Oh, what a beautiful morning!

A morning walk down South Center Valley Road and a ways down a very quiet Selle Road has reminded me once more to rejoice that we get to live here in this beautiful rural valley.

Annie Dog did not see me walking out the driveway, so the freedom of taking one step after another on a dry dirt-road surface was exhilarating.  I kept looking back to make sure the old gal hadn't eventually sniffed me out. 

Usually, Annie, whom I often refer to as "Stalker Dog" stays close behind me when I'm outside, especially if I step onto the road.  For some reason, Annie thinks she owns the road and cares very little that cars could run her over.

No sign of her, though,  throughout this relaxing stroll in the peaceful, warm and welcome morning sunlight.

There were signs of other critters, though.  Several of Taylor's cows and calves were next to the fence in their pasture.  I spotted a deer slinking through Murray's hayfield over on Selle Road. Chickadees were flittering about in the bushes along the roadside.

I was hoping to see the turkey moms and their babies who have shown up in our woods and near our yard over the past week, but they must have still been snoozing in some tall grass somewhere.

Days like today make me pinch even harder five years later to make sure our life here at the Lovestead is not all a dream.  If so, it's the best dream I've ever had, and it continues to last.

While returning to our driveway from the south, I chuckled at the kangaroo crossing sign given to us by our Aussie guests.  Bill tacked it up yesterday with his tree farm signs.  

Now, we have signs on our place warning visitors of kangaroos, wolves and Border Collie, not necessarily listed in any order of danger. 

Bill also made a flag pole for our large Australian flag, again given by the guests.  He wanted passersby to know that for a brief time the Lovestead is under Aussie rule, so he hung it at the entrance to the driveway.

Last evening I could hear a car rolling to a stop on the other side of the cedar trees near the road.  It stopped and then moved on.  Five minutes later, Bill summoned me to the house.

"You have a phone call, Marianne.  It's Helen Baker," he announced.  

I picked up the phone, then cognizant that the car I'd just watched belonged to Helen, our neighbor.

She said something about nosy neighbors and then asked to what country we were defecting.

Helen keeps track of the neighborhood especially stray dogs and cats, but this was her first concern about a stray flag.  I was happy to assure her that we were staying put----just had visitors from Australia. 

Our trio of visitors spent the day in Moscow and Lewiston, visiting museums and getting more practice at their favorite activity:  shopping.  

Tomorrow will be a busy day for them as they go to "post" a bunch of the stuff, bound for Australia which they've purchased here.  Bill suggested that their stay could very possibly give Idaho's economy a very positive jolt. 

Today they're going to the mall.  So, it could take a barge to get all their stuff home.

We're still having fun and swapping stories about our cultures, families and horses.  Today Polly, Danni and Joyce will probably do a little serious geocaching along with their shopping. 

Guess that's enough for this morning.  With the sun shining brightly, the gardens will definitely need some water.  Happy Sunday