"Pretty" along Sagle Roads

"Did you go any place today?"  asked my friend Helen in one of our recent conversations. "You always go somewhere."  Well, that particular day I had stayed home.  

Surprisingly to some, I actually do stay home for most hours of every day, watering, cleaning, walking with dogs, weeding, etc., but I always enjoy brief getaways and even frequent encounters with other humans. 

Yesterday when I talked to Helen, she learned in advance that I was, indeed, going some place in an hour.  

The Suburu has a torque problem (dying occasionally whenever it stops), which means a Suburu maintenance shop has to fix it. Luckily, it's on warranty.  That's the good news.

The bad news is that the closest Suburu service shop is in Coeur d'Alene, and it will take several days for diagnosis, ordering of parts and fixing.  

With its appointment set for today, Bill and I decided to drop the car off at the shop late yesterday afternoon.  

Bill had a meeting with a logger in Athol, so the plan worked out nicely as he drove on to Coeur d'Alene after his meeting.  

On the trip down, I decided to take a few back roads in the Sagle area.  Though my loyalties lie with the Selle Valley, I have to say that Sagle has more than its share of beauty also. 

That's the beauty of North Idaho, especially this time of year when farming is in full force and colorful bushes and roadside legumes and wildflowers are in full bloom. 

I loved my detour from the busy blacktop stretch from Sandpoint to Coeur d'Alene as I do most side road excursions. 

Once we dropped off the car, we decided to grab some dinner at Moon Time in downtown Coeur d'Alene.  I'd been there once before with my friend Florine (Hi, Florine), and it was obvious Bill was familiar with the place as he wasted no time ordering the gumbo.

Bill worked for several years in Coeur d'Alene and became quite familiar with the good places to eat, of which Moon Time is one of them. 

Today, I'm not going anywhere, Helen.  

I'm staying home, mowing my lawn and preparing dinner (homemade quiche with garden spinach and chard, etc.) here at the Lovestead because the "company" season has started, and it's looking like the visits will continue through the rest of July with friends and family coming and going. 

My brother Mike and his wife Mary arrived yesterday from Western Washington, so they'll be over for dinner tonight, along with my sister Laurie and Willie and Debbie. 

Laurie will be watching Arabian Global on the Internet today as Barbara competes in the Regional Arabian trail classes in Nampa.  

Meanwhile, over in Spain, Annie reported less than 100 kilometers from Santiago at the end of her walk yesterday, so with today's session completed, she's that much closer. 

She and her new friend Eva from Germany, with whom she's been walking since Day One, were "adopted" by another group, and, from all indications, they've created quite a bond. 

So, there's definitely a blend of excitement and sadness as the end approaches this weekend.  

Each day the photos Annie posts on her blog become even more impressive, so if you haven't visited, it's definitely worth clicking on the link.  www.adventuregirlannie.com. 

A busy day of "non-galavanting" lies ahead, so I'll bid adieu and adios for this Thursday. 

Have a great day.  Enjoy the photos.