These four, plus one, made several appearances on the place yesterday after the rain stopped.
Our equal appearances made the poor things take slight detours on the Lovestead.
They were crossing the road onto our north yard when I first saw them while turning in the driveway.
They wanted to turn around and go back to Gary Finney's woods but finally decided that if they'd slink on through the front yard, all would be well.
Later, while walking the lane after plowing a trail around the hay field, Bridie and I headed them back off to the woods.
Finally, when I was finishing my walk, they were headed back to Gary's and hanging out in our south yard.
The instant one saw me, it was tails up and off we bound. Others followed the lead deer back into our south woods.
I don't know if they ever made it back to Gary's woods, but more than likely they found a route where I wouldn't suddenly appear and disrupt their itinerary.
They're beautiful deer and we love seeing them every time they pass through.
Yesterday morning was about as ugly as it gets weatherwise.
Consider about three inches of standing water (almost over the low cut boot top), covered with about five inches of wet, heavy snow and you can probably imagine the difficulty in putting one foot in front of the other.
Bill plowed the driveway and the lane, so we could at least slosh through the water.
Well, this morning some of the water has left but most has frozen. The landscape around the house, in the driveway and the lane is basically one huge mass of killer ice.
So, Yak Trax are an absolute must for anyone who doesn't want to navigate the health care system with broken body parts.
There's a lot of family history in this photo by Daily Bee reporter Eric Welch.
Those hangars in the background are located on our original 40-acre farm, which my mother purchased from the Howard Balch family in 1950.
The North Boyer place was originally known as Fernwood Ranch before it eventually became Ponderay Hereford Ranch after my mother and stepfather Harold Tibbs were married in 1954.
This plot of land was part of an original 55-acre farm which our folks bought in the mid1960s.
The field was part of the Harney Dairy, which had its headquarters on the hill above it, across Great Northern Road and the then Great Northern Railroad tracks.
Bill and I lived on that hillside in a little house for three years after we were first married. The Upper Place, as we called it, had a huge barn with a wooden silo, a milk house and some sheds.
Harold eventually kept his herd of horned Hereford cattle up there. He loved sitting in his pickup in the driveway, rolling a cigarette and looking out over our land.
The house where Bill and I lived and all those buildings have been replaced by a housing development. I am proud to say, however, that, so far, two trees I transplanted back in the mid-1970s still thrive on the Upper Place.
Haven't checked recently to see if they've been replaced by a house.
My dad sold the Upper Place, which included 19 acres, but the plot of land where the warehouse may go stayed in the family until after Harold's passing and my mother's subsequent sale to Litehouse, Inc.
At the time, there were plans for the land to serve as the Litehouse, Inc. headquarters, but somewhere along the way that changed.
And, now the possibility of a new era with the land which we loved but knew was eventually destined for future expansion, especially after it became a part of the City of Sandpoint.
Just down the road to the south, Bill and I were fortunate to purchase a 10-acre farm in 1976, which would serve as our home for 30 years--a great place to raise our kids.
We knew, however, the possibilities and eventually started watching industrial development start surrounding us. For a time, we were just happy that our house and barn sat in the middle of our acreage.
Good fortune for us came, however, in 2006 when Quest Aircraft, now Daher, approached us and, after brief conversation, where they learned that Bill had learned about a farm out in Selle.
Within two weeks, they made and sealed a deal with us which allowed us to purchase the beautiful place where we now live.
We really haven't looked back on the property where my siblings and I grew up and the property where Bill and I would rent a little house from my parents and finally our kids' childhood home.
Lots of memories of those glorious days of childhood for two generations and that land where our values and interests of a lifetime were formed.
It's with a few tears that I write these words and think of the words I heard at in the conclusion of the Yellowstone series, suggesting that when there's concrete, someone owns the land and when there's wide open spaces nobody really owns that land.
It looks like there may be much more concrete to erase the visuals of our past, but, as I've said numerous times before, those visuals are implanted in our brains, and, as long as we still breathe, they will exist.
Best of luck to whoever is purchasing what was once our family's farm land and that of the Harney's and the Balches before us.
A new era begins. Memories last.
Plus, we are happy that the land we once owned and loved is producing jobs in the Sandpoint area.
⌛⌛⌛⌛⌛
In other news, which we, as a family, believe is pretty nice, the Bonner Community Food Bank has received some distinction by the local Chamber of Commerce.
Congratulations, Debbie Love and your amazing staff and volunteers.
You all rock!
💙💚💜🍉🍅🍏🌽
https://bonnercountydailybee.com/news/2024/dec/18/food-bank-named-top-local-business/
Below a painting by my favorite Irish artist Suzie Sullivan. I discovered her work one of our earlier trips to Ireland and have purchased her cards and art ever since.
Betcha can't guess why I like it so much.
I like it even better after discovering this past year that Suzie, who lives in Westport, Ireland, bears a distinct resemblance to my mother, also an artist.
If you want to learn more about Suzie and her amazing range of talents, you can visit her Derryaun Crafts website at
Doggies were happy snoozing during the ugly weather yesterday, but now it's a pretty day outside..
Off to enjoy it.
Happy Thursday.
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