All in a Rainy Day

With yesterday's welcome rain and cool-off came the opportunity for pleasant diversions from our normally high-speed routines.   

In a sense, those diversions would be considered somewhat normal in other times, but this year has had us operating slightly outside of our accustomed box. 

So, to follow a fairly laid-back pattern of taking the garbage out, paying monthly bills, cooking up a batch of plum pulp, watching the Mariners lose, spending time with company and going on an after-dinner hike---it turned out to be a pretty fun day. 

We liked those rain showers and wished that they had provided a little more thorough soaking for the pastures, but we won't complain. 

Our company came more for business reasons.  They wanted to look at our new old motor home.  We're back at advertising it again after taking a break. When you want to sell a motor home, it's important to have open slots of time for showing the vehicle to potential buyers, which we have lacked for the past several weeks.  

Even though we have yet to sell the RV, Bill and I have both enjoyed the people we've met who've come out to the Lovestead to take a look.

In yesterday's case, the potential buyers, with their three adorable daughters,  were considering an RV to use on summer camping trips for their family.  

During our motor-home session, we also threw in some enthusiastic horse petting and good conversation about family life, flying and folks we know in common.

I don't know when we'll sell the motor home, but so far, the enjoyment we've reaped from meeting interesting people has been total pleasure.  In fact, the motor home has a history of attracting good folks. 

Maybe we need to keep it!

While the rain occasionally fell outside, a stream of rich red plum juice was filling a metal pan in the kitchen.  I picked my first container of plums in preparation for this year's jelly-making marathon.

Later this morning I'll bathe the canning jars, cook up the jelly and start assembling the annual display of preserves for the kitchen counter.  

Eventually, the jelly/jam jars will all go to the pantry outside, but for some reason there's a certain badge of honor seeing them gradually fill up and decorate the counter space. 

When our company left yesterday, we relaxed and kept a close watch on the Mariners game, which, as usual, looked favorable for Seattle, but the same pattern we've seen all to often emerged, and they lost.  Home teams are lucky, though, cuz their diehard fans continue to watch and hope for better days. 

On another rainy Saturday note,  I've had the Strawberry Mountain hike simmering in my mind. The mountain is northeast of Sandpoint in the Grouse Creek drainage.  

It's visible from several points around our area, and it has been especially prominent and luring during my recent huckleberry adventures in the Rapid Lightning Creek which faces it from the south. 

Yesterday afternoon, once the Mariners had lost and we'd watched the news, I suggested to Bill that we head up Grouse Creek and check out that trail. 

I knew it would be a wet hike and that we surely would not reach Strawberry Mountain, but at least, we could scope it out for another time when we could make the full trip. 

On our way to Grouse Creek, we encountered a sight that seems ubiquitous throughout the countryside these days----turkeys, lots of 'em.  In this case, the troops had formed a turkey wall across North Center Valley Road.  

They also took their time leaving the road, as turkeys tend to do.  

We moved on and parked at the trail head.  Yes, it was wet, but being mentally prepared to be wet helps.  Bill was more than mentally prepared.  He brought along rain pants and boots.  

By the time we reached the creek crossing, I had no need to be careful.  I was already soaked from wet limbs and leaves. 

Once across the creek, we walked on an old logging railroad grade for a ways before Bill decided that it was not the trail.  So, we backtracked and realized we had turned the wrong way.  

Once on the trail, we walked a steep, rocky incline to a bench where a nice, open old road greeted us. 

As we marched through the area, time kept marching too, and with darkness coming earlier each day, we did not want to be going back down that rocky hillside, fording the creek in the darkness.  

It was almost dark when we reached the pickup, but I think we're both determined to return to that trail soon and make the full trip to Strawberry Mountain. I have a feeling it's gonna be a pretty hike. 

When we arrived home, my pants and boots were still pretty wet.  Amazing what that experience will do for a night's sleep.  I slept soundly all night long, which is amazing in itself. 

Yesterday's rainy day definitely turned a-okay.  

Happy Sunday.