The Zen of Ketchum

Ketchum has an enormous, modern YMCA with 130 foot water slide and a plethora of exercise classes.  We signed up for Yoga Stretch this morning and Yogi Richard led us through a relaxing and energizing routine in the near dark.  We walked out a little taller and with stress fallen away.  We had a little time before the Germany/Brazil soccer match, so we stopped into this amazing nursery.

Hanging pots in rainbow colors hang on street posts and on decks - they are breathtaking.

A certain friend of mine had a birthday just after we left SLO, so I found a gift (hope you like it Ilona!) and the guy behind the counter was not gift-wrap skilled, so he let me wrap it myself.  As my HumanKind pals know, this is my favorite retail activity.

We snapped a picture of these little guys in honor of John and Lisa, who are joining us from Costa Rica in a few days. John, you are going to like your own gnome's fresh coat of paint by yours truly.

Game time!  Though we were initially sorry that our new soccer fan friend took our pic with Brazil on the screen, we were later glad that at least at that time Brazil was still smiling.  We were glad Brazi finally scored a goal.  7 - 1 was pretty demoralizing and we had to think of our Brazilian AFSers feelings!  Marie did not respond to our FB texts during the game, so we wonder if she somehow knew her team was doing fine without her.

We had been given the low down on homemade pies at Farmer's Market, and so we pre-ordered two a few days ago.  Ben picked them up (Raspberry-rhubarb and Marionberry) and got some pie facts.  The Mennonite pie ladies made 6000 pies last year and sold 450 just last week.  They make 13 varieties and it is so hard to choose.  The ladies bake their pies in a huge brick oven, baking 14 pies at a time.  We are sharing these pies - tomorrow evening Kathy C. from church and her friend Betty are coming for dinner.  These SLO gals have been vacationing in Sun Valley for 40+ years.  John and Lisa, we are saving one for you, too.

A few nights ago we took a ride south on the bike trail and saw a sign for the Sawtooth Botanical Garden.  We rode in - it was not locked up and no one was around.  We rather hoped we would not run into Ann, the hike leader we abandoned on the first day!
The garden is a work in progress, with various garden themes and lovely plantings.  We discovered The Garden of Infinite Compassion, which was blessed by the Dalai Lama during his visit in 2005.  The Dalai Lama presented a giant prayer wheel as a gift to the American people in response to the 911 tragedy and it is one of only two in North America. When Tibetan monks finished it, it was too large to fit through their workshop door and had to be lifted and lowered through a second story window.

The Prayer Wheel was inadvertently diverted to London during its journey to the US, and it was in London on the day the subway bombings occurred.  The Dalai Lama thinks the wheel was meant to be in London on such a tragic day to comfort the people of London.

Spinning the Prayer Wheel in a clock-wise direction disseminates spiritual blessings.  I hope you all felt the blessings coming towards you on Sunday, July 6.   We need all the blessings we can get :)