Coeur d'Alene

Left Grangeville on Friday, 7/23, bound for Coeur d'Alene and three nights there.  Along the way we made a stop in Asotin, Washington.  Asotin is the home of Matt Brady and family.  Matt, from Albq, was HS friend and college roommate of son, Mike, at NM Tech in Socorro and is now a biology professor at Lewis and Clark University, which is across the Snake River from Asotin in Lewiston, ID.  Asotin is a charming riverbank village and Matt, his wife, Kelly, and daughters Erin and Brinna (? - hope I've got that right) live in a classic two-story Victorian house, right across the street from the school where Kelly teaches and the girls attend.  Really an idyllic setting.  We had a nice visit, then walked down town (one block) and had lunch in Asotin's bakery/deli/cafe.   Here's a family picture of the Brady Bunch (bet they've heard that before):

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The radiant beams from above are due to the fact that the sun is just over the top of the porch where the Bradys are standing.  Nothing mystical going on, I don't think.  It's great to see your kids and your kids' friends raising their own families.

Water sports are big in the Snake River Valley.  Kelly told a story about one of her first class sessions.  To get acquainted she told her students, Just ask me any question.  Student asked what sounded to her like: Do you wake bored?  She thought that was a little strange, but she answered the best she could:  No, I usually wake up in a good mood.  Students laughed.  What she had been asked is: Do you wakeboard - ride something like a snowboard while being pulled behind a motorboat?

Our RV park in Coeur d'Alene is on the Spokane River, just where it flows out of CdA Lake (it's not fun typing Coeur d'Alene). We got a prime spot overlooking the park's beach area.  Our traveling companions were thrilled.

We had a pretty leisurely two days and three nights in CdA, driving around a couple of lakes in the area, strolling the lakefront park, doing a little shopping, relaxing, and reading.  We were struck by how many homes were for sale in the area - nice lakefront properties.  Some lake scenes:

Downtown CdA is decorated with these large hanging baskets of flowers.

We attended the downtown Presbyterian Church, because they had a 930 service (we had our riverview site for just two nights; had to move by Sunday noon to another site - predestination?) and enjoyed it very much: friendly people, fine music, thoughtful sermon, etc.  After a meet and greet session, members were asked to introduce guests.  We were sitting next to a lady who was also a guest.  The person who introduced her said that she, the guest, had lived in CdA several years but just recently attended a funeral at the church.  It impressed her so much that she decided to come back for a regular service.  Then the lady who introduced us said, These are the Easterlings who are traveling through and have no intention whatsoever of coming back.  That got a big laugh.

The church's most valuable person was the lady who played the piano and organ, led a quartet who led the congregation in a couple of praise songs, and sang a solo - all with great skill and flair.  Susie wondered if she swept the floors and straightened up after church. 

I liked the praise-song portion of the service.  It was short, congregational singing of two songs projected on a screen, accompanied by only a piano and led by four singers, one of whom briefly introduced each song.  Proved the praise experience doesn't require amplified drums and guitars and a half-hour on your feet.  Harumpff.

Another nice touch was doing a couple of Christmas carols - it was July 25.  Preacher said one of the influential ladies on the matriarchs row had asked for it.  We opened with O Come All Ye Faithful and closed with Joy to the World.  Felt good.

It's Monday and we're off to Canada.

Cheers,

Susie and Rob