Digging Out from the Snow

An Oregon junco clearing away a few inches of new snow to get to a free snack.

Fresh Winter Scene

A few new inches of snow this morning in Boise.

River Pointe Park

River Pointe Park is a mostly natural area with a a pathway around it and a few seating areas. It's small and right next to Garden City Hall. Garden City is surrounded by Boise City, and people who live there usually use Boise as their address.

Fairgrounds in Winter

Hundreds of Canada geese call the Western Idaho Fairgrounds "home," for the winter.

I Want One of These

Where can I get one? Maybe at an after-Christmas sale?

Here's Your Sign

Kid fun at a local park Saturday....

A Deal on Dog-Washing

I may be a "Crazy Cat Lady," but I recognize that Boise is a dog town. For those who want to save a few bucks on dog grooming, here's a do-it-yourself option on Ustick Rd.

Boise's Reindeer Feasting on Treats

The resident reindeer at Cloverdale Memorial Gardens, having their lunch yesterday. We stopped by to wish them a Merry Christmas.

The Stockings Were Hung by the Chimney with Care...

...in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there. Merry Christmas! (My Christmas virtual open house continues. Today, "there's always room for one more ornament on the tree." Click here to take the tour.)

Light Blanket of Snow

A new blanket of light snow in Boise yesterday. We're headed into another few days of deep freezing, so the snow that survived the day of sun may still be there Christmas Day. (Stop by my virtual Christmas open house this week - a peek inside our home for the holidays. Click here.)

Idaho Human Rights Education Center

The side of the Idaho Human Rights Education Center building. (I'm holding a virtual Christmas open house this week at Boise Daily Photo Extras, if you want some extra holiday spirit)

Old 9th Street Bridge

When I first moved to Boise, this was the traffic bridge over the Boise River. It made me cringe every time I had to go over it because it was two-way traffic, and I always thought my car was going to get clipped by a big truck going the other way. The bridge is now for pedestrians and bicyclists, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Boise River Greenbelt

A stretch of the Boise River Greenbelt near 13th Street. This is one of the most congested areas along the pathway during the summer.

Mary and Baby Jesus in Hiding?

This Christmas display caught my eye because it's bright and big. I don't know why Mary and Baby Jesus are covered, though.

Fog as Thick as Peanut Butter

A lot of folks were wondering what could be worse than the dark, gray clouds and rain we've had in Boise this week....and the answer came yesterday. Fog. I heard this was inversion-type fog, which can get stinky, but since I have a cold, the fog is scent-free for me.

Dark Days of Winter

Dark days with shorter periods of sunlight, and dark clouds with rain for our valley. I heard a lot of folks grousing about the gray yesterday.

Boise River Snow

This view is from the second floor of the Morrison Center at Boise State University. This fresh snow fell Saturday, and today, it's all gone because it started raining.

Boise's Hanukkah Menorah

Boise's Hanukkah Menorah sits at an intersection along Capitol Boulevard.

Snow Biking

I know there are snow tires available for mountain bikes, but this still looks wobbly to me.

Behind The Curtain - the Nutcracker

This is the curtain for the first act of the Nutcracker. We attended the show yesterday. It was magical!

Light on the Mountain

The shadows from a row of clouds yesterday afternoon highlight the perspective on the Boise foothills leading up in the Mountains.

Christmas Lights

This home in West Boise is always ultra-decorated for Christmas. I'm impressed and I always wonder how long it takes, how many lights are there, where do they store the decorations when they take them down, how much does it increase their electricity bill?

Unintentional Off-Roading in the Snow

A common sight over the past couple of days with our snow and icy roads.

Boise Winter Berries

I wish these bright berries were in my yard. I found them near Parkcenter Blvd. in Boise.

Disc Golf in the Snow

A kind of golf you can easily play in the snow - disc golf. We received a couple of inches of snow in Boise yesterday. This disc golf course is in Julia Davis Park.

Boise River Bald Eagle

This bald eagle was perched high in the trees along the banks of the Boise River over the weekend.

Blue Heron in Hiding

A blue heron blends into the background on a small island in the Boise River.

Pizza Shark

Meet the pizza shark - our new pizza cutter, which helped me make quick work of this homemade pizza last night. Chicken, zucchini, shallot, bacon, Pamesan cheese and white sauce pizza.

Cold Snap

This water display kept its frosty beard all day yesterday. High temperatures hovered at around 32 degrees. Friday - we're hoping for 40.

Boise City Christmas Tree

This is the Boise City official Christmas Tree. It's always decorated with colored lights, and it's surrounded this year by smaller trees decorated with "wish cards" posted by the YWCA. Each card has a specific gift request for a family, or for supplies for the shelter.

Full Cold Moon Morning

December's full moon today is called the "Full Cold Moon." This is the moon on its way to setting into the haze this morning in Boise.

Nutcrackers in Waiting

This army is waiting for a home for the holidays at my house. We'll deck the halls this weekend. (I didn't know when I posted this that the December 1st "theme day" for City Daily Photo was "waiting." See all the talented photographers and clever interpretations by clicking here.

Winter Patchwork

And we're on our way back to Boise today. This shot is of farmland not far from town, made more colorful by a little leftover snow.

Flying Bronco

This Boise State University Bronco airplane has attracted a lot of attention. Lots of folks walking to their gates during our recent travels through the Boise airport stopped to take a picture.

Reservoir up North

An airplane view just north of Boise. This is one of the reservoirs that stores the water we depend on all summer.

Danger! Don't Touch

This is one of many electricity substations that poses such a hazard for squirrels, it seems. If they don't read the "keep out" signs, they can cut power to thousands of people with one wrong jump.

Frosty Morning Cow

I couldn't get this cow to look at me. I yelled "hello," but got no response. I thought it looked lonely on such a frosty morning. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

Christmas Trees

Trees stacked deep and ready for holiday shoppers this weekend at Fred Meyer. When do you put your Christmas tree up? We usually do ours Thanksgiving weekend, although we have an artifical tree. We'll be a week late this year because we're out of town for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Squaw Butte in the Morning

Squaw Butte covered with snow in the morning. It melted away by afternoon. Although from this angle, it looks like this is a stand-alone mountain feature, it's actually part of the mountains along the Boise Front.

You Can't See It, and You Can't Buy It

Big display in the local Barnes and Noble over the weekend for their new e-reader, "Nook," which looks just like a Kindle to my non-tech eyes. The catch was that it wasn't available to see or even buy. The clerk said maybe they would have a shipment today (Monday). She also told me I wasn't allowed to take this picture :)

Cole School Demolition

Protesters couldn't stop the demolition crews at the historic Cole School. It's all coming down, and this is what it looked like Friday night. I took photos of the school last summer when I heard it was going to be torn down. See the "before" scene here.

Red Kettle Time

Another sight and sound of the Christmas season - Salvation Army red kettles and bell ringers. I saw this one set up at Fred Meyer yesterday.

Sidewalk Talk

Sidewalk graffiti seen during my travels yesterday. We're not expecting any snow in the near future, but I know people are hopeful for sudden storms so the ski resort can open Thanksgiving weekend.
Update: this sidewalk message worked! Now, there IS snow in the forecast this weekend.

"Dogi-Pot"

This is something I hadn't seen before in downtown Boise - free dog poop scoop bags. We have similar stations along the pathways in my neighborhood. But this one is fancy. The "DOGI POT: Clean Solution to Dog Pollution," has directions printed on it detailing how to pick up doggie poo.

Chimney Fire

These firefighters made quick work of a chimney fire at this house. By the time I got into position to take the picture, they had it tackled, and as far as I can tell, no big damage to the house. Although, it probably will smell smoky for a while. Wood-burning fireplaces aren't as common as they used to be in the Boise area. Gas fireplaces seem to be the norm these days.

Leaf Raking Alternative

Getting out the lawn mower makes for a quick "raking" job. Our lawn got this treatment two weeks ago from the lawn service guru, and since we don't own a lawn mower, we'll have to do touch up with with an old-fashioned rake.

Santa is Listening

We spied Old St. Nick at Boise Towne Square Mall last weekend. There was a long line to bend his ear. My daughter said she didn't need to talk to him yet because she thinks it's too early to have a Christmas wish list.

Veggie Stand Still Open

In the past, Reggie's Veggies at Milwaukee and Ustick in Boise has closed for the wintry months, but now it stays open, and warm, with heaters inside.

Do-It-Yourself Car Decals

No observation from me on this today, I'll let you do it.

Mountain Fresh Snow

This is a view we like in November. Snow frosting the mountains with autumn trees in the valley. We're expecting more mountain snow through the weekend, and maybe a skiff at our elevation.