Washington Voices

Ice cream lovers in Spokane rejoice: Doyles Ice Cream Parlor on West Boone Avenue reopened last weekend. Owner Jerry Gill has had the business since 1991, but it first opened in 1939.

If you were to happen to take Exit 2 east of Stateline, Idaho, notice signs for a “shop sale,” and follow those signs, you’d end up at Mark Olmstead’s place. Initially, it’s not much to look at; there are a couple of shops filled with stuff that you may or may not need including tools, parts, and the occasional “What the heck is that used for?” item.

Several years ago, local author Niki Anderson wrote a best-seller titled “What My Cat Has Taught Me About Life.” I thought about that title as our own kitty, Milo, recently celebrated his first year of owning us. We had set out to adopt an older female feline, so I wouldn’t be the only girl at home. We ended up with another hyperactive baby boy. Go figure.

As people look for mini day trips to enjoy as the summer winds down, there’s an historic site in a most beautiful setting quite nearby that might just foot the bill – the Indian Painted Rocks area – just a quarter of a mile north of the Rutter Parkway Bridge over the Little Spokane River. The site – listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 and given to the state’s park commission by landowners Mr. and Mrs. H.M. Hart Jr. – provides a parking lot, interpretive information and, of course, the rock paintings themselves, set back among the trees.

Summer is a busy time chock-full of things to do and events to attend. Summertime is also a busy time for artists who take advantage of the long days, sunny skies, and outdoor art festivals and fairs in which to display their wares. Some artists travel far while others are content to stay in the near vicinity – Browne’s Addition, North Side, South Side, Arbor Crest, even Coeur d’Alene and, added to the list this year, Millwood.