How fun to stroll around and hear so many people speaking Basque. Boise has the largest Basque population outside of Spain, with people migrating here from that region starting in the late 1800s. Our mayor is Basque.
The foothills that burned this week. You can click for a larger photo and see how the fire surrounded some of these homes.
These noisy tankers were flying over the house all afternoon yesterday. This is an Aero Union firefighting plane that can spread retardant over a blaze...and we had several blazes sparked by lightning. I heard four homes were destroyed in the hills above town. How sad.
Lots of motorcycles are on the roads with our nice weather. It's nice to feel the breeze...but maybe some extra breeze was felt here? My husband gets credit for this photo.
A creepy crawly wiggled its way onto a napkin while I was having a snack on the patio. I'll guess it's a moth caterpillar.
Canada geese taking advantage of a swampy area in a cow field. Boise hit 100 degrees yesterday.
This photo was taken by my friend down the street. She wondered who had been pilfering cat food left outdoors.
It's phone book season in Boise. These get tossed on driveways and doorsteps, and there are several versions. I contacted all the companies last year and asked to "opt out," since we have no use for a phone book anymore - guess that system doesn't work yet. The good news? These can go right into the recycling bin.
Honeybees love lavender. There have been a lot of news stories recently about the disappearance of bees around the country, with some experts encouraging those with yards and gardens to grow more bee-friendly plants. This lavender grows along our front walkway.
"Dry docked" in an RV storage lot. We do have boating opportunities at Lucky Peak Reservoir about 20 minutes northeast of Boise. Although, this doesn't look like a boat that's easy to trailer in and out of a lake.
Pipes "set" to water the crops. These are done by hand and it's not as easy as just dropping the pipe into the waterway. It has to be placed so there is a natural suction to carry the water up and out. In the summer at smaller-town fairs and festivals, there are "pipe setting" contests to see who can get the most pipes flowing quickest. The brown crop in this photo is wheat.
A crumbling structure that I imagine will just "disappear" one day as development moves along.
I've read several articles recently about the rekindled interest in hanging the wash out to dry and the controversy it can cause. Many subdivision codes and rules forbid it, and the boards are staunchly against allowing them. I remember years ago in Boise, I interviewed a woman who had an entirely different reason for hanging the wash outside to dry: she considered it a "traffic calming" measure. She hung her clothes in the trees to dry, and she believed the curiosity made people drive slower.
The garage of a repossessed home in Boise...this is what the whole house looks like. What's interesting to me is that the realtor showing us this property kept telling us this wasn't bad - repos are often much worse.
Posted outside at an area high school. Rules are important, but the negativity seems to cancel out the positive message at the top.
The shaved ice shacks dotting parking lots around the valley usually have a small crowd around them while people snack on the frosty treats. I didn't get to meet these folks - looks like there's a story here.
Click to enlarge to see the variety offered. Some probably wouldn't be a good idea for the front yard :)
I hadn't noticed this until recently, and had to look it up. It's a club that caters to the GLBTQ crowd and friends. There's a Boise Pride Fest party there this weekend. 
At least I think the one with a white face is a mallard :) I'm not a duck expert. 
The Cascades Drum and Bugle Corps from Washington State took the field and played out scenes of Americana. We attended the Drum Corps International "Boise Summer Music Games" last night. Six corps competed. Click here to see more photos of the competition. The Blue Knights took first in the World Class division, and the Vanguard Cadets received the top score in Open Class. 
Happy 4th of July! These patriotic "birds" are in front of Franz Witte Nursery on State Street. Usually, pink flamingos decorate the front yard.
I think this is a female black-chinned hummingbird. We see these and rufous hummingbirds most often in our yard. Change the feeder supply every three days, and no need to buy hummingbird food. Mix one part sugar with four parts warm water and stir until dissolved.
I thought these little girls were selling lemonade and cookies, so we stopped to say "hi." Instead, they were selling knickknacks and trinkets from their rooms because they wanted some money...and they're moving. Bless their hearts! We bought a Mardi Gras mask.
It's "theme day" at City Daily Photo. Reflections is the topic. This is the silo at DeMeyer Park. The park used to be a farm, and the land was donated for a park under the stipulation that the silo stay. It's locked up tight, even though kids regularly try to break in. See all the interpretations of theme day by clicking here.
