Escape cabin fever at 'Great Outdoors Day'

COEUR d'ALENE - Winter is only half over, but many who love the outdoors are feeling a little cabin fever. A popular Coeur d'Alene event is returning this year and may help cure the affliction.

The third annual 'Great Outdoors Day' will take place Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Lake City Community Church, 6000 Ramsey Road, across the street from Lake City High School.

More than 400 people have attended the event each of the first two years. It is an opportunity for those who love the outdoors to get together and talk about hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation in general, visit local vendor displays, and hear a presentation by a featured speaker. Tickets are $5 per person.

This year's featured guest speaker is Coeur d'Alene professional wildlife photographer Tim Christie. Tim is a self-taught photographer who has traveled throughout North America for over 40 years chasing wildlife and magical lighting with his camera. He also teaches public speaking and interpersonal communications at the college level. Tim's photos have been selected and featured on over 500 publication covers to date.

Tim's photography and writing annually garner professional awards from organizations such as the Outdoor Writers Association of America, the Professional Outdoor Media Association, and the North American Nature Photographers Association. To see some of Tim's work a sample from his 500,000-image library can be viewed online at www.timchristiephoto.com.

Homemade chili and cornbread will be served in the lobby while attendees visit with local taxidermists, wild game processors, sportsman's club representatives and others before Tim Christie's presentation. Boone and Crockett and Pope and Young measurers will be on hand to demonstrate how to measure big game antlers.

Tickets are available at Black Sheep Sporting Goods, Hoffman Boots (Kellogg), LePeep at Riverstone, Meltz Extreme Grilled Cheese, Michael D's Eatery, and Lake City Community Church.