Letters to the Editor cotd.

My name is David Fairall and I am the person who took the photo of Mike Ohler for the Herald’s online obituary. My wife Jill, son and daughter, Hannah, all lived on Mike’s place for over a year in the little yellow and white single-wide mobile home in about 2006/7.

Mike was always a great one for ‘go gettim’ ideas and while I was attending one of his building workshops at his place, he talked me into moving back with my family to star in a reality TV show about a city slicker family from suburbia moving to “the wild frontier” of Northern Idaho.

We had lots of fun and filmed several episodes though none of them made it on the Internet or on video for sale. Such is the life of Hollywood!

Instead I helped Mike put together his last book “The Earth Sheltered Solar Greenhouse Book.” If you look at the title page, I am listed as one of the artists, which I was, and in his introduction he wrote a very generous tribute to my helping him get that book into print. I now know why people say getting a book published is like giving birth.

I have very many many other fond memories of unforgettable Mike while attending his building school, shoveling out of I forget how many snow storms, nursing his very old Ford flatbed pick-up to Naples General Store and back after saying hi to Earl, and pulling more Tanzi weed than I thought existed in the world..

I don’t know if you were aware, but Mike was secretly a soft hearted man who greatly cared about people AND he was a very, very good cook. Whoo boy! Could he make a mean soup and grill an awesome steak.

I was hoping someone might know what will become of Mike’s many underground houses and his business as well. My wife and I packaged up many a book to ship out to his very happy customers. We as a family still believe in underground housing as a practical means of living and I would hate to see his work disappear now that he is gone.

Feel free to contact me via the Herald. I will miss ol’ Mike, he was truly one of a kind.

Sincerely and with much love for Mike,

David Fairall

Salem, Ore.

Editor’s note: If you would like to respond to this letter, email information to ssilva@bonnersferryherald.com and we will put you in touch with David Fairall.