A Saturday Garden Tour

Despite the temperatures of over 100 degrees, when we arrived home Thursday we had flowers in full bloom. JEJ has spent hours watering since our return. Here is a photo tour of the garden today. The photos speak for themselves.

Friday's Post: Sibling Assignment # 27: " Up the River"

Our sibling assignment this week was to write a memory about going " Up the River" . Up the river is the north fork of the Coeur d' Alene River. You can find my brother's here and my sister's here . There were place names that were always a part of the lore of the river. When a name was mentioned it would conjure up a story or memory of that place. I arranged images and names of the river into this poem:

Floating the North Fork
Of the Coeur d’Alene River

Leave one rig at Enaville, Bumblebee, or Steamboat Creek and
take the other to Shoshone Creek, Bobtail Road, or Lost Creek.
Pack up the sunflower seeds, cooler, cut-offs and thongs
and remember Sea and Ski, shades, and a roll of TP.
Float past the Prichard Bridge, Beaver Creek, and Bill English’s house
and always look for Cedar Island, Graham Creek, and Dad’s "place”.

Find black marks from the inner tube,
scrape bottom in the shallow parts,
look for bushes when nature calls,
and holler and splash friends as you slowly pass by.

Floating at a lazy pace as the sun sinks behind the mountain,
cooler empty, seeds gone, shoulders red with burn.
Dive in at The Rocks, the Black Bridge, or the famous Silver Bridge
wistfully remembering those names that never came back up.
Head back past the Snake Pit to Senator Creek,
Travel home over Dobson Pass- the scenic route,
Turn at the Husky station, cruise by Camp Ferguson and Dago Peak,
and hit Sweet’s Cafe in Wallace for gravy and fries.

No Phone, No Internet, No Cell Phone, No Blog: This Was for Thursday!

When I arrived back to Lake Roosevelt Thursday I planned to post this blog about the 4th of July. Alas, the phone went out, the Internet went down, we couldn't get service with the cell phone, so I read a book and tried to stay cool! Yesterday the phone came on, but in talking to a "tech" and my neighbors it seems the repairmen fixed the cut phone line, but didn't get the DSL line repaired. The word was they might get to it on Monday. Ah....the joys of living in rural Ferry County. On day three of no blogging I loaded up breakfast and a thermos and came to school to get caught up. Here is Thursday's blog!

Sparklers

Twirling our frantic looks and circles,
we cried out look! To the grownups
watching from their lawn chairs,
afraid they’d somehow miss the
giddy slash of every turn and leap
until the last glow died and we went back,
warned each time about burnt hands
and bare feet flying in slippery grass.
Again! we shouted, and ran as far
beyond the porch light as we dared,
for this was Independence Day
and we were too busy to listen,
writing our names in thin air.

-Mark Vinz

We spent the 4th of July evening celebrating Silver Valley Girl and JEJs' birthdays with a dinner and cake and candles. We then moved to Mom's front lawn which had a great view of the community fireworks. We also had our own display in the street. This poem was fitting for the evening shared with family.

A Patriotic Fourth of July Tour in My Little Town

"In my little town

I grew up believ--ing

God keeps his eye on us all

And he used to lean upon me

As I pledged allegiance to the wall

Lord I recall

My little town."

-Paul Simon

a photo tour of Kellogg today as the town prepares for the Fourth of July celebration

"Happy Birthday To Both of You!"

Today my husband JEJ and my sister Silver Valley Girl share a birthday. We are heading to my hometown of Kellogg, Idaho for a special celebration. We will enjoy a birthday gathering and the Fourth of July together. Tonight we will see my sister and her family perform at the Sixth Street Melodrama in Wallace in a play she wrote and her husband is directing. The play is "Nightmare at Dream Gulch, or...Wake Me When It's Over." Silver Valley Girl , her husband, and my niece The Princess have acting parts. My other nieces are helping back stage. It is quite a family affair. You can read about it here.

JEJ loves climbing roses so finding this Fourth of July climber a few years ago was a perfect birthday gift. The burst of color with the yellow middle creates a fireworks image. Today we hope to find Silver Valley Girl one at a nursery on our way to Idaho. I would highly recommend this rose. It is hardy, has a long blooming period, and is beautiful!

Rockin' Girl Blog Award

Thanks to Shelby , my blog friend here for this award. She said these kind words about my blog. "She has some beautiful climbing roses - and pictures to boot - for all you gardening gurus. I'm an amateur gardener, just this year - so I'm enamored of course!"

I can thank JEJ and our rabbits for the beautiful climbing roses. My husband waters, fertilizes, and babies those roses with care!