School Is In Session, Finally!

I've been impatiently waiting for classes to begin, but the tension has broken as fall term commenced last Friday. I may be singing a slightly different tune by December, but my enthusiasm for the topics should easily carry me through most of the term.

We also had the pleasure of hosting Chris' parents last weekend. Playing tour guide in a town that we are still getting to know can prove to be a bit challenging, but we took them through most of our favorite spots and found some new things along the way. While touring the capitol building, we discovered that the lower floor has a visitor's center complete with educational videos about the history of the building and Idaho's government as well as the building's recent renovation/expansion. Apparently I succumbed to a nap part-way through one of the longer versions. Darkened room with comfy chairs...gets me every time.

Sunset view from our backyard

"The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live." 

- Flora Whittemore

The Best Things In Life Are Free

Our evening wanderings have frequently been following the canal bordering our neighborhood, partially due to the fact that it offers uninterrupted views of the foothills and sunsets, but also because it is a fantastic area for the pup to run off-leash safely. Despite regular outings, he is beside himself with excitement every time we even think about going for a walk. Maybe putting on a certain pair of shoes tips him off...

Our latest ramble took us into an older neighborhood surrounding the local golf course and we found this gem of a mailbox (in addition to some entertaining 80’s architecture).

rawr

We also attended a free airshow at the Mountain Home Air Force Base over the weekend. There were both vintage and modern planes on display along the tarmac and multiple aerial displays, including a mock dogfight. It was well narrated so those of us who were unfamiliar with military planes and flight tactics could keep up with the action. The USAF Thunderbirds were the last performance of the day and put on an impressive show, but we forgot to get pictures of it.

"Heaven is under our feet, as well as over our heads." 

- Henry David Thoreau

Somehow, It Feels Like Going Downhill...

After running across pictures on an Idaho hiking site, it was decided that a trip to Shoshone Falls was at the top of our weekend agenda. With the drive clocking in at two and a half hours from Boise, this was also the farthest south that we have explored since moving to Idaho.

Shoshone Falls, just a few miles outside the city of Twin Falls, was well worth the drive.

 

 

After catching a glimpse of a footbridge spanning a canyon on the way to Twin Falls, we stopped at Malad Gorge on the return trip to check it out.

The Devil's Washbowl and local wildlife were an unexpected bonus.

Devil's Washbowl. Do you see the face in the rock?

How about now?

 

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” 

- Henry Miller

Dabbling In D-I-Y

I've started a DIY list which includes everything from furniture to outdoor candle pillars. Instead of jumping off the deep end (and into the unsupervised use of large power tools), I decided to tackle the easiest item on my list: drawer organizers.

My original intention was to buy small and medium-sized mesh baskets to bring some organization to a few large, shallow drawers throughout the house. When I found out that the price for this type of basket was around $7 each, I decided that a less expensive route would be worth finding. Some quick research showed that people were using everything from craft boards, yardsticks, or rulers to staples, wood glue, or small nails for this type of project.

In the end, the only items I deemed necessary were:

- Thin board (sawed or scored/snapped into appropriate lengths)

- Wood glue

- Messy drawer

Before:

After!

And the best part is, my total on the project was less than $1 per drawer!