It was a dark and stormy afternoon...

Hauser Lake is a pretty little lake just west of Post Falls. Yesterday as the storm clouds were rolling in, Nancy and I went on a little drive around the lake. She drove while I shot photos. I love the dark sky and the somber feeling a storm brings. It is romantic, and introspective.

This little canal and the north end of the lake seems like a great place to go exploring on a canoe. I have always loved finding little places to closely inspect. It looks a little like a place you might find in the everglades, sans alligators.

The seasons this year certainly have been unusual. It feels like fall already. I am pretty sure this is short-lived, and we will get the rest of our summer, but it is already reminding me that our season is drawing to a close... an unwelcome reminder that our summer will probably be short.

GOOD NEWS: My garden now has soil in it, and I am going to plant some seeds that might actually produce some food this season: collard greens, lettuce, and spinach. I will be looking for some edible flower starts to plant... I should be able to find some pansies and nasturtiums... maybe some flowering kale.

A wild day for NIC

Every January, the NIC Alumni Association puts on the Wild Game Feast as their annual fundraiser. It is a benefit to raise funds for scholarships for students in need to attend North Idaho College. The event is really fun, and includes a silent auction.

This past Wild Game Feast's auction included an item called "A Day on the Lake" donated by Kevin and I and our friends, Allen and Shari. We had the help of their son, Matt, and their nephews, Nick and JJ, and Allen's sister, Kim.

Yesterday was the day we all chose for the dinner, and began with Allen and Kevin picking up a lively group of 8 at the docks in Coeur d'Alene. After a fun little tour of the lake, Shari and I greeted them with hors d'oeuvres and wine. They spent the day relaxing on the decks, playing in the water, jet skiing, and just enjoying the day with each other.

Later in the day, we fed them a delicious seafood boil with crab, clams, shrimp, polka kiebasa, corn, and potatoes that Kevin and Allen made. The wine for the dinner was donated by Coeur d'Alene Cellars.

The day was capped with chocolate brownies and chocolate port.

Everyone had a great time, including us. We all left with the knowledge that our dinner sponsored 1.5 students' scholarships. Good feeling, good fun. Mission accomplished.

One Way (because there is only one-way down)

 

Conor's favorite thing to do this summer is jump off rocks in Post Falls into the Spokane River. His favorite place to do this is what the kids refer to as One Way, just below the dam.

Scotchman's Peak

On June 27, Kevin and several of his family members made the generational trek to the top of Scotchman's Peak, just outside of Clark Fork in Idaho. It all began with Kevin's great, great grandfather Heber Payne who was on the first pack mule train with the supplies to build a fire lookout just after the turn of the century. 

Each generation since has made the climb, and last summer Kevin and his brothers planned out the trip and invited all of the Payne family cousins. Most couldn't go, for one reason or another, but Kevin, Glenn, David and cousin Joe with his son, Nick, made the hike together, and Kevin, Joe, and Nick made it to the very top.

There was still quite a bit of snow, sometimes 12-15 feet, towards the summit. Amazing for the end of June. And other than some rather precarious hanging ice/snow cornices, there was no snow on the rocks at the top. I, obviously, did not take these photos. Joe had the presence of mind to take a camera. The shots from way up there are breathtaking.

Glenn and David made it to about 6000 feet, still quite an accomplishment. Kevin, Joe, and Nick met them about there where they all descended together. I kinda wish I had gone, but I am not losing any sleep over it. Maybe I will go when Melanie, another cousin, is ready to go.

Conor and the squirrel

Last Thursday Conor and I took Charlie to Prichard to visit my in-laws and float the river. This year, the river is higher than normal, so our float was promising at this late time of year. We arrived at lunch time, and Marylou is always ready to feed visitors. 

One of the visitors is a little squirrel they have named Charlie. He is so friendly, he comes and gets his little peanuts right out of their hands. Conor was fascinated with this little guy, and decided to see if he would eat off the shoulder, and then right out of his mouth.

I can't believe I forgot my camera... but fortunately I was able to use Jim's, and have just now gotten the photos.

Our float was awesome! The water was pretty cold, but it was a perfect, hot day for it. Jim dropped us off up river from their place, and we pulled into their beach about 2 hours later.

The boys kept pestering me to get in the water. I wasn't too keen on it because I didn't want to get my hair wet, but when Charlie called me a "pansy," that was enough, and I rolled off the raft into the water. To say it was invigorating is probably an understatement. And my legs got quit cold as I hung onto the side of the raft until we could get in more shallow water so I could boost myself back into the boat.

I think I gained a little respect, however, from those boys which made the jumping in worth it all.

Tri-tip in Margaritaville

Nibblin' on tri-tip

Oh ain't that delish'

Each of the guests have all gotten lei'd

Listening to Buffett

As we find time to get

Drunk on tequila the bartender made

Wasted away again in Margaritaville

Searchin' for my lost shaker of salt

Some people claim that the ole Shute's are to blame

And they're right, its our own damn fault!

Hello backyard!!!!!

Yesterday we bid farewell to the boat. Everyone misses it... our neighbors behind us came over to see what we were doing. They said they liked the boat... it made them feel as if they were at the beach.

But what we gained having the boat gone is tremendous. We were ready when tweedle dum and tweedle dee left with the boat teetering on their homemade trailer. Why did they have a homemade trailer? Because after the Tuesday fiasco, no other company would come and take the boat. We thought we would hear about it on the evening news, but nothing.

Anyway, we were ready, and jumped right into what needed to be done. The transformation began at about 4:30 yesterday afternoon, and we had it all cleaned up with the raised bed garden formed up. This morning we got up, hauled the junk to the dump, and laid down some sod. Man it looks good back there!

I will have my posting for last Thursday when MaryLou and Jim bring me the photos. I forgot my camera when we went to Pritchard, and had to borrow theirs. I guess they couldn't figure out how to email the photos, so I (and you) will just have to wait.

Meanwhile, I have to go prepare for the arrival of Jimmy Buffett, and all our guests. It is going to be a happenin' evening here!

The East meets the West

My nephew, Charlie, is in town. He is discovering how nice it is here without humidity, and how cold our rivers are. He and Conor have been challenging each other every night on the Wii, and today they went to Silverwood where Conor won himself a large remote-control truck that is also a speaker for the iPod. I wonder who thought of that invention. It reminds me of the interesting items for sale in the Sky Mall magazine which I am pretty sure Charlie and I memorized on our trip from Virginia.

It has been an interesting day. The boat is still in the back yard. I hope the guy who is buying it isn't reading this... but after NOT getting it out of the backyard, and destroying our fence in the process, I had to calm Kevin down with the thought that we couldn't have expected him to be that bright... he is taking the boat after all. 

So, our big backyard beach party looks like it will have a boat for the proper ambience once again, unless the brilliant boat man figures out another plan.

Okay... on to happier things. I beat everyone tonight in Yahtzee.

The All-American Family

I say that with my tongue firmly planted in my cheek. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my family... even with the couple of warts we have. But the warts are what make us unique and special. We were missing Ernie, Kevin, Don, Conor and Byron.  

My brother, Charlie and his family drove up from Richmond to spend the day with us. My mom drove down from Philadelphia, too. I couldn't have asked for a better day... I couldn't ask for a better family.

We gathered at my brother Lance's house in Haymarket, Virginia to just hang out. They have quite a large lot with plenty for the kids to do (and get in trouble with). 

I, of course, couldn't resist the photo opps all day.

It was so hot and humid... the pond and rope swing provided a great deal of relief.

Maegan has had so much fun, she is staying for another month. I traded her for my sister' son, Charlie who is heading back to Idaho with me today.

Swimming stars

This morning was early at the pool to watch my brother's kids swim... they all did very well, and their team won! Fun to watch those little ones try to make their way across the pool.

Not feeling too brilliant today, so this will be short. Just wanted to get photos up of Andrew, Brigette, and Olivia... the stars of the day... atleast to me.

Home is where the heart is

This is the very oldest section of Fairfax, Virginia... the town I grew up in and lived in until I moved to Idaho. I have lived in Idaho for almost 30 years, but I still consider this old beautiful city home.

My father was an attorney in Fairfax for my whole life after attending law school at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville where I was born. He was a good lawyer... I know I have mentioned that before.

And my mother painted this courthouse when I was a toddler. Those paintings were cherished by my dad. I believe he requested them in the divorce.

This rock wall is significant to me because it is the first time I can remember any adult paying attention to me as if I mattered. There was a hippie sitting on this wall wearing funky striped bell-bottoms and a tunic. I was sitting in the back seat of my mother's car stopped at the light in front of the courthouse. He was flashing the peace sign in my direction. I was completely taken aback when I realized that he was directing that peace sign towards me. I "peaced" him back, and then promptly got a piece of paper and my mother's lipstick and wrote "peace not war" and placed it in the back window of my mom's station wagon. I am pretty sure that moment shaped a lot of who I am.

My home is in Idaho, of course. And it is an incomparable place to live. But the moment I get off the plane at Dulles airport and the humid air oppressively hits me, and I smell that unique and wonderful smell of Virginia, I know where my heart lies. You just can't take the Virginia out of this girl.

And the winner is...

The best thing about being an aunt is doting on my nieces and nephews.

My sister's kids are on the same swim team that we were on as kids. I can't tell you how fun it was to be there today watching the CCF Penguins and their annual "Lip Sync" event where they competed in full costume singing hilarious songs.

Chloe was awarded an official team towel for swimmer-of-the-week, a coveted award. The coach said "whenever I see her, it brings a smile to my face... and then she rolls her eyes." 

Hugh got a trophy for not merely playing the bit part he was supposed to play (because "bit part" is not in his vocabulary). The two girls who just wanted his assistance by letting them throw their boas around his neck ended up having a dance partner for the rest of their song. In my opinion, he was the hit of their act and a good part of the reason they won.

I took 209 photos tonight. About 4 of them were good. Sigh...

Twins

Can't you see the resemblance?

We are two Virginia girls. And when we get together, it is all about us. Just wait til my mom gets here! Then we will be a force to be reckoned with.

And just a note about Virginia: There is a smell here, a fresh spicy scent that I can't identify, but it is comforting and feels so much like home.

My sister lives in the neighborhood we grew up in. In fact, I used to ride my horse through her backyard when I was about 14. The house she is in is temporary while they convert their old dream home into their new dream home. One of my friends grew up that house. We used to play in the backyard that my nephews and nieces play in now.

The house is gutted, but full of promise: a modern version of itself, but retaining the ambiance of yesterday. The contractor says they will be in it by Christmas. That will be cool! I better plan my return trip.

The Old Man and the Sea

It is time to celebrate. We have found someone to buy the boat. Not this guy, he is just trying to steal the steering wheel before the two guys who are going to try to restore it come to pick it up.

I am on my way to Virginia, and when I return there will be no boat in the backyard. The ONLY possible bummer about that is the beach party on the 19th will have no boat, but I can't imagine anyone crying too hard about that.

So, garden get ready. We are gonna be growing things in that ole back 15 or 16.

Meanwhile, I am on my way to Virginia. Hee Hee Hee.

The Man Bug

Or should I call this "Boys and their Toys."

Unfortunately, a still photo doesn't do this justice, but the battery is dead in my video camera. My neighbor, Jill, and I were laughing at my husband as he bounced around in his little bobcat. He looks like a bug, complete with the red headset. He and Richard, Jill's husband, are putting new gravel on their driveway. When they were done, it looked nice. But Jill and I enjoyed watching the comedy show...

The annual bloomer

The waterlillies in our front yard throw out a bloom about once a year, maybe twice if we are lucky. I always have to run out and take a photo because it is so exciting. The bud slowly rises out of the water, it takes about 3 days from the first time I spot it, and then suddenly one morning is a gorgeous, open bloom. At night, it closes up, to reopen in the morning again. That lasts for about 4 days, and then it dies. Short life.

Tomorrow I am off to Virginia with my daughter, Maegan. We are looking forward to spending some time with my family, and then we are bringing my nephew, Charlie, back with us for a week. I can't wait!

Fireworks in Bayview

The beautiful little town of Bayview on the south end of Lake Pend Oreille puts on a fun party called, aptly enough, Bayview Daze on the weekend right around the 4th of July. Saturday night includes a boat parade in the Bay, and an amazing fireworks display set against the most gorgeous backdrop.

Bayview has the naval research station nestled amongst the taverns and float houses. They test little subs in the very deep waters of the lake. When I first moved here, I had heard that it was one of the deepest lakes in the United States, and that there are areas that they still don't know quite how deep they are. I haven't done a lot of research on this, so I don't know how accurate that is.

But this town sure knows how to party this particular weekend. We were lucky enough to be invited to a party of some folks that live up the hill a bit with a knockout view.

I think we were all in heaven. Me, especially, since I was able to test out my newly acquired, not totally refined, skills in nighttime photography.

There are a lot of float houses in this little bay. I am guessing it must be a fairly safe haven since this lake can get quite rough when the weather is stormy. My husband, Kevin's, family has generations of stories surrounding this area. Some of the towns on Lake Pend Oreille have pretty wild histories.

I heard someone say  how this little town of Bayview has really changed in just the last 10 years. It used to be quite wild, but now with the influx of so many people, especially folks with money, it has tamed down quite a bit.

You can tell just how popular this place is by how many people are trying to get out of town after the show. It took us an hour to get home, double the time. But it was worth it. What a great day!

Celebrating the 4th Idaho-style

Every year, Coeur d'Alene has a parade down the main street of town, and ba-jillions of people come out to see it. This year, I volunteered to help carry the banner for the NIC Alumni Association, a job I was dreading a bit (mostly because I thought it would be a miserably hot day for a long walk) that actually turned into a very fun time. It only took about 30-40 minutes to walk down the 18 blocks of the parade. My wrist got tired from all the waving... you can't just walk down the street with all those people, especially kids, waving flags at you and not reciprocate somehow.

So I waved back, cautiously at first... but soon I was madly waving, and after awhile I am fairly sure that all those folks came out just to see me. And, as almost anyone who knows me will be happy to relay, it doesn't take much and anything can and will become all about me.

I saw a lot of people I know, but was happiest at the end of the trail to see my husband waiting for me with the camera. I can now see how ridiculous I looked... sigh...

My favorite entry in the parade, however, was the Art on the Edge float, a papier maché beehive with little bees buzzing around it. The kids in camp this week built this beehive over a small jeep-type SUV. They made their own wings, and decorated the camp volunteers as flowers, and marched down the street, proudly displaying their hard work. They really made a good showing, and I vote for them to win FIRST PRIZE!

Pure Joy

I figured something out yesterday. Not a huge epiphany, but a revelation non-the-less. There are people out there who do not have joy in their life. 

Wouldn't that be miserable? I know there are times to be serious, and times to be sad, and being happy is something most people are striving for. But taking the time to experience real joy... the love of life... just enjoying smiling... for no other reason than to beam wildly, that is what I am talking about.

I know, Bec, you are probably yawning through this one. You'll just have to suffer through because you love me.

Kids seem to experience joy in spades. Maybe that's why no one wants to grow up... maybe that is the secret to Peter Pan. No wonder I don't want to ever grow up.

Meanwhile, I got some shots of Holden yesterday enJOYing the Cob House that Art on the Edge built last summer during summer camp. This year the kids in the camp are working hard building a water feature at the Harding Family Center. I'll post photos of that at the end of the week, as well as photos of them all in the parade in their beehive.

I hope you all have a JOYful day!

Northwest Heat Wave

(to the tune of Dear Abby by John Prine)

Dear Abby, Dear Abby

The weather here is so hit and miss

After a long winter of record snow

To have a summer like this

We now swelter in record heat

But don't want to complain

I do think it is safe to say

I wish it would rain

Signed All Dried Up

All Dried Up, All Dried Up

You have no complaints

It is what it is

And it ain't what it ain't

So listen up missy

And listen up good

Stop wishin' for bad luck

And knockin' on wood

Signed Dear Abby