Boise

I took my customary lunch walk today at around 11:00. I realized that cars were slowing down and stopping on a road that is generally not very busy, so I meandered over that way to discover what I could see. I was happy to find six young deer lazily wandering through the neighborhood and snacking on some of the tender green chutes of the bushes.

I got to thinking how fun it is to live in Boise. Where else can you find deer aimlessly wandering through the bustle of a city at 11:00 in the morning? I got to thinking back on being raised in the greater Boise area, and got thinking about the pictures I took the other day. Especially ones of this trailer.

I was amazed at all the blues I found in this picture. I couldn't believe how vibrant some of them were after at least 30 years of weathering.

And I loved the grain of the wood in this picture mixed with the flaking of the paint.

Then I got to thinking about Boise again, and came to the conclusion that this trailer and Boise are quite similar. To many, the city of Boise seems old fashioned and bland. Some think it needs new wheels, or a fresh coat of paint, and others just want to abandon it completely.

Beneath everything, there are some interesting grains to see, as well as some amazing colors. Boise is small enough to be feel like home, but big enough to entertain me. Sure, I don't get all the big concerts coming through town, but I do get a few here and there that actually interest me. Sure, I don't have all the Broadway shows I would like, but I saw Wicked here last year, and am planning on seeing Les Miserables within the next year. There are robust opportunities, but not so robust that I get lost in the shuffle.

Boise has growing pains, much like any other medium-sized college town, but all in all, I enjoy exploring the backyard of my work building. I'm about three blocks from the heart of downtown Boise, and about four blocks the other way from the foothills. When I need bustle, I wander downtown among the masses. When I need the quiet, I head towards the dog park and the hills to wander in solitude.

I think my walks are what keeps me sane at work. If I didn't have time to leave and chew on stuff, being exposed to other stimuli besides a beige cubicle wall and identical gray desks, I think I might have been admitted to a mental hospital a long time ago. Things like the herd of deer refresh me and help me remember that Boise isn't all that bad of a place to be right now, even if some things don't shine like they did right when they came out of the box. There is still enjoyment to be found in the weathered grain of the wood.

Change of Plans

The Monday after Christmas we were going to go sledding. The only problem was the fact that all the snow around Boise melted, so we were kind of out of luck. There wasn't much to be done, except change plans. So we did.

We decided instead to take a trip up to some hot springs that Wifey's sister had been to on Memorial Day. They charged a bit more than I wanted to pay ($8.00 per person), but we decided to make the hour and a half drive anyway since the rest of the family was going.

On the way, we stopped for one of Munchkin's cousins to take a quick potty break. We learned that the name of the place we were going was Gold Fork Hot Springs, so we started looking for signs. We thought originally that it was on the south side of Cascade, but after driving for two hours, I realized that it was a lot closer to McCall than it was to Cascade.

And I was pleasantly surprised when we arrived. I was expecting some rinky-dink stone pools patched together with poorly-mixed cement. Instead, I found a steaming, three tiered pool occupied by some Japanese tourists. Then, I learned that there were two other pools, both equally appealing.

After changing in the confines of about 1/6 of a yurt (the most unpleasant part of the experience) and securing our things in a locker, we slid into the main pool. And the water was very nice. In fact, it was pretty much like a warm bath. I generally get cold in the water while swimming, but I was plenty satisfied to spend my time in basking in the warmth of the water. I didn't even get cold.

We spent a few hours moving from pool to pool and making sure that we had something to eat for lunch on the patio furniture that was sitting on the decks around the pools. After spending some time in the pools, I found that I was fine spending the $8.00 entry fee. The hot springs were just the right temperature, the drive up was quite scenic, and the facilities (except for the changing rooms) were excellent. I later found out that the springs are closed every Tuesday because they empty out all the pools and clean it out. I felt much better about my $8.00 after learning that.

We had a bunch of people (including a youth camp) show up while we were there, and while I fearedt it was going to get crowded, I found that I still had ample room to spread out and frolic in the warm water. I felt soothed, relaxed, and found that I would probably be returning in the future.