Scott May

Here's a shot of Friendship Square in Downtown Moscow Idaho where I used to live in the early 1990's while I attended University of Idaho before transferring to Eastern Washington. Every time I first get into town I can't wait to leap out of the car and walk around Main Street where these pictures were taken.

The banner talks about the Moscow Farmer's Market opening up soon. School is already out so it's unusually quiet with the students away for break.

BookPeople is my favorite book store in the world. I mean I enjoy Powell's in Portland, and love the Tattered Cover in Denver, but BookPeople is unique. Bob the owner is usually there and friendly as always. He carries books that the big conglomerates don't carry. Bob recommended more than a few of my favorite reads of all time! If you are ever in Moscow, this is a must stop. Buy a book or magazine, then head down the street to One World Coffee before heading over to the old Hotel Moscow for happy hour...

Inside the Garden at the old Hotel. This is my old stomping grounds. It used to be a coffee shop up until 3pm and if you weren't 21 they would ask you to leave. I spent many an hour in here studying for finals, or talking with friends and blowing off steam. The juke box plays old Janice Japlin, Werewolves of London and Hendrix. Basically the good stuff when the world was (some might say) and easier place.

I remember an English Professor, Ed Hughes was his name. He sometimes held office hours here at the Garden on Monday nights. For those of you who lived in Moscow, Blue Monday at the Garden was manditory. So much nestalgia here! Moscow is about 80 miles South East of Spokane and home of Idaho's land grant University, the University of Idaho. It's less than 10 miles away from Washington's land Grant University, Washington State University in Pullman Washington. Moscow is considered one of the major cultural and arts center of both Idaho and the region. University of Idaho hosts the world renown Lionel Hampton Music Festival and has the state's major law school.

This is Theresa, one of the many fine Baristas who work for the Rocket Bakery. Her smile is characteristic of the warm neighborhood welcoming feel you always receive here. She told me her love is the Americano with Splenda. I actually have a beautiful bungalow listing a few blocks north up 1217 W. 20th, and my clients said they really enjoyed walking to the coffee shop and visiting with neighbors. In fact it was one of the reasons they decided to buy their house on 20th in the first place. I also have a good friend who lives a few blocks away and this Barista said she knew him also...what a small world eh?

There's outdoor seating to the left (you can barely see one of the tables in the lower left) which makes it nice. To the right is a music shop that offers lessons. Fun fun fun! I also like the Rocket Bakery near Brown's Addition (for another blog). Here are the hours:

Cannon Hill Bakery is located on the corner of 14th and S. Adams. Outdoor seating is available.

This was a very fun day! Leon Atkinson is one of the, if not the very best, classical guitar player in the entire world, certainly this side of the Mississippi River. His show is on KPBX Thursday Mornings at 11am. While Vern who is on mid days all week is not pictured here, he sits just to the left here and runs the board.

Having worked on air at a number of commercial radio stations, including KZZU FM Spokane, KMOK FM Lewiston, I had never been in the studios of a public radio station before. What a treat this day was. They are not driven as much by the need to fill every single second with an advertisement and so are given much more freedom to explore the art. Also I was amazed to see that in the KPBX studios there are reel to reel machines still in use, and they like it this way! Vern told me it makes radio so much more personable and fun. I tend to agree with most big commercial stations now being all digital.

Getting back to the show; Leon is very articulate and I would venture to say, charming to his listeners. The Guitar Hour is not only entertaining, but quite educational as well. Leon has taught music at Eastern Washington University, Gonzaga University and Whitworth University. Last Fall I had the pleasure of being in the audience at one of his public performances at the Bing Crosby theater in Spokane. To see leon perform (which was the first time for me even though we have been friends for more than a dozen years) is to be swept away into an enchanting world of musical bliss and much like many symphonies, his shows and music have the peaks and valleys, so it's often exciting beyond belief and then extraordinarily relaxing.

Anyway, I wanted to put up a few pictures so you could see my good friend Leon, and also see what the inside of the terrific community asset we have called KPBX, or Spokane Public Radio, looks like.

Leon has plans to perform June 11 in New York City. The concert will be at the Symphony Space there in Manhattan. If you ever get a chance to see Leon play the guitar take it. He also teaches lessons, but it will cost you, and people in the know know that he's worth every penny!

Having put in a busy week at work, I decided that this afternoon I would take a few hours and go exploring around the south hill and take some pictures. Not only did I get some good exercise walking around, but got to visit with a few people I met along the way, and saw some really pretty sights. For those of us already familiar with the Spokane South Hill, we are already aware of just how beautiful the parks, including Manito, really are. It's still really early in the season, so many of the gardens have just been planted, but pretty soon they will be absolutly stunning!

People were out though using the gazeebo and taking advantage of the pleasant weather. The ducks of course, even though your not supposed to feed them, were out. Feeding the ducks is fun, and I'm sure they love to eat, but isn't it because it causes them too get to fat to fly that the walks are painted with "don't feed the ducks"? Maybe it's the dirty pond water? Anyway, I still see people feeding them, and the kids love getting the chance to feed these beautiful birds. All good things in moderation I suppose...

The Japanese gardens always look lovely this time of year...

I met a couple visiting from North Carolina, who used to live here on the South Hill. They said they really missed living in Spokane's South Hill and just had to stop for a walk in Manito Park. They also said they visited where they had previously lived, just blocks from here, to see their od home again. Of course, they had all of these cute little dogs on leashes and told me that each were rescue animals that they had adopted. They sure are adorable!

What an enjoyable afternoon. Manito, the name of the park, is a Native American word that translates roughly to "spirit of nature". The first name was Mantrose, but was changed to Manito in the early 1900s.

One of the major hubs for social activity and good times on the Spokane South Hill for both the young and the young at heart without a doubt is Waddell's off South Regal across from Shopko and next to Twiggs. This afternoon I went in for a draft, a really tasty Waddell burger and to read the Wall Street Journal and maybe catch a few fun plays on one of the many flat screens. Anyway I got to talking to the bartender about what he would like to read about in a blog.

He told me, "basically anything about entertainment and fun things going on in the area". After exploring the topic some he pointed out that right there at Waddell's they have a ton of fun events in the summertime. Last summer they held "Swine Fest" and this year they plan to hold "Sludge Fest". The concept is quite simple Tom told me, they are just keeping with the major news event of the year and offering up some fun entertainment to help pick up the mood a little bit. This event will be held in August this summer and include a band outside with seating for more than 60 out on the patio. The menu will be spiffed up dramatically for this and other summer events as well and should include regional specialty themes such as Cajun for example, or something designed around the foods of the bayou perhaps.

While I didn't get the name, apparently they will be holding a fun outdoors event June 24th out on the patio. It's a great place to grab a few drinks, snag a table (if you get one early enough) take advantage of Tom's terrific cooking and enjoy a fun evening with friends.

The outdoor patio is just to the left of the waterfall pictured here and behind the white fence. It really is a terrific place to partake in great surroundings. I must admit, I haven't sat outside there yet, but plan on doing so more than a few times this summer. Another great patio scene is the Elk in Brown's Addition, where you have to get there at opening or you miss out on a lunch table, but that's a whole other blog story!

Next time I'm in there I'll see if I can get a few pictures of the bar staff who are really friendly and help create a really nice atmosphere for everybody. I did manage to get one of the bar area this afternoon....This was about 2:30 so it was after the lunch rush and before happy hour because often you have to wait to get a stool in here! Cody, Tom, Kelly...just a few of the really great folks who work here and help make it one of the crown jewel's on the hill.