Sunday Brunch Cruise on Coeur d'Alene Lake with Mike and Mari.

Coeur d'Alene means "heart of the awl" and is a slang term referring to someone who drives a hard bargain. This is how the French traders who settled the place described the local tribe of American Indians.

After the cruise, Mari took me on a trawl through the local art galleries. Bao settled down in his stroller, occasionally posing to have his picture taken. He'll pose for everyone except me. When he catches me trying to take his picture he immediately stands up and walks into the camera. I don't know why. I think it's a Shih Tzu thing.

I can understand why tremendously creative people might choose to live here. It's very beautiful, peaceful and unpolluted. Someone like me might consider it a tad isolated, but in these days of cyber-connectivity geographical isolation has a certain appeal. Summers are certainly lovely. But winters are cold, and Bao and I don't do cold.

I acquired two beautiful pieces to add to my collection, one wood and the other metal. I also managed to (temporarily) lose both of my credit cards. I left one behind in a shop. The other one had vanished into the swirl of receipts and miscellaneous bits of paper at the bottom of my bag. Through the ensuing panic, Bao lay quietly at my feet, saying nothing. Saying nothing at moments like this is one of Bao's many virtues.