A walk in the woods

After scoping out several trails and walking areas this past year, we have found our very favorite!  It is woodsy, near the river and oh so quiet and peaceful.

The dampness of the weather lately makes for heavy moss on everything where we walked.

 and, at this time of year, I will take "green" wherever I find it!

Luckily we are still getting snowless days.  Fifty degrees yesterday on the trail.  Easy walking on groomed paths and off-trails leading up hills and rock ledges.

Spokane River

over its banks again this Spring . . .

Love this river!  Wherever you are in the city or outskirts you are never far from this wonderful river.  It flows right through the center of downtown.  We were close to it when we lived at Stateline (where WA and ID meet).  And its just a short drive from our new house.

And just up the hill is Arbor Crest winery.  We will certainly take advantage of this beautiful spot looking down on the whole city and river.

Came across this lonely Canada goose on our walk along the Centennial Trail . . .

Spokane River gifts

  

So fortunate to live just a "stone's throw" from the Spokane River.  It is quite high now because of snow melt and all the rain we have been blessed with lately.

Being such an active river, rocks tumbled and tossed smooth over the centuries.  It is an artist's dream to go rock picking after the dam is opened up downtown and the river back here by the Idaho border settles down.  That is the time you can pick smooth flat surfaces perfect canvas to paint on.

Exploring the River Banks (March 2015)

mossy drift wood 

an old snag

Always something interesting to find along the banks of the Spokane River here at Stateline.  Last week was no exception.  Looking for driftwood and other detritus after the water recedes in the Spring, I came to a place where something bad had happened.  A coyote was probably the culprit.  A bird carcass picked clean and feathers scattered over a large area.  It wasn't the first time I had come upon such carnage, but the surprise this time was that the feathers came from a peacock!

We scavenged some small iridescent treasures to bring home . . .

Apparently either someone found this treasure before we did and absconded with all the tail feathers or these came from a peahen!?