North Idaho

Some recent photos and thoughts of my continuing North Idaho experience.

Green eyed cat in the neighborhood

A bird sitting in a dogwood tree, in the neighborhood along the dog walking route.

A small waterfall down the lake aways, up the stream from Beauty Bay.

Fishing mishap on Fernan Lake, a mile down the road from the neighborhood.

Further away, at the opposite end of the lake, a male Osprey enjoys his catch while his woman squawks at two female photographers who got too close to the nest.

Even though I was born in Spokane, WA, I've always considered North Idaho my home because it is in the heart of everything that is enjoyable in nature.  We spent summers on Lake Coeur d'Alene and winters skiing on Schweitzer mountain, when we were children.  I met my husbands in Idaho - my children were born here...and part of my heart belongs to the town of yesterday when it was small and quaint.  When Coeur d'Alene was itself, before people tried to make it into some plastic tourist town that it doesn't fit into.  I could go on about that but it wouldn't do any good.

North Idaho and I have our differences in politics and lifestyle.  I very much believe in the fair and equal treatment of all humans.  Somehow I escaped the historically prejudiced nature of the area.  Idaho is a red state and I am blue.  I believe that the information that is passed on through the news is one sided and too few people get, or seek out, the whole story.  I am not a hunter, a sports fan or a four-wheeler.  However, I do love the outdoors and believe in being gentle with nature and the environment.

Despite our differences, I love North Idaho for its beauty and for the heart of many of its residents.  No where else that I've been do people simply go outside when the lights of Spring come on.  We grow up with an appreciation for the out-of-doors.  It is a fairly simple lifestyle, no heavy traffic, the shopping is basic, the town small and there are large spaces of wilderness.

Imagine being able to walk your dog in a quiet neighborhood where people nod, wave and say hi.  Hopping on the bicycle and taking a spin on a well-groomed, paved cycling path that will take you several miles in many directions.  Walking to the beach to take a swim or to read in the sunshine.  Driving only seven miles to photograph eagles in the winter.  A short drive to Washington and a slightly longer drive to Montana...and not that far from Canada!  Mountains, meadows, lakes, rivers, streams, farmland, forest - there is room to spread your wings and fly. 

I don't know what it is that I'm trying to say, exactly.  Except that, my first year back in Idaho, after a 25 year absence, was a tough one.  It brought me back to the place where I made my worst mistakes and decisions and once here I made more bad decisions.  I needed to grow up and home was where I needed to be in order to accomplish that.  Through that year, my eyes slowly re-opened to the beauty and the easy lifestyle but I found it nearly impossible to photograph.  When there is darkness in one's soul, it is difficult to see the light.  

Now, while I'd still like to travel to different places to take photographs, I can't imagine my life anywhere else.  And, as for my immediate surroundings, the light has become clearer with the shedding of the darkness from my life.  Around every corner is something interesting and/or beautiful to shoot with my Nikon cameras.  And everyday is an exploration into that which makes my heart soar with happiness and enables me to be a part of society.

It is strange how returning to the place that I feared the most, has been the exact location where the wounds were finally able to begin their healing.  I am at home in my heart and in my location.