Beauty and the Beast

My children are performing Disney's Beauty and the Beast through CYT Spokane at the Bing Crosby Theater. As always, the talent is amazing. This is Dakota's last CYT performance. 

Spokane House

Spokane House was established in 1810 

as the first permanent white settlement in the region. 

A model of Spokane House. 

Tepee frames stand on the site

of the old Spokane House. 

In the 1870s, a barn was built a few 

hundred yards from Spokane House,

near the old trail between Spokane

Falls and Kettle Falls. 

The roof was repaired within the last few years. 

...but the sides are part of the original structure. 

A farm was built near the site in 1912 - named 

Singuamanish after a band of the Spokane Indians. 

Water was pumped from the Little Spokane River

for the purpose of irrigating the crops.

The concrete footings are still present.  

Locust trees were likely planted by the farm owners. 

Confluence

The confluence of the Spokane and the Little Spokane Rivers was the site of a major Spokane village, and later the site of Spokane House - a fur trading outpost of the Hudson's Bay Company. Nowadays, I always see fishermen on the point between the two rivers. 

As I drove home from Suncrest today, I had some extra time to see the rivers. I parked my car at the trail head and hiked to the confluence. A group of Nepali immigrants was fishing at the point. 

The trail between the parking lot and the point is almost like a separate mini-ecosystem. The plants are green and lush. As an aside, some folks haven't seen my beard. It's kind of an experiment. 

The dried stalks of cattails 

stand among the new growth. 

Does anyone know the name 

of these little blue flowers? 

According to Wikipedia, the yellow iris is considered an aquatic invasive species in many jurisdictions. They tend to push out other species and become nearly impossible to eradicate. However, they are quite beautiful, and they reportedly remove heavy metals from the water. That might not be so bad in the Spokane River. 

Red osier dogwood flowers. 

The yellow iris formed a barrier 

between the water and the shore, 

followed by a secondary layer of buttercups. 

Buttercups. 

Cow parsnip.

Peace Is...

Dakota sang Meditation: Peace Is at the Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist in Spokane. This was his last solo performance in the Mead High School Choir. His solo was followed by The Dove. He will graduate within a couple weeks. His performance was emotional and beautiful. 

Japanese Garden

McKenna and I had some daddy-daughter time 

this evening at the Japanese Garden near Manito Park. 

These are beautiful, cherished moments.

A red Japanese maple overlooks the fish pond. 

Red maple leaves. 

Detail of pagoda. 

Pagoda...

Dogwood flowers in water. 

My daughter rarely allows me to take pictures. 

Dogwood is one of my favorite flowers. 

An abundance of dogwood flowers.

Don't know this flower. 

New Wardance Hall

A new wardance arbor is going up in Wellpinit, so last Saturday, I stopped to see the progress for myself. It's kind of a minor historic event, especially since I remember the last two or three buildings before this one. Of course, most of us will remember the old red barn that hosted our wardances for many years, but I also remember an old white building with dancers painted on the side. Does anyone else remember that building? Does anyone have pictures of that old building? 

If I remember correctly, the old white building was converted into a modern dance hall for a few years. Eventually, it was demolished, and the space was cleared for vendors. 

Door of Heaven

The afternoon sun cast a vibrant glow upon the face of St. Aloysius Church and highlighted the inscription above the entrance: Domvs Dei et Porta Coeli - House of God and Door of Heaven. This caused me to reflect on all the temples, doorways, and dwelling places of the Divine that have ever been constructed by human hands. So many people throughout the ages have sought access to the Divine through a transcendent teaching, ritual, or experience. 

The ritual spaces of human societies are important, but I also remember the doorways of beauty that exist in nature. They also reflect the presence of the Divine.