Sandpoint: a Walking Dog Town

Widespread rain in the morning.  Numerous showers in the afternoon.

 

Sounds like a wet day to me.

No lawnmowing. No weeding.  No biking.  No horseback riding and not even any soccer to keep me entertained inside.

What’s to do?  What’s to do?

Well, I’ve got a plan. 

ArtWalk.

Wear the rain jacket, take the brochure and start getting my passport stamped at the 27 venues around town so it can go in the basket later this season for some drawings.

Debbie’s downtown job with POAC has had a wonderful residual effect on my life. 

I’m rediscovering my hometown cuz it’s fun to head her direction mid-afternoon and maybe have a cup of coffee.

Plus, I’ve got the time, now that the garden is growing and the rainy-day indoor projects around here are pretty much finished.

The other day I went to town to give her some mail for Willie and took Foster with me.

Now that I know he’s not the culprit causing my annual itch, I can spend more time with him in the car.

And, Foster’s always ready to go, which brings me to an aside.

With more time opening up in my daily schedule, I took on a project that’s been on my mind every single time I see Kiwi, prancing around the place with a coffee can in her mouth or lounging on the garage couch as Head Dog.

Kiwi, definitely a beautiful Border Collie even when she’s dirty, has needed some grooming, so yesterday I told her we were going to get started.

First, I did a little snipping of tags which have formed on her back and rear areas. Seeing that Kiwi has a good start for doggie dread locks in some of those places, I told her we were gonna take a break while I went to town to get some de-tangler and some shampoo.

Advice from the Border Collie owner at the Co-Op Country Store (where Joe, the Huckleberry King and longtime Co-Op clerk, was working his last hour ever) had me going out the door with a spray de-tangler, oatmeal shampoo and conditioner of the coconut flavor.

Once home, I filled a bucket with warm water, grabbed a lead rope to tie Kiwi, lest she want to run off, and put all the cleaning items in close proximity to me and Kiwi.

I learned quickly there was no need to tie Kiwi.  After all, when a Border Collie’s got a hose nearby and a horse standing right next to the fence, nothing---not even a bath----is gonna distract a Border Collie from her work.

So, while Kiwi kept track of Lefty and that hose, I lathered her up and rubbed away with a soft sponge.  Kiwi was in doggie Heaven.  The bath only added to her reason for being.  She loved it, even while working.

Later, I used the detangler and loosened up a lot of those dread-lock starts.  I trimmed her excess ear hair and brushed her and continually told her how beautiful she was.

 

When I had finished and put cleaning items away, Kiwi led me to the white pickup and asked to get inside.  I kid you not.  This dog wanted to go for a ride and to show off.  

So, I let her into the pickup along with Kea and a rather disappointed Foster (he was pouting because Mom was spending too much time with another dog).   

I just reminded Foster that Kiwi was Head Dog and had been for much longer than Foster had even been on this earth.

We went over to see Debbie and Barbara and Laurie and Todd and Brooke, who are quite content in their new home.

Todd tried to pull rank on Kiwi, reminding her that this was HIS turf.  But Head Dog is not intimidated.

Anyway, it was a nice trip with a happy dog, just as my little trip around Sandpoint was the other day with Foster.

Foster’s kind of a rock star when he goes to town, and I’ve gotten my story down whenever people ask me if that’s a new pup.

“No, he’s almost 3,” I say.  “He’s a mini.”

That day Foster and I did a loop down First Avenue across the Cedar Street Bridge to the walking path just below the highway and next to Sand Creek.

I still chuckle at those folks who fought the Byway so vehemently and wonder if any of them take time to stroll around and see how beautiful its construction has left Sandpoint.

 

One can hardly hear the traffic up above, and it’s just plain delightful to walk along and admire all the spreading roses and lovely honeysuckle growing on its creekside fill.

The folks who planned this dramatic change to Sandpoint had a wonderful vision and we are so lucky to enjoy it.

Anyway, that’s where the photos were taken.  First Avenue and along Sand Creek.

Sandpoint is truly gorgeous this time of year, and I’m looking forward to spending some time on this rainy day taking in some more indoor beauty----its wide array of art.

I’ll probably leave my lovely dogs at home where they can stay in and out of the rain.

Happy Friday.  

Enjoy the photos.