January Sun Fun and a Selfie

 Lots can be accomplished on a January day when the sun is shining and most of the ice has disappeared from main walking areas.  One project yesterday involved brushes and horse hair---dirty, long horse hair on a white horse. Far from clean when it was over, Lily loved her attention and the small bite of grain that followed the grooming session. 

Part of the sunny day included a quick afternoon trip to Sunnyside and the Fish and Game area where we go as a family to swim in the summer.  Trails were icy, but the snow depth was minimal and crunchy enough to walk off trail.  I enjoyed several pretty views of Schweitzer, this one along a side road. 

The lake has been drawn down for the winter by the Army Corps of Engineers, so there's plenty of extra walking room, especially when otherwise mucky ground is frozen.  The view is looking back at Sandpoint. 

Another nice look at Schweitzer where skiers and boarders were likely having a great day on the slopes. 

A string of Selkirks with Schweitzer in the middle and the Seven Sisters in the distance off to the right.  The foreground is usually under water. 

I'd never taken a selfie.  Don't even know what possessed me yesterday, but I was completely alone in that beautiful spot.  Of course, I kept looking all direction to see if any human or four-legged creature was standing behind a tree watching the crazy woman set her camera down, then run to another spot and sit and stare.  It turned out to be an uninterrupted photo shoot, and now I can mark another "to do" off my bucket list:  selfie---check!

I don't know if this wooden creature has ever had its portrait taken, but I will say that it sure did cooperate for me, holding that pose on the driftwood log AND so nice with the mountains in the background.  Again, any intruders would have chuckled as the goofy old lady rolled around in the sand to get this shot. 

One of the views we enjoy on summer days and pretty much reflecting the quiet and peaceful setting that we enjoy when we go for a swim.  We are SO lucky. 

To top off my photography fun, I stopped off at the Sunnyside Public Access launch and shot this photo looking toward Hope and the islands.