Boise, Bruneau Dunes, ID
Boise. We had set out to visit this city wondering if it may be a possible place for us to settle down, a new home amongst the rolling hills bathed in sunshine year round with a small city feel. While we enjoyed the city, played in its fountain and walked it’s nearly empty streets, we aren’t quite ready to pack it all into a Uhaul and set out. It tried to woo us and was almost successful. It spoke of peace and a life well lived, or maybe easily lived. Affordable, serene and beautiful it would be a wonderful home base. But something stood in our way of our hearts grabbing hold and desiring this city, which is unfortunate as I really wanted to fall in love with Boise. Not sure if we have gotten so used to the neroutic rush of a larger city like Seattle or just hadn’t quite found ‘it’ we left the place like one leaves a person they truly desire to fall in love with, but just can’t commit to. It’s the nice guy, the nice city finishing a little on the last. The one who could give you it all, but doesn’t have the excitement of the one that drives you a little mad.
At some point we realized that the little guy had gotten some serious bug bites at the last campground. We thought maybe we had come down with a case of fleas in our tent. Poor guy is not used to bug bites, he’s had a life well lived outside of places filled with mosquitos and biting bugs, so encountered with such bites he’s going a bit crazy itching them. To him they itch so bad they hurt and so the obvious answer is a bandaid. How many bandaids can one 4 year old go through in the course of 24 hours? I think we’re somewhere around 20 right now. But that’s better than the alternative of him itching until he bleeds. Either way, we were amused watching him try to itch his back against the screen on the tent, almost like how he dances.
We camped southeast of Boise at a state park called Bruneau Dunes. It has a view of the largest North American single sand dune. I wouldn’t go as far as to say it was breathtaking, but it had an inviting curiosity to it that led to many dune jokes. The campground was simple and mostly empty so we settled in and played a bit of baseball. I started reading the first book on my summer reading list, Pilgrim At Tinker Creek, by Annie Dillard. She writes with a poetic prose that most writers, including myself, can only hope to someday produce. It’s beautiful encounter with nature and life, much like a Thoreau written by a female soul. The details of what she encounters and the way in which she sets that against the everyday life and dilemma of human beings spoke to my soul and put into words what I often wish I could see and describe in this world. If you have a chance to pick up a copy I highly recommend it.
The truly wonderful family event for the night were the showers we all got. After 3 days of not showering and traveling in the heat we were all ready to rinse off and it felt great. I love a nice shower after a few days of not showering, rinsing off all the accumulated grime and the fresh feeling left afterwards is one of the most mood revitalizing elements of living in the great outdoors.
Moving on this morning we’re driving east toward the Tetons! A place neither Nate nor I have yet gone. We can see the snow topped mountains in the distance teasing us as we know they are farther than they look. It will be another long day of driving, rewarded with an amazing place and a couple days of being in the same site.
Emily - I read Pilgrim at Tinker Creek a number of years ago and found it very enjoyable, too. I remember the section where she talks about sleeping under a tree and waking up to see the sunshine coming through the leaves as if on a flat plane and seeming like crystals. The book is definitely a good read.
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