Saturday Slightly Pretty

 

It was a really big deal for me to drive to Spokane yesterday. 

First, I would be picking up Annie at the airport. 

Secondly, I would experience several hours of relative bliss, driving out of the snow into the true beginnings of spring with bare ground everywhere. 

It didn't take too many miles for that to happen, but I do distinctly remember turning on to Boeckel Road on the Rathdrum Prairie and marveling at the scene with no snow. 

The closer I got to Spokane, the more green grass I saw.

I also wore street shoes for the entire trip, bringing along boots without Yak Trax, just in case.

At the airport, I parked and quickly left the car to walk as many steps as possible on dry ground in those street shoes. 

It was divine, even walking the hallways of the terminal, where I noticed big changes in the Alaska section with the check-in lines blocked off with glass and metal frames.  

The place doesn't offer the best people watching anymore. 

Annie came on time.  We wasted no time getting back to the car, and she soon plugged in a geocache to find on the way home. 

This one was in Post Falls at Treaty Rock.

Twice, on trips home from the airport, Annie has found geocaches at places in Post Falls I've never seen before. 

Last time we did the falls park.  This time, it was just about dusk when we pulled into the small park honoring Treaty Rock. 

I never knew until yesterday why the east-west road in Coeur d'Alene is called Seltice Way. 

Geocaching does open our minds to history more often than not. 

While Annie searched for her cache, I walked some more and took a few pictures, thinking that usually this would be no big deal.  

That dry ground and the beginnings of green in the ground cover was a huge deal to me. 

Amazing how we take such opportunities for granted until we live without them for a few months. 

I warned Annie that when we arrived at the Lovestead and got out of the car, it would be slick.

Happily, my warning did not come true.  The ground was frozen near the entrance but not with a polished, super slick surface we've seen the past few days. 

Mission completed for me:  street shoes worn from the time I left the house until I returned.  

No big deal usually but nice yesterday.

We've been blessed with a few gorgeous days ahead, which is especially nice for Annie's visit. 

And, we won't take them for granted.  It will be a while before street shoes are the norm around this place, but at least with the pretty days we'll see progress in the snow melt. 

Breaking News:  just heard we're piling in the car a little later and going toward Canada to find a geocache.  No street shoes but another nice getaway with family, no less.

Life IS getting better. 

Happy Saturday.