You Can Go Home Again--Idaho Trip

August 10-13 we made a quick trip to Idaho, staying with Andrew and Amy on the way up. The big excitement there was Mattea's new little family of ducks, which she bought with her 4th of July sales.  That night Amy and I went to "The Help" which was just released, and it was a great movie.  Now I need to read the book.

We left early the next morning for Idaho. Our goal was to determine the best site for our reunion next year, and to also go to the farm on Antelope where the Keeler kids grew up. 

Our first stop, however, upon getting to Ririe was to visit Betty Anthony.  She was my first piano teacher and second mother, as I stayed at their home often during my high school years.  I took piano lessons from her for nine years.  After she stopping teaching piano, she took up painting and became a very good artist.  She's still going strong at 90!  She mentioned several times how much she had enjoyed Mom's visits with her.  She also asked if Doug and Nancy still played the piano.  (She didn't ask about you Lynn, so you're off the hook!)  Her daughter Barbara has been my best friend forever, and from them came Anthony's name.

We next visited several of the potential sites for next year's reunion and decided to go with Mountain River Ranch just south of Heise.  The preferred dates of June 29-July 1 were available and it was less expensive than the other two sites.  We reserved the lodge and 7 cabins.  Here are a few photos of the area, but you can also find more info on their site. http://www.mountainriverranch.com/

Lodge kitchen where we can prepare meals, though the deck just outside has both fire pit grill and gas grill.

 

Deck outside the kitchen door at the lodge

Trip to Antelope Bench and the Keeler Farm

 After calling four times to make connection with Niel Brown and failing, the manager of our farm, we finally exercised our faith and drove on up, hoping he had remembered we were coming.  It is only 11 miles from Heise.  The gate was left open for us and we were able to spend some time driving the "old roads of home" and even visited with Bob Echart the caretaker who lives in our house.  He let me go in and take pictures, and also said there wouldn't be a problem with our family doing a reunion activity there next summer, as long as the Rockefellers aren't using it. 

We are hoping Doug, Lynn's and Nancy's family can come join us Sunday, July 1 at the farm for a trip down memory lane.

Looking down the hill to our home.  All the former buildings (except for the house) were torn down, and an quanset shed put up.  Here is what it used to look like:

I was very happy to see so much of the farm under cultivation, mainly barley and alfalfa.  The fields looked good.  The only sad thing was that some of the coves and swells where Dad had left trees had been cleared, even though they aren't really farmable.  According to Doug, it was the Hayes family who did this. They later sold the farm to a Nature Conservancy Organization, whose purpose was to protect the Snake River corridor from development, preserving it for wildlife, returning it somewhat to its pristine state.

The mountains in the background form the corridor the Snake River follows as it makes its way to Ririe.

The front of our home when I was a teen

Front of the house now with a wrap around deck.

On our way back to Heise for a 5:30 appt. with "that old gang of mine" , we stopped at the new scenic turn off along the Snake River.  There was also a Vardis Fisher Memorial Plaque there.  Some day I'll have to tell you of my run in with Vardis Fisher.

The Snake River is beautiful and seeing it again brought back many happy memories of the times we spent playing and fishing further up the river.

Thursday evening some of Ririe's Class of 1960 got together for pizza at Heise and visiting.  It was great.  JR pulled it together, even though he had been Huckleberrying all day.  Linda and her husband drove clear up from American Falls. Steve and Tom and their wives left before I remembered I had a camera!  At least I hadn't left before I remembered!!

We stayed with Barbara and Harry Groom Thurs. night (the first couple on the left) and the next day went to Blackfoot for a Murphy, Keeler, Jensen family reunion.  It was at a really nice pavillion and park.  Bert and Veloy's families were there.  Veloy had just been diagnosed with cancer in her mouth, and was quite concerned about what would be happening. 

Bruce came down, as the lone Arnold.  He and Doug had a good visit.  Nancy was in Illinois helping Andrea with their new baby which arrived the next day I think.   Jessica and her cute little kids came early, so we got to visit with them quite a bit before the big crowds came.  Della still isn't feeling very well, and she and Doug left early.

     Both Sue Del and Marilyn and Dean came, as well as Julie and some of her family.  Wayne and Wendell were both there.  Talked quite a bit to Wayne's son, Spencer, who had been in Iraq two different times.  We left about 4 PM, heading for Autumn's, and when we got to the Malad Summit, the traffic was stopped because of a gas truck accident that blocked both lanes of traffic.  At first they were able to send cars via the old highway, until a 2nd diesel truck crashed there also...not a good day for truck drivers!

    After waiting for about 1 1/2 hrs. we finally decided to go back to Downey, across to Preston, and Logan and then down.  We finally got to Autumn's about 10 PM. 

  

The next morning Steve got up early with Autumn as the official photographer of her triathlon while I stayed and goofed off with the kids.  She did very well finishing 1st in her category, and 3rd overall.  Afterwards we celebrated by getting pedicures, and shopped for fabric for a quilt for her friend Arin who's getting married in Sept. 

We headed to Chris's about 5 PM, and had a fun evening with them celebrating Chris's birthday, and playing games with the family.  We also had fun watching Kids History on U-tube.  Might be a good idea for a reunion challenge.