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.
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.
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.
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.
Love this, Jan! I'm jealous -- my heart is still in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. Take a drive up along the Clearwater and Lochsa with Tom some time and say hello to the Selway River for me where it meets up with the Lochsa. An enchanted place.
Lovely thoughts from days gone by. Brings back so many 😃 memories.
Pat McDonald