Spooky Cat

Shells of summer

Just like the falling foliage will leave trees bare for the winter, tarps are being taken down at North Idaho marinas before the snow flies. The crew at RedLion Templin's Marina on the Spokane River enjoyed a sunny day for their task this week.

Got Ballot?

As much as the changing colors of nature, a sure sign of the season is upcoming elections. Although the national/presidential elections are not until next year, in small towns all over North Idaho, citizens will be voting at the local level on November 6. The Kootenai County Elections Department, located on 3rd Street in Coeur d'Alene, is the hub of democracy in our hometown.

Beautiful views

On the eve of the first hard frost of fall, empty chairs at Sanders Beach on Lake Coeur d'Alene offer a front row seat to a picture postcard view. Gone for the season are the ski boats and swimmers but the beauty of North Idaho remains.

Less is More

The incredible views of fall foliage throughout North Idaho are somewhat distracting in recent days. These last blossoms on the shore are a beautiful but melancholy reminder of the different colors of summer.

Packing Away the Picnic

North Idaho has been enjoying a late October respite from chilly temperatures and blustery wet weather. While the parks and trails look inviting in the bright autumn sun for picnics, park workers in Post Falls' Q'emiln Park on the Spokane River are preparing for the winter ahead.

North Idaho's Natural Beauty

There's beauty all around and Post Falls' Tracey Brown became the fairest of them all on Saturday at Albertson College in Caldwell when she was crowned Miss Idaho USA. Tracey is no novice to all things sparkly and royal. She was Post Falls Junior Miss and went on to take the Idaho's Jr. Miss title in high school. In 2005 she was crowned Miss Idaho and took the stage at the Miss America Pageant. Now she's earned a place on the Miss USA stage in 2008. Tracey is more than just another pretty face, she's a talented ballerina and an honor student at Whitworth College. *see the "Think Pink" post in the Sept. archives for one of her noteworthy accomplishments of late. Moments after being crowned Tracey phoned her father with the news. Congratulations to Tracey, her parents Bill and Debbie Brown and her big sister Shannon.

Norskis in North Idaho

Norwegian Heritage Day at the Harold Haarfager Lodge of the Sons of Norway in Post Falls celebrated the local group's one year anniversary at their new location. The 100 or so members welcomed visitors to enjoy a Norwegian-style lunch, complete with home-made lefsa and plenty of Scandinavian pastries. North Idaho has a large population of people of Scandinavian descent, many of whom migrated from Minnesota and North Dakota to work in the logging industry a century ago.
The craftsmanship of the tine` boxes are a colorful remnant of Norwegian heritage. This style of storage box dates back to Viking days when they were used to store cheese and dried meat aboard ship.

Haunting Season Opens

The nationally renowned Post Falls Lions Haunted house opens tonight and runs through Halloween. Featured as #2 haunted house in a USA Today poll a few years back, the attraction has put North Idaho on the map of spooky places.

We grow 'em big in North Idaho!

As Halloween approaches lots of spooky and creepy things are popping up all over North Idaho. This giant spider has taken up residence in a Post Falls pasture in the 3500 block of N. Greensferry Road.

Hunting Season

A whitetail deer dashes through a yard in Fernan Village in East Coeur d'Alene. Hunting season is open but the dozens of deer who populate the Fernan Lake area are relatively safe from hunters.

All about Autumn

I've always viewed the stunning colors of a North Idaho autumn as a gift from Mother Nature. She knows how reluctant we are to give up sunny summer days in our outdoor paradise and this is her way of easing the transition to the beautiful but cold winter to come. This tree trunk on the banks of the Spokane River is encircled by a leafy vine in full fall colors.

Sunday sunset

The sun set in spectacular style to cap a gloriously warm and sunny North Idaho weekend. Elk hunters were out in the forests this first week of the season and enjoying the mild weather.

Splish Splash

It's not common to see robins this late in the year in North Idaho. This well-fed fellow was making himself quite comfortable in a Post Falls birdbath on a mild October day. Maybe he missed the memo on migrating south for the winter.

Farmers Market Farewell

Sunny Saturdays at the Kootenai County Farmers Market are coming to a close on Oct. 20. There are still a cornucopia of garden-raised vegetables and fruits and delightful hand-crafted works of art to be found. The bowls pictured here are made from rhubarb leaves imprinted on cement. The farmer's market is located at the corner of US 95 and Prairie Avenue in Hayden.

Felicitazioni!

The Oktoberfest steins had barely been put on the shelf when the next cultural celebration came around. Who knew there were so many Italians in North Idaho? The success of the annual Festa Italiana in Coeur d'Alene offered proof positive. From cannoli to gelato to accordian music and the traditional stomping of the grapes, the Order of the Sons of Italy Bonaventura Lodge 2814 did themselves proud. www.idahoitalianfestival.com

Curley Carrot

This unique two-tone dual carrot was grown in a Post Falls garden. The garden owner says she planted a variety of carrot seeds. Red carrots derive their color mainly from lycopene, a type of carotene believed to guard against heart disease and some cancers. Purple carrots possess an entirely different class of pigments—anthocyanins—which act as powerful antioxidants. While colored carrots are unusual, they're not exactly new. Purple and yellow carrots were common more than 1,000 years ago.

Fancy Footwork

North Idaho College soccer teams took advantage of a break in the rain to practice at the college by the lake this week. The Cardinal men are 2006 Region 18 Champions and the women are 2006 SWAC season champions. For Cardinal athletics schedules teams go to www.nic.edu/athletics/

Fall in Love

At the Kootenai County Courthouse clerks work on Saturdays to accommodate couples in love. Coeur d'Alene is one of the most popular wedding destinations in the Northwest, as much for North Idaho's four-season honeymoon scenic beauty as for the simplicity of getting a marriage license. In Idaho, couples 18 and over need no witnesses or blood tests and there's no waiting period.

83874

Murray is a nearly deserted town of about three dozen people in the Silver Valley of North Idaho. But it still has a post office and its own zip code. Located 26 miles from Kingston at I-90 Exit 43 a day trip to Murray is worth the scenic drive. There's a lot of history packed into the one block that makes up downtown, including the Sprag Pole Inn and Museum and the historic Bedroom Goldmine Bar. In the early 1880s the population of Spokane was around 800 when gold was discovered in the Murray area. The gold rush drew over 10,000 people to isolated Murray, a far cry from the sleepy little town as it is today.

No Life Guard on Duty

Even though the swimming beaches on North Idaho lakes and rivers have closed for the season, the views are still awe-inspiring. The city beach on the Spokane River in Post Falls at Q'emiln Park is ideal for birdwatching and skipping stones on a brisk fall day.