Foster's Crossing

If you've never lived in or visited Sandpoint, you won't appreciate that this is another version of Foster's Crossing.

Actually, little Foster has yet to visit the downtown venue.  

If memory serves me correctly, the building housing Foster's Crossing, located next to one of Sandpoint's railway depots,  used to be called Big Pink. 

Seems like there was a guy in there years ago who sold Greek pastries.

Dick and Betsy Foster bought the in the late '70s-early '80s and turned it into a wonderful antique mall, still known as Foster's Crossing.

My mother worked there for years in the upstairs portion called the Country Loft.  In return for selling her cards, she put in eight hours behind the counter once each week.

A favorite story, laced with a tad bit of cynicism, concerned her decision to start taking stuff from the house down there to sell.

Our dad sent along his old magazines and several other items.  Mother picked through stuff around the house and hauled it to the Country Loft.

One day I was visiting her at work when I spotted my first-ever camera, a Kodak Brownie, sitting atop a bunch of stuff in a container.  

I think she had put a price of a couple of dollars on MY camera.

"What's this doing here?" I asked, holding it up for her to see.

My mother appeared dumbfounded and unable to come up with a good answer.    Needless to say, the Brownie never returned to the container at Foster's Crossing.  

Mother never earned a dime off from my camera. 

It remains among my treasured items that probably not destined for an antique shop until after I pass on. 

And, speaking of Foster's Crossing and passing on, our little dog has passed on to some new chapters in his life.

The bridge where he stands was dubbed "Foster's Crossing" in April when he first resisted crossing it. Bill built the bridge a few years ago so we could cross the swale down in the far woods during wet times of the year.

Foster didn't know what to think of the bridge on his first time over it, but from that point on, he has happily leaped onto the structure and raced to the other side.

I snapped this photo last night while walking through the woods.  Later in the evening, Foster made a new transition in his life here at the Lovestead.

He ran free with the big dogs alongside the 4-wheeler to the far woods where Bill was doing some work with his trees.  

I felt a bit uneasy while watching the little guy take off with the troops, but I figured it was an important moment just like the day I took him to morning chores off leash for the first time.

Foster learned the ropes of being in and around the barn and the horses then, and last night, he learned most of the ropes of heading to the woods with Bill and his buddies.

When the group returned about 45 minutes later, Foster's tongue was hanging out, and he couldn't gulp down enough water.

"The other dogs race down there, run the perimeter and take it easy," Bill noted.  "Foster hasn't learned to pace himself yet."  

He did stay with the group, never wandered off, never got in the way of the 4-wheeler.  So, he's graduated on to another height for a mini Aussie. 

Meanwhile, over at Colburn, similar "bridges" were being crossed.  The day before yesterday Barbara took her Red Heeler pup Meggie on a walk to the woods, off leash.

Yesterday both Barbara and Laurie (with Laurie limping along on her crutches) took their Red Heeler sisters to the woods, off leash.

Barbara reported that little Jessie hasn't exactly remembered her name when called but that Meggie did.  

The two little, wiggly girls with their wagging tails learned that shade is a good thing on a walk through the big woods on a hot July day.

So, the pups here at the Lovestead and at Colburn are crossing their respective bridges, and all is well so far.  

Don't know what comes next, but it's sure been fun to watch them through their early puppyhood education phases. 

Barbara has some wonderful photos of "the girls" on her Flickr site at http://www.flickr.com/photos/misstshs/

Check 'em out, and Happy Thursday.