Hi Gram,
I spent a couple days in Boise, ID visiting my friend T’Rell and we had such a fun time! I stopped along the way at an REI to get some shorts, sandals, and a shirt for my trip. The shorts are the same make and model as some pants that I own and wear just about every day, so I know they’re going to be great. The shirt was soft and velvety and I think it looks good on me, so I look forward to wearing that. The sandals, on the other hand, didn’t work out so well. I tried them on in the store wearing socks, and they felt alright. As soon as I got to the car, I took my socks off and put them on and they immediately felt clammy and plastic. I clenched my jaw and vowed to give them a shot, knowing I’m going to need some airy shoes when I’m in Bali.

I met T’Rell at The Ram restaurant, and it was so great to see her! We talk every day about our accountability goals, so it was really nice to see her in person. We chatted about my trip so far, our goals, and about all that Boise has to offer over a good dinner. Once we were full, we headed out to the Green Belt, a walking path along the river that was right behind the restaurant. There were people floating in inner tubes down the river, bikers and pedestrians strolling along the path, and the shade provided much needed relief from the heat. We soon came to a nature preserve park that felt like a zoo. It had winding paths past ponds and waterfalls, aquarium-style windows displaying the life under the ponds, and signs explaining the flora that was all around us. We saw some big fish, some crawfish, and a snake. It was really cool strolling through this display, just part of the parks system. My feet were hurting from the sandals, so we headed back to the cars and said our goodbyes.

Thursday, I woke really early without my alarm, well rested from the comfortable hotel bed. I got up and took advantage of the early morning, then unloaded my bike and took a ride along the green belt. I was impressed with how far the belt ran and was glad to see lots of people strolling along enjoying the crisp morning. When I got back to the hotel, I loaded the bike onto the car again and headed inside for breakfast. I was really impressed with how extensive the breakfast selection was. I almost panicked that I wouldn’t get to try everything until I realized that I could get more tomorrow.

Satiated, I went upstairs, cleaned up and did my morning stretches, physical and brain exercises and reading, then headed to the Idaho State Museum to meet T’Rell. I wasn’t expecting much from a state museum, but figured it would be a chance to walk around and have things to point to and talk about while we spent some time together. Like I’ve said before, I’d rather spend time with a friend doing something boring than do something exciting all by myself. Turns out, the state museum was a lot more interesting than I expected. I was pleasantly surprised by all the history and artifacts on display and the interactive exhibits kept us engaged and interested. We learned about agriculture, how the land was settled, all the lumber and mining, the fire of 1910 that inspired our current national fire management efforts. There were displays about art deco, dams, irrigation, native relations, and even a story about Geronimo, the skydiving beaver! If you have a chance, do a Google or YouTube search for Geronimo. Back in the 40’s or 50’s, the beavers were causing trouble for a residential lake development, but were needed elsewhere in the state in a hard to reach forest area. Looking at the materials on hand, they found that there was a surplus of WW II parachutes. They rigged up a system where the beavers were placed in pairs into a special box that would open on landing, connected it to a parachute, and launched them out of planes. While they were testing different configurations for the box, they used one beaver, nicknamed Geronimo, for testing. He got so used to it, he would land, leave the box, then sit and wait for the people to come gather him back up. The area where they dropped these beavers is thriving today from all the dams they built.

Learning about Idaho history made us hungry, so we headed to a Vietnamese restaurant where the waitress recognized T’Rell immediately and brought us some delicious cuisine. T’Rell had to get to work, so we hugged our goodbyes and headed out. I headed to REI to return the shoes, then headed to the theater to see the movie Oppenheimer. Tired from a long day, I headed back to the hotel and got some sleep.

I woke early again the next morning and did my exercises, then headed downstairs for their tasty breakfast buffet, which was was all delicious, if a bit more than I needed. I went back up to the room to clean up and pack up, then hit the road. I stopped in La Grande, OR to stretch my legs and look around. I can’t drive very long without getting sore – not like when I was younger – which has the benefit of seeing lots of little towns that I wouldn’t have otherwise seen. I walked around a little, then stopped at Houghi’s 24 Flavors for a little ice cream and small town charm.

After one more stop in Prosser, WA, I reached my family in Bellevue for all the hugs and laughter one man can fill up on. I was amazed at how tall my Nephew Howard has gotten since last I saw him, and great to see Andy and their parents looking healthy and happy. I unloaded my bags up to my room, then headed downstairs for a movie and pizza with the family. The pizza place made Andy’s pizza wrong, so I got to try a pineapple and cheese pizza with no sauce. It was really good! They re-made the correct pizza and delivered it quickly, so Andy was able to join in as well.