Still in Boise

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I thought I should blog Boise a bit, lest my readers elsewhere be under the impression that nothing exciting happens here. I quickly pulled out of my post-France funk and have been thoroughly enjoying my time at home before I set off again. My days are full of riding my bike along the Boise River and visiting friends. My evenings are booked with going out for one more drink with friends I won’t see in a couple years. I have managed to escape the heat in the valley a couple times and go up north of town to float the Payette River with friends. So, here’s a quick synopsis of the past few days. This will probably be interesting only to my friends who have never been to Boise, or Idaho, or the States.
Last Wednesday I got to see Kasey Chambers on her first trip to Idaho. If you haven’t heard of her, she’s an Australian folk/country singer. A true entertainer, she interspersed her songs with stories of living out in the central deserts of Australia. Her family traveled around as her father was a fox hunter. In the 70s it was still politically acceptable to kill fox for their pelts. Her Nullarbor Song is about the traveling desert life.
Her father, Bill Chambers opened the concert and also played with her. It was a small show on the lawns of a winery just outside Boise. The atmosphere was intimate and very relaxed. While Bill was warming up the crowd Kasey signed autographs, made friends with toddlers and mingled with her fans. The concert itself was awesome, she has quite a group of talented musicians. After a couple encores the band was finally exhausted and she had to stop singing, so she got off the stage and chatted with people for a while. I talked with Bill and got his autograph. Several people tried to invite the band home with them, but Kasey said she had to play in California the next day and their bus was going to drive down over night. We wished them luck and asked them to come back next time they were in the States. It was definitely one of the best shows I’ve ever been to.
Thursday I floated the Payette with Carl, my mechanic and friend, and Ed & Tucker, parents of my friend Paul. Ed brought his cataraft and I played guide for Carl sitting in the front of his new inflatable kayak. We made it through the majority of the river just fine; Carl is quickly catching onto reading the river and getting used to how the boat handles. Of course, Carl needed to flip. He’s been down the river a few times already without a mishap. I suggested earlier in the trip that he swim a rapid in just his life vest to get used to the feel of the river. He said he didn’t trust the vest to keep him up. So, when we went over at the top of Mix Master he found that not only did the vest keep his head above water, but he had the instinct to keep a hold of the paddle also. It was a great spill, and the beer afterwards was well earned.
Sorry I don’t have any photos of the Payette. It’s in a beautiful canyon less than an hour north of Boise. Of course, there are more pristine canyons in Idaho, with more wildlife and less traffic (Highway 55 runs along the Payette), but the Payette is home. It’s beautiful in a comfortable backyard sort of way. I’ve probably floated that river more than all others put together, and it just feels good to be back on it. It’s an easy after work weekday float, if you don’t mind getting home a bit late.
Then Friday, yesterday, was a very long day. I sold my car first thing in the morning and was reduced to my bike before 9am. It was hard to see go, not only because I’ve become attached to that car during my moves to and from Oregon and Colorado, but also because it makes my departure so final. I rode my bike around downtown a bit, stopping by Flying M for a steamed hazelnut milk to calm my nerves. Sitting out in front of the M is always a homey feeling. Somebody I know always comes by and stops to chat for a bit. I’ve been trying to make the rounds of all my favorite spots in Boise, to fill myself up for the next couple years. I rode over to the Central School park with a waterwheel and sat for a bit, writing in my journal. Next I rode over to the hospital to have lunch with Mom at work one more time. I met another friend during the afternoon and finished the day at Bar Grenika with my friend Jesselynn. She’s going to Togo with the Peace Corps a week after me. We talk about our upcoming Africa adventures, code named A05. I have less than two weeks to go and have almost finished the whole Boise Public Library selection on Morocco. I’ll be ready, but for now I’m really enjoying Boise.

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Photos

The Band
I'll do my best at remembering her musicians, from left: Rod McCormack, Bill Chambers, Kere Buchanan (the drummer in back), Kasey, Jeff McCormack and the other guitarist.

The Park
I didn't get a picture of the waterwheel, but you can see my journal and the plates from my car sticking out of my bag.