Winery Visit

We took a tour of Wood River Cellars yesterday - which is just a few miles from our house. This is a small, young vineyard near the winery, most of their grapes come from vineyards about 20 miles from here. They use all-Idaho grapes and sell mostly varietals. We liked several during our flight of five for tasting. It was a location destination because my next-door neighbor Dennis Helppie is showing a couple of pieces of his art at the winery. He'll have a full show in August. We love Dennis! See his work at http://helppieart.com/.

Mini Pony Yard Pets

Miniature ponies in a big yard in an old neighborhood. People can have livestock if the property had livestock on it before city laws changed and banned them - they're 'grandfathered in' on the law books.

Fill the Boot

This is not a construction worker standing on the hot pavement with temperatures in the 90s, it's a firefighter volunteering his time for the "Fill the Boot" campaign. The firefighters walk up to cars at stoplights with an empty boot, asking for donations for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Rusty Saguaro

Saguaro art that appears to be made of recycled metal and gears. I like it. But I've learned that rusty art is usually art that's too expensive for my pocketbook.

Clogging is Popular Around Here

We see traditional Irish clogging, and precision clogging to all types of music, with clog dance groups performing at festivals and community events throughout the year. I've also seen it performed as the "talent" in many of the local Miss America preliminary pageants. The shoes do have a type of tap on the toe and heel like tap shoes, but there's definitely more of a folk dancing basis for the style. It's always high-energy.

Two Animal Causes

A different post today - and it's all about critters and magic. First, these sweet kitties are currently being fostered by volunteers with nonprofit Conrad Strays and finding them forever homes is a challenge. The black kitty above, and its sibling, "Shadow and Sheba," are FIV-positive babies. They love to play and are very lovable, get along with kids, and have temperaments to be fabulous family pets. The trick is that they must go to homes that currently do not have cats, or homes that have a cat with FIV - and they must be kept indoors because of their FIV status. FIV is contagious only between cats. Dogs and people are not affected and cats with the virus normally live healthy lives.
And this is another Conrad Strays FIV foster kitty. Her name is Cassie cowgirl. She's a small kitty and described as "too cute" to euthanize. Cats with FIV are often euthanized because it's so difficult to find homes for them. If you can help - contact ConradStrays@aol.com.

And now some "magic" and a little blog space for dogs. Treasure Valley Search Dogs is holding a fundraiser everyone will love, a Jay Owenhouse magic show. He's Las Vegas-show fancy and tickets are only $10. The show is in Caldwell June 12th. Get tickets at CHF Home Funishings in Boise, or contact my friend Paula, who runs Treasure Valley Search Dogs, 208-850-4124.

Subtle Colors

It's not as green as the trees, but the Boise Front is in its spring green colors - a subtle green in the mid-line view of the mountains.

Garage Sale Season

Garage sale/yard sale signs on every street corner and subdivision entrance this weekend. This one had the usual clothes and household items, along with some fly-fishing gear.

Memorial Day Weekend

I'm Calling It an Earwig Machine

A picture my husband took of interesting machinery. It looks pretty specialized to me. Those pincers look like earwig pincers to me. Earwigs are creepy little critters we have around here. They don't really crawl in anyone's ear, but they will pinch you. When we bought our house, the forsythia foundation plantings were an earwig haven. We evicted the plants along with the bugs.

Sagebrush Truck

A rusty relic sitting among sagebrush on the property of Micron Technology - a big Boise business. I think things like this sit around so long they become part of the landscape and no one notices them anymore, or thinks of disposing of them properly.

Home of the Scones

Merritt's Country Cafe on State Street. Gotta love the sign. I can't remember it looking any different. This cafe is home to many regulars, those in town for the horse racing season (except probably this year because of a lack of racing, but that's another story), and anyone who wants a bite to eat after a night on the town. Just a heads up on the scones - these are not the kind you have with tea.
These scones are more like elephant ears, or "fair scones." Sweet dough fried in oil and topped with butter, powdered sugar, cinnamon, whipped cream and/or fruit.

Cattle Call

Dappled fellows looking for some shade on a day of record high temperatures. Ninety-five degrees broke the record of 93 degrees set in 1954.

Neighborhood Bar

The sign on top of a neighborhood bar in West Boise. I don't know who that superhero is - beer man, I suppose. This is a place where you can play horseshoes out back.

Diva Collection

Since my Boise Daily Photo identity is "Boise Diva" - here are two other local "divas," according to their vanity plates.

Cats Having a Picnic

Kitties waiting at this picnic table in a front yard. I tried to get their attention directed towards the camera, and got only slightly annoyed interest.

Another Stray Mining Cart

An old mining cart sitting in front of a heavy equipment store. I spied it this week and it made me think of the picture below - which I featured here on BDP about a year ago.
I guess these are collector's items.

A Little More Progress

I remembered to stop by McMillan Elementary to see how the mural was going....it's closer to finished. There used to be a painting of the school mascot on this wall. Compare the mural picture in January to see the progress. School will be out in just a few weeks and I bet they get it done.

Irrigation Sprinklers

I grew up in Idaho, where irrigation is the reason why have lush lawns, trees, shrubs and a large agricultural industry. Otherwise, our high-desert natural landscape wouldn't be so lush. It wasn't until I was in my mid-20s on a cross-country drive that I even realized not all farming is dependent on such irrigation systems. I remember being in Nebraska and wondering where the irrigation pipes went to? These wheels and a motor in the middle make moving the pipeline fairly easy. Other pipes have to be moved by hand. Some irrigation systems divert water into small ditches between the crops, instead of sprinklers. When I was in high school, you could earn a nickel for every section of pipe moved when working on local farms.

Bike to Work Week

This soon-to-be former bike owner is not likely participating in this week's "Bike to Work" week - since this two-wheeler has been placed out for trash pickup. I got a close look and there was a little bit of rust, but the tires were in good shape and fully pumped up. This item might be better suited for "Curb Day" this Saturday, May 16th. People are encouraged that day to leave their unwanted, but still valuable, items at the curb for others to cart off for re-use, instead of burial at the landfill. Some of the "allowable items" include bicycles, books, toys, clothing, plants, furniture, kitchen items and building materials.

New Branch Library Under Construction

The new Boise branch library under construction in the Cole Village area. It has a retro look to me. Great windows for natural light. I hope there is a second floor, as it looks like there is, where there might be more of a view than the lower level - which will see traffic and the strip mall across the street.

Camo Chicks

Can you see me now? Canada goose chicks blending in along the banks of a canal. Most of the chicks I've seen lately are much larger, so these must be late-season babies.

Not What You Think

No, this is not an imitation "Hooters" restaurant. The food servers are dressed normally and not just girls. The owners of this place say it's named after their dog. They specialize in hamburgers, chili burgers (a.k.a. Boobie Burgers), and Southwestern food. The restaurant is in a neighborhood area along Ustick Road - and some people are not amused by the name.

Frosty Nights Continue

Those who garden early in the spring season have to keep an eye on the forecast. Light frost again this morning in many areas. Old quilts and blankets can work to protect tender garden plants overnight. I spied this blanketed garden during my travels this morning. Other people use buckets and cut-out plastic milk jugs to keep plants frost-free.

Cheers in the Cemetery

For the last couple of days, while driving past the Joplin Cemetery, I had noticed a beer bottle next to a grave. I figured "kids," and when traffic was backed up, I turned into the cemetery, aiming to pick up the trash. It turned out to be a full bottle of Wing Walker Lager left there in honor of someone. How fitting for a gravestone with flying themes such as "May the Force be With You." I left the bottle there...

Lone Flag

Looking at the Foothills West. Notice that the mountains in the background have a little touch of green. It will quickly become brown for most of the spring/summer season.

Weather for Ducks...in My Backyard

Mark up another "first" for a new critter in my backyard. She waddled around for quite a while, exploring and eating seed that had fallen from the bird feeders. We've set some records for single-day rainfall in Boise, and rain is in the forecast for as far as I can see. Other "firsts" this year for the backyard: red-winged blackbird, yellow-headed blackbird, and Eastern gray squirrel. The spotted towhees are back - they were first-timers last year.

House of Rock

This stone skeleton is tucked right along a very busy road in Boise - Fairview Avenue. Yet, I doubt it gets noticed. A couple of days ago I posted a picture of a house that was burned for firefighter practice. This one probably wouldn't qualify.

A Different Kind of Three-Wheeler

This is the first time I've seen one of these. I don't really know the official name....

Burning Down the House

This was no accident, firefighters set this abandoned home on fire for training purposes. They had been chopping into the house for weeks to practice techniques, and this week was the big blaze. Donating an old structure for firefighting training is an option for property owners wanting to clear out a building.

CDP Theme Day - Shadows

A shadowy hazy pathway - part of the Boise River Greenbelt. The City Daily Photo theme day today is "shadows." See all the talented photography from daily bloggers around the world here.