Social distancing, North Idaho style

A couple weeks ago, Older Daughter and I decided to take Mr. Darcy on a nice long walk to stretch our legs. We chose to explore a nearby bike trail which runs along the lake shore. This trail used to be an old railroad line, and when the railroad was decommissioned, one of the best things the state ever did was convert it for bike use (and pedestrian use, of course).

So we loaded up Mr. Darcy, and off we went.

It was a cloudy, cool day, perfect walking weather. The trail was also deserted. In three miles of walking, we passed only three people.

Near the spot where the parking lot meets the bike trail, the rangers had trimmed a fallen tree and left it for, I dunno, décor or something. It was of impressive size.

And evidently children enjoyed crawling into a small hole at its base, which I presume was deliberately trimmed for that purpose. Forget décor; this was a jungle gym for kids. How cool is that?

The trail incorporates an old bridge, so bikers (and walkers) can cross this shallow portion of the lake.

Making sure we were sufficiently armed with poop bags -- Mr. Darcy gets a little excited on these excursions -- off we went.

First stop, the bridge.

This venerable structure was built in 1921.

On the far side, Older Daughter noticed something on a rock at the water's edge.

Some clever wit had made a modern-day pictograph.

A solitary loon looked like it was swimming through a symphony.

On the far side of the bridge, the lake shore curls around for a view of the structure from the other side.

The views on the path were lovely.

We walked 1.5 miles in one direction, then turned around to complete a three-mile loop. Afterward, we let Mr. Darcy splash in the water...which, of course, was our whole purpose for this jaunt, right?

We enjoyed ourselves so much that we made another excursion a few days later. This time the day was sunny and warmer, and my goodness the parking lot was packed. Lots and lots of families with young kids and bicycles. It was nice to see everyone enjoying the weather.

We took a different direction this time, and saw an osprey nest.

Because the day was warmer, we made sure to incorporate a lake stop for Darcy.

This dog lives for the chance to fetch sticks in the water.

Despite how full the parking lot was, there was plenty of room for people to spread out and enjoy the sunshine.

We've been hitting this trail about twice a week now, and Mr. Darcy really, really enjoys social distancing, North Idaho style.

Mr. Darcy visits the lake

Knowing the importance of exposing a young pup to as many different experiences as possible while young, Don and I took Mr. Darcy to the lake so he could learn to splash and swim before the water gets too cold.

At first he was very cautious about this enormous expanse of hydrogen hydroxide.

Don tossed a stick right close to the shore, and Darcy was reluctant to get his feet wet to retrieve it.

But that caution didn't last long. Pretty soon his natural retriever instincts kicked in, and he got bolder.

Don tossed the stick in a bit farther each time, and Darcy bravely went after it.

This was repeated until Mr. Darcy was far enough out to actually paddle a bit. He was getting fairly tuckered by this point, so we went out on the dock.

He definitely has an instinct for water, this pup, so we'll be bringing him to the lake as often as possible (weather permitting).

So far Mr. Darcy is shaping up to be wonderful dog -- obedient, eager to please, playful, loyal. He's definitely a people-dog and always wants to be with us. It's so endearing in the evening to have him lie down literally on my feet while I'm reading a book.

For those who have been asking, we'll be looking for a lab pup for Don probably in the spring. Two young puppies in the house at the same time would be a bit much; but once Darcy grows up a bit, having another puppy would be far more manageable. Until then, Darcy flies solo.

Random pix

I'm brain dead. That's the only explanation. This time of year we're working long hard hours, trying to get stock ready for the Kansas City Renaissance Festival which starts September 1. As a result, I'm brain dead... and neglecting the blog.

So by way of begging forgiveness, I decided to post a bunch of random pix from the last month or so.

This is what we did all afternoon: coated tankards.

This was what we did a couple days ago: put on handles.

Horsing around at the lake in mid-July with some neighbors.

Pollen on timothy.

Allergies, anyone?

The lake through some trees. Sometimes I forget what a gorgeous place this is.

We made some ice cream and shoved the container into an overstuffed freezer. Whenever we opened the freezer door, the container would shoot out at us. So Older Daughter made a warning sign. It says: "Be careful opening the freezer! The Freezer Dragon is cranky this week and may throw a large bowl of ice cream in your face."

Younger Daughter picking wild raspberries.

Some friends are raising pigs. We've never raised pigs but would like to, so I was interested in their critters.

Garter in the garden.

Whee!

Barn swallow. Hard to catch these guys sitting down.

Older Daughter picking strawberries.

Atlas and Sparky.

A field of canola at the height of blooming. This photo was taken July 17. It's pretty much gone to seed now.

The marsh by the lake.

Cinnamon meets Thor.

Newborn spiders.

A little mist at dawn (early July).

Lydia wearing a daisy chain.

Reluctantly.

Chickens in the manure pile.

Glorious view across the canyon.

Distant canola field.

Ocean spray in bloom.

I thought this fence post looked pretty.

Mullen. Very common around here.

Butterfly. Not sure what type.

Our friend Jack brought another load of tires for my tire garden. They proved irresistible to his three-year-old son Lucas.

I later stacked the tires near the garden fence, awaiting a time when I can lay out more beds.

Wild gillardia (blanket flower), one of my favorites.

This moth was on my dish drain rack. Any idea what type?

Typical farmhouse kitchen table: incubator, fresh eggs, peas waiting to be shelled.

Deer behind the barn at dawn.

Kisses from Thor, Matilda's yearling steer.

Chipmunk.

Younger Daughter had a friend spent the night. They decided to sleep in a tent in the garden.

Snap and one of the hens, roosting.

Full moon setting at dawn.

Crescent moon in the evening sky.