September 2005 Valley Life column

September 2005 Valley Life column

Camping is something my husband and I like to do but rarely make time for, so last weekend we chucked our chores and headed for Trail Creek Summit. We weren't going to climb Devil's Bedstead, and we weren't looking for Boulder Lake, we were going to a campsite recommended by friends.

As we crawled up Trail Creek Road, we remarked at the landscape. We'd been here before, many years ago, and had forgotten how steep the one-lane gravel road was or how picturesque the mountains, with peaks so high they made you dizzy just to look up. We didn't dare look down or at the waterfalls streaming to the valley floor, but kept our eyes on the road until we reached the 7896-foot summit.

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August 20 Valley Life column

August 20 Valley Life column
"You're killing the pretty flowers," my grandson Dante says as he watches me snip marguerite daisies.

Not quite 4, everything is new to Dante here on the acreage we call Pauly's Folly -- the flowers, the horses, the rock chuck crouching beside the tall grass. Still 3 years old, he doesn't understand about cycles or that deadheading flowers extends summer bloom. All he knows is I'm killing the flowers.

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August 13 Valley Life column

August 13 Valley Life column

Living in a small community has advantages. It also has disadvantages. No, we don't have a Neiman Marcus, our Krispy Kreme doughnuts aren't made locally, and sometimes we have to drive to Boise or Salt Lake to catch planes to metropolitan cities. But that doesn't mean living in a small community is all bad.

Take, for instance, the nice surprise I stumbled onto a few weeks ago in Hailey

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August 6 Valley Life column

August 6 Valley Life column

With corn rustling and hot dusty winds, August is a busy month. There's that last camping trip, the end of summer vacations, shopping for school clothes and numerous county fairs.

And who doesn't love fairs: corn dogs cotton candy, flashing lights, the buzz and whir of carnival rides, the electricity in the air as you greet friends or admire the exhibits and livestock. Even if you're not a big rodeo fan, there's always something to do at the fair; maybe it's to just sit on a bench and watch people.

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August 2005 Valley Life column

August 2005 Valley Life column
Earwigs are invading my yard. I could blame the mild winter we had, or maybe my many flower gardens that require frequent watering. Whatever the cause, my yard is literally crawling with earwigs -- those tiny ugly bugs with long, pincer-like protrusions that make children and adults squeamish.

During the day, these ugly bugs hide in my lettuce or under the cushions of my lawn chairs. At night, they venture out to chew up my plants. They think they're so sneaky, munching the blossoms of my pole beans when I can't see them, or stripping the leaves from my rhubarb. But I know they are there and what they are doing, and I'm beginning to dislike the little buggers.

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