Postcards from Northern Spudland

“Don't you ever let a soul in the world tell you that you can't be exactly who you are.”
                                                            ― Lady Gaga 

A fitting reminder for this first day of a new week.  

For the most part, our lives can be inspiring and more interesting, thanks to people who surround us being exactly who they are and for us to be exactly who we are.

 Thanks, Lady Gaga. Can't wait to see your new movie. 

It's Monday, and twas a fun weekend with lots of comings and goings.   

I especially appreciated an invitation to come and see some new life.

Thanks, Colleen.  That's a handsome little first baby of your herd for 2019. 

Seeing the new baby also helped me get started with some lovely outings on another beautiful day.  

Thanks to a brisk and nippy breeze, it was a bit cold walking up Colleen and Jack's barn north of us.  That was okay, though.  

An intense January sun helped intensify the visual sense, hence dulling any discomfort from the cold. 

After my walk down our road, I enjoyed some more breeze and even more astounding beauty.  

A trip to Yoke's for groceries was extended, thanks to that dramatic view of the snow-covered Cabinet Mountains.  

Figuring it would be even better around City Beach, I proceeded on into town and pulled into the parking lot at City Dock. 

Magnificence.  That's all I can say.

And, people were enjoying it every way they could.  I saw a couple of fishermen casting into the water on the shoreline by the pump house. 

"Howz fishing?" I yelled down to them.

"Great," one said as they turned around.

"Have you caught anything?" I asked.

"No," he said, and it was an obviously happy "No" as he continued, "We're enjoying doing this just like you're enjoying being out with your camera."

"Yup," I replied. They went back to their fishing while I continued to stroll around looking for some interesting shots. 

I didn't have to look long. A couple came by and stood several feet away, taking their pictures.  Then, they moved on down the jetty. 

My friend Sue (another Sandpoint native and former Cedar Poster) and her son came by as I walked back to the car.  We enjoyed a nice visit.

The sun worked pretty much a full schedule yesterday, which was especially nice for our friend Olivia from Germany who spent the day skiing up at Schweitzer.

She had skied there on another trip but said yesterday's sun added a nice dimension to her day on the hill.

At the risk of sounding a bit redundant in my blog postings, I'll end with a quote from my old friend Ernie, "Aren't we lucky to live somewhere so beautiful?"

Yes, Ernie, we truly are. 

Happy Monday.