The Magic of the Festival

Cousins Ava Yates and Libby Morrisroe peer into a "chicken coop" playhouse with real chicks under warming lights at the Festival of Trees. Story about this years festival HERE.

Saturday sledding

Big snowflakes were falling as kids took to the Boyd Avenue sledding hill in Coeur d'Alene on Saturday. Read about the November snow record and predictions HERE.

Brrrrrrr

Gulls fly over the foggy lake at Independence Point in Coeur d'Alene on Wednesday morning. Arctic cold overnight temperatures reached double-digits below zero. The bitter cold is expected to last through Thanksgiving weekend in North Idaho. Weather story from Press HERE.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas ...

Coeur d'Alene is dressed for the holiday in snow and lights. The official kick-off begins the day after Thanksgiving with the Holiday in Lights Parade and the official lighting ceremony at the Coeur d'Alene Resort, which includes the biggest and best fireworks show of the year! Press story HERE.

There goes Hilde ...

In November 2009 Hilde attended the dedication of her namesake park in Post Falls.

Hilde and I were members of a very special club, in fact, the only two members. We shared the dubious distinction of being the only two women who have ever run for the office of Post Falls mayor, both being roundly defeated. It was a little shared inside joke ... our special club that had no meetings or bylaws or dues. Hilde's sometimes gruff demeanor belied a big heart for the community she loved. Ms. Kellogg made an impact in Post Falls and the Idaho legislature through the years, blazing trails in this community that made the journey possible for those of us who’ve come after. The quality of life we all enjoy is due in no small part to those citizens who served in the 1970s and 1980s and had the vision of what Post Falls could and would become. Hilde left the world a better place for having lived a wonderful life of service.

Rest in Peace ... Hilde Kellogg ~ Oct. 17, 1918 to Nov. 22, 2010

A Flash of Fur

When I let Annie out to play in the backyard snow on Monday she had no interest in posing for a photo. It was more fun for her to race around the yard in and under the snow.

Good neighbor

Winter weather might bring out the worst in drivers but it definately brings out the best in neighbors. Our Powderhorn St. neighbor, Harley Bush, is always at the ready to remove my driveway berm after the city snowplows clear the street.

Cross country cross walk

On the first snowy day of the season a young woman finds the best way to get around downtown Coeur d'Alene is via a pair of cross-country skis.

Loading Leaves

The dance of the front-end loaders during Coeur d'Alene's Leaf Fest was enhanced on Tuesday morning following an overnight storm with high winds. Even more leaves were blown from the trees, just in time to be scooped up on city streets.

Symbolic sunset

Idaho Veneer's log yard is silhouetted by the setting sun in Post Falls. The 57-year-old business is the last vestige of the community's mill town beginnings.

Their ship came in ...

Just got off the phone with Dr. Cyndie Hammond after she texted me about an hour ago. Seems Cyndie and Senator Jim Hammond have had quite an adventure this week as two of 4,500 passengers stranded aboard the Carnival Splendor. Cyndie tells me that they had about 12 hours of their cruise underway when the ship lost power about 200 miles south of San Diego on the way to the Mexican Rivera on Sunday.
She and Jim were in a cab on the way to a hotel about noon when we spoke. The pair seemed giddy with delight to be on dry land, although Cyndie had to laugh about the traffic ... "It's Veterans Day in a military town and we're stuck in a parade." She said she's never seen as many television satellite trucks as there were when the passengers debarked, finally, in San Diego. After a week with no hot meals I asked what she and Jim were going to have for lunch and she said pizza, but Jim quickly stated his preference ... a steak! They agreed that a hot shower took priority over lunch.
Cyndie said the cruise line has been wonderful and praised the cruise director. She was grateful their cabin had a window and wasn't one of the inside cabins, at least there was a view. The Hammonds will stay in San Diego for two days, courtesy of Carnival, before heading home. For their troubles this week the passengers will receive full reimbursement for expenses as well as tickets for another Carnival cruise. Cyndie said they'll take some time before deciding which cruise to take again.

For all who served

Veterans Day is the time to honor the citizens throughout our nation's history who have selflessly served to protect our freedom.
10 a.m.: Program at Hayden City Hall Veterans Park
11 a.m.:  Program at the Warrior Veterans Memorial (pictured), trailhead of the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes, Plummer with the Coeur d'Alene Tribe
11 a.m.: Third Street Bell program at the Third Street docks Veterans Park in Coeur d'Alene.

At most area cemeteries the gravesites of veterans are marked by flags. Coeur d'Alene Memorial Gardens on north Government Way is displaying the gravesite flags as well as the moving Avenue of Flags. The dozens of full size flags are loaned by the families of late veterans, after having draped the caskets of their loved ones. Pappy Boyington Detachment 966 of the Marine Corps League oversees the flag displays at the site.

Breaking Records with Betty!

When I interviewed Betty Owens today on the eve of her 103rd birthday, she officially became the oldest guest ever on KVNI. She's the most senior member of Main Street Birthday Club and made her first-ever appearance on live radio. She's a great gal and has a great friend in Don Sausser, who accompanied her to the studios this morning. This photo by Don Sausser, additional photos from Betty's radio debut HERE. 

Shopping Cart Dash

The Relish Cooking Expo supermarket dash was a lot of fun on Tuesday morning at Super 1 Foods in Post Falls. Jeff Conroy-St. Vincent dePaul, Al Williams-NIC, (with famous television chef Jon Ashton,) KCSD Major Ben Wolfinger and I competed to see who could locate all of the ingredients for different recipes first. Ben, who does a lot of cooking evidently, beat us by a mile. I prefer to think of Jeff, Al and I ending up in a three-way tie for second place. I found it difficult to just grab products off the shelf without comparing prices!
The North Idaho Relish Cooking Expo will take place on December 2 at the Greyhound Park Events Center. More photos from the Supermarket Dash HERE. Story from the Coeur d'Alene Press HERE.

Leaf Fest!

Monday, November 8 marks the start of the city of Coeur d'Alene's annual leaf pick-up program. Some tips to help with the process: • Rake leaves and pine needles about one foot away from the gutter or curb line to allow for water drainage. • Don't bag the leaves or mix branches or other debris in the piles. • Crews and equipment are limited, so leaves will be picked up only once. Please don't put leaves in the street after city crews have completed your area. Do not include bagged leaves, branches, rubble, or refuse.
Due to weather conditions, equipment malfunctions, and unforeseen circumstances, city crews are unable to provide a precise schedule of when leaf pick-up will take place. Pick-up will start south of Sherman Avenue and move north. Completion is expected by Wednesday, Nov. 24.
*I took this photo in November 2009. It's fun to watch the crews make short work of tons of leaves on the streets!

The latest fashion

Kootenai County Undersheriff Tad Leach and Coeur d'Alene Police Chief Wayne Longo surprised the audience at the North Idaho Violence Prevention Center's Fall Fashion Show by taking a uniformed turn on the runway. The annual event raises money for the NIVPC (formerly known as the Women's Center) and was held at the Coeur d'Alene Inn on Saturday.

Flag waving fall

This beautiful sight greeted me a few blocks from my Post Falls polling place on election day. What's not to love about Old Glory and the stunning colors of our north Idaho autumn.

Madison in the morning

Madison Leonard of Hayden earned the title of Coeur d'Alene Jr. Miss, and went on to become Idaho's Jr. Miss. Last summer she wowed the judges in Mobile, Ala., to become America's Jr. Miss. I last saw Madison when she made her homecoming appearance in the Fourth of July parade before heading off to Pepperdine.

Madison is back home this week to support the delegates participating in the Idaho Jr. Miss Scholarship Program, Thursday through Saturday at North Idaho College. I enjoyed interviewing her this morning on KVNI, she's a real role model for young women. 
This week's Main Street column from the Coeur d'Alene Press HERE.

Where to go ...

Find your polling place and see results as they're posted after the polls close at 8 p.m. HERE.

Watch the results with your friends and neighbors this evening:
Republicans will be at GOP Headquarters, 411 W. Haycraft
Democrats are gathering at Cricket's in downtown Coeur d'Alene
Non-Partisan Election Night event with the Post Falls Community Volunteers at American Legion Post 143, Poleline & Syringa
Live local election night coverage:
cdapress.com
KVNI AM 1080 or kvni.com
Huckleberries spokesman.com

Election Day!

We're all battle weary of election ads, robo-calls etc. but it's important to remember that there's an election that is dependant upon all of us to to do our part. What a privilege we have in this country to disagree and debate and cast a ballot without fear for our lives. Let's do our forefathers proud and show up at the polls. VOTE!