Life in Rural Idaho

Settling in to a much slower pace

I’m finally starting to settle in after being back in Idaho for two and a half months. Of course, we weren’t actually in our house for a few weeks and I was sick with Covid for three and then traveling for another two and half. And I’m still not unpacked and we still don’t have floors (does this sound exhausting?), but we do have a new furnace, a new bathroom, and a working kitchen. And even without floors, we have the bedroom set up and a makeshift office in another room. Walls are painted except for the hallway and guest room. We’ve come a long way.

All this means I’m back to working at the Census. Unlike in Tulsa, my cases are spread out among three counties (rural Idaho folks, I'm not kidding), so I spend a lot of time in my car. And I’m constantly surprised by the natural beauty here. I stop a lot to take photos. For those of you not familiar with this area, I want to share a few. All pictures are my own.

Smokey Mountains before the snow fell

nice to see solar energy taking hold here

Fairfield, ID, Camas County

Bliss, Idaho - I always thought it would be great to be married in Bliss, I mean, who wouldn’t want to say they started their marriage that way? But alas, this small town doesn’t have a courthouse or a chapel of love. I think they’re missing out on a good idea.

We woke up to snow on Thanskgiving morning and I admit that was a shock. I never thought I would live here again, never thought I’d spend winters in a cold place again. But here I am. My new snow boots arrived in the mail yesterday.

the view of Main Street from our bedroom window. The old white picket fence and two big Elm trees remind me of the Bailey family house in “It’s a Wonderful Life” and that always makes me smile

There’s a peacefulness to this season in rural places. Blaine County now has over 24,000 residents, congregated mostly in five towns and spread over 2,661 square miles. That’s 9,000 less people than currently attending the University of Pittsburgh (which I use as a reference only because my neice is a sophmore there).

We hear the morning commute outside our bedroom window, but even this is muffled once the snow falls.

Tom works outside winterizing the old homestead cabin in our backyard, while I putter around inside a warm house.

Mazie is sporting a new sherpa coat on top of her fleece and Leo is happy as always to walk in the cold.

Mazie & Leo enjoying a walk on the bike path

As December begins, my hope for us all is that this season continues to be peaceful. Slow. Contemplative. May you find an easy rhythm that allows you to settle down and settle in as we await the return of the light.