Springtime and Summertime in Idaho: Baseball, Beating the Heat, and Other Adventures.

My friend and I share an April 30 birthday, and we have tried to be together for it during our four-year friendship. How many people can be friends and share the same birthday, we say?

After I got back from Florida, Leslie suggested the Northern Lights Cafe for our dinner. I said to her, "Uh, didn't you go there for breakfast and they serve Bambi?" After having a bad meal in one Florida restaurant, I was skeptical about trying new things. Leslie said that Northern Lights had seafood and chicken in addition to game meats. PHEW!!

Before going to dinner, I was still skeptical and wondering if we were going to be dining among deer and mooseheads on the walls and other hunting trophies, but once Mom, Leslie, and I arrived at the Northern Lights Cafe, we were very happy to see no Bullwinkle or Bambi heads on the walls but a simply decorated restaurant in the middle of a shopping center near Boise State University. Northern Lights' decor is dedicated to the Aurora Borealis.

Leslie was looking forward to some caribou for dinner. "Knock yourself out!" I muttered to myself. But when it came time to order the caribou, our very nice waitress, Kelly, said that they were out of caribou and had been for some time. Leslie settled on her second choice, venison medallions with mushroom cream sauce. Mom had the Cajun Tuna Salad, and I had the Shrimp- and Cheese-Stuffed Red Jalapeno Peppers.

From the beginning, we were plied with tons of homemade warm bread and started our meals with salads (Mom had minestrone soup). Leslie and Mom had wine, while I had Alaskan Amber Ale, which was very good. Service was great, and we got our courses in a time that allowed us to relax and enjoy ourselves and not feeling rushed. The main courses arrived, and man! My stuffed peppers were heaven. Deep-fried and stuffed with a garlic cream cheese and shrimp filling, they weren't spicy and filled my tummy! Mom said her Cajun Tuna Salad was great and not spicy, which is good for her. Leslie enjoyed her Bambi medallions a lot. Mom had told Kelly that it was our birthdays, and she wished us a happy birthday. She wondered if we wanted dessert, but we told her we had birthday cake at home. "Chocolate cake with whipped cream," I gushed.

Northern Lights Cafe is closed on Mondays but is open from 8am-9pm the other days. They serve breakfast and lunch, and dinners start at 5pm. It is well worth a visit if you come to Idaho.

This summer has been very hot here in Idaho, and Mom and I didn't feel like cooking one night last week. She suggested Blimpie's for dinner, but I eat there once or twice every couple of weeks and get tired of it quickly. So, I suggested we try The Harvest Buffet, a new Chinese restaurant right down the road from us in Meridian, Idaho.

Harvest Buffet is a huge cafeteria-style (but nicely decorated in Asian art and knickknacks) restaurant located in Cherry Plaza, next to Albertson's Supermarket. It has a huge variety of Chinese and Japanese dishes, including sushi and octopus, along with a dessert bar and Mongolian grill.

Mom and I were satisfied eating from the huge buffet tables and didn't try the Mongolian grill. Mom played it safe by getting the basic Chinese dishes of egg rolls, lo mein, Chinese chicken, and Asian green beans. I was brave and tried the octopus, which was very good - highly spiced with chili paste and served cold. I also had egg rolls, Chinese chicken, General Tso's chicken, crab rangoons, and rice. The Chinese chicken had a wonderful smoked flavor, and the green beans were in a light sauce and crisp, just the way we like them. My only gripe about the entire buffet was that the hot mustard wasn't hot mustard at all, but just plain old yellow mustard. When I did not start tearing up and getting hot flashes, I knew it was not Chinese hot mustard. Everything else I tried on the buffet was great, and Mom and I capped off the dinner with a plate of melons and Chinese fruit. We left the table full but not bursting!

Mom and I were the first people in there for the dinner rush, and most of the servers were standing around waiting for people, but our server was attentive without being cloying and made sure our plates were taken off the table and our water glasses were filled at all times.

The Harvest Buffet is open 7 days a week from 11am to 11pm. The dinner buffet cost Mom and I $21 for the two of us, and it was well worth it.

The Swan Falls Dam has provided hydroelectric power to the Kuna and Melba areas of Idaho for over 100 years. Mom and I took our two dogs Loki and Katie for a well-needed hike around the dam that is situated on the Snake River. But upon arriving at the dam, you are greeted by the most spectacular view of the dam and Snake River. The Old Dam Building was built by a Boise engineer in 1900 to provide power to the mines in Silver City, which is located 28 miles west of the dam. No one is sure on how Swan Falls got its name. Some say it is named for the trumpeter swan that used to winter on the Snake River, and some say it was named for a miner named Swan. The Old Dam Building is now a museum that you can see by appointment only, and there is a new and less attractive new dam facility that was built by Idaho Power in 1994. There are many trails and rocky paths along the dam, and one must wear sneakers or hiking boots to walk on them. When the dams are running, you must walk on the paths where the signs are. The dam wasn't working today, and Mom and I walked Loki and Katie along the river banks and let our dogs take a swim since it was very hot. There is also a park with picnic tables for one to sit and have lunch, but there are no trash facilities, so you have to take your trash home with you. There are restrooms on the grounds that you can use. To get to Swan Falls Dam from Boise, take the Meridian/Kuna Exit (44) and go left on the off-ramp. Head towards Kuna (about 5 miles), and once you are past the Kuna town center, take a left onto Swan Falls Road and follow this road for 21 miles. Be careful on the last couple of miles down Swan Falls Road. There is a steep grade and hairpin turns that had me slowing our car down to 20mph. There are signs guiding you to the falls, and it will take you about 30 to 40 minutes from Boise. It is well worth a scenic ride if you visit Idaho.

The State of Idaho has many hydroelectric plants and dams scattered on its many rivers located throughout the state. Along with Swan Falls Dam near Kuna, the other closest dam to Boise is the Lucky Peak Dam.

Lucky Peak Dam is located on the Boise River, 17 miles northeast of Boise off of Highway 21 on the way to Idaho City. Lucky Peak Dam's construction began in 1949 and was not completed until 1955. The Army Corps of Engineers built this dam along with the Anderson Ranch Dam, Arrowrock Dam, and Boise Diversion Dam, which is a few miles south of Lucky Peak. At first, the dam only had one outlet for hydropower, but as the population of the Treasure Valley grew and the need for more hydropower was needed, a second outlet was constructed and completed in August 1986, and the power house was built from 1984-1988.

Lucky Peak Dam is a very powerful dam that had six flip-discharge gates that deflected the water upwards in a huge plume. This method also reduces erosion along the river, and Idaho Power later put in power-generating turbines that eliminated the plume.

Lucky Peak Dam is 2,340 feet long, 340 feet high, and cost $19 million to build. The outlets are 23 feet in diameter and its storage capacity is 300,000 acres. Lucky Peak is a historic part of Idaho history that can be seen from Highway 21 every day.

Summers in the Treasure Valley area of southwestern Idaho can be brutally hot. Temperatures can get up as high as 108°F, and residents of Boise and its surroundings are always looking for places to cool off. That's what Mom and I decided to do on our day off this past Tuesday. Instead of sitting in the house with the leaky swamp cooler on full blast and watching the dogs' tongues drop to the ground from panting, we decided to take a day trip to the scenic Lucky Peak Dam on the Boise River.

There are two popular swimming holes located near the Lucky Peak Dam for Idahoans to enjoy. Mom and I first checked out Sandy Point Beach when we arrived at Lucky Peak. Bad news! There are no dogs allowed, and they aren't even allowed to be in the car with you. So, before the squirrel patrol (park security) caught me, I turned the car around at the Lucky Peak Hydroelectric Plant and drove a short distance south to Discovery State Park and Beach. Good news! Dogs are allowed, and there is a $4 fee to park and enjoy the beach! Sweet! When you arrive at the park entrance, there is an unmanned hut with a little post with envelopes. Just put your money in the envelope and drop it in the post. Mom and I split the cost of the admission fee and parked the car. Loki and Katie were out of the car like a shot and headed to the river banks before Mom and I had our cooler and chairs out of the hatch.

Discovery S.P. and Beach is a quiet and scenic little patch of land that is nicely maintained by the Parks and Recreation Department. There are many picnic tables located near the river and plenty of shade trees for one to enjoy the river without being burned by the sun. Mom and I put our things on a picnic table and set our chairs up a few yards away by the river in order to let Loki and Katie enjoy themselves in the river. Katie found her own shade tree, and "Little Miss Independent" spent most of our visit rolling over in the grass and swimming whenever she got hot.

Mom and I spent about 3 hours here at Discovery S.P. and Beach soaking in the sun and shade and playing fetch with Loki and Katie. Being a Tuesday, there weren't many people at this park, which allowed Loki and Katie and many other dogs to run free. There was one lady who came with her dog Sophie, a little mutt who was full of boundless energy. Sophie ran around Loki and Katie like a little whirlwind and tried to make friends with Loki and Katie, but got growled at for her efforts. After a while, my darlings calmed down and allowed Sophie to swim with them while we played fetch.

Also enjoying a day at the beach was a family with five very well-behaved children. They brought a picnic lunch, and of course, Yogi German Shepherd (Loki) had to go and investigate by going to the family and mooching between two of the girls who were sitting on their blanket eating their fried chicken. Twice, I had to take the wayward Loki from possible picnic disaster, but the family didn't seem to mind the intrusion.

Diversion Park and Beach is a quiet and pretty place for one to enjoy a day at the beach and get away from the heat of the Treasure Valley. There are signs posted throughout the park on where you can and can’t swim along the river. It is very scenic, with the mountain ridges surrounding the cold water of the river. So, bring a picnic lunch, plenty of water, and sunscreen, and if you bring your dogs, make sure they have special treats and toys to play fetch in the water. People will leave you alone with your family and pets, and there are clean public restrooms on the grounds. Mom and I have vowed to return here again because of this.