This is the Condo That We Built..Sort of

Well, we didn't actually build these condos. We just sold our former house in Kellogg so the builders could use the land to build the condos.

Last weekend, one of our realtor friends who is helping to sell the condos gave us a tour the The Ridge at Silver Valley, and I'd like to give you a tour as well.

For those of you familiar with Kellogg, these are located on McKinley Avenue, right next to the Staff House Museum. The old Bunker Hill Office Building, and our house at 828 McKinley used to be on this land.

Oh the times, they are a changin..

Here is the front, which actually faces Silver Mountain's Gondola Village.

In the middle of each floor is an area with chairs where the view is
beautiful as you look over Kellogg.

Here is a closer look at what you see out the fourth floor window.

Here is what one of the kitchens looks like in a two bedroom unit.
One of the living rooms.
The view off one of the McKinley Ave. balconies.
A dining room/living room view.
There is a nice sized hot tub, sauna and steam room for residents and guest to use.
Here is the view from McKinley Avenue of the back of the building.
A cleverly concealed Murphy Bed in the studio apartment.
Another view from one of the balconies.

The Coppery Gilt of Autumn

This week, Raymond Pert assigned our sibling assignment. IEG's is here, and RP's will be here soon.

Write a postcard, in poetry or prose, patterned after Ted Kooser. His are winter postcards of winter morning walks. Ours will be autumn postcards and we'll make our observations however we want...walking, driving, sitting, whatever....and time of day is up to us...

His postcards:

1. State the date
2. State the weather conditions
3. Capture physical detail of the moment
4. Reflects upon that moment, either implicitly or explicitly


September 26

Warm and breezy

The view from my backyard
is a perfect mixture of evergreen trees in the mountains
and deciduous trees on the ground.

As the sun sets this evening, it casts a perfect
autumnal glow on my view, covering
the trees and hillsides with a coppery gilt
that can only be experienced
as the light of each day is more rare, and
the autumnal equinox adds more darkness to our nights.

by Silver Valley Girl
September 2009

Kindergarten....A Time of New Experiences

It is time to get caught up a bit on some of my Sibling Assignments.

A while back I gave this assignment:

Write about one of your earliest memories of being in school.

IEG's post can be found here, and Raymond Pert's here.

Kindergarten brought many changes into my life, and I have many vivid memories from that first time going to school.

My Kindergarten Class. Of the 22 people in this picture,
15 graduated from Kellogg High School in the Class of 1981.

At the time, Kindergarten was private, and you had to pay to send your child to the half-day session of kindergarten. I was in the morning session.

As I look back over the year, here are some snippets of my first year of kindergarten, in the basement of the old Junior High School on the corner of Main and Division Streets in uptown Kellogg.

I remember standing in line for a drink at the drinking fountain, and both BG and BE being mean to me.

I remember wearing red rubber boots with black fur around the top.

One time we walked outside with black construction paper and caught snowflakes on the paper to look at the different designs.

At the end of the year program, we did a presentations on the holidays of the year, and I was part of Christmas, and I said a short poem about a top.

Now I don't remember this, but I was told that I could read in kindergarten, but I wouldn't read out loud to anyone, but Mrs. Clark, my kindergarten teacher, knew I could read because if she handed me a stack of papers to hand out, I could read the names on the papers to hand them out.

Kindergarten was a good and exciting time for me.

September Images From My Garden

One of the sunflowers that has bloomed in the back yard. How can you help but smile when you look at sunflowers?
Moonbeam Coreopsis is one of my favorite perennials. It starts blooming early summer, and doesn't stop until fall.
I've got a few gourds growing this year. See these gourds reminds me of Veggie Tales.
My Wagonwheel Herb Garden has been overrun by grass. Time to do a little weeding.
Happy Birthday to me!! Last July I received some money for my birthday, and I purchased some roses to plant. On the To Do list for this week!!
ATTACK OF THE KILLER NASTURTIUMS!!! They are taking over everything!! Think Audrey II in Little Shop of Horrors.
I love asters. They are such a cool autumn flower. They have really made my pots look colorful.
Sedum, another one of my fall favorites.
More colorful pots in the front of the house...I am so glad the weather has been so wonderful, so the flowers have stayed so colorful this year. There is beauty all around!!

A Very Productive Sunday

Today has been a very productive day.

This morning we visited a new church that we are thinking of attending. It is the church I grew up in here in Kellogg. It used to be called The United Church of Kellogg, but it is now called Mountain View Congregational Church. It was fun seeing people who attended when I was growing up, and other people I know who I didn't realize were at this church. We really enjoyed the Adult Sunday School Class, and also the service. I think we may have found a new church home.

Then I came home to spend the day canning.

Yesterday, I canned Apple Pie Filling.

Today I made Spicy Apple Chutney and canned it. This is so delicious. It tastes a little like Green Tomato Mincemeat, but with a bite, because there is crushed red pepper, jalapeno and chili pepper in it as well.


Then I sliced zucchini and crookneck squash and canned some pickles.

I also went outside and did a tour of our yard and garden. Things are slowing down out there, but there are still some things on the vine.

I have about four small pumpkins growing, and hopefully they will be ripe in time to make pies for Thanksgiving!!

Still need to pick all my ripe tomatoes. I think they may turn into salsa!!
My green beans didn't do that well this year. But there are some to pick, and cook on the stove all day with some bacon. One of my favorite ways to eat green beans.
Still have a few crookneck squash growing.
And at least one zucchini.

Here is a new addition to our yard. It is a peach tree. We received as a gift from the Pastors at the church we just left, to remind us that we will be bearing new fruit in our new church. They were very generous and loving to share with us such a gift. I'm really looking forward to some peaches next year!!! And it is a kind of peach that is suppose to produce fruit in Kellogg.

Well, that is enough for today. I have some more pics of the yard, but I'll share those later. I'm getting tired, and it is almost time for bed!!

School Days, School Days, Dear Old Golden Rule Days

Yes, it is back to school around this house. Kiki Aru started 8th grade, Z2 is now a sophomore, and PKR teaches Sophomore English, Drama and Speech at Kellogg High School. I'm at both Kellogg Middle School and KHS, continuing to work with my Gear Up program. I have a great office at KHS this year, and will be teaching a weekly "Freshman Success" class to all the new freshman to help them as they transition into the high school.

It is great looking back over summer, and what a wonderful few months it was. Directing the two melodramas with PKR was an absolute delight, and our casts were so great. I'm going to miss all of them!!

Last night and tonight were auditions for the fall show, "Here We Sit", directed by Joy Persoon. I'll be in this one, and PKR will not, since he will start rehearsal for the KHS play that will be at the end of October.

PKR and I are also starting work on our January musical "I Do! I Do!", that we are going to perform at the Sixth Street Theater. I'll talk more about it later.

I also enjoyed this summer because it didn't seem to fly by like most summers. I had time to relax, and go on vacation, and get some things done, but it wasn't quite as busy. Even the girls were ready to get back to school this year.

Last weekend it was wonderful having my brother Raymond Pert and his wife The Deke here in Kellogg for the weekend, and we had a great visit, and I fixed everyone breakfast Sunday morning. The August melodrama ended Sunday, then we had a cast party, and said goodbye.

Kiki Aru turns 14 this weekend. She is having an 80's party on Saturday night. Should be fun!!

I love my life. Life is good.