Our updates for all of you

I actually have several draft posts to catch up on I just wanted to get this one about our all summer plus project first. So this is what we've been doing over the past 6 months now!! OUR PROPERTY AND HOUSE RENOVATION - Welcome to Phase 1 After literally years of planning Stacy and I decided to start with the inside out renovation of the Idaho home and our property. When we had moved here, full time, in 2006, that first year was getting the place livable and was mostly completed with the idea of 'good enough' for right now, but later we had wanted it finished. The years passed and became a decade, and the 'temporary' kitchen had become the kitchen, the living room and other rooms had become stuck in time with all the issues of not being "finished." Mainly because over the years when we'd talk about starting any projects, Stacy's father would get upset that we would 'change' his vision, and he even took pride in the fact that in h...

The Great Eclipse! While the 70-mile wide band of "Totality" was way south of here, way up near Canada, we were still in an area of about 88 % coverage, which is the most eclipse Stacy and I have ever been through. So, while it would have been nice to have been in an area of totality, it was still an 'event' here too! Yes, with all the coverage available on the Internet it was quite something to see it 'live' and a total eclipse even if it wasn't one here. But we did experience, for the first time for us, the stark temperature drop at our 'almost totality'. At our new offices, we all were watching as the moon progressed along the right edge and arched to the lower left of the sun from our angle. As the timers ticked down to what would be the most coverage for us we all stepped out side at the back of the building and watched through our various protective devices, Jessica had an official pair of approved Eclipse glasses, April brought her h...

Tuesday August 8, 2017, 12:00 PM Boundary County Sheriff's Office           Alert: Air Quality Alert until 01:00PM Wednesday Dear Joseph Brown, An Air Quality Alert has been issued by the following agencies: Idaho Department of Environmental Quality in Lewiston Idaho Department of Environmental Quality in Coeur d`Alene Nez Perce Tribe Coeur d`Alene Tribe Kootenai Tribe of Idaho Idaho Counties within the Air Quality Alert Include: Benewah Bonner Boundary Kootenai Shoshone Latah Lewis Nez Perce Some Communities included are: Bonners Ferry, Sandpoint, Kellogg, Coeur d`Alene, St Maries, Moscow, Potlatch, Kamiah, Craigmont, Nezperce, Winchester, Lewiston, and Gifford. ...AIR QUALITY ALERT IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON PDT SATURDAY AUGUST 12TH... Smoke from wildfires in Eastern Washington, British Columbia, and Montana is expected to affect north Idaho as north or northeast winds push smoke around the region this week. Air quality will vary between goo...

When will it get cool again! After a record snowfall and quite a bit of rain in the spring, the faucet turned off to nothing! Very little rain early on and now nothing worth recording, rain wise, since May. Even with very few thunderstorms, way less than what would have been "usual", only area forest fires due to dry lightning strikes, still no moisture. Just dry hot weather. It was on the news that in most areas, including this area, there was no rainfall recorded the entire month of July. Many unwatered fields in the area, and our lawn, since many don't have irrigation systems installed or even set up for one are dead dry brown with the occasional weed spots throughout instead of being on that second or even third cutting of Alfalfa by now. A 'usual' summer used to be mostly 80s with a week or two of mid to upper 90s and even 100s in the area but then back down to the 80s range. Not this year! This summer has been primarily around 90, plus or minus, with th...

So, now that Stacy's father is comfortable and happy living in the area assisted living facility. Turned out to be a "why didn't I do this sooner" moment, and with our plans of renovating having been on hold for several years now possible, what do you do in February with snow and still near freezing temps still in your area? You start a massive, going to be several months long, renovation job! That is just what Stacy and I did too. The holiday weekend of President's Day, we decided there was no time like the present to get started so we went to our local home depot and met with a kitchen designer. About an hour later we had a really nice designed kitchen space with tall cabinetry, and in the kitchen floor to ceiling pantry cabinet, and a large island and involving the removal of the wall between what was the kitchen to the living room area to make a new kitchen and a great room area. We love it! More cabinets and places to put things than in any kitchen in ...