Rails to Trails

If you haven't paid attention to the calendar lately, Memorial Day and the unofficial start of summer are less than two weeks away.  Maybe you've thought about things to do in the warm weather when the kids are off from school, but in case you haven't, please allow your friendly, neighborhood perch librarian to make a suggestion.

In the Spokane and Northern Idaho area, there are a number of "rails to trails," former rail lines that have been turned into recreational trails--some of them paved--for bikers, walkers, and joggers.  Many of these trails are free to use and they often go through some of the most beautiful landscapes in the Inland Northwest.

The two best known trails are probably the Centennial Trail in Spokane and the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes in Idaho, both of which are free.  The Centennial Trail is 37 miles long, starting west of Spokane and running to the Idaho border where it becomes the North Idaho Centennial Trail and continues for another 24 miles.  The Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes, which is paved and well maintained, is 72 miles long and crosses the Idaho Panhandle from Plummer in the west to Mullan in the east.

A popular trail located on the Idaho-Montana border is the Route of the Hiawatha.  This unpaved trail with a day use fee is 15 miles long and goes downhill all the way.  The mountain views are stunning, and it even passes through several former railroad tunnels and over a number of former railroad bridges.  If you're not too keen on biking back up to the top, pay a little extra for the shuttle that takes you and your bike to your car.

But don't just take my word about the rails to trails.  Check out these websites and books that are available at the library:

Websites

• Centennial Trail / North Idaho Centennial Trail
• Columbia Plateau Trail
• Fish Lake Trail
• Route of the Hiawatha
• Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes 
• TrailLink

Books

• The Official Rails-to-Trails by Mia Barbera
• Best Rail Trails: Pacific Northwest by Natalie Bartley

Enjoy the rails to trails this summer!

Yours truly pondering trails on the perch.

Time for Decluttering!

Any of you out there planning or engaged in some spring cleaning?  Yours truly here has embarked on that daunting task, but I've discovered a secret weapon that helped me (and perhaps you) make the process of cleaning up your closets and your house a little bit easier.

There is a new book out that I highly recommend by Marie Kondo called The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.  I have to confess that I'm not usually into books that tell you how to clean your house, and I'm not a clutter freak.  However, the subtitle, The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, caught my attention.  I wondered what did the Japanese do that was different from what we Americans do when it comes to tidying.

The whole book boils down to this premise: if an item doesn't bring you joy, it's time to get rid of it.  Don't look at it's condition, don't think about how many times you used it in the past year, and definitely don't think whether or not you'll still get use out of it in the future.  The point is, if it doesn't make you happy, if it doesn't bring you joy, then donate it.

At first I thought this was a pretty strange and radical approach to cleaning until I set myself to tackle my closets that had slowly over time started to grow in on themselves.  Yes, there were some sweaters that were in good condition that I haven't worn in years but might still wear them in the future.  According to the standard Western approach, they should remain in my closet; I probably wouldn't wear them anyway, but I would feel guilty about giving them away.

Rather than have those sweaters stay in my closet taking up space for an indefinite length of time, I decided to thank them for their service and for the joy they brought me in the past, as Kondo's book suggests, and part with them guilt-free.  I did this with my entire closet, biding sweet adieu to the items that no longer brought me joy, and now my closest is the most happy, organized, and uncluttered it's ever been.  My husband even has space to put his clothing where my non-joyful and seldom used items once hung.

Sometimes, a book really can change your life, and The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up has definitely done that for me.  Be sure to stop by the library to check out Kondo's book or the other books we have to help you run your life a little smoother.

Yours truly beholding the power of the book at the perch.