Weekend Wrap

I just read a few more articles in the latest edition of Sandpoint Magazine, which hit the streets late last week.  Lots of interesting stories, as usual. 

While throwing the Chuck-it ball for Liam, I read about dogs in Sandpoint.  For a time, I had the opportunity to write that story but declined, considering all the gardening and yard work that would be put aside while doing the research. 

Fortunately, Billie, the editor, had another writer who happily took on the project, so things turned out well for all of us.  

That meant I could keep working at my garden, and, later, I could enjoy reading the story about "all things dog in the Sandpoint area" while playing with one of my own dogs.

By the way, the cover photo for the new magazine has a nice photo of Kiwi's brother Roper who lives up at Western Pleasure Ranch.  

Seeings that Kiwi got some ink in last year's summer edition, thanks to Bill and his story "Crick Fishin'," it's only right to see her brother get some attention too.  BTW:  Kiwi earned her 15 seconds of fame in the story because usually accompanies Bill on many of his summer "crick fishin'" adventures.  

This morning I also read about a few folks around the area who are serious gardeners, which like the dog stories, provided music to my ears. If only I had the ambition and skill to grow stuff like these folks do. 

Nonetheless, like many amateur gardeners around the area, we've started enjoying the fruits (or vegetables) of all my diggin' in the dirt labor.  

Around our house, we don't talk about how much money has been spent for the garden fence and the dozens of sacks of potting soil. 

We talk more about the soul and the great taste of fresh, baked asparagus and a lovely garden salad with baby spinach and radishes and Walla Walla sweets and all those colors of lettuce.

That's precisely what Bill and I enjoyed Saturday night along with spaghetti and ribs. And, the best part is that there's much more to come.

All that purchased potting soil along with my own self-produced black gold aka manure pile soil has helped my soul quite nicely this spring, as it always does.  And, feeding the soul doesn't cost any calories, so there is definitely profit in personal gardening.

Our weekend also included watching The Preakness and a few Mariners games, but when the rain really started to come in sheets yesterday, we dressed in rain gear and headed out for a drive. 

Bill wanted to see about the road and creek conditions at Boulder Creek, where we like to visit at least once a year.  So, we headed up the Katka east of Bonners Ferry and overlooking the Kootenai River. 

By the time we reached the Katka Road, the rain had stopped and hillsides were brand spanking clean and alive with wildflowers.  So, we stopped for a few moments of picture taking. 

Signs along the way indicated a road closure, but we kept on going.  The closure becomes quite evident at the bridge over a gushing, rushing Boulder Creek, where just up the other side, the wild waters have washed a fairly large stretch of road. 

Boulder Creek is definitely not quite ready for fishing, and anyone who thinks they might want to go to their usual Memorial Weekend camping spot has an unpleasant surprise awaiting them. 

The rain has added that much more water to streams already overloaded.  We could see that dramatically while passing over Pack River on HWY 95 yesterday. 

Fortunately, the rain stopped for our outing, and we were able to enjoy some walking and the solitude of low traffic on the mountain roads. 

Unfortunately for Annie, Paris has not been so generous.  She endured three hours of going through customs at Charles de Gaulle Airport and then heavy traffic, all in the midst of heavy rain.  She's there and safe, though, and she has managed to post a photo of the Eiffel Tower.  

She told me yesterday that the weather is supposed to improve when she travels to the starting point of her Camino Walk.  So, if Paris in the springtime isn't what it's cracked up to be, good times are ahead.   https://adventuregirlannie.com/

This morning I also included a couple of photos of Lily and Lefty, which could lend a suggestion to our present political scene.  We seem to see less and less of the "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" spirit, especially this year.  

Maybe those politicians need to have a horse corral nearby to remind them about cooperation.  

With that, I'll shut up and say, "Happy Monday," and be sure to pick up a copy of Sandpoint Magazine. Good reading for a rainy day.