Cabinets from the Bull Lake Side

Usually I see the Cabinets from the east side, but sometimes I drive the Bull Lake road and see them from the west. Also on that side of these beautiful granite peaks lies the tiny Bull River with it's grassy lined banks and many birds drifting around its currents and swirls.

Field Trip

visiting a construction site this afternoon! 

Looking at blueprints and scale

Using a carpenter's square
to create a 3, 12 pitch line



marking out the beginning of a pitch line

Ski Day

The teachers for the day...Kaya, Mark, Ryker and Lucas

KVCS has a yearly ski day. I have attended every year I've been here, but this year was the first ever year that I strapped a snowboard to my feet. On previous years I skied and sat in the lodge with computer, books, and coffee. I got a kick out of being the student as my kids coached me down the slope. Memorable day indeed...



Speech Meet Trip

 

8:00 Libby, MT- the kids were milling around the hall and outside, some holding their speeches. The day of the Speech Meet arrived finally and we took off for ID. The meet was held at Sandpoint Christian School in Ponderay, ID. The snow was blowing the whole way. We haven't gotten snow for a while, but winter does die hard =). The school was neutral, calm and new-looking. We adults met for a judges' meeting. When the meet began, I along with my neighbor teacher at KVCS were judging 1st, 3rd, 6th, and 8th grade speeches. Those little kids were so cute! We worked up to 6th and 8th grade and all but 1 were my kids. This does not make judging easy and I was glad for two others to confer with. I remember when I was a 4th grader reciting the "Ballad of Casey Jones" at the Spokane Speech Meet. Ahhh....age....the tables are turned.













After the meet, we all met whether planned or unplanned at the local Taco Bell...then everyone went their own separate ways. I ended up with 4 kids: Walters, Lucas, Ryker and Kaya. We went downtown Sandpoint and hung out at a little mall, Starbucks, a map store (yes, Tyler, you were right and you will see the poster in class), and the snow-swirling streets. The snow continued to swirl on the drive home. We stopped in Bonners for a quick tour of the deadly quiet museum. The kids got to type on an old-fashioned typewriter! Then stopped at Moyie to see the bridge from the viewpoint area. Thanks to Ryker who took time to read the infoboard, I know that the bridge is 476 feet high. I don't like driving over that bridge. The kids enjoyed the day...except for my music..."Could we maybe listen to some music from this century or even the last?" I enjoyed the day a lot too.

 

'Everyday' Blessings

The December/January view from the back deck. Isn't winter beautiful?! There's jewels everywhere you look in the winter it seems. Some of the icicles where 3 feet long! Impressive to a western Oregon native!




Christie and I went cross-country skiing on the golf course a couple weekends ago. Once again, the beauty God put into winter renders me lost in wonderment so often.

Ah! Love this place! Main Street Perk in Troy, MT draws in people constantly with it's peppy, warm atmosphere. [Ha! I just noticed they adjust the table legs just like I do =) ]

Waiting for our salted carmel lattes before we heading out to take pictures of the Cabinets.



Mom, this is the walking hill. Come join us!

Christmas Tree

We were sitting around the table after a Sunday lunch of hot soup, steaming potatoes and molasses cookies when it was decided we go for a drive to get a Christmas tree. Two of us (Christie's mother-in-law and I) were dragging our feet a bit. Admittedly, I'm a wimp when it comes to rain and snow together! The house sounds very nice at that point. Hmmm...warm house or wet, cold, foggy outside? Off we went though, sliding up the road with the windshield wipers busily scraping rain off the windshield with the earnestness of a metronome.


The chatter in the car made me grin, and I realized again that Libby has been a blessing in a lot of ways. We found our way to the tree place and out three of us jumped. I was tempted to stay with Christie's mother-in-law and sit in the car where it was warm but just couldn't quite let Christie outdo me that much!

So off we trooped through the snow and rain. Reminded me so much of Oregon I felt like I was tree hunting back with the family...

Even when it's wet, cold, foggy and inhospitable looking out there, once outside, I feel great. A natural medicine maybe. Being out in the cool, fresh, mountain air and using a little muscle to slog through the snow leaves me feeling glad to be alive.

The tree found, Mr. Kehn quickly had it on the ground and Christie carried it back to the car where it was tied on with a multitude of knots. It was the prickliest little tree, one that discourage kids and cats from bothering it. =)

First 'Real' Snow

Drove to Kalispell yesterday for a day in the 'big city' =)...The drive was beautiful and the little Rav did awesome! I stayed on the road the whole trip =)

Fisher River