Fresh Oil

There's a whole lot of this going on in my part of town. We've had over a month of inconvenience, but the finished result is worth the frustration.

The worst part for me? Trying to figure out my walking routes these day so I don't feel like I'm getting oil and grit clogging the soles of my shoes.

Gone Fishin'

I spent some time at Falls Park this week. I did my best to avoid the Pokémon Go players, though a couple of them did run into me. I found some solace sitting under the weeping willow and watching the ducks scrounge for lunch.

Chippin' Away at It

Look what I found in our tortilla chips basket at Toro Viejo.
My own private Idaho!

Best Mexican food in Post Falls.

Hilde Kellogg Park

My daughter Jeanne spent some time with me geocaching in Post Falls. It was a hot day - in the 90s - and we were out in the noonday sun. Though we've driven by Hilde Kellogg Park hundreds of times, this was the first time we stopped.

Unfortunately, we didn't find the cache in this park, but that didn't keep us from having some laughs. Jeanne, being Jeanne, did a very Jeanne thing: she scampered up to the highest point she could and yelled, "Hey Mom! Take my picture!" (just the way she used to when she was a kid).

The Giving Tree

This tree stump stands at the edge of the Spokane River in Kiwanis Park. It's become a favorite of mine over the years. It maintains a dignity in every season as the years pass, as the river rolls by.

I've photographed this stump from many angles over the years. I love it in the Spring when the water level is low. I climb down the short cliff and photograph the stump from below. I love it in the early Autumn when the park empties because the kids are back in school. I've found balled up socks left to dry on the stump.

I think of "my" stump as The Giving Tree, having given birds a place to nest, having given shade on sunny days, having given its wood after a wind storm, now giving a place to sit and rest.

The four photos below were taken in different years. I like that I now have a photo of my Giving Tree at nearly the same angle in every season.

Here's the original story of The Giving Tree