Be Careful Out There!

North Idaho has some of the most beautiful water in all the world. Boaters, swimmers, jet skiiers, cruise boats, seaplanes and parasailers share the recreational enjoyment of Lake Coeur d'Alene in the summer. Keeping everyone safe and assisting when accidents happen are the Kootenai County Sheriffs Marine Division. The deputies patrol in boats and on wave runners.

Horses on Parade

In Native American culture the horse is an important creature. They are honored at the Julyamsh Pow Wow in the opening horse parade, dressed in regalia befitting their status. More photos from the 2009 Coeur d'Alene Tribal Julyamsh Pow Wow and Encampment HERE.

Julyamsh

Since 1998 the Coeur d'Alene Tribe has hosted the annual Julyamsh Pow Wow and Tribal Encampment at the Greyhoud Park Events Center. Friday through Sunday this weekend, several hundred Native American dancers and drummers will celebrate their traditions on land that was once the ancestral homeland of the Coeur d'Alenes. Open to the public, this is a spectacular and spiritual gathering. The Grand Entry and Horse Parade all three days features a Native American color guard, and the revered Eagle Feather Staff.

Cool Water

I love water. I love being in it, near it, hearing it flow over rocks or slap up on shore. I especially love to photograph the movement of the water from above, the abstract visual mosaic as the light and tide swirl beneath the surface. This image of the shoreline in Mica Bay on Lake Coeur d'Alene is the desktop background on my computer this week as the heat wave heads our way.

Beautiful bookends

Two sailboats "bookend" the Coeur d'Alene Resort golf course floating green on Lake Coeur d'Alene.

Summer Camp

For thousands of children and families Camp Sweyolakan on Lake Coeur d'Alene has been the place of summer memories for 82-years. The rack of well-worn canoe oars stands in the ready for the current campers.

Sail away on a summer day ...

The parasail concession at Independence Point does a brisk business in the summer months. It's a colorful addition to the beautiful blues and greens of the Lake Coeur d'Alene landscape. After living in North Idaho for as many years as I have, I don't know why I've not taken a ride above the waves yet.

Simple pleasures ...

On a day when temperatures soar towards the century mark, there are no shortage of places to cool off in North Idaho. This youngster at Post Falls' Q'emiln Park on the Spokane River is happy as a clam in his shark flotation vest.

Soaring

Driving down my neighborhood street I heard a small engine overhead. The camera was on the seat and the top was down on the car so I snapped this shot of a motorized glider. The pilot must have seen me ... he made a turn and flew directly over my car again before heading northeast towards the Rathdrum prairie. Wistfully, I wished for a moment that we could trade places. It was a beautiful night for a glide above the rooftops.

Falls and shadows...

A hidden visual treasure is in the Idaho Panhandle National Forest, up the North Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River and it's an easy hike for everyone on a warm summer day. Shadow Falls and Fern Falls are both on a tributary of Yellow Dog Creek. Shadow Falls is about 20-25 feet high while Fern Falls is slightly smaller. Take the Kingston exit off of I-90 and drive north on Coeur d'Alene River Road to Beetle Creek Road and then 4 miles to the trailhead parking lot. The trail to Fern Falls is less than a quarter mile and Shadow Falls is about another quarter mile down the same trail. The lush greenery combined with the mist of the falls is picture postcard perfect.

Reflections ...

Sometimes the most extraordinary beauty of North Idaho plays second fiddle to simple scenes such as this horse enjoying a drink from the Coeur d'Alene River on a hot summer day.

Tom Sawyer kind of summer

a boy, a river and a frog ... summer.

Only in North Idaho

I see a lot of interesting things and meet a lot of interesting people OnLocation in North Idaho but this morning was memorable. At the Blackwell Island recreational area, across Hwy. 95 from the Cedars Floating Restaurant, there's a boat launch. I had to do a double take when I spotted this travel trailer turned pontoon boat in the parking lot. It's a piece of folk art with a dash of American ingenuity. The 30-year-old travel trailer has an outboard motor and is attached to makeshift fiberglass pontoons, which come down when it's on the water but come up and to rest on the roof when in transit. The astroturf on top of the pontoons is a nice touch, a bit of a floating patio. I sure would have loved to have seen this contraption on the lake!

Coming Home

When you live in such a beautiful place it's not difficult to lure your grown-up children back home in the summer. Daughters Sarah and Melani came back to the nest from Utah and western Washington for a weekend of fun in the sun on North Idaho's Spirit Lake.

Water and Fire

The Kootenai County Fire District fire boat put on a display on the Spokane River in front of city beach at Q'emiln Park in Post Falls.

No tan line

A local character around Coeur d'Alene in the summer is The Thong Man. For years he's basked in the sun at Independence Point, wearing not much more than a smile and some sunscreen. A peach-colored thong swimsuit is the only thing that comes between him and local ordinances.

Singing for their supper

Newly hatched sparrows call out for their parents at dinner time in our backyard bird house.

Quintessential North Idaho summer

Just about everyone who's lived in North Idaho for a few decades has enjoyed floating the North Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River. It's river rafting without the rapids or need for a guide. On a hot summer day you can find literally thousands of people in all manner of devices that inflate and later in the season you can enjoy the solitude of far fewer floaters. An informal survey of license plates on the cars and trucks parked alongside the Old River Road tells the tale ... it's a local favorite pastime. Not something that's on the usual tourist radar, an insider's getaway from lakes that are filled with boats and jetskis this time of year.

City Moose / Country Moose

About a mile past where the fisherman photo was taken on Old River Road, we spotted a handsome young bull moose munching in a roadside marsh. When he was full, he wandered up the bank into tall grass for an afternoon nap. Photos HERE. Earlier in the day, though, people enjoying a day at Lake Coeur d'Alene's Independence Point Park got up close and personal with a wandering young moose who likely came from Blackwell Island by swimming across the Spokane River. The moose wandered across the Coeur d'Alene Resort front lawn to city park and was seen in downtown Coeur d'Alene for an hour or so.

Gone Fishing

Fly fishing on the North Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River.

Stop and see the beauty

There's such extraordinary natural beauty in North Idaho and I enjoy going OnLocation to experience it all. But on a sunny, early summer morning I'm reminded of the simple beauty of petunias along the front walk at my home sweet home.

Bikes on Parade

Over 100 motorcycles paraded through Coeur d'Alene Thursday morning as members of Cal-Tex Riders took to the streets. The organization of retired law enforcement officers is in North Idaho for a convention. John Skeete of California drives a gorgeous orange Goldwing trike in the procession.

Flying lessons

A baby robin crash landed from a nest in one of our poplar trees and took refuge in the flower bed. A few hours later, with a little human intervention and strategic placement in a lower branch of the tree, he happily hopped and flew back up to safety. More photos and more of the story HERE.

Cool Shoes

Hungarian pro Ironman triathlete Balazs Csoke was sporting some cool shoes when he made an appearance at the Boys and Girls Club to talk about his experiences.

Start your engines!

There's no event more "North Idaho" than the annual Big Back-In Lawnmower Drags held every Father's Day Sunday in Spirit Lake. The population of this wild west town doubles on that day as every manner of lawn mower is souped up and piloted by a collection of down home dare devils right on Maine Street. Note: the streets of Spirit Lake are named after states.
I recommend you take a break from Ironman spectating and head up to the lawn mower races for a few hours ... you'll be hooked!

Home Sweet Home

For 15 years the North Idaho College Foundation has funded scholarships, updated technology and programs at the college through the Really Big Raffle of a new house. There are only 5,000 $100 tickets sold. So if you'd like to own a bit of paradise in North Idaho (Post Falls to be exact) make sure to get your ticket right away. This raffle has sold out every year and the drawing will be held on July 8. Take a virtual tour HERE. Or log onto the NIC website HERE.

Five Days and Counting!

Ironman Coeur d'Alene will begin with the elite athletes spilling into Lake Coeur d'Alene enmass at 7 a.m. Sunday. I love seeing the sea of humanity as nearly 2,000 wet-suited competitors flow like lava off of city beach into the water for their 2-mile swim. Amazing to think that many of them will not be crossing the finish line in downtown Coeur d'Alene for at least 12 hours from the time they hit the water for the swim leg. They will ride 112 miles on bicycles and then run a full 26.2 mile marathon before being declared Ironmen.

Alien alpacas

South of Coeur d'Alene, just off Mica Bay Road, are two alpaca ranches I've driven past many times. But today the creatures in the field were looking a bit different. A lot like a herd of space alien Q-Tips, actually. Recently sheared and now sporting just topknots of alpaca wool, their necks looked really long. They were as curious about me and my camera as I was about them. There are close-up pictures of their adorable faces HERE.

Swimming upstream

The one day each year that a fishing license is not required for anyone is Free Fishing Day - this year on Saturday, June 13. To go fishing on any other day, anglers will need to buy a fishing license. Children under age 14 never need a fishing license in Idaho. In Rathdrum's city park the creek was stocked with trout and Idaho Fish and Game officials and volunteers provided assistance for first-time anglers. *photo of a well-stocked Rathdrum Creek on Saturday.

Cruisin' at Car d'Lane!

The Car d'Lane Cruise and Car Show is one of the biggest and best in the region, kicking off with the Friday night cruise down Sherman Avenue. Nearly 1,000 cars, from polished perfection to fresh from the junkyard, take part in the rolicking rolling rumble. An album of images from this year's cruise is here.