Spring has officially sprung

Complete with the good and the bad.

We had a REALLY wet year this year. Snow like mad. Rain like mad. Frost heaves like mad. Snow melt like mad.

The snow pack upriver of us reached 152% of normal and is still melting. There's been flood warnings off and on for weeks. We've had months of seasonal runoff streams. This has ironically meant a ton of grass in mostly underwater pastures, fields, and yards. The economic issues behind a late spring coupled with an inability to work the ground will mean higher hay costs and crop costs this year.

Our lower yard, the portion closest to the slough, has been a morass for months now. It's finally dried up enough for me to mow that 12" grass in 2" of mud. The main yard isn't much better.

So far it's been a rather mucky spring to say the least.

However, armed with a new and improved mulching blade, the lawnmower and I have been tackling the wild 22" of self-propelled deck at a time. Today I managed a third of our acre of lawn.

So much time behind a lawnmower brought me face to face with spring's gifts.

For example the flowering cherry trees planted for erosion control? Well, they're doing as the name suggests and flowering:





And quite to my surprise, the strawberries survived their overwintering in the greenhouse. Hell, they more than survived, they're thriving:



The lake is on the rise of course, so while mowing I had this wonderful view:



It's going to be quite a pretty season.

I have a job!

After a year of searching and 8 months of concentrated searching I found out I finally have a job.

I am officially part of huge multinational stable bank where Chris works.

Technically I was offered the job on Monday "contingent on completion of background check and fingerprinting". Filled out the paperwork for the background check online Monday, and it's already back.

Today I received the call that I was hired, and to report on Monday for paperwork and Tuesday for training.

It's only part time right now, but with huge possibilities for becoming full time in the near future.

Yay gainful employment!

Wow I really need a fishing license

This is a video of the fish rising to eat at dusk in the slough off of our dock. Don't forget to choose 720p and full screen the video.



There's just a few fish out there. Just a few.

These are the rankings for the annual Lake Pend Oreille Idaho Club Spring Derby:

Adult Rainbow Division
1st  Jack Peterson              19# 5oz 34"     
2nd  Calvin Nolan                15# 8oz 31"
3rd  Raliegh Turley              14#  6oz          
4th  Josh LaRue                   13# 0oz 29"    
5th Rose Greene                12#12oz 29'     

Adult Mackinaw Division
1st   Jesse Peterson            24# 15oz 37 1/2"  
2nd  Roy Stokes                   24# 9oz                
3rd  Don Peterson               16# 3oz 34'           
4th  John Jay                        15# 10oz 33"        
5th  Gale Belgarde               15# 7oz  34"        

I really, really need my resident fishing license now that I qualify.

Fun fact about Idaho Fish and Game licenses and tags:

Resident Licenses Idaho Residency Requirements Hunting $12.75 Fishing $25.75 Hunting And Fishing Combination $33.50 Sportsman Package * $117.25 Senior Combination Hunting And Fishing (65 years +) ** $11.75 Military Furlough Combination *** $17.50 Military Furlough Fishing *** $17.50 Daily Fishing — 1st Day $11.50 Daily Fishing — Each Consecutive Day $5.00 Youth Resident Licenses Junior Hunting (12-17 years) $7.25 Junior Fishing (14-17 years) $13.75 Junior Combination Hunting And Fishing $17.50 Youth Small Game Hunting (10-11 years) $7.25
Nonresident License Fees Hunting $154.75 Season Fishing $98.25 Hunting And Fishing Combination $240.00 Daily Fishing — 1st Day $12.75 Daily Fishing — Each Consecutive Day $6.00 Nongame (Expires August 31) $35.50 Trapping *** $301.75 Taxidermist/Fur Buyer *** $170.00 Small Game Hunting * $97.75 Three-day Small Game Hunting * $35.50 Three-day Salmon/Steelhead $37.50 Youth Nonresident Licenses Junior Season Fishing (up to 17 years) $21.75 Junior Mentored Hunting ** $31.75 Youth Small Game ** (10-11 years) Upland game birds, migratory birds, cottontail rabbits, and unprotected and predatory birds and animals, including turkeys and sandhill cranes. $20.00
Yes, non-resident hunting licenses cost 12 times more than resident, and fishing licenses almost 4 times as much (which is why I didn't get a fishing license last year).
Comparing tag fees is even more fun:
Resident Tag Fees Idaho Residency Requirements Deer $19.75 Elk $30.75 Bear $11.50 Second Bear $11.50 Mountain Lion $11.50 Second Mountain Lion $11.50 Pronghorn $31.25 Turkey $19.75 Extra Turkey $12.25 Moose, Bighorn Sheep, Mountain Goat (controlled hunt tag only, does not include nonrefundable $6.25 application fee) 166.75 Special Resident Tags / Fees Junior/Senior/DAV Deer Tag * $10.75 Junior/Senior/DAV Elk Tag * $16.50 Junior/Senior/DAV Bear Tag * $6.75 Junior/Senior/DAV Turkey Tag * $10.75
Nonresident Tag Fees Deer $301.75 Elk $416.75 Bear $186.00 Reduced & Second Bear $31.75 Mountain Lion $186.00 Reduced & Second Mountain Lion $31.75 Pronghorn $311.75 Turkey $80.00 Extra Turkey $80.00 Wolf $186.00 Moose, Bighorn Sheep, Mountain Goat (controlled hunt tag only, does not include nonrefundable $14.75 application fee) $2,101.75 Nonresident Junior Mentored Tags / Fees Junior Mentored Deer Tag * $23.75 Junior Mentored Elk Tag * $39.75 Junior Mentored Bear Tag * $23.75 Second Bear * $23.75 Junior Mentored Turkey Tag ** $19.75 Extra Turkey ** $19.75

	That deer tag will cost you 15 times as much if you're out of state. Elk? 13 1/2 times. Moose? Yeah that'll be 2 grand out of pocket.
	More importantly, notice the reduced rate for junior tags? Idaho believes in gateway drugs.