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!