Welcome Home!

Finally, the rain fell.

I lay in bed listening to thunder rumble in the distance and watching the lighting flash. My little dog, made anxious by the noise, was restless. He jumped up on the bed and curled himself – whimpering a little – into a tight ball in the space behind my knees.

I’m not one of those people who are thrilled by the sound of a summer storm. I’m a bit of a baby about that. Too many years living in Tornado Alley taught me the danger of the elements. I’m not much braver than my dog. Like him, I prefer to hide my head and hum until it goes away.

The other night, snuggled around a pet for comfort, I wasn’t worried about a tornado dropping out of the sky and sweeping me away, but I couldn’t help but fret about lighting, and fires, and my eager son who would be one of the first to respond to an alarm.

Is a mother ever off duty? Apparently not.

Fortunately, in this part of the country, storms aren’t as furious as they are in other places. Winds still cause damage and in the dry, hot summer months there is always the ever-present danger of wildfire. The next morning, I knew, gardeners in the area would be picking up fallen branches and sweeping up leaves and pine needles. Broken blossoms would be clipped and overturned pots would be righted. But for most of us, the damage would be minimal.

After a while the storm moved past and the dog and I relaxed.

We both fell asleep to the sweet sound of raindrops falling onto the roof and into the parched ground.

This week in Home

This is the time of year when the hard work and careful planning of dedicated gardeners is celebrated. Almost every weekend brings a garden tour. This Sunday, the Associated Garden Clubs of Spokane will feature seven beautiful gardens in the South Perry and Altamont neighborhoods.

Our cover feature gives you a peek into some of the gardens on the tour.

Neat and pretty

Most of us try to keep at least the public spaces in our homes neat and tidy. Downtown Spokane Partnership president, Marty Dickinson is implementing a plan to do the same for the downtown area – Spokane’s living room, as Dickinson puts it. This week’s Urban Style page gives you more information about that plan.

Through a glass brightly

For some, flora and fauna aren’t enough. To them a garden needs a little glitz. One local woman uses vintage glass and a fertile imagination to decorate gardens in the area. Her creations are featured in this issue.

Each week, in each issue of Home, we highlight the best of the best, celebrating the hard work and creativity of people just like you.

Enjoy.