Island Park

When Layne and I travel, getting to our destination is everything.  When I occasionally suggest that we stop for something or someone interesting along the way, I can count on Layne to respond with a desire to just keep driving.  This past week it was different.  We get together with our friends Bill and Trudy Ostler a couple of times a year and last week was one of those times.  They flew here from St. George on Monday.  We met them at the airport and began a 6 hour drive to Island Park, ID, where Layne's family cabin sits in the midst of the forest.  We arrived in time to settle in and go to bed.

North fork of the Snake River.

Bill and Trudy love adventure.  Layne had a variety of things to do all arranged, according to the interests of our guests.  Every suggestion of an activity they enthusiastically supported.  So we wound up doing all sorts of things we would never have done without them.  Tuesday we rafted the clear waters of the north fork of the snake river, not far from the cabin.  But here's the thing; the north fork springs out of the earth like magic at Big Springs.  It is quite a sight to see a river emerge from what appears to be nowhere.  Suddenly, there is water and bunches of it.

Big Springs, where this water springs up out of the earth.

In 1959 a huge earthquake hit the Hebgen Reservoir, not far from Island Park.  At that time, tons of dirt and rock fell from the surrounding mountains and the shake moved the earth and nearby reservoir, trapping people and burying shoreline homes.  The area is now called Quake Lake and it is quite a sight to see.  The signs of the earthquake are everywhere.  The landfall can still be clearly seen in the scarred mountains.  The piles of dirt and rock still stand where they settled years ago.  The homes half buried in water are still there.  It is a haunting place and, if your interests turn to geology, there is much to see and admire about the forces of nature and what she can do when upset.  We lingered there until nightfall as we explored all we could fit into the remaining daylight.

Signs of the landslide during the 1959 earthquake; trees still have not returned to the mountain.  The reservoir sits below.

Trudy and Layne in front of one of the large boulders that rolled from the mountain across the water to settle on the opposite shore.

Wednesday we headed to Yellowstone Park and drove a complete circle through it.  Of course we stopped at every conceivable sight.  We saw Old Faithful, which looked much different than I remember as a girl.  Geyser basins appear in much of the park and they were fascinating to see.  The earth bubbles with heat as steam and the smell of sulfur fills the air.  Yellowstone covers a giant volcano which, if it decided to erupt, would cover the west (so we are told). With the earth steaming, it wasn't too hard to imagine the heat that must be stored beneath the earth, waiting for a trigger to come forth.  Perhaps the basins provide some relief to the pressure  We can hope.

Layne, Bill and Trudy in front of Old Faithful.

One of the many geyser basins in Yellowstone Park.

We drove through a herd of bison as we proceeded to a place called the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.  It was very grand and majestic.  The area provide quite a romantic spot for one couple.  As we moved along the path to the best view of all we came upon a small group assembled to witness a young man proposing to his sweetheart.  With all those witnesses, I'm happy to say that she said yes.  We all applauded.

The buffalo!

The waterfall in the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.

The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.

There is a small live theater in the town of Yellowstone.  We attended an evening performance of "Le Miserable".  Most of the performers were from BYUI, working for the summer.  They were great.  Bill, Trudy and I loved it.  Layne wasn't very familiar with the story or the music so he spent much of the time trying to make sense of it.  But all in all, it was a very fun evening.

Layne and me in front of the Galbraith cabin in Island Park.

We took our time driving home on Thursday, stopping at whatever place looked interesting.  Our first stop was Rexburg, where we visited with grandson Chase for a few minutes.  After a milkshake at Chase's recommendation, our journey home began in earnest.  The drive was prolonged by Bill missing the right road and driving for quite awhile in the wrong direction.  But we even enjoyed that.  We toured an interesting sight of an old volcanic eruption called Craters of the Moon.  Nature does some amazing things.  It would be a good location for a space movie.  Our 6 hour drive home actually took twice that long.  But it was fun and Layne didn't complain a bit.

Craters of the Moon.

Trudy, me and Layne in a country restaurant for dinner on our way home Thursday.

Bill and Trudy flew home on Friday.  We spoke in another ward on pornography today.  It was our best yet and I think it went well.  Scott arrives this coming Tuesday to do some work for us for a couple of weeks.  He is earning money for his mission to Thailand, which begins this coming November.

And so the busy days of summer continue, but not for long.  Our temperature is down 10 degrees and the coolness of fall is beginning to descend.  I'm rejoicing.  Layne is mourning.  

Sun Valley

By all accounts, Idaho is rich with adventures and sights.  I'd really like to take as much of it in as possible.  Once we have been here awhile longer, I fear that we will be like so many locals; hearing about places but never seeing them.  Because, after all, we live here and there is time.  We were that way when we lived in California.  I'd like to not be that way here.  I've mentioned that to several local friends.  Larry and Carol Wintersteen have taken it to heart.  "You've got to see Sun Valley," Larry told us several times.  And so he planned a trip there, to show us one of the brightest spots in Idaho.


Just outside Boise; look at all that water!  I continue to be amazed at all the water in Idaho, despite the desert that surrounds many of the lower lakes and streams.

I've not paid much attention to, or heard much about, the famous Sun Valley.  It was developed by a railroad man named Harriman in the 1930's.  He dreamed of making the valley, surrounded by mountains, into a ski resort for the wealthy, to attract more riders on his train.  Over the years, many of the wealthy and famous have come.  Even today, it seems to be a quiet snow mecca for them.  We became one of the observers of life in a wealthy town, for a few days.

Larry directed us north, through some of the forests of Idaho and along the Blue Tooth Mountains, on a beautiful country drive.  In spite of the heavy rain (in summer!), the sights were breathtaking in places.  We stopped at an almost ghost town called Idaho City.  There we happened upon a map at the visitor's center that showed the oldest home in the town--the "Galbreith House."  We couldn't resist checking that out.  Sure enough, there it was.  Not only that but a pioneer cemetery was located nearby, where we found a group of Galbreith graves.  There are not many Galbraiths in this world, no matter how the name is spelled.  Layne was excited.  "Perhaps," he said, "we were inspired to find these souls, lost in an isolated cemetery in the wilds of Idaho."  He hopes to do a bit of research to see if we are connected.

Layne at Idaho City, an almost ghost town.

Here is the Galbreith House, the oldest in Idaho City.

Sun Valley is a well planned community, laid out years ago by the wealthy owners of the area.  It stands as a contrast to most places that simply evolve.  It is a lovely place as a result.  I wish all places could be so well laid out.  There are fewer people there in the summer as it is a ski town.  We stayed in a condo Larry arranged for in the nearby town of Ketchum.   It was a lovely time, highlighted by a ride on a lift up the side of the biggest mountain, filled with a wide variety of ski runs.  We rode to the top, where the views were panoramic.  The countryside was filled with wildflowers and green views.  I cannot imagine it being lovelier in winter.  No, I don't think it could be.

Sun Valley with the lift we rode in the background.  It is one of many.  Lifts were invented here, to carry the wealthy up the mountainside.

Looking up from our lift.

Layne and me at the top of the mountain.

View from the top.  You can just barely see the town below.

View from the lift on the way down.

 We had some sweet conversations with Larry and Carol.  The kind where you can see into one another's souls.  It was the bonding kind.  We came home more rested and relaxed than when we left.   And I believe that we strengthened our friendship with the Wintersteens.

Larry and Carol Winterstein.

And so we can check off one of Idaho's most famous sights.  We have seen it close up and been embraced by its beauty.  Not so many of the rich and famous were here without the snow.  I like it better that way and feel happy to have seen it in the quiet days of summer.

The Pleasures of Inaction

I like to attempt to live a life of action.  I have an endless list of "to-do's" placed in strategic places to remind me that there is always something productive to do.  I have difficulty with the advice to spend some time doing nothing but thinking.  I seem to be built for action.

And that is what we got, for four weeks.  We loved our time with summer guests and felt so happy being with family at the reunion with our children in Oregon.  Once we returned home and unpacked, I began to feel a little like a deflated balloon.  With no demands anticipated for a week or so, we lounged around doing the very thing I have an aversion to:  nothing.  It was a delicious week, filled with naps and a bit of reading.  Even now I look forward to sleeping.  So I guess I'm not done resting up.  Perhaps we just wore ourselves out.  Whatever the cause, we spent a week filled with relaxation.

This past week Layne's twin, Lynn, and his wife, Camille visited for several days.  In the middle of that visit my sister, Maryanne and hub Bob also spent a night with us.  It was a fun time, filled with chatter and pleasant company.  One of the blessings of living in Idaho is that we are closer to Utah, where our siblings live.  So, in theory, we can get together on a more regular basis.  I especially hope to spend more time with Lynn and Camille.  I say that because, over the years of our marriages, we have seen very little of each other.  Our children don't know each other.  "We are very close," Layne tells me of his relationship with his twin.  Hum.  Do they talk?  Maybe once a year.  Do they see each other?  Maybe every 5 years or so, until recently.  So, what exactly is "close" between these two brothers?  It is a mystery to me, so I press for my version of "close", which would be to actually talk and visit regularly.  I'd like to do that with the rest of his family as well.  I suggest it regularly but Layne simply smiles and sticks to his usual explanation that he loves his family and would be there for them if needed.  Sometimes men are hard to understand.

Lynn and Camille cuddling up with Ben Franklin in an interesting place here called Walter's Ferry.

Layne reading with Mark Twain.

Me and Abe.

Since our calling as addiction recovery missionaries, Layne and I have regular discussions on the nature of addiction.  He is very strong on the ability of anyone to do what he really wants.  Addiction or not, if someone really wants to change, he can.  It is part of the gift of agency given to us by God, he explains to me.  I believe him, but also feel the difficulties of overcoming addictive habits takes a mighty effort.  Sometimes it takes several tries.  Wanting to badly enough to make that effort is hard to come by for most.  Addiction involves surrendering some agency to the habit.  One has to figure out how to reclaim it and use it to readdress the behavior.  I can see how hard that must be.  On a smaller scale, I have difficulty changing some of my own behaviors.  So does Layne.  I guess we mostly disagree on the idea of agency:  I think addiction involves giving up some of our agency and surrendering to the addiction; Layne thinks agency is never removed and can be reclaimed at will.

This week we are headed for Sun Valley with our neighbors the Wintersteens.  They want to show us the area.  I'm excited.  Layne, my stay at home boy, not as much.  But once we are on the way I think he'll get into it.