Traveling Moon Pass from Wallace to Avery

Since PKR and I have been immersed in the 1910 fire commemoration in one way or another this summer, I have wanted to drive to Avery over Moon Pass.  This week I got my wish.

On Tuesday, we didn't have anything planned during the day, so I suggested to Paul we drive to Avery.  He was up to it, so off we went.

I was awestruck by the beauty of the drive, and also the surprises in store that I didn't know existed.  Here are some pictures of our trip.

The Post Office and Museum in Avery.

The Milwaukee Road train car in Avery.

Inside the train car.

Who knew you drove inside of train tunnels on the road from Wallace to Avery.

Here is another.

And another.

This one was a little longer.

You see the bottom of the start of the Hiawatha Bike Trail on your way.

The Beautiful North Fork of the St. Joe River.

Burned snags from the 1910  fire.

Snags along the water.

Look at the burned and charred inside of this snag.

The snags have a beauty of their own.

Beautiful water.

Another snag.

On top of the pass.  Breathtakingly beautiful.

One more shot from up on top.

Fourth of July---Country Style

PKR, The Princess and myself headed north to Spirit Lake and beyond to enjoy celebrating the Fourth of July with AA's family. AA is The Princess' boyfriend.

We first met AA in Spirit Lake, and walked through the City Park and looked at the booths in the park. Then we headed out to the country to AA's family home...a beautiful area north of Spirit Lake.

We met Dexter, AA's brother's Boston Terrier.

AA's family also had their own pet dog, Buddy.

We brought our Bocce Ball game, and it was a big hit. The "Grumpy Old Men" were the big winners, beating all other competitors.




And here is The Princess and AA.

Final Destination...Sun Valley, Idaho

On Friday afternoon, we arrived in Sun Valley, Idaho where I was participating in a convention.

This is the Sun Valley Inn where we were staying, and where the convention took place.
Here is PKR strolling around the village at Sun Valley.This is the Sun Valley Opera House. They show movies here, as well as put on plays and concerts.
This is the pool at the Sun Valley Inn. The water is really warm and relaxing. It felt really good.
This is our room during our stay. It was very nice and comfortable.
This is a swan over at the pond in front of the Sun Valley Lodge, the other large hotel in Sun Valley.

Below is a picture of the entrance to the Sun Valley Lodge. Inside they have hallways of cool black and white photos of personalities who have stayed and skied at the resort. Some I remember were Desi Arnez and Lucille Ball and their two kids, Jackie Kennedy and her two children, Gary Cooper, Ernest Hemmingway, of course, Peter and Jane Fonda, and Marilyn Monroe. There were others, but those are I re the ones I remember.

Here is PKR and I at the banquet on Saturday night. I was very impressed with the food, and service and the accomodations during our stay. And it was nice to retreat away, just PKR and myself, and have some much needed time alone together. With three busy girls, we count times like this as quite a blessing!!

It was interesting driving up to the Sun Valley area. You arrive in Hailey, Idaho, and it still looks fairly normal. But you get to Ketchum, and there are condos, townhouses, newly remodeled shops and high priced boutiques.

I remarked to PKR that I'm not sure I want to live in a place like the Ketchum/Sun Valley area. I keep wondering if that is where Kellogg is headed, and how long it may take for us to get there.

Wildcard Wednesday--Sixth Street Theater's "The Miser"

The Sixth Street Theater in Wallace is preparing for the opening of "The Miser", a romantic farce by Moliere. Pictured are cast members Molly Roberts, Luke Crigger,Paul Roberts, Chance Hughes and Chelane Connell.

The play opens Friday, February 22nd with a Opening Gala at 6 p.m. followed by the play at 7 p.m.

WALLACE—A miserly father plots to marry his daughter to a rich old man, but the daughter wants the man she has brought into the house disguised as a servant.
The father also wants to marry, but he wants the same girls his son loves.
This is just the beginning of the twists and turns experienced in “The Miser”, the Sixth Street Theater’s upcoming production.
The play opens Friday, February 22 at 7 p.m., with theater goers invited to a special Opening Night French Soiree at 6 p.m. complete with refreshments.
Other evening performances will be on Feb. 23, 28, 29, March 1, 7, and 8, with matinee performances at 2 p.m. on Feb. 24, March 2, 8 and 9.
The play features Paul Roberts in the lead as Harpagon. Roberts is also directing this production.
Performing in the role of Harpagon’s daughter Elise is Molly Roberts, and the role of Cleante, Harpagon’s son, will be performed by Chance Hughes. Luke Crigger and Chelane Connell play Valere and Mariane, the love interests of these two siblings, and are both new to the Sixth Street stage.
David Selman, another newcomer to Sixth Street, is Master Jacques, one of Harpagon’s servants. His other servants are Cherri Bartle as Mistress Claude, Zoe Roberts as Brindavoine, and Cosette Roberts as La Merluche.
Trying to help all these love interests work out is Frosine, the matchmaker, portrayed by Carol Roberts. LaFleche, the valet of Cleante, is played by Frank Peretti, who makes his debut performance on the Sixth Street stage as well.
Rounding out the cast are Sixth Street veterans Ken Bartle, as Monsieur Anselme, and Vern Hanson, as Master Simon and the Magistrate.
“I played this role in a production in Montana about 20 years ago,” said Roberts, the play’s director. “I have always enjoyed this character and the farcical comedy of this play, and decided to bring this production to the Sixth Street stage.
“Farce is similar to melodrama, in that the humor can be exaggerated and way over the top. But it is different, in that there is not the audience interaction with the booing and hissing.”
Roberts has also taken an anachronistic turn in parts of this production, using some popular Beatles music in this 1660’s Paris, France setting.
“This is the perfect opportunity to shake off some of the winter doldrums, and come for a great evening of theatrical comedy,” said Roberts.
For reservations call 752-8871, or 1-877-SIXTHST. Tickets are $12 for adults, and $10 for students and seniors. Tickets must be paid in advance or held with a credit card.
The Sixth Street Theater is located at 212 Sixth Street, in Wallace. For more information, visit the website at www.sixthstreetmelodrama.com.

Take a Picture Tuesday--Dad at the Sunshine Inn

My Dad as a bartender at the Sunshine Inn in Kellogg.

As I reported below on my Winter Walk, the Sunshine Inn is reopening soon.

The Sunshine Inn holds many memories for our family as we grew up here in Kellogg.

One reason was Dad was employed as a bartender at the Sunshine Inn.

My memories are of going out to dinner at the Sunshine Inn, and eating in the Jackass Room, where a large picture of Noah Kellogg and his jackass hung on the wall.

One favorite treat of mine was a drink called a Shirley Temple. You would get it served in a tall glass, with a marachino cherry sticking out on top.

The drink is made up of 7-Up and grenandine syrup. At least that is the version I remember.

I always enjoyed dining at the Sunshine Inn. The owners names were Sig and Bunnie Peterson, and I think they were always good to my dad.

So, now, once it is opening again, maybe I can take my girls to the Sunshine Inn and they can have Shirley Temples with a meal while dining in the Jackass Room.

I wonder if Noah and his companion still hang on the wall?

Winter Walk--The Road That Leads Me to My Door

Here is what the road in front of my house looked like this morning as I left NR at her home, and headed for my own door. I love the snow. But I don't like it when it gets to this phase, all slushy, and dirty with big puddles all around. Driving down our rode is like being on the "Indiana Jones Adventure" ride at Disneyland. The ride was fun at Disneyland. It gets a little old each day driving to work in these conditions, and my drive to work is only about three minutes.

Well, I can take consolation in the fact I don't have a giant snowball hurtling toward me that I have to dodge as I make my way to work each morning. Now, if that was the case, my morning commute would be quite an adventure.

Winter Walk--A Little Kellogg History

For those of you who may want to learn a little about Kellogg's history, I took a picture of this sign on my morning walk.

Yes, if the truth be told, Kellogg was discovered by a jackass, and Kellogg is still inhabited by its descendants.

A proud hertitage if there ever was one.

Seriously though, I enjoy this mythical lore that surrounds the founding of this area. Here is how the story goes.

In 1885, Noah Kellogg was a prospector who was living in Murray, Idaho during the gold rush. He wasn't having much luck around Murray, so he bought a grubstake with the help of two businessmen, Mr. Cooper and Mr. Peck, and also purchased an obnoxious jackass, and headed south over the hills to the south fork of the Coeur d'Alene River.

He eventually headed up Milo Gulch, toward what is now known as Wardner, Idaho. Supposedly his jackass took off, and, one of the stories says that Noah found his jackass mezmerized by the outcropping of galena (lead ore) he saw on the side of the mountain.

This probably isn't exactly true, but it is said myth always has some part of truth in the telling.

Noah wasn't familiar with galena, so he took a sample back to Murray and showed it to his buddy Phil O' Roarke, who knew exactly what it was, and the value of this mineral.

They returned to the site, and old Noah double crossed the business partners, and put a new mining claim on the land.

But old Noah wasn't too smart. Because the first time he was up there, he wrote up a claim including the two businessmen, and later it was found on the ground.

So Cooper and Peck took old Noah to court in Murray, and they won, so Noah was ordered by the court to give these two guys part of the claim. So then they were all part owners in the Bunker Hill and Sullivan Mining Company.

In the meantime, Noah got a town named after him...Kellogg, Idaho.

That is how my hometown was named.

Take a Picture Tuesday: Morning Walks

After 120 My Tree pictures, I am moving on to another photo project this year.

Every Monday through Friday morning my friend Nikki and I walk about 40 minutes around Kellogg. I am going to take my camera with us in the morning, and take different pictures along our route and watch how the town changes with the seasons.

I thought for those of you who haven't been to Kellogg in a while, you may be interested in what it looks like. And, if you have never been to Kellogg, you may enjoy getting to know my hometown a little better.

This morning I took quite a few pictures to get started. But I'll probably only end up sharing one a day from now on.

But, for those of you who like the tree pics, don't worry. I'm sure I'll find ways of slipping in more pictures of the tree throughout the year as it changes throughout the seasons as well.

So, here are some pics from this morning's walk.

Our local ski resort, Silver Mountain Gondola Village,

looks beautiful each morning as we walk by,

with all the lights, and the snow piled high.

Here the gondola cars wait silently in the early morning hours to begin to make their journey on the world's longest single stage people carrier in the world, at 3.1 miles.

These trees in front of the Kellogg School District Office are beautiful to look at each morning, especially when they are covered with snow, and the lights stream through them from behind.

Stein's in no longer an IGA store. It is now Stein's Family Foods. No longer can one say, "I'm going down to IGA to pick up some milk." IGA no longer has a warehouse in Spokane, so the decision to go with Family Foods was based on the closeness of their grocery warehouse.

"Jolt n' Bolt", a espresso drive thru, had an early morning customer today. They are located in the Stein's parking lot, and serve good drinks. In fact, I treated myself to a Mocha today. I hadn't had one in months!!

Thus begins my new photography journey. Hope you plan to come along!!

Take a Picture Tuesday--Snow! Snow! Snow!

Wildcard Wednesday--Sherman Avenue...Winner of the Worst Winter Road Award

I didn't realize I was going to make this award, but after driving through Coeur d'Alene yesterday, Sherman Avenue has received the first annual Winter of 2008 Worst Winter Road Award.

Yesterday I had a meeting at North Idaho College, and got into Coeur d'Alene a little early, so I decided to drive through downtown Coeur d'Alene. Bad idea.

The road was snow packed and icy all the way, with a large snow berm down the center of the road.

The worst part was driving along, not fast at all, with my rig in four wheel drive, and, as I was approaching an intersection the light turned red. As I put on my brakes, I didn't stop, and went sailing through the intersection. Thank goodness everyone around was being cautious. (I really didn't need to have another wreck this season.)

So I creeped down Sherman Avenue, wondering the whole time why the main street through downtown Coeur d'Alene was so poorly maintained during this hard, hard winter we are experiencing?

Last Friday I drove to Spokane and none of the roads were as bad.

On Monday, I drove to Desmet, and none of the roads were as bad.

Even Kellogg has maintained their frequently traveled roads better than the frequently traveled Sherman Avenue. (Now our subdivision roads, that is a whole other story, but it isn't frequently traveled, so it doesn't count.)

So, hats off to you, Sherman Avenue. I'm not sure you are proud of the distinction, but it is yours none the less.

Congratulations!!

Family Friday--Visiting with Father Tom

Rev. Thomas E. Connolly, S.J. visits with Z2 and her History Day project group at Gonzaga University today.


Today I drove Z2 and four of her friends to Gonzaga University. They had made an appointment with Father Thomas Connolly, the priest at the Sacred Heart Mission in Desmet, Idaho. He was gracious enough to talk to them about their topic.

This year's main theme for National History is Conflict and Compromise. Z2's group is producing a documentary on how moving to the reservation changed the lives of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe. They are going to tell the story from the perspective of two Indian girls, and talk about how life was before the reservation and after, and one of the changes was attending the Indian Boarding School in DeSmet.

Connolly has been a priest with the Coeur d'Alene tribe for 30 years, and you can tell he loves his job. It was enjoyable listening to him tell about how things were for the tribe. He explained to the girls how, after the tribe moved to the reservation, they realized their children would need to learn English to live in the "white man's world". He explained how a group of tribal members travelled to Walla Walla, Washington to talk to the Sister of Providence to come and teach the girls in school, because, at that time, only the boys were being taught by priests and seminarians.

He explained how, in reality, the Indians were invaded and their land taken away. And, since these people now occupied their land, they would have to learn how to communicate and work the way the white man did, or they would not be able to survive.

Life became much more regimented for the children once they went to the boarding school. Since there were a large group of them at the school, they had a routine and chores, and learned domestic chores such as sewing and cooking and laundry in a different way than they were used to knowing at their homes.

One of the biggest changes was not being with their family. That was very hard on, not only the children, but the parents and grandparents as well. But they knew their children needed to be schooled.

We travel again on Monday to Desmet to visit the mission there, and meet the parish secretary who has information on the schools. I look forward to hearing what she has to share about this topic as well. What a wonderful learning experience for these girls, and me, too.

Roads converge each year for KHS Class of 81

Kellogg High School Class of 1981

The long and winding road

That leads to your door

Will never disappear

I've seen that road before

It always leads me here

lead me to your door.

The class song for the Kellogg High School Class of 1981 was The Beatles tune "The Long and Winding Road". I am fortunate each holiday season that the long and winding road of some of my classmates converge at a certain point and we get together for lunch and a gift exchange.

Today, CC, PW, TD, BE and myself gathered at Noah's Canteen at the Silver Mountain Gondola Base for lunch and a wonderful afternoon of visiting and reminiscing about old times. Unfortunately, CF was unable to be with us.

Three of us, CC, BE and myself have known each other since kindergarten. TD and PW joined us in seventh grade. They were two of the "wild" Pinehurst kids. When we were all in school, all the seventh graders came together as one class at Kellogg Junior High School. Students from Sunnyside Elementary, Pinehurst Elementary, and Canyon School all came together, and we "innocent" students from Sunnyside always thought the kids from Pinehurst were so "wild".

We have been doing this holiday tradition for seven years now. We began the year I moved back to the valley. The first year we did it so our friend AV, who then lived in Alaska, could see some of her old friends. Then we continued it every year. Sometimes we meet in restaurants in Coeur d'Alene, since three of the group live over there. And sometimes we meet in the valley. It is always a great time.

We joke about how CC always seems to know every detail of all of our lives, and remembers things the rest of us don't. But I think we are getting wise to her. Did those things really happen the way she tells them, or is that her own special version of the story? H-.m-m-m-m.

Today the talk was about fundraising, and how, when we were sophomores, we sold a ton of World's Finest Chocolates, and didn't have to earn any more money for graduation. We were talking about his, because TD and myself both have seniors at Kellogg High School, and now it is the parent's duty to raise money for the end of the year party. Ugh!

And, the older we get, the more our talk tends to veer toward health issues. Sad, isn't it? Today, it was about our eyes, and how the blinding snow hurts our eyes, or how when the cold hits our eyes, they tear up.

After lunch, we came to my house to do our gift exchange, and I served hot buttered rum. My daughters got a big kick out of hearing our conversation and thought we were all pretty crazy. I always feel I laugh harder with my oldest and dearest friends than anyone else. So I'm sure as my girls heard our stories and listened us laugh, they probably did think we were a little crazy!!

I'm glad my girls get the chance to sit and listen to me and my friends share out stories. I was reading Starr's Go Figure blog the other day, and he was talking about recording the stories of those who came before us, so we understand better of who we are. Sitting and listening to my friends and I tell stories help my daughters understand more of where I came from, of who I am, and who they are.

I'm glad our road's converge at year's end, so we can remember who we are, where we come from, and share it all with each other.

Another Opening, Another Show

Another op'nin, another show

In Philly, Boston, or Baltimo'

A chance for stage folks to say hello!

Another op'nin of another show.

Last night it was the stage at Kellogg High School. Tonight, it was a stage about 15 miles down the road, in Wallace, at the Sixth Street Theater.

Tonight was the opening of "Country Through The Years...Hee Haw Style", taking the corniness and country humor of the old Hee Haw show, and mixing it with some country music.

But this time, I'm not an actor, or a writer, or a singer. I am the lighting technician. I light up the stage. I blackout the stage. And because of the type of show this is, I have a lot of lighting cues. And it is really fun!!

I love the theater, and I want to learn all different aspects of it. Some day I will probably take the opportunity to direct a play, so this helps me gain more understanding of the total process of what it takes to put on a production.

The audience really enjoyed tonight's performance. The cast received a standing ovation. They did a good job.

If you are interested in some fun entertainment, come and check out "Country Through The Years...Hee Haw Style". The show will run this weekend, and the following two weekends. Go to http://www.sixthstreetmelodrama.com/ for more information about show dates.

WiFi at The Library in Meridian

PKR and I are sitting in a coffehouse in Meridian, Idaho enjoying some delicious foods, delicious drinks and listening to some live music of a young rock band who is playing out front. The name of the band is SCAM, made up of two girls and two guys. They are nice to listen to, and what a great opportunity to share your music with others.You can find out more The Library here, and, next time you are in Meridian, come and check it out.

PKR's sister Laurie has performed here a couple of times. In fact, she is off in Portland this week recording her second CD, so, unfortunately we won't get to see her on this trip. But we look forward to getting her new CD. To find out more about her music, check out her website here.

We needed to find some wireless spot to get on the Internet, and PKR's parents suggested here. Plus, they had a two for one coupon to get something to eat here as well.

It has been seven years since we moved from Meridian back to the Silver Valley. We moved to Meridian in 1991, and the population was about 12,000. When we moved in 2000, I think the population was around 25,000. Now, as you enter the city limits, it says 56,000. The growth is unbelievable. And PKR's parents, who live in Meridian, had a lot to say about all the traffic. It was getting bad before we moved...I can only imagine what it is like now.

But there are certainly perks to growth. I'm not saying it is all bad. I love coming here to visit friends and family and eat at some favorite places, and enjoy the shopping. I have some very special friends that I only see if I travel down here, and the times spent with them are times I treasure in my heart . My daughters have friends and family here they love spending time with as well.

We made the choice to move to Kellogg and live in a smaller area where we have to drive a ways to take in some of the perks of bigger city living.

I'm okay with the arrangement. I need my city fix every once in a while. But I'm always glad to get back home.

Sultry Night in the Silver Valley...waiting for Harry Potter

I'm sitting out on my deck at about 10:40 tonight. Usually the deck is a cool retreat. Not so much tonight. The thermometer on the wall reads 80 degrees still!! This is what nights were like when we lived in Meridian. It is suppose to cool off in the mountains, but I guess not tonight.

Our family did have a lovely evening with some wonderful friends tonight. Our friend Cinderella, who lives in Mullan, invited us and another family up for dinner. I can't remember the last time I was in Mullan. I was glad to return. It is a beautiful little town, and she has taken this small house in Mullan and turned it into a storybook cottage. She calls in "Cinderella's Cottage" and she has painted murals inside on the walls and outside on the garage using a style like Mary Englebreit. It is darling.

Most of the time she lives in Oregon, and was considering selling this precious little cottage. We suggested she turn it into a vacation rental. It is in a perfect location, close to Lookout Ski Resort, the Hiawatha Bike Trail, the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes, and not far from Silver Mountain. It is a peaceful little cottage in a peaceful little community, great for a family getaway or a romantic retreat. I hope she decides to keep it and use it as a vacation rental. If she does, I'll post some information about it in case anyone would ever be interested in renting the cottage.

She also invited another family up for the evening, and this couple came with their son. What a special kid. KN is autistic, and is very functional. It has been amazing watching him grow up these past few years, and see him learn and socialize better, and I love to see how his mind works. He is a real blessing.

Z2 stayed up until 5 a.m. last night reading the final Harry Potter book. The Princess is about on Chapter 12 or 13 at the moment. She reads pretty fast, so I'm hoping I get to begin the book by Wednesday. I look forward to discussing it as part of the HBO book club selection next month.

Raymond Pert and Snug moved over to Mom's house while my brother in law and neice were here for a few days. They have moved back in on this sultry Silver Valley night.

Time to go in the house and face the heat...UGH!!

Masking my grief: Eulogy for 828 McKinley Avenue, Kellogg, Idaho

Today I pay tribute to a wonderful structure that sheltered our family for almost 6 years. We left this home a little over a year ago, after we bought a new one. We knew we would be the last family to live within its’ walls. We sold our home, knowing some day it would be torn down.

That some day was Tuesday, May 15, 2007.

We knew this was coming, but once you see the pile of wood, and trees and your old hot tub perched on top of a pile of wood, it makes the inevitable rather final.828 McKinley was constructed in 1930 by the Bunker Hill and Sullivan Mining Company. It was right next door to the Bunker Hill office building, which is also being torn down. Over the years it served it many capacities and housed many different families. One of my classmates in grade school lived in that house. A couple different family friends lived in that house. Each of the husbands in these families executives in the Bunker Hill Mining Company.

I remember visiting Kellogg over Fourth of July weekend in July of 2000, and spent some time that weekend looking at houses. It was a rainy, dreary day. I fell in love with this house. It had character. There were hardwood floors, and arched doorways, and French doors, and a big airy kitchen with a view overlooking Kellogg, the town I grew up in, and was now planning to return to live.

We made an offer, it was accepted, and then we waited for our house to sell in Meridian. That seemed like it took forever, but it really only took about 3 months. We lived with my mom, then moved into 828 McKinley in the middle of November. This house would finally become our home.

Right away we loved our home. It had been a vacation rental home for skiers coming into the area, so it was decorated nicely, and we didn’t have to do any fixing up to move in. We laughed in this house. We cried in this house. We yelled in this house. We felt like crawling in a hole and dieing in this house.

Especially when I went through the process of selling it to men who wanted to tear it down and build a condominium.We prayed in this house. We celebrated in this house. We loved in this house. We LIVED in this house.

It was a roller coaster ride I never want to repeat. The process drove me to bed watching West Wing on DVD. It was overwhelming, and I couldn’t deal with the ride any more.

Then in December they came back. I said no. But then my husband took over, and didn’t tell me. He protected me from the talks. But on another cold, rainy day in January, he said he wanted to show me a house. The men had called, and were talking again about buying our house. I looked at the other house. By the end of February, we had sold 828 McKinley, and bought another.
We were able to strip 828 McKinley of many things before the demolition. We have merged two homes into one. Our new home now have crown moldings from the other home. We took doors, windows, toilet, hot water heater, hard wood floors, shelves, to name a few things.

828 McKinley was peaceful and comfortable, and a sanctuary during many troubling times in my life, and the lives of our family. The big maple trees that shaded our house from the sun each summer are now gone. Their beautiful golden leaves each autumn were a showcase in the community. Those trees were close to 80 years old. They didn’t deserve to die this way. I’m glad I didn’t see the large heavy machinery chomp them down.

I will miss 828 McKinley. I feel like I mask my grief, because I’m not sure anyone can understand how painful it is to see 6 years of your life piled up in a garbage heap, ready to be carted off to the dump. No one except the other members of my family.

I feel sad we had to sell it and that it had to be torn down. But it was the right thing to do at the time.

But I could have lived there for the rest of my days.

To see more writings about masks, visit Sunday Scribblings.