Such a welcome sight!
I'm not often a fan of mud puddles, but this morning's were beautiful.
In our area, the red flag warning appears to have a mild outcome.
A few lightning strikes with thunder claps following and two fairly intense downpours.
We have even had a moments of soft rain.
We needed the moisture, and we could use a lot more. Nevertheless, the overnight rain has interrupted what promised to be a long dry stretch.
The air smells fresh this morning and the landscape is a lot cleaner than it's been for weeks.
My phone says the dry stretch will come for the next ten days, but except for two days in the upper 80s, other temperatures are tolerable and maybe even comfortable.
I hope the rest of the red flag area got off as easily as we did.
Yesterday, in an effort to beat the beastly afternoon heat, Bill, the dogs and I spent the afternoon in our gray pickup, enjoying scenery along the Meadow Creek and Moyie River roads.
Our stops were not that pleasant because it was dry and hot, but knowing we could go back to air conditioning and drive on to the next spot made it bearable.
Our stops included the Meadow Creek campground along the Moyie, which was uncharacteristically almost empty.
The dogs seemed to enjoy their walk to the river and sniffing for treasures as we walked the pathways.
We also stopped at the Moyie Crossing near Good Grief. The picnic area features sculptures of various species of trout designed by a Montana blacksmith and meant to mimic fish swimming in the river.
It's a scenic sight not far from the Canadian border, where we have enjoyed family picnics in the past.
As we drove home, we could see some thick clouds of smoke from the Smith Creek fire, which continues to burn after several weeks.
The trip accomplished our mission of staying cool as much as possible while enjoying one of our longtime, favorite areas to visit.
I was especially impressed with the bathroom facility at the Meadow Creek campground. Someone added a touch of funky class with the gnome, the hand sanitizer and air freshener.
It was neat to see elderberries. I used to pick big clumps of them and make jelly.
Have turned a bit lazy about that over the years, cuz it's a messy job with all the tiny stems that tend to get mixed in with the berries.
These young ladies were walking home from a swim in the river.
Since late December, my friend and former student Cindy Wooden has been retired from her job as Vatican Bureau Chief for the Catholic News Service, and she is living in Sandpoint.
Cindy continues to travel whenever possible and is now visiting Ukraine where she has traveled to attend a wedding involving her professional friends and colleagues.
Cindy sent me some photos this morning after experiencing her first full day in Ukraine. After arriving by train from Poland, she is staying in a small village outside of Kyiv.
The photos include memorials to the hometown soldiers lost in the ongoing Ukraine-Russian war.
Also, she says the train stops just over the border to pick up border agents who check passports while the train moves to the next station.
Of course, we who know and love Cindy pray that she remains safe during her visit.
I appreciate and thank her for sharing her photos and observations.
Looking forward to seeing more and posting them during her stay.
Thanks so much, Cindy.
And, Happy Sunday to all.
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