Tag Archives: Idaho

Hey 2013!

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I’m not ready to say good-bye to the holidays! waaawaa (hot tears crystalizing) The welcoming glow of the Christmas lights, the comforting decadence of home-made eggnog, the omnipresent scent of cedar & cinnamon as I walk through the door…parting tis not sweet at all…

In fact, why can’t we have our Christmas lights up all winter long?! Who was the big Grinch that decided that was just outré ? Probably the same wet blanket that mandated no white trousers after Labour Day or long hair after 40.

Well, let it be known, I mean to be a flame-spitting hellion in 2013 and break all the rules ( I’ve been breaking at least two of them for much longer than I care to admit anyway)

I’m still in Sun Valley and loving every frigid minute of it. Two nights ago it plummeted to minus 12 degrees at our property! To be outside for just a couple of minutes was positively giddifying. The landscape was sparkling like diamond dust, the air itself glistening, no longer the invisible element. Even though I had to sleep in my long johns, as the cold was finding every possible avenue of entry, it was still pure magic.

God bless youth, my younger son and his friend decided it would be the perfect night to take a jacuzzi. Outside.

890A5740I went out for two seconds to check on them and spotted these tracks on the jacuzzi porch.

890A5744 The boys came in shortly after.

890A5749By early morning you could see another set of interesting tracks leading down to the partially frozen river. The big ones on the left are my snow shoes but the single line on the right is an animal. Upon closer inspection they appeared to be left by a light footed deer wearing Manolo pumps, possibly Louboutins, definitely sober. No tracks back, so…did she jump into the frigid water? The first broken heart of 2013?

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890A5599More of my tracks along the side of my house. Gawd, I’m sporty. It’s a whole New Me in 2013.

But let’s not speak of resolutions just yet-it’s only the 3rd. You know how I hate to be rushed.

890A5563my fellow ‘shoers’

890A5631Let’s just have one more hot toddy on my  birchbark screened porch and ponder how cold it must be on the ski lifts right now :)

I heart Sun Valley

Happy 2013!

xox

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Header image via Tumblr

Greetings From Sun Valley

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Greetings from Sun Valley!

I escaped the “June Gloom” in Santa Barbara and I’m basking in the gorgeousness that is Idaho this time of year.

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My intention was to treat this as a “spa” week; no naughty foods, no alcohol, lots of water and plenty of exercise. For the most part I’m doing well, but last night I got carried away listening to 70′s music on satellite radio (again) and all that reminiscing about high school and boys forced me to crack open a Corona!

A Bob Seger song led me to the edge and “Bachman Turner Overdrive” pushed me over. Remember the faces boys used to make when they danced to those “Guy songs”?!

Ick.

We’d be like “Gaawd-that’s Ricky from my math class” and your friends would be like “How do you know? You never go to math class” and then you’d be like “that’s why. Dorks.”

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The first day I arrived this is how much snow was still in the higher mountains

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A few days later it’s almost entirely gone.

It’s not hot yet but the days are long, with a hint of light still lingering in the big sky til after 10:00pm.

I know because last night I was telling myself I couldn’t possibly go to bed before it was dark!

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I love roasting vegetables in my kitchen fireplace winter or summer.

These are Anaheim chiles meant to be stuffed with cheese, except I ate all the cheese so they were just served drizzled with ghee, lemon and sea salt. Delicious.

Ever since “The incident of The Missing Wiener” on the outdoor bar-beque last year I’m a tad fearful of outdoor grilling .

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The scene of the crime

Tell me a bird can get into this grill when it’s burning hot and smoky and located underneath a really big overhang and fly away with a jumbo wiener.

I think not.

(don’t tell the fire dept. about the “big overhang” part)

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Speaking of animals,

Does this giant sweet potato/yam not look just like a walrus?

 It even has whiskers!

This photo was taken before the Corona.

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Speaking of the Great Outdoors, what are we watching on TV now that “Madmen” is over? 

Anyone going to watch the new “DALLAS”?

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Sweet Summer Memories

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Middle Fork of the Salmon River, Idaho

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I‘m baaaack

and keeping Summer Hours

as you may have noticed  :)

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But I’m all in one piece,

and had the most brilliant time

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My Survival Kit remains sealed

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We traveled over the majestic Sawtooth Mountains into Idaho’s River of No Return Wilderness area.

 At one point (by land, not water) we actually crossed the spot where Lewis & Clark decided to turn back.

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Ya, we did.

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The Middle Fork of the Salmon River has many moods…

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All equally beautiful

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River’s edge in Idaho is no slouch either

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Our camp in the middle of paradise

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Snakes were wrestled

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Giant marshmallows  slaughtered

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Waterfalls conquered.

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Ahhnd… then we ate cake :)

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We definitely communed with Nature,

however I’ll spare you “Le Groover Chronicles”

Suffice it to say that old friendships were cemented and new ones quickly forged.

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One day we came upon the deserted lodgings of an infamous Middle Fork River hermit.  With only a dog for company, he lived in this 8 X 8 structure for over 35 years, traveling to town just once a year for not much more than bullets, flour and salt.

 I really couldn’t have imagined we had anything in common…

until I heard he also hoarded  magazines.

Of course he used his to pack the spaces between the logs of his house as he had an extreme aversion to rats.

Odd lifestyle choice, considering.

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Speaking of packing… all in all I think I did pretty well- though in retrospect 4 hats and 3 books may have been a wee bit excessive.

A decent sized mirror would have been a much better choice.

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Party over :(

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.I live to glamp another day.

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Oh, PS.

I just realized this is my 301st post!

That means I’ve been blogging for just over two years now.

What a wonderful Blogmance it’s been- who could have predicted it would last this long?

  Thank you so very much for all the memories and for never cheating on me…

Uh…We have been faithful, haven’t we??!

xxx

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PPS.  For the most incredible rafting adventure you could ever wish for please visit:

 Far & Away Adventures

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White Water Glafting

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Thanks so much again to all of you who contributed book suggestions to the previous post. I’m really looking forward to going over all your comments again and compiling a list when I get home.

In the meantime,

I’m off White Water Glafting for a few days.  You heard me.

Glafting is the new Glamping.

 Sure, I know what you’re thinking…Slim- you don’t strike me as the sporty type, but believe it or not, I live for danger.

 Besides, I’ve done this before, although the river wasn’t as high the last time

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and the apparel ante has been seriously UPPED on this trip…

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Resulting in some agonizing chapeau editing

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Love these OMO nylon pants, but $1,700??

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The adventure includes yoga, fishing, great food and drink, and most importantly, a glamorous toilet (nicknamed “The Groover”) precedes the party to each campsite.

 Happiness is a well guarded Groover :)

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Nothing like a friendly game of Bananagrams after a day battling the elements

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Did I mention the river is high where we’re going??

We’ve been told hiking alongside the river is also an option,

however the concern that lunch will be devoured by the Rafters before the Hikers arrive at camp has already crossed my mind.

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So just in case, I’m bringing giant marshmallows for fireside toasting

The days are warm but the nights are still cold

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Have you seen these? They’re about 3 times the size of regular marshmallows- Now that’s my idea of multi-tasking.

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So off I go into the wild blue yonder

Wish me luck & I’ll

See you in a few days.

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No “Deliverance” jokes please :)

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Home Sweet Mountain Home

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Wild flowers gathered for my front door.

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Greetings from Sun Valley.  I’m so blissed out to be here!

In just a few short hours the weather will run the gamut of  brilliant sunshine, billowing white clouds, a dark horizon, a burst of quick rain and back to glorious sunshine again.

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The sunlight paints the mountains a multitude of greens after a quick rain shower

The town is buzzing with sporty types all looking very fit and rather chuffed with themselves, having just completed a long bike ride, a strenuous hike or perhaps just a delicious brunch at Christina’s. Being of the “first gear persuasion” myself, I enjoyed a leisurely stroll this afternoon, stopping by some of my regular haunts, including The Iconoclast bookshop (do you think I could remember the name of the book I was looking for??)  and of course the obligatory visit to Chateau Drugs.  Quel horror! A change of ownership without me being consulted?! This is the shop that our friends and I (we?? yikes-altitude, gin & tonic) used to joke that you could find anything- not no more…(just testing)  Change is good, but not always.

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Riotous Lupines by the side of the road

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On the up side, as I’m in vacay mode I feel freed up to be as sloth-like as I care to be, which is pretty darn sloth-like.  I finished an entire book yesterday; “The Dignified Guest” by Sue Miller. It started off so promising and then sort of petered out for me.  Quite honestly, I’m in the market for a great book with  characters I can actually fall in love with, or at least admire.   I’m on a dry streak of books inhabited by people I’d rather punch than go to lunch with.  I’d be thankful for any of your suggestions.

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Looking north from my deck this morning.

The river is running fast and high.  I’m not able to catch it with my camera but the sky is filled with fluffy white Cottonwood seeds, (you can just see a fine blur in the right side of the photo) It’s almost like snow drifting through the air. They catch in your hair, on screen doors, in spiderwebs, a fine downy layer coating everything with the promise of thousands of new Cottonwoods next Spring.

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Look at these funny little flowers growing in my garden. I don’t know what they’re called but they look like pink Water Buffalos!

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Well, whether it’s the altitude, the sun or just the pure mountain air- I’m knackered.

I’m looking forward to falling asleep to the sound of the river

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Wishing you a great rest of the weekend

and for those of you in L.A.- I hope you’re surviving “Car-mageddon” without too much inconvenience :)

xx