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.
Well, there you are. I was wondering if you'd found your way back to the wilds of Idaho. I'm trying to get back there, myself. Got some feelers out. It's gonna take something of a miracle, I expect, but, hey, I wasn't voted Most Stubborn in my senior class for nothin'.
You seem to swim in possibilities, so miracles are always around the corner! Would love to see you if you make it. Been way too long and we've got a lot to catch up on!
Not to give away too many secrets, but I live in an Idaho county that is more than 1,700 square miles and only 7,610 residents, according to the 2020 census. Rhode Island is 1,214 square miles and was home to just under 1.1 million people in 2020.
In my county, we have
- no stoplights.
- one medical doctor.
- three proper towns (meaning they have at least a couple of bars, a grocery store of sorts, a few houses of worship, an elementary school and a high school, a public library a gas station, and two out of three have a Subway sandwich shop, at least two coffee shops, and a clinic). A fourth townish has a one room grades 1-8 school, and a couple of combination gas pump-eatery establishments, and a bar or two.
The town nearest to my home is nine miles away on an unpaved county road. It once held the distinction of being the longest, skinniest town in America in the early 1950s because of a state law that required at least 125 residents before a place could incorporate as a city, for which the main advantage was establishments became eligible for hard liquor licenses and legal slot machines. Ten miles away from our town, down a curvy road that closely follows a whitewater river, is a place that is not even close to being townish, at the junction of the road to our town and the main north-south highway in Idaho. But the non-townish place really wanted to serve the refreshment and entertainment needs of folks traveling on the main highway, so a few enterprising local leaders figured out a way for my town to legally annex the non-townish by creating a one foot wide by ten mile long easement down the middle of the highway between the two places. Who says politicians can’t figure out solutions that benefit communities?
- the nearest Walmart from my town is 60 miles.
- the nearest hospital is an 18 minute Lifeflight helicopter ride that costs over $30k, for which most of us have an inexpensive insurance.
- if I am chosen for jury duty, the closest route to the county courthouse is a curvy, unpaved road over a mountain and takes about an hour.
- our county seat was once the Capital of Idaho, has a newspaper that has operated continuously since the 1860s, and the courthouse is a one story brick building erected in the late 1800s after the town was destroyed by a couple of wild fires.
- until a few short years ago, building permits were not required.
- the nearest Starbucks is 70 miles away, but I can buy 3 cups of excellent coffee from my favorite local bistro for the price of 1 Starbucks Pikes Place Grande. If you ask for a grande sized drink, they will glare at you at the bistro.
- there are three grass public airstrips, all of which have gravity powered toilets.
- all three proper towns have small hardware stores so packed from floor to ceiling with The Stuff We Need that people must turn sideways to pass in the aisles. If they don’t have it, you probably don’t need it.
- more than 80% of the land in the county is state or federal forest lands.
- my town boasts an art centre and an outdoor theater (summer only, because)
- there are hundreds of hot springs in the county, most of which are too small to soak in, but the ones that are big enough are well used.
-if you want to move here, you will probably die from tick fever, a mountain lion attack, an elk goring, a rattlesnake bite, a mule deer trampling, or a bear mauling. There really is no good reason to live here.
oh my you had me laughing!!! Ok, first thought when you mentioned the longest Main St was Island Park but then I kept reading your clues... Idaho City?? Boise County? We love that area! Even spent our honeymoon there. And maybe that guess is wrong but especially since you mention the main N-S artery, it has to be around there.
Thanks so much for the entertaining read. Hope your winter isn't as long as it was last year!
hahahaha - still have that house, still renovating! The hope is to get a visa and stay there in 2025. Meanwhile, I just returned and will post about that soon. And funny thing happened after Tom and I married, I realized I missed him and agreed to move back to Idaho so we could be together. Also seemed divinely ordained since his rental house opened up. I thought renovations on the former rental would be quick and easy. They haven't been. No where near easy. (watch my 2 videos, if you're interested) Just gotta laugh and roll with it. But at least we're together. Oh, and after we finally get our floors laid in this place, we can move Tom's stuff over from where he's been living for 29 years and then we need to fix that place up to rent it. So in case you lost count, that is now THREE places we are renovating on a very limited budget. Trust me, I'm smiling. Life is an adventure!
Oooh…that homestead cabin is calling to me! 🤗 So glad you’re recovering and settling back into beautiful Blaine County…time to break out the Tom & Jerry Batter & all things Hygge! (Sp?)🫖☕️📓 🕯️📚🪵🎶
Hygge, yes!!! I actually thought of hosting a "Hygge Hour" last year as a monthly gathering place to talk about home.... not sure if folks would be interested in that.
And yes, the cabin!! It's pretty terrific. Needs a full renovation, way out of our focus or financial abilities right now. Still, we dream. Would be a great guest house or even better, a writing cabin! :). And Tom & Jerry's!!!! Our Thanksgiving was really lovely - except - no Tom & Jerry's. Can't wait for Christmas!!
WHAT??? how did I not know that?? Sandpoint is beautiful. I use to work for The Nature Conservancy in Idaho and they have a preserve up there. If any of them every come down this way, I hope you'll tell them to look me up. I would love to meet more Luchts!!
Years ago, Jeanne was visiting for Christmas and we were in the Idaho Spud (burger joint), which was pretty full so we shared a table with 2 older brothers. Turns out they were from Kearny, NE, to which we noted that we had friends from there (the Heinz's). To which the one brother exclaimed, "Not PASTOR Heinz?? He married me!" :). Yeah, small world. Luchts and Pepplers in Idaho. Sending you a big hug!
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.
I will! When it warms up, that is. :) Tom says it's been a while since he's been there and I would love to see the place that holds your heart.
Lovely thoughts from days gone by. Brings back so many 😃 memories.
Pat McDonald
Wishing you a peaceful and blessed Advent, Pat!
Well, there you are. I was wondering if you'd found your way back to the wilds of Idaho. I'm trying to get back there, myself. Got some feelers out. It's gonna take something of a miracle, I expect, but, hey, I wasn't voted Most Stubborn in my senior class for nothin'.
You seem to swim in possibilities, so miracles are always around the corner! Would love to see you if you make it. Been way too long and we've got a lot to catch up on!
Wonderful photos. Happy you are getting settled.
Thank you, Alice!
Not to give away too many secrets, but I live in an Idaho county that is more than 1,700 square miles and only 7,610 residents, according to the 2020 census. Rhode Island is 1,214 square miles and was home to just under 1.1 million people in 2020.
In my county, we have
- no stoplights.
- one medical doctor.
- three proper towns (meaning they have at least a couple of bars, a grocery store of sorts, a few houses of worship, an elementary school and a high school, a public library a gas station, and two out of three have a Subway sandwich shop, at least two coffee shops, and a clinic). A fourth townish has a one room grades 1-8 school, and a couple of combination gas pump-eatery establishments, and a bar or two.
The town nearest to my home is nine miles away on an unpaved county road. It once held the distinction of being the longest, skinniest town in America in the early 1950s because of a state law that required at least 125 residents before a place could incorporate as a city, for which the main advantage was establishments became eligible for hard liquor licenses and legal slot machines. Ten miles away from our town, down a curvy road that closely follows a whitewater river, is a place that is not even close to being townish, at the junction of the road to our town and the main north-south highway in Idaho. But the non-townish place really wanted to serve the refreshment and entertainment needs of folks traveling on the main highway, so a few enterprising local leaders figured out a way for my town to legally annex the non-townish by creating a one foot wide by ten mile long easement down the middle of the highway between the two places. Who says politicians can’t figure out solutions that benefit communities?
- the nearest Walmart from my town is 60 miles.
- the nearest hospital is an 18 minute Lifeflight helicopter ride that costs over $30k, for which most of us have an inexpensive insurance.
- if I am chosen for jury duty, the closest route to the county courthouse is a curvy, unpaved road over a mountain and takes about an hour.
- our county seat was once the Capital of Idaho, has a newspaper that has operated continuously since the 1860s, and the courthouse is a one story brick building erected in the late 1800s after the town was destroyed by a couple of wild fires.
- until a few short years ago, building permits were not required.
- the nearest Starbucks is 70 miles away, but I can buy 3 cups of excellent coffee from my favorite local bistro for the price of 1 Starbucks Pikes Place Grande. If you ask for a grande sized drink, they will glare at you at the bistro.
- there are three grass public airstrips, all of which have gravity powered toilets.
- all three proper towns have small hardware stores so packed from floor to ceiling with The Stuff We Need that people must turn sideways to pass in the aisles. If they don’t have it, you probably don’t need it.
- more than 80% of the land in the county is state or federal forest lands.
- my town boasts an art centre and an outdoor theater (summer only, because)
- there are hundreds of hot springs in the county, most of which are too small to soak in, but the ones that are big enough are well used.
-if you want to move here, you will probably die from tick fever, a mountain lion attack, an elk goring, a rattlesnake bite, a mule deer trampling, or a bear mauling. There really is no good reason to live here.
And that’s all I am going to say about that.
oh my you had me laughing!!! Ok, first thought when you mentioned the longest Main St was Island Park but then I kept reading your clues... Idaho City?? Boise County? We love that area! Even spent our honeymoon there. And maybe that guess is wrong but especially since you mention the main N-S artery, it has to be around there.
Thanks so much for the entertaining read. Hope your winter isn't as long as it was last year!
Not Idaho City and not Horseshoe Bend. It’s somewhere off of Highway 55.
Hint hint.
I have lost track. What happened to the train stop house in Italy?
hahahaha - still have that house, still renovating! The hope is to get a visa and stay there in 2025. Meanwhile, I just returned and will post about that soon. And funny thing happened after Tom and I married, I realized I missed him and agreed to move back to Idaho so we could be together. Also seemed divinely ordained since his rental house opened up. I thought renovations on the former rental would be quick and easy. They haven't been. No where near easy. (watch my 2 videos, if you're interested) Just gotta laugh and roll with it. But at least we're together. Oh, and after we finally get our floors laid in this place, we can move Tom's stuff over from where he's been living for 29 years and then we need to fix that place up to rent it. So in case you lost count, that is now THREE places we are renovating on a very limited budget. Trust me, I'm smiling. Life is an adventure!
Oooh…that homestead cabin is calling to me! 🤗 So glad you’re recovering and settling back into beautiful Blaine County…time to break out the Tom & Jerry Batter & all things Hygge! (Sp?)🫖☕️📓 🕯️📚🪵🎶
Hygge, yes!!! I actually thought of hosting a "Hygge Hour" last year as a monthly gathering place to talk about home.... not sure if folks would be interested in that.
And yes, the cabin!! It's pretty terrific. Needs a full renovation, way out of our focus or financial abilities right now. Still, we dream. Would be a great guest house or even better, a writing cabin! :). And Tom & Jerry's!!!! Our Thanksgiving was really lovely - except - no Tom & Jerry's. Can't wait for Christmas!!
Thank you for the serenity and happiness that fills your post 😊
oh, thank you Rohini, I'm glad you felt that. I hope this is true in your life as well. big hugs
My fam is at the opposite end of the state; in the Sandpoint area.
Brother, niece and nephew with their respective spouses.
The fourth generation comprises three grandnephews and two grandnieces.
WHAT??? how did I not know that?? Sandpoint is beautiful. I use to work for The Nature Conservancy in Idaho and they have a preserve up there. If any of them every come down this way, I hope you'll tell them to look me up. I would love to meet more Luchts!!
Years ago, Jeanne was visiting for Christmas and we were in the Idaho Spud (burger joint), which was pretty full so we shared a table with 2 older brothers. Turns out they were from Kearny, NE, to which we noted that we had friends from there (the Heinz's). To which the one brother exclaimed, "Not PASTOR Heinz?? He married me!" :). Yeah, small world. Luchts and Pepplers in Idaho. Sending you a big hug!
Lovely photos , love the happy vibe and your beautiful dogs . Wishing you great health and a warm festive season and holidays
Thank you, Lakshmi. Same to you!