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Pocatello pitchers hurl their horseshoes with humor

By Dianna Troyer With the accuracy of a programmed drone missile, Art Ross (left in above photo) tosses his 2.5-pound horseshoe toward a vertical iron peg 30 feet away. On target, he is rewarded with a satisfying clink, the sound of a perfect ringer, during a June tournament in Pocatello. When

settled snugly around the peg, the shoe is his Lady Luck, but when she slips off target, Art nicknames her a fickle and betraying Jezebel.

Art’s two lucky shoes, painted shiny gold, have clinked thousands of times during the past several years, often enough for him to win titles locally, statewide, and beyond. In 2007, he won the Elders “C” class at the World Horseshoe Pitching Championships in Ardmore, Okla.

He concedes his wins and ringers - he tosses with 57 percent accuracy, the highest percentage of pitchers in southeastern Idaho - are due more to daily practice than luck. Percentages are based on how many ringers out of 100 shoes a competitor throws.

“I’ll throw 150 to 300 shoes a day in my backyard,” says Art, who joined the Gate City Horseshoe Pitch-

ing Association after retiring in 2004. “It takes me about two to three hours. I don’t do it all at once. I’ll toss a few then take a break.”

His friend Bob Zausch (right in above photo) who tosses with 47 percent accuracy suggests a way to toss ringers consistently without luck or daily practice. “I just need a pair of magnetized shoes. I should throw more often at home, but I can’t seem to find the time lately,” he says with a chuckle.

Bob’s accuracy rate was high enough in June to win contests in Pocatello. “I won yesterday, and I’ve won worlds when they were held here in Pocatello in 2004,” he says, pointing to his cap embroidered with Senior “M” Division World Champion 2004.

Art and Bob are among 15 million pitchers nationwide who enjoy hurling horseshoes, according to the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association (NHPA). It is a sport that appeals to families because participants range in age from children to seniors.

From May to October, regardless of whether their horseshoes clink for a ringer or clunk out of contention, Art and Bob enjoy competing in leagues sanctioned by the Gate City Horseshoe Pitching Association every Tuesday and Thursday at 6:30 p.m. (Continued on page 48)

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Professional Firefighters Urge Common Sense Budget Changes

By Dylan Clark and Nathan Hyder Last month, we were fortunate to receive the Idaho Medal of Honor, an award for emergency medical service technicians, law enforcement officers, and firefighters.

About a year ago, we were on duty and were sent to a Coeur d’Alene home where a woman was trapped in a truck that had crashed into the garage.

We arrived to a chaotic scene. Smoke filled the garage, visibility was zero, and the wheels were still spinning on the woman’s truck as her foot was still on the accelerator with debris flying. She was trapped unconscious inside the locked vehicle, so we put on our gear, forced entry into the car, and got her out.

Although we were honored by the subsequent awards, neither of us considers what we did to be special. Every other firefighter we know and work with would have done exactly what we did.

In fact, firefighters from around Idaho put their lives on the line each day, understanding and ac-

Idaho Senior Independent

cepting the risks, to protect the public and keep our neighbors safe. We know that you expect your local fire departments to be professional, well staffed, and properly trained. We expect the same.

You also should not have to worry that politics is in any way seeping into the day-to-day work of the department.

Unfortunately, a vocal minority insists that something is wrong with how Idaho approaches public safety. They stand opposed to the majority of Idahoans who believe that firefighters and police officers operate most effectively when we can operate as a team.

Neither of us would have allowed the other to go into that garage alone. We look out for each other, and we push each other to be better. We also do the same with our colleagues, our brothers, and sisters in the effort to keep our community safe.

We live together, we eat together, and we protect each other. That is who we are. And it means that to operate effectively and safely we have to come together collectively and agree on our pay and our benefits.

This is not about money. There are examples from around Idaho of firefighters who have agreed to cuts in pay and benefits to help their communities address budget shortfalls. We want budgets

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The mail subscription rate is $10.00 per year (6 issues). The Idaho Senior Independent is written to serve Idaho’s mature population of all ages. Readers are encouraged to contribute interesting material. Views expressed in opinion stories, contributions, articles, and letters are not necessarily the views of the publisher. The appearance of advertisements for products or services does not constitute an endorsement of the particular product or service. The publisher will not be responsible for mistakes in advertisements unless notified within five days of publication.

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to be balanced and we want tax rates low – after all, we live in the communities that we serve and where we pay our taxes, just like all of you.

This is about safety, yours, and ours. The right to collectively sit down with our employer to discuss health and safety issues is essential. Both firefighters and civilians have been injured and even killed through the years due to safety violations within their departments. Without a union, firefighters are unable to voice these safety concerns without the fear of retribution or termination.

While there are many negative stereotypes, the fact is that firefighter unions like ours exist to protect employee rights and provide safe working conditions. The members of our union negotiate for our safety and that of the public. People like to dramatize what we do, but in reality ours is a very unpredictable, and at times, dangerous profession.

That is why we ask you to oppose efforts to prohibit public safety officers from working with government agencies on contracts. Denying union bargaining will create big gaps in pay, training, will compromise safety, and would leave public safety officers open to abuse and exploitation from some politicians.

We don’t want that! You don’t want that!

We believe that you have the right to expect a

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PAGE 4 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

quality, well-trained, professional team of firefighters that take pride in their work and in keeping your community safe. We believe that the current system of collaboration and give-and-take is the best way to accomplish that.

We have always been there when you have

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needed us, and we always will be, no matter what. But now we need your help. Support your emergency services by supporting our right to collectively bargain. We ask you to please contact your local legislator and urge him or her to protect

Idaho’s way of life and way of protecting communities by keeping politics out of public safety.

For more information, please contact Mike Walker at 208-869-6469 or email pffimike@gmail. com. ISI

Belonging

By Robin Lee Hatcher; Zondervan; Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2011 Felicia Brennan Kristoffersen’s early life was anything but ideal. In fact it was a life of pain, loss, and rejection. But Felicia was a survivor and she was determined. Her strong faith helped keep her going. Robin Lee Hatcher’s most recent novel, Belonging, the first in her new Where the Heart Lives series, is about Felicia’s journey to a place where she can feel as though she belongs.

Just in time for late summer reading, Robin Lee Hatcher has created a memorable historic romance; this one set in 1897 in a small fictional town just east of Boise. The characters are both believable and inspirational.

As usual, she weaves in just enough historic fact and setting to transport the reader to the time and place without getting in the way of the story.

Serious, sensitive Felicia Brennan is just ten-years-old when her mother died in a Chicago tenement. Within weeks, she finds herself not only orphaned but also separated from her brother and sister as they are all put on an orphan train and sent out west. Finally, Felicia alights from the train in Wyoming and is taken into the home of Lars and Britta Kristoffersen, a

childless couple in their sixties.

Even for the young girl it quickly becomes clear that the elderly couple did not want “a daughter so much as they’d needed a housekeeper…. They might have beaten her or abused her,” but they did not. She worked hard for them and in turn, the Kristoffersens fed, clothed, and educated her. It was a simple arrangement, but it was not a home. “Instead she’d lived in a house where emotions were never expressed, where love and anger and joy and sorrow didn’t exist.”

So when Felicia finds herself homeless and penniless after the Kristoffersens’ deaths, she is more than ready to go out on her own no matter what might lie ahead. “The future would be what she made of it,” Felicia determines. “She was young, strong, educated, capable.

She would make a new life for herself in Frenchman’s Bluff, Idaho.”

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Eager for a teacher to educate their children at a salary they are willing to pay, the community - except for Colin Murphy and Mrs. Helen Summerville - welcome Felicia with open arms. “For the first time in her life, she felt she’d found a place to belong. The fear that had dogged her heels on her way to Frenchman’s Bluff was gone.”

Felicia is just as eager to be a teacher as the community is to have a teacher, although she is nervous about her first teaching position. “Frenchman’s Bluff would be the first school in Idaho to adopt a nine-month school term. Among the first in the nation too.”

First time teacher, experimental teaching endeavor; “would the parents and school board blame her if the students didn’t do as well under the new term?” Felicia wonders. All she can do is her best and the rest, she knows is up to God. “Help me to teach them well,” she prays on the first morning of class.

Then she sets to work doing just that. She quickly wins the hearts of all the students and most of the parents.

Colin Murphy continues to reserve judgment, but at least he is no longer determinedly set against this inexperienced, unwed teacher. It is clear that what she lacks in experience she more than makes up for in enthusiasm and his daughter loves her. Also, she has assured him in no uncertain terms that, “I don’t wish to marry… I wish to teach.” As long as she is a good teacher and she doesn’t leave to get married, Colin just might eventually come to accept her. Helen Summerville on the other hand, is a different matter. She was determined to dislike this teacher before she arrived and she is just at determined to make sure she leaves as soon as possible.

It doesn’t help any that her widowed daughter-in-law, Kathleen seems to have developed a friendship with the woman. “Kathleen’s parting smile was a balm on Felicia’s rattled nerves. God was good to have given her the friend she’d hoped and prayed for. It strengthened her knowing she had someone she could confide in, a friendship she was sure would grow even stronger with time.”

If, that is, they are allowed time. Despite her determination to stay single and independent, Felicia finds herself falling in love with Colin Murphy, the very eligible widower whom Helen Summerville has decided her daughterin-law should marry. Kathleen is fond of the kind, gentle man, but she is not in love with him. She knows that if she married Colin it would be just to free herself and her daughters from their dependence on the elder Mrs. Summerville. And perhaps that is reason enough. Both Colin and Kathleen already had love in their lives. Felicia’s arrival on the scene certainly complicates things for all of them because Colin is beginning to develop his own feelings for her.

“Colin knew he should ride on…When he’d first heard Felicia’s voice, he hadn’t realized she was praying… Yet he couldn’t make himself go.

She looked so… peaceful… bathed in the morning sunlight. Peaceful and joyful. And beautiful.” He realizes it is the beauty of her heart and soul as well as her body that attracts him. But he is not quite ready to tell her or anyone else. Not enough to commit anyway.

Meanwhile, Helen Summerville has finally found a way to get rid of Felicia. She just has to convince the school board and since she usually gets her way there is no reason to think this time will be any different. She sets out to convince Felicia that Kathleen and Colin are secretly engaged and to prove to the school board that Felicia is neither a competent teacher nor a good example for the students of Frenchman’s Bluff.

Much as Felicia would hate to leave her students and the friends she has made in the community, she knows that she has the strength to move on. She now has the experience to apply for another teaching job. Even as she tearfully packs her trunk, she knows in her heart that God has not deserted her; He has a plan even if it is not what she expects.

In Belonging, Idaho’s own Robin Lee Hatcher has once again created a sweetly inspirational story for all ages - the sort of book you can take along in the camper or just enjoy in the back yard. It is a perfect beginning for her new series with characters and a plot line that leaves readers wanting more.

Hatcher is the bestselling author of over 60 books. Her numerous awards include the Christy Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction, two RITA Awards for Best Inspirational Romance, Romantic Times Career Achievement Awards for Americana Romance and Inspirational Fiction, and the RWA Lifetime Achievement Award. She currently lives in Idaho. ISI

If you reveal your secrets to the wind, you should not blame the wind for revealing them to the trees.

- Khalil Gibran

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Money Trumps Age When Determining Start of Retirement for Middle-Income Boomers Three out of four (73 percent) of our nation’s middle-income Baby Boomers say that their financial situation, not age, is now the key trigger for when to retire, according to a recent study conducted by the Bankers Life and Casualty Company Center for a Secure Retirement SM (CSR).

The Middle-Income Boomers, Financial Security and the New Retirement study, which focused on 500 middle-income Americans between ages 47 and 65 with income between $25,000 and $75,000, found that one-third expect to retire after the traditional retirement age of 65 and 31 percent are uncertain at what age they will be able to retire.

A majority of middle-

income Boomers feel that they are behind where they had expected to be at this point in their lives in terms of saving for retirement and two in three (67 percent) thought that they would be in a better financial position for retirement than they are now.

The CSR’s study reports more than half (52 percent) are not confident that they have saved enough to live comfortably in retirement, 38 percent are only somewhat confident and only one in ten (10 percent) are confident that they will have enough money to live comfortably in retirement.

Although the adequacy of retirement income carries heightened importance for this generation of retirees, the study found that more than half of middle-income Boomers have saved less than $100,000 for retirement, 19 percent have saved less than $10,000, and 14 percent do not have a pension, 401(k), IRA, or any other type of retirement savings account.

The ups and downs of the economy have caused women to rethink their retirement age more so than men, and according to the study, they will rely more heavily on their financial situation to decide when it is time to retire.

“On the new road to retirement, the majority of Americans can now retire only when they feel they can afford to do so,” said Scott Perry, president of Bankers Life and Casualty Company, a national life and health insurer. “Now is the time to examine your financial expectations for retirement and make adjustments that can help to improve your financial security and, ultimately, the enjoyment of your retirement years.”

The Bankers Life and Casualty Company Center for a Secure Retirement’s study Middle-Income Boomers, Financial Security and the New Retirement was conducted in March 2011 by the independent research firm The Blackstone Group. The complete report can be viewed at www.

CenterForASecureRetirement.com.

The Bankers Life and Casualty Company Center for a Secure Retirement is the Company’s research and consumer education program. Its studies and consumer awareness campaigns provide practical advice for how everyday Americans achieve financial security during retirement. ISI

Shared Sacrifice: Code for Cut Social Security

By Max Richtman Executive Vice President/Acting CEO National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare Americans continue to be bombarded with a Washington-based, Wall Street-funded campaign to handcuff Social Security to our nation’s economic crisis. While poll after poll consistently show the American people know Social Security did not cause our deficit crisis, there is a growing disconnect between Main Street America and Washington’s policy makers who continue their talk of cutting Social Security to balance the budget.

People of all ages, races, and economic backgrounds have been rocked by the recession and our slow economy. Millions are still unemployed, incomes don’t meet the cost of living, and anxiety about the future stifles our recovery. Many Americans fear Washington is much more attuned to the needs of those who helped create this fiscal mess than the average citizens who are suffering because of it. They worry that lawmakers frequent references to “shared sacrifice” actually mean the middle class will sacrifice so the wealthy, Wall Street, and large corporations can continue to share the spoils of that sacrifice. Cutting or privatizing vital safety net programs while defending trillions of dollars in tax breaks and loopholes does not reflect the priorities of the majority of retired Americans.

Fiscal hawks have pulled out more than just the proverbial budget ax from their toolbox in their attacks on Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Old standards like privatization, budget caps, vouchers, and Social Security payroll tax cuts have also been proposed. Republican House members have introduced legislation, which would take your Social Security contributions and give them to Wall Street. That combined with the GOP/Ryan Budget would fully privatize both Social Security

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

and Medicare. Ryan’s CouponCare plan would put insurance companies in charge of seniors’ healthcare while the so-called “SAFE” act would put Wall Street in charge of your retirement savings.

Despite claims to the contrary, these privatization proposals aren’t about fiscal responsibility

because neither will save the federal government money. The cost for converting Social Security into a privatized system would equal trillions of dollars while the GOP/Ryan plan for Medicare adds $13 in waste for every dollar saved. Meanwhile, millions of Americans lose their guaranteed benefits in exchange for a ride

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 7

on the Wall Street roller coaster and coupons for their healthcare.

Let’s not confuse what this debate is really about. Cutting America’s safety net programs is a political goal not fiscal responsibility. There’s nothing “shared” about that sacrifice! ISI

Yes, It Is Crucial to Have a Backup Fiduciary

By Jonathan J. David, Senior Wire Dear Jonathan: I have begun the process of preparing a will, a trust, a financial power of attorney, and a health care power attorney. This is a much more involved process than I originally thought it would be. One of my most pressing concerns is the naming of my fiduciaries. I have one person in mind to act as my agent, patient advocate, trustee, etc., but I have been advised that I should name a backup as well. The problem is I do not have a backup I can name or at least anyone I trust to act in those capacities on my behalf.

Is it that important that I name a backup?

Jonathan says: The advice you received is sound. I, too, always insist that my clients name a backup fiduciary in their estate planning documents. The problem is that if the primary fiduciary you have named is unable or unwilling to act at the time needed, then you are left with no fiduciary in place to act on your behalf. This is critical for financial power of attorney or health care power of attorney because not having a fiduciary in either of those instances makes the documents totally ineffective. In other words, since there is no fiduciary named in those documents who can act for you, the documents cannot be used. Thus, if you are disabled and need someone to act for you, you will need to go through the probate court to have a guardian and conservator appointed on your behalf.

If a backup fiduciary is not named in your will or trust and your primary fiduciary is not able or willing to act on your behalf, then, in the case of your will, the court will be required to appoint a personal representative to act on behalf of the estate. In the case of your trust, you would want to provide language that allows your beneficiaries to appoint a trustee if there is no one to act. In either case, you will be letting others make the decision as to who should act as fiduciary under the will and trust. The person they appoint may not be somebody you would have approved of while you were alive.

Consequently, if possible, it is better if you are able to come up with a backup now rather than leaving it to others down the road. Having said that, you still want to make sure you name someone who is trustworthy; you do not want to name someone just for the sake of having someone named.

If you cannot come up with a backup beneficiary, you might consider a professional trustee, like a bank or an independent trustee. Although professional trustees charge for their services and do not know you personally, at least you will be covered in the event your primary fiduciary is unable or unwilling to act. In the case of your financial and health care power of attorneys, there may be professional agents and patient advocates in your area you can name as backups in the event your primary fiduciary is unable or unwilling. Good luck.

Dear Jonathan: I would like to make out a trust for disposing of my assets after I am gone. I am currently hung up on how to divide my estate between my two sisters; I am single and I have no children. I have quite a few stocks, bonds, and mutual funds of varying values and am trying to determine which of those investments to give to which sister in the hopes of making their respective shares as equal as possible. Any thoughts on how best to accomplish this?

Jonathan says: Unless there is a particular reason why you want the actual investments gifted to your sisters at death, it would make much more sense and be much easier if the trustee liquidated all those investments at your death and then divided the proceeds equally between your sisters.

There are a number of problems inherent in trying to gift investments to beneficiaries when you are trying to gift certain dollar amounts or percentages of your estate. First, the investments you have are likely to change over time.

So if you specifically identify the investments you have today, there is a good

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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

chance that some of those investments will no longer be in existence at the time of your death, either having been replaced by different investments or cashed in altogether.

Additionally, as you know, valuations fluctuate all the time. If you are trying to split the investments between your sisters on a substantially equal basis, it is very likely that upon your death - even if those investments are still in existence - the values will be totally different then they are today. Therefore, one sister might end up with either a greater share or a lesser share of your estate depending upon which investments you assign to that sister.

Further, it is quite possible that you will add investments to your portfolio over time and those new investments will not have been addressed in your trust document. Consequently, a better approach would be to instruct the

trustee to liquidate all of your investments at death and then divide the proceeds in equal shares between your sisters. Not only will this save you the trouble of trying to decide which investments should go to which sister, but it will also save you from worry about fluctuations in value or having to change your trust every time you change or update your portfolio. Good luck. ISI

Beware of the “Grandparents Scam” Submitted by Pocatello Railroad Federal Credit Union The grandparents scam is a widespread senior swindle where the victim receives a call supposedly from a grandchild in trouble and needing money right away. The usual story is that the cash is needed to post bail and has to be a Western Union or wire payment. This is a dead giveaway for this deception.

In a new and especially vicious variation, victims have been told that their grandchild has been kidnapped and that they have to pay a ransom. In some cases, the criminals knew something about the grandchild and used an accomplice to impersonate the grandchild’s voice.

Even more deceitfully, the criminals earlier phoned the genuine grandchild pretending to be from a cell phone company, telling them to switch off their phone for a maintenance project, thus preventing the grandparent from checking the story.

The bottom line is never to send money before confirming the whereabouts of the grandchild. There is no reason to feel scared; you simply want to increase your awareness of these frauds so that you can protect yourself. ISI

Are Impulse Buys Killing Your Retirement?

As a registered investment advisor, Steve Orr is used to juggling millions, but he knows those millions started out as pennies.

“It’s the little things,” said Orr, president and owner of the Orr Financial Group. “It’s the dollar here, two dollars there things that we pick up every day that start to add up. The insidious thing is that it still doesn’t add up to so much that we think it could make a difference in our futures, because we only see those expenses in terms of the dollars we spend, but not the dollars - plus the interest - we could be earning on them.”

Orr’s point is that pension funds are being wiped out, companies are canceling their matching contributions to employee 401(k) programs (or wiping them out completely) and the future of Social Security seems dimmer than ever. That’s why Orr, author of the book The Noisemakers (www.thenoisemakers.com), wants people to realize that some of their everyday little impulse buys are robbing their accounts of pennies today… and millions later.

To illustrate that, Orr can demonstrate how simple, everyday expenses - when eliminated - can turn into big bucks down the road.

For instance, the daily specialty coffee from the local coffee stand costs about $3.95, depending on where you live in the U.S. If you got one every day of the week for about 40 weeks out of the year for the typical 35 years of work between ages 25 and 60, it would cost you about $27,650 over that 35 years.

The formula looks like this: • Coffee or Latte: $3.95 x 5 = $19.75 x 40 = $790 x 35 = $27,650 • Energy shot: $3.99 x 5 = $19.95 x 40 = $798 x 35 = $27,930 • Muffin: $3 x 5 = $15 x 40 = $600 x 35 = $21,000 • Lunch: $8 x 5 = $40 x 40 = $1,600 x 35 = $56,000 “If you were to put the total of all these items into your 401(k) or Roth IRA or any other type of retirement investment vehicle every year for 35 years and you earned a minimum of 3 percent annual interest on that money, you’d have an extra $246,560 in your retirement account at the end of that 35 years,” Orr said.

Moreover, Orr said that between 1970 and 2006, the annual return rate of the S&P 500 was 11.5 percent. At that interest rate, at the end of 35 years

by Orr’s calculations, workers would have an additional $1,792,373 in their retirement accounts.

“Depending on the state you live in, most employers match some level of contribution to a company 401(k) or retirement plan,” he added. “It’s usually around 50 cents on the dollar up to 6 percent of your salary. So, if you’re making around $35,000 a year and you aren’t currently contributing to your plan, you could be losing out on about $465,000 at the minimum, assuming you never get a raise and stay at $35,000 a year for 35 straight years. Keep in mind, those calculations are based on someone who starts at age 25 and retires at 60.

Now, we know a lot of people don’t start that early, and many more are working way beyond age 60, so it’s still achievable even for someone in their 30s. When you wean yourself off the little impulse buys and put those funds back into your retirement account, not only will you lose a few pounds and get off the caffeine – you’ll wind up a little more comfortable when you retire, as well.” ISI

There is no mistaking a real book when one meets it.

It is like falling in love.

- Christopher Morely

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 9

Sporting clays keeps veterinarian tuned up for bird season Article & Photo by Dianna Troyer That withering look of disappointment from his German wirehaired pointer Joshua happened more than a decade ago, yet Dr. Eric Krasa still remembers it.

“It was early in bird season, and I missed a shot at a blue grouse, and he turned his head toward me and gave me the look, wondering why he was making perfect points, and I was screwing up my part of the deal,” recalls the 60-year-old small animal veterinarian from Pocatello.

Wanting to keep his shooting skills tuned up before bird season started, so he would not disappoint his dog, he went to the local trap shooting range. “All the clay targets were pretty much the same coming out of the trap house, so after about 20 minutes, it was hard to stay awake. Then a friend told me about sporting clays at Skyline Gun Club near Idaho Falls.”

That was in 2000, when he found his shooting niche with sporting clays, not only pleasing Joshua during bird season but himself during the shooting season. During the past decade, Eric honed his shooting skills to win this summer’s Idaho State Sporting Clays Championships in the 55-65 age division, breaking 164 of 200 clay targets. The state contest in Burley attracted more than 200 shooters from Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Washington, Oregon, and Montana.

“Sporting clays is such a hoot. The clay targets are released in pairs, mimicking the flight patterns of wild birds, so some are coming at you, others are arcing, and some are overhead. They’re different sizes and shapes and are released at different speeds. It’s such a mental challenge to decide which target to hit first. You definitely develop a strategy.”

When he started shooting, Eric was ranked in E class, and has since moved up to A class. “Shooters are ranked according to their skill level, from E up to A, then AA and ultimately Master Class.”

Eric says success in sporting clays requires as much mental as mechanical preparation.

“You have to start with the correct stance and a shotgun that fits, of

course, but after you’ve mastered basic positional skills, you start the mental games. You have to quiet your mind and only think of the two shots in front of you, not what you will do the next day or at the next station. If you hear too much chatter in your mind, it can definitely affect your shooting. The key is shutting out the conscious part of your mind and letting the subconscious do its thing. Once you are in that flow, you can hit anything thrown at you. It’s such a joy.”

Eric’s next challenge is winning sporting clays competitions in eastern Idaho and nearby states. But the ultimate test will come this fall, when he and his bird dog, Nate, head to the field throughout southeastern Idaho to hunt for grouse: ruffed, blue, sharp-tailed, and sage.

“Joshua kept our freezer full and has since passed on, but I’ll always be grateful for that look that led me to sporting clays. He just might even be proud of me today.” ISI

PAGE 10 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

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Cal Groen - A Life On The Wild Side Article & Photo by Holly Endersby Born in the midst of an Iowa snowstorm, Cal Groen, recently retired after four years as Director of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, says some of his earliest memories are about the outdoors.

“My mom always said when I took my grubby jeans off, my dad had to go through my pockets to remove worms, toads, or insects that I had stashed in them,” Cal recalls with a chuckle.

As a kid, he was always fascinated by a turtle crawling near a creek, a toad in a field, or frog in a pond.

“Even though we lived in town, it was basically a rural upbringing. I had plenty of friends who lived on farms, so we were outside a lot.”

Creeks held a particular fascination for the young boy - especially watching tadpoles. But one time his attraction to water got him in trouble.

“I found myself on the wrong side of a small

river one day when it was time for chores,” he remembers. “It was Sunday and I had my good shoes on. I knew the only way to get home on time was to cross the river, so I decided to take my shoes off and throw them to the opposite bank. Well, as you can imagine, the first one made it just fine, but that second one fell short and quickly disappeared.

When Dad came home that day, Mom said, ‘You better talk to your son. He just threw his Sunday shoes in the river!’ Dad was none too pleased with me, that’s for sure.”

Despite that episode, Cal says his parents always supported his time outdoors. His dad was a hunter and angler, and he mentored Cal in both those pursuits.

“As I got older, my parents encouraged me to be outside and provided the guns, fishing gear, and vehicles to make it happen for me,” he explains.

His experiences outdoors as a youth carried over into his adult and professional life.

“I really support being outdoors with youth and we need, as adults, to help kids reconnect with nature, whether it is through farming, horses, hunting, gardening, angling, hiking, or any other outdoor activity. Kids will be better for connecting with nature physically, emotionally, and spiritually,” he states firmly.

After a thirty-eight year career in fish and wildlife management, Cal lightheartedly recalls what his mom told him when he was in high school.

“She told me it was fine to love the outdoors, but that there was no way I could make a living at it.”

With that warning in mind, Cal headed off to Northwestern College in Iowa, where he received a dual degree in biology and political science.

“At the time I enjoyed biology a lot but was also fascinated with the law and thought I might want to go on to law school.”

But after two years in the Army, Cal went to graduate school at the University of South Dakota, earning a Master’s degree in biology with an emphasis on fisheries science. From then on, his career path was set.

“At the time, the fish and game agency of the state of Kansas was hiring a lot of biologists, so I became a reservoir fish biologist at one of the biggest management areas in the state. After about 4 years in that position, the state agency asked me to become one of its wildlife management planners.

From that position I moved on to become Fisheries Chief and then Assistant Director of the state fish and game department.”

But, Cal reflects, the Midwestern states have relatively little public land. So when the opportunity arose to become Assistant Director for the Washington Department of Fish, Game, and Wildlife, he made the move.

“My professional life really changed then,” he explained. “For the first time I was dealing with large pieces of public lands, Native American tribal treaty rights, anadromous fish, marine fish, and marine mammals like whales.”

During the nine years Cal worked in Washington, he became involved in Columbia River management, a position that involved working closely with other states. He also served as the Information and Education Chief for the department.

In 1990, Cal was recruited to Idaho, where he lived in Lewiston and continued to work on Columbia River issues. But four years ago, he was tapped to be the Director of the Idaho Department of Fish and Wildlife, necessitating a move to Boise.

And, he says emphatically, it was four really good years.

“The majority of Idahoans cherishes our native wildlife and supports the department’s efforts to protect and manage them. In addition, the department has been blessed with a non-partisan Fish and Wildlife Commission that served us very well over the years.”

But, Groen says, a big challenge for the department is the fact that 90% of Idaho’s wildlife is not hunted or fished, yet most of the funding for the department comes from the sales of hunting and fishing licenses and tags.

“Only 25% of our citizens hunt or fish, yet they are the ones that financially support all wildlife programs in the state. Only 2-2.5% of our funding comes from the general public,” Cal explains. “The department really needs a broader funding base to support all the wildlife diversity our citizens enjoy.”

Another challenge has been the gridlock encountered in endangered species management.

“The number of endangered or at risk species transcends our funding base to provide effective management. And it appears from recent court judgments that it is going to be difficult to get recovered species off the list. Wolves,” he adds, “are a prime example. Idaho had a biologically effective management plan that was derailed by another sovereign state over which we had no control. Now, ten out of twenty-eight elk zones in our state are in trouble partially because of high wolf numbers due to the delay in IDFG regaining the right to manage them.”

In the last two years, Cal says, income for Fish and Game dropped by $3.5 million dollars due to fewer out-of-state hunters, most of which have traditionally been elk hunters. Not only do depressed elk numbers hurt state IDFG coffers, but they negatively affect the economies of rural communities as well.

Newly retired, Cal is looking forward to an active life that will include both more time outdoors

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

and time spent volunteering in Africa with his son, Greg, his daughter-in-law Alicia, and their three daughters.

“Greg and Alicia are in Tanzania in a town called Geita, which is a gold mining and commercial fishing center around Lake Victoria. Greg is working to establish an orphanage called Neema House, which in Swahili means ‘grace or abundance.’ The people are desperately poor and many mothers die from AIDS and malaria, leaving babies that basically have no chance of survival. Both my wife Rebecca and I have been there to help and will be going back.”

Cal and Rebecca’s other children are more homebodies and remain here in the U.S. Their daughter Gretchen is a speech therapist in Seattle, and son Eric works in the housing industry.

While Cal and Rebecca enjoyed Boise during Cal’s tenure as Director, they are also happy to be back home in Lewiston. “We have wonderful friends here,” Cal says, “and a wonderful church family as well.”

And returning to the Groen household will be a special Labrador retriever named Trooper. “I was mentoring a young man before I took the job in Boise, and when we had to move he asked if he could take care of Trooper for me. Well, Jacob did, but now he is getting ready to join the Navy, so Trooper is coming back home. I am looking forward to bird hunting with him again. Trooper’s about nine and has slowed down some, so I’m hoping I can keep up with him now.”

Although Cal loves to hunt and fish, he enjoys other pursuits almost as much.

Buying a Used RV? Get a Deal, Not a Headache

By Teresa Ambord Are you in the market for a good used RV? There are plenty of them out there. But how can the average buyer tell the difference between a good deal, and a headache waiting to happen?

Before you buy, do your homework. There are many resources available to help you make the right decision. Chuck Woodbury, the editor of RVtravel.com says, “If I had to boil down my advice, it would be that buyers should take their time with their purchase and do their homework.”

With gas prices high, many RV owners are looking to sell, but whatever you do, do not get in a hurry. Here are some tips from Woodbury and from other seasoned RV dwellers.

• Check the condition of the upholstery, carpet, kitchen, and bathrooms. If they have not been well cared for, there is good reason to believe that the working parts underneath have also been neglected.

• Check the toilet tank, known in RV terms as the black tank. Does it reek? Obviously, it is not going to smell like roses. But if it has not been maintained properly, it will have a strong odor that can invade the entire RV. • Don’t forget to check the tires, battery, air conditioner, and the refrigerator to make sure they are all in good shape and working properly.

• Will your family fit comfortably in the RV? You expect to have limited space when traveling in a recreational vehicle, but if the unit is too small to house your family in reasonable comfort, an RV trip may turn into a nightmare.

• Does the RV have smell issues? We already talked about the black tank. Other smells might indicate that food scraps have been left around carelessly, or that other things have been spilled and allowed to rot. That in itself is a problem, and it might be a sign that the owners were generally negligent. A bad smell could also be a sign of water damage.

How to Check for Water Damage - The source of water damage may not be obvious. You need to check the RV from top to bottom.

• If you smell mold or mildew, you must investigate further.

• Is there discoloration in the ceiling that in-

dicates a leak from outside? Water from outside has the most potential for damage.

• Check around the windows, stove hood vent, and other openings to the outside.

• Open the cabinets to see if there is discoloration that gives evidence of leaking through the sidewalls.

• Don’t neglect the lower cabinets in the bathroom and kitchen.

• Be sure to open areas where there is equipment and look behind it for water spots.

• Check the floor wherever possible for signs of softness that indicate water damage.

If you do find water damage but the RV is otherwise sound, take it to a qualified RV technician to find out how bad the damage is and what the cost to repair it is. If the damage compromises the integrity of the vehicle, it may not be worth the “fix.” On the other hand, you might find the damage is mostly cosmetic and well worth the repair.

It Pays to Sound As If You Know What You are Doing - Know ahead of time what you are looking for so you do not end up buying a unit just because the price fits your budget. Check out enough models so that you know what floor plans are comfortable for you. A good pre-buying tip is to take a weekend trip in a rental RV to see if the floor plan is a good fit for your family.

Woodbury advises that you not buy a used RV from a private party unless you have first had it checked out by an RV technician and, if it is motorized, a mechanic. That, he said, is the “cheapest insurance you will ever buy.” Even if you buy from a dealer, if you are not familiar with the dealer, get an independent opinion.

Take the rig for a good test drive, not simply around the block. You need to know how it feels on the open road, and whether or not you feel comfortable driving it.

Never buy an RV from a campground or a parking lot, said Woodbury. No deal is good enough to take that chance. News reports have shown that

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 11

“We’re looking forward to having time to garden again,” he says. “And I Dutch oven cook and want to do more of it.”

In looking over his time in Idaho, Cal says he is proud of what the department has accomplished.

“Idaho Department of Fish and Game is a very efficient agency with dedicated employees and strong leaders. The Department of Agriculture, Department of Environmental Quality, and the Governor’s Office have all been good partners for IDFG. It was a real joy to have that level of support,” he adds.

For a kid who was told he could not make a living working with wildlife, Cal Groen says he has had a great career. And while he might not be stuffing toads or worms in his pockets, he still enjoys every moment spent outdoors. ISI

PAGE 12 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

scam artists buy inferior travel trailers and sell them to gullible buyers for what seems like a great price. Woodbury’s book tells how the trailers are generally offered for sale by young or middle-aged women either who are living in the trailers or in nearby cheap motels. They are “polite, well dressed, and outgoing.� And they usually have a sad story to tell that is designed to invoke sympathy.

Finally, Woodbury also cautions shoppers

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

about buying prior rental units. As is often the case with other types of rentals, the renters do not take proper care of them. That is why, he said, you must check every detail or you could be stuck with a “bum rig� or a “perennial fixerupper.� That does not mean that every detail has to be perfect. High mileage, for example, is not all that important if you are mainly driving it to a campground 30 miles away, a few times each year. ISI

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Idaho Fallsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Louie Osuna Rakes in the Medals at Senior Olympics Article & Photo by Bernice Karnop At first glance, you might think you just saw Buffalo Bill Cody at the Senior Olympics, searching for the equestrian and shooting events. It is the same narrow face, the distinctive mustache and goatee, the dark arresting eyes, and hair curling from behind his ears.

But no, it is Louie Osuna and he travels the country introducing people to the Senior Olympics as Cody traveled the world introducing people to the Wild West. Louie lives in Idaho Falls, but he competes in senior games from Washington to Florida and close to a dozen places in between.

Cody won medals for his sharp shooting.

Louie wins medals in, well, quite a list of events: ping pong, badminton, pickle ball, horseshoes, long jump, shot put, javelin, pole vault, hurdles, high jump, distance running, softball, football, Frisbee distance throw, basketball free throw, three on three, five on five, and hot shot events.

In fact, at his first competition this spring, June 10, at the Montana Senior Olympics in Great Falls, he had just won his 1,017th medal.

He was looking forward to 13 more events the

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

next day.

He could easily have 30 years to go. His Louie started competing at senior games grandfather lived to be 112 and his grandmother nearly 20 years ago when he was 57 years old. lived to 102. With genes like that, he figures he Now he is 75. He would have started sooner but had better adopt a healthy life style so he can he did not know about the games before that.

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 13

take care of himself for a long time. His second goal is to encourage others to do the same.

So the medals keep coming. Now all he has to do is figure out what to do with them. ISI

The Nature of Golf

By Gil Anderson As we aspire and become completely involved in the nature of golf as a holistic, recreational activity, it provides a remarkable support system for the human spirit. The further we immerse ourselves in the deeper purpose of play, the more we feel lifted from the routine of our day-to-day existence.

The relationship with the game easily begins to spill over and affect all aspects of our lives.

Whatever the pursuit, we examine the opportunities while clarifying our accomplishments. We prepare for the task ahead, not losing sight of our goals. This builds and rewards our passion for the cherished times spent on the fairways and greens of our lives. Occasionally, we are challenged to recover from the depths of the rough, while still providing an experience of elation stemming from the possibility of miracles.

Our fundamental decisions and choices in golf and life, properly developed, provide an unwavering support system for which we are willing to strive. Accomplishment in golf can sometimes be achieved effortlessly. Our desire to make a certain shot or sink a long putt seems so natural that we wonder why, at other times, it becomes so difficult.

There is a similar mystery in our intent to

accomplish each desire brought forward in our consciousness. When desire for results becomes too controlling, we fail to achieve our intentions.

At other times, when we allow ourselves to attain a relaxed, more meditative state of consciousness, a state of mindful mindlessness permits the achievement of miraculous results. In these rare moments, the mysterious veil concealing our desire is lifted for a moment, allowing a connection with the deeper secrets of the game.

Golf Tip - Overcoming First Tee Jitters - A dreaded moment occurs for many golfers at the first tee. As we step up to that first shot we tend to put an abnormal amount of pressure on our desire to achieve perfection. Finding a method to create the necessary relaxation response is imperative for success.

If we are able to shift our thought process away from what we do not want to what our clear intent requires we will be able to relieve much of the worry. This can be accomplished simply by focusing on a process orientation rather than results.

Keying in on the fundamentals of the structure of the setup through a well-structured pre-shot routine will bring our mindset into a clear connection with the task. Elements to consider are:

1. Visualizing line of flight 2. Set up and ball position 3. Grip and stance structure 4. Take away and swing dynamics 5. Rhythm and tempo 6. Trust and faith 7. Acceptance of result 8. Let it happen – don’t attempt to make it happen Feel free to access my website for clearly demonstrated videos that concisely detail these points.

Gil Anderson, author of Going Fore It – In Golf & Life, teaches golf at Winding Hills Golf Course in Montgomery, NY. Questions can be direct to www.goingforeit.com or gil@goingforeit.com. ISI

PAGE 14 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

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Article & Photo by Jack McNeel Like many travelers, I have a list of favorite places, and I’ve recently added a new one - Golden, British Columbia. Although I’ve been within an hour or two of Golden before, I only recently visited. It’s a town I hope to visit again but for a longer time. Two days was not enough!

It’s an outdoor town but you certainly don’t have to be a rugged nature lover to enjoy it. If you just want to enjoy a beautiful cabin, eat outstanding food, and view incredible scenery – this is your town. Or, if you want to float whitewater rivers, ride cross-country or downhill bicycle trails, climb mountains, ski in the winter, or golf in the summer, this is also your town.

Golden is in the center of the largest concentration of national parks in North America, and possibly in the world. Six Caithi ttwo h hi h nadian national parks are within hours, which makes it an ideal base for exploration. Because Golden is lower in elevation than the parks, it has a little longer warm season, and you can find lower-priced lodging here than in the parks. Those facts alone are appealing, plus the scenery here is a match for much of what you will see in the national parks.

There are numerous inns, chalets, cabins, lodges, B&Bs, and motels to suit any request, and in the area, you will find the largest concentration of backcountry cabins in North America - places you can fly to during the winter if you want a remote crosscountry skiing vacation or just a place to get away from it all.

We stayed at Kicking Horse Kabins, about 15 minutes from town in the Blaeberry River Valley. Two-hundred years ago, explorer David Thompson followed this valley to where Golden now rests at the junction of the Kicking Horse and Columbia Rivers.

Kicking Horse Kabins, one cabin at this point, is a new, modern, and delightful log cabin typical of the accommodations in the area.

It allows you to be alone in a quiet setting with nightly deer visitors and all the conveniences. It was recently named the Best New Business of the Year by the Golden Chamber of Commerce.

Kicking Horse is the name of a nearby river where an early explorer, James Hector, was severely kicked by his horse and thought to be dead. Hector recovered and that incident is the

source of the name now applied to several local attractions.

One of the highpoints of the trip was our visit to Kicking Horse Mountain Resort and a visit with Jubilee Cazaci and Boo. Jubilee is a young woman finishing her master’s thesis on whether grizzly bear cubs have inherent survival skills, and Boo is the grizzly she has studied for several years.

Boo was orphaned after his mother was shot in 2002. After a year at a small enclosure in western British Columbia, he was sent to Kicking Horse Mountain Resort to a 20-acre natural refuge secured with electric fence. Jubilee explained that about 15 kinds of berries grow within this habitat, plus other natural grasses and clover. She estimated that Boo weighed 650 lbs. when we saw him and would likely get close to 750 lbs. when he entered hibernation in November. Some supplemental food is provided p when needed but is intended to mimic the starches, fats, and protein a bear would normally eat.

Be sure to take the gondola to the bear refuge where an interpreter will discuss the bear, his history, and bear biology. There’s also an excellent chance to get a good view of Boo. This is not a zoo-type situation but essentially a wild grizzly living a somewhat normal bear life within a secure natural area. It’s best to arrive early while it’s still cool and crowds are smaller. Normal years find as many as 14,000 visitors to the bear enclosure.

You can also ride the gondola to the Eagle’s Eye Restaurant, Canada’s highest elevation restaurant (7,905 feet) and the “crown jewel of resort dining.”

Eating out is fun in Golden. We had a great luncheon in the little upstairs café in Bacchus Books where they advertise, “We are creaky and quirky and oh so homemade.” The Whitetooth Mountain Bistro was another excellent choice among many fine restaurants in this small town.

The historically minded will enjoy the old Swiss Village where six small homes were built from 1910-1912 to house Swiss guides who spent the summers here guiding visitors into the high peaks.

The Vaughn family patriarch started guiding in the area in 1898, and this family guided its last guest in 1982.

Jean Vaughn, his daughter, is a lovely lady who will show visitors her old family home and tell of its history. The home is no longer occupied but retains its original furnishings and wonderful family photos. Contact Jean at 250-344-2307 in advance for a private showing.

Rafting is extremely popular on the three rivers that provide a variety of options from very gentle, on the Columbia, to some Class 4 whitewater on the Kicking Horse River.

“This is pretty much the highest you’ll get anywhere,” Steve Crow, the media coordinator for Tourism Golden, explained. “The Kicking Horse is probably one of the top three rafting rivers in Canada in terms of popularity. At last count there were seven rafting companies operating on the Kicking Horse. Alpine Rafting in Golden is the largest. They run upwards of 20,000 people a season.”

Also in the area is a variety of hiking and biking trails, a wolf exhibit where you can “walk with the wolves” and take photos, a world-class golf course where only wildlife intrudes, and numerous camping opportunities.

With everything that Golden has to offer, when the day is done or the vacation is finished you’ll probably wish you had stayed another day. ISI

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 15

Reach high in northeastern Oregon in the Eagle Cap Wilderness Story and photos by Natalie Bartley The Eagle Cap Wilderness is readily accessible. Just a short drive from the town of Joseph puts hikers and horseback riders at trailheads where a day’s worth of walking or horseback riding transports adventurers to high mountain lakes.

Alternately, the fastest and easiest way to get high into the Wallowa Mountains is a ride up the Wallowa Lake Tramway at the south end of the fourmile long lake. Opened in the 1970s, the tramway carries visitors up 3,700 feet over 1.83 miles to the summit of Mt. Howard at 8,150 feet. Bicycles and wheelchairs are hauled on a special tramway platform, for those who want or need wheeled transportation.

At the top, there are more than 2.5 miles of trails leading to five overlooks.

Enjoy the bird’s eye views of the Wallowa Lake basin, Wallowa Whitman National Forest, and the granite peaks towering over 9,000 feet in the 364,000acre Eagle Cap Wilderness.

Before you leave the summit, sample a meal at the Summit Grill and Alpine Patio. The mulberry cobbler with ice cream is luscious. After the tram ride back down to the valley, investigate the unlimited options for enjoying the rugged mountains.

Explore the area by foot or on horse by heading to the Wallowa Lake Trailhead. Located only about a mile from the tram, short day trips or multi-day adventures start into the wilderness on the Chief Joseph Trail and access the waterfalls sighted from the tram.

While in the area, consider staying at the Wallowa Lake Campground open year-round, at the Wallowa Lake State Park. Complete with a marina and beach, all the services are located at the south end of the lake. If you prefer to stay indoors, accommodations are offered just outside of the park, along with an assortment of restaurants.

For variety, drive four miles along the lake to the Wallowa County Park on the north end of the lake. Take in views of the mountains in the Eagle Cap Wilderness and use the free boat launch to start your kayak, canoe, or motorboat adventure. In the evening, the setting sun glints off the tramway’s white gondola chairs above the mountain slope on the southeast side of the lake.

If the popular Wallowa Lake Campground is full, consider camping in the Wallowa Whitman National Forest along Hurricane Creek. It is only about six miles from the town of Joseph in the next drainage west of Wallowa Lake.

The undeveloped, primitive campsites offer views of Sacajawea Peak. Sounds of the creek’s soft gurgling are a perfect backdrop for contemplation of the sunset and sunrise over the distant peak. Hurricane Creek Trailhead, another Eagle Cap Wilderness access point, is a few hundred yards from the campsites and two miles from the Hurricane Creek Forest Service Campground.

Short day-hikes into the wilderness are possible

via the trail along Hurricane Creek. Expansive meadows dotted with wildflowers, steep mountain peaks, a rock-strewn stream, and the Slick Rock Creek waterfall supply photogenic scenery within six-miles of the trailhead.

Another wilderness access point is reachable

via Oregon Highway 82. Enter the Eagle Cap Wilderness drainage containing the Lostine River.

Drive south on a forest service dirt road past numerous campsites and two trailheads at the edge of the wilderness. In the summer, spawning salmon head upstream in the shallow clear water. While camping next to the Lostine River, it is common to hear fish splashing and see them swimming past your campsite.

Getting there - Wallowa Lake State Park and Wallowa Lake Tramway are accessed via Interstate 84 to La Grande, then Oregon 82 east to Joseph. Continue another six miles south of Joseph on the Wallowa Lake Highway. An alternate approach is from Baker via Oregon 86 to Forest Service Road 39 in the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, then to Oregon 350 and Oregon 82. From the north, access the area via Oregon 3 to Oregon 82.

Information - Wallowa Lake State Park, phone 541-432-4185 or visit www.oregonstateparks.org.

Wallowa Lake Tramway - Tickets are $17 to $26, depending on age. The Wallowa Lake Tr a m w a y g e n e r a l l y operates through late September, weather dependent. For updated opening and closing

times call 541-432-5331 or visit www.wallowalaketramway.com.

Purchase forest maps from the Wallowa Whitman National Forest’s vending machine and get road information at their office on 3285 Eleventh St. Baker City, Oregon. For information call 541-5236391 or go to www.fs.fed.us/r6/w-w.

You can also purchase maps ahead of your trip with a credit card by calling the combined ranger district office for the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, Eagle Cap Wilderness, and Wallowa Valley at 541-426-5546. Due to a fire last year, the Visitor Center is temporarily located at 201 East Second Street in Joseph in the old elementary school. Maps cost $6 to $10 per map.

Purchase your trailhead passes at the Visitor Center or at the trailheads.

Day passes are needed for the Eagle Cap Wilderness trailheads and cost $5 per day. Consider buying the annual Northwest Forest Pass for $30.

Natalie Bartley is author of the Best Easy Day Hikes Boise guidebook and the Best Rail Trails Pacific Northwest guidebook, available online and at outdoor retail shops and bookstores.

Watch this summer for her upcoming mobile application about Boise-based outdoor adventures. ISI

PAGE 16 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

Caves and bristlecone pines lure visitors to Great Basin National Park Article & Photo by Dianna Troyer Even without a full moon, it is possible to walk a trail at night in Nevada’s Great Basin National Park navigating by starlight, says Brandi Roberts, a ranger working at the visitor center in Baker, who tells us why the park is a stargazer’s nirvana.

With no light pollution, high elevation, and lack of humidity, thousands of stars brighten the nighttime sky. “Sometimes it’s hard to identify common constellations because you can see so many other stars in them.”

Besides the lack of light pollution, Brandi, who has worked at the park for 12 years, loves Great Basin, an hour’s d ffor what h t else l it drive from Ely in eastern N Nevada, lacks: air and water pollution, traffic congestion, and crime.

“The park attracts people who like solitude and open spaces,” she says. “We’re definitely off the beaten track. You won’t find crowds here on the trails.”

You will not find admission fees either, which provide visitation figures at most parks, so rangers estimate about 80,000 people come every year to Great Basin, which was established in 1986.

The 77,000-acre park is home to vast and varied points of interest near the visitor center: ancient bristlecone pines, more than 40 caves, once prosperous gold mines, and archaeological sites with vivid ochre pictographs.

We start with the most accessible of the park’s attractions, Lehman Caves about six miles from the visitor center. Discovered in 1885, by prospector Absalom Lehman, the cave soon became more valuable than gold to him, and he developed it as a tourist attraction.

It houses some of the nation’s best examples of shield formations. The tour guide tells us they are rare, yet here there are 300 examples, and researchers are still unsure why. During a 90-minute tour, in addition to shields, we see mineral formations resembling popcorn, bacon, and jellyfish.

After the tour, outside the cave on a patio, we peek through telescopes rangers had set up and see distant sunspots and solar flares, which look like flecks of pepper.

Next, we follow nearby Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive, intending to hike to the famed bristlecone pines, the nation’s oldest living trees with some estimated at more than 3,000 years old. They thrive above timberline at 9,500 to 11,000 feet despite buffeting winds, frigid temperatures, and scant moisture.

At the visitor center, we had seen a slice from a bristlecone pine that was aged as the oldest tree

on earth, more than 4,900 years old. In 1968, a researcher wanted to know its age, so he persuaded the Forest Service supervisor in charge of the area at the time to allow him to cut it down and count its rings to determine its age.

At the Bristlecone Trailhead, the trail is still buried under about 4 feet of snow in late June due to above average snowfall.

For more than an hour, we follow footsteps of other optimistic hikers on mostly hard-packed snow, but eventually the snow prevents our reaching the ancient grove.

Nearby is the Summit Trailhead, which leads to Nevada’s d highest hi h t peak, k 13 0 second 13,063-foot high Mount Wheeler. The hike to the summit is 8.6 miles roundtrip, and the trail gains 3,000 feet of elevation in five miles, but we did not attempt it due to snow.

Instead of trekking up Mount Wheeler, we drive to nearby Pole Canyon Trail to check out the wildflowers. As we head down a dirt road to the trailhead, we pull into a turnout to see vivid pictographs and the entrance to a cave right next to the road, a cool spot on a summer day appreciated as much by us as those who visited centuries earlier.

Along the flat and shady Pole Canyon Trail, the above average precipitation that had thwarted us from seeing the bristlecones has made the wildflowers bloom prolifically. As we walk, we ooh and aah over bluebells, scarlet gilia, purple monkshood, balsamroot, and yellow lupine.

After our hike, a couple of miles from the visitor center on Highway 487, we stop at the Baker Archeological site, where a big house and several storage structures had been excavated. About 700 years ago, the people of the Fremont culture grew crops and built the big house, aligning it with the summer and winter solstices.

As we head back to Ely on U.S. Highway 6/50, we take a side road leading to Osceola, once home to prosperous mines. Equipment and vehicles, abandoned decades ago, still stand. Along the road, in the evening, the elk, deer, and primrose come out.

Although those gold mines are defunct, the next day we drive to a working copper mine a fiveminute drive from Ely near the town of Ruth. From the Robinson Nevada Mining Company overlook, we watch mammoth machinery excavating a vast pit for minerals.

Even though we did not do everything on our vacation checklist, our trip was worthwhile, and the bristlecones will lure us back some day. ISI

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 17

The World Around Me

By Clare Hafferman One of the benefits of being a gardener is its making you aware of what is happening in nature while you go about your work.

I learned this because my Mother was a natural teacher and she influenced the brains and attitudes of the six children she and my Dad produced. If you were assigned to do some chores or if you had free time to ride your bike into town, or if you were headed to school, her favorite admonition was always, “Pay attention.”

I took that lesson to heart and one result was to have bird feeders outside and binoculars ready wherever we’ve lived. This summer provided an education in several ways as I viewed the world around me.

We have a chickadee house on a post in the front yard and last year a pair of the black and white singers built a nest, but later abandoned it. I found a dead bird when I cleaned out the box last fall, and hoped for better things.

This time in April, two other fliers began going in and out of the box. I assumed they were gathering moss and whatever else to make a nest. I have an old book titled Songbirds In Your Garden, by John K. Terres, and he noted that 6-8 eggs were average for chickadees, that it takes 12-13 days to hatch, and then the young are in the nest about 16 days before they grow enough feathers to fly.

The parents usually raise two broods.

By the 19th of the month, only one bird was occasionally going in and out. From then through May I kept watching. The first part of June both parents began to fly in and out again, so I assumed the hatchlings needed feeding.

It continued rainy and cold so sometimes a long stretch of five minutes or more constituted out and back, but bugs are hard to nail down when everything is afloat.

One rare sunny day I was pulling weeds out of a flowerbed when I heard the cheerful sound of chickadees in the trees and I was sure those babies had surfaced.

Sometime later, I lifted the lid on the box and here a mystery evolved. In a carefully constructed nest of moss and bits of hair, there was one tiny egg, the size of my little fingernail. You cannot imagine how small that seemed.

There were no broken eggshells so I thought the parents had gotten rid of those, but was this one survivor simply a non-hatcher or an attempt to start again? I put the lid back on and decided to clean out the box later.

My second summer observation has to do with a twenty-year disagreement, a willow tree, and a resident squirrel.

When we bought the lot my husband built our house on, there was a big weeping willow tree in the back. I voted to eradicate it, but with no other

trees for shade, Bob out-voted me and said, “Leave ming the willow, Bob decided to have it cut down. it.”

My elation was unbridled and the squirrel would Because willow trees sometimes attract other be out of an apartment. builders, ours found one the summer our grandson, It took two men, a truck, a crane, a chain saw, Sam, was nine years old. He came to stay one and two days time to demolish the tree, get rid weekend, supplied with his Dad’s small electric of all Sam’s nails and leave a lot of mulch for the saw, a carpenter’s belt, and as we later discovered, tomato plants. an inexhaustible amount of nails.

The squirrel moved over to the blue spruce Sam used a whole rainy day to construct a tree house, sculpted with his Granddad’s leftover lumber and he nailed it to the mast in all directions with small, medium, and huge nails. Until they were too big to climb up, he, his brother, and their cousins spent time in the tree and a rusty tin can on a rope remains as a reminder of their communication skills. “Can you hear me now?”

Somebody in the family hung the residual tire off a thick rope and it served for a long time as a back and forth seat for swingers.

After we lived here for a few years, the squirrels on the east side of town made like pioneers and moved west and one headed right for the willow.

I do not like squirrels, let’s get that out of the way before you send PETA to visit me, and though Bob reminds me they were part of the plan, I just replied, “Not mine.”

When Sam’s parents gave me a BB gun at least to deter the bird feed robber, I was delighted. Then I found the pellets never hit the target and my next choice, an air rifle, is Get Up To illegal with city limits. $1,200 Carrier Cash Back The squirrel chased Plus off a flicker who tried We do the $2,090 Local Utility paperwork to drill a nest hole in a for you! dead branch of the wilCash Back low, and then he bit a Plus hole in the bottom of a $500 Federal Tax Credits robin’s nest to get at the ‘‘Experience The RDI Difference’’ eggs and babies and I disliked him even more.

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PAGE 18 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

by the bird feeder and above him, a pair of Magpies sailed in with sticks to construct a nest. Raised as a farm kid, I have never been fond of these birds, but when they are in the air with sticks, they are actually graceful fliers.

They also provided a comical sight the morning one of the pair gave an eviction notice to their neighbor. I heard their squawking cries and looked

out to see the squirrel backing down the road, followed by the Magpie in a boxer-like stance, jabbing with wings at the retreating enemy.

I laughed aloud. How nice to have help. It is almost better than a brandnew BB gun! ISI

The Birth of a New Community

By Saralee Perel It was solely because of my dog, Gracie, that I have re-learned to walk after experiencing a spinal cord injury 8 years ago. So last week, to honor her life, I designed a Facebook Fan Page where anyone could share whatever they wanted to about their pets. Never would I have expected that by writing one sentence, a community of over 2,000 would instantly bloom.

Gracie’s fan page is “Saralee Perel Presents Gracie, My 4-Footed Coach.”

Part of the attention likely had to do with the first picture I posted, a hilarious picture of Gracie and my husband, Bob, cheating for the SPCA’s dog and owner look-alike contest.

The community took on a life of its own, with people sharing hysterical animal videos they had seen on TV, recipes for dog and cat treats, pictures of beloved pets now gone, as well as newly adopted furry friends. There are homemade videos of dogs doing goofy tricks, including singing as well as

“saying” in long drawn-out howls, “I loooovvve you.” There are funny stories about cats doing anything they want to do, in spite of our trying to modify their behavior (as if we ever could). One gal’s cat enjoys shredding the shower curtain.

So that everyone would feel welcomed, I wrote, “We love not only the lost, abandoned, and rescued, but also the safe, sound, and found; whether they’re award-winning pedigree champions, no-longer ‘useful’ greyhounds, mutts, runts, or a combo of all. They are all the same to me.”

The number of people who read those words? According to Facebook analytics: thirty-one thousand, six hundred twenty-seven.

Someone responded, “Here’s my two cents. Dogs never judge each other by their heritage lines. We shouldn’t either.”

Another chimed in, “Amen!”

When friends introduce their pets by posting pictures and/or telling their pets’ stories, a collective energy emerges. Within seconds, others write comments such as, “Your dog is beautiful!” Or, “You and your cat are both so lucky to have found each other.”

This brings happiness and relief to all the people who are sharing. They no longer feel alone; they have a safe, longed-for place in which to communicate. I guess that is what a community is all about.

When I wrote, “On my husband’s birthday, he gets presents from the animals,” I added, “Gracie gingerly takes her toy out of the box, then scrams outside to our fenced-in yard and hides it. We never see her toys again.”

That opened the door for my friend, Georgia, to write, “My dog, Bobble, used to steal my son’s spoons (and ONLY his spoons) and do the same thing Gracie did. I never understood why I had to go back to the store and buy more. That is until after one very strong summer storm. My backyard was infested with mushrooms . . . and hundreds of spoons!”

Gracie’s page has blossomed into something so incredible, funny, and meaningful and most importantly – a place for connecting with one another about our love for our 4- footed family members, whether they were pets from our childhood or pets with us today.

I decided to join Facebook because it is such an easy and great way to connect with others. There is no permanent commitment involved; I can set strict limits as to my privacy so that no information about me is shared. And it is simple, takes no time to sign up, and is free.

A few years ago, I asked a wise woman named Ruth, “What is the most important thing in life?”

She said one word, “Connection.”

Connection can take many forms. It need not be in the traditional form of face-to-face interaction, especially when many of us have trouble getting around. We are not here to judge which form of connection is the “right” form.

I have close friends whom I adore that I have never even met or whom I have not seen for years. When it comes to love, it does not matter if it is shared at a restaurant, or in someone’s kitchen, or in a group meeting, or over the telephone. We are all allowed to make our own choices when it comes to connection. I am so glad I found my avenue with this community.

Won’t you join me?

Award-winning columnist, Saralee Perel, welcomes e-mails at sperel@ saraleeperel.com or via her website: www.saraleeperel.com. Please click “Like” on Gracie’s Facebook Fan Page at Saralee Perel Presents Gracie, My 4-Footed Coach. ISI

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 19

Actual call center conversations...

Submitted by Julie Hollar-Brantley Customer: I’ve been calling 7001000 for two days and can’t get through; can you help?

Operator: Where did you get that number, sir?

Customer: It’s on the door of your business.

Operator: Sir, those are the hours that we are open.

RAC Motoring Services Caller: Does your European Breakdown Policy cover me when I am traveling in Australia?

Samsung Electronics Caller: Can you give me the telephone number for Jack?

Operator: I’m sorry, sir, I don’t understand who you are talking about.

Caller: On page 1, section 5 of the user guide it clearly states that I need to unplug the fax machine from the AC wall socket and telephone Jack before cleaning. Now, can you give me the number for Jack?

Operator: I think it means the telephone plug on the wall.

Directory Enquiries Caller: I’d like the number of the Argo Fish Bar, please.

Operator: I’m sorry, there’s no listing. Are you sure that the spelling is correct?

Caller: Well, it used to be called the Bargo Fish Bar but the B fell off.

Then there was the caller who asked for a knitwear company in Woven.

Operator: Woven? Are you sure?

Caller:Yes. That’s what it says on the label -

Finally, it really is summer. It’s warm and the bees are working hard, so isn’t it about time you gathered some honey too? What could be a better time to let passion bloom in your life? Sweeten up your love life by answering one of these ads or write your own ad. You never know when you will find a wonderful queen (or a king).

To those who wish to respond to any of these personal ads, simply mail your message, address, phone number, and/or email address to the department number listed in the particular personal ad, c/o Idaho Senior Independent, P.O. Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403.

Your response, including your address, phone number, and/or email address will be forwarded to the person placing the ad. If you answer an ad in this section, there is no guarantee that you will receive a response. That is up to the person who placed the ad. Please make sure you submit your correct address plainly printed so you can promptly receive responses.

Respond to the ads in this issue and also sit down now and prepare your ad for our October/ November 2011 issue. There is no charge for this service, and your ad may bring a breath of fresh air to your heart as well. Responses to personal ads appearing in this column can be submitted at any time. However, to place a personal ad in the October/ November 2011 issue, the deadline is September 10, 2011.

computer work, watching some TV, and cooking. I live in the Snake River Canyon. I will answer every letter and age is not important to me. I am 6’2”, 217 lbs (less than when I joined the Navy in WWII). I clean up nicely. Will exchange photos. Reply ISI, Dept. 7304, c/o Idaho Senior Independent, Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403.

I am looking for a cool, exciting lady to be a good friend and companion. I live in SE Idaho and enjoy country music, meeting people, travel, and holding hands. I will treat you like a Queen! Reply ISI, Dept.

7301, c/o Idaho Senior Independent, Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403.

SWWM, NS, ND from SE and SW Oregon and Idaho area. Have great place to live, but I hate to cook. No expense for a lady who owns nothing and would cherish her own special place. Age and nationality no concern. I love animals and birds. I have plenty of green flowering plants in my home. Some are wild unknown. Come enjoy the ride. Reply ISI, Dept. 7302, c/o Idaho Senior Independent, Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403.

SWF looking for a special guy, 70-plus, who would enjoy meeting a romantic, affectionate, country gal with interests in traveling, camping, fishing, boating, and four-wheeling. Let’s meet for coffee!

Please respond with phone number. Reply ISI, Dept. 7303, c/o Idaho Senior Independent, Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403.

I am a more or less retired professional man who is looking for a trim and fit senior lady who might enjoy traveling and likes dancing. I would like to take a cruise, but not all by myself. I am a light social drinker and do not smoke. I enjoy doing a little

Caller inquiring about legal requirements while traveling in Europe: If I register my car in France, and then take it to England, do I have to change the steering wheel to the other side of the car?

Friend, companion, gentleman wanted. 65-80 and non-smoking. Would you like to meet a nice lady to relax and enjoy life with? I am clean, honest, sincere, financially stable, smart, and good-hearted.

You can be yourself with me. I have been widowed for 6 years, and am a tall, slim, blond-haired, blueeyed, retired nurse. I wear Levis and love the outdoors, animals, flea markets, and much more. Write me now and make it happen! Reply ISI, Dept. 7305, c/o Idaho Senior Independent, Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403.

SWM, 67, retired, looking for a SF for a friend and companion. I like camping, fishing, and going for walks. I like pets. I do not smoke or do drugs. I am honest and friendly. Write me; you won’t be sorry.

It’s what is in the heart that counts. Reply ISI, Dept.

7306, c/o Idaho Senior Independent, Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403. ISI

Woven in Scotland.

On another occasion, a man making heavy breathing sounds from a phone box told a worried operator, “I haven’t got a pen, so I’m steaming up the window to write the number on.”

Tech Support: I need you to right-click on the Open Desktop.

Customer: Okay.

Tech Support: Did you get a pop-up menu?

Customer: No. Tech Support: Okay. Right-Click again. Do you see a pop-up menu?

Customer: No. Tech Support: Okay, sir. Can you tell me what you have done up until this point?

Customer: Sure. You told me to write click and I wrote click. ISI

PAGE 20 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

Living the dream and helping others - Al and Daryl Kyle Article & Photo by Jack McNeel Al Kyle talks of his childhood dreams growing up in Illinois and of a picture he had on his bedroom wall showing a little log house in the woods with mountains in the background. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I used to dream about living that kind of life and four or five years ago I realized here I am, living the dream.â&#x20AC;?

That dream is the place he and his wife, Daryl, call Cedar Mountain Farm, the farm where Daryl, was raised. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Her folks bought it in 1950 when she was four. Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lived there almost continuously ever since,â&#x20AC;? Al says.

Al moved to Idaho to attend forestry school at the University of Idaho, and it was there he met Daryl. After graduation and marriage, Al joined the Air Force and was stationed in California. There, Daryl got her bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree at USC and her teaching credentials at Cal State Long Beach. After Al finished his military obligation, he earned his masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree in outdoor recreation and land use planning at Colorado State.

With Darylâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s special education teaching experience, their combined backgrounds have formed the basis for their lives since returning to Idaho and the farm in 1974. They have raised their family here, on the Bunco Road just two miles east of Silverwood Theme Park. In fact, six generations have spent portions of their lives at Cedar Mountain Farm.

Al and Darylâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first years back on the 440-acre farm mostly were spent raising hay and some livestock. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Most of our income came from logging on the place. I have a little skidder on a wheel tractor and a little one-man operation really kept us going until the log market kind of crashed a couple of years ago.â&#x20AC;?

Changes began in the late 1990s as their compassion for others led them into new endeavors. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The cabin we built and are in now was to house women in crisis. It was a big phase that had been in our hearts for a long time. We did that for about a year, but we were here all the time

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and just didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a break from it. It was a sure bet for burnout. After about a year Daryl says she became a woman in crisis,â&#x20AC;? Al says with a laugh. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We had to do something different.â&#x20AC;?

Darylâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s younger sister suggested a B&B. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We thought, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Oh boy, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re lousy housekeepers and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a real good sense of decorating.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; But we do like the hospitality side.â&#x20AC;?

The Cedar Mountain Farm Bed & Breakfast has grown steadily. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The summers have been good. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been a no-brainer, being just two miles from Silverwood. We cater to families primarily, so we run pretty full through the summer. In winter, we have a lot of groups like scrapbookers who have found us. They come in, set up tables, and just scrapbook like crazy all weekend. Plus some other small retreats, that sort of thing.â&#x20AC;?

They have bed space for about 24. It is classed as a small resort, which places a limit on how many visitors they can handle overnight, but sometimes daytime attendance approaches 40. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They enjoy being here,â&#x20AC;? Al comments. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They like the setting. They have their meetings but can get out for a break. There are lots of trails. They go down to the barn and see the animals, that sort of thing. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a pretty nice setting. We have two miniature horses, one llama, a few goats, right now four regular horses that belong to someone else, a couple of dogs, a bunch of cats, and a whole bunch of chickens. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an interesting farm for people who arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t familiar with farm life, especially kids. They are often intimidated by everything but quickly jump into it and really enjoy it. By the time the parents are ready to go home, they are hugging the animals and have lots of tears when they have to leave.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fun to see the connections and how the kids respond well to the animals.â&#x20AC;?

Visitors often comment on how quiet it is, and Al acknowledges that he and Daryl probably do not appreciate it enough. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We feel blessed because it is a neat spot.

It is one of the prettier areas around. We have nice views out to the east to Chilco Mountain and Bernard Peak, and we can see Cedar Mountain of course. I love to watch the seasons change.â&#x20AC;?

They are planning to add an RV campground.

And, their hope is to use the farm to help troubled kids by using equine therapy to help them connect with horses and then address their personal problems. A few of their horses seem to be a good fit because of their temperament and size.

Another goal is to help people get started again in life. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not looking at taking care of people who need intensive therapy or care. We would like to assist those who need help with things like self esteem and job skills and who donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel they can do anything. We can use the facilities so they can

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

learn to do some work and find they are capable of doing more than they thought they could. They could develop new interests using gardens, greenhouses, firewood, and all the farming activities that go on. We could utilize those things to give people something to do that will help them in rebuilding their lives.”

Another couple with equine and mental health experience has moved in, which will be a major addition in helping work in those fields.

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 21

“Both endeavors are notoriously non-profit efforts but it’s where our heart is,” Al adds. If the permitting process is approved soon, they hope to start developing those facilities this winter.

“It’s a new adventure. We’re not sure how on earth we’re going to get there or if we’re going to get there, but our dream and hope are to develop a farm that would carry on after we’re gone, hopefully ad infinitum.”

I would not bet against them! ISI

Bonnie Sandford Is A Marathon Walker With A Goal Article & Photo By Jack McNeel Bonnie Sandford has always been kind of a walker, but it was not until visiting Victoria, British Columbia with a friend during a marathon race that she said, “I want to do that.”

So, about seven years ago, she started walking marathons and half marathons. She was in her early 60s, living in San Diego, and working as an insurance agent. Bonnie moved to Coeur d’Alene in 2006 and continued as an insurance agent before retiring in November of 2010. And she continued walking.

Coeur d’Alene annually hosts an Ironman race, a qualifier for the final competition in Hawaii. Bonnie says the Ironman competition has been her inspiration to do marathons.

“I used to do half marathons but then I saw them and thought, ‘I’m such a wimp, I ought to at least do a full marathon.’”

This is also her third year to host an Ironman contestant, this year Julie Dibens of Great Britain who won the women’s and set a course record in the process.

“I love hosting, seeing how they train and getting to know them. It’s a lot of fun.”

“I have walked marathons and half marathons all over the United States. I’m trying to do one in every state. By the end of this year I will have done 15 states. My goal is to do five a year so it will take me seven more years.” She estimates that in total she’s done about 30 half marathons, 3 full-marathons, and one 21-miler.

“I just absolutely love it and I love to travel so I mix it up. It’s great.” She has traveled to 11 countries but her interest now is staying closer to home.

“I just thought I’d enjoy our beautiful United States.”

To date she has walked half or full marathons in such far distant places as the west coast states, Tennessee, Florida and Wisconsin. This fall she will visit both Vermont and New Hampshire.

“I’ve found out I’m sort of competitive. Of course the older you get the less competition there is,” she laughs. “It’s fun but I still try to go faster. My best time was about three hours for a half marathon and about six and a half hours for a full. I have about a 14 minute pace (per mile) and I’m trying to get it to 13. That’s moving pretty good.” But she also admits she will stop to take pictures along the route.

Asked about walking marathons as opposed to running, she commented, “More and more people are walking them now. The people that run think we’re crazy, being on our feet that many hours. It’s easier on the knees and I enjoy every minute of it.”

Many years ago she did a 60-mile walk, so this isn’t a totally new endeavor. How long did that walk take? “About 18 ½ hours. Doing it all at once, rather than breaking it into three days, is easier,” she laughs. “It was a long ways to walk and quite an accomplishment, but that’s my passion.”

Bonnie is presently training hard for a full marathon this November in San Antonio, Texas. There was only one other woman in her age group last year. “If I can beat her I’ll come in first,” she laughs.

“Walking is a great hobby. It’s good for you. It really doesn’t cost very much.” And for a person who confesses to liking to stay busy it’s a great outlet.

Bonnie also has a most unusual “hobby.”

Cleaning.

“It is very unusual but it’s something I love to do.” Bonnie cleans for friends and for motel rooms and is paid for it, but for her it is something she

enjoys as well.

Retirement last fall has allowed her to do the things she has always wanted to do. Working as an insurance agent pretty well restricted her to a desk job and Bonnie likes to be active.

“I love to tap dance. I love any kind of dancing.

I golf and had a hole-in-one once,” she says with a laugh. And she has a plaque to prove it. Bonnie is a member of the ladies golf club at Ponderosa Springs in Coeur d’Alene.

“I kind of feel I’m starting my life over since I retired and getting to do all the things I wanted to do.” She was married for 25 years and has two sons and two grandsons but is now divorced.

Bonnie’s activities reflect an active, outdoorsy person. She likes to kayak, snowshoe, hike, camp, and go boating, things that often were not possible when working full time at a desk job. “I still like to ride merry-go-rounds and swing in the park and go to Disneyland,” she adds.

Bonnie also works with a couple of home care agencies. “One of the things I wanted to do was to help seniors. I cook for them, take them for walks, or clean for them.”

Bonnie is affiliated with the Sons of Norway and has participated in their parades in Coeur d’Alene and Libby, Montana. “I learned how to make lefse too,” she says.

Bonnie is also a member of the Unity Church in Coeur d’Alene where she is in a drumming meditation circle.

“We have sort of like African drums that we play in a drumming circle while meditating,” she explains. “It’s wonderful. For me, I just totally get lost, the beat and everything. I can’t explain it, I just get lost.”

Bonnie summarizes her outlook on life in this way. “I just try to be the best I can be: mentally, physically, spiritually. That’s always been my goal.

Just to live life and enjoy every day.” ISI

N.S. Burbank, M.D. • C.J. Fatz, M.D. • K.C. Hewel, M.D. C.E. Ley, M.D. • A.J. Martinez, M.D. • K.P. McKlendin, M.D. B.J. McNamee, M.D. • A.E. Michalson, M.D. L.S. Michalson, M.D. • D.E. Moody, M.D. R.L. Opp, M.D. • T.F. Reichel, M.D. • R.S. Thornton, M.D. Diplomats of the American Board of Radiology 700 Ironwood Drive, Suite 110 1300 E. Mullan Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814 Post Falls, ID 83854 208.666.3200 • Fax 208.666.3217 208.777.1305 • Fax 208.777.1313

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Bob and Peg Twyman are keeping the fur trade era alive Article & Photo By Jack McNeel The days of the mountain man, the voyageur, and explorers like David Thompson, passed from the landscape 150 years ago but the mystique still exists, and people like Bob and Peg Twyman still immerse themselves in those times. Bob even built the log home they live in near Rathdrum, but then, Bob is able to build most anything.

A visit to their home, situated on five acres of tree-covered property, is almost like going to a museum. The interior walls are covered with memora-

bilia they have collected during their 52 years of marriage - some are related to the fur trade era and others are just things that appeal to them. There are woodcarvings and old cooking utensils, a rocking cradle dating to the late 1700s that Bob used when he was an infant 81 years ago, plus paintings and prints reflecting that mountain man time.

Just outside the door, there is a shave horse Bob made for use in building the house and a saddle indoors he made for a horse trip about 30 years ago. And yes, I also had to ask what a shave horse was.

Bob was born and raised in New Jersey and served two years in the Marine Corps before moving to California. It was there he met Peggy and they married in 1959.

He worked as a foreign car mechanic at the time and after moving to northern Idaho in 1979, Bob worked at KeyTronic as a maintenance mechanic and fabricator. Bob retired in 1992.

Meantime, Peg worked at the Hayden Lake library for 27 years and retired in 2005 although she still volunteers one morning each week at the same library.

Their love of the fur trade era dates back at least 40 years. Bob started shooting black powder rifles in the early 60s and built his first rifle at that time.

“It was a .50 caliber Plains Rifle,” he says. “I was just getting into building guns and the history and looking at it now it’s a very plain, nondescript, but fine shooting rifle.” Since that first beginning he’s built a number of other guns for himself in addition to helping others build their own guns.

Peg explains that 40 years ago they had an agreement that she would be part of the camping but Bob would do all the cooking over the fire and she would do the cleanup. “He’s a better cook anyway,” she adds.

They still camp together, and Bob made her a revolutionary period officer’s cot to sleep on after back surgery caused her problems. He also made revolutionary period officers chairs for them both. They’re beautiful chairs which fold up. His is a little lower to better cook over the fire, while hers is taller and easier to sit in. It is true that Bob can build anything.

Part of the camping is while rendezvousing with others and part is related to teaching. Among several presentations they do every year is one at Spokane House (an early trading post near Nine Mile Falls, Washington.) for school kids from Kettle Falls and Nine Mile Falls to hear the Tywmans and others show and tell about the fur trade era.

“I do women of the fur trade,” Peg explains. “We have the stuff they would have used and talk about the jobs they would do and the clothing we wear and why it’s like that.”

Bob plays the role of a mechanic. “At that time it was someone who had more than one craft or trade. I do gunsmith work, blacksmith work, work on wood boats, and do the leather and canvas work.”

Peg covers bottles with jute to protect the glass, makes carrying baskets, and makes shirts.

Bob also does some of that same type of work making his own shirts and trousers in addition to some leather work. He showed a portmanteau (a larger leather carrying bag) he had made, including a beautiful pistol inside which he had also made.

The coat he was wearing was made of brain tanned deer skin, tanned by a friend, with a design made of cornhusk and quill decoration around the collar made by another friend. Bob had cut the coat out and put it all together.

Bob and Peg’s property has a small shed that contains a bateaux Bob built one winter. Bateaux is French for a boat and refers to the shallow drafting boats commonly used on northwest lakes during the fur trapping era. Like everything Bob builds, it is beautifully done - 18-feet-long with traditional oars using grommets and thole pins to contain them.

“We cut the locust in September, started on it in early winter, and had it in the water for next 4th of July,” he recalls. Oh yes, he also built the trailer.

Another building contains an old fashioned blacksmith shop. Bob doesn’t use it as often as he once did. “I’ll make fire irons and fire strikers and so on but not as much as I used to.”

Then there’s his shop! It was originally used

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

as their house while they were building the home they now live in. It has an upstairs loft where their son lived and contained a smaller shop in the same building. But it’s all shop now. A friend had told me, “If Bob doesn’t have a tool, he’ll make it.”

One might take that with a grain of salt but being shown around by Bob you quickly realize it’s very true.

He has a wealth of regular tools but his collection goes far beyond that. Some are replicas of early tools and others are simply things he has made for a particular job.

“I like building things. I like taking not much of

anything and making something out of it,” he says.

He points to a band saw that a friend in Oregon was throwing away. “I spotted it in the trash,” he laughs. “I made the broken parts and also made it for either metal or wood by changing the belt configuration. I use it a lot.”

Bob is dyslexic and reading has always been a challenge, “but anything to do with crafts, I excelled,” he says.

There’s a hydraulic press he made with I-beams that KeyTronic was disposing of. He also made a log splitter and a gantry from other I-beams. A buffing wheel sits on another bench.

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 23

“That was a long shaft sump pump,” he explains. “I took the armature out and put it in the lathe and threaded it, put a shoulder on it. It makes a real good extended shaft buffer.”

He has a 1960s era small tractor that he stripped down and repainted, then changed from a gas engine to electric. He uses it to pick up wood and branches over the property.

Yes, I think he can make anything. Bob and Peg are certainly an interesting, colorful couple and determined to do their part in keeping the memory alive of the fur trade era. ISI

Roger Wilson Is One Outstanding Wood Carver!

By Jack McNeel When it comes to carving and painting songbirds, Roger Wilson’s attention to detail is remarkable. Although Roger does not exhibit at art shows and only occasionally sells a carving, he is well rewarded with the beauty of the final pieces. What he does is he continues to attend carvers’ rendezvous to both teach and to gain more knowledge to improve his already remarkable skills.

Roger is a true Coeur d’Alene native even though much of his professional career was spent in western Montana.

“My grandfather came out in a covered wagon in 1898 and homesteaded on Mica Flats. The original ranch is still intact and must be the largest ranch on Mica Flats,” he says. “Mom was born there in 1901 and I was born in Coeur d’Alene in 1933.”

He earned a degree in forestry from the University of Idaho in 1965 and spent most of his career on the Flathead National Forest in Columbia Falls, Montana from 1970 until his retirement in 1993. It was during those years in Montana that Roger started carving.

“I got interested in something my oldest son and I could do together so we signed up for a wood Roger shows a yellow-headed blackbird on a cattail carving class one fall, that plant which he created. [Photo by Jack McNeel] was in about 1972 or 73. An old fellow by the name of Doc Windauer, a dentist all his career, had a wonderful shop with about every tool that was ever made. I always considered him a master carver. He taught classes at the high school shop in Columbia Falls.”

Roger says he got away from carving for awhile when his four kids were growing up. In the late 1980s he became acquainted with people in Glacier Park who met weekly to carve and he began meeting with them. “It perked up my interest again,” he says.

Roger learned different types of carving: caricatures, chip carving, relief carving, and bird carving. Then in 2000 he took a class from a bird carver and that, “kind of hooked me on bird carving. I’ve been doing a lot of that ever since.”

He gives three Canadian carvers from Saskatoon credit for most of his skill. He’s taken classes from them at Red Deer, Alberta and Sorrento, B.C. The classes are taught every year and last for five days and over the years he’s attended about ten or eleven of these seminars, the latest this past May. “I lay my experience and abilities to working under these fellows,” he comments.

Roger has a small and comfortable workshop off the dining room in the house that he and his wife Joan purchased when they moved to Coeur

d’Alene from Montana. They had a contractor build a deck off one side and enclose what had been an 8 x 13 back porch on another side, which is now his carving room. There is no room for band saws or drills so they remain in the garage, but everything else is in his carving shop.

Roger’s shop has shelves for all his reference material and enough room for his electrical carving equipment. There’s a shop vac with a hose that’s attached to the left arm of his chair that picks up chips and dust. Also, a dust collector picks up the fine dust as well. Roger also wears a very good dust mask and safety glasses for eye protection should a ceramic bit or burr blow up. This keeps nearly all dust from entering the house and makes cleanup relatively simple.

PAGE 24 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

In their home, Rogerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finished bird and other animal carvings plus some chip carvings and caricatures sit in a display case. A full sized yellow headed blackbird sits atop a cattail plant in his dining room, all of which he created. In the shop area, he has carvings in various stages of completion from blocks of wood to numerous completed works of art.

Roger primarily concentrates on birds and more specifically, chickadees. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve specialized more in chickadees - Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve probably carved around 100 of those. For several years Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve given away 5-8 birds a year at various events we go to like carversâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; rendezvous in Spokane, Kennewick, and West Glacier.â&#x20AC;?

Roger goes both to learn and he usually teaches a class as well. At the spring rendezvous in Spokane, he taught a class on carving penguins.

Most of his bird carvings are smaller than life size and most are carved from tupelo, a tree that grows in the southeast and which he prefers for

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the birds. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You can get a very very smooth surface on tupelo and that allows you to burn the feather pattern and barbs on the birds a lot better. I can get the amount of detail that I try to get on a carving.â&#x20AC;? Some of Rogerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s carvings are also done in basswood.

He uses many different bits and burrs, and sanding drums with 180- to 500-grit sandpaper.

This gives a smooth finish. The wood burning is to create feather patterns and he uses a little point to create the barbs on the feathers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I try to get between 80-100 barbs per inch,â&#x20AC;? he says, which provides some idea of the extreme

detail in his carvings.

The birdsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; eyes come from taxidermy supply shops and each is colored and sized correctly for the particular species. Painting is the final stage. â&#x20AC;&#x153;To really get into finishing a carving and painting it, I use an air brush on the larger areas. For the detail, I have a variety of sable brushes and can get a very fine point and excellent detail. I use acrylics primarily. Using the air brush you learn the basics and then it takes a lot of practice and experience,â&#x20AC;? he says.

Studying the precision of Rogerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s carvings, it is apparent that he has practiced and has lots of experience. His carvings are amazingly lifelike. ISI

For Our Lexiphiles Who Love Word Play Submitted by Julie HollarLocal Area Network in Australia: The LAN Brantley down under.

To write with a broken A boiled egg is hard to beat. pencil is pointless.

When youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen one shopping center youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve When fish are in schools seen a mall. they sometimes take debate.

Police were called to a day care where a threeA thief who stole a calendar got twelve year-old was resisting a rest. months.

Did you hear about the fellow whose whole left When the smog lifts in Los Angeles, U.C.L.A. side was cut off? Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all right now.

The professor discovered that her theory of If you take a laptop computer for a run you earthquakes was on shaky ground. could jog your memory.

The batteries were given out free of charge.

A bicycle canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stand alone; it is two tired.

A dentist and a manicurist married. They In a democracy itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your vote that counts; in fought tooth and nail. feudalism, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your Count that votes.

A will is a dead giveaway.

When a clock is hungry it goes back four secIf you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t pay your exorcist you can get onds. repossessed.

The guy who fell onto an upholstery machine With her marriage, she got a new name and was fully recovered. a dress.

He had a photographic memory which was Show me a piano falling down a mineshaft never developed. and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll show you A-flat Those who get too big for their britches will be miner. exposed in the end.

You are stuck with When she saw her first strands of gray hair, your debt if you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t she thought sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d dye. budge it.

Acupuncture is a jab well done. ISI

I am thankful for the mess to clean after a party because it means I have been surrounded by friends.

- Hazrat Inayat Khan

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 25

How wonderful to live in a community where friends become family.

Life is good...

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PAGE 26 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

Say What? Overcoming Communication Barriers

8, (OSPICE )$3R)ND PDF !-

By Lisa M. Petsche Spending time with someone who has an acquired communication disorder - such as speech impairment from a stroke or mental impairment due to Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s disease - can be challenging. It is natural to feel awkward when you cannot relate to someone in the usual ways. However, there are many ways to overcome obstacles in order to have a positive interaction.

The following are tips for successfully handling some of the most common challenges when communicating with older adults.

Setting The Stage - Some General Advice Choose a quiet area to minimize distractions.

Ensure you have the personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s full attention before initiating conversation. Sit close by, facing them.

Show interest by maintaining eye contact and leaning forward. Be conscious of your facial expression and other body language.

Be prepared for multiple forms of communication, such as gesturing, pointing to an alphabet, word or picture board, drawing, and writing.

Hearing Impairment Pick a location with good acoustics - rooms with carpeting and curtains are better than those with lots of hard surfaces.

Sit with your face to the light and be careful not to cover it with your hands.

Ask if one ear is better than the other, and speak to that side.

Lean in when it is your turn to speak.

Use a loud voice, but avoid shouting. Speak slowly and clearly, but do not exaggerate.

Keep your voice low-pitched.

Be succinct about expressing yourself, and use short sentences.

Read the personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s non-verbal expressions, since some hearingimpaired people are hesitant to ask others to repeat themselves. If it looks as if they did not pick up what you said, rephrase it.

Speech Impairment Defective speech due to impairment of the tongue or other key muscles is known as

dysarthria. It involves difficulty pronouncing words; however, language abilities may otherwise be intact. Follow these tips to help with communication.

Encourage the person to slow down, if necessary, in order to pronounce each syllable.

Be patient and remain calm, allowing extra time for the person to get out their words. Do not interrupt or try to finish sentences unless they become frustrated.

Be attuned to non-verbal language that can give clues to the factual or emotional content of the message.

Summarize the message to check if you heard it right.

Ask the person to repeat the message if you could not make it out. Do not pretend that you understood.

Ask questions that require a Yes or No answer so they can simply nod or shake their head.

Do not correct every error.

If the person is able to write, have a notepad and pen handy as a backup.

Mental Impairment (Dementia) When someone is cognitively impaired, traditional types of conversation may not be possible.

However, contact is still important, providing them with much-needed mental stimulation and personal validation. Here is how to go about it.

Approach slowly, establish eye contact, and then address the person by name.

Always identify yourself by name. Do not be deterred if the person does not remember you from one contact to the next - it does not diminish the value of your involvement.

Keep your voice low-pitched to convey calmness and reassurance.

Use simple words and short sentences, speaking slowly and distinctly.

Keep questions to a minimum and avoid openended ones, especially those that begin with Why, or How. Allow plenty of time for response to a question before repeating it or changing the subject.

Nod your head and smile if appropriate, to indicate understanding.

Avoid debating facts. Focus instead on feelings or use distraction if the person becomes argumentative.

Respond to the personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mood when their words do not make sense, for example, â&#x20AC;&#x153;It sounds like youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re feeling sad.â&#x20AC;?

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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

Stick to topics with which the person is familiar.

Avoid complex or abstract subjects.

Be direct. Avoid clichés and limit the use of pronouns such as it, she, and they.

Try using different words when your message is not getting across.

Do not feel you have to fill every minute together with conversation. Remember that your very presence is therapeutic.

Final Thoughts

Watch for signs of frustration or fatigue that signal you should end the visit.

Do not forget that humor is a valuable tool that can help reduce awkwardness and frustration.

Above all, persist with your efforts. Remind yourself that with each contact, your comfort level will increase.

Lisa M. Petsche is a medical social worker and a freelance writer specializing in boomer and senior issues. ISI

Older Caregivers May Face Increased Risk Of Cognitive Problems An older individual who cares for a spouse with dementia may be at an increased risk of developing cognitive problems because of the lifestyle that was shared with the spouse and because of the stress of caring for a loved one who is ill. These findings, recently published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, indicate that efforts are needed to help caregivers maintain their cognitive and functional health and their ability to care for those who need them.

Research indicates that, compared with noncaregivers, caregivers often have trouble with cognition, which involves attention and memory.

To examine the issue more thoroughly, investigators reviewed the medical literature for studies that looked at the cognitive health of older adults caring for a family member (primarily a spouse) with dementia. The review revealed that spouses who are caregivers may have a higher risk of cognitive impairment or dementia than spouses who are not caregivers. Their cognitive decline may be due to psychosocial factors such as depression, loneliness, social isolation, and sleep problems;

behavioral factors such as exercise and diet; and physiological factors such as obesity, chronically elevated insulin, and inflammation.

“Persons who are caring for a spouse with dementia may themselves be at risk for cognitive problems which, in turn, will not only negatively influence their quality of life, but may reduce their ability to provide the necessary care for their spouse,” said principal investigator Dr. Peter Vitaliano of the University of Washington School of Medicine. “Spouse caregivers are extremely important because most care recipients prefer to be cared for in their homes, and, by remaining in their homes, health care costs are reduced greatly.”

The review argues for interventions that integrate strategies to reduce psychological distress in caregivers while promoting healthy behaviors, such as good diet and exercise. The authors note that community-level approaches may increase awareness and motivation. They point to Strength for Caring, an online resource for family caregivers that provides information, support, and ways to connect with other caregivers. ISI

Elder Abuse Climbing At Alarming Rates NCPC Provides Prevention Tips During National Elder Abuse Awareness Month For every one reported case of elder abuse, five more are unreported according to a recent National Elder Abuse Incidence Study. To address this growing and vital issue, the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) created a comprehensive awareness kit, Safer Seniors, with fact sheets, brochures, and information on keeping seniors safe. This October, NCPC, home of McGruff the Crime Dog, will also launch a new campaign to help battle elder abuse.

Underreported acts of abuse are growing at frightening rates – with the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) estimating 1 to 2 million Americans ages 65 or older becoming injured, exploited, or mistreated by someone upon whom they depend for care.

Abusers may be spouses, family members, personal acquaintances, professionals in positions of trust, or opportunistic strangers who prey on the defenseless. NCPC will distribute useful resources including radio spots, public service announcements (PSAs), and tool kits for seniors and their families to help increase the awareness and overall prevention of elder abuse.

“Elder abuse comes in many different forms –

physical, emotional, or financial abuse. Each one is devastating in its own right,” explained 90-yearold veteran actor Mickey Rooney, in a March 2011 statement to the Senate Special Committee on Aging. “What other people see as generosity may, in reality, be the exploitation, manipulation, and sadly, emotional blackmail of older, more vulnerable members of the American public. I know because it happened to me.”

NCPC encourages people to be attentive to the warning signs of abuse, including: • Physical Abuse - Slap marks, unexplained bruises, most pressure marks, and certain types of burns or blisters, such as cigarette burns • Neglect or isolation from friends and fam-

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 27

PAGE 28 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

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ily - Withdrawal from normal activities, pressure ulcers, filth, lack of medical care, malnutrition, or dehydration • Emotional Abuse – Frequent arguments between caregiver and the senior, unexplained changes in alertness, or other unusual behavioral changes W E

A R E

S E R V I C E S

Transportation

• Sexual Abuse - Bruises around the breasts or genital area and unexplained sexually transmitted diseases • Financial Abuse/Exploitation - Sudden change in finances and accounts, altered wills and trusts, unusual bank withdrawals, checks written as “loans” or “gifts,” and loss of property.

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over age 60 for every child under four years of age in the United States.

NCPC currently has a number of resources available to help people prevent potential abuse and appropriately report any possible incidence of it within the home. A valuable NCPC resource is Senior and Telemarketing Fraud 101, which is a publication that takes an in-depth look at how to prevent becoming a victim of telemarketing fraud.

These and other helpful NCPC publications and brochures on safety are available through the NCPC website. ISI

How to Protect Your Family’s Assets from Devastating Nursing Home Costs It is the conversation people do not have until they have to, but by then, it is too late.

The fact is that in 2010, more than 7,000 people turned 65 years every single day, a figure that is predicted to rise in 2011. Further, an AARP survey revealed that only 4 in 10 of those people feel they will be financially secure for their golden years.

For many, that lack of financial stability will transform from being a worry to becoming a crisis if they discover they will need any kind of assisted living.

That is why Gabriel Heiser, an attorney with more than 25 years of experience in nursing home law, believes that people should start planning now, even if they are not close to their 65th birthdays.

“The average monthly cost of a nursing home today is $6,917 per month, and a typical Alzheimer’s patient will spend $395,000 for their nursing home care after diagnosis,” said Heiser, author of How to Protect Your Family’s Assets from Devastating Nursing Home Costs: Medicaid Secrets (www.MedicaidSecrets. com). “Those costs are only going to rise, so it’s important to plan now.

One important benefit to consider is Medicaid, which can help offset a good amount of those costs, but only if you know what it takes to qualify for those benefits.”

The mistake many people make is thinking that they cannot qualify for Medicaid, according to Heiser.

“Many feel that because they own a home or have some assets that they can’t qualify for Medicaid help with their nursing home and doctor’s bills,” he

said. “The truth is there are a variety of assets people can own and still qualify. It’s just a matter of knowing the rules, and making a plan to meet those requirements.”

Heiser listed the asset limits for those applying for Medicaid, which include: • Cash – You can possess $2,000 cash that will not be counted as an asset in determining your Medicaid eligibility.

• Home – There is a $500,000 exclusion toward your home, meaning that if your home is valued at $500,000 or less at the time of your application, it is excluded as an asset. Some states use the higher permitted exemption of $750,000.

• Car – Up until recently, you could exclude only one car at a value of $4,500 or less, however that law has been changed. Now, one automobile of ANY current market value is excluded on your application.

• Funeral and Burial Funds – If you have a pre-planned funeral or memorial arrangement, the entire value of that plan is excluded. If you do not, a separate bank account that contains $1,500 toward funeral expenses can be excluded. If you have pre-purchased burial plots, you can exclude not only the costs of the plot for the applicant, but for the entire family, and still be eligible for Medicaid.

• Property – According to federal law, any real or personal property that is essential to selfsupport, regardless of value or rate of return, is excluded. That could include farms, rental properties and other real estate investments that generate income necessary for self-support. For rental income, however, the property must generate at least 6 percent of its value annually in order to qualify for the exclusion.

• Life Insurance – Only the cash value of a life insurance policy owned by the applicant is counted, thus, all term policies are ignored.

“There are so many other rules that can benefit those who aren’t sure they’ll have enough when the time comes,” Heiser added. “The key is to plan now and act now. These laws exist for your protection, and avoiding the discussion and the planning necessary to take care of the potential complications just because it is an unpleasant topic will only result in a more unpleasant conversation when you realize you are not ready when the worst happens.

That can be a very expensive dilemma. Peace of mind right now, however, won’t cost a dime, and could save you hundreds of thousands of dimes later.” ISI

Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want and deserve to get it good and hard.

- H. L. Mencken

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

Classic DVDs: More From The Archives

By Mark Fee Once upon a time, I was eager to review films.

In the late 1970s, there were hundreds of great films to watch. But many films produced in Hollywood now are insipid and pretentious. Some are sick and insulting, and many are sloppily made with slick effects and bad storylines. It seems there has been an excess of abysmally made films recently.

If you, too, are disappointed with Hollywood’s recent output, there are hundreds of forgotten comedies worth watching. I strongly recommend visiting your local DVD store and renting the following films. I guarantee they will make you laugh!

Mr. Mom (1982) was one of my favorite comedies of the 1980s, and it is still funny today. Michael Keaton (Multiplicity, 1996) and Terri Garr (Young Frankenstein, 1974) play a married couple whose life is turned upside down when Keaton is fired.

Garr then goes to work for an advertising agency, and Keaton stays home to manage the household and kids. The result is absolute bedlam. Keaton has no idea how to direct the home. He watches soap operas while the kids burn chili for lunch.

The family vacuum cleaner has a life of its own, as does the washing machine. The screenplay

by John Hughes, who went on to write Vacation (1983), Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987), Home Alone (1982), and other comic delights, is wonderful. Rated PG; three stars.

Another great comedy is the priceless Western sleeper, The Frisco Kid (1979) directed by Robert Aldrich and starring Gene Wilder and Harrison Ford. Wilder plays a hopelessly inept Polish Jewish seminarian, who is sent by his congregation to San Francisco. He encounters many obstacles along the way, including a pair of outlaws who rob him and leave him for dead. As he travels across America, hilarity ensues. He mistakenly thinks a group of Mennonites are Jewish, has no idea how to ride a horse, and teaches Shoshone Indians a Jewish folk dance. Along the way, he befriends an outlaw (Harrison Ford) who can’t stand him. The Frisco Kid is a treasure. Rated PG; three stars.

In They Might Be Giants (1971), George C. Scott and Jo Anne Woodward are Sherlock Holmes and his psychiatrist, Dr. Mildred Watson.

Scott isn’t really Holmes - he only thinks he is.

He is actually a retired judge who has suffered a nervous breakdown and now believes he is the famous detective. His brother-in-law, interested in the family estate, sends “Holmes” to a mental health center in New York. At the center Holmes is introduced to his therapist, Dr. Mildred Watson.

The psychiatrist is amazed and infuriated by Holmes. Holmes seems to know more about her patients than she does and thinks her analysis is ridiculous. She is a lonely spinster; he is detached and aloof. She tries to cure Holmes; he doesn’t know what to make of her. They share a number of magical, hilarious adventures in New York. Scott is extremely effective as Holmes and Woodward is touching and hilarious as Watson. Directed by Anthony Harvey (The Lion in Winter, 1968), the film sadly never found an audience. The sound track by John Barry (Dances with Wolves, 1990) is melancholy and quite haunting. Rated PG; 3.5 stars.

In Norman Lear’s Cold Turkey (1971), Dick Van Dyke plays a minister who convinces his town (full of smokers) to stop smoking for a month. If they succeed, they receive a huge financial incentive.

The company sponsoring the event, including mastermind Bob Newhart, has ulterior motives.

The film is a howlingly funny satire. Some scenes are devastatingly hilarious. One of Van Dyke’s best films and extremely underrated. Rated PG-13; 3.5 stars.

In Howard Hawks’, Man’s Favorite Sport (1964), Rock Hudson plays Roger Willoughby - an author, expert on fishing, and the top salesman at Abercrombie and Fitch. He is extremely popular and renowned for his fishing advice. But in reality, Willoughby has never gone fishing and hates fish.

Hilarity ensues when his employer enters him into a fishing contest. Lanky Paula Prentiss, who plays a reporter, follows Willoughby to the contest. She is joined by two other attractive ladies. The film is a hoot. Not rated; three stars.

So, take a break from the current Hollywood mediocrity and check out these and other classic DVDs - you will enjoy the laughter! ISI

It’s also helpful to realize that this very body that we have, that’s sitting here right now... with its aches and its pleasures... is exactly what we need to be fully awake, fully alive.

- Pema Chodron

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 29

PAGE 30 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

The world recently watched and celebrated the wedding of Britain’s Prince William and his longtime girlfriend Kate Middleton. Show how much you know about Britain’s royalty by taking this month’s quiz The Royal We: Britain’s First Family, created by our staff.

Congratulations to Kim Scheffelmaier of Avery who submitted the winning answers to the Name That Tune - Hit Songs of the 1950s quiz that appeared in our June/July 2011 issue. Thank you,

Kim. Two $25 cash prizes are awarded from the “Contest Corner” in each issue of the Idaho Senior Independent. One prize goes to the person who submits the entry that our staff selects as the featured quiz or puzzle in the “Contest Corner” for that issue. Be creative and send us some good, fun, and interesting puzzles!

The second $25 prize goes to the person who submits the most correct answers to the featured

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 31

quiz or puzzle from the previous issue. When there is a tie, the winner is determined by a drawing.

Please mail your entries to the Idaho Senior Independent, P.O. Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403, or email to idahoseniorind@bresnan.net

by September 10, 2011 for our October/November 2011 edition.

Be sure to work the crossword puzzle on our website www.idahoseniorindependent.com.

The Royal We: Britain’s First Family

By ISI Staff Below are 25 questions about British royalty along with 25 answers. On a numbered sheet of paper, match each correct answer with the corresponding question and send it to us. The winner will receive a $25 cash prize. Good luck!

1. William and Kate were married on this day.

2. Princess Diana was what age when she married Prince Charles?

3. Henry VIII had how many of his wives executed?

4. This royal abdicated to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson.

5. England’s king during WWII. 6. The spouse of a ruling king or queen is called what?

7. For how many years has Queen Elizabeth II reigned?

8. What was the name of Queen Victoria’s husband?

9. What is the date of Princess Diana’s death?

10. Which British royal started the tradition of white wedding gowns?

11. In the 19th century, this location was popular for royal weddings.

12. This royal was known as “The Virgin Queen.”

13. This woman was the last wife of Henry VIII. 14. Queen Elizabeth is Head of State for how many countries?

15. This royal is third in line for the British throne.

16. This man renounced two royal titles when he married the queen.

17. This king was executed in 1649.

18. Royals of this religion are prohibited from inheriting the Crown.

19. Coronations are held in which location?

20. What is the title of Queen Elizabeth II’s husband?

21. This is the Queen’s residence in Scotland.

22. On his marriage, Prince William received what title?

23. The king or queen of England is the Supreme Governor of this religion.

24. Prince Harry was born on what date?

25. The official residence of the British sovereign.

A. 59 B. Windsor Castle C. Palace of Holyroodhouse D. Prince Harry E. Roman Catholicism F. Edward VIII G. August 31, 1997 H. September 15, 1984 I. Prince Philip J. Catherine Parr K. The Church of England L. George VI M. April 29, 2011

Answers to Name that Tune - Hit Songs of the 1950s

By ISI Staff 1. Q - All The Way; Frank Sinatra 2. X - I Walk The Line; Johnny Cash 3. J - Your Cheatin’ Heart; Hank Williams 4. D - The Battle of New Orleans; Johnny Horton 5. G - Mack the Knife; Bobby Darin 6. N - Little Bitty Pretty One; Thurston Harris 7. A - Rollin’ Stone; Muddy Waters 8. U - In The Still of the Night; Five Satins 9. H - Papa Loves Mambo; Perry Como 10. W - Rockin Robin; Bobby Day 11. R - Whole Lot Of Shakin’ Going On; Jerry Lee Lewis 12. L - Sixteen Tons; Tennessee Ernie Ford

13. Y - Mona Lisa; Nat King Cole 14. T - Sh-Boom; The Chords 15. E - Rock Around The Clock; Bill Haley and his Comets 16. V - Love Potion No. 9; The Clovers 17. B - That’ll Be The Day; Crickets 18. M - Bye Bye Love; The Everly Brothers 19. I - Peggy Sue; Buddy Holly 20. O - Que Sera, Sera; Doris Day 21. K - Good Golly Miss Molly; Little Richard 22. S - All Shook Up; Elvis Presley 23. C - La Bamba; Ritchie Valens 24. F - Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight; The Spaniels 25. P - Johnny B. Goode; Chuck Berry ISI

N. Queen Elizabeth I O. 2 P. Westminster Abbey Q. Buckingham Palace R. 16 S. Duke of Cambridge T. 20 U. Queen Victoria V. Charles I W. Prince Albert X. Duke of Edinburgh Y. Royal Consort ISI

PAGE 32 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

51. Personal magnetism..... an X factor in management 52. A ___ hold in the market?

53. There is no age limit for the Roth variety 54. Vital element in any negotiation 55. Research available data for potential course of action 56. Electrical resistance

17. Network type 20. ____ door policy 22. Warning 23. Federal Reserve former Chairman, first name 24. Web promotion resources 25. Overtime, for short 26. Word to avoid in a sale presentation 27. Atmosphere, slang Down 29. Law that what can go wrong 1. Selected will go wrong....

2. Smart and brilliant 30. See 5 down 3. Golf course deal-making location? 31. End up in a problematic 4. Billboard features situation (4 words) 5. Psychiatrist’s diagnosis for the 33. Giant, usually company US economy (3 words- goes 34. Poker card with 30 down) 35. Principle 6. Vital quality in a successful 37. Desktop management team 39. Des Moines locale 7. Limited liability, abbr.

42. Liberates 8. Pundit or guru 44. Negotiation tactic 9. In business, the flexibility in relation 47. Immediate or Cancel (stock to being in an impossible situation trade order), for short (2 words) 49. Eternity, almost 12. Emotional intelligence 50. Total, for short 14. Santa __ 53. Computer department ISI

Across 1. Written completion of a negotiation?

6. Seals the deal 10. That is, abbr.

11. Based on a proper estimation of the facts 13. Proposals 15. Voice 16. Finance personnel agency, with Robert 18. Establish, policy for example 19. Insertion order, for short 21. Mortgage giant 22. Example of what is being discussed (3 words) 27. Found to be workable and correct 28. Obtain 29. Wanting to do a good job....

32. Advantage

33. Test version 35. Drink with jam and bread?

36. Relative, for short 37. Principle by which it is thought employees will rise to their highest level of competence and then be promoted to and remain at, a level at which they are incompetent 38. Excel ____ chart 40. Helping people learn their jobs 41. Gentleman’s agreement, with shake?

42. A good manager should be seen to be this 43. Inside, prefix 44. Media handler 45. Football scores 46. Principal 48. Gets to an agreement with an opposing party

No one believes seniors . . . aren’t they senile?

An elderly couple was celebrating their sixtieth anniversary. The couple married as childhood sweethearts and had moved back to their old neighborhood after they retired. Holding hands, they walked back to their old school.

It was not locked, so they entered, and found the old desk they had shared, where Andy had carved, “I love you, Sally.”

On their way back home, a bag of money fell out of an armored car, practically landing at their feet. Sally quickly picked it up and, not sure

what to do with it, they took it home. There, she counted the money - fifty thousand dollars!

Andy said, “We’ve got to give it back.”

Sally said, “Finders keepers.” She put the money back in the bag and hid it in their attic.

The next day, two police officers who were canvassing the neighborhood looking for the money knocked on their door.

“Pardon me, did either of you find a bag that fell out of an armored car yesterday?”

Sally said, “No.” Andy said, “She’s lying. She hid it up in the attic.”

Sally said, “Don’t believe him, he’s getting

senile.”

The officers turned to Andy and began to question him. One said, “Tell us the story from the beginning.”

Andy said, “Well, when Sally and I were walking home from school yesterday…”

The first police officer turned to his partner and said, “We’re outta here!”

Did you know that dolphins are so smart that within a few weeks of captivity they can train people to stand on the very edge of a pool and throw them fish? ISI

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 33

Your life,

friends included.

How to Appraise Your Current Home or Home You Are Going to Buy At True Market Value

By John R. Blakefield Home appraisals are designed to determine the true market value of the property in consideration. Market value is how much the property is worth according to what type of property it is, what condition it is in, and other properties similar to it in the immediate area.

The only problem with home appraisals is that they can differ greatly among appraisers. This is because an appraisal is just an opinion, based on market data, as to what the property is worth. So, you may get a higher figure from one appraiser and a lower number from another appraiser.

This can give lenders room to determine the market value for a property. For example, a lender could have his/her personal appraiser appraise the property for considerably less, based on the market data that the appraiser chooses to use, in order to decrease the loan amount that the lender would provide a home buyer.

On the other hand, if a home owner is selling a home, the appraisal can be determined at a higher value so the owner will get as much for the house as possible. This “opinion” may not always reflect an accurate or true market value.

For this reason, if you are refinancing a home, selling, or buying, it is a good idea to find an appraiser not related to any of the interested parties in order to find the true market value of the property.

This appraiser will have no tendencies to slant the appraisal in anyone’s favor. It is an even better idea to get two or three appraisals if you feel it is really necessary. This can be great proof to strengthen your case for the property.

It is really important to have a true market value of the property so the owner can get what it is worth, and the buyer can get it at a fair market

price with an appropriate loan amount. When the property is appraised at true market value, there is room for some negotiation and everyone knows they are getting a fair price.

So how do you find an appraiser? To find an independent appraiser, look in the yellow pages under appraisal, search the Internet, or ask trusted people such as family, friends, and co-workers who may have a fair person in mind.

You should call a few appraisers to find out their fees. Find a few that are in your price range and make appointments for a walk through, or meeting to discuss the property. The appraisers should explain the data they are going to use to determine the value of the home.

They should evaluate the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, condition, upgrades, whether there is a pool or spa, and of course the land it is on itself. They should also check at least three similar properties that have recently sold in that immediate area, that are comparable to your property.

A true market value appraisal can save you money and get the loan you deserve, so be sure to do it right. It is worth it! ISI

Things to Do Before You Sell Your House

By Jennifer Jordan Selling your house gives you a list of things to do: pack up your belongings, forward your mail, vow to your kitchen sink that you will never forget it. While all these things are important – you do not want your kitchen sink’s hopes going down the drain – the importance of home improvement weighs heavier. After all, before you can leave your house you might need to sell it, and before you can do that, you might need to improve it. The following is a list of the most important things to do before placing your house on the market.

Get a Paint Job - Few things make a house look worse than chipped paint. Whether it is on the exterior of the house or behind a bedroom door where you think no one will notice, chipped paint is a quick way to find yourself chipping down the asking price.

Instead of presenting a house that looks neglected, leaving potential buyers to think that old paint is just the

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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

beginning, buy a few buckets, take a few days, and paint whatever in your house needs to be painted. If your house does not need an entirely new paint job, then simply touch up the areas that need some tender loving care.

Remember the Small Things - We often overlook the small things in favor of looking at the bigger picture, but it is the small things that make up the bigger picture. Not only is it amazing how much attention to small details can improve the appeal of your house dramatically, but it is also amazing how affordable this kind of improvement can be. From something as simple as buying a new shower curtain to redoing the mail box, from planting flowers in the front yard to putting new drapes in the living room, the small changes you make can help make the entire home look

detailed in more than one way.

Repair What Really Needs to Be Repaired - Improving your house before you sell it does not mean you should go around fixing everything in sight; chances are, everything in your house can use enhancement: it is, after all, used. Instead of trying to improve everything from the floor to the ceiling, focus on the things that really need repairing. If your carpet doesn’t look brand new but good enough to last a few more years, leave it alone and instead replace the cracked bay window in your living room.

Pay Particular Attention to the Kitchen and Bathrooms - The kitchen and the bathroom are two places where we spend a lot of our time, though for very different reasons. Because we spend so much time in these rooms, we also

spend time focusing on them. A dirty bathroom or a kitchen on its last leg will quickly ruin a potential sale. This is not to say you should neglect every other room in your house, but put twice as much effort into them than you would, say, the basement.

Use Your Green Thumb or Hire Someone Else Who Has One - We do not all have a green thumb; in fact, some of us have an odd ability to kill anything with roots. If you do not have a green thumb, or at least some talent with gardening and landscaping, hire someone who does.

Making the outside of your house look nice is as important as the inside’s appeal. The landscaping is what potential buyers will first see… and, as they say, you only get one chance to make a first impression! ISI

Is Yours An Ideal Real Estate Agent?

They say that behind the success of a man is a woman and vice versa. Well behind the success of a real estate business is an ideal agent.

Indeed, the human resource is considered the most important factor for a real estate business to succeed.

Real estate can be a lucrative activity when managed properly by the right person. As a seller or a buyer, you want to engage the services of an excellent agent. But what does it take to be an ideal real estate agent?

1. Have a solid track - Most people who succeed in life know where they want to go, what they want to do, and the reasons behind it. For a person to be a successful real estate agent, he or she must encompass this trait.

2. An ideal real estate agent knows who he or she is - Skills, strategies, and marketing tools will all go to waste if the real estate agent does not have a solid assessment of his or her own personality.

Consequently, a successful real agent is honest in his or her endeavors. If, in the first place the real estate agent is not being true to himself or herself, then the real estate agent will most likely have difficulty in dealing with other people.

3. Optimism - Many people who succeed in life are optimistic. This

means that a person always has a positive outlook in life. An optimistic person believes that there is no such thing as failure. And an ideal real estate agent knows this too.

4. Motivation power - An ideal real estate agent knows how to motivate people into action. It is that unique power of every salesperson to devise a strategy that can motivate their clients to buy the product he or she is selling.

5. Awareness of the value of properties - To become an ideal real estate agent, one should be aware of the ebb and flow of the cost of the properties. These should be taken into consideration with utmost care and skill.

6. The agent should not price - An ideal real estate agent is considerate of their client’s purchasing capability. They should be sensitive enough to detect if the price of the real estate is reasonable enough to hit their market.

7. An ideal real estate agent does not engage in hard selling.

8. An ideal real estate agent knows how to make a pleasant showcase of the property. ISI

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 35

Muscling Your Way To Better Health

By Tait Trussell, Senior Wire Bears are different from us, as you may have noticed. But one day, what bears have that we do not may be disclosed to science for our benefit.

As you know, bears hibernate for many months.

When they wake up and stretch in the warmth of spring, they are still as healthy and muscular as when they went into hibernation.

If humans hibernated for months, their muscles would be withered and their bones fragile, even if the humans were relatively young. Men over age 50 are said to lose about 8 percent of their muscles every year. You may have seen the TV commercials that warn of this physical truth.

According to an article in The New York Times, scientists, drug companies, and food manufacturers are trying to find out why there is this muscular deterioration as we age. They believe bears have something to tell us.

An 80-year-old likely has at least 30 percent or less muscle mass than a 20-year-old does. And the strength of the 80-year-old is even less than his muscle mass. The Times reported that weight lifting records for 60-year-old men are 30 percent lower than for 30-year-olds. And for women, the drop-off is 50 percent.

With the high interest among the aging in maintaining and rebuilding muscle mass, there is much eagerness to try to and make that a reality.

Pharmaceutical companies already are looking for drugs that can put off the weakening of muscles or build new muscle. Companies such as Nestle and Danone are pursuing the same objective.

Some professional athletes have turned to anabolic steroids, with disastrous results. Nobody wants to go that way.

A woman writes about her 80-year-old mother: “She stopped driving. Friends died. She began falling. We made small changes in her physical environment, installed grab bars, removed throw rugs, signed her up for medical alert service. But how do you know when an elderly person can no longer live alone?”

Typical signs are mental confusion, forgetfulness, falls, weight loss, social isolation, depression, and changes in appetite, sleep patterns, and appearance.

“A doctor sees old people who are shrinking and getting weak, but there’s no medical terminology that’s been created and made uniform to allow doctors to make a diagnosis, look at possible causes, and make a treatment plan,” according to Dr. Stephanie Studenski, a professor of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. Geriatric specialists are trying to establish the age-related loss of muscles as a medical condition under the name “sarcopenia,” from the Greek meaning loss of flesh.

Dr. Bruno Vellas, president of the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics, says, “In the future, sarcopenia will be known as much as osteoporosis is today.”

Researchers in the field say that doctors and patients need to be more aware that muscle deterioration is a major reason the elderly lose mobility and cannot live independently.

Experts figure sarcopenia weakens about 10 percent of those over age 60, with higher rates as age advances. The Times story reported on one study that estimated that disability caused by sarcopenia accounted for $18.5 billion in direct medical costs in the year 2000. The cost obviously would be much higher today with the rising cost of

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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

health care and the rising number of aged in the population. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Loss of muscle mass or strength might also include hormonal changes, more sedentary lifestyles, infiltration of fat into the muscles, inflammation, and resistance to insulin,â&#x20AC;? the article said.

Experts in the area say that the best approach to maintaining or restoring muscle mass and strength is exercise, especially resistance training.

The National Institute on Aging is sponsoring a controlled trial to test whether exercise can prevent disability in largely sedentary people age 70 to 89. There is some evidence that high levels of protein in the diet as well as Vitamin D may help.

Dr. Ellen Volpi, of the University of Texas at Galveston, said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;At this point what we can say is that old people are at risk of eating too little protein for adequate muscle preservation.â&#x20AC;?

Some older people can lose so much muscle during a long hospital stay that they have to move to a nursing home. If we can get out of a nursing home in three weeks instead of three months, wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t we say that is a useful thing,â&#x20AC;? said Dr. Studenski.

A study that tracked 3,000 people for 50 years found that about 20 of them, now in their 80s, have not lost muscle mass. They must have some bear in them. ISI

Doctor Reveals Massive Cost Savings Hidden In Electronic Medical Records The handwriting on your prescription is not the only thing about the typical doctor that is hard to understand.

Several recent studies have shown that the vast majority of doctors in the U.S. have not adopted the standardized use of Electronic Health Records (EHR), and one expert believes it is one of the driving forces behind rising healthcare costs.

Preliminary estimates from the 2010 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS), which is conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), showed that the percentage of physicians with EHRs that met the criteria of a basic EHR system by state ranged from 12.5 percent to 51.5 percent. However, after excluding 27 states with unreliable estimates, the percentage of physicians having fully functional systems that met the criteria ranged from only 9.7 percent to 27.2 percent. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tracking medical problems can prevent complications of chronic illnesses such as heart attacks, strokes, and can increase the overall quality of care,â&#x20AC;? said Dr. Angel Garcia, CEO of EHR solutions provider Global Medical Consultants. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Moreover, the cost savings of having widespread adoption of EHR in the U.S. healthcare industry would reduce healthcare costs by more than 30 percent per year â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a savings of more than $720 billion per year. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

actually more than enough savings to insure all 47 million Americans currently without health insurance.”

What perplexes Garcia is the new data just released that suggest almost one-third of physicians now own an iPad, according to a report by the American Medical News. Another report from the market research firm Knowledge Networks stated that 27 percent of primary care and specialty physicians own an iPad or similar device, five times the rate of the general population.

What is unclear, according to Dr. Garcia, is the role the technology has in their practice.

“When you compare the power of tablet and cloud computing with a strong EHR adoption rate, the potential for savings and markedly increased

quality of patient care could skyrocket,” said Dr. Garcia, also author of Do No Harm: Saving Our Health Care System (www.DoNoHarmDrs.com).

“The problem is that doctors aren’t incorporating both these elements. Let’s face it – some doctors are surfing the web and downloading movies and music on a device that could help save the industry that is in crisis. It’s time for the healthcare industry to catch up to every other industry in the civilized world and adopt an electronic solution for not just record-keeping but more importantly clinical tracking of medical problems that will make their patients safer and healthcare affordable.”

ISI

Should You Get Nipped and Tucked?

Jane Baskin thinks that if you do not like what you see in the mirror, you should feel free to change it.

“I’m a big advocate of what I call Life 2.0,” said Baskin, a former social worker, anti-aging advocate, and author of Jane of the Jungle (http:// foreverkindayoung.blogspot.com). “What I’m referring to is the third stage of life, or the second stage of middle age. Because of the extended life span and the ability to prolong youth with medicine, diet, exercise, and plastic surgery, old age is postponed. So what do you do when your kids are grown and you don’t want to work a straight job anymore? Waiting to die used to be a brief wait, but now it can take thirty years or more. Life 2.0 is that time between cresting middle age and getting old. It should be as vital a time as youth. And if you feel young, you should look young, too.”

The numbers bear out her message. According to statistics released by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), 13.1 million cosmetic plastic surgery procedures, including those that are minimally-invasive or surgical, were performed in the United States in 2010, up 5 percent from 2009. In addition, more than 5.3 million reconstructive plastic surgery procedures were performed last year, up 2 percent. The increase in cosmetic plastic surgery mirrors the rise in consumer confidence throughout most of 2010.

The top five surgical procedures in 2010 were: breast augmentation (296,000); nose reshaping (252,000); eyelid surgery (209,000); liposuction (203,000); and tummy tuck (116,000).

“Our life spans have increased dramatically over the last few decades, but the real question is whether we are truly living with those extra years,” Baskin added. “Eating healthy and exercising can keep us going on the inside, so what’s wrong with making use of the medical technology available to make the outside match the inside? There is a vast gulf between feeling good and feeling good about ourselves, and that’s where cosmetic surgery can help us fill in the gaps. Why not stay fit and look as young as you feel? We’re going to live a long time. Why live it badly?”

Baskin’s book is a fictional testimony to that philosophy, with a lead character who risks it all to live her twilight years with nerve instead of caution. She takes risks, finds adventure, even new love, and lives out the latter years of her life as if her story were just beginning, according to Baskin.

“In a few years, the media will have to take note of how badly older people are living, or how outrageously,” she added. “I can’t predict the choices baby boomers will make. But remembering that this was the generation that brought a president to his knees, I have a hunch it won’t be quiet. Just as the media focused on us when we wore bell-bottoms and beads, I think they’ll focus on us when we speak out against the class system in America and show our defiance in various ways. Acting, looking, and feeling ageless are forms of defiance. We may redefine aging and the life cycle in general, and that’s news no matter how old you are.” ISI

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 37

PAGE 38 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

Changing doctors is a challenging endeavor

By Kathy Hubbard Trustee, Bonner General Hospital Foundation Board It really does not matter what the reason is, it may be that you have moved to your ideal retirement community or just like you, your doctor has retired.

But what does matter is that you now need to find a new doctor. And if you have not done this in a long time, it may be a little frightening, confusing, and exasperating.

Often the best way to find a new physician is to ask a friend or acquaintance. Find someone whose opinion you value and perhaps shares some of your health issues. Your local hospital can tell you which doctors are affiliated with them and who is accepting new patients.

Then start asking questions such as the following: • First, ask yourself what do you want in a

doctor?

• Do you care about gender?

• Do you care how old your physician is?

• If you just had one retire on you, you may be looking for a younger one.

• What bedside manner do you prefer?

• Are you looking for someone collaborative or directing?

Questions for the potential caregiver should include: • Does the doctor only treat seniors or will she treat your grandchildren when they come to visit?

• Where is the office located?

• Is there parking nearby or will you have to walk a distance?

• Will the doctor accept your health insurance?

• Will they take Medicare?

• If you cannot get out of bed, will he come to you?

• Who will treat you when she is not available?

• How long does it take to get an appointment?

• Is the staff knowledgeable and friendly?

Of course, you will think of other questions. Do not be afraid to interview a few providers and their office staff before committing to becoming a patient.

Remember that the best time to find a doctor is when you do not need one.

Be picky, it is your health.

Kathy Hubbard can be reached at 208-264-4029 or by e-mail at kathyleehubbard@yahoo.com. ISI

Seven Prostate Symptoms That You Should Watch For Provided by ProstateProblemCenter.com The vast majority of men will develop prostate problems of some description as they get older, with the first signs of trouble appearing for a few men at about the age of 50, or possibly slightly earlier. By the age of 60, about half of all men will be experiencing prostate symptoms and this figure will have increased to about ninety percent by the age of 80.

For most men prostate symptoms will be fairly mild and, because most of us begin to develop a range of medical problems at this point in our lives, it is not uncommon for men simply to ignore prostate symptoms as nothing more than a normal part aging. As many prostate problems are not serious, and the symptoms can often be very mild, this is not necessarily a problem and you can live with many prostate problems quite happily and without their doing you any real harm.

However, not all prostate problems are harmless and if your particular prostate problem happens to be prostate cancer and you ignore it, then it could quite easily start to spread and eventually kill you. Indeed, ignoring prostate symptoms is the main reason why prostate cancer represents the second highest cause of cancer death the United States.

There are many different symptoms that might point to a developing prostate problem and one difficulty we have in recognizing the cause of these symptoms is that they are often symptoms that could arise for many different reasons. However, if symptoms are not being caused by prostate problems then they will often be short lived (stemming from a bacterial infection for example) and will disappear in a matter of days without the need for treatment. However, where symptoms stay with you, or appear on a regular basis, then it is likely that they are being caused by a problem with the prostate gland.

Common symptoms include: 1. Difficulty beginning urination and the need to strain in order to start urination.

2. A loss of strength in the flow of urine.

3. A flow of urine that tends to stop and start.

4. A feeling that you need to urinate even after you’ve just been to the bathroom.

5. A need to visit the bathroom urgently and problems in ‘waiting’.

6. The need to visit the bathroom more frequently and, in particular, to get up to visit the bathroom during the night.

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

7. A tendency to dribble urine for a while after you have finished in the bathroom.

These symptoms indicate that prostate problems may be developing and although, in most cases, such problems will not be serious this is not always the case.

Accordingly, as soon as these symptoms appear, you should consult your doctor who will be able to tell you exactly what the problem is and how to treat it. More importantly, if the prob-

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 39

lem does turn out to be prostate cancer, he can recommend treatment while the problem is in its early stages and can be relatively easily treated and, hopefully, eliminated altogether. ISI

Don’t Wait - Take Control Of Your Arthritis Do you have arthritis?

Chances are you or someone you know does. In fact, one in five people has been told by their doctors that they have arthritis.

Arthritis can make it difficult to do normal everyday activities. The pain can be ongoing or can come and go. It may occur when you are moving or after you have been still for some time. Or you may feel pain in one spot or in many parts of your body.

Here are the warning signs: • Pain • Stiffness • Occasional swelling and/or tenderness • Difficulty moving a joint • Redness around a joint What should you do if you think you have arthritis? Early diagnosis and treatment are important to help slow or prevent damage to joints that can occur during the first few years. Consult your primary care doctor or make an appointment with a rheumatologist, a physician who specializes in diagnosis and treatment of arthritis.

For more information and a list of rheumatologists near you, contact the Arthritis Foundation at www.arthritis.org.

Learn more about the things you can do to reduce pain and keep moving.

Take control of your arthritis! ISI

New GetMouthPower.org website offers tips for keeping a healthy adult smile Discover the power of a healthy smile with an informative and entertaining look at the unique oral health issues of older adults. GetMouthPower. org is a compelling new web resource for people 50+ to learn about oral health issues specific to their age group. Created by the National Museum of Dentistry with the support of Colgate-Palmolive, this user-friendly, interactive website includes comprehensive and quality oral health information that can be used as a personal health resource or shared with family and friends with easy-to-use online sharing tools.

GetMouthPower.org includes informative oral health tips including an exploration of how the adult mouth is changing and what to do about it, a special look at unique nutritional issues as we age, and an exploration of the connection between the mouth and the body. Sprinkled throughout the site is fascinating trivia about historic objects from the National Museum of Dentistry’s collection, such as the real story behind George Washington’s “wooden” teeth.

“We want this growing segment of the population to become more aware of its health needs and the importance of good oral health,” said National Museum of Dentistry Executive Director Jonathan Landers. “GetMouthPower.org is an engaging resource for older adults to learn about changing oral health issues and options specific to their age group. The more you know, the healthier and happier your golden years will be.”

The web resource covers five main topical areas: • Your Sparkling Smile: A great smile is possible at any age. Oral health tips will help older adults keep their smiles in top condition, including how to address emerging mobility and dexterity issues; how to care for implants and dentures; and how to be prepared for dental visits.

• About Your Mouth: Our mouth is constantly changing as we age, including changes in tooth color and enamel, gum tissue, and sensation. Find out what’s going on and what can be done about tooth loss, dry mouth, and more. Plus, take a risk assessment for oral cancer.

• Fit to Eat: Nutritional needs change at every stage of life. Check out these food tips to boost health, including a calculator to measure daily calcium intake and an entertaining nutritional boxing bout between your favorite foods.

• The Mouth/Body Connection: Your mouth and body are interconnected. Learn about the connection between oral health and overall health, and how periodontitis can affect heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

Still a forbidden Fruit ?

Are your teeth keeping you from the foods you love?

Whether you’re missing teeth or have difficulty chewing because of loose fitting dentures or other dental problems, your prosthodontist can offer you beautiful, practical solutions that will light up your smile and your appetite.

Doesn’t your smile deserve a specialist’s care?

A prosthodontist is a dentist recognized by the American Dental Association (ADA) as a specialist in restoring and replacing teeth. With additional education and training, prosthodontists have the capability to provide excellent results on crowns, bridges, dentures, dental implants and other cosmetic and restorative procedures.

Fairview Dental Cody Haas, D.D.S. Fairview Dental 1639 23rd Avenue Lewiston, ID 83501 (208) 746-0431

The American College of Prosthodontists (ACP) is the ADA-recognized organization for specialists in the restoration and replacement of teeth.

American College of Prosthodontists 211 E. Chicago Avenue Suite 1000 Chicago, IL 60611 Tel: (312) 573-1260 t Fax: (312) 573-1257 E-mail: acp@prosthodontics.org

Visit our Web site: www.prosthodontics.org

PAGE 40 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

• Interactive Timeline: An interactive oral health timeline that shows how a visit to the dentist has changed over the years, how dentistry has influenced pop culture, how toothbrushes and concoctions for a sparkling smile have evolved through the ages, and who are some famous and infamous dentists.

At the National Museum of Dentistry see amazing teeth feats, marvel at George Washington’s choppers, sing along to vintage toothpaste commercials, and discover fascinating hands-on exhibitions about the power of a healthy smile.

Enjoy field trips, home school days, special events, and more. An affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, this one-of-a-kind museum is located at 31 South Greene Street, a short walk from the Inner Harbor. Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors and students with ID, $3 for children, and free for members, ages 2 & under, and active duty military & immediate family. Open Wednesday–Saturday 10 a.m.–4 p.m. and Sunday 1–4 p.m. Closed Mondays, Tuesdays, and major holidays. Call 410706-0600 or visit www.smile-experience.org. ISI

Bridging The Gap Between Oral And Overall Health (NAPSI) - Oral health is important at any age, yet we do not always make it a priority. To help, here is advice on maintaining a healthy smile for life.

Regular dental care is critical. A growing body of research indicates that gum disease, which affects as many as three in four Americans, is linked with the incidence of common health issues such as heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. Just recently, a study in the British Medical Journal found that poor oral hygiene is associated with higher levels of risk of cardiovascular disease and lowgrade inflammation, while researchers at New York University found that gum disease might increase the risk of cognitive dysfunction associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

Have your mouth examined twice a year for signs of gum disease or infection.

“Twice-annual visits to the dentist should be just as much of a priority for adults as they are for children,” said Dr. Arwinder Judge of Aspen Dental Management, Inc..

Aging affects your mouth, gums, and teeth.

“Maintaining oral health for life is critical to our overall health and wellbeing,” said Beth Truett, president and CEO of Oral Health America. “As we age, we encounter

new issues that affect our mouths, and poor oral health is linked to other significant health problems.”

Receding gum tissue, which exposes the roots of the teeth and leaves them vulnerable to decay and infection, is a common problem associated with aging.

Another challenge is dry mouth-a reduction in the flow of saliva that increases the risk for oral disease. More than 400 commonly used medications for health problems ranging from high blood pressure to depression, can cause dry mouth, so tell your dentist about any medications you take, whether prescription or over the counter.

Good oral hygiene habits make a difference.

Brush at least twice a day to help remove food and plaque on both natural teeth and dentures and floss to remove plaque between teeth and below the gumline. Denture wearers should clean their gums to avoid plaque buildup that can irritate the tissue under dentures. Thoroughly clean dentures at night to avoid bacteria growth.

Dentures need replacement every five to seven years. The tissues in the mouth change over time, and bone and gum ridges shrink, which can result in ill-fitting dentures that make eating uncomfortable or downright painful. One sign that it might be time for a replacement is the overuse of denture adhesive cream - if you use more than one tube of denture cream every three weeks, your dentures may not fit properly and should be evaluated.

To learn more, visit www.aspendental.com/ smileforlife/. ISI

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 41

The Fiber Path to a Healthier, Longer Life

By Tait Trussell, Senior Wire Nuts to you. And fiber-rich whole grain, too. That is, if you want to improve you prospects for a long life.

A new National Institutes of Health study found that those who consumed higher amounts of fiber in their diets had a lower chance of dying than those who did not eat whole grains, nuts, and vegetables with fiber.

The study was a big one. About 388,000 people took part. The nine-year project involved people aged 50 to 71. Researchers examined data from 219,123 men and 168,999 women.

The findings will appear in the June 14 print edition of the Archives of Internal Medicine, if you are interested in seeing the data for yourself.

The research was led by the National Cancer Institute. Its positive conclusion was that a diet rich in dietary fiber from whole plant foods may provide significant health benefits.

The study found major reductions in the risk of death from cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, and infectious diseases in both men and women. There also was less risk of dying from cancer among men, but not among women. This may be because men have higher death rates from cancers in the neck, head, esophagus, bladder, and kidneys. These are types of cancer in which the risk is lowered by eating foods rich in fiber.

The seniors taking part in the study each filled out questionnaires about

If you can’t snooze, you lose

By Daron L. Scherr, MD Board Certified Sleep Specialist Director, The Sleep Institute, Idaho Falls Most people over the age of 50 have one or more treatable sleep disorders. The most common barrier to treatment is the belief that sleep problems are normal and that it is just a normal part of aging. It is true that sleep problems become more common as we age, but that does not mean you have to be restless all night or feel tired all the time. Sleep disorders are treatable - you can feel well rested.

Insomnia, excessive sleepiness, restless leg syndrome, and obstructive sleep apnea are the four most common sleep disorders in patients over 50. It is important that your provider aggressively diagnose the root cause of each disorder, and then formulate an individual plan for each patient that centers on education. We educate each of our patients as if they are medical students. We have learned that knowledgeable patients get better faster.

One example of the seemingly simple insomnia education is the myth of the importance of a consistent bedtime or that everyone needs 8 hours of sleep. It is important to get your sleep schedule to fit your lifestyle and your own unique rhythm.

Excessive sleepiness (hypersomnia) is a disorder where people are rarely well rested, walk around in a fog, have difficulty concentrating, always feel tired, and even can fall asleep in embarrassing or dangerous circumstances. The most important step is to diagnose the root cause of the hypersomnia - thyroid, narcolepsy, poor sleep, mood disorders, vitamin deficiency, Lyme’s Disease, etc. Many people with cognitive decline who may be close to a diagnosis of dementia may actually have a severe hypersomnia disorder contributing to their memory difficulties.

Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is a hard to describe sensation of discomfort in a patient’s legs when they are trying to rest. Moving the legs or walking usually makes the symptoms go away. This combination can make it hard to fall asleep and get restful sleep. Different vitamin and mineral deficiencies, neuropathies, muscular disorders, and medications can contribute to RLS. Proper diagnosis is important to help rule out more serious disorders that mimic RLS and contribute to symptoms (e.g. iron deficiency of colon cancer, B12 deficiency, etc.).

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the noisy destroyer of quality-of-life that everyone tries to ignore. Its consequences include strokes, heart attacks, and congestive heart failure. Even with decades of solid research at universities around the world, many people still do not take OSA seriously.

It increases your risk of car accident by 700% and is a cause and contributor to diabetes and high blood pressure. This is as serious as it gets.

Many people refuse to be tested for OSA because they think the only treatment is the fighter pilot mask called CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure). However, OSA can be treated with surgery (tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy, and UPPP [trimming the soft palate]), and a dental appliance at night that locks onto the teeth and holds the jaw forward.

It is true that the CPAP is still the most popular option because of the available research compared to other options, and insurance companies generally require it as a first try. Many patients are shocked at the new CPAP styles and features that increase comfort. Also, after a couple weeks of CPAP use, most people feel better and see other changes in their health that make them want to continue treatment (blood pressure, diabetes, CHF, hypersomnia, etc.).

Many people procrastinate because they think that a huge expensive test is required to prove OSA and if they do not have it, they wasted all that effort and money. However, ask your provider about a free home diagnostic test (HSS) that is accurate, sensitive, and specific. Contact your insurance company for specific information regarding coverage for diagnosis and treatment. ISI

the food they ate in 1995 and 1996, giving details about the food they consumed each day.

Before the study started, seniors with heart disease, diabetes, or cancer were excluded. Also excluded were those who reported extreme intakes of fiber.

Current U.S. dietary guidelines recommend that people eat 14 grams of fiber per 1,000 calories consumed in a day, which translates to about 28 grams of fiber a day since the average adult diet is 2,000 calories.

So, how do you know how many grams of fiber a particular food contains? On foods such as cereal, the food labels required by the Food and Drug Administration and the Agriculture Department tell you. Pick foods that have at least 3 grams of fiber per serving, dieticians say. The trick is knowing how big the serving is. If the label tells how many grams “per cup,” that cup may be enough to fill your cereal bowl, but some labels go by a half-cup serving.

Fiber has no calories. It just shoots directly to your digestive tract. So, if you eat a high-fiber meal, drink plenty of liquids or suffer the consequences.

Although many grains, fruits, and vegetables have fiber, Mayo Clinic staff say that nuts help your heart, too. Nuts, which have unsaturated fatty acids and other nutrients, are a great snack food - if you can stop at one handful. They are generally inexpensive, easy to store, and do not have to be cooked.

The type of nuts you eat is not too important, Mayo says. Almost every kind of nut has many nutrients. Nuts can help lower your LDL - the bad cholesterol level in your blood. Nuts also reduce the risk of blood clots and provide vitamin E, which helps stop the development of plaque in your arteries that can lead to heart attacks.

The study found that the kind of fiber that had the most positive effect for both men and women came from whole grains and beans. Fiber from fruit had no effect on longer life. So, an apple a day may not keep the doctor away after all. ISI

PAGE 42 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

Baseball In Heaven Submitted by Julie Hollar Two 90-year-old women, Rose and Barb, had been friends all of their lives. When it was clear that Rose was dying, Barb visited her every day. One day Barb said, “Rose, we both loved playing women’s softball all our lives, and we played it all through High School. Please do me one favor. When you get to Heaven, somehow you must let me know if there’s women’s softball there.”

Rose looked up at Barb from her deathbed and said, “Barb, you’ve been my best friend for many years. If it’s at all possible, I’ll do this favor

for you.”

Shortly after, Rose passed on.

At midnight a couple of nights later, Barb was awakened from a sound sleep by a blinding flash of white light and a voice calling out to her, “Barb, Barb.”

“Who is it?” asked Barb, sitting up suddenly.

“Who is it?”

“Barb - it’s me, Rose.”

“You’re not Rose. Rose just died.”

“I’m telling you, it’s me, Rose,” insisted the voice.

“Rose! Where are you?”

“In Heaven,” replied Rose. “I have some really good news and a little bad news.”

“Tell me the good news first,” said Barb.

“The good news,” Rose said, “is that there’s softball in Heaven. Better yet, all of our old buddies who died before us are here, too. Better than that, we’re all young again. Better still, it’s always springtime, and it never rains or snows.

And best of all, we can play softball all we want, and we never get tired.”

“That’s fantastic,” said Barb. “It’s beyond my wildest dreams! So what’s the bad news?”

“You’re pitching Tuesday.” ISI

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 43

Traveling though Time and Space Story by Andrea Gross Photo by Irv Green www.andreagross.com My seat tilted back. There was a loud noise, followed by spine-jarring vibrations. I felt a pressure on my chest, pushing me back against my seat. Then there was another boom - this one more deafening than the last - and the launch simulator at the Kennedy Space Center made me feel as if I were soaring into space.

Suddenly all was still, and I saw the earth floating before me, a round ball with vague outlines of recognizable continents. A youngster, who was sitting a few rows ahead of me, broke the silence. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going there someday,â&#x20AC;? he said, and all the adults nodded approvingly.

The Space Center, 50 miles east of Orlando and home of the United Statesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; manned space program, is that kind of place - as inspiring as it is informational, as entertaining as it is educational.

Here are some of the must-sees: â&#x20AC;˘ Space Station is an IMAXÂŽ film that serves as a primer to living in outer space by showing how astronauts eat, exercise, sleep, and, yes, float in a weightless environment. In May, when the STS-134 crew led by Commander Mark Kelly (husband of Arizona Representative Gabrielle Giffords) spent 14 days at the space station, my husband and I could relate to what they were experiencing. After all, we had been there too, albeit by way of a three-dimensional film. â&#x20AC;˘ Another IMAXÂŽ film, Hubble 3D, tells the story of the telescope that has given us unprecedented views of the universe. Watch this film towards the end of your visit when it provides a welcome excuse to sit down and rest your feet! â&#x20AC;˘ Early Space Exploration is not the Centerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s flashiest exhibit, but a quick visit helps put future advances into context. For a more personal look at the early missions, visit the Astronauts Hall of Fame, located several miles from the main complex. The hall is filled with astronaut memorabilia, including a Mercury spacecraft piloted by astronaut Wally Schirra. â&#x20AC;˘ Fewer than 550 men and women have flown in space, but each day one of them hosts an Astronaut Encounter at the Kennedy Space Center. We heard a talk by Al Worden, who seemed like a nice, ordinary guy until I realized that as Command Module Pilot for the Apollo 15 moon mission, he is one of only 24 people in the history of the world to travel beyond the gravitational pull of the earth. Worden described walking in space 200,000 miles from earth, at which time he became the first human to see both the earth and the moon in their entirety. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It DESERT SUN TRAVEL 1063 Blue Lakes Blvd Twin Falls, ID 83301 208-734-9486 800-628-8859

gear, and a plethora of model planes.

Every year, more than 30,000 veterans and aircraft aficionados gather for the museumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s air show, which features everything from formation flying to rescue reenactments. (The next show will be March 9-11, 2012.)

Finally, we decided it was time to enjoy the present. The Space Center is surrounded by some of Floridaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best beaches, so instead of flying to the moon, we simply reveled in the sun.

For more information, visit www.KennedySpaceCenter.com, www.Vacwarbirds.org, or www.space-coast.com. ISI

The Endeavor, in position to take the STS-134 crew to the International Space Center, is on the launch pad.

was kinda cool,â&#x20AC;? he said with a grin that indicated this was a grand understatement. â&#x20AC;˘ The Kennedy Space Center Bus Tour takes visitors to an observation stand that offers the best view most of us are going to get of the launch pad that sends astronauts into space.

Then it continues to the Apollo/Saturn V Center, where the 363-foot long Saturn V rocket hangs from the ceiling, dwarfing everything around it.

This rocket was used for Apollo 11, the United Statesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; first manned landing on the moon, an event that is depicted in a film shown in the Saturn V Theater. â&#x20AC;˘ We ended our Space Center visit at the Mission Status Center, where a NASA representative discussed the future of the United Statesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; manned space program. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The shuttle program is ending, and Washington hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t decided what to do next. Everything is up in the air,â&#x20AC;? he explained, without a trace of irony.

The next day we time-traveled back to the past at the nearby Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum, a combination restoration facility and exhibition hall that offers a unique view of aviation history. There are 25-30 aircraft on display at any one time. In short order, we saw a single-seat biplane from WWI, a helicopter from Vietnam, a fighter aircraft from Korea, a military transport from World War II, and a fighter jet like those used today. Also on display is a collection of related memorabilia including flags, flight

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PAGE 44 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

World-renowned arm wrestler brings her sport to state fair Article & Photo By Dianna Troyer Several months ago, a fourth world arm wrestling title eluded Elaine Blik, but her runner-up silver medal satisfied her, considering the circumstances.

With her tendons and biceps bulging and straining during a qualifying match at the World Armwrestling Championships, her thoughts drifted away from her competitor inches away and to her late father.

“I thought to myself, ‘I can’t lose this match.’

He had passed away exactly one year from that day I was competing.

I wanted to win it for him. I did and cried,” Elaine recalls of the world championships in December 2010 in Mesquite, Nevada. “It was epic for me.”

Going into the final championship match in the Master’s Division for those 40 and older, she confronted Sylvie Dufresne of Canada.

“She’s extremely strong and an extraordinary arm wrestler. I was in a weight division that I shouldn’t have been in. I was 20 pounds lighter than my opponents, but that’s the one that I had qualified for at the national championships, so that’s where I had to compete at the world championships. The match lasted only a few seconds, and I was happy to take second to her.”

Runner-up was fine with Elaine because she in-home care services has won three world and assisted living homes titles: in 1999 in Vladikavkaz, Russia, in 2000 in Virginia Beach, Virginia, www.safehavenhealthcare.org and in 2001 in Lake Gardone, Italy.

Besides, her 16-year-old daughter Rainee had wrestled well, placing third in girls’ left-handed and We’re working twenty-four fourth in girls right-handseven to help you maintain ed divisions. “She has independence in your own ENJOY THE PEACE OF MIND that comes the intensity it takes to home. We help with: be a winner. I’m always with getting the things done that you can’t do t Bathing and other so happy for the experipersonal needs yourself. Safe Haven’s trained, caring staff ences she has and excomes to your home to help with almost t Household maintenance tremely proud to be her and yard work anything. We specialize in caring for the mom.” t Laundry & Housekeeping elderly, home bound, and the disabled.

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her competitions and training around her day job, selling insurance in her small hometown of Aberdeen, Idaho.

“I’ve made friends all over the world from traveling the past 20 years, and that’s probably the biggest reason why I don’t see myself retiring from the sport even though my body is telling me that it’s aging. On the circuit, you make incredible friendships and experience intense camaraderie.”

Besides competing, Elaine organizes tournaments.

The 2011 Idaho State Armwrestling Championship is scheduled at the Eastern Idaho State Fair in Blackfoot on Saturday, Sept. 3, at 2 p.m. with registration from noon to 1:30 p.m. “I don’t compete in events I organize, but Rainee will, in the teen class as well as the ladies open.”

Elaine became hooked on the sport after entering her first contest on a whim in 1991. She and her husband, Joel, had heard that the Idaho State Wristwrestling Championships were going to take place at the Holiday Inn in Pocatello. Curiosity compelled her to register.

“I’d never known there were actual competitions, and I had done a lot of arm wrestling in high school and had a reputation for defeating the boys,” says Elaine, who attributes her strength to a childhood spent carrying milk pails on the family farm. “Without knowing what to do, I went in and one of my opponents was the Wyoming state champion. My match with her lasted just under five minutes. It took me six weeks to finally get over the soreness that I felt afterwards, but I was hooked. I ended up in fourth place overall that night. At my next event, I placed second, and at my third event, I was finally the champion.”

Elaine learned the technical difference between wrist wrestling and arm wrestling. “With wrist wrestling, you clasp hands in the middle of the table and the ‘pin’ is actually on your forearm, so there is a lot of body weight and contact that goes into a match.”

At her fifth event, she suffered a setback, but took it in stride. “I broke my left arm while competing, but I still took second place.” She recovered and now only wrestles right-handed.

As Elaine learned about the sport, she began training with encouragement from Joel. “He coaches me and Rainee, and refs on occasion.”

She lifts weights to strengthen her back, forearms, and fingers.

“When I’m getting ready for competition, table

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

time is the most important thing to practice. Getting on the table conditions your tendons and the muscles that you use for arm wrestling that you don’t normally use.”

Elaine practices breathing techniques, too.

“Before the match when I’m called on deck, I begin breathing in and out heavily to get the oxygen flowing and the adrenaline pumping. By the time I’m up at the table, I’m so ready that I’ll explode on the go. I share those techniques with the high school kids I help coach in the shot put, and they explode when they throw. I love it.”

Once she’s at the table, the hookup usually takes longer than the actual match. “Your grip is so important at the start, and if it doesn’t feel right, it probably won’t go very well for you in the rest of the match. Normally a match lasts 15 to 30 seconds or up to a minute.”

Arm wrestling is a sport for people who naturally have a competitive attitude.

“I tell people to give it a try. You’ll be sore, I won’t lie about that, but it’s worthwhile.”

Elaine has suffered a few injuries.

“My last injury set me out for two years, and I don’t have 100 percent of my strength back yet.

Even at the world championships, my tendon was screaming in pain, but I didn’t want that to stop me from competing. Hopefully it will be healed up enough to compete in Mobile, Alabama, for the national championships in August.”

Even thinking about her upcoming matches makes her heart beat harder.

“I get butterflies, as if I’m in a real match. That’s just part of my competitive nature. It will never go away - no matter how old I get.” ISI

Perfectionist saddle maker crafts scale replica of his life-sized work Article & Photo By Dianna Troyer Hunkered down last winter in his saddle-making shop a few miles north of Pocatello on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation, Bob Malan hankered for a challenge to break the monotony of the seasonal lull in his work.

Letting his imagination run wild, the pensive, soft-spoken 57-year-old wondered what he could possibly do that he hadn’t already done during the past 35 years, when he built more than 500 saddles for the working cowboy and the professional rodeo cowboy. What could he do next?

“I thought I’d make a scaleddown replica of a western saddle,” he says of the exquisitely handcrafted saddle he recently completed as a piece of artwork. “It took me longer to build this than a regular-sized saddle, about 300 hours. Of that time, I probably spent about 50 hours to make the patterns to a 50 percent scale.”

To adorn the leather, he tooled intricate leaf patterns, floral designs, checkering and scrollwork on the skirt, swell, rigging, fenders and hooded stirrups called tapaderos, and made flash cuts into the silver saddle trim to catch the light.

“There are some traditional designs and styles, but I like to come up with my own instead of copying what has already been done. To me, the saddle is a piece of art because it can’t be replicated like a bronze can be recast or a painting can be reprinted.

It’s truly one-of-a-kind.”

Bob, one of the West’s leading saddle makers, meandered into his career and took a few detours in other jobs before starting his business in 1976.

“When I was a kid, my grandpa, who ranched near here in Arbon Valley, liked to introduce me to his friends as ‘a little scientist I’m trying to make a cowboy out of.’ When I was growing up, he got me a job working with him as a range rider in Bannock Creek. One summer, I needed to make some repairs on my saddle, so I took it to a shop and it cost a month’s wages, about $350. That made me realize that making and repairing saddles was more lucrative than working as a cowboy.”

Pondering the best way to learn the trade, he soon stumbled into the business as the result of a truck accident. “I was coming to Pocatello to ride bulls and bareback at a rodeo, when the right front tire of my pickup blew out. The truck rolled three times, and I dislocated my shoulder. When I was recovering, a guy who was making some chaps for me offered me a job tooling leather belts and repairing saddles. For two years, I tore quite a few

saddles apart and learned how they were made.

My uncle did a little saddle repair, too, so I had watched him work. Then I built a saddle for myself and sold it and built another one.”

About that time, a friend who knew of Bob’s inclination toward science and his perfectionist nature led him to a lucrative job away from saddles and the cowboy life. “My friend’s uncle owned a business that installed instrument landing systems at airports, so he hired and trained us. From 1974 to 1976, I worked from Florida to Alaska and 13 states in between.”

R o a d weariness from those two years eventually took its toll. Longing for the tranquility of southeastern Idaho, he listened to his inner muse calling him back to saddles and leatherwork and quit his job. With his savings, he invested in a sturdy sewing ma-

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chine he still relies on today and other equipment he needed to start making saddles. For the next 10 years, he built and repaired saddles near his home at a feed store in Tyhee until it closed in 1986, then he opened his own shop and feed store adjacent to his home on Ballard Road.

By word-of-mouth his reputation for building quality, customized, durable saddles spread. “All my saddles are handcrafted and custom-fit from the tree up, including the silver,” he says. “Most of my customers are working cowboys from around here, but I’ve shipped saddles as far away as California, Nevada, and Texas. I take my time and make about 12 a year.”

Bob recently completed a custom saddle for professional tie-down roper Matt Shiozawa, 32, who was ranked fifth nationally in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association standings at the end of May. “Matt grew up near here and roped his first calf at my arena,” says Bob, who customized Matt’s saddle. “I changed the rigging a little, turned the stirrups slightly and put a little more cup in the seat for him.”

Bob’s leatherworking isn’t confined to saddles and bridles. In his house, the fireplace mantle is edged in a 5-foot-long, 4-inch wide piece of leather tooled with an intricate floral pattern. A wooden chair has a leather seat tooled in roses.

“Before I start building anything, whether a saddle or our house, I have to be able to picture it completed in my mind, then I can make it from a few sketches on a legal pad.”

Bob’s first scaled-down replica of a western saddle is only the beginning.

“Now that I have the patterns, I’ll be making more this winter.” ISI

Button, button, Wilma Munn collects buttons of all kinds Article & Photo

By Dianna Troyer Wilma Munn holds a small, thumb-sized button with delicate crocheted stitches encircling it. “It’s amazing what can be done with a crochet hook,” she says, sitting at her kitchen table, sorting through buttons on a tray. She picks up one made of iridescent tt Th l l black glass embossed with a cottage.

Then, th there are th the moonglow glass buttons made of a light-gathering satin glass with a clear glass on top.

“I’m fascinated with all buttons, but the black glass ones are probably my favorite,” says Wilma, who is known as the Beautiful Button Lady of Pocatello. Since 1984, when a friend invited her to a local button club meeting, Wilma has collected countless buttons, probably thousands, she estimates.

Wilma, 96, says sorting the buttons keeps her fingers limber, and classifying them keeps her mind nimble. “I do a little most days, and more in winter. It does take a lot of patience to sort through them all. Thank goodness, I have a lot of patience. It’s a hobby in which you’re always learning.”

Wilma hosts monthly meetings for the eight members of the Bluebird Button Club at 10 a.m. the second Friday of the month at her home. Members come from throughout southeastern Idaho, as far as Twin Falls, a two-hour drive.

“We talk about the history of buttons and how to classify them, and we love our companionship, too,” says Wilma. “You don’t have to spend a lot of money to get started, although some rare buttons are quite valuable.”

Wilma and other club members are among 52 collectors in the Idaho State Button Society, says Joan Lindsay, of St. Maries, Idaho, who is president of the National Button Society. The society was founded in 1938 as an affordable hobby during the Depression. Besides the Bluebird Button Club in Pocatello, there are clubs in Twin Falls, Boise, and Coeur d’Alene.

“We have 2,620 members of the National Button Society around the world with collectors from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Italy, and Great Britain,” Joan says. “There are, of course, more button collectors than members of the national organization. As of 2009, there were approximately 220 state and local clubs.”

Pocatello’s club was founded in 1980, recalls Jean Fullmer, 82, an original member of the club, which was named after the street Jean lived on.

“Collecting buttons gets in your blood,” says Jean,

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

who was president for the first three years and is club secretary. “They’re so beautiful and varied.

A button is traditional art in miniature. Nearly everything - from objects in our daily lives to Biblical scenes - have been depicted on a button.”

Jean says Wilma’s collection is extensive, varied, and beautiful. “She has done a fantastic job displaying her buttons.”

In a spare bedroom, Wilma stores trays and boxes of buttons, arranged by type: leather, glass, moonglow, fabric, celluloid, wood, pewter, tortoise shell, pearl, ceramic, or antler. The walls are decorated with prize-winning cards of buttons she has arranged by themes. One card is covered with buttons shaped like toys for the Twelve Days of Christmas. Another is covered with fish-shaped buttons and another has buttons shaped like school supplies.

“I’ve won a lot of ribbons at the Eastern Idaho State Fair,” she says. “I quit showing a couple of years ago, and now I help others. I’ve won enough ribbons.”

Wilma has accumulated her vast button collection in many ways. “A lot of people know I collect, so they just give them to me. I’ve found others at garage or estate sales, or I’ve traded some with others or bought some at shows.”

A favorite card, decorated with buttons shaped like horses or buttons with horses painted on them, reminds her of her family. “My late husband, Cal, and I raised cattle, and it seemed like he was always on a horse. Our sons, Bill, David, and Sonny, have always liked horses, too.”

While most people take buttons for granted, Wilma and others are intrigued with their history.

They have been made for centuries from almost

any material and have been decorated in limitless ways.

Buttons were used primarily as decoration until the 1200s, when Crusaders returning to Europe from Turkey brought with them the concept of buttonholes and buttons as a way to close garments, creating a fashion revolution.

In the United States, buttons and the tools that made them were closely guarded trade secrets.

Between 1830 and 1939, competitive manufacturers were awarded more than 150 patents for buttons made from many materials and the tools and machines that made them, according to www. buttoncountry.com.

Wilma’s buttons range in value, but she does not intend to sell them. “They’re so interesting to study,” says Wilma, who assisted the editor of the Idaho State Button Bulletin for several years. “I’ve never sold any.”

She looks forward to next year, when the Idaho State Button Society’s state convention will be in Pocatello. “There will be displays and dealers from all over the region.”

More information about button collecting is available by calling Jean Fullmer at 208237-2788 or club president Opal Taberna at 208-904-0306 or 208478-9398, or on the internet at www.nationalbuttonsociety.org. ISI

Fair volunteers and judges give the gift of their time Article & Photo By Dianna Troyer Armed with reference books, a magnifying glass, and tape measure, Nelda McClellan has judged antiques at fairs throughout southeastern Idaho for decades.

“When you judge antiques, you look for condition, age, and cleanliness,” says Nelda, who relied on her reference books when deciding what ribbon an item deserves.

For nearly five decades, she heeded the call to judge countless entries at 4-H fairs for kids and county fairs for adults in Bonneville, Bannock, Lemhi, Custer, Bingham, Bear Lake, and Caribou counties.

“The world runs on volunteers, especially at fairs,” says Nelda, who either checked in items or judged them. “Those 4-H club leaders don’t get paid and are so unselfish with their time. It’s great for kids to realize there are people who care about them and who are willing to give their time.”

Like 4-H leaders, volunteer judges are unselfish with their time.

“Judges receive some compensation and get a small stipend to help pay for their gasoline,” says Nelda, a retired elementary school librarian who

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worked in the Blackfoot School District before moving to Mackay in 2000 with her husband, Wayne. Due to health reasons, the 73-year-old plans to skip judging at this summer’s fairs but says she plans to judge again next year.

“The fairs are always a great way for families to end the summer and to do something together. There’s something for everyone, from the displays, to games, musical entertainment, and horse races.”

In 1963, for the first time, Nelda volunteered at the Eastern Idaho State Fair in Blackfoot, where she became hooked on judging and captivated with collecting antiques.

“I helped carry flower entries to judges, and then I put them back on shelves after the judging was done.

I worked in antiques, too, and I learned so much from the judges. After that, I started collecting antiques.”

Fair superintendents throughout the region rely on a list of volunteer judges, like Nelda, who have expertise or are willing to learn about objects in a category they will judge. Nelda says volunteering at fairs has added a new dimension to her life.

“I’ve gained many new friends and have seen everything imaginable – antiques, produce, taxidermy, beadwork, quillwork, quilting, woodworking, needlecrafts, and stained glass. People are so creative, especially where long winters give them time for working on new projects.”

Although antiques are her favorite items to judge, Nelda has also helped with canning and baked items.

“It’s harder than you think to judge the foods.

You have to taste everything, and pretty soon, there are so many different flavors all mixed up in your mouth.”

Nelda says being a fair judge has been a great way to learn about antiques, which have led her on many treasure hunts. She never knows if she will find a collectable piece at an estate sale, antique shop, or garage sale.

She shows a few of her own antiques and shares her family history. She holds an autograph book that belonged to her grandmother. “It has entries from the late 1890s.”

Nelda also has seashells her grandmother collected on a beach in Hawaii, where she served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “The shells are more than 100 years old.”

She shows a quilt sewn by her husband’s grandmother. “The backing of it was a parachute canopy his uncle brought home from World War II,” she says, stroking the smooth, sturdy silky gray material. On the front, colorful ribbons are patched together with many different embroidered stitches used in making samplers.

Some of her more unusual antiques are baby-feeding dishes. One bowl has a metal bottom with a small tube coming out so hot water can be poured into the bottom of the vessel to keep the food warm.

On an end table in her living room, Nelda has a small clay pot with a glossy emerald green glaze. “It’s a soy pot and once was used to store soy sauce. It has a different scene glazed on each of the six panels along the side.”

Nelda has occasionally shown her antiques at the Eastern Idaho State Fair in Blackfoot. “This one always won a blue ribbon,” she says of a watercolor painting hanging in her living room. In the painting, a cottage stands beside a tranquil lake.

Although Nelda has shown a few of her antiques at fairs, she does not do it much anymore because handling them excessively can wear them, “and every time you pack and unpack an item, you always risk breaking something.”

She recalls two women from Pocatello who used to bring antiques to the Eastern Idaho State Fair in a U-Haul. “It took them two days just to unload it. They were amazing.”

During summer, Nelda always looked forward to judging fairs. With her decades of antiques expertise, she also gives advice to local residents about the value of their heirlooms.

“You never know what someone will bring in to a fair or what’s at home in their attic or a trunk. It’s like a mystery waiting to unfold.” ISI

Pocatello Pitchers - continued from front cover at Ross Park and in local unsanctioned bar leagues.

“We do this for the camaraderie,” says Art, who competed in Idaho, Utah, and Arizona during the past 18 months.

“And for the competition,” adds Bob. He, Art, and two other friends play on the Five-Mile Inn’s #1 team, flinging 50 shoes each during singles and doubles contests. They agree pitching horseshoes is a great way to meet people and is cheap entertainment.

“There is no membership fee to pitch in an unsanctioned tournament or league,” Bob says. “To pitch in the sanctioned tournaments or league, there is a $25 fee to cover the Idaho State Horseshoe Pitchers Association fees and the NHPA fees.”

Art and Bob are among 16 members of the Pocatello association and 104 pitchers statewide who have registered with the NHPA, says state association president Brian Poole of Pocatello.

“The bar leagues are really active in Pocatello,” Brian says. “We have 64 four-member teams.” Art and Bob, who are both 75, compete in the “elder” division, for those 70 or older. “In that division, you get to throw from 30 feet, instead of 40 feet. Women also throw from 30 feet,” Bob says.

When they toss, Art and Bob throw a “flip,” in which the shoe turns over once before hitting the peg. “Other people make it spin,” Art says. “Everyone has an individualized throwing style, depending on what you’re comfortable with and what works for you.”

Along with an individualized throwing style, each competitor has a personalized pair of solid iron shoes, purchased for $40 to $80 from the national association. While Art’s shoes are shiny and gold, Bob’s are a faded blue and red. “They look pretty good compared to yesterday, when they were caked in sand and mud,” Bob says, laughing.

The weekend Pocatello tournaments in which Bob and Art compete at-

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

tract pitchers from as far as Idaho Falls and Sun Valley. Pocatello is a popular venue on the state’s pitching circuit because the pits are in a shady section of the city’s Ross Park.

“In 1990, our association built the 26 pits here,” says Bob who helped with the project. “We built this pavilion and brick barbecue in 2006 using

money we raised from sales of T-shirts and hats at tournaments.”

This summer’s competition has helped Bob to prepare for the state singles tournament during Labor Day weekend in Coeur d’Alene.

Bob and Art do not plan to compete in this year’s world championships. “They’re too far away,

Ron Bair is nuts about restoring rusty objects

By Dianna Troyer When he retired from farming eight years ago, Ron Bair intended to open a campground on 47 acres he bought near Leslie, Idaho northwest of Pocatello. His good intentions were soon sidetracked when his hankering to tinker with old cars and ag equipment overcame him.

“I’ve been a longtime member of a club call IRON, which stands for Idaho Rusty Object Nuts,” says Ron, 76, who has a reputation for being able to refurbish anything with an engine – cars, tractors, and even mining equipment. He admits his hobby is addicting. “I get three things out of this. First, there’s the search, then the restoration, and finally being able to show the pieces to people and watch their reaction. People call me a couple of times a week to come and take a look.”

Inside a green 60-foot by 120-foot metal building that is like a museum, he stores his vast collection, which includes at least 21 tractors, three antique cars, an antique truck, several horse-pulled stationary engines used to saw logs or pump water, tall upright gasoline pumps, a cream separator, a cider press, assorted tools, pitch forks, harnesses, and plow seats.

“All the vehicles in here run, and we’ve even used the cream separator to make homemade ice cream, and we’ve pressed apples for cider,” he says.

His most recent restoration project is a historical piece of mining equipment.

“It’s a fun, old piece of machinery made in the 1930s.

It must weigh 15 to 20 tons and was used to shovel ore. Whatever company had it just walked away and never went back. It took me about three weeks to get it running. I had to put a magneto in it.”

Ron’s restoration hobRon Bair shows a John Deere Model D tractor made by started in 1988 with a in 1925, which he restored. [Photo by Dianna Troyer] 1938 Model B John Deere tractor. He started the project to relax during winter after he had harvested potatoes, wheat, and hay at his farm in Taber west of Blackfoot.

“I’m the kind of person who has to do something with his hands,” says Ron, who farmed 45 years before moving to Leslie in 2002 and bringing his fastidiously restored cars, trucks, and antiques with him.

“We have 47 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren, and they love riding in these,” he says, strolling toward his cars. “The cars go about 35 to 40 miles an hour. I’ve driven a few of these in parades for the Eastern Idaho State Fair, Spud Days, and the Fourth of July.”

He named a cherry red 1929 Model A Ford Speedster after his granddaughter Annie and painted her name on the front fender. Beside it is a burgundy 1930 Model A 1½-ton Ford pickup and a black 1924 Willys-Knight touring car.

In front of each of his tractors is a neatly printed sign, summarizing its vintage and history. One of the most unusual is an orange Happy Farmer Tractor, with its one front wheel off to the driver’s right instead of centered.

“They were built between 1916 and 1918. The joke is that farmers were happy the day they bought it, and happy the day they got rid of it, because the tractor was so awkward to drive. Many farmers could not even sell one, so they parked the tractor and used it for parts. I found this one in a weed patch in Moore.”

Ron says John Deeres were the most successful tractors ever built. “They were good work horses and easy to maintain,” he says of his many tractors painted in the company’s trademark green and yellow, including a 1925 Model D, a 1929 Model D, a 1937 Model B, and a 1944 Model D. He even has a 1917 Model R Waterloo Boy, and a 1919 Rumely Oil Pull Tractor.

In his work bay, two bright orange 1949 Model G Allis Chalmers tractors were drying.

“My son wanted one, and I’ll keep one. Less than 30,000 of these were made. I have a mower, plow, and cultivator to go with them.

It’s unusual to have implements that match the tractor.”

Ron’s vintage vehicles are valuable, but he does not intend to sell them. “If I sold something, I would about break even, considering the cost of parts and value of my labor in each project.”

Instead, he earns a priceless satisfaction from the pleasure of showing his collection to others. ISI

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 49

in Louisiana,” Art says. “But in 2013, when they’re closer to home, in St. George, Utah, we’ll all go.”

More information about horseshoe pitching may be obtained from Brian Poole at 208-2373459, the state association’s website at www. pitchwithus.com/idaho, or the national website at www.horseshoepitching.com ISI

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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

Who doesn’t remember those hot summer days of August? When the air was still and sultry and the slightest movement produced nothing but dust – that was when nothing was quite as fun as going swimming or catching some bait and going fishing in the creek. Thank you and congratulations to Jerry Kautz of Payette for capturing the essence of August in his One Summer’s Day. Can’t you just smell Mom’s fried

chicken? Jerry wins this issue’s $25 prize.

Remember When contains our readers’ personal reflections or contributions describing fictional or non-fictional events from some time in the past. Contributions may be stories, letters, artwork, poems, essays, etc. Photos may be included.

Each issue of the Idaho Senior Independent features the contribution(s) deemed best by

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 51

our staff. The contributor of the winning entry receives a $25 cash prize.

We look forward to receiving your contributions for our October/November 2011 issue. Mail your correspondence to Idaho Senior Independent, P.O. Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403, email to idahoseniorind@bresnan.net, or call 1-866-360-5683 or 208-318-0310.

One Summer Day

By Jerry Kautz, Payette As the young boy strolled along the dusty road, puffs of “smoke” came from each side of his feet. “Maybe my feet are on fire,” he thought as he let his imagination go with this thought. It was fun watching his feet and hearing the poof sounds they made in the soft dirt.

It was early morning on this late summer’s day, but already the air was starting to warm. It would be another hot one. The lad did not mind the heat. In just three weeks, he would have to go back to school, so he was enjoying his last days of summer freedom. School was okay, but summer vacation was better.

He liked the idea of shopping for new clothes and getting a new pair of shoes. He never wore shoes in the summer. He really did not find the need to. But, new shoes always smelled so good.

He had a list at home of all the supplies he would need for the next school year. The teacher had handed them out last year. This way you knew what you were going to need in the next grade.

Although his folks did not have much money, his Dad always seemed to manage to come up with what was needed for school; a lot of it could have been due to his Mom’s saving back a little each week out of the grocery money.

Something caught the boy’s attention and brought him back from his daydream. Grasshoppers - lots of ‘em. The weeds along the road were full of big ‘ol juicy grasshoppers. “Boy, oh boy, I’ll bet the fish would love them. I’d better grab some bait,” he thought.

Even though he had a Prince Albert can half full of worms in his back pocket it wouldn’t hurt to have a few “hoppers” to go with them.

Laying his cane pole to one side, he pulled a small branch from a bush near the road. Stripping off the lower leaves and leaving just a few at the top, he had the perfect hopper swatter.

Ordinarily, the boy would just grab the jumping critters right off the bush, but this late in the season, they had wings. You get close to the little guys now and they would fly to another bush.

With a good hopper swatter, you could smack ‘em when they landed.

All this activity took about an hour. It really did not matter to the boy, he was having fun anyway.

And, besides that, he never carried a watch. He could pretty well judge time by the sun, and how hungry he got.

With the grasshoppers stuffed in the can on top of the worms, the young man retrieved his cane pole and proceeded on down the lane.

His black dog had been lying in the shade all the time he was chasing fish bait; and now he headed to the irrigation ditch for a drink of water.

The boy thought,” You are sure lucky old pal.

You can drink anywhere and I have to wait until I get home. Oh well, I’ll make it. I always have.”

The black dog was his constant companion.

Whether the boy was alone or with one of his pals, the dog was by his side or right nearby.

“Old dog, what would I do without you?”

Arriving at the fishing hole on the river, the lad found himself a forked stick. Shoving it into the muddy bank, he now had a place to lay his

pole. He unwound enough line from the tip of the pole to let it swing out into the water. Trying a grasshopper first, he baited his hook and swung it into the murky water. Setting the pole on the forked stick, the boy sat down with his

dog, to enjoy what was left of the day and to let his mind wander.

“Boy, I sure could use a drink of water. I hope Mom’s got fried chicken for supper,” he thought. ISI

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PAGE 52 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

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