I can explain my prolonged absence

My big brother just moved in and when he did the internet crapped out. So I've been internet-less. Thanks to that same big brother and his cute friends... the internet is back!!!! So, lately I've been very active. Well, except the last few days- but before that!

Q'emiln Park is a wondrous place in Post Falls at which I like to free-hand rock climb, swim (when the dam is safe), hike, and forage for wild things:)
This weekend I went with my best bud Shenanigan to this treasure-trove (she'd never been there before! I used to ride my bike there everyday when I lived close-by) and we sat on a lifeguard tower having a lovely organic picnic, then went spelunking! But not really, as there aren't any real caves in the mountains behind the river. But we did free-hand through this crazy-steep tunnel (same one I braved with Sadicus [other best bud] for the first time in the fall) and hiked for hours. Random human climbing one of the climbing spots.This Arrowleaf Balsamroot (if you've got it growing in your area... hooray for you!), it grows all over North Idaho. The Coeur d'Alene tribe calls it simply "sunflower", and they eat the stems like celery! You can also dry and grind up the root and use it as flour. There are all sorts of purposes for this beautiful wildflower!This is Shooting Star, you can find it everywhere up here, too. It is a little more difficult to spot, but I've found it on hills in Post Falls and Coeur d'Alene in early Spring.Camas Lily is beloved in North Idaho. The local tribes have been using the root to cook with forever... and they're beautiful.
I was positively gleeful when I got to the park and found all these amazing wild-growing beauties waiting for me:) I'm going to go back (hopefully) this weekend to harvest some of these darlings. There were also quite a few dandelions (I've been struggling to find good dandies that weren't too close to a road or sprayed with poison in the last 7 years, so I was excited to find them in the mountains), so I need to harvest loads of them to make dandelion jelly and dandelion wine.
I've also been spending Way Too Much Time in the flea market next to my house, walking around my house (there's an abandoned storage-section part of an 18 wheeler in the field between my house and walmart that I'm positive a hobo lives in), cooking up dandelion greens, and playing guitar.
I think my friend and I are naming our band Dirty Hippie.
That's the thought that I leave you with as I should probably go eat something. I really have missed the blogosphere more than I would've expected.
Love,
Belle