Window Lights

This was the view outside our kitchen window last night. Steph had strung the lights earlier in the day, and then took off for an evening of Bingo at the Community Center.

Not a bad shot, considering it was taken through double-pane winter glass. I’m sure more cool pictures of these lights will make the blog, as the season evolves.

Note the little dots next to each light, created by the double-pane glass, I assume…

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Categorized as House

The Ponds

Yet another subdivision left to die on the vine after the crash. I pass the sign pointing to this place several times a day, and I’ve been really curious about it.

You can’t see the Ponds while driving by, so I tracked the location down last night with my new Map program, and I checked the subdivision out today.

This is the entrance sign off Hwy 33, at W 7000 S, looking south.
Here’s the main entrance sign off of 7000. Very nicely done!
The problem is, there ain’t nothing here. Empty lots abound…
Here’s one of the ponds, and this is as close as I was willing to get.
And of course, there are no mailboxes.

Their website promotes the fact that the ponds are stocked with trout. You think?

SlideShow (The Ponds)

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Categorized as The Valley

Karma Way

Spotted this street sign off Hwy 33, north of Tetonia and the River Rim subdivision. It heads off into someplace, up on a hill, at the start of the dry-farms.

When you have a property of significant acreage, with spectacular views of the Tetons, and you can name your own street, I guess your karma’s pretty good!

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Categorized as The Valley

Grain Mill

Steph and I drove down to Rexburg today to do some Walmarting, and finally escaped from there minus a little less than a pair of Benjamins.

We came back home thru the little Idaho burb called Sugar City. The town was hit bad by the Teton Dam collapse, back in 1976, but this hundred year old grain mill survived.

Now they can’t decide to tear it down, or make it an historical monument. I go with the latter, but the local kids have figured out how to get inside, so they need to secure it.

Here’s a Map.
SlideShow (Grain Mill)

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Categorized as Travels

Black Friday

When you live high up in the Rockies, there aren’t any stores that offer sales at midnight. So we just save money, and stay home.

Our Black Friday was more of a Snow Globe Friday, with the wind whipping our falling snow around like excited electrons in a blender.

I spotted Steph on the couch, with my cat! Obviously Pepsi, assorted electronic toys, a local newspaper, and a great pet, can’t keep her awake…

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Categorized as House

Anika

Nothing says Happy Thanksgiving better than an adorable family member from the Czech Republic, and her turtle.

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Categorized as Family

Cat Puzzle

Here’s Steph’s latest puzzle, created on the living room coffee table. What the heck! Where did Piper come from? This darn cat is messing with my blog…

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Categorized as House, Piper

Studs and Dents

Just got four new studded snow tires mounted on the duals of our backup bus. When that fresh foot of snow hits, we’re ready! It’s not 4-wheel drive, but it’s close…

In the meantime, stupid granola head frumpy Driggs housewives are out vandalizing my main ride. I was laying on my horn the entire time this one was backing out of a parking spot, straight into my bumper, at the elementary school.

I guess hearing loss is an attribute I can now add to Stupid Granola Head!

Update: Steph thinks I was pretty hard on GH’s in general. She’s right, there’s a whole bunch of them here that I’m very fond of… Sorry girls, just pissed off.

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Categorized as The Bus

Top Off

Our hot tub is in hunker down mode for the winter, which means we crank it down to 80 and put it on the economy setting. Occasionally I need to top it off due to evaporation, so I was out there yesterday, holding the lid up and adding water.

Wait a minute, that looks like the other person, what’s her name. I could have sworn I did that chore. My poor memory is toast these days…

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Categorized as House

Bing Map

I’ve been intrigued by the new Bing Maps aerial view. It’s based on their new v7.0 API and it’s noticeably better than the Google Satellite view, and the old Bing BirdsEye view, which isn’t even available for our neck of the woods.

What your looking at below is my new Bing Aerial Map program, focused on downtown Driggs, Idaho. You can drag it around, zoom it, or open it up fullscreen by clicking Here.

This is state of the art mapping code and the best view you’ve ever seen of a small town.

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Categorized as Site Stuff

The Thing

I was leaving the base today, driving on 5th, heading to Little Ave. At the stop I looked right, then left, then right again (my ritual). On the second look right, I spotted this thing on the corner. I checked my rear, put the bus in park, and grabbed my camera.

I honestly have no idea what this contraption is. It seems to have sprung up overnight, or maybe I’ve missed it while looking right. If anyone knows, leave a comment!

SlideShow (The Thing)

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Categorized as The Bus

Eight Inches

This is what eight inches of new snow in our driveway looks like. Jack and I will be venturing out shortly. The roads should be interesting…

Update: Steph questioned me whether that was really eight inches. Hummph! Women… So I trudged out into the middle and measured it. Ok, closer to seven, but I’m not changing my post title. ʘ‿ʘ

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Categorized as House

Pipers Pad

Our house gets really cold at night. In the dead of winter, temps can drop near -40F.
We don’t use our propane to keep the main house warm at night, but now we have a cat.

The last couple of weeks Pipers been allowed to sleep at the foot of our heated bed.
She’s actually a very good bed sleeper, but I needed to find another option.

So I found this very cool heated pad on Amazon that turns on when she lays on it, and turns off when she leaves. It heats up to the vet recommended temp of 102 degrees.

She loves it! And, she owns that couch in the living room, we use the family room couch.

Update: Notice that arc thing over her nose? At first I thought it was just a photographic nuance, but no, looking at her face here in person, it’s there! Funny I’d never noticed…

SlideShow (Pipers Pad)
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Categorized as Piper

Snow Demon

I was relaxing in front of my computer this evening, on a very cold and clear night in the high-country, (it was -1 this morning), wondering what to blog about.

Then, I clicked on our current weather radar map, and saw this thing. We’re the dot…

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Categorized as Nature

Hay Bus

Tetonia dairy farmer Ron Hanson has a cool hay hauling vehicle. It’s an old school bus, stripped down to it’s chassis. It’s also used to haul kids around during Homecoming.

I met Ron a few years ago while driving by his farm, north of Hatches Corner. This hay tossing farmer has arms like basketballs, and his handshake was impressive!

SlideShow (Hay Bus)
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Categorized as Vehicles