The elk hunt of a lifetime

On Sept. 19 Darick Pope joined friends Don Kinson and Rick Tipps for a late afternoon hunt near Shoshone Camp on the Coeur d'Alene River. It's bow season and for Darick, who's been bow hunting for about a dozen years, it was to be a memorable hunt.

He bagged a bull elk in the 1,000-pound range with a 43-inch wide, 7X8 rack that scored 325. As a non-hunter that sounds like Greek to me but I've seen photographs and translated it means, "Wow, that was a big elk with giant antlers!"

Darick said there were two or three other bulls within 150 yards or so and while he and his companions gutted the trophy beast, wolves howled close by. It took the trio nearly three hours to pack it back to camp.

There's now meat in three families' freezers and Darick has the head and rack at the taxidermist's shop. Just another day in paradise during hunting season.

Thursday night is a regular season volleyball match between Post Falls and Coeur d'Alene at the Arena at Post Falls High School that's anything but regular. This is the sixth year that coaches Willow Hanna (Trojans) and Dee Pottenger (Vikings) designate a game as Volleyball for a Cure to benefit Susan G. Komen Foundation, Hospice of North Idaho and the Patient Support Fund.

There will be raffle items, a quilt raffle, T-shirts and rally towels. Both teams wear pink uniforms and pink volleyballs are used for the game. Everyone is encouraged to wear pink and cancer survivors get in free. Hospice, Dirne Clinic and Susan G. Komen will have info tables at the gym.

Considering that more than $20,000 has been raised in the past five years for cancer care and research, much of it staying right here, this is a game where both teams and the community win. Freshman game starts at 4 p.m., JV at 5:30 p.m. and varsity at 7 p.m.

Boy oh boy, did the Coeur d'Alene Chamber do it up right in celebrating their 100th birthday last Friday! Absolutely loved the watersports expo with two of The Resort's cruise boats and a few dozen private boats in the flotilla on the west side of Tubbs Hill. Some incredible talent was seen on water skis, wake boards and air chair skis. Thanks to the skills of Jeff Yates, Caleb Baker, Ben Ferney and Bill Kinnison it was an amazing show.

And as if that wasn't enough there was the barbecue on the front lawn of The Resort and a 12-foot-tall birthday cake, with fireworks to put an exclamation point on the event.

Last Thursday RaeAnne Capaul woke her son, Kyler, by singing Happy Birthday. When he got out of bed she said "Happy Birthday 4-year-old!" Replied Kyler, " I am not 4, my feet didn't grow." "Yes they did...look," said RaeAnne. Kyler looked down and exclaimed, "Mom, they grew! I AM 4 YEARS OLD!" You gotta believe. :)

What to do this weekend ... Veterans Stand Down at the Fairgrounds, Oktoberfest in downtown Coeur d'Alene, Tapas and Tailgate at the Track for the Post Falls Chamber at the Greyhound Park, Coeur d'Fondo cycling adventure with more than 750 riders leaving Independence Point at 8 a.m. Saturday morning. Get out and make it a great weekend!

Happy Birthday today to Darci Allert and Lisa McElwain. Tomorrow Ruth McDermid will make 84 look like the new 54, sharing the date with Loretta Reed, Robert Hoyt and Delraya Anstine. On Friday Cindy Pascoe and Ken Cook celebrate birthdays and on Saturday our grandson Matthew Snider joins Marilyn Griffitts, Phil Corless, Shellie Mundy, Cindi Thoma, Gina Myers and A'mya Ohlig in blowing out the birthday candles. My bicentennial baby girl, Sarah Elizabeth, was born on the last day of September as were Steve Griffitts, Debra Raymer, Val Mesenbrink, Liz Arakelian, Dan Grimmett, Wilma Mort, Ann Siebert, Donna Cooper, Don Schmitt and Chickie Albright. On the first day of October Kathi Southard hits her milestone 60th birthday and Layne Pitcher and Casey Irgens will also be putting on their party hats. Tuesday birthdays belong to Millie Eylar, Dana Kinsey and David Tabakman.

Kerri Rankin Thoreson is a member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and the former publisher of the Post Falls Tribune. She was voted Best Local Writer for 2012 by the readers of the North Idaho Business Journal. Main Street appears every Wednesday in The Press and Kerri is on the air Mondays and Wednesdays on 1080 ESPN AM (KVNI). Find her on Facebook or email [email protected].