Va Va Va Bloom!

Post Falls is reaching peak autumn color this week. Come out, come out, all you leaf peepers!

Autumn Sky

I was feeling dispirited this morning, so called an old friend. I told him I was feeling so lousy that I wasn't even taking pictures. He challenged me to go outside and take just one photo today to see if it could lift my mood.

I accepted his challenge.

Autumn Sky over Polites Park

.
Thank you, Paul. It helped!

Abandoned

Now that the kids are back in school, Kiwanis Park is no longer filled with the laughter of tots at day camp. No more climbing on the stumps to jump into the river.

Parents pairing sox are coming up short. It's not only the washer that eats the spares. Who needs them at the beach, anyway?

When the school bell rang, water sports stopped in mid-toss. Rocks on the shore of the Spokane River are all that's left to play catch.

Northern Flicker

I don't know much about birds, so was happy to find these fellows outside my window this morning. We had three new visitors to our Post Falls back yard. I found them hopping around with the robins, feeding on the ground. I've never noticed these long-beaked beauties in our yard before. It's likely these colorful flyers are male.

They are called the Northern Flicker and are a type of woodpecker. They are particularly fond of ants and dig into woody nests to find them. Unlike other woodpeckers, these birds nest in holes in the ground rather than in trees.

They typically nest at the edges of woodlands. Here in the Pacific Northwest, they are becoming more common in suburban habitats. Since my suburban habitat is on the edge of woodlands, I might be lucky to see these birds more frequently!

Columbine

All over town, the columbine are in bloom. Welcome to Summer!

Bulbs, Bulbs, Bulbs

It's been awfully wet and not too warm in Post Falls this past week.
The grape hyacinth seem to love the weather and are in full bloom all around town.

Such delicate beauties.

Templin's

A panoramic view of the Spokane River from the deck outside Mallard's restaurant at Templin's Resort.

[click for larger image]

Gearing Up

Old Flood Gates - Falls Park

The Migration

Ducks and geese are stopping by Falls Park in droves.

Some of the locals are helping them fill their hungry tummies. Mollie brought her kids Jason and Mikey to the park to give the birds a feast.

They're having quite a party! Whoo-hoo!

Spring at the Falls

It finally feels like Spring here in Post Falls. Cloudy days are interspersed with both rain and sunshine. The temperature was nearly sixty degrees today! There's snow on the surrounding mountaintops. And the rivers and lakes are filling with run-off.

The floodgates at the Post Falls dam are open, and the Spokane River is putting on it's annual show.

Former Post Falls resident Joanna Dukovich makes it a point to come into town every year to feel the rumble of the Falls. She brought along her kids Alex and Jacob, and nephew Elliott Boyman to lean on the railing and revel in the awe and power of Mother Nature.

Daughter Jodie spent her college Spring Break in town. She joined me as we took in the wind and the spray.

That's the Berries

The holly and berries made it through the worst of winter.
They're just a little chewed up around the edges.

 Aren't we all?

How High?

A little snow fell on Post Falls over the weekend.

Clear and Cold

Last week the sun was out, so I took a walk in the 30 degree heat wave. So pretty! And I had the park to myself.

Splash of Color, Sea of Snow

Icy white streets. Hills of plowed snow. Falling Flakes. A colorful banner.

Find it here:

Lookin' Out My Back Door

The last couple weeks have brought several inches of snow, some ice, and extremely cold temperatures.

With the clear blue skies, it certainly is pretty.
Too bad it's too cold to play outside.

Perhaps we should have put our patio furniture in storage for the winter.

Through the Fog

A 5:30am walk in the fog along Ponderosa.
Trying out the Yaktrax my daughter gave me for Christmas.
Gravel and iced grass crunch beneath my feet.
This January morn, it's not particularly cold,
But it is particularly dark.