Memorial Day Moments 2020

It was a day of remembering and a day for creating memories.

Both are essentials in this gift of life.

After walking around the yard searching for enough flowers (not a lot to choose from this year)  to fill two containers for family graves at the cemeteries.

During my floral project, Bill and Annie were at North 40 where Annie purchased a kayak.

Just as I was leaving, they came home to show off the purchase and then set off for Oden Bay WMA where Annie would take her new boat on its maiden voyage.

There was talk of going to the North Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River with Willie, so we agreed to make our final decision when everyone returned home.

For the past week, Willie and Debbie have been consumed with the multitude of details that go along with putting lives back together after a fire.

So, we figured Willie was ready to replace fire thoughts with fishing thoughts----commonly known as great therapy.

And, so it happened.  Debbie stayed behind to attend to some other details while Bill, Annie, Willie and I headed for the river in two vehicles. 

Bill and Willie have fished the river several times over the past few years, so they know their spots. 

As rain continued to fall, we stopped two or three times before they decided "the bridge" was the best place to hit the river with their fly-fishing gear. 

When we parked, we met a couple of anglers from Spokane who said the drive up the river had been worth it.  In fact, one pulled out his phone, noted that he would keep his social distance, and showed us the nice trout he had caught. 

After Willie, Bill and Annie finished gearing up, the plan was that I would hike around, explore and take pictures while the rest fished the river. 

For a brief time the rain stopped but only briefly. Still, it getting wet didn't seem to matter yesterday because we were outside in a beautiful area and all of us were doing exactly what we wanted to do. 

I managed a couple of short hikes, one of which brought my attention to a memorial alongside the road just past the bridge.  

I tried to research what happened to David M. Miller III twenty years ago but could find nothing.  It's obvious he has not been forgotten. 

Eventually, the rain brought the anglers back to the car where Willie enjoyed his sandwich before leaving us and heading back to the river for some more fishing.

After all, he did have a good-sized "fish on" shortly before he had that same "fish off." 

Twas a lovely outing in this bucolic fisherman's paradise, even with the rain and lots of mud and even a few snakes.  

On our way back out of the drainage, we saw what looks like a soon-to-be Mama Moose, just standing and chewing her cud. 

The family fun could continue off and on this week as Willie wraps up his school year, Annie works remotely from Sandpoint and Debbie heads back to her duties at the Food Bank.  

Even Bill is doing some work for Inland Forest Management, and I'm putting the final touches on a story for Sandpoint Magazine, which will come out late this year, but it will hit the streets, hopefully in June. 

I loved the day yesterday, thinking about loved ones of the past and enjoying my own special beloveds who are all such a blessing. 

Happy Tuesday.  Hope you enjoy the photos. And, look out for that lady in the red kayak.  She'll be paddling local waters this week.