On the Road

 

Snow actually looked beautiful yesterday because the only work it required for us was driving through it, taking pictures of it and admiring it.  

A nice change from the past four-plus months. 

We left Sandpoint around 6:45.  Susie and Marv left Colorado around 6:30 a.m. their time. 

We arrived at our temporary home here in Idaho Falls about ten minutes after Susie and Marv had pulled in the driveway, unloaded their portable grocery store and had turned on the heat in all the rooms.

Pretty good timing, to say the least. 

It was a beautiful drive from start to finish. About the only bare area we encountered along the 500-mile trip was around Plains, Mont. 

Other than that, it's safe to say that winter has been hanging around the whole region.

We stopped for a late lunch in Dillon, Mont., one of my favorite Montana towns.  Years ago when the Selkirk Hereford Ranch herd was moved to a ranch outside of Dillon, I received a feature story/photo assignment from my boss Gary Pietsch to chronicle the move.

Twas one of the most fun and interesting assignments of my journalistic career.  I photographed cows being loaded here in Sandpoint and cows grazing in their new Montana pasture lands near Dillon.

That first introduction to the community inspired me to always look forward to any return trips. During yesterday's stop we found that the town has become very eclectic, blending the cattle-country environment with artsy-fartsy culture.  

It all seems to work, and the town still has its comfortable old West character. I think that's very important---honor and appreciate all entities and the history that make the town what it is.

Anywho, we've made it here to this house with everything we'd ever need---lots of space, lots of individual privacy and a cozy sense of comfort.

It didn't take us long to feel at home.

Below:  our temporary home in Idaho Falls.

As I look out the window of "my office," I'm watching a man cleaning about three inches of new snow off from his car.  

Before daylight the plows came by.

If we thought we were gonna lounge around outside and soak in the sun, we would have been disappointed.

Although it would have been nice, that's not the object of this trip.

We've eaten well while talking away.  Susie brought some tasty lasagna soup which required second helpings. 

With all her food prep, and Chris and my contributions, there's enough food for us to stay here a week. 

And, yes, there's box wine on the counter and beer in the fridge.

I think we'll survive the umpteenth snow storm of the winter of 2022-23.  Fortunately, we've got each other to distract from what's going on outside this house.