Idaho

Initially I was supposed to travel to the US for work in May. It had been in discussion for some time to go to New York and Washington DC for various reasons, including advocacy and fund raising for our work in Somalia. The trip to Paris was meant to be combined with the work trip. In addition, I was also going to add on a trip to Idaho to be there at a critical time as we are finishing the house we are building. In the end, the work trip would be postponed (still likely to happen at some point), but the other “add ons” happened anyway.

I arrived in the evening, picked up my rental car and drove to my sister’s home in Boise. They were at their house in Mexico but graciously allowed me to stay there anyway. But I would only be there one night before heading to to my parents’ place a couple hours away. Before leaving, however, the timing of my trip coincided with a Kentucky Derby party hosted by my niece and her husband. A good way to see lots of family at one time. Before hitting the road for my parents' place, I needed to see what a Derby party was all about.

 

Derby Party

To be honest, I didn’t know there was such a thing as a Derby party, outside of the Louisville area. As if Cinco de Mayo wasn’t enough to give Americans a reason to throw a party, a day later would be yet another excuse before many had sobered up from the day prior.

no time for jetlag

Admittedly, it seems to be more of an elegant affair than the American interpretation of the Mexican holiday the day prior. Hats are the order of the day – the more flamboyant the better. Traveling internationally with only a carry-on, I was obviously without appropriate head gear. So my sister supplied me with a fedora, albeit one a size or two too small.

It was an amazing spread of food in my niece and husband’s new house, the preliminary horse races on the screen in the background. The actual race was fun to watch, though it’s obviously short. In about two minutes the whole thing is over. Other than a rare boxing match and some track and field disciplines, there are few events that end so quickly.

 

Heading South

Without much time to linger, I needed to begin the couple-hour drive to see my parents. I would have less than 24 hours with them and I had a lot to do.

The first evening would only be catching up and having dinner. The next morning would be a frantic effort to clean, organize, etc. my belongings in preparation of consolidating them this summer in a single storage unit (which we plan to build). Early afternoon I would be off to join my mother at her church before heading out on the 4 ½-hour drive north to the mountains.

 

McCall/New Meadows

I arrived in McCall just in time to go to dinner with my sister and brother at a very nice restaurant. The town was pleasantly quiet. It’s between seasons (winter activities and summer). For me, it’s the town at its best. Low traffic. Easier to run errands. Mostly locals milling about.

While I was there, the temperature took a dip. The first morning was chilly but manageable with my non-winter clothing. But on day two, snow began to fall and I was fearing that it might hamper my ability to get things done. I borrowed a sweatshirt from my sister and headed out to the property. As I arrived at the property, it became apparent that at this side of the mountain there had been no snow. And so the work began.

My brother was gracious enough with his time to work side-by-side during the 3 ½ days I would have to get as much done as possible (and my sister pitched in one morning). I didn’t really have any specific expectations (the amount of work to be done is endless), but the main idea was to work on the property while the contractors worked on the house, making myself available as needed for questions to keep things moving. The timing ended up being fantastic as several important decisions came up while I was there. It made me feel all the better about the cost/time investment in the trip.

At one point I was alerted to the fact that there was a miscommunication regarding the tiling in the guest bathroom. It necessitated a trip to a home improvement store a couple hours away (across the border into Oregon) to avoid a disruption in the work. The contractors were not based in the area and a rupture in their work would result in additional delay and cost. My brother offered his time and pick-up to the excursion which ended up being a rather pleasant outing, involving time to hang out and lunch/drinks at a local place in Weiser on the way back. 

 

* * *

My brother and I ended up focusing on cleaning up scrap wood, both from a fallen trees/branches but also from a milling project carried out by the previous owner. The land had formerly been blessed with a couple dozen massive ponderosa pine trees. Allegedly, there was a mountain pine beetle infestation and killed all, or at least most, of them. It appears that owner decided to fell the trees, set up a mill to process and eventually sell the wood. The mill work left a considerable amount of scrap wood, some of which was in piles, some strewn randomly about the property.

It was tragic, really. Some of the trees were about five feet in diameter. Massive craters have been left behind where stumps were either excavated or at least a demonstrated effort to do so. Long-time residents from the area have told me that it was a gorgeous grove of enormous trees.

There is evidence that trees are making a comeback. Some saplings are nearly head-high and hopefully most will survive. We’re also planning on planting some trees to complement nature’s efforts. Sooner the better since I want to be alive to enjoy them.

* * *

Several times throughout the week, I stopped and just enjoyed the moment – looking around, taking in the beautiful surroundings. I grew up working with my hands. As my career has moved me in a direction where the vast majority of what I do is at a desk (and/or in meetings), I have missed the satisfaction that this sort of thing provides. I often feel that I am more wired to be doing this sort of thing than what I do in my current occupation. I aspire to do more once I retire. Whenever that is.

By Thursday, it was time to pack up the tools and wrap things up. The work in the house had advanced significantly. The heated flooring was done and given the approval by the electrical inspector. The tile work was nearly done. The cabinets had been delivered and were ready to be installed. I was thankful that the finish line is getting nearer.

 

Boise

I arrived in Boise in the afternoon. My sister and brother-in-law had plans to go for a bike ride up to a nearby reservoir. They had some gear for me and I was happy to join. No time to rest on this trip.

The ride followed the Boise River southeast of the city. The spring precipitation provided greener scenery from what I am accustomed to when we normally arrive in July/August. The area is still desert and mostly sagebrush, but a slightly verdant landscape and lower evening sun made for some rich colors.

We stopped for pizza prior to heading home. Afterwards I had a bit of a mishap on the bike and ended up breaking my left elbow. I’m obviously no stranger to broken bones, but after having all the drama with my right arm/wrist last year, I was more than a little frustrated to be back in a splint cast so soon. It would complicate travel back to Nairobi but it would also complicate life in general for a few weeks.

After a change of baggage strategy, thanks to my sister and brother-in-law, I was off to the airport the next afternoon, anxious to be reunited with my wife and daughters. I was exhausted after a fast-paced week of tourism followed by a fast-paced week of work and running around southern Idaho. But, overall, it was mission accomplished.