Idaho is good!

Well I've always loved north Idaho. My aunt and her family moved there 41 years ago. They lived on a farm and one of my favorite summers was spent there, doing chores in the morning then roaming all over the mountain the rest of the day, usually on horseback. My cousins even took me to visit the cougar den. This is the house they lived in then:


The last day my cousin Brett and I took my sister there to show her. We discovered the property has been divided into lots to sell for development (boo hoo). But they did keep the original house as one lot with some of the out-buildings and all the fruit trees and bushes intact. The house has been recently renovated and is gorgeous. The yard is a little overgrown. Don't I wish I could retire now (the job situation there isn't good) and buy the place. My sister was laughing about the looks of lust Brett and I were giving the place. Yes, our eyes were colored by nostalgia, but it is still nice. Below is my aunt and sister in front of The View. A long-time favorite restaurant, and not just because it does have a beautiful view of Cocolalla Lake across the highway (and train tracks between the highway and the lake for the train nuts in the family). It had closed for a while and then was bought and re-opened. A little cleaned up from before, but the food is still good. Aren't those flower baskets amazing!


Here are my sister and I at the top of Schweitzer Mountain Ski Resort. You can see the northern end of Lake Pend Orielle in the background and part of Sandpoint at the lake edge to the right of me.


Last, I'll share this deer crossing sign. I kept thinking that Idaho was making some type of statement about the "proper" family unit, despite the fact that this is not the way things work in nature!


In addition to having fun catching up with family there, it was very relaxing and productive. Between the rip-outs and the finishing I'm down to 9 WIPs, and only one category still has more than one. Plus, for the first time since I tracked it my stash yardage decreased! Maybe because the one yarn store near my aunt had closed, but I'll take it. So here's the current WIP list:

Baby - 0

Hat - 1
Bonkers Hat

Household - 1
Log Cabin afghan

Mittens - 2
Yummy Mittens
Twined Wristers

Novelty - 1
Mini Flag

Scarf - 1
Angel Pearls

Shawl or Wrap - 1
Hanami

Socks or other footwear - 1
Travelers Socks

Sweaters - 1
Flora