with a movie. 

"Deliverance," "Wild Hogs," "On Golden Pond" and well-known flick titles came into the discussion as we drove north toward Bonners and then on to Montana. 

I have no idea how many pictures got snapped during the trip, but I do know that we had a blast----at Yaak Falls, for instance, where we met motorcycle riders on a scavenger hunt ride from Missoula.

They had two days to travel anywhere in Montana, taking pictures at certain stops and bringing back information.  Tonight they return with their findings to the Harley Davidson dealership in Missoula.

We watched an old Yaakster roll a cigarette while talking with two beer-drinking locals outside the town store.  

We visited several campgrounds along the way, we spent more than an hour at Kootenai Falls near Libby, and probably the highlight of the day was driving past a beautiful black mother bear with her twin cubs on HWY 200.

Mom was standing upright, probably checking out the highway traffic before crossing to the other side, which, ironically, happened to be the place where visitors could go see bears in pens.

A car coming from the other way had to slow down almost to a stop to miss the cubs as they ran across the highway following their mother. 

Laurie was able to get a few quick shots of the crossing, but by the time we turned around, the trio had disappeared into the woods behind the bear shop. 

It was a gorgeous day for seeing the country, and there were ample examples for Barbara to photograph as she completed this week's assignment.

We're certainly hoping for more similar adventures as she embarks on future challenges.  

A fun day indeed.

Bill came rolling in about 1:20 this morning from his day on the St. Joe River.  I awakened about 1 a.m. to realize the TV was still going and no Bill.

He's up this morning, and I told him we were about 15 minutes from my calling the sheriff.  It was good to hear the car come in the driveway, cuz he stays out late on fishing trips but never quite that late.

He said the fishing was fantastic. 

Again, a great day for all of us.

Saturday Slight

Had the time of my life once again at a class reunion last night.

After attending a gala at The Bridge with my family, I drove to Pend Oreille Winery and visited for an hour or so with these two former students and an additional cast of dozens from the Sandpoint High School Class of 1981.

That would be Rob Noort, ASB president from that year, and Keith Morris, renowned author and professor, now at Clemson University.

These days, Rob is in to massage therapy these days after several years at Spokane's Mountain Gear.  

I knew it was Rob when someone came up from behind and uttered "Love Butt." 

That was the name of his 4-H pig one year at the Bonner County Fair, and he even handed over the stall name placard to me as a gift after  his "Love But" went off to . . . . 

Yes, Rob left off the second "T" on the placard, but that was okay.  Rob was always funny, gregarious and upbeat.  Still is, in fact.

I had a chance to meet Keith's wife last night; they're celebrating their wedding anniversary here as well as the class reunion.

The problem with such events is that the visiting with each individual has to be so brief.  Even so, it was quality time, for sure and a wonderful gathering.

I still have some more reunion visits in store this weekend and plan to spend a little time at a barn in Sagle this evening where the Class of 1971 is gathering.  

I'm just wondering if Pat Gunter will have his motorcycle revved up.  

~~~~~

Bill has gone to the St. Joe River on a float and fishing trip with his friend Chris.  He headed out around 5 a.m., with plans to meet Chris in Calder.  

I have a feeling he'll come back pretty sun-baked but satisfied with a day's worth of adventure on the river. 

~~~~~

Here at the Lovestead another round of raspberries, peas and beans are ready for the picking, so I'll spend part of the day at the harvest. So far, so good on the garden yield.  Just keeps a person busy keeping up with it all when so many items ripen at the same time.

No complaints, though. 

~~~~

The weather is nice enough and the forecast consistent enough that I went to town and bought fly masks for the horses yesterday. 

No complaints from them either.  They stook perfectly still in the pasture as I slipped the masks over their ears and faces.  

So, they look funny, but they'll enjoy life without those pesky critters constantly attacking their eyes. 

~~~~~

Lots of stuff on the agenda so I'd better get on with the day.

May you have a wonderful Saturday on this last weekend in July.

OMG, August?  

Where has the summer gone?

Lovestead moments

Our neighbors Angela and her daughter Jenay

Angela called it "lovely." 

What's not to love about a scene like this:  a pleasant summer evening, a mom and daughter out for a ride, tall grass, magnificent forests, manicured trails!

I was picking blueberries in the front yard last evening---the sixth of my picking segments throughout the day (service berries, strawberries, raspberries, peas and green beans).

The sound of clip clops echoed through the early evening air.  

Somebody's coming down the road on horses, I thought.  Think I'll hang around and see who it is.

As the clip clops got louder and closer, Lily whinnied, then one of Gary Finney's Percherons in the field north of us.

Horses know and respond when other horses are coming into their territory.

Rather than just standing at the blueberry patch and waiting, I walked over to the road and recognized Angela and Jenay who live over on North Kootenai Road.

Trotting alongside their horses was Mike, their Border Collie named for a local horse shoer.

I greeted them, as did Annie Dog who immediately shows up any time I visit with anyone coming down the road. 

Fortunate for Annie, the only vehicle coming by at the time was Jim Taylor on his tractor, heading home from a hayfield up north.

Angela, Jenay and Mike moved on into the driveway.  

We talked nice places around the area to ride and agreed we like the logging road trails over the narrow up-and-down pathways. 

Then, it dawned on me.  

We have a nice little riding area in the woods.  Bill just trimmed the grass along the trails this past weekend with the brush hog.  

So, I led them to the lawn area and sent them on into the woods.  It's a short ride--maybe 15-20 minutes but a beautiful one through Bill's forest.  

They enjoyed themselves, and I thoroughly enjoyed clicking a few photos with the evening back light. 

Moments like this on the Lovestead totally fit the famous Mastercard commercial:  priceless. 

And, then there's our bird feeder, squirrel feeder, turkey feeder.  

We never quite know what to expect when we look out the windows. 

This morning a little pine squirrel hopped its way over to the feeder.  

Yesterday the resident turkey herd spent some time grabbing sunflower seeds before falling into step and heading back into the woods.

Yes, these days offer many priceless moments at the Lovestead, and I still pinch myself. 

Thursday mutterings

I have slow computers this morning.  Pictures are downloading on my desktop for the second time, thanks to operator error.  So, I moved over to this laptop, which seems to have its share of Thursday morning glitches too.

Sometimes I seriously wonder why I go through all these hoops to get the morning blog out.  Every time, though,  I persevere.  When each posting is finally completed, through whatever obstacles choose to strike, the frustration is forgotten.

A busy day lies ahead, and memories of a fun but busy yesterday persist.

My former student Chad and his entire family---mom, dad, wife, daughter, brother and his family visited yesterday.  The goal:  for little ones to ride Lily.  When it was all over, six family members had ridden Lily, and I'm thinking a good time was had by all. 

Lily's patience was supreme as little folks and big folks climbed aboard.  And, as we made the rounds, smiles abounded while cameras clicked.

The weather had opened up to a beautiful, comfortable, slightly breezy day, and a feeling of supreme summer relaxation in beautiful North Idaho dominated the visit.

Some of Chad's family also climbed aboard the 4-wheeler and drove through the woods toward the Lodgepole tree where newcomers joined the Lodgepole Society. 

As they were leaving, I told them confidently that there would be more horses to ride when they returned for vacations in future years.  We bid adieu, and I walked into the house to hear the telephone ringing.

It was my sister who asked me if I'd checked my Facebook in the past few minutes. 

"No," I said. "Is there something bad on there?"  Hacking occurs on a daily basis on Facebook, and suggestions of dirty videos may appear on anyone's wall at any time.  So, that's what I though she meant.

"There's a picture of Melissa, posted a few minutes ago,  with a title about being bunged up by a horse," my sister said, "and it was sent in from an ER."

The confidence about my horses that I had enjoyed just minutes before imploded instantly, as the horrid thought of Heather doing something terrible to Melissa erased any sense of composure.

"She's smiling," Barbara said, trying to reassure me.

That didn't help one bit as the mere mention of ER spawned all kinds of dire images. 

I wasted no time calling Melissa's grandmother's house to find out what had happened.  MELISSA answered the phone. Calmly too.

"What happened to you?" I asked.

"Nothing," she said.

"Why's your photo on Facebook from the ER?" I asked.

"Oh, that's my friend," she said.  

In the craziness of it all, Melissa finally figured out why I was a raging maniac at my end while she was simply enjoying a nice day at her grandmother's.  She told me she had even just sent me a note on Facebook, which I had not yet seen.

The note:  You have a nice little trail horse . . . . 

Turns out Melissa's friend went off a horse recently, and Melissa accompanied her to the doctor.  When my sister saw the posting on Melissa's wall, she did not look closely at the photo.

Bottom line:  Heather's been doing just fine.  Melissa has had a lot of fun with her on the trails and pastures at their place.  Heather has figured out how to take the gate off her enclosure and let herself into the pasture.

But that's the worst of any scenarios happening over her way.  Melissa has no injuries, and she seems quite pleased with her progress on Heather.  

Thank God.

I calmed down and returned to my positive thoughts about horses and continued to think about what a nice time it had been while visiting with Chad and his family.  

It was a fun day, thankfully with more good news than bad. I'm hoping today will be the same as I take horses over to my sisters and spend some time visiting with a former student turned professor and successful author.  

Happy Thursday.

A Summer of Glimmers

Yup, we've got gray.  

A few minutes ago Bill came inside and said, "Well, here's that nice weather Tom Sherry promised."  

Yes,  the sun did find a hole within the clouds to give us another glimmer.

This has been the summer of meteorological glimmers, I've decided.  

A few days ago I was praising Tom Sherry, the KREM weather anchor, for his accuracy in predicting that if anyone wanted to go camping this year, plan for the last week of July and the first week of August.

That was Saturday, one of our glimmer days.  Not a cloud in the sky and reasonably warm all day long.  Same went for Sunday.

And, I was in a really good mood cuz I kept looking at all the weather graphics, and most of them showed ten days of nice weather.  Not too hot.  Not too cool.  Just right weather.

Well, so far, it's rained every day this week.  And, I'm betting the campers at Priest Lake have gotten wet.

Last night the KREM weather forecast called for a clear night.  I had lawn to mow, and got started right after dinner.  Halfway through the mowing, I could see a storm rolling over the mountains.  

So, I put the lawnmower in to high gear and managed to finish off that patch.

A few minutes later, the skies opened.  The drenching downpour lasted about 20 minutes.  I stood inside the barn and watched a rain-soaked Bill returning from the woods with the wet dogs.  He had been out spraying weeds. 

He sat in the motor home while I sat in the barn watching huge water-loaded drops pelt and then bounce off the aluminum roofs on two sheds across from the barn. 

When the downpour was over, I walked outside the barn, dodging puddles that had formed in the lawn. 

"Well, there goes a spike in the hay prices," I suggested to Bill as he came out of the motor home.

I feel sorry for the farmers who are trying to harvest hay this summer.  They've been working on a wing and a prayer during the glimmers. 

And, sometimes the glimmers don't last long enough to get those huge fields of hay into the barn.  I saw a hay loader truck zipping by a couple of times last night, and I'm betting that person was trying to outrun the rain.  

Harvey, our harvester, says he waits to make sure from weather forecasts that his hundreds of acres' worth of winter feed won't get wet.  So, he waits to cut. 

My sisters said yesterday Harvey may still be harvesting hay when the snow flies.  

Maybe the glimmers of hope that good weather will last for more than two days will come more frequently, and maybe one of these days we'll get three days of sunshine.  Maybe not.

I was telling my cousin Barb yesterday about the gray, gray, wet, wet weather we've endured since March 2010. 

I even surprised myself because my telling of the situation wasn't even in "gripe" mode.  Just a fact of life in this area these days, and our "gripe modes" have lost their luster through overuse.

Barb was empathetic as I told her how we seldom can plan outside events more than a day in advance and that we've been severely short-changed on our ability to enjoy the outdoors. 

I had almost finished with my commentary on our life of weather glimmers when it dawned on me that my cousin was a gracious soul to be so empathetic.

She lives in Phoenix where the blistering heat suffocates any thoughts of enjoying the great outdoors for months.  And, if that isn't enough, a dust storm might even come along as a reminder of who's really in control.

When I thought about what those poor folks must have to do to tolerate the season we so love every year, I changed the subject.

As I wrap up this morning, I still see gray out one window and diffused gray out the other.  The sun is doing its best.

And, that glimmer is enough to sustain us through another period of hope. 

In the meantime, some aspects of summer stay right on schedule.  Turkeys have their young and show up at the Lovestead every July, rain or shine.  I just snapped this photo out the bathroom window and noticed that Lily doesn't seem to mind her entourage of gobblers.

Tuesday Twitterdee . . . .

Well, fingers are crossed.  Melissa hasn't called.  She said she might be calling me as soon as yesterday afternoon.  

I said I would stay away from the phone.

Well, I have do have caller ID, and so far her name has not appeared in the window.

Melissa has agreed to ride Heather for me whenever she can over the next month.  I told her that all Heather needs is some miles.  She concurred that a few wet saddle blankets should do the trick. 

This chapter is the ongoing story of Heather, the horse for sale---or maybe not.

I fluctuate nearly every day on whether or not I really want to part with Heather.  She's done a good job of getting under my skin over the past three years.  I truly love her.

But this is a crucial year for both Heather and Lefty who have had the basics from trainers.  Now,  they need miles under a saddle to avoid being horses that just stand around and eat.

My sister Laurie is helping me out with Lefty.  Melissa is a former riding student/youth horse judge who spent a lot of time around the Tibbs place while growing up.

We all love Melissa and have great confidence in her abilities to do just about anything.  

When she said she'd take Heather for a while, I was ecstatic.  

Yesterday I took Heather to Melissa's place,  by herself in the horse trailer.  She was a little uptight and did scratch her chest somehow on the ride over.  She did not stand calmly when I turned her around to exit the trailer. 

In fact, she exited the trailer before I did.  

"Has she ever seen chickens?" Melissa asked while watching Heather prance circles around me. 

"No," I said.

Chickens were the least of Heather's concerns at that moment.  The resident whinnying horses took center stage.  

They continued to maintain center stage all through the bites to Heather's rump over the electric fence and the subsequent Heather kick-backs, which sent two boards flying.

We fixed fence.  Melissa moved the resident horses further away, and things settled down.  

I'm thankful she has not yet called, telling me to "come and get this horse."  I'll also avoid the phone today.

The week with will tell a lot about Heather's future as a trail horse.  The irony is that if we get good news, Heather may secure her permanent housing here at the Lovestead.

~~~~

Today I'll take Lily and Lefty over to the Tibbs ranch.  Laurie will ride Lefty, and I'll plod around the arena on Lily.  

I've decided to enter the "walk-trot" class at the fair horse show in August.  That's the extent of my speed at horse shows.  Lily never yet has offered to buck at the walk or the jog, so I think I'm safe.

Laurie will be riding her young horse Scout in his first-ever show and in the "walk-trot" class.  It should be fun for both of us.  

~~~~~

I was pleasantly surprised yesterday while thumbing through my Envision magazine from the University of Idaho College of Education. 

There was a photo of Cori Bromley!

Well, she's now known as Cori Mantle-Bromley.  We at Sandpoint High School knew her as Cori Bromley years ago when she taught Spanish on our staff.

Now, we can say we knew her when. . . . 

Cori now serves as Dean of the College of Education.  Pretty neat, if you ask me.  I'm sure she's doing a wonderful job, as I clearly remember her dedication as a high school teacher.

~~~~

In the category of "Damn Deer Eating My Garden," I've never seen the likes of it.  They've had a feast this summer.

When a few random tops started disappearing from my potatoes in the front-yard planter, I didn't stress too much.

Now, the only potatoes of the many patches I've planted around the place yet to survive the overnight onslaughts are located in the manure pile next to the barn. And, the front rows show signs of nightly nibbles.

They've eaten cucumbers right off the vine.  They've massacred my beautiful lettuce----including a major attack the night after I'd promised Ann Gehring a big bag of lovely lettuce.  

She got her lettuce, but I had to do a lot of traveling around the place to find the few unscathed plants that remain. 

What really rankled me during that search was lifting the heavy leaves of the broccoli, which had been hiding the swiss chard, only to find every single chard plant chomped off cleanly at the roots. 

"Deer like chard," Bill announced when I told him of that brazen thievery.  

Over the past few nights, I've run an extension cord and a light out to the bean section of my west garden cuz the creeps have been eating the bean blossoms too.

I don't mind sharing, but this year the deer are winning out. 

I finally took the netting off the strawberry plot, figuring the robins had probably given up on stealing this year's crop.  

In the case of strawberries, one has to decide which is better:  robins eating some or all of the berries or having the berries rot under the netting which allows weeds to grow so high you can't find most of the berries.

After removing the netting, I found several pockets of beautiful berries deep within the thistle patches which have taken over. 

So, I'm guessing those few stickers in my probing fingers will heal quickly with the knowledge that those extra berries which survived the robins will taste mighty good.

Now, I'm wondering just what is happening under the ground to carrots and potatoes.  The field mice and moles haven't shown their cards just yet.  

Fortunately, so far, the nocturnal garden thieves are leaving the tomatoes alone.

~~~~

Guess that's garden babble enough for now.  Happy Tuesday. 

One last note:  Jean, please check your Facebook messages and let me know if you received one from me in the past few days.  Thanks. 

Scenes from Julyamish

We hadn't planned to go to Julyamish. I knew my sisters were going, but when Debbie came home from Seattle Friday night and told me one of her friends from the Shoshone-Paiute Tribe of Nevada would be dancing at the powwow, we wasted no time getting together with Barbara and Laurie.

We all enjoyed every minute spent at the powwow, and we always do. There's something very memerizing about the drum beats, the colorful dancing and the overall scene that pulls people in for a truly moving experience.

We had been at the powwow in Post Falls for a couple of hours before Debbie finally spotted Sequoia, her friend's son. Sequoia directed her to where his mom was sitting. We had a brief visit with Cheryl who was anxious to get back to watch her son dance.

Cheryl had already danced in the grand entry, which we missed, and she wouldn't be dancing again until long after we had to leave. Debbie tells me she's one of the best jingle dancers in the region, so some day we'll make sure to see her in action.

Debbie and Cheryl met through Girl Scouts, and Debbie was instrumental in getting a scout troop started within the tribe while still working in Boise.

I'll post a few more photos from the powwow and suggest to anyone who's never attended on to be sure to add it to your bucket list. Go to one powwow, and it's more than likely you'll find a way to attend another.

Enjoy the photos. 

Saturday Memories

I'll leave it up to the sharp eyes of readers to identify these folks who attended last night's five-class reunion at the Sandpoint Events Center.

The night sped by too quickly as did the visits.

"Kid in a candy store" comes to mind as I think about virtually every step taken on each of three floors at what the SHS grads in this photo all thought of as the "old junior high." 

Ghosts of the past came up in conversation as one attendee did a pretty good rendition of librarian Esther Weaver's famous snear.  That would be an upper lip on twitching upward on one side.

Charlie Stidwell's photo on an easel greeted everyone as they strolled in to the gym.  Afterward, a virtual smorgasboard of faces and in some cases vague familiarity kept the action lively throughout the night.

Thank God for the nametags.  Once identified, though, revelers wasted no time in recollecting moments or happenings from the past associated with each other.

One of the folks in the photo above told me he has a photo of his fifth or sixth birthday party where both of my brothers were present. 

And, of course, I can dig out some photos from my first or second birthday party where his sister was present.

We definitely go back.

It was difficult to have quality visits with everyone, but the exchanges, brief as they were, will stick in my mind for a long time.

Suffering spouses, like my husband Bill who've endured these parties over the decade fared well.  After all, after several decades, you get to know a lot of the members of the reunion casts.

Marilyn, Teri and the gang who put on this reunion have to be smiling this morning about pulling it off and experiencing such a positive turnout and response.

I promised Bill that we would probably drop in, spend a few minutes and duck out by a reasonable time.

We may promise a lot of things in marriage but sometimes those guarantees falter, as did my claim before last night's gathering.

I think we were among the last few out the door except for the organizing crew who were cleaning up. 

Doggies and cats went to bed about 11:30 p.m., two or three hours later than usual, and I collapsed for a short night's sleep a few minutes later.

Yesterday was a full day with the powwow in Post Falls, a quick change of clothes at 6 p.m. and another run to town for the party.

I enjoyed every minute of the day and will remember so many of its images for a long time.  Tomorrow I'll post a few of the scenes from the powwow. 

For today, a few more reunion photos and one more shout out to let folks know that Rick Gehring, my colleague and friend who suffered a massive stroke in early February spent his first night back home at Oden Bay. 

If these steps could talk, they could surely provide stories of epic proportions about all who have used them and passed through those doors.

To say that these two upperclassmates added spice to my high school and college years would be an understatement:  Sally O'Donnell and Karen Nelson O'Donnell from the Class of 1964. 

Mark LaMoreaux and I started first grade together at Lincoln Elementary School.  Mark is a phenomenal photographer and professor at the University of Idaho. Two other of our Lincoln first grade classmates attended:  Arthur "Smokey" Chubb and Larry Copley. 

Saturday Slight

Tom Sherry said months ago to count on the last week of July and first week of August as the best time for camping and outdoor activities.  

I'll pat him on the back for that claim cuz we're coming off several days of rain and gray and greeting a truly beautiful day. 

Summer is scheduled for the next two weeks, so the old saying of making hay while the sun shines is truer than ever this year.  Farmers can finally get back into the fields, and folks looking for a good time outdoors can settle in for the summer fun.

We're taking in two major events today.  This morning Bill is headed off to the woods to cut come wood.  Later, Debbie and I will join Barbara and Laurie on a drive down to Post Falls for the annual Julyamish powwow put on by the Coeur d'Alene Tribe.  

Debbie has a friend through Girl Scouts,  coming up from Southern Idaho who's a member of the Shoshone-Paiutes.  She and her sons will be participating in the dancing contests. 

We'll take pictures and check out the crafts for a few hours and then head back to Sandpoint.  

That's when Bill and I will get together to attend the second event:  a five-year class reunion for classes from 1961-'65.  

I made up my mind this week to attend, thanks to Gary Finney coming into the driveway the other night,  telling me I'd better go.  Up to that point, I hadn't really known how the summer was going to unfold with all the other plans.

The reunion is scheduled for this evening at the old junior high (as my class knew it), now known as the Sandpoint Events Center.  There'll be dancing and, for sure, plenty of yakkedy yak.  I talked to a Class of '64 member yesterday, and she said she sure hopes they supply nametags. 

I agree. 

This will be a new phenomenon for many of us attending, especially because we'll be encountering folks we only read about decades ago in the papers cuz they were far enough ahead of us in age that we never really saw them one on one very often.

So, it's an action-packed day over here but probably not as much as what Annie is taking on this morning.  She's participating in an Oyster Adventure run over in Seattle.  Check out the link:  http://oysterracingseries.com/Seattle.php

Apparently, this wild and crazy and unpredictable event takes the boredom out of a usual 5 or 10 K run.  And, I think you have to like oysters to participate. 

A bright, sunny, somewhat warm day means plants will need watering so I'll head on out and wish everyone a wonderful Saturday.  

We are SO beautiful; let's keep it that way

It's official.  Sandpoint is beautiful.

Unofficially, those of us who've lived here most of our lives have been telling folks that for years.  It took a while for the word to catch on, though, and now the world will know just how beautiful we are. 

This morning's paper tells us that we won a contest, sponsored by big names in the media business---USA Today and Rand McNally.  

Yesterday the word spread quickly on Facebook that---after the judging, which involved visits to several communities throughout the country---Sandpoint is America's most beautiful small town.

What that will bring is now the question.  

Will we,  who love this place as it is and has been,  want all the more to put up the gates?  And, I'm not talking about gates to exclusive developments but gates to city entrances.

I heard that wild thought a few years ago from a Sandpoint High graduate who has moved on to great achievements and to a faraway place clear across the country.  He comes to Sandpoint frequently to get his hometown fix.

On one of those visits,  this former student and I were walking down North Second Street between Main and Cedar, which was dug up at the time.  

During our walk, he expressed a fervant desire that gates be erected at the entrances to the place where he grew up.  He sincerely feared at the time that a population influx would surely  cause the town to lose its charm and its friendly, laid-back appeal. 

To a certain extent, that had already happened in the eyes of long timers.  A walk downtown has changed dramatically from the days when we,  as children, teenagers and young adults, felt like downtown was simply an extension of our homes.  

We left our homes virtually every day to go to town to see our friends, to play at the beach or to drive around and wave at folks we'd known all our lives.  The familiarity we felt downtown in those days was comforting.

Now, on a trip to town,  especially in the summer time,  many of us feel like we're no different from the strangers walking the sidewalks, gazing at the scenes, peeking into display windows and oogling over what our community has to offer. 

Nobody knows our names, it seems, and we don't know the names of most whom we meet along the streets.  The "Hi's" and small talk along downtown sidewalks have faded.

This is a very real phenomenon for locals. I don't know if we'll ever get used to it. 

Nonetheless, we have weathered the storms of change, and we're still very proud to show off this place and to introduce visitors to the people and places that make the community tick.  

Bill and I have just completed one of those experiences with the visit from our Australians.  We loved selecting places we thought they ought to experience.  We also loved introducing them to friends, business owners, family, etc.  

Their take on the town---besides its obvious drop-dead gorgeous surroundings----the people; they're so friendly.  

Our guests spent about three days, mostly on their own, going to places of their choice, and they kept coming back to the Lovestead overcome with the reception they'd received from store clerks everywhere they shopped. 

Of course, the money they spent helped.  Still, they loved the enthusiastic friendliness.

I've seen the video of Sandpoint associated with the contest. It  depicts a small portion of this community's charm and beauty---some nice scenes, for sure.

The added plus for those of us who live here is that the true flavor of what makes Sandpoint a uniquely wonderful place will never appear in promotional videos.

Our community attributes run far beyond a top layer of skin. 

Unlike the perennial---let's get the house cleaned up cuz company's coming---no preparation is needed to show off Sandpoint at its best. And, apparently, the judges selected where they wanted to go during their stay here.

No worries.  Sandpoint is at its best every single day----'cept maybe during those long, gray days of winter and spring.  What makes the town something truly special, in spite of some gray days,  is its scenery and more importantly, its people.

So far, most folks have passed through those mythical gates to experience us and our natural surroundings just as we are.  And, if they've decided to stay a while, they've learned that we don't need to put on airs for our community to be something special. 

Now that we're officially beautiful, we simply need to continue appreciating the natural wonders of the area and to take good care of them.  

I'm sure we'll also continue to extend our everyday ordinary brand of goodwill, generosity, caring for others, zest for life, sense of community pride, down-home friendliness and honesty.  

That's precisely what has and what will maintain Sandpoint as America's most beautiful small town.  And, if we stay on the course we've followed here for generations, maybe we won't need to build those gates.

Thursday This and That

Four of the 67,000 fans who watched the Seattle Sounders take on Manchester United last night:  Annie, Willie, Alicia and Debbie. 

There may not have been a lot of joy in Sounderville as the English team ruled the game with a final score of 7-0.

This picture was posted on Facebook with the news that they had watched Manchester United's big star "Rooney" score a hat trick in last night's match. 

So, I think the excitement of seeing one of the world's biggest, most well-known athletic team made up for the Sounders' loss.

~~~~

While the kids were enjoying their soccer game in Seattle, I saddled up Lily and took her for a pleasant evening ride around the countryside. Took my camera along and snapped some photos of animals enjoying a lovely summer night in the beautiful fields along the road way.

Meanwhile, Bill had driven to Grouse Creek with his fly pole.  Apparently, the water is now low enough that he's having some luck in the fish pools along the creek. 

~~~~

I saw a comment on Facebook posted by a former student who was asking his mom to save him from the heat.  He works in Washington, D.C., and he said the heat index there today is 115 degrees.

There's no complaining here in North Idaho as we're enjoying very liveable temps in the low 70s.  Maybe we'll get off easy this year without sweltering, and that will be perfectly fine with me.

I'm sure the unsettled weather has been playing havoc with anyone putting up hay.  Yesterday a young lady told me that a portion of their hay got so wet by recent rains that they offered it to whoever would remove it from their field for a dollar a bale. 

Harvey, who does our hay, told Bill the other day that he is very, very careful before cutting so he can ensure harvesting the hundreds of tons he does each year under dry conditions.  

That means each rain storm puts his schedule that much further behind, but we're not complaining.  Dry, mature hay is always more desirable that moldy hay. 

~~~~

I'll post a few photos from last night's ride and call it good for today.  Since we haven't had rain in the past couple of days, I need to do some watering.

Happy Thursday. 

Taylor's cows in one of their recently harvested hay fields.

Bert Wood's cows in Meserve's pasture.

Two of my three fence munchers waiting for Lily's return:  Lefty and Heather.

A new day

I took the easy way out this morning with my post title.  Since I have no particular focus on what this new day holds, the title works. 

Yes, this is a new day with new, unknown directions.  For months I've looked ahead to one of the major events of the summer:  the Aussie visit.  Virtually everything I've done around here kept that event in mind.

When our new friends headed out the driveway yesterday morning with their little Australian flag fluttering in the breeze off the side of their car, Bill and I walked to the house and agreed that it had been a good visit.  

We were pleased, and it was evident from the good byes that our visitors agreed.

There's always a transitional period after such events, sort of a "where do we go from here?"  In my case, it was getting back to the regular routine---watering, picking up around the house, thinking ahead about what's next, etc.  For Bill, it was heading off to work. 

I noticed as the day unfolded that my usual burst of morning energy began to subside fairly quickly as a bright sunny day turned cloudy, gray, windy and wet.  That change served as a cue for me to just plain sit down and relax.  That R and R lasted about five minutes.  

I did not want to waste the day, so I drove over and visited with my sisters who are having a new covered porch added to their home.  The construction workers were there, and talk freely flowed for about an hour.  

Then, I drove to town, grabbed a much-needed cup of coffee from Miller's Country Store and stopped in to visit my mother.

Mother's birthday---her 90th on Aug. 12---is the next big event of the summer.  So, on the day of Aussie departure for Calgary and eventually on to their homes Down Under, the planning switch flipped pretty quickly.  

Details associated with the birthday celebration will dominate day-to-day summer stuff for the next several weeks.  

In the meantime, the grandpuppies will be showing up pretty soon.  Their mommy and daddy are headed to Seattle this morning, with plans to be part of tonight's raucous crowd cheering on the Sounders as they take on England's Manchester United. 

Todd and Brooke will be with us for the next few days, and I'm hoping both have plans to STAY with us rather than at unknown destinations here in the countryside.  

There's also picking to do.  The raspberries are just coming on.  The cherries are still trying to ripen---albeit more than two weeks late.  Juicy, tasty strawberries still continue to turn bright red deep within their weed-infested jungle.  

I'm thinking I could almost get away without protective netting this year cuz I don't think the robins can see the berries, and those thistles are pretty prickly when my fingers scout out berries to grab. 

The broccoli is heading out, and I need to sprinkle on some powder to send those little green worms elsewhere.  It's beautiful broccoli this year, so we'll be sampling it fairly soon.  

Last night I fixed a sampler of garden peas and new potatoes, topped off with slices of Wood's German sausage----delightful!

Yup, the summer moves on, and who knows what each new day will bring.  There's no set plan except for that daily watering, turning horses out and bringing horses in, mowing lawn and pick, pick, pick those garden goodies.

Love it!  Happy Wednesday. 

Tuesday TwitterdeeG'bye

Lovestead Lodgepole Society goes International once again.  For the second time since we initiated it, the Lodgepole Society has an International flair with the induction last night of Polly, Danni and Joyce from Australia.  They join a forester from Denmark who was inducted a few years ago. 

Soon, our guests will head down the road, bound for Calgary, and the chapter of a phenomenal week for them and for us will end. 

Later . . . .

Just before leaving, Joyce, Danni and Polly posed in front of their Lovestead accommodations:  the new-old motor home.  Of course, they spent a lot of time in the house for showers, eats, etc., but they enjoyed the motor home, parked out behind the barn.  Danni discovered after a couple of nights that our Wi-fi Internet extends to the motor home, which is parked quite a distance from the house.  That meant they could spend time in the evenings catching up on events happening at home in Australia.  Last night they also spent some time looking at the stars in the northern sky.  A full moon for several nights had made it difficult to enjoy the whole show on previous nights.  Dogs, horses, Bill and I have enjoyed them so much, and we all felt a bit emotional saying good byes, but these days even folks from several thousand miles away are as near as a keyboard.  So, that made it easier for this wonderful visit to come to an end.

Aussie rule winding down . . . .

Well, one more day of the Southern Cross flying over the Lovestead.  Then, we'll find a place of honor for the flag given to us by our guests from Kapunda and Adelaide, South Australia.

Last night Bill pulled out his harmonica and played "Waltzing Matilda" for Polly, Joyce and Danni.  Earlier in the evening, I summoned them up to this computer office to listen to one of the most stirring songs I've ever heard.

I used to play "The Band Played 'Waltzing Matilda'" for my English classes when we studied ballads.  Students always sat silently and somberly as theylistened to the lyrics of the musical tale about Australian troops fighting in a blood bath at Gallipoli during World War I.

PLEASE NOTE:  The images in this  particular video show Canadian troops but I'd surmise the message of the song can be considered universal regarding sacrifices made by military personnel around the world and throughout history.

Several versions of the song can be found on Youtube.  I've tried to embed one of my favorites, but if it doesn't work, just google the song title.  If you've never heard it, I guarantee it will have an emotional impact as it did whenever I played it for my students. 

Yesterday our guests spent the afternoon "shopping 'til they dropped" or, maybe more accurately,  until it was time to come home for a barbecue.  

I figured that,  in the five hours they spent away, they certainly would know downtown Sandpoint.

Well, they shopped and shopped but never made it to town----just the Bonner Mall, including time spent at Meyer's Sport Tees, Penneys, Staples and Wal-Mart.  

Again, they came home with sacks filled with items which will soon be bound for Down Under. 

Last night, Debbie, Willie and my sisters joined us for a fun barbecue where Bill donned his new Australian apron to cook up chicken breasts, Woods German sausages and hamburgers.  We all thoroughly enjoyed the evening of storytelling,  laughter and dogs chasing their toys. 

Today, our visitors will be packing and posting:  packing their goodies from Calgary, Sandpoint, Western Pleasure Guest Ranch, the Appaloosa and Nez Perce Museums.  They'll "post" those packages and then pack up their suitcases.

Tomorrow they'll drive back to Calgary and fly out Wednesday, bound for their homes, families and lives Down Under.  

To say this has been an educational, uplifting, fun-filled and meaningful experience is a gross understatement.  Our guests will take back items purchased, but they'll also be armed stories to tell and memories to hold forever.  

And, we here at the Lovestead will smile often, thinking about all the images created when two cultures from thousands of miles away came together to compare differences and to share similarities.  

Once more, this visit serves as a vivid reminder that the inhabitants of the world of ours may have different forms of expression and culture but the basics of what we appreciate about life are pretty much the same. 

Bill and I feel so enriched by this visit with Polly, Joyce and Danni.  We're especially happy that once more the new-old motor home and the Lovestead have provided the basis for another colorful chapter in our lives.

The Australian flag will definitely find a place of honor in our home.

Oh, what a beautiful morning!

A morning walk down South Center Valley Road and a ways down a very quiet Selle Road has reminded me once more to rejoice that we get to live here in this beautiful rural valley.

Annie Dog did not see me walking out the driveway, so the freedom of taking one step after another on a dry dirt-road surface was exhilarating.  I kept looking back to make sure the old gal hadn't eventually sniffed me out. 

Usually, Annie, whom I often refer to as "Stalker Dog" stays close behind me when I'm outside, especially if I step onto the road.  For some reason, Annie thinks she owns the road and cares very little that cars could run her over.

No sign of her, though,  throughout this relaxing stroll in the peaceful, warm and welcome morning sunlight.

There were signs of other critters, though.  Several of Taylor's cows and calves were next to the fence in their pasture.  I spotted a deer slinking through Murray's hayfield over on Selle Road. Chickadees were flittering about in the bushes along the roadside.

I was hoping to see the turkey moms and their babies who have shown up in our woods and near our yard over the past week, but they must have still been snoozing in some tall grass somewhere.

Days like today make me pinch even harder five years later to make sure our life here at the Lovestead is not all a dream.  If so, it's the best dream I've ever had, and it continues to last.

While returning to our driveway from the south, I chuckled at the kangaroo crossing sign given to us by our Aussie guests.  Bill tacked it up yesterday with his tree farm signs.  

Now, we have signs on our place warning visitors of kangaroos, wolves and Border Collie, not necessarily listed in any order of danger. 

Bill also made a flag pole for our large Australian flag, again given by the guests.  He wanted passersby to know that for a brief time the Lovestead is under Aussie rule, so he hung it at the entrance to the driveway.

Last evening I could hear a car rolling to a stop on the other side of the cedar trees near the road.  It stopped and then moved on.  Five minutes later, Bill summoned me to the house.

"You have a phone call, Marianne.  It's Helen Baker," he announced.  

I picked up the phone, then cognizant that the car I'd just watched belonged to Helen, our neighbor.

She said something about nosy neighbors and then asked to what country we were defecting.

Helen keeps track of the neighborhood especially stray dogs and cats, but this was her first concern about a stray flag.  I was happy to assure her that we were staying put----just had visitors from Australia. 

Our trio of visitors spent the day in Moscow and Lewiston, visiting museums and getting more practice at their favorite activity:  shopping.  

Tomorrow will be a busy day for them as they go to "post" a bunch of the stuff, bound for Australia which they've purchased here.  Bill suggested that their stay could very possibly give Idaho's economy a very positive jolt. 

Today they're going to the mall.  So, it could take a barge to get all their stuff home.

We're still having fun and swapping stories about our cultures, families and horses.  Today Polly, Danni and Joyce will probably do a little serious geocaching along with their shopping. 

Guess that's enough for this morning.  With the sun shining brightly, the gardens will definitely need some water.  Happy Sunday

Saturday Slight

Spirea are in full bloom, along with other wildflowers.  Combine that with tall, lush grass, even taller mountains and gorgeous trees, and you've got a sight to behold.

This picturesque setting can be found along the Bull River Highway in Western Montana.  These are the images the Australians will be taking home with them, along with memories of laughter, fun food experiences, horseback rides and cultural highlights of North America.

Today they'll be adding to all that as they travel to Moscow through the Coeur d'Alene Indian Reservation and Palouse farmlands to visit the Appaloosa Museum.

Yesterday's trail ride and visit with the folks at Western Pleasure highlighted a busy day of shopping and dining.

They still have plenty to see and experience, but if the past few days are any indication of their appreciation for this area, I'd say their visit has been more than satisfying.

I didn't take pictures on yesterday's ride, even though I had a camera.  Isaac Schoonover, our guide, was nice enough to let me lead the pack with Lily.  And, since Lily was still a little unsure of exactly how to place her feet on downhill narrow trails, I had no time to pull out a camera.

Nonetheless, I can report a wonderful experience, one especially satisfying to me, as Lily's confidence in her abilities going downhill increased substantially throughout the two-hour ride.

Isaac apologized for picking a trail with so many ups and downs, but we both agreed later, it was a good thing.  Lily gained her confidence through all those tricky segments, and I think she'll be fine from now on.

I love this mare more and more as she continues to mellow and always takes good care of me. She stood quietly by the horse trailer after the ride for more than an hour.  The theatrics at the sight of other horses moving about seem to be diminishing, and I'm seeing and enjoying a much more seasoned horse.

The Aussie's enjoyed the ride also as we rode through beautiful forest land never to be developed because of its inclusion in the Forest Legacy program. Part of our trip took us over old railroad grades designed to haul logs from the back woods during the early 1900s.

At one point we made a turn to avoid getting too close to where Janice and Roley Schoonover were rounding up some wandering cows and calves.

We spent time in the grand lodge at Western Pleasure, and several Western bling souvenirs went out the door, bound eventually for Australia.

At Second Avenue Pizza, the Polly, Joyce and Danni sampled the huge calzones which rival the restaurant's pizza as another North Idaho specialty to write home about.

It was, indeed, a good day, and I'm sure the next few days will be filled with just as much fun and cultural immersion for our visitors.

My lawn is in need of some serious mowing, so that's what I'll be doing today.  Gotta go tend the breakfast bacon.

Happy Saturday.