Spring Blooms

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And Spring arose on the garden fair,

Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere;

And each flower and herb on Earth's dark breast,

Rose from the dreams of its wintry rest.

Shelley, "The Sensitive Plant"

Spring is magnificent here in Northern Idaho. I find myself pottering around in the garden constantly. So many important tasks are delayed or completely neglected as I just can't seem to drag myself into the house with so much going on outside.

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Sitting on the porch and watching birds has become a mesmerizing pastime. I am not quite sure what has happened to me; it's quite scary really. How did this city person - complete with concrete running through my veins - become so enamoured of the outdoors? I have been taking valium to treat my back injury, perhaps herein lies the answer - mother's little helpers are certainly helping me in oh so many wonderful ways.

The Hummingbirds buzz around constantly, making their distinctive little chirping sounds and being adorably cute. Bumble-bees fly around, delighting in the flowers. I had never seen one of them until I moved here. They are like our humble bees in Australia - on steroids. Giant, fluffy and resplendent in their black and yellow finery.

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The flowers are just starting to bloom up here; it's just brilliant.

A little Madness in the spring Is wholesome even for the King." -- Emily Dickinson

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Ladies who lunch

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On the way to lunch with a friend in town today I saw something moving beside the road. I was pleased to find that it was not the creepy pedo down the road lurking around.

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It was Verka, the little black bear that we keep seeing along the roadside. She is always around with her little cub. We named her Verka Serduchka, after the stunning Ukrainian tranvestite who came second in the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest. In my wildest dreams I never imagined a life where I would drive along the road and see bears. It really is cool.

The lovely Verka performing at the Eurovison Song Contest.

We had lunch at Trinity restaurant, right on the beach. The view was beautiful; like a little version of Lake Como.

.Lunch was scrummy. I had a french dip beef sandwich with sweet potato chips. Those things were so yummy; I need to make some at home.

Dessert was a molten lava cake, delice!

Afterwards we walked around town where there are some really lovely stores. My favourite stop was at the Coldwater Creek wine bar. They have a shop downstairs with gorgeous clothes and a really trendy bar upstairs. We sat in comfy leather chairs by the window and were able to enjoy the view of the mountains in the distance and the street down below.


Wish you here Ms Patrice!

Car Rally

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The fun and frivolity continues in my little town as the Lost in the 50's shenanigans continue.

Today we participated in a car rally with some other vintage cars. We were given a clue sheet and a map and had to drive all over the place looking for clues and completing little tasks.

The Colonel ended up doing the challenges. I was simply not going to ride a bucking bull in a dive bar, no way. How handy husbands are, doing all those little tasks that I really did not want to do.

Looking for plastic flamingos was one of the tasks. We managed to find one only, but we carried it with us to all the stops and waved it at other participants as we passed them.

We ended up finishing first; we are both so competitive you see.

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Lost in the 50's

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Lost in the 50's is an event that has been held in our town for the past 25 years. People come from all over the country to join in the festivities and to show off their fabulous vintage cars.

It's all about classic cars, retro styles, music and anything related to the 50's. Yesterday there was a vintage car parade through town. Cars built prior to 1969 were eligible for entry so of course we had to enter Sven, our Volvo.

The Colonel in Sven

There were hundreds of cars in the parade. I was impressed with the large number and variety on display. I found a Fiat 500, an Austin-Healy and something called an Auburn that all were in pristine condition and looked spectacular.



Hundreds of people lined the streets waving at the cars as we drove along. People were yelling out, "nice Volvo", which made the Colonel very happy. Onlookers would gesture to him to rev the engine; when he did there was a cheer from the crowd and lots of thumbs up in appreciation.

One inebriated young man was heard yelling, "station wagon's rule", as we drove past. What a lot of fun it all was.


People really made an effort to get into the retro spirit--Women were dressed up in Poodle skirts and some men had their hair slicked back and wore t-shirt's with a pack of cigarettes rolled up in the sleeves--it was like being an extra on the set of a 50's movie.


The restaurants in town were all lively; filled with rambunctious customers discussing the day's events.

Lady Susan riding in the back of the Volvo during the parade.

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Tranquility

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It's like a Thomas Hardy novel at my house these days. Not the tragic storylines and long-suffering characters part, just the perfect rural setting bits.



Hummingbirds frequently come to the feeder just outside the lounge room window. I can sit on the couch and enjoy the view, with the mountains behind creating a postcard type of scene.

I have been planning to put a wooden bench in a lovely shady part of the land. I call it my secret garden because it's so private and beautiful. I like to sit out there and just enjoy being in the woods. Today I found a heart shaped block of wood laying on the ground and that inspired me to come up with something more creative. I'm going to use a large tree stump as a little table, and place flat and sturdy stumps around it as chairs. Just like a fairy picnic table. I can't wait for my nieces to visit someday, they will love it.

It really is just so beautiful out there. We saw a bear and her little cub yesterday. The cub was the size of my cat Runty, I wish I could have picked it up, don't think I would have gotten very far though, I am no runner that's for sure and I am certain Mamma Bear would not have let me get very far at all.


After a long walk through the woods today, the dogs and I were completely knackered. I snapped a picture of Tony Harrison luxuriating on the deck afterwards. Look at his meaty paws! So cute, but what a little ragamuffin, hound dogs are such hard work.

Wild Orchids

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Back pain is such a hassle, especially when there is no Dr. Feelgood around to hand out those useful meds one always hears about, usually in Celebrity overdoses and the like.

I did myself a mischief at work and am now hobbling around like an old lady in all kinds of crazy back pain. I had to take some time off work and get plenty of rest. Easier said than done. With 4 cats and 2 dogs, it seems that I am chained to the vacuum cleaner, despite the intense pain, it must be done as I can't stand to live in a house with pet fur flying around.

I am seeing a physical therapist, it really is quite strange having a young and handsome man manipulating my bottom. The injury has caused my pelvis to become lop-sided so he needs to move things around a bit, still, I feel that at the very least he could buy me a drink first. *wink*

Long walks have been banned so I can only take short ones each day with the dogs. We always seem to end up exploring new parts of the land that we have not seen before. Today while on our rambles, we came across a muddy area where there is a natural spring.

It is quite damp down there, and I guess that is perfect for wild orchids. I almost stepped on a dainty little purple specimen. Fortunately I managed to see it in time.

I'm not sure what kind it is, but I am sure Ms Patrice who is a total orchid affictionado, will know. I would love for it to be something extremely rare and valuable, however considering that it is growing on my land, I am sure it is something rather commonplace and valueless.

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