Pics from Around Idaho

These past two weekends I've had the opportunity to take quite a few pictures from around Idaho. First off, last weekend (November 7th) Michelle and I had a "driving date" through northern Idaho on my way home from a business trip to Seattle and Vancouver (BC). After I drove out there for work earlier in the week, Michelle flew out to meet me in Seattle Friday night, and we drove home together. We have some really good friends whom had moved to the boonies just east of Coeur d'Alene from Irvine about the same time we moved to Boise, and we hadn't seen them since our California days (daze?). This is their beautiful home here on the right. They built this log cabin home on their 40-acre property after they bought it, and the home overlooks Lake Coeur d'Alene - it's really beautiful!!!

I had crossed the border (border crossing pic here on left) from Vancouver in British Columbia back to the U.S. earlier Friday afternoon and picked Michelle up in Seattle, then we drove to Spokane that night. We spent the night in Spokane, then visited our friends for breakfast Saturday morning. It was so great to see them again! We took the rest of Saturday driving south through northwestern Idaho, down through Plummer, Moscow (University of Idaho Vandal country!!!), Lewiston, and McCall en route home. It's really pretty up in Coeur d'Alene, and call me crazy, but I actually thought Lewiston was quite pretty (I've never heard any talk about how pretty it is). Particularly as you are coming south on I-95 and you're on the big hill overlooking the entire valley, it's quite pretty. Maybe it's because we were seeing it at sunset it was nice - I dunno. You'll see the pics and can judge whether or not I'm crazy.

Then this past weekend Michelle's sister and her husband and children were visiting from California. We took the opportunity of the first measurable snow this season in Boise Friday night to take a stroll around downtown Boise's Julia Davis Park Saturday morning. The park is right next to BSU's Bronco Stadium, and of course it was game day. The whole area is awash in blue and orange, and it's just really fun. You'll see a lot of nature pictures of the park and of the Boise River (pictured at right), but you'll also see a bunch of pics from all the tailgate parties, as well. Boise gets CRAZY on BSU football game days, and it's way fun!!!

We also had a GREAT time Friday night while the Bruns were in town, when much of the local Dillion clan from Boise came over to our house for dinner (lasagna) and fun. It's always so much fun when the whole family gets together! Believe it or not, though... I didn't take pictures at this gathering (like I usually do). Michelle's sister Melinda was taking pics, so I can't wait to see them on Facebook after she posts them!

Anyway... enjoy the photos below, as well as all that I've posted online from last weekend (here on Facebook and here on Flickr) as well as from this weekend (here on Facebook and here on Flickr).

The Seurynck's log cabin home on their 40-acre lot.

The view from the second floor of the Seurynck's log cabin home. Dave literally sits at this window from where I took this picture, and hunts in his pajamas. Last year he bagged a big ol' elk without even taking his slippers off!

Lake Coeur d'Alene.

Overlooking Lewiston, Idaho.

The cousins at Boise River.

The little white church on the BSU campus.

The tailgate parties.

From the tailgate parties.

The lake at Julia Davis Park.

My favorite mother-in-law!