White Christmas

We just experienced our first White Christmas! Snow started falling a couple of days before Christmas and it has been lightly snowing ever since.  Having lived most of our lives in California, it was really nice to have a White Christmas. 

Here in Post Falls, I have noticed a sense of community and an abundance of holiday spirit.  Homes are beautifully decorated and everyone is eager to wish each other a Merry Christmas.  It is a very charitable community and many organizations and volunteers have made sure that those less fortunate are not forgotten. 

This year, I feel fortunate to be here in North Idaho, where life moves at a much slower speed and there is time to enjoy the little things in life like...

Bonzo at Play



Neighborhood Kids at Play

 

Heidi & Mike at Play (Christmas Eve)

 

 

 

 

 

 



First Big Snow

Last night brought several inches of snow and a blanket of beautiful white fluff everywhere.  Since Cooper, Bonzo, and Daisy have such short legs, it was quite a sight to see them running in the snow.  Here is a little look at Bonzo as he runs through the yard.  Hope you enjoy it as much as I did !

December Birthday Celebrations

December is a special month for all of us with holiday traditions and celebrations but for us, it is made even more special with three birthday celebrations.
All our doggies have birthdays in December!  Happy Birthday Cooper, Bonzo & Daisy!

Cooper~ December 19 (9 years old)

Bonzo ~ December 15 (8 years old)

Daisy ~ December 18 (6 years)

Mushrooms

I never thought much about mushrooms before I moved to North Idaho.  Of course I love button, shitake or portobello mushrooms used in recipes but it is the wild species that I am referring to here. 

I have observed that after a few days of rain, mushrooms seem to pop up everywhere.  There are many varieties and I have photographed a few to post . 

At first I pulled them up and immediately discarded them until the day that I noticed a squirrel munching on one. Then I got it!  Mushrooms are great treats for squirrels!  So now when I see one popping up, I leave it for the squirrels to fest on and hope that I have my camera handy when they do.

 

Rain and Music

We had cool dry weather for Thanksgiving Day.  We watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, ate yummy turkey, and enjoy a quiet holiday at home.

Friday brought heavy rain at times. It was Black Friday and for the first time in four years, I wasn't working.  It was nice but also a bit strange not to be part of the hustle and bustle, signifying the start of the holiday season.

On Friday night, we headed up to Sandpoint for Mike's gig with the Nefftones at Eichardt's, a really cool bar/bistro.  It takes about one hour to get to there and  we had to drive on some pretty dark two lane roads and bridges.  It was raining really hard and it was a bit scary so as we approched town, we were happy to see the lights of Sandpoint.

Inside Eichardt's it felt like being a mountain resort.  Everyone was dressed in true winter garb...hats, gloves, etc.  The food was delicious and the music was great!  When we left, it was around midnight and I was able to get a photo of the sidewalk outside with the rain and the holiday lights.  It looks a bit magical...don't you think?

"The Nefftones ~ Steve, Mike & Robbie"

 

More Snow

The snow has melted and we are back to "cold and wet."  For four days, the ground, trees, and structures were covered in beautiful white fluffy snow.  I know that this was just the beginning of many snow days to come but I already miss the beauty of it.  It was like being inside a snow globe! 

Before it was gone, I managed to take a few more photos. Here are a few of my favorites.

Snow Lightly Dusting the Trees



Snow Covered Birdhouse

Kids and Snow

 



Another Photo of Daisy (I couldn't resist)

First Snow

Well it arrived on time as predicted...snow. We had our first snow over the weekend here in North Idaho. I took so many photos, documenting each stage of snow fall. Of course there are too many to share on this post so I decided to share my favorites which just so happen to be photos of my pups in the snow.  Having lived their whole lives in California, I wasn't sure how they would react to this new form of weather but as you will see from the photos, it didn't even phase them. Aren't they adorable?

 

 

 

Ode to Fall

 

It may seem that I am obsessed with Fall, but remember I come from California where the sun shines 365 days a year and the trees are always green.  With snow storms predicted for this Friday, I thought I would share a few more photos of the beautiful North Idaho Fall Season. 

I must give credit where credit is due.  These wonderful photos were taken by my talented husband, Mike on his recent visit to the Coeur d' Alene mountains. I hope that you enjoy them as much as I did.

 

 

Early Morning

Old Barn Hidden in Fall Trees

Love the Big Fluffy Cloud

Bare Tree ( He took this artsy one for me)

 

End of Day ~ Still Waters



 

                                                                                            

Trick or Treat

I am not sure if it was a trick for my doggies or a treat for the squirrels, but I got this crazy idea  to sprinkle peanuts on my front lawn on Halloween day.  As you may recall from a previous blog post, my dogs have been enjoying the sport of squirrel hunting since we arrived here in Idaho.  They spend their days attentively looking out the front window or running around chasing them in the backyard. 

Since they couldn't reach the little critters in the front yard, I'm thinking that it was definitely a trick on the doggies.  At one point, word must have gotten out among the squirrel community because our lawn became the center of much activity. 

So while the dogs barked incessantly at the window, I was able get some great photos of the little guys as they munched on their treats. Well...that's pretty much how we celebrated Halloween at our house!

 

 

 

Lunch With Guy Fieri

You many not know this about me but I am a big fan of the Food Network.  One of my favorite shows is "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" with rock star chef, Guy Fieri.  If you are not familiar with the show, Guy visits and samples yummy food at "hole in the wall" restaurants across the nation. 

I was recently in Spokane with friends and we decided to check out one of Guy's recommended eateries and we were not disappointed.  We had lunch at Wadell's.  They specialize in unusual hamburgers and hot dogs, served up with an endless supply of fries.  I had a mushroom, swiss cheese burger with sweet potato fries.  My friend, Teresa ordered a specialty burger..a hamburger topped with house-made corned beef.  Her husband, Chuck order what looked to be boring but was delicious, a grilled chicken sandwich, and fresh side salad.

Of course, our visit would not be complete without a photo of us with Guy...his poster that is.

 

We really enjoyed the place and look forward to stopping by again soon.

By the way, if you find yourself in Spokane, check out Wadell's and have lunch with Guy!  You won't be disappointed!

 

 

Signs of Fall

At every turn, there are signs of Fall here in Idaho.  I have been documenting the change of season by taking lots of photos.  Here are a few of my favorites:

  

Oktoberfest

One thing that definitely comes to mind when October rolls around is Oktoberfest.  It seems that almost every community, organization, and restaurant gets involved in this seasonal celebration.

Happy to have an excuse to visit Harrison again, Mike and I headed over there to check out their Micro Brew Oktoberfest celebration. This trip was also our last Harley ride of the season.  Since Harrison is such a small town, it was easy to find the city park where the "party" was being held.

For ten dollars, you got an awesome collectors beer glass and four drink tickets.  We sampled specialty beers from several local breweries   There was a food concession with all proceeds supporting the local elementary school.   Volunteers served up delicious food with a friendly smile and conversation. There was live music and several events for the kids. The sense of community was everywhere. 

We felt like we had traveled back in time.  It just didn't feel like the hustle bustle world of 2012.  It felt like a much simpler time. Thinking back, I guess that it wasn't the time as much as it was the place...Harrison, Idaho, where life just seems a whole lot simpler.

Green Bluff

September was full of local events and exploring.  We headed to Washington one Saturday morning to check out Green Bluffs.  This area is filled with local farms where you can purchase freshly picked produce or if you prefer, pick it yourself.

We stopped at one of the largest farms, Harvest House.  A bit more elaborate than most, they had an awesome store which included a restaurant and wine shop.

We listened to live music as we sampled the "made from scratch" pumpkin donuts and apple pie.  A little wine tasting was also in order.  Many of the wines were from local Washington state wineries.  I really enjoyed Huck, the huckleberry flavored wine, probably because of my new appreciation for the huckleberry!

The day we were there, they were offering samples of famous Washington apples and peaches. It was interesting to taste the difference in the available varieties. All the produce looked amazing. We loaded up on fruit and headed home with one stop at The Rocket Bakery for tea and super yummy giant cookies!

Giant Potato

This year, the Idaho Potato Commission is celebrating it's 75th anniversary and doing so in a big way.  They built the world's largest Idaho spud, loaded it on a cool semi-truck and they are taking it for a cross country tour.  They visited us here in Post Falls a few weeks ago and it was quite a sight to see. 

Here are some interesting facts about the giant potato:

1) The 48' flatbed trailer features a 28' wide and 11.5' tall Idaho Potato.

2) It would take more than 10,000 years to grow this giant Potato.

3) It weighs 12,130 lbs which is equal to 32,346 medium sized potatoes.

4) It would make 30,325 servings of mashed potatoes.

5) If it were baked, it would take 2 years and 9 months to bake.

6) The giant potato was built in Weiser, Idaho and took nearly one year to build.


If nothing else, this definitely goes to show how much us Idahoans love our potatoes!

Harrison

Always up for a new "Harley" adventure, Mike and I set out for a ride around Lake Coeur d' Alene on a Sunday morning in early September. The lake was beautiful and amazing. Known as one of the world's most beautiful lakes, it has 109 miles of shoreline. Our mission...to ride around the entire lake.

About ninety minutes into the ride, we came upon the charming town of Harrison. Named for President Benjamin Harrison, this town was incorporated in 1899 and was once the largest city on Lake Coeur d'Alene. In 1917 about half of the residential area and a number of businesses were burned in a major fire and sadly most of the town was never rebuilt. Today Harrison is home to 203 people. Talk about a small town.

I must say I was taken by the charm of this little gem. Check out some of my photos ~

 

 

Main Street ~ Harrison

Museum

Just off the Beaten Track

 

We left Harrison and continued around the lake towards home, stopping a couple of time to take photos.  One of the more interesting stops is described on the sign below:

 

 

 

As usual, a picture is worth a thousand words:

 

Another beautiful day in North Idaho ~

 

 



 

Route of the Hiawatha

North Idaho is rich with history and we have had great opportunities to explore the area.  In early August, we loaded up our bicycles and headed east to the Montana/Idaho state line and the Route of the Hiawatha. 

This bike trail is a rail to trail conversion, following the old Milwaukee Railroad which was built around the turn of the century.  Along the trail, there are markers indicating the distance from Chicago where the rail route originated (total distance 1750 miles). 

The trail begins at the St. Paul Pass Tunnel on the Montana side.  The tunnel is 1.7 miles long and the temperature inside remains a cool 44 degrees year round.  The tunnel is really dark, illuminated only by the lights on the bicycles traveling through it.  It seems to go on forever. The tunnel runs under the Montana/Idaho state line so when you come out the other side, you are in Idaho. 

On the Idaho side of the tunnel is a beautiful natural waterfall and the start of an amazing adventure that takes you on trails, bridges, and tunnels through picturesque scenery.  At one point, we stopped to enjoy a picnic lunch and take in the beauty around us. 

The route is downhill so it is fairly easy for those of us with little mountain biking experience.  It is approximately 17 miles long and when you finish, you are at the bottom of the mountain.   A shuttle takes you and your bike back up to the Idaho side of the  St. Paul Pass Tunnel.  To get back to the parking lot, you have to travel through that really dark tunnel one more time. 

It is pretty amazing when you reach the other side and realize what you have accomplished and the natural beauty that you have seen.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. What do you think?