We, The People.

This isn’t a history blog, but it is a little background on what we feel is missing in our country. We can’t fix things, but we can get away from the hustle and bustle and BS of everyday life. That’s what it feels like we’ve done here in our little lake community in Saint Maries, Idaho. We gravitated to Idaho for many reasons, one of which was it’s claim to more freedoms. I believe it was 4th on a list of the freest states, taking many things into account; laws, rights, policies, and overall liberty-friendly.  

While we’ve fallen in love with the beauty every which way we look, we’ve also taken a liking to the down to earth neighbors we have. We purchased this house with plans to ‘flip it’. We planned to park our stuff here, fix up this house, then find our acreage in the boonies and live a self sufficient life away from it all. Good plan, if you don’t need a social outlet or help from your friends. I think it’s the odd assortment of neighbors we have that sealed the deal on staying put.

This is a lake community with over 100 lots but most of the homeowners are ‘weekenders’. They come out in the summertime for the weekend and are not seen again after Labor Day. I believe there are a dozen households that live here full time. Now that it’s past Labor Day, things are mighty peaceful here. The lake is breath-taking from every road I walk.

Lance’s brother, Kirk, spent a month here before our arrival. He’s Mr. Social, so he made some great friends! Mountainman Mike was the first one to stop by to meet/greet us. That man has more vehicles than anyone I know. None of them nice. All of them serve a useful purpose. In this photo he’s got his water tanks in his pickup bed. Some folks don’t have a well, so that means no water unless you fetch your own.

Yes, ^this^ was taken inside, behind a screen. I didn’t want to concern him with my constant photo snapping. Mustn’t scare the natives, just yet. Mike lives alone. He has about every gadget needed. People give him things, he gets things to worken and wala. I need to rename him Magic Mike. He’s helped us with some project every week. He doesn’t talk much, but he’ll letcha know if he agrees or disagrees with a simple “Yep” or “Nope”. Chatty neighbors are so over rated. In his former life he was a maintenance man, he fell off a ladder and as he retells it “laid on the ground like a scrambled egg”. I try to get him to sit a spell, but he says it hurts too much to try to get back up.

Next to stop over was Merle. With a name like Merle, I felt no need to add an adjective to his name.

Again with the poor quality photo, didn’t want to alarm/alert the nice people stopping by to greet us. Merle is a semi-retired plumber. He’s hooked up with a pretty lady (Denise) that has 2 teenagers. He’s quite handy and helpful too.

I walk to the mailbox everyday, that’s a 45 minute jaunt (up hill both ways ;-)) That’s been a good way for me to meet folks. Sandy is a British lady who met her husband online, moved out here and settled in. Her husband died 2 winters ago when a load of snow fell on him from the roof of their house and he was buried alive. Then there is Karen, who wanted to know all about us ‘new folks’ yet she didn’t share much about herself, other than the fact that she hates it when the neighbor’s cows get out.

There seem to be more men than women out here. I guess the remote life isn’t for everyone. Walt is our closest neighbor, didn’t get a photo of him. He’s been a garbage man for 34 years, not the kind that sits in the truck, no siree bob, he’s got to get out and lift the cans. Needless to say he’s got alot of ‘found treasures’ decorating his cabin. Pat & Kevin were out and about and helped stage an impromptu block party on our yard. Thankfully everyone travels with a cooler of beer on their quad-runner. Tho Kevin and his dog Brewskie travel in style:

Ok, now here is what has sealed the deal. Merle, Denise, Mike and another sweet local man, Jesse, cut down 2 (or 3?) dead trees (nevermind that it was on a lot that none of us own) that took to chopping, splittin, and stackin the entire afternoon for US. They’ve all been cutting wood for weeks now, we’re too busy fixing up our little cozy cabin. They donated their Saturday afternoon to helping us get our winter warmth started.

Maybe we are trying to hide from the crazies of the world, but yeah, we like it here. Talk to me AFTER the first snow fall tho ;-/

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.