In Riggins, spring is in the air. The new grass is bright green, flowers are blooming, there’s a new batch of red calves in the pasture, and we got to visit Fiddle Creek Fruit Stand for chicks!
If you ever find yourself driving North of Riggins on highway 95, near Lucile, you have to stop at the Fiddle Creek Fruit Stand. It feels like stepping back in time. The shelves are full of interesting merchandise like jam, pickles, honey, nuts, feed, and books about the local history. We passed by a pile of colorful fresh eggs on our way to see the chicks in a room behind the counter. The folks that run Fiddle Creek are friendly and helpful, eager to show you what’s new and help you find what you need.
Be still my bleeding heart
New arrivals!
Old timers
Easter eggs
Honey with the comb!
Thank goodness we can visit Riggins when we need a little spring and sunshine. Alice is an old pro. She’s always ready to help with the chores, especially feeding the cows and chickens, and collecting eggs.
Shop talk
Chicken tender
Blades of green
Always chores to be done
Chicken scratch
Too much cute
Baby faces
She was so excited to help pick out chicks. Once they were carefully transported home and settled into their temporary home, Alice laid down to watch, “all the cuteness.”
Cuteness indeed.
Here are videos of the calves and the chicks (don’t mind the commentary, hard to get vid without some extra chatter ;))
It’s rainy again. The snow recedes everyday and flood advisories are the norm this time of year. No bright yellow forsythia or crocus in bloom for us in the mountains yet, but there are signs of spring. We’ve seen robins, mountain bluebirds, and a few patches of grass revealing themselves from under the snow.
Is there a better place to be on a rainy day than the library?
Many Thursday mornings, we enjoy Children’s Story and Craft Hour with Mrs. Melody. Each week, kids gather excitedly on the Unites States map at the McCall Public Library to sing, dance, listen to stories, and create crafts corresponding with a weekly theme. Melody expertly draws children in with her kind and inviting way. And it’s not only kids who love hearing her read stories with fun characters and positive messages.
Alice is usually front and center. All the kids are eager to listen and share their hilarious comments and observations. Melody is a local celebrity too! We saw her one day on the greenbelt near the library and Alice was star struck.
The McCall Public Library is in the early stages of an expansion plan that will increase the library’s size from 4,800 to 12,000 square feet. The expansion will create more space for the programs and events the library offers the community including our favorite, Story Time!
Reading is an important part of our lives and libraries help encourage a lifelong love of books. We’re so lucky to have this amazing resource in our community!
During the intro to every song she hears, Alice proclaims, “This is my favorite song!” And they are, if she’s heard a song it goes straight to her favorites list. She loves music. That’s all there is to it. And at this age, she loves the music we listen to. So much for NPR in the car if Alice is a passenger, it’s music all the way.
Any new music in my life typically comes from a few reliable sources. I love getting a text from Molly with a link to a music video, or a shiny new mix from Kenya, and JD knows hiphop. I find it difficult to answer the question, what kind of music do you like? For me, it comes down to lyrics. Lyrics and a good beat is all it takes to move me. Music creates the soundtrack to our lives. Certain songs take me right back to a specific time and place. Lyrics can pull me from the depths of despair or simply let me wallow in my sorrow. But at the same time, music is the first ingredient for good times and celebration.
Here’s what we’ve been loving lately…
Michael Kiwanuka
Talk about lyrics, his are mesmerizing and I love his voice.
When I saw that the song Cold Little Heart was 11:58 long, I almost skipped right over it. Now the more I hear it, the more I love it. He doesn’t even start singing until about 7:00 minutes in. But the intro sets the song up beautifully.
Lapsley
Holly Lapsley Fletcher was born the year I graduated high school!
Brandi Carlile
I could go on and on. I think Alice would select the following song as her favorite favorite…
Milky Chance
She’s loved this song since she was about two and would beg to watch the “dusting the man” video.
Music will always matter to us.
In other news…
This season has been one for the record books. When you get multiple days and you think the powder can’t get better, it does. Our crew has been rallying this season and its been fun riding with some new peeps. The ladies from Snow Bunny Magazine were up recently and the timing was on point. Riding with an experienced group of riders, especially women, is the best. And even better with music!
We’re still watching and feeding the birds. Many of the same cast of characters and some new arrivals as the season changes. We did manage to participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count and luckily had some data to contribute from McCall!
I feel like I should give an update on Pearl too. It hasn’t been all tail wags and dog treats. We’re struggling here. Working with a rescue dog with separation anxiety is no joke. We’re tired, frustrated, and going broke. We haven’t thrown in the towel yet but there have been some tears for sure.
Alice in the Morning 