Readers share their reflections, photos from the past year
Photo by Shina Morris Taeila and Weilha Kelly enjoying the Moyie River. More photos appear on pages B4 and B5!
Photo by McKenzie Mutter Five generation: Counter clockwise from top right: Mavis Baker, Steve Allenberg, Stacey Frederickson, Casey James Mutter, and Kaprice Frederickson
Photo by Connor Neufeld Boundary County resident Connor Neufeld took this shot at Spring Valley Reservoir in Troy, of a seed pod surrounded by ice crystals.
Photo by Shina Morris Weilha Kelly leading her steed.
Photo by Becky Belden/The Camera’s Eye Photography Becky started her photography business in 2017. This is the Moyie Bridge.
Photo by Carla Clark Kootenai River bathed in colors.
Photo by Than Widner Bonners Ferry dressed in brilliant fall colors.
Photo by Becky Belden/The Camera’s Eye Photography The landfill’s landscape is altered by a blanket of snow.
Photo by Shawn Watt From the lodge pole fire relief effort: Truck is AAMODT inc., hay is from Boundary County.
Photo by Carla Clark Sunset over the Kootenai River.
Photo by Melissa Ward Fall colors at Mirror Lake Golf Course.
Photo by Melissa Ward The mudslide that blocked Highway 95 this spring.
BONNERS FERRY — As we say hello to the new year, it is fun to look back.
The Bonners Ferry Herald asked reader to share a piece of their experience of 2017 in Boundary County and we received so many beautiful photos! It was very difficult to narrow down the submissions due to space limitations. Thank you to all who contributed!
2017 by DeeDee Reid:
My husband retired from the Army last year, and we moved to Bonners Ferry. We cut back on ALL non-essential spending, including coffee (that was rough), eating out, vacation, cable TV etc, to save, save, and save for years, so we could buy our 10 beautiful acres north of town.
Then last February, we dug out our 200’ driveway with four feet of snow, so we could move our travel trailer on to the property. People that knew us thought we were crazy for hand shoveling the snow, and for hauling a 36’ travel trailer up a snowy, tore up county road. But they didn’t really know us that well and how determined we were. Maybe it’s an Army thing, or maybe it’s our stubbornness, but whatever It is, it’s in preparation for the hard labor that was about to begin.
Then we began clearing trees, a lot of trees, and debris for our shop build site, our temporary shelter.
We did 98 percent of the work ourselves.
Seven long days a week from February through October, we cut, cleared, hauled, dug (boulders everywhere), filled, framed, and dried in the shop that will house us until we can build our home. We are an off grid property. During all that were the daily struggles of hauling water up, dealing with firewood, a Great Pyrenees puppy, a bad case of flu, the choking smoke from forest fires, predators, planting 33 ornamental, and fruit trees, and dealing with a noxious weed issue. Through all of this, several hundred photos were taken and 33 videos for our city dwelling family members that are having a difficult time wrapping their minds around our homesteading lifestyle.
There were days we didn’t think we’d make it physically, or mentally. We argued more in those nine months than our entire marriage.
My husband’s boss, Brian McDonald of Mountain West Builders, loaned us his Bobcat. Without his generosity, we wouldn’t have been able to get the prep work done for foundation (Brian’s expertise and guidance was of great help, many thanks!), or the trusses up, and the OSB lifted for the roof.
My son helped when he physically could, and at a great pain, literally. He’s a disabled veteran. Without his help, the trusses would have taken much longer to get up.
Now winter is here, and all we have to deal with is snow and firewood. It’s time for a breather, some rest, before moving on to the next phase.
Looking back on this year, it was by far the most challenging thing we’ve done, aside from the multiple deployments, and we wouldn’t change a thing. It made us stronger. This was something we had to do, on our own, pushing our limits, and getting us out of our comfort zone.
We love our north Idaho life. We’re finally here!
That’s been our year.