The day a peacock helped change our view.

Peaceful and I were taking the grandkids on a drive into the countryside to show the girls a place we found when we were out exploring one Sunday afternoon.

It's about twenty miles north of Spokane down a dirt road nestled in a beautiful little valley between some rolling hills to the west.

What makes this place so unique is that about a mile down the road there's a farm that houses dozens of peacocks in a huge barn behind a picket fence. There's even an albino peacock that's hard to catch a glimpse of, but it's quite the sight to see when it's not hiding in the barn.

As the girls chatted in the back seat, Peaceful and I discussed a problem that had puzzled us for years. It had to do with offering selections for Designs By Spirit. Although it might seem like an easy problem to solve, in practice it could be a complicated process.

That's because everyone has their own unique style and imagination, and offering selections that not only complement a wide variety of window orientations but inspire the creative spirit requires careful consideration.

As we continued to discuss the problem, up ahead we noticed a peacock standing in the middle of the road, its dark blue chest gleaming in the sun. We slowed the car and waited for it to cross.

We didn't notice the older woman on a bicycle behind us until she pedalled up beside the car and came to a stop beside us. Her name was Cathy, and she invited us to her home and showed us around one of the most unusual places we'd ever seen.

A place where dozens of peacocks roamed freely among retired horses. Cathy had certainly created a unique oasis, and it turned out to be one of the most interesting, relaxing and memorable days we'd had in a long time.

What does this have to do with Designs By Spirit, you might ask? On our way home that afternoon, we finally came up with a solution to the selection problem: a process designed to inspire the creative spirit while accommodating a wide variety of window orientations called Design A View Studio.

Sometimes there are days in life that can clear your focus. Thanks to a peacock in the road and a kind woman on a bicycle, we hope you enjoy exploring and creating an oasis inspired by your own unique style and imagination.