Sisterhood in the Selle 'hood

There's an evening and morning assortment here.  We can still manage some decent photos in spite of all the smoke in the air.  In fact, the smoke from regional forest fires has greatly enhanced the big moon and sun light shows of the past couple of days. 

My evening assortment, which runs down to the calf wishing someone would put it back in its pasture, unfolded after my sisters and I drove over to Pack River General Store to celebrate National Sisters' Day.

Until about 4:30 yesterday afternoon, we didn't know there was a National Sisters' Day, but it said so with a poster on Facebook, so it must be true, right?

Well, we didn't need much fact checking to use the event as an excuse for another food and foto adventure.  

While dining at a picnic table in the shade outside the store with only one bee bothering us, we enjoyed some short visits with other customers rolling in to grab their Sunday dinner before the 7 p.m. closing time.

One of those was Erin McGovern Roos who lives out here in Selle and is loving it.  Barbara and I both had Erin as a student back in the '90s.  Nowadays, she teaches at Sandpoint High and coaches volleyball.  

We caught up on some family news----Patti, good luck with your surgery.  Erin went on her way with her oldest son who's gonna play in a youth world series baseball game this coming week. 

After a wonderful dinner of lasagna for Laurie and me and burrito for Barbara, we went hunting for photos, figuring the haze was going to present a challenge.  

We didn't go far before turning down a road into a subdivision not far from Northside School. That's where we hit pay dirt, as deer, unaccustomed to car traffic, were moving in the woodsy field north of the road.  (Not far from your old digs, Helen)!

And, that sun peeking through the aspen was something to behold.  We also stood at the intersection watching and recording the sun dipping behind the Selkirk Mountains. 

Later, we drove by the field where the elk have been contentedly munching on oats.  On the other side of the road, we saw one lone calf, which would like someone to put it back into its pasture.  

A motorist came by and reported that the calf had been out since the night before.  He had tried to send it back through the fence, with no success. 

Barbara snapped her share of elk photos with her big lens, not only on Jacobson Road but also in the massive Poelstra hayfield along East Shingle Mill Road.  

In both cases, elk and deer mingle with each other while keeping their bodies fueled up on the rich pickin's.  

In both cases, it's a beautiful sight to photographers but probably not to the farmers trying to salvage their crops. 

Speaking of which, I've had to give up on this year's edition of manure-pile pumpkins. The evening visitors have eaten every last pumpkin.  They finished them off Saturday night when I forgot to cover the pumpkins with Lefty's horse blanket. 

Early this morning I looked out the window to see a nice buck returning to the woods from pumpkin-pile area behind the barn.  I noticed later that most of the plant infrastructure has been chomped off. 

Sorry, next-door neighbor, Bev.  I tried to fill your request for a couple of pumpkins this year.  You're gonna have to go over to Hickey Farms, I guess. 

The big red sun was still casting its spell this morning as it came over the Cabinets, adding some neat lighting to Taylor's cow pasture.  

While I was snapping photos, my neighbor and former student Terry drove by on her way to work at Luther Park.  She stopped and remarked about the phenomenal beauty we've enjoyed from the red orbs that light up our daytime and night-time skies. 

Today marks the last of the hot, hot days, so I think people are celebrating with thoughts of tolerable temps. 

So goes this interesting, memorable summer.  Happy Monday.