Crazy Crab Lady of Boise

Meet the crazy crab lady at Costco!

Church Steeple

Here is the church, here is the steeple...

Look Mommy - a Backwards Tricycle!

My daughter's comment yesterday when we saw this recumbent trike on Chinden Boulevard.

Cloud Mountains

Wednesday started out with snow in some parts of the Treasure Valley, and mostly rain in Boise. We had sun breaks in the afternoon, but the clouds hung on the mountains.

Cedar Waxwing in the Sun

Got a crab apple tree? Cedar waxwings love the fruit this time of year. This one was in my front yard yesterday.

Boise West Family YMCA

We have two YMCA locations in Boise, this is the one nearest my home. We've been there quite a bit lately. I wish I could say it's because we've been exercising more, but it's because our daughter has become a swimming bug.

Front Yard Windmill

Long-time Boiseans will recognize this front-yard windmill along Ustick Road. This is a home with a magical backyard garden. I heard rumors about it and knocked on the door one day and asked for a tour for my daughter and myself, and the friendly owners obliged. And - sent me home with a wonderful and large bouquet of lilacs. A reason to love Boise!

Cultural District View

The tallest building in view is the Hoff Building. There's an event center at the top, there used to be a restaurant and bar - the "Top of the Hoff." It's an art deco-style building. I haven't been inside for years, but I should pop in because I remember there are some interesting interior details.

Fake Frost

A window at the back for the main branch of the Boise Public Library. Looks like frost, but it's not. I think it's the tinted coating gone bad.

The Cabin Along the Boise River

It's called The Cabin - A Literary Center for Idaho. Writing camps for all ages, guest author appearances, readings and discussions, everything to do with the love of words. Word nerd heaven!

A Walk Between Barren Trees

The tree-lined sidewalk runs through Julia Davis Park, downtown Boise. At thed other end is Zoo Boise.

Roadside Memorial

Idaho is one of just a few states that allows roadside memorials. Officially, a five-pointed gold star is what's "legal," although I've never seen one. I've only seen crosses.

Everyone Loves Pink Flamingos, Right?

Happy Fat Tuesday!

Final Resting Place for Old Farm Gear

Another jumble of old farming equipment. Some of might be able to pick out some of these pieces. I think those grates probably were part of a manure spreader?

Cloudy Mountains

The mountains peeking through the clouds yesterday. Happy Valentine's Day!

Cool Backyard Play House/Fort

Better than a tree house? I would think this would be an instant kid club house.

Costume Mission

A peek inside The Costume Shop on Chinden. I had to pop inside with my daughter yesterday. She "needed" a cupid's bow and arrow....and all she had to do was ask one of the employees and it was immediately delivered to her. My 8-yr. old says we "definitely" have to go back when we have more time so she can do "proper exploring." It was a popular place yesterday for folks getting ready for Mardi Gras parties next week.

Livin' Large for the Kids

One of the signs at the entrance to the very large youth sports complex in Eagle. Yesterday was my first visit to the park, which felt even larger than it was because I was the only person around. Lots of Canada geese, though.

Farming History Display

It's common to see farming equipment stored, and sometimes abandoned, in fields at the edge of town. This collection looks almost artful.

Send In Some Clowns!

This made me smile on a foggy morning.

Medical Building Table Rock View

Sometimes, it's hard to "see" Table Rock in the Boise Foothills because it blends in against the rest of the Boise Front. But this view from the second floor of a medical building I was visiting shows it clearly. The clouds actually helped "clear" the view.

Swimming at the Y-M-C-A

That was the Saturday night fun for my family. The YMCA near our home has a large aquatic center and it was busy last night.

Gravel Industry

A gravel plant not far from the Boise River. The gravel is mined from nearby pits that usually fill with water from the river when the projects are done. Some of these old pits are popular swimming holes or fishing spots now.

Horsin' Around on the Haystack

I was thinking these kids were having fun climbing on the haystacks, kinda like when I was a kid, we liked to scramble up the stacks of sugar beets (really!). But after taking a closer look at the photo, I'm not so sure these kids weren't on the hay to keep their distance from that longhorn in the right hand corner?

More Backyard Chickens

Suddenly, chickens become common in backyards...or...I just never noticed them before. Thanks to my husband for photographing this flock.

A Sweet Deal? Pay Extra for Real Sugar

I'm obviously not an advertising target for this campaign, because I didn't know anything about it until I saw a display at Winco. For a limited time, you can pay extra to drink Mountain Dew and Pepsi made with real sugar. I remember reading an article a while back about how people travel to a processing plant in Texas to get Dr. Pepper made with real sugar - because real sugar is evidently a smoother taste than the high fructose corn syrup used for sodas these days. Have you tasted these throwback sodas?

Cue up Glen Campbell - Lineman at Work

There is actually a lineman college in the Boise area, where people can take training to climb poles and learn to perform other electrical work. This line project is taking place along Chinden Boulevard this week.

City Daily Photo Theme Day: "Wood"

It's theme day at CityDailyPhoto.com - and this month, the theme is "wood." This tree trunk owl was carved by a chainsaw artist at the Western Idaho Fair a few years back. He lives at my front entryway. He's not usually so pink-tinged, but when I took his photo, there was a spectacular pastel sunset underway.