Sherri Morse from North Idaho 

        Sandpoint is a small community located in North Idaho about 50 miles south of the Canadian border. It has largely been a logging community with tourism on the rise. Sandpoint sits along the northwest portion of Lake Pend Orielle (pronounced "ponderay") which provides various water activities. Surrounding Sandpoint are the Cabinet and Serlkirk ranges.

        One of the greatest things I enjoy about Sandpoint is the seasons. We are situated about 2500 ft. above sea level with beautiful mountains all around. Each season is a mystery as to what it holds because the weather is as changeable as the day is long!
 

Sherri :)

        The summers tend to be mild with temperatures seldom reaching 100 degrees f. Most common vegetables grow easily within a 100 day growing period encouraging many to garden. Many domestic and wild berries thrive in the summer. Strawberries and raspberries are garden delights while dew berries, black caps, blackberries and huckleberries are waiting in abundance most summers for the hikers in the wilds.Birds are easy to watch as the Canadian geese, great blue herons, osprey and other water fowl are in abundance around the lakes and ponds. Stellar jays, camp robbers and mountain blue birds break the silences in the woods. Many types of woodpeckers can be seen from town to mountain areas.

        Fall in North Idaho can come anywhere between mid-August to somewhere in October. Most often, our first frost hits in September bringing clear blue skies with gorgeous golden leaves in the foreground. Harvest time has created many family traditions with us, one of which is tasting the varieties of apples growing on nearby, abandoned trees. It is also the season for plums sweetened by the first frost and for picking the fobidden blackberries.With the shortening of days also comes the feeling of needing to "button down the hatches", making sure enough hay and firewood has been stored for the possible long winter ahead. There is truely a sense of satisfaction in looking at a full hay loft, woodshed and rootcellar! The feelings that follow are "LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW!!!!!!!"
 

        Winters in North Idaho are nothing less than breathtaking. The mountains show snow on them many years in early October, with the lower areas seeing snow in early November. Temperatures are commonly below freezing through the day with night temperatures capable of dipping into the negative numbers. When dressed for the season, it is enjoyable with yet another list of activities waiting to be tried. Snowfall varies from year to year with average depths being a couple feet in the lower elevations and 10 ft in the mountains. Downhill and cross country skiing, as well as snowboarding and snowmobiling are easily accessible to all. Through the winter months, the Bald eagles rule the sky. Their white heads are easily seen with a bright, crisp blue sky as a backdrop. Excellent fishermen, they can be seen along most shorelines of the lake. Whitetail deer come closer to dwellings looking for food as the snow buries the ground. Personally, there isn't a season that overwhelms me as winter does. There is a protected and overpowering joy that I get from a snowstorm that goes on for days at a time. As you look at the coniferous trees, hanging heavy with snow, and the untouched fields of white with an occassional animal track crossing, it is hard to feel anything but a part of Nature at her best.

        Spring is always a welcome sight after 3-4 months of true winter weather. The dreaded "spring breakup" is usually a trying time for most living outside of any city limits and having to deal with unpaved roads. As the ground thaws the frost pushes up out of the ground leaving heaves in the roadways. These heaves, once thawed, turn into mud holes just waiting to dare you to try and drive through it as you journey down your only available path to town. Once the warming March winds begin to dry up the mud and the roads heal, one is able to turn their attention on the beauty of the deciduous trees beginning to leaf out and the onset of wild flowers blooming. The wild fowl seem to come alive with spring as the Canadian geese, Trumpeter and Whistler swans, and osprey return to the water. In a short and simple drive you can witness the mating dances of the swans and geese preparing nests in the fields by the lake. Bald and Golden eagles adorn the sky while the osprey busily build nests. It is a wonderful time of year for a walk in the woods!