Smoke-Filled Skies in Idaho

I live in Idaho.  Idaho and Washington are severely on fire.  While it makes for some amazing sun photos, we desperately need rain.  Most days, all we see is gray to the ground, with ash falling down like snow.  However, at the moment, we are the fortunate ones as there is not a fire right here.  We have numerous fires surrounding us, but so far, we are safe.  For that, I am grateful!

Please pray for rain for our region! 

This was one of the better days.  There is an airport, homes, and mountains, you just can't see them. 

The Pup

Our new pup, well, we have had her two months now, makes me smile, even when she is causing trouble or biting me.  She is now 3 1/2 months old and getting quite a personality.  She loves kids, running non-stop, watermelon, and feet.  Last week, we were finally able to take her for a walk because her vaccinations were finished.  She is now discovering a whole new world and loving to go for walks.  

She is also losing teeth the past week so she is chewing more than usual, and her puppy fluff is beginning to fall out, being replaced by her adult coat.  

Her sweet face brings a smile to my face.  I hope it does yours, as well.  

Only a Golden puppy can find mud in the middle of a very hot Summer drought! 

Where I Live

I live in the Pacific Northwest.  It used to be a quiet place, where farming and logging were the key industries.  Those industries have been replaced with tourism, real estate, and construction.  We are one of the fastest growing places in the United States.  I can't say that statistic thrills me.  I liked the quieter, slower life, with expansive farmlands, beautiful lakes and trees, and dirt roads.  I am a country girl at heart.  Those ole dirt roads and fields are being replaced by cookie cutter housing developments where the homes are on top of each other and every road is paved. The beautiful pine trees are being knocked over like dominoes to build more homes and roads.  

All that aside, I still seek out the beauty in creation that God provides for me every day.  It may take a little longer to find a quiet place but I so appreciate every beautiful moment when I find a place of solitude, to take in and capture the beauty that surrounds me.  

At my home, I enjoy my front porch, where I can sit in the cool of a Summer morning, drink my coffee, look at my flowers, and listen to the birds sing.  There is often a purple finch serenading me as I sip my coffee. For such a small bird, he has a beautiful song and he reminds me to find joy in the moment.  

In the evenings, I enjoy beautiful sunsets off my front porch.  Tonight was no exception.  It was a beautiful skyline.  

I am blessed to live where I live.  I am thankful that God provides amazing beauty for me to enjoy and capture with my camera, and my heart.  I hope you take time each day to appreciate where you live and that you slow down long enough to see the beauty that surrounds you.

This blog is part of a blog circle.  Our theme for this month is Where I Live.  Please come back this week and read the posts of the others in my circle:  

Spy Journal 

Captured Bits of Beauty

Breathe Deeply

Pollywog Creek

What Marty Sees

Thanks for stopping by!