Album: A FAIR and Fun Day

 

It's Bonner County Fair week. 

The fair officially begins tomorrow, but a visit yesterday revealed that preliminary activities are in full swing, especially judging of items and booths in the main exhibit building. 

There was not one animal to be seen yesterday.  I learned that element of the fair would be very different an hour after I planned to leave. 

Fat steers, chickens, goats and whatever other animals were due to start rolling in around 4. 

Having another errand to do, I chose not to wait. 

My next stop at Miller's Country Store led to a nice visit with former Idaho Rep. Mark Sauter, his wife and her brother.  As they enjoyed ice cream cones, we talked about politics.  I enjoyed meeting Jane Sauter (not to be confused with the candidate) and learned that she is a retired educator who taught middle school and high school students as well as Boise State students learning to be teachers. 

It was a fun time. 

Bill and Annie were fishing at Pack River and we planned a trip to Ice House Pizza for dinner, so I headed home and brought up the horses. 

Yesterday was a horse day here at the place as Leslie and Faith and the boys came over with two of their three horses to work in the round pen.  I think Faith may also spend some time riding the trails around our woods. 

The Ice House experience was delightful as ever.  I took along a lactaid pill so I could enjoy some pizza.  While sitting on the upper deck, we all enjoyed the mesmerizing view of beautiful Lake Pend Oreille. 

We also met and visited with the folks at the table next to us. 

When the word "geocaching" was mentioned and we had learned that the family has geocached, Annie handed over one of her geocaching lackey medals to a very thrilled young man. 

After they left another family took their place.  This one lives just down Selle Road from us, so that was fun. 

Overall, another great day as the summer of 2026 continues to wind down.  

Annie leaves today to drive back to Seattle, and Bill and I might attend the herding exhibition at the fair tonight.  

Lots of fun stuff happening during this FAIR week.  

Happy Tuesday. 

I've known this pair for a LONG time through horses, kids and dogs with Gail and the old neighborhood with Karen. 

Gail's definitely a Bonner County Fair staple. 

Former Idaho Rep. Mark Sauter, his wife Jane and her brother from Meridian. 

Faith is working Johnny while her brothers Luke and Zane watch. 

While we're looking at horses, a blast from the past in today's Bonner County Daily Bee:  

A couple of photographers judging photography:  Amy Peterson and Lisa Ailport. 

The fair theme this year centers around America's 250th birthday and Bonner County fair descendants.  

Barb Crumb, a retired English teacher from Sandpoint High, was working with this young judge who's grandmother Susan Bristow worked and competed in the fair flower department for decades.  

Susan passed away this year, so it was neat to see her granddaughter stepping into her shoes. 

As always, the pizza at the Ice House was great, and so far, especially after I took my lactaid pill and then picked out the peppers, my pizza has not started any arguments with my gut. Fingers crossed. 

It's always nice to occasionally eat stuff that has some different flavors. 

There's a blackberry bush across from the Hope Hotel which is loaded with beautiful berries. 

The beautiful Hope Hotel, home to B's Beacon Restaurant, has been adorned with some extra elegance this summer. 

Barb Crumb and Sandy Ross at work in the flower department at the fair. Both are former local educators. 

He's an "outlaw" to our family.  

His sister Mary is married to my brother Mike.

Jim and the other tractor folks have an amazing exhibit at this year's fair. 

Tough job judging cookies, but someone's gotta do it. 

Dirty Days and Pretty Lights

 

The days are getting shorter.  

Early mornings with the dogs' first trip outside have returned to flashlight times. 

I'm actually kinda glad to be carrying a flashlight because it allows me to see beady eyes if they happen to be anywhere in the hay field.  

Whether or not I see beady eyes, Bridie barks. 

While I'm looking for those eyes with the flashlight, Bridie's nostrils are at work.

She knows when some creature has crossed her turf, and the minute she picks up a scent, the barking begins. 

I try to tell her there's nothing out there, and, with the flashlight, I can be sure. 

The flashlight has become a necessary morning accessory for dog duty and will continue to be for the months ahead. 

Meanwhile, I discovered last night that shorter days do have an advantage, at least for now. 

As an early-to-bed and early-to-riser, I am now getting the benefit of enjoying the solar-induced lights around our yard. 

It gets dark earlier--nowadays before my usual bedtime.  

For a while, until days get really short and there's not enough sunlight to give those lights a full dose of solar power, I may have to sit out on the deck in the evenings and enjoy all the bright and colorful spots around the yard. 

Darkness has its disadvantages, but during this seasonal transition, the view around the yard just after dark, especially the flower sculpture above, is pretty neat.  

In addition to using a flashlight for the morning walks, I've been putting the sprinkler to work much more often these past few days. 

I can't remember a year when the landscape on our place was as dirty and dry as it has become this year. 

We have piles of fine dirt all around the place, thanks to the work of gophers and other underground vermin. 

They've been at work in the garden, along the mowed right-of-way, in the front yard and throughout the hay field. 

Grass is drying up quickly, and what was a pretty lawn a few weeks ago is dusty, dirty and dry and often covered with dead leaves. 

Our barnyard is especially bad.  When they roll, the horses have worked up numerous spots with dust at least two-three inches deep. 

Their noses are dirty every morning from nibbling away at the ground while waiting to go to pasture. 

With all that in mind, throughout each day, I've moved the sprinkler to strategic spots to combat the driest of the dry and to provide a little moisture inside the barnyard for the horses' hooves, and, of course, their cleanliness.  

After looking at weather forecast this morning, I saw no sign of rain in the next ten days. 

So, it looks like dirty days ahead. 

Thank goodness for sprinklers.

 

I think he's kinda cute. 

He's been named the World's Ugliest Dog. 

His owner won $5,000, and I have a feeling Jinny Lu has won a few hearts. 

He's a rescue dog. 

My roses are enjoying a resurgence with most of them popping out a host of new blooms. 

The cooler weather has also helped revive many of the flowers around the place.

So, I guess we're into the grand finale of the floral color show for the summer of 2026. 

Disclaimer:  the sunrise below was yesterday's. Today's tried to get off to a beautiful start but then fizzled. 

Sunrise has come and this Monday has begun. 

Have a great day. 

One Fine Day

 

The fish were biting. 

The sun was shining. 

People were on the move yesterday, including Bill, Annie and I. 

After spending some time with Lenny who came out to see what was causing our TV satellite problems, we loaded up and headed for Grouse Creek. 

Lenny did some testing and tinkering and concluded that we need to remove a tree which is affecting our satellite TV reception. 

******

Our afternoon menu of activities included geocaching along with some fishing. 

Annie found a geocache, and, with help from her dad, she planted another cache. 

The fishing afterward kept announcements of "fish on!) flying. 

Bill and Annie caught more than a dozen little ones and some bigger trout with their fly rods. 

I took pictures. 

Later, we stopped at Samuels Store, had a bite to eat and walked around the beautiful and classy concert venue where people were enjoying a relaxing but fun-filled Saturday evening.

The place is amazing with its stage backdrop including Walsh Lake and some Selkirk Mountains.  The folks who had this vision and followed it through have much to be proud of.  

I enjoyed visiting with family members associated with the Samuels Store, restaurant and concert venue. Their excitement with the success of their concert season is very apparent.

All in all, it was a lovely day filled with outdoor adventures and some neat and memorable experiences. 

Enjoy the photos AND Happy Sunday.  

Manager Jered Heigis told me there would be at least two more Saturday night concerts at the Samuels Store/Blue Heron Restaurant. 

Good food.

  

Great view.

  

Beautifully designed venue.  

Good music.

Fantastic and fun place to be.  

Bill visiting with Mose Dunkel, a local logger and part of the Samuels Store family. 

Jered, Samuels Store/Blue Heron manager and his sister Arla.  

Bubbly and happy Dannette was one of my students at Sandpoint High School back in the 1980s.  

We enjoyed seeing each other for the first time in a few decades. 

Dad and daughter plotting a geocache planting.