Return to Boulder City

Sister-in-law Mary and Bill admiring a vista overlooking the Kootenai River on Katka Road. 

Family members visited Boulder City, Idaho, yesterday.  Bill and I have visited the place many times and with extra enthusiasm after we read the New York Times bestseller The Boys in the Boat.  

In fact, the first time I ever set foot in the ghost town above the Moyie River east of Bonners Ferry off Katka Road, I took a picture of a single daisy in a jar as it sat in an empty window frame.

The frame was part of an old building, which back in those days, was still standing.  

Yesterday’s visit showed the structure fenced in as part of a restoration project by the U.S. Forest Service.  The building has now completely collapsed to the ground.  

Ironically, pretty daisies were growing from the roof top and fluttering in the breeze.

My sisters had been there a couple of times, but for my older brother Mike and his wife Mary, it was a first but also a notable event.

  After all, Mary’s book club near Seattle had read The Boys in the Boat and had even met the granddaughter of one of the major characters.

The major character of this page-turning nonfiction account of a University of Washington rowing team, which won the gold medal in the 1936 Olympics, spent part of his childhood in Boulder City. 

The area was a popular place yesterday, and we even met a family whose father was visiting.  His earlier family members had been associated with the place during the years that hydraulic mining was occurring.

After strolling through the area and reading several of the historical tidbits in the outdoor display, we drove back to an area near the Boulder Creek bridge, brought out our chairs and our lunches and visited. 

Family visits are different these days, for sure, but we rather enjoyed the history and the setting.  We all came away with some more knowledge and a good memory, which will certainly be remembered and treasured. 

This morning the hay crew is here putting our bales in the barn, so today's quickly-written post will end here.  

Gotta get one of those old-fashioned hay hand meals ready for some hungry workers. 

Happy Friday.  

Big brother Mike and little sister Laurie. 

Mike and Mary's dog Molly.  She was a rescue from a Houston hurricane.

Molly had a good time yesterday. 

Sisters Laurie and Barbara

Daren Johnson, a 92-year-old Navy retiree, came to visit Boulder City yesterday with his wife Fayetta and daughters, Cindy and Jennifer.

His family had connections in Boulder City, so it was a sentimental journey for them and some great stories from Daren who told us he had worked on the Latah Creek Bridge in west Spokane during a stint in his career. 

Update:  It's 7:43 a.m.  

Our hay crew has put the hay in the barn, returned the elevator to its home, loaded up some bales on the pickup, eaten a lunch of chicken, fruit, salads, garlic bread and pie, enjoyed some quality visiting time and gone on their way for their "day jobs." 

Amazing!

This day is one of the most important days of the year, especially when our horses are guaranteed a winter's worth of high quality hay with no rain. 

Thanks to Adam and Payton Finney, Jake Suhr and Greg Belgarde.  Wonderful crew. 

Once again, we feel blessed.