If you've ever seen the bike rack at the post office on the corner of 8th and Bannock streets in Boise on a Saturday morning, it's a jumbled mess with bikes all over the place. That's good. People are riding bikes instead of driving cars.

That's why it was a pleasant surprise to see a new bike corral on the other side of the street in front of Thomas Hammer Coffee.

It looks like construction is going strong on what is being billed as North America's largest gondola project on Bald Mountain at Sun Valley Resort.

I've ridden the gondola at Silver Mountain at Kellogg and it's one cool way of getting to the top of the mountain. Even if you're not a skier or boarder, a gondola lets you see the mountain surroundings in enclosed comfort.

The waves in Mixmaster Rapids on the Main Payette were huge and splashy. What a hoot.

The river is running at about 4,300 cfs, which is an ideal flow. It has come down in the last few weeks and we're getting into nice, splashy summer flows.

We were biking down the Greenbelt early Saturday morning when we spotted a spotted fawn just outside the fence of the MK Nature Center. What a pleasant surprise.

The fawn was alert and didn't stick around a second when it saw us. It disappeared into the brush at the Nature Center.

I just got done with a hike in the Boise Foothills with the dog and the cheatgrass and foxtails are prime for causing problems.

Both plants have sharp seed pods that can get stuck in a dog's eyes, nose, ears and skin and between its toes.

The sharp, stickery objects can work their way into the skin and cause serious medical problems.

Almost all trails have the grasses lining them. You can't avoid it.

The best thing to do is to check over your dog after each hike. If your dog is sneezing, chances are it got something up its nose.

Surf's up.

The Warm Springs Weir is surfing just great as can be seen by the photo.

As many as seven or eight kayakers are waiting in line on the Weir for their chance to take on the foam and wave created by 1,350 cfs on the Boise River.

Not for me, especially when there's a good nesting season that boosts duck populations.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released its preliminary report today on mid-continent breeding ducks and habitats, based on surveys conducted in May and early June. Total duck populations were estimated at 42 million breeding ducks on the surveyed area. The estimate represents a 13 percent increase over last year's estimate of 37.3 million birds and is 25 percent above the 1955-2008 long-term average.
 

The three peregrine falcon chicks that bailed out of their nest last weekend atop a building in Downtown Boise have been causing quite a stir.

The nest box is on the 14th floor of One Capital Center, at 10th and Main streets.

It has been a cool story since the first of the four eggs was laid in April 10. The young birds are doing OK, but there have been a couple of mishaps.

Time to see how your fall hunting plans are going to shake out. Grab your hunting license and check HERE for elk, deer, pronghorn, fall turkey and black bear controlled hunts.

Applicants can enter their hunting license numbers to find out instantly how they did in the drawing.

President Obama's speech Monday was interrupted by someone with a phone that had a duck-call ringtone. I wasn't there.

It got a lot of giggles. My phone has a duck-call ringtone, too, and it always gets laughs or strange looks. In fact, my phone has a greeting call, you know, the call you use when you first see ducks at a distance and want to get them interested in your decoys.

Actually, it wasn't my idea. A repairman came to the house a few years back, and when his phone went off, it was a duck call. I immediately I had to have that ringtone because I'm an avid waterfowler.