Mom died on August 16th a year ago and the three of us wanted to mark the first anniversary of her passing with a day devoted to her memory. But, when we looked at our calendars, it turned out today was the soonest we could have our day together.
We started with a trip to the cemetery where Christy set mums on Mom and Dad's grave.
Because Mom used to meet with her 49er friends (grads of the Orofino Class of '49) at the Rose Lake Restaurant, we decided to go there for breakfast. I was very happy with my sausage gravy on flaky biscuits, hash browns also covered in gravy, and two eggs. I'd been to the Rose Lake Restaurant about three years ago and was reminded what a comfortable, neatly appointed cafe it is, with friendly service and solid food.
2. For the next phase of our sibling outing, we stopped in Coeur d'Alene. Christy and Carol honored Mom by going to Michael's and ShopKo in Mary Woolumesque pursuit of bargains and to honor Mom's love of fall and Halloween decor.
This was not an area of life where Mom and I connected. But, I thought, given what a ragmop my hair had become, wouldn't Mom love it if I went to Supercuts for a haircut so I'd look respectable on this day in her honor instead of looking like I'd just poked a wet finger in an electric socket?
I didn't have to wait a second at Supercuts. My do was done in about ten minutes. I then camped out at Starbucks and, after a while, my sisters picked me up, flush with the excitement of having bought stuff and, if I heard correctly, having saved a ton of money!
3. We vaulted out of CdA and bolted straight to Manito Park, one of Mom's favorite places anywhere. We parked at the Duncan Gardens where the conservatory was closed while insecticide was being applied to the plants (a disappointment). I took a stroll around the circumference of the gardens.
I also took pictures.
When I took out my camera and got things set up, I was shocked to discover than I hadn't used my Nikon since November 16, 2017.
I didn't particularly like the light at Duncan Gardens. It was shortly after noon and the light felt a bit harsh to me. Within myself, I wished we could have come here in the late afternoon when the light was more golden, but I was determined to snap some suitable pictures, ones I could live with.
I was rusty. But, with some patience and some tinkering around with settings, I started to feel back in the picture taking groove again and when you get to the end of this post, you can see some of the pictures I took of gorgeous flowers at the Duncan Gardens.
I had volunteered to pick a place for us to eat in the afternoon. It's not to my credit that I made a selection without Mom in mind. But, we had decided that if we ate in Spokane in honor of Mom, we'd be going to Applebee's or Red Lobster -- or The Onion on North Division -- but we wanted to try something else.
Well, as luck would have it, Mom had always wanted to go to the Perry District. I doubt very much she had Perry Street Brewing or the Lantern Tap House in mind when she made this wish, but the Perry District has other sites she might have enjoyed: a thrift store, a nursery, and other assorted shops.
We ate at Perry Street Brewing. It's a splendid place, built in the style of many contemporary tasting rooms and brewery eateries: it's airy with big windows and simple tables and chairs. The huge garage door like windows facing Perry Street can be rolled up so that the entire west wall opens up to a deck and it makes sitting it that part of the tasting room feel akin to sitting outside, but without the sun's glare.
I enjoyed my 12 oz pour of Squeezy MO Hazy IPA and loved eating today's taco special, two pork tacos with a southwest slaw and a variety of flavors that popped in my mouth with each bite.
On the way back to Kellogg, we decided we'd like to cap off the day with a last toast to Mom at the Hill Street Depot in Kellogg. The Deke and Paul joined us and we relaxed after a really fun day around the big table in the Hill St. Depot's Farrah Fawcett/Goldfinger room.
Here are some pictures I took at Duncan Gardens:
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