Weekend Wrap

 

The endless simple gifts of living in the country.  

We get to see sights like these on an early summer morning. 

Another Fourth of July weekend is in the books.  While terrible tragedy has struck in Texas, things were pretty calm around our area.  

That was welcome, especially after last weekend's horrible shooting event near Coeur d'Alene.  North Idaho had enough disturbing national news this past week, so it was nice to experience a sense of relative calm throughout the holiday weekend.

Bill, the dogs and I spent yesterday afternoon enjoying a leisurely drive to the expansive Kootenai Valley and then up the first ten miles of the Myrtle Creek Road west of the valley.  

Lots of folks could be seen enjoying recreational opportunities in the Kootenai Valley and around the Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge yesterday.

 

These ladies were part of a Mennonite church group who were enjoying an afternoon picnic at the Kootenai Wildlife Refuge yesterday. 

This was a pretty scene, but it was Mosquito Heaven where we stopped after ten miles of traveling the Myrtle Creek Road. 

Bill and I have distinctly different levels of tolerance for mosquitoes.  He just lets 'em do their thing while I say bad words and bat them away as much as possible. 

Needless to say, with no spray, we didn't stay long. 

It seemed like an announcement with two conflicting messages:  times are tough and we're trying to save the environment. 

There is toilet paper in the bathroom at the Kootenai Wildlife Refuge but only stocked when someone is in the office.  

In the same restroom enclosure, automatic hand dryers have been installed so that paper towels will not be used.  Another note indicates an effort to cut down the use of paper products in an effort to help the environment.   

Besides the nationwide cutbacks, which will probably affect recreational facilities all around the country, the Wildlife Refuge, northwest of Bonners Ferry, is mostly closed to the public this summer while restoration projects are occurring. 

Some facilities around the office complex, including a picnic area do remain open.

So, as part of our Sunday drive, we spent some time walking along the creek which runs past the picnic area.

  

Forty years ago today, this big beautiful bay Half Arabian gelding named Black Rambo was born at our farm on Great Northern Road. 

His mother was a Quarter Horse mare named Mrs. Black.  His father was my sister Barbara's beautiful red chestnut stallion Sunrise Request. 

Rambo was the first foal I ever owned. He stood 16 hands at maturity, and as a colt he was pretty gangly. The big boy was never fun to work with from the ground, but he was a beautiful horse and looked and felt especially wonderful under saddle. 

In this photo with Barbara aboard, he won a regional reserve championship at an Arabian show in Yakima. 

Rambo eventually lost sight in one eye and then the other.  For about his last two years of life, I still rode him, and his blindness barely made a difference. 

 Rambo died at 22 from an aneurysm. 

He was a wonderful horse whose ending was very violent, traumatic and extremely heart-breaking. 

So, it's nice to remember him today in his youthful beauty.  

The annual pickin' and grinnin' season around the Lovestead has begun.  I picked about two dozen raspberries yesterday.  I'm expecting to be picking both raspberries and blueberries before week's end. 

And, the beans are blossoming along with the cukes.  Small Sungold tomatoes, hanging from the vine, and will probably be ripe  within the next few days. 

It will be nice to be picking goodies rather than just pulling weeds. 

Below:  can anyone tell me what this flower is.  I have especially enjoyed seeing it this year without a thick coating of dust.  

Would love to know what to call it. 

Happy Monday.