August/September 2014

Salmon River Scene Photo by Jack McNeel

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Life in the Wilderness

By Jack McNeel Doug and Phyllis Tims live half of each year in one of the most remote areas in the lower 48 states, literally surrounded by millions of acres of wild country – the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness in central Idaho. And they couldn’t be happier!

For Doug this is not surprising. He grew up near the Mississippi River

and followed his father on fishing, hunting, and boating trips. “These had a profound effect on my connection to the outdoors,” Doug relates.

On the other hand, Phyllis was raised in Santa Barbara, California on a ranch that she says was “kind of out in the boondocks” although right above the beach. Most of her life until she and Doug married in 2001 was about as far removed from the wilderness as one could get.

While her father served in World War II, Phyllis and her mother lived in town with Phyllis’ grandparents. A Russian immigrant ballerina neighbor offered dance classes and Phyllis became a student.

“I didn’t start dancing until I was three,” she says, but her teacher had danced with many famous dancers. “She was very, very good and I was fortunate to have extremely good training at the very beginning.”

Phyllis studied ballet throughout high school, earned an undergraduate degree at the University of Arizona in education, and then went to the University of Utah for graduate school in modern dance. From there it was a career as a professional dancer that took her throughout the United States and internationally.

As Phyllis explains, “Dancers’ lives are kind of like athletes. There’s a limited time frame.” So nearing 40, she began looking for a new direction, applied to the University of Hawaii, and began a new career in academia.

Phyllis later took a year’s leave from Hawaii to be a guest artist at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. She then served as chair of the modern dance department at the University of Utah. Later she was named Dean of the College of Fine Arts and (Continued on page 19)

PAGE 2 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 3

Vote for REBECCA ARNOLD November 4th

Thank you!

Thank you for the prize for the Easter egg contest. What a surprise! I pick up the publication at the Caldwell Senior Center. But I am enclosing a form and check to receive our own issues. You have a great newspaper!

Judi Cronk Caldwell

“Rebecca has distinguished herself as an attorney and as an Ada County Highway District Commissioner by her perspicacity, integrity and commitment to efficient services.”

The Prize Committee Thank you for my check for the State Tree Contest. This is a wonderful paper with so many great articles.

My husband is a World War II vet and has lived in Southern Idaho a long time. It is always fun to get an article about someone he knows or recognizes the name. It’s one paper I read front to back. The contests are so fun and sometimes mind boggling! Love them.

I announced my winnings at the senior meal at Potlatch Friday to share the fun.

Leona Carpenter Princeton ISI

A Natural-Born Amateur Shrink

By Bill Hall I have the bad luck and the great honor to be a member of a profession that most of us require years to learn. The same is true of fiddle players, quarterbacks, dog trainers, photographers, landscape architects, and psychiatrists, among others.

People who have an urge to follow the craft populate most lines of work, but they require years of practice. However, almost all such professions are shadowed by a handful of almost instant naturals who are born to practice that occupation.

You may have noticed that the list of professions above includes a possible deviation – a psychiatrist, a professional who has invested countless years trying to master that inexact science.

Nonetheless, there are amateurs outside formal psychiatry who read human emotions like a book with large type. They have some instinctive ability to understand, soothe, and even repair troubled people.

That coincides with the fact that, just or not, psychiatry sometimes looks to the lay person like a hit and miss brand of healing, no better in some ways than a wise grandparent, an intuitive older brother, a great classroom teacher, and the occasional preacher.

We recently saw a stunning demonstration of a natural therapist without a degree. I speak of Antoinette Tuff, the elementary school bookkeeper who eased the fury of a deeply troubled young man with an AK-47 and an itch to kill cops outside the school.

She is one of those enchanted naturals that have no formal training for dealing with mentally troubled people. But they have a practical, inborn level of common sense that informs their encounters with muddled and murderous minds.

Antoinette Tuff instinctively treated that young man as if he were sane. She persuaded him he was a better person and, for the moment, he became one. She bonded with him like a dear old aunt, treating him with respect and compassion. In response, Caregiving his fury folded.

He told her he was not on his medication and Entertainment he should have gone to a mental hospital instead of invading a school. He hinted at suicide.

Gold & Silver “No, you don’t want that,” she said. “You’re Health gonna be okay. I thought the same thing. You know, I tried to commit suicide last year after my husband left me, but look at me now. I’m still working and everything is okay.”

So he told Tuff that he was sorry. And then, on her behalf as much as his own, he laid down the weapon and his anger.

She immediately latched on to and rewarded his decision to be a good boy.

Heating/Cooling “It’s gonna be all right, sweetheart,” she said. “I Insurance just want you to know that I love you, though, okay?

And I’m proud of you. That’s a good thing that you’re Real Estate just giving up – and don’t worry about it. We all go Retirement Living through something in life.”

In a strong and level voice, she fed him the opportunity to believe he wasn’t a bad person at heart.

In one of the old Star Trek series, Whoopi Gold-

“I gladly endorse Rebecca Arnold as a candidate for Judge in Idaho’s 4th Judicial District. Rebecca is an outstanding person that is thoughtful, reliable and respected by her peers. Additionally, Rebecca has demonstrated through her time as ACHD Commissioner to be a pragmatic decision maker that understands facts and circumstances before passing judgment.

Rebecca understands the needs and demands in serving in both the public and private sector. It is this well rounded background which makes her an ideal candidate for the judicial position.”

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PAGE 4 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014

berg plays an “empath.” It’s word for people with built-in empathy, a name for softhearted souls who can virtually feel the pain, or at least the heartache, of other humans.

The Star Trek version may be a bit exaggerated, but such people do exist. Most of us know a few friends and relatives who were born with a large, warm shoulder to cry on. They are great listeners and common-sense counselors. They have a gift for steering people toward happier lives.

They spot the sagging face of a depressed adult across a crowded room and go strike up a conversation.

They tell unruly children therapeutic things like, “How would you like it if the cat deliberately stepped on your tail?”

Sometimes, they softly persuade young men with guns that they really don’t want to kill themselves or anyone else. They cover the troubled and

the mentally ill with a big warm blanket of sympathy and rationality.

They are the empaths and it is a comfort to live on the same planet with them.

Meanwhile, somebody should give Antoinette Tuff the congressional medal of sanity.

Hall may be contacted at wilberth@cableone. net or at 1012 Prospect Ave., Lewiston, ID 83501. ISI

“Mistakes are how we know where learning should start,” says a teacher friend of ours, which truly resonates with this story. Society’s tendency toward greater use of criminal measures to address an increasingly broader range of infractions is apparent. This story illustrates just how better we used to be at handling life’s misadventures, when the miscreant was brought home by the constable and left to the parents for appropriate discipline.

And the parents took responsibility for imposing that discipline!

This issue’s Remember When selection is by

Michael Hoff of Meridian who shares a story from his high school days when his actions created a situation that had it occurred today would have been treated far differently and with unnecessary, probably serious, and perhaps tragic consequences. Thank you, Michael for sharing this memory with our readers.

Remember When contains our readers’ personal reflections, contributions describing fictional or non-fictional accounts from the “Good ol’ Days” or reflections on life in general. Contributions may be stories, letters, artwork, poetry, etc. Photos may

be included.

Each issue of the Idaho Senior Independent features the contribution deemed best by our staff.

The contributor of the winning entry will receive a $25 cash prize.

We look forward to receiving your contributions for our October/November 2014 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. Visit us online at idahoseniorindependent.com.

Rifles and a Car Accident

By Michael Hoff, Meridian Reading your copy of June/July, today 6-3-14, I read in the “Remember When” section about Milt Turley and his deer hunt. My brain jumped into action remembering my incident with rifles in Los Angeles, California in 1943. I and three other teenage boys of sixteen made the junior team of the “Culver City Rifle Club,” a National Rifle Association affiliated club. A well-organized club, I may add.

The club senior team was first place in the National William Randolf Hearst competition in 1944.

Also in this year, the junior team placed second in

Idaho Senior Independent A Barrett-Whitman Publication P.O. Box 3341 • Great Falls, MT 59403-3341 208-318-0310 • Toll Free: 1-866-360-5683 Fax: 406-761-8358 www.idahoseniorindependent.com E-mail: idahoseniorind@bresnan.net The Idaho Senior Independent is published six times each year in February, April, June, August, October, and December by Barrett-Whitman, 415 3rd Avenue North, Great Falls, MT 59401 and is distributed free to readers throughout the state of Idaho.

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.

All copy appearing in the Idaho Senior Independent is protected by copyright and may be reprinted only with the written permission of the publisher. Advertising copy should be received or space reserved by the 5th of the month preceding the month of publication.

Jack W. Love, Jr., Publisher/Editor Colleen Paduano Lisa Gebo Joanne Bernard Jonathan Rimmel Sherrie Smith

Office Manager Production Supervisor/Sales Advertising Sales Graphic Designer Admin/Production Assistant

Contributing Writers Natalie Bartley Connie Daugherty Holly Endersby Clare Hafferman Cate Huisman Gail Jokerst Bernice Karnop Craig Larcom Liz Larcom Jack McNeel Michael McGough Dianna Troyer © 2014

the 9th Army Command, which incorporated the nine western states.

The club was very active, shooting on Sundays outdoors and Wednesday evenings at the Southern California Automobile Club building in downtown Los Angeles. The building housed an underground parking area. The center portion was cleared to make way for an indoor, fifty-foot rifle range. The members used 22 caliber precision rifles.

During the war years, rifle marksmanship was encouraged. I mention all the foregoing to make the reader aware we four were responsible teenagers. The incident I’m referring to occurred on one Wednesday evening.

I was the first of my group to own a car. It was a 1934 Chevrolet coupe. I made two small seats to fit behind the front. Usually the junior team would practice first allowing time to leave early due to it being a school night. On the way home (we lived in West Hollywood) a natural quick stop was made at a drive-in restaurant for a malt. At this spot, a little after eight o’clock, usually several motorcycle police officers would be parked, having a break.

As we started for home I turned out of the lot as usual and in a very short distance I made a right run into a side street. This area is fairly dark.

While I’m turning, a question was asked from the rear seat. I glanced back quickly. The next thing I knew, I hit a parked car that was the first one immediately after the turn. I jammed on the breaks but being a small coupe, slightly over crowded, I hit the accelerator simultaneously, driving me into the next parked car, which stopped me.

Everything happened so fast I was stunned for a moment. The next thing we know were several motor officers around us. The one thing I was so thankful for. The owner of the car was letting his

wife in and just stepping off the curb to come to his side, he saw me coming and stepped back.

He told the officers we were going slow but when I glanced off his running board (cars were made of steel in those days) I suddenly accelerated into the next car. At this point I was stopped by breaking my right front wheel.

Needless to say, there were four scared teenagers. The police were very courteous in dealing with us. I immediately opened the trunk and showed our rifles and a box of precision match ammunition along with our rifle club identification.

We mentioned the fact we had just come from practice.

The officers remained and assured the people, gathered around from the adjacent apartment buildings, that all was well. They stayed while we moved the car to the curb. I came back the next day with help to get it home.

Here is another incident that would not be tolerated today. Picture four teenaged boys standing at a street corner, each with a rifle in his hand, waiting for a bus. (Ammunition was locked in the trunk) We were waiting for the Beverly Blvd bus which took us close to our homes. My girlfriend’s house was a couple of blocks from the bus stop and we all walked to her house. Her dad (my future father-in-law) always respected us for and made certain we all got to our homes.

Next day, with help, I was able to tow my car home. At home, the car was repaired by sixteenyear-old mechanics with a lifetime of experience.

Those were the days.

I enlisted in the army in November 1944. Basic training I became quite efficient on the rifle range.

My life has been very involved in shooting sports and hunting. I was a Hunter Safety instructor and a life member of the NRA. ISI

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014

Reviewed By Connie Daugherty Rumor Has It by Jill Shalvis, Berkley Book, New York; 2013 Summertime and the living is easy; so is the reading. Summer is when I like to pick up an enjoyable, light reading type book. The kind you can take anywhere, to the lake or the mountains, on a camping trip or tucked inside your bag for the plane or train. I have even been known to leave a book behind in a rented cabin or hotel – with a recommendation note of course. Rumor Has It is one of those books that definitely deserves a note not only recommending this story, but also the entire Animal Magnetism series by Jill Shalvis.

Set in the small town of Sunshine, Idaho, Rumor Has It is a fun, sweet yet steamy romance that will have you laughing and crying at the same time. It deals with family relationships, a soldier returning from war, and holding on and letting go.

And of course with learning to love.

“Kate Evans would’ve sold her soul for a stress-free morning, but either her soul wasn’t worth much or whoever was in charge of granting wishes was taking a nap.” It is in this frazzled state that Kate literally stumbles into Griffen Reid, “the first guy she’d ever fallen for. Of course she had been ten at the time.”

Grif was her best friend, Holly’s, older brother and he had been gone from Sunshine for years.

Still the minute Kate saw him, she started mumbling the first science trivia that came to her mind.

“When she got nervous, she spouted inane science facts.” And even after all this time, Griffen Reid obviously still had the power to make her nervous. But why? She was not a silly ten-yearold anymore.

“She was smart. She was good at her job.

She was happy.” She had been offered a “full scholarship to the graduate program for science education at the University of San Diego – a world away from Sunshine.” And she was seriously considering accepting it this time. Maybe, if she dared leave Sunshine. If she dares leave her father and younger sister and brother on their own for an entire year. She already knows her job as a second-grade teacher will be waiting for her when she gets back… but can she leave?

At the same time, Kate is wondering if she dares leave Sunshine, Griffen is wondering if he dares return.

“Grif drove through town attempting to keep the memories at bay. He’d been gone a long time and the places he’d been in the military were just about as far from Idaho as one could get.” But he is back now, back for his sister’s wedding – at least that’s what everyone thinks. But, “he was out, medically discharged… he’d told no one from home… he sure as hell didn’t want anyone to know exactly how close he’d come to missing the wedding. Not to mention the rest of his life.”

His family knew he had been injured and hospitalized for a while, but they didn’t know the full story. They didn’t know about the “vertigo – complements of his perforated eardrum,” the constant ringing in his ears, his almost useless sense of smell or the headache “rattling his teeth with pain,” that would unexpectedly explode into a full-fledged migraine. “The IED blast that kept on giving.”

Still, he is alive with a chance to start his life over. If only he knew what that meant. Should he build a new career elsewhere – he has plenty of opportunities despite his injuries, or is it time to come home to the life he ran from so long ago?

A part of him wants to come back, to be with his family, to mend old hurts, but he knows that will not be easy – maybe not even possible. Then he runs into “Little Katie,” who is not only grown up, but beautiful, and smart and sassy and oh so sexy. There is no denying the chemistry, the animal magnetism, whenever they are in the same room, but there is also something more developing between Grif and Kate. But is either of them ready for whatever that something might be? Does either of them know how dangerous and emotionally painful that something might be?

“He is definitely feeling plenty… odd and opposing sensations of actually enjoying being back in Sunshine and his own inability to figure out how to come to good terms with his family. Specifically his dad.”

Meanwhile Kate is dealing with her own conflicted feelings about her aspirations and her sense of obligation for her family. Her brother “wears a cape” and seems to live in a super hero fantasy world. Her sister is “going postal on her BFF and ex-BF,” her hopelessly dependant father is “probably going to accidentally burn his house down,” if he tries to cook again.

She doesn’t see how she can possibly “leave them for a year and go to San Diego to dissect a calf.”

Grif has always been a love ‘em and leave ‘em sort of guy with plenty of experience and one-night-stands all over the world. Kate has almost no romantic experience, has never left Sunshine, and is definitely a commit-allthe way sort of woman.

Grif has known Kate all his life and doesn’t want to hurt her, but when she so obviously sets out to seduce him she makes it clear that she

Does Wit Trump Accuracy?

Submitted by Julie Brantley A student got a ZERO on the following exam, but his wit should have been worth something more.

Q: In which battle did Napoleon die?

A: His last battle.

Q: Where was the Declaration of Independence signed?

A: At the bottom of the page.

Q: River Ravi flows in which state?

A: Liquid.

Q: What is the main reason for divorce?

A: Marriage.

Q: What is the main reason for failure?

A: Exams.

Q: What can you never eat for breakfast?

A: Lunch & dinner.

Q: What looks like half an apple?

A: The other half.

Q: If you throw a red stone into the blue sea what it will become?

A: Wet. ISI

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 5

doesn’t care about his reputation – that she has no intentions of tying him down. She just wants an adventure. What they discover about themselves and about each other along the way threatens everything.

Rumor Has It, the fourth in the Animal Magnetism series, offers plenty of animal magnetism romance, but it also offers a lot more. It is a must for your light summer reading.

Jill Shalvis is the award-winning author of over four dozen romance novels and a New York Times bestseller. The other novels in the Animal Magnetism series include; Rescue My Heart, Animal Attraction, and Animal Magnetism. Shalvis is also a RITA and three-time National Readers’ Choice winner. ISI

PAGE 6 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014

The dog days of summer are here... it’s true!

Ice cream evenings and fall harvest celebrations are around the corner. Hot days and cooler nights are filled with activities that are so much fun to do with a friend. What better time to find a new friend and with whom to share your life. Take time today to write a personal ad or reply to one of the ads on these pages.

To respond to any of these personal ads, simply forward your message, address, phone number, 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.

We will forward your response, including your address, phone number, and/or email address to the person placing the ad. When 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 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 own ad to run in our next issue. There is no charge for this service, and your ad may lead you down the path of true love!

Responses to personal ads appearing in this column may be submitted at any time. However, to place a personal ad to appear in the October/ November 2014 issue, the deadline is September 10, 2014.

Would you love to share new hiking trails, road trips, museums, and dancing with an actively health conscious, easy going gentleman? 5’10”, retired military with companion loving pup. Love biblical and historical studies. We wish to share NW with slender, outdoor lady… more than share mountaintop breeze and picnic by the brook. Add your desires to spice the path through God’s creation. Phone, address, and photo appreciated.

Reply ISI, Dept. 10301, c/o Idaho Senior Independent, Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403.

SWM. Have canoe, will paddle. Have bicycle, will pedal. Have BBQ, will grill. Have boots, can climb that hill. Tired of looking for your soul mate? Weary of waiting for Mr. Right?

How about an activity or two with Mr. You’ll Do For Now? I would like an activity partner lady for once or twice a week in the Spokane/Coeur D’Alene Highest O v er 3 area. I am 5’10” tall of Prices Turn Your Years Se 5 rving Paid In Old Forgotten average build. I can th e Treasu Decades Treasures re be kind, considerate, Into Cash!!!

Valley respectful, and often Estate Jewelry have a twinkle in my We Pay Top Prices For Gold, Silver & Platinum Items. 9k, 10k, 14k, Dental 18k, 22k, 24k eye. I am non-religious, All Gold, Silver & Platinum Jewelry Any Condition New, Used, Or Damaged We Buy From All Time Periods. non-smoker, and no Diamonds 1/2 Carat & Larger Loose Or Mounted All Shapes & Quality drugs. I am 84 and going strong. Wanna Sterling come along? Reply ISI, Silver Dept. 10302, c/o Idaho Senior Independent, Box 3341, Great Falls, U.S. Silver Coins MT 59403.

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is looking for a special friend and companion who loves life and wants to make the most of his remaining years. He should have a sense of humor and be a non-smoker. I am retired and hopefully you are too. I want to do things and enjoy activities with my partner. The kids are grown and doing their own thing, so grandma needs to get a life. I like indoor and outdoor activities – these include but are not limited to: going for walks, going to movies, going out to a nice dinner, or watching a good move at home with a bowl of popcorn. Also on my like list are theater, music, bingo, casinos, board games, card games, flea markets and thrift stores, and just plain good conversation. Day trips in the area are fun too – there is so much to see here and so much history. Hope to hear from you soon.

Would like someone in my own age bracket, but a little younger or older is all right too. At this point, “age is just a state of mind.” Reply ISI, Dept. 10303, c/o Idaho Senior Independent, Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403.

SWF country gal,, 5’6”, slim, attractive, long brown hair, brown eyes, spiritual, Christian, funloving, up-beat. I like traveling, new adventures, history, art, camping, fishing, outdoor activities, walks together, romance, and many other interests. I am looking for a true companion, 60-75, who has a sense of humor, is spontaneous, someone I can respect, love, care for, laugh with, and share my heart, dreams, and goals. Would like a loving, openhearted gentleman who knows how to love his woman – sharing the same values to see if we are compatible in the “Big-this-is-our-life” and “we’re-in-this-together” decisions. Accepting each other’s uniqueness, spoiling each other for the rest of our lives. Age is not important if you have learned from the past and still keep an open mind. Will consider relocating. I am debt free. No drugs or smoking. Occasional drinking okay. Please enclose a phone number, address, and photo. Reply ISI, Dept. 10304, c/o Idaho Senior Independent, Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403.

SWF, retired, own my home in NID. Seeking Mr. Personality with a good sense of humor, plus a clean man, financially secure, kind, loving, and non-religious. NS, ND, ND. I am somewhat overweight and don’t mind if you are. I like fishing, camping, road trips, music – a plus if you play a string instrument. I prefer old-time country and bluegrass. You play and sing for me, I’ll cook for you. Take a chance, let’s have fun! Photo please.

Must also have good sense of humor. Reply ISI, Dept. 10305, c/o Idaho Senior Independent, Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403. ISI

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By Mary Stobie Life often surprises me.

Living single in a Colorado mountain town, I doubt I’ll remarry. Besides the lack of men, weddings give me the willies. But after living alone a few years, my neighbor Sally, invites me to take dance lessons.

When the evening arrives, I wear a black dress and silver shoes. Sally wears a flowered dress and heels – we barely recognize each other. She drives me to the dance studio in Denver.

Exiting her car, I step in a hole, scuffing my shoe. “Ay yi yi!”

Feeling clumsy at age 60, I wonder why I’m not more poised. Maybe it’s because I work at home as a writer.

Inside the dance hall, I gaze at a group of women in evening dresses.

The men – mostly wearing suits and ties – wait across the dance floor from the women. The memory of being a wallflower at Junior High Cotillion flashes across my mind.

“Find a partner for the waltz,” the instructor says.

Following the steps of a man proves difficult for me. With fits and starts, I let go of my ringleader tendencies and begin to enjoy myself.

After the class, the instructor says, “Mary, dump those flats, you need dance shoes.” And she tells me where to get them. ISI

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014

The next day on a street with quaint shops, I fail to locate the dance store. The sign for Grandfather’s Books catches my eye. Figuring a book person will know the area, I open the door. Bells jingle.

A handsome man with silver hair is eating potato chips and reading The Hobbit. It turns out he’s the owner, Dick. I ask him for directions to the dance store.

“Yes, I know where it is, but tell me something first. Who are you?” He engages me in conversation and we talk for an hour, discovering we have much in common, such as loving books, movies, and discussing spiritual subjects. With a twinkle in his eye, he mentions his 52 angels. “Maybe they brought you in,” he says.

From our great conversation, I agree to help in his non-profit bookstore as a part-time volunteer.

Before I leave, he says he likes to do the jitterbug.

And so with Dick’s directions, I find the dance store and buy a pair of Capezio shoes, not realizing I have just met the man who will change my life.

After volunteering in Dick’s bookstore and nine months of get-togethers, I wonder if we should keep it the way it is – a friendship. But then something romantic happens. On Valentine’s Day, we attend a centering prayer group. Afterwards we go Dutch to Denny’s! Our conversation sizzles, and our relationship steps up to another level. After a

year of hikes, ski trips, movies, and dinners (and some aren’t even Dutch), we find we are together more than apart. At a mountain lake, Dick gets down on bended knee. It is a touching sight to see him gazing up at my eyes.

“Will you marry me?” he asks.

I am surprised but pleased at his offer. But since I hesitate to accept, he says he’ll give me time to think.

When I visit my 90-year-old mother, who lives in a nursing home, I say, “Dick has asked me to marry him.”

“What are you waiting for?” she asks.

“I need time to think it over.”

Luckily, Dick keeps his offer of marriage open.

He jokes that he won’t marry me unless I bring my cat. “She’s the dowry,” he says. His sense of humor entices me, and we continue to see each other. “I know you’re in love with me, I can see it in your eyes,” he says.

Finally, I tell Dick, “Yes, I’ll marry you. How about a destination wedding in Mexico?”

“No,” Dick says. “My friends won’t be able to travel to Mexico, especially my friend in a wheelchair.”

“I concede,” I say. “My mother’s in a wheelchair, too. Now both she and your friend will be able to attend if we have it locally.”

Now it’s time to announce our wedding plans

Bring Potato Chips Author unknown A little boy wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with a bag of potato chips, a six-pack of root beer, and started his journey.

When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old man who was sitting in the park just staring at some pigeons. The boy sat down next to him and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the old man looked hungry, so the boy offered him some chips. The gentleman gratefully accepted and smiled at the boy.

The old fellow’s smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered him a root beer. Again, he smiled at the boy. The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word.

As twilight approached, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave; but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the old man, and gave him a hug. The man gave him his biggest smile ever.

When the boy opened the door to his own

house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face.

She asked him, “What did you do today that made you so happy?”

The boy replied, “I had lunch with God.” But before his mother could respond, he added, “You know what? He’s got the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen!”

Meanwhile, the old man, also radiant with joy, returned to his home. His son was stunned by the look of peace on his face and the son asked, “Dad, what did you do today that made you so happy?

“The man replied, “I ate potato chips in the park with God.” However, before his son responded, he added, “You know, he’s much younger than I expected.”

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.

People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime… embrace them all!

Have lunch with God... bring chips. ISI

Guns – It All Depends On Where You Live Submitted by Julie Hollar You may have heard on the news about a Southern California man who was put under 72-hour psychiatric observation when it was found he owned 100 guns and allegedly had (by rough estimate) 100,000 rounds of ammunition stored in his home. The house also featured a secret escape tunnel.

By Southern California standards, someone owning 100,000 rounds would be called “mentally unstable.”

But imagine if he lived elsewhere – how would he have been described?

In Arizona, he’d be called “an avid gun collector.”

In Arkansas, he’d be called “a novice gun collector.”

In Utah, he’d be called “moderately well pre-

pared,” but they’d probably reserve judgment until they made sure that he had a corresponding quantity of stored food.”

In Kansas, he’d be “a guy down the road you would want to have for a friend.”

In Idaho, he’d be called “the neighborhood ‘goto’ guy.”

In Georgia, he’d be called “an eligible bachelor.”

In North Carolina, Virginia, Mississippi, and South Carolina he would be called “a deer hunting buddy.”

Finally, in Texas he would be just “Bubba, who’s a little short on ammo.” ISI

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 7

to friends and relatives. When I tell Sally I’m getting married, she says, “Really? You?” “Yes, me.”

For the wedding, I choose a white lacy top with a long black shimmering skirt. The outfit looks lovely with my black Capezio dance shoes I bought the day I met Dick.

Because my mother is in fragile health, we hold the ceremony in the guest dining room of her nursing home. When I walk in, Dick is waiting, looking handsome in his new wool blazer, slacks, and shined shoes. His blue eyes light up as we approach each other. My mother and my elderly aunt beam. As we’re surrounded by the warmth of family and friends, I am thrilled to feel love for Dick and his love for me. With a priest friend officiating, Dick and I say our sacred vows to each other, promising to share our hopes, dreams, fears, and laughter.

And after three years am I ever glad I married him – the companionship, conversation, and physical affection are all delightful. To love and be loved again is a blessing.

And I have a fun partner who smiles at me when we’re dancing and still calls me his “beautiful bride.”

Sometimes I wonder about Dick’s 52 angels. Did they put us together?

Yes, life is full of surprises. ISI

PAGE 8 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

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Can You Find These Word Clues In The Word Search Grid?

Created by Idaho Senior Independent Staff Word searches are a popular kind of puzzle so here you go. Hidden in the word search grid below are the names of 28 advertisers that appear in this issue of the Idaho Senior Independent. Your task is to find the bold/italic portion of the advertiser’s name in the word search, and then find the page numbers in this issue where the advertisers’ ads appear. More detailed instructions are included with the clues below.

Three $30 cash prizes will be awarded to the winners of the Advertiser Word Search Puzzle from Contest Corner in this issue of the Idaho Senior Independent.

We also award a $25 cash prize to the person who submits the entry that our staff selects as the featured quiz or puzzle for the October/November issue. Be creative and send us some good, fun, challenging, and interesting puzzles!

The $25 prize for the winning answers to the

Add A Letter Word Puzzle that appeared in the June/July issue goes to Karen Schmadeka of Lewiston. Congratulations Karen!

Please mail your entries to our Advertiser Word Search Puzzle to the Idaho Senior Independent, P.O. Box 3341, Great Falls, MT 59403, or email to idahoseniorind@bresnan.net by September 10, 2014. Remember to work the crossword puzzle on our website idahoseniorindependent.com.

By drawing, three $30 prizes will be awarded from among the correct answers submitted. Good hunting and good luck!

1. ALARMCO, INC 2. AND BOOKS TOO 3. THE BIG EDDY RESORT 4. BOISE GUN COMPANY 5. BOYER JEWELRY 6. BROOKSIDE LANDING 7. COFFELT FUNERAL 8. DENTURE CLINIC 9. DIG LINE, INC 10. EVERGREEN SANDPOINT 11. GOLDEN GIRLS MANOR 12. HIGHLAND HOLLOW 13. HI-TIDE EBB-TIDE 14. HOME GUARD SIDING 15. LIBERTY SQUARE 16. OVERHEAD DOOR 17. OXARC 18. QUAIL RIDGE 19. RANCH CLUB GOLF COURSE 20. RHINO LININGS OF POCATELLO 21. ROASTERE SPECIALTY COFFEE 22. SCOTCH PINES GOLF 23. SILVERSTONE INN & SUITES 24. SPRAG POLE 25. SUNSET TAXI 26. TWIN LAKES REALTY 27. VALLEY GOLF CARS 28. WAFFLES N MORE ISI

In this word search your challenge is to find the names of the advertisers listed below in the grid, and find the page in this paper where the advertiser’s ad appears.

Only the bold italic portions of the names of the following advertisers are hidden in the Word Search grid (letters only without spaces or punctuation).

1. In the grid, circle the bold italic portion of each advertiser’s name.

2. On a separate numbered piece of paper write the page number on which each advertiser’s ad appears.

3. Mail your list of page numbers and the completed grid to the Idaho Senior Independent address above.

Answers to Add A Letter Word Puzzle 1. n. damp 2. d. heaven 3. c. carp 4. z. plane 5. v. ream 6. q. niece 7. j. heart 8. g. free

Submitted by Pete Shea 9. bb. port 17. o. latter 10. t. pearl 18. y. tired 11. x. cosmic 19. h. shave 12. l. wheat 20. i. crow 13. dd. lest 21. a. note 14. r. rain 22. cc. bandana 15. b. outrage 23. w. carve 16. u. crack

24. e. fright 25. m. table 26. s. cramp 27. aa. beard 28. k. deter 29. p. harm 30. f. quiet

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 9

46. Dublin land 47. 100 centavos 48. To imbue with soul 50. “____ Las Vegas” starring Elvis 52. Bloodshot 53. Horticultural implement 55. Get it wrong 57. *Warm current 60. *Dry spell 64. “Bye” to Banderas 65. Pastrami holder 67. “Umble” Heep 68. “That is,” Latin 69. Reef fish 70. Artillery burst 71. Unit of force 72. Hole puncher 73. Senior

DOWN

1. Castle feature 2. Travelers’ stops 3. Hokkaido native 4. *”_____ St. Helens,” erupted in 1980 5. They come with marriage 6. Wrinkly fruit 7. “___ no evil...”

8. Way out 9. Kosher eatery 10. *1972 deadly blizzard killed thousands here 11. Goes with ding 12. Lennon’s lady 15. *Black Death 20. Dough 22. Mandela’s org.

24. Like a hippopotamus 25. *Measured by seismograph 26. Soviet entity 27. Rand McNally book 29. *It can get wild 31. Pack down 32. Basket material 33. Band on coat of arms 34. *It can happen in a flash 36. 1952 Winter Olympics host 38. Reality TV star Spelling 42. “_____ Say Never” 45. ENT, e.g.

49. Local network 51. Kindle 54. Land of “Gangnam Style” 56. Like country life 57. Whirlpool 58. Property right 59. Facial protrusion 60. “The Farmer in the ____” 61. Embellish 62. Possess or hold 63. *God of thunder 64. *This usually quickly follows disasters 66. Coniferous tree ISI

ACROSS 1. *Hurricane-prone U.S. city 6. Olympic chant 9. British singer-songwriter 13. Gibson garnish 14. Hair goo 15. Subject of the musical, “Evita” 16. Declare invalid 17. Flower necklace 18. Latin American plain 19. *One killed over 200,000 people in 2004 21. Crying like a sheep

23. How many “if by sea?”

24. Chinese dynasty (1368-1644) 25. In the capacity of 28. Chesterfield, e.g.

30. Designated limit 35. “Do ___ others...”

37. Schindler kept one 39. Art class support 40. Pains 41. Torcher’s misdeed 43. Japanese soup 44. Bear down under

It’s All About Averages A biologist, a chemist, and a statistician were out hunting. The biologist shot at a deer and missed five feet to the left. The chemist took a shot and missed five feet to the right.

The statistician yelled, “We got him!”

Computer Science 101 How easy is it to count in binary? It’s as easy as 01 10 11.

The Fall of Rome A Roman walked into a bar and asked for a martinus.

“You mean a martini?” the bartender asked.

The Roman replied, “If I wanted a double, I would have asked for it!”

Another Roman walked into the bar, held up two fingers, & said, “Five beers, please.” ISI

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Food Fantastic – The Las Vegas Restaurant Scene Can’t be Beat

By Kim Thielman-Ibes The transformation of Las Vegas from gangsters and gambling into a world-class destination resort would not have been complete without the parallel gastronomic evolution of the ubiquitous buffet.

Las Vegas has come a long way from that first 1940s buffet – El Rancho’s, all-you-can-eat-fora-buck Midnight Chuck Wagon Buffet – created to entice patrons to stay into the wee hours of the morning. Those early feasters would hardly recognize today’s Vegas buffets with swanky furnishings, upscale clientele, sophisticated menus, and eye-popping abundance.

But it is not just the buffet that has undergone a delectable metamorphosis. The world’s top chefs have flocked to Sin City, from James Beard award winners and Michelin stars, to celebrity chefs.

To d a y, t h e food scene in Las Vegas is reason alone to venture into this veritable Mecca for foodies. With over 1,450 restaurants and 258 buffets, choosing is not easy. Hmmm… fine dining or that dinner hot spot?

Power lunch or check out Gordon Ramsay’s Pub and Grill? Maybe the basics and a simple buffet?

Whatever your inclination, here are a few selections to get your taste buds moving towards these wellset tables.

A moveable feast, akin to what royalty may have experienced in the old world, is simply called The Buffet, a fine dining experience in the luxurious Bellagio memorable for its high quality faire and excellent service.

“The key for us is the involvement of our employees,” explains Bellagio’s Executive Chef, Edmond Wong, “They’re involved, happy, and take ownership in what they do, insuring that even as big as our buffet is, every little detail in its preparation and service is important.”

From grilled vegetables to tempura rolls, beef tartar to pizza, American, Chinese, Italian, Japanese, and Chinese – experienced chefs are behind each specialty. Their caviar tray was voted best dish in all of Vegas for 2013.

“It’s like an orchestra,” adds Wong, “Each of our chefs has their own experiences and strengths, commitment and passion for food, and that’s what it’s all about.”

Under Chef Wong, The Buffet has introduced a unique twist on the buffet experience with the Chef’s Table complete with a chef attendant, tableside carvings, and unique desserts – including a dark chocolate fondue from the 2012 American Chocolate Master Chef.

“It’s meant to be an interaction between the chef and the table,” says Wong.

Prices for the Buffet run from $18.99 for Breakfast, $22.99 for lunch, $33.99 to $39.99 for dinner, and $53.99 to $59.99 for the Chef’s Table. bellagio.com/restaurants/the-buffet.aspx.

Equally mesmerizing is the recently remodeled Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace. After a 17-million-dollar redo, the place has a Steve McQueen ultra-cool vibe, and as at the Bellagio, the sheer quantity – 500 dishes daily – an insane quality of food – chilled king crab legs, fresh oysters, hand-made dim sum, house-smoked barbecue ribs and briskets, vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options, make for dining irresistible.

The Bacchanal Buffet is essentially nine open kitchens, or restaurants, under one roof. Each master chef starts dishes from scratch and you can bet there will be a unique and special twist on even the simplest of choices: lobster/corn

chowder, red velvet pancakes, roasted South Carolina shrimp and grits, and oak-grilled lamb chops are a few standouts.

Westerners will feel right at home under sparkling chandeliers surrounded by reclaimed, recycled, and repurposed finishes woven together to create a comfortable atmosphere. Prices vary from $25.99 for a weekday breakfast to $50.99 for w e e k e n d d i n n e r. caesarspalace.com/ restaurants/bacchanal-buffet.html#.

U1g-4igx_zI. Caesars Palace is also home to Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay’s Pub and Grill. This is the second Las Vegas restaurant for the highly flammable star of Hell’s Kitchen and certainly one that reflects his native English roots. While the Pub and Grill’s decor is authentic English pub including old British telephone booths, a separation wall manned by 175 kegs, and a wait staff uniformed from the early English punk scene, the menu offers distinctly pubish faire served in rugged pottery dishes filled with comfort foods and classics that all play nice with beer. The pub serves 30+ varieties of tap beer plus 60+ varieties in bottles.

Menu choices include Scottish Salmon, mac ‘n’ cheese served with black truffles, bone-in-beef rib eye, and of course shepherd’s pie. Flat screen televisions play sporting events from around the world to help create one of the more lively restaurants serving great food on the strip. Entrees average from $23 to $50. caesarspalace.com/ restaurants/gordon-ramsay-pub-and-grill.html#.

U1hE2igx_zI. For a more intimate dinner in a sleek, classy setting, try SAGE in the Aria Resort and Casino.

Hailing from Chicago, Chef Shawn McLain, an award-winning chef and James Beard recipient, has created a warm and intimate ambiance to serve his clean, sophisticated, farm to table cuisine.

“Creative American with a bit of Asian influence,” says McLain when asked to describe the food at SAGE. While the ingredients may be simple, the flavors and presentation are anything but – requiring admiration of each dish before enjoying. SAGE is known for its dinner and wine or beer pairings. Their early evening menu, from $59, features chilled sweet corn soup, Pacific Yellowtail Kampachi, or Shelton’s Farm Organic Chicken – each course exquisitely paired with an enhancing wine or beer chosen by their Master Sommelier.

Chef McClain’s Signature tasting menu, from $89, steps it up to include Vancouver Island Kushi Oysters with a Piquillo Pepper and Tabasco Sorbet or Wagyu Beef Tartar, and for the second course your choice between Grilled Spanish Octopus or Maine Dayboat Scallops with Braised Oxtail and a Salted Caramel Reduction.

This food is phenomenal, the wine superb, and its surroundings are truly beautiful. aria.com/dining/ restaurants/sage.

La Cave at Wynn Las Vegas is great for large

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014

parties. Orders from its small plate menu are fun and meant to be shared, tapas-style and casually. Diners can lounge inside where low-slung ceilings, wood paneled walls, and wrought iron inspire a nicely appointed wine cellar, or on the garden patio. Along with oven-fired flatbreads, charcuterie, and innovative small plates, La Cave features a 250-bottle wine cellar with 50+ varieties available by the glass. This small, fun, yet sophisticated restaurant takes you far away from the strip, but you are still only steps away from the best shows in Las Vegas.

Small plates run from $8 for truffle-roasted potatoes, $14 to $17 for flatbreads (including one with Beef filet, caramelized onions, mushrooms, and blue cheese), and $13 to $22 for small plates from the sea or the farm (like Angus mini burgers with sweet onion marmalade or Cavatelli pasta with veal short-ribs and Brussels sprouts). wynnlasvegas.com/ Restaurants/CasualDining/LaCave.

We have only skimmed the surface, but one thing is undeniable – if you love food, you will love Las Vegas! ISI

A Visit to Utah’s Camp Floyd

By Alice H. Dunn Photos courtesy of Mark A. Trotter, manager, Camp Floyd State Park and State of Utah website My husband Wendell and I planned to leave Pocatello on October 10, 2013 for a weeklong

i with i h our d h Li dh b d vacation daughter Lisa and her h husband Bill. I had spent a month planning a circle of Utah, a first opportunity to see the red rock country, Grand Canyon, and Dinosaur National Monument – and at age 82, likely our last. The 2013 government shutdown dashed those plans. We were not only disappointed to lose this opportunity to see Utah’s national parks but also left with non-refundable accommodation reservations. What could we do?

“Let’s just go and have fun,” Lisa said. “Map out another trip, Mom, to some of these places where we can use our reservations.”

I sighed. Only a few days remained to come up with a new itinerary. But as possibilities such as Iron Mission, Kodachrome Basin, and Anasazi Village popped up, my excitement built for an alternate trip. We had never stopped at the Aerospace Museum south of Ogden with its old airplanes tempting us from the freeway. This was our chance – until the shutdown put it off limits, but as bad as it was, it came with a blessing – Camp Floyd.

At Fairfield, Utah, twenty miles off I-15 west of Lehi, its museum is chock full of historical information and artifacts memorializing the largest United States military contingent ever dispatched to fight on American soil. A visit to Camp Floyd makes either a nice day trip from most of Idaho or a worthwhile stop on a longer trip.

We already vaguely knew that the Army had come to Utah to put down a non-existent rebellion.

In the introductory video, the first fact to surprise us was the true reason the army came to Utah: a feud between President James Buchanan and Secretary of War John B. Floyd. A known confederate sympathizer, Floyd seized upon a spurious report from a judge President Buchanan had assigned to Utah.

Expecting to rule Utah like a dictator, this judge was disappointed that the Mormon residents took orders only from Brigham Young, their prophet and governor. The judge and his wife did not find the conservative Latter-day Saint lifestyle appealing.

They returned to Washington unbidden and, as

a cover-up, fabricated a report that the Mormons were rebelling. Secretary Floyd used this report to drain the United States Treasury and financially cripple the Union by dispatching and creating what history calls “The Mormon War.” For their protection, Brigham Young ordered evacuation of the Saints away from church headquarters. He also sent harriers to destroy supply wagons and burn grass the army depended upon for animal feed. This cost the army almost a year including an unplanned winter marooned in Wyoming. Supplies had to be purchased where few could be found.

When the army finally neared Utah’s border, Brigham Young refused to let them enter until General Johnson agreed, for the protection of Utah maidens, to quarter the soldiers a good distance from Salt Lake City. In 1859, Camp Floyd was finally established about fifty miles away near Fairfield.

Wh When the evacuated settlers returned from the south and resumed their peaceful lives, the army soon realized that no Mormon uprising had ever existed. Still, Camp Floyd might have continued much later than 1862 protecting stage and Pony Express routes, preventing Indian marauding, and mapping the area had the Civil War not broken out.

The entire camp was recalled. The soldiers returned east to fight for north or south in approximately even numbers.

T h e w h o l e a ff a i r worked out to the settlers’ economic benefit.

Building the camp required 600,000 adobe bricks purchased from the Mormons for one cent each. Six thousand dollars was a windfall to those settlers. The Fairfield bishop said that army purchase of materials and trade with soldiers’ families saved his congregation from near starvation.

Those adobe bricks measured 4” x 6” x 8” and were laid between supporting timbers, a construction technique we observed in the commissary. Camp Floyd

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 11

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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014

had long since fallen into ruins by 1958 when the park was established, but the reconstruction is true to the original.

Most of the artifacts in the building were excavated under the direction of Brigham Young University Department of Archeology. They found about three times the number of tobacco pipes as the 3,600 soldiers billeted to the camp, attesting to heavy tobacco use. Elegant pipe bowl styles on display include European fired porcelain bowls shaped like the heads of luminaries such as George Washington and Queen Victoria, a popular style of the time, and two differently colored President Buchanan pipe bowls. Plainer pipes were made of antler or clay.

Any country’s coins were legal tender at that time, and coins of many countries were unearthed: a U. S. gold dollar smaller than our dime, a Canadian penny larger than the most recent U.S. silver dollar, a three-cent piece, and many more.

A mannequin is dressed in a full captain’s uniform and displayed with rifles and a side arm used by the Utah Expedition, a sword, a handsome pair of knee-high boots, and a regulation hat with its brim pinned up on one side with a decorative military insignia.

A diorama of the camp delineates enough

identical buildings and Sibley tents laid out in parallel rows to house the personnel of six divisions. An administration building of the same length as the barracks with a wing at each end stood at the east.

Besides the commissary, warehouses and miscellaneous service buildings completed the camp.

The Sibley tent deserves special mention.

It looks like a double-sided, squat teepee, but it is eighteen feet in diameter, roomy enough for twelve occupants. Twenty-four poles anchor and support the sides so that it needs no guy ropes.

The bottom of the cone can extend to the ground or lap over the outside of a short circular wall. A telescoping center pole adds to the tent’s stability and makes it compact for transporting and storing.

Cooking and heating can be accomplished by fire pit or stove. Because it is so efficient, the military used it exclusively during the Civil War, and it is still in use today.

A Camp Floyd officer named Sibley invented and patented this tent and the United States negotiated a contract to pay him five dollars for each Sibley tent it purchased. However, since Sibley fought for the confederacy, he never collected for one tent.

As for Secretary of War Floyd, he predictably defected to the South, and the name of Camp

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 13

Floyd was changed to Camp Crittenden for the short remaining time it existed.

I can’t imagine visiting Camp Floyd and omitting the privately built two-story inn across the street with a steep, narrow, twisting staircase at each end with a veranda topped by a balcony.

The kitchen and dining room wing at the back is also fronted by a veranda. Built during the three years when Camp Floyd operated, this inn was a Pony Express and stage stop. It continued to serve travelers into the last half of the twentieth century.

Now restored, its antique beds have rope “springs” and handmade quilts. Chests, tables, chairs, and bric-a-brac are of the pioneer period. Unfortunately, the five guest rooms of this beautifully preserved example of frontier hospitality are roped off for viewing only.

Whether it is your original destination or not, Camp Floyd will provide you with interesting insight into 19th century Mormon and Utah history.

Camp Floyd State Park Museum is located at 8035 W. 1540 N., Fairfield, Utah 84013. For additional information, phone 801-768-8932 or visit stateparks.utah.gov/park/camp-floyd-state-parkmuseum. ISI

Carhenge Is Nebraska’s Wackiest Attraction

By Bernice Karnop One of America’s Wackiest Attractions sits just outside of Alliance, Nebraska. Carhenge is a replica of Stonehenge in England. Instead of stones, it’s made with vintage cars.

Wacky it may be, but artist Jim Reinders, who built Carhenge, actually took it seriously. One has to be impressed with the care, study, and precision it took to replicate the ancient site. Stonehenge’s purpose and use have been debated since Sir John Aubrey studied the mysterious site on the Salisbury Plains in 1648. Thoughts about Carhenge will take less time to exhaust.

Reinders studied Stonehenge when he was in England. That experience inspired the artist to recreate the 96-foot circle on Nebraska’s plains.

He and family members dedicated it to his dad on summer solstice in 1987.

The circle is made from autos buried, trunk down, in pits five feet. Cars that form the arches are welded to the upright cars. Three trilithons stand within the circle. Trilithon derives from the use of three stones, two large vertical stones (posts) supporting a third stone set horizontally across the top (lintel).

Other cars form a heel stone, a slaughter stone, and two station stones. Thirty-eight vehicles from the 1950s and 1960s spray painted grey, make up Carhenge. The cars are approximately the same dimensions as the stones in England.

Theoretically, if one stood back and squinted, they could imagine they’re on the Salisbury plains looking at Stonehenge.

Even if you don’t care about ancient history you’ll have fun identifying the old cars. For starters, the heel stone is a 1962 Cadillac.

People traveling Nebraska’s Sandhills Journey Scenic Byway, Highway 2, between Grand Island and Alliance, can detour on to Highway 87 at Alliance and drive two and a half miles to Carhenge.

The 10-acre plot, which was part of the artist’s dad’s farm, includes additional sculptures, each one made of cars and car parts. A visitor center, gift shop, and information kiosk round out the attraction.

You don’t have to be a history buff or a car aficionado to appreciate Carhenge. Really, who wouldn’t want to wheel in to see one of the wackiest attractions in America? ISI

Carhenge in Nebraska is a novelty that reportedly draws 80,000 visitors a year. [Photo by Bernice Karnop]

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IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 15

GED to Masters and Book Keeping to Log Scaling – A Busy Life Article & Photo By Jack McNeel Linda Applington laughs as she describes herself as a jack-of-all-trades but master of none, which is accurate regarding her range of jobs and interests, but modest regarding her mastery of them.

Linda lives in Weippe with her husband Gene, a stallion, fifteen other quarter horses, and two fainting goats. She is the fifth generation of her family to call the Clearwater region home, having been raised in Orofino.

Inspiring is her life story of an early marriage, early motherhood, and getting her GED degree.

But it was many years later that she got both a bachelor’s degree and soon thereafter a master’s degree – all the while working a variety of jobs and raising a family.

Linda is a very positive, upbeat person.

“I’ve had a lot of great opportunities in my life,” she says. “I started working when I was 14.” Those early jobs included washing dishes in a restaurant and later moving up to being a waitress.

In 1978, she began working for Clearwater Potlatch Timber Protective Association (CPTPA), a wildland fire-fighting agency dealing largely with Potlatch Corporation lands covering about a million acres.

“I actually operated a computer way back in 1978. It was huge. The programs looked like ticker tape. You would run it through the computer if you wanted to do payroll or another one if you were doing general ledger.”

A few years later she visited the Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. and saw a similar computer on display. “Oh, I worked on that one,” she laughs. “It makes you feel old.”

Following divorce, she moved to Lewiston and worked for a construction company where she became reacquainted with Gene, a former friend. They married in 1980 and moved to Pierce. Job opportunities were scarce in Pierce but Linda found work at the headquarters of a CPTPA camp for several summers.

When Timberline High School was established, consolidating other nearby schools, Linda got a job there and spent two years in their computer room and office. “I loved it,” she says.

But another job had come up and she moved on.

For three years, she was office manager and bookkeeper for a logging company and a cedar mill in Weippe. In 1989, she returned to Potlatch as a log scaler, a job that attracted few women, and stayed until the mill closed in 2000.

“It’s not particularly exhausting, but you are out in the elements and it’s dirty,” she says, “and it led to one of the greatest opportunities I’ve had in life,” she adds.

As a member of Northwest Timber Workers and Paper Workers Northwest, Linda visited schools and fairs to promote the timber industry and traveled to Washington, D.C. on five occasions as a representative for Potlatch.

In 1998, Linda began taking two on-line classes each semester at Lewis-Clark State College with a business communication major in mind and then began going to college full time in 2001.

“I did 74 credits in three semesters and got my bachelor’s in the spring of 2002.”

Her goal was to graduate when she was 50 but she did it at 47 despite the 140-mile roundtrip from her home in Weippe. “I couldn’t have done it without my family,” she adds.

She worked at the college in 2002, first in the controller’s office and the following year in the Trio Program under a federal grant that offered support for low income, first generation college students.

Not satisfied with just a bachelor’s degree, in May of 2003 she returned to college to work on a master’s, which she finished in 2005 at the University of Idaho.

Linda has worked since 2006 at Debco Construction in Orofino, where she works in the office and does safety and training.

The variety of work allows her to switch from one type of work to another and to inspect various sites.

Her “free time”

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and winter can be as busy as work and summer.

Gene is chair of a snowmobile group and Linda serves as secretary-treasurer. Gene will spend several days a week grooming trails, and with over 400 miles of trails within their district, their goal is about 90 miles a week.

“I ride as a co-pilot,” Linda adds. “I love it!

It’s a wonderful way to see the upper country.”

Linda is a snowmobiler and appreciates the work of the snow groomers. She wrote a grant last year to replace the warming hut at Beaverdale Saddle to make snowmobile trips just a bit more enjoyable.

PAGE 16 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014

Ours are a bit older and seldom faint totally, but they walk very stiff legged and very slow. Another term you might hear is ‘peg leg goats’ because they walk so peg legged. Otherwise they look like normal goats.”

When asked if she was an experimental gardener, Linda just laughs and replies, “In Weippe we classify everything as experimental gardening. You can get frost even into the middle of June and almost always have a frost by Labor Day. Everything we grow is in raised beds. I try different things every year, vegetables and flowers both, and sometimes it works. We’re going to put plastic under our tomatoes this year because it warms the soil about 15 degrees. That’s our problem. Even in August it’s down to 40-45 degrees. It’s just 3,300 feet but it’s just kind of cold.”

Whatever the challenges, Linda epitomizes those who work hard and achieve much while enjoying every second of the journey. ISI

She and Gene also breed horses although she says they’re starting to pare that down. Their stallion is a perlino, a genetic factor that determines the color of their offspring. She explained he’s a double dilute and that whatever you breed him to, “you’re going to get a buckskin, dun, or palomino.”

Linda is an animal lover and laughs as she tells of a yearling black bear that got into the stallion pen and ran into the hot wire.

“He was crying and crying and finally got out.

The stallion could care less about the bear in his pen. The bear then went through the mares and it was like, ‘Oh, we’ve seen him before.’” They also have lots of deer plus raccoons and skunks that enjoy the cat food, and have had a moose pass through.

Linda’s fainting goats are a curiosity.

“It’s actually a genetic condition. It doesn’t hurt them and they never lose consciousness.

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Jack O’Connor Center A Treasure For Hunters And Future Hunters Alike Article & Photo By Jack McNeel The attractive but unremarkable building that sits within Hells Gate State Park in Lewiston and overlooks the Snake River once served as the park office building. But step inside the Jack O’Connor Hunting Heritage and Education Center and the world changes. On every wall in every room are mounts of animals that Jack O’Connor took on his hunts throughout the U.S. and around the world, all beautifully mounted and attractively displayed.

Other exhibits show several of Jack’s guns including his favorite, a .270 Winchester, plus a couple of his wife and lifelong hunting companion, Eleanor’s guns. There’s a special edition of an Outdoor Life magazine featuring Jack on the cover entitled Adventures of a Legend. Other exhibits show his old manual typewriter and some of the hats he was noted for wearing. I wander from exhibit to exhibit reading about the life and adventures of this amazing man.

Jack was born in 1902, served two years in the Navy, and graduated from the University of Arkansas in 1925 and later earned a master’s degree in English/Journalism from the University of Missouri. He served as Journalism Professor at the University of Arizona before moving to Lewiston in

1948 with his wife and four children. He remained there until his death in 1978.

The Jack O’Connor Center pays tribute to his phenomenal success as a hunter. One wall contains one of his “grand slams” of sheep: bighorn, desert, dall, and stone. Another wall holds many mounts of his African hunts ranging from the tiny dik-dik to massive animals like sable, kudu, and Cape buffalo, plus the big cats. A full mount of a mountain goat stands on a rock while sheep, bear, and caribou shoulder mounts rest behind.

All are beautifully displayed and maintained and the numbers reach into the dozens.

O’Connor was as noted for his writing as for his hunting and in 1940 became the full-time gun editor for Outdoor Life, which greatly influenced hunters everywhere. He was also a strong proponent of ethical hunting and conservation and in 1972, a poll of over 5,000 writers awarded him the Winchester-Western Outdoorsman of the Year Award, recognizing his contributions to practical conservation practices in addition to journalism, sportsmanship, and marksmanship.

Anyone growing up in the 40s and 50s with any interest in hunting probably remembers the name Jack O’Connor. At his death, Outdoor Life called him “knowledgeable, outspoken, and honest. His love of guns and their uses in sport, along with a real feel for words and a transparent honesty, helped make O’Connor a great writer.” He wrote sixteen hard cover books and numerous soft cover books plus hundreds of magazine articles.

“The Center is also reaching out to a younger audience,” says Bradford O’Connor, Jack’s son and a member of the board of the Center, “in order to stay relevant by capturing the interest of kids and getting them involved.”

Lewis-Clark State College offers science activities at the Center for local elementary schools. The Center will begin a youth hunter education program and hopes to create some master hunters.

“It’s great to focus on the past and everything Jack did for firearms,” Mike Butler, wildlife biologist and center director, says, “but we need to focus on the future too.”

Mike Butler’s early hunting enthusiasm was in large part due to Jack, and undoubtedly prompted enthusiasm nationwide. Mike grew up in Missouri where his family owned a cabin at Lake of the Ozarks.

“On the table were all kinds of Outdoor Life magazines. From the time I was 10, I read Jack O’Connor. I loved the pictures and stories, and that sparked me to be a hunter. I knew I was going to go to college and become a wildlife biologist and hopefully, someday, live out west and hunt where Jack O’Connor did. I fulfilled all that!”

Brad had a more intimate look at his father.

“We did quite a bit of hunting together,” Brad says. “I started hunting in my early teens.” The

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014

initial hunting trip with his dad took him to Sonora, Mexico. “He was a generous sort and very demonstrative to his children.”

In following years, they hunted together in such places as Zambia, and now Zimbabwe and Namibia. Brad recalls their first major hunt together in northern British Columbia.

“We took a steamship from Vancouver to Skagway and then the Whitehorse-Yukon narrow gauge railroad to Whitehorse and then hunted out of Atlin in northern B.C. That was a 28-day hunt.”

Brad, like his father, is a writer and photographer, and realizes the challenges in funding the Center. There is no admission fee to the Center beyond the $5 fee to enter Hells Gate State Park.

Two years ago, they arranged with Winchester to produce a custom tribute gun, a .270 caliber Model 70. Winchester produced 970 of these guns in two versions, a standard version and a custom version.

“We got a very nice shot in the arm,” Brad relates. “I think it’s going to turn out to be about $70 grand.”

“It’s been a pleasant place to work,” Butler continues. “Almost everyone that comes in the door is on vacation and looking for enjoyable things to view. You get many positive comments from the public. They remember Jack O’Connor and the good old days of hunting. It’s like a walk down memory lane for a lot of older guys.”

Brad O’Connor had a similar comment. “I’m

very, very proud of the Center.”

Summer hours are 10 to 5 Monday through Friday and 1 to 5 Saturday and Sunday. Winter hours are Tuesday through Friday from 10 to 4 and weekends 1 to 4. For additional information, visit jack-oconnor.org or call 208-743-5043. ISI

Retired but busy as ever – Dr. Joel and Mary Jo Hamilton Article & Photo By Jack McNeel It’s not huge but this garden is large enough to hold 100+ varieties of vegetables including 50 different tomatoes, and yes, it is more than two can eat, but the surplus goes to the Moscow Food Bank or Backyard Harvest, which collects garden surplus to provide to senior centers and children’s summer lunch programs.

Dr. Joel Hamilton and his wife Mary Jo are retired college professors, Joel from the University of Idaho and Mary Jo from Washington State University. Their years in academia were busy including world travel, but retirement is only a word in their lives for they remain as busy as ever in a variety of fields.

Each was raised in Wisconsin and met at the

University of Wisconsin. Joel moved to Berkeley where he received his Ph.D. in 1966 in the field of Agricultural Economics. Mary Jo finished her undergraduate degree in zoology emphasizing molecular biology. She followed Joel to California where they married, and then he was off to the University of Idaho to begin his career, while she earned her master’s in mammalian physiology.

She then spent 38 years at Washington State University in the College of Veterinary Medicine as a comparative immunologist before retiring three and a half years ago.

Joel’s emphasis at Idaho was water and he refers to himself as a water economist, interested in irrigation, hydropower, and endangered fish, which included a lot of time working with the

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PAGE 18 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014

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Joel’s expertise has proved valuable in addressing legal issues regarding tribal and interstate water disputes. “The Constitution says when one state is suing another state, the U.S. Supreme Court has jurisdiction,� Joel explains. “It goes directly to the Supreme Court, and since the Court has a full calendar, it appoints a special master who acts as a formal judge in a trial setting. I had to testify, which is very high pressure... hopefully I’m done with all these.�

His knowledge led to his retirement from the U of I in 2002, which was soon followed by his work on a major project in Uzbekistan rehabilitating irrigation pumping systems. Joel had also worked on a number of six-week irrigation projects in Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile Mary Jo was finding opportunities for international travel through her work in applied research in immunology, particularly on the bovine immune system studying diseases and early diagnostic tests, treatment, and pathology. “One of the reasons I got to travel is that many of the diseases we studied were not in this country. We worked on an international level and would collaborate with someone in India, Korea,

or Egypt as those diseases were prevalent in those countries.�

Mary Jo and Joel have visited more than 30 different countries, not all of them the same, although they’ve often been able to travel together. Recent trips have been to Turkey, Sicily, and Patagonia, and international travel remains a priority and often incorporates hiking.

They now have more time for home projects including the addition/replacement of a huge deck across the back of their home, which faces Mos'5,9(1 %< 48$/,7< :,7+287 '5,9,1* )$5 +HDOWKFDUH LQ RXU FRPPXQLW\ LV PRUH WKDQ DQ RFFXSDWLRQ ,W¡V cow Mountain. Many improvements have been D FRPPLWPHQW $ SOHGJH WR SURYLGH H[FHSWLRQDO KHDOWKFDUH made to the house over the years and Joel has FORVH WR KRPH participated in the projects with insulation, electrical wiring, and plumbing. Their love of vegetation : 0DLQ 6W is evident in one room off the deck that is engulfed *UDQJHYLOOH ,GDKR in green. He laughs as he says they likely have

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drive from the street to their front door. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are 14 tons of paver blocks out there,â&#x20AC;? he explains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I had an assistant help but the design is all mine.â&#x20AC;?

And what about the 50 varieties of tomatoes? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Part of my focus in the vegetables I grow is diversity of colors. My absolute tomato favorite is one called Aunt Rubyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s German Green. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s green all the way through. You have to feel it to tell when itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ripe. I also have yellow tomatoes and striped tomatoes,â&#x20AC;? Joel relates. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And pink tomatoes, brown tomatoes, and black tomatoes,â&#x20AC;? Mary Jo adds with a laugh. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Joel plants enough to feed Bangladesh, but now we have these organizations where we can give it away. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just a pleasure.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;During tomato season we gorge ourselves on tomatoes and make tomato sauce and lots of salsa,â&#x20AC;? Joel adds.

They also grow half a dozen varieties of colorful potatoes including a Peruvian purple, which not surprisingly, is deep purple in color. And they have red fleshed potatoes and of course some good old Russet Burbank potatoes.

Add six or eight varieties of lettuce plus various other plants including artichokes, leeks, onions, cucumbers, etc. and the number tops out over 100.

Mary Jo and Joel both attended an Extension Office Master Gardenerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s class two years ago.

This year Joel taught the class on vegetable gardening, and he is working on a presentation about Idaho mushrooms, another family passion for over 40 years. They lead forays seeking primarily morels in the spring and in the fall for a number of different edible mushrooms.

Mary Jo has a small business of her own called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Society Socksâ&#x20AC;? where she knits socks that she sells at fairs and similar places and by special order. She has produced an instructional DVD on how to knit socks and also has a line of high quality sock knitting yarn that she dyes herself. She likes color and uses some commercial dyes that provide vivid colors, and she also uses natural dyes from walnuts, mushrooms, tree barks, and various flowers.

Are their days too full? No, each is involved in civic activities, with Joel serving on the city planning and zoning commission for 32 years, plus the transportation commission. Mary Jo is a tree commissioner and was on the centennial commission, and the Latah County Human Rights Task Force. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m very involved in human rights affairs in Moscow and through the Unitarian Church. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a real passion of mine,â&#x20AC;? she said.

Mary Jo added, â&#x20AC;&#x153;One of the things delightful about Moscow is that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a large enough town where thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an infinite number of things you can be involved with but small enough that if you get involved and have a passion about something you can really make a difference and see the results of your work.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a pleasure to be in a community that lets you do that.â&#x20AC;? ISI

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Life In The Wilderness - Continued from front cover then became Associate Vice President for the Arts.

Her current life is much different as Phyllis spends half the year in the wilderness with none of the amenities we take for granted – no roads, no phones, no electricity, and no neighbors.

Doug’s background is more consistent with their wilderness lifestyle from his Mississippi years to his later years in Idaho, which he first visited in 1980 to float the Middle Fork of the Salmon River.

“I was enthralled with the idea that people could make a living floating down rivers like that,” he recalls. He was equally enthusiastic about the Idaho river system that kept them clean and uncrowded.

When Doug’s father had passed away, Doug was in partnership with his two brothers in the family business. He sold his portion and invested the money in a river rafting business on the Selway River in 1982 and later on the Middle Fork of the Salmon. In 1985, he bought the Maravia Raft manufacturing company in Boise. Doug remained a river outfitter for 27 years and still is CEO of Moravia Rafts although his daughter primarily runs the company. Doug and Phyllis spend their winters mostly in Arizona.

The Selway River brought Doug and Phyllis together.

“It’s the most restrictive river in the country,” Doug explains. “Phyllis had heard about it and wanted to go on a river trip, but I was full so I put her on my waiting list. She called me back a year later and said, ‘Why didn’t you call me?’ We finally got her on the river in 1997 and that’s where we met.”

They started dating three years later and were married the following year, “three days after 9-11,” Doug says with a laugh.

The years of outfitting and guiding raft trips on the rivers of central Idaho acquainted Doug with the rivers and the earlier residents.

“You pass these beautiful old homesteads,” he relates. “I thought, ‘My gosh, wouldn’t it be nice to own a place like that?’” This particular property at Campbell’s Ferry was one such place and one Doug had first seen in 1990. Phyllis had also seen the property during a rafting trip in the early ‘90s.

Doug tells of a friend who was appraising property along the Salmon River and told him about Campbell’s Ferry being on the market.

“I trusted his description of the place and said, ‘Hell, let’s buy it!’”

These kinds of backcountry properties can be

very expensive because there aren’t many in such incredible settings. This particular property had an easement held by the U.S. Forest Service that prevented its ever being developed, subdivided, or commercialized and this made the price more reasonable.

“So we bought it,” Doug explains.

In 2013, Doug published Merciless Eden that tells the story of Campbell’s Ferry from 1897 when William Campbell first settled there to the present.

Doug’s research is exhaustive and covers the lives and personalities of those who followed Campbell.

It also explains the political problems of wilderness designation and the difficulties of working out details with the Forest Service in acquiring the property.

It’s dedicated to Joe Zaunmiller who bought half interest in the ferry in 1933 and became an outfitter during the depression. Doug feels a particular connection to him.

“He recognized there was a value in wilderness, in sharing it with the public, and allowing them to reconnect with those rural and natural roots.”

The title, Merciless Eden, reflects “the toll it took on those folks who came in and tried to settle here,” Doug explains. “A number of people died from drowning, from snow storms, and from falling off cliffs.” An Eden for sure, but one that has been merciless to its inhabitants.

Doug laughs as he talks about how Phyllis has adapted to this ultra-rural lifestyle. “In her life in California, with dance, and academia, she would dress up every day to the nines, looking just fabulous. One of my favorite photos of Phyllis is when we first got here I pulled an old #3 galvanized wash tub, heated some water on the stove and gave her a bath. I have a photo of her in that washtub.

That’s such a contrast from what her life was like before!” That photo didn’t make it into the book for obvious reasons.

Every year since 2006 Doug and Phyllis have lived at Campbell’s Ferry on the Salmon River from April to October. Despite that, they have many visitors.

“People come up from the river and we do presentations for them. We’ll get on average two to four groups a day from June through August.

We’re telling the stories, lectures in a sense, and acting as docents for the place,” Phyllis says.

Doug explains that seven raft groups a day are permitted to float the river, the Centennial Trail that stretches from the Nevada border to the border with Canada also comes through Campbell’s Ferry, and it’s also the major northern portal into the Frank Church Wilderness so people also arrive by trail.

“People come in and are hot and tired. We like to set them up and let them camp. There’s this beautiful walnut tree in front of the historic cabin and Francis’ ditch (one of the earlier residents) where she got her water that flows right by there.

A cold beer out of our propane refrigerator, a place to shower and have a regular meal, and then hear their stories is something we enjoy very much.”

Merciless Eden is a must-read for those interested in Idaho history and particularly the wild country and rivers of central Idaho. ISI

A Little Humor Goes A Long Way When It Is A Tough Job Submitted by Julie Hollar The following are actual comments made by a number of police officers in the line of duty. They were transcribed from actual police car videos or radio transmissions.

1. “You know, stop lights don’t come any redder than the one you just went through.”

2. “Relax, the handcuffs are tight because they’re new. They’ll stretch after you wear them a while.”

3. “If you take your hands off the car, I’ll make your birth certificate a worthless document.”

4. “If you run, you’ll only go to jail tired.”

5. “Can you run faster than 1,200 feet per second? Because that’s the speed of the bullet that’ll be chasing you.”

6. “You don’t know how fast you were going?

I guess that means I can write anything I want to on the ticket, huh?”

7. “Yes, sir, you can talk to the shift supervisor, but I don’t think it will help. Oh, did I mention that I’m the shift supervisor?”

8. “Warning? You want a warning? Okay, I’m warning you not to do that again, or I’ll give you another ticket.”

9. “The answer to this last question will determine whether you are drunk or not. Was Mickey Mouse a cat or a dog?”

10. “Fair? You want me to be fair? Listen, fair

is a place where you go to ride on rides, eat cotton candy, and corn dogs, and step in monkey poop.”

11. “Yeah, we have a quota. Two more tickets and my wife gets a toaster oven.”

12. “In God we trust, all others we run through the NCIC.” (National Crime Information Center) 13. “Just how big were those “two beers” you say you had?” ISI

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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014

Bob Kesler Finds His Bliss Aboard Water Skis

By Dianna Troyer love of skiing, Bob and friends organized slalom water ski contests at Even with his right leg and right shoulder weakened from polio, Bob Jensen’s Grove in the ’60s and ’70s. Competitors from Idaho, Utah, MonKesler won countless water skiing trophies in the region. tana, and Wyoming came regularly.

“He always out-skied us,” says Jay Miles, 56, while visiting with Bob at “But for a few years in the ’70s, irrigation water was low,” he recalls. “We the dock of the slalom water ski course at Jensen’s Grove near Blackfoot. couldn’t get it filled up, so we quit hosting the contests.”

“This course wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Bob. He’s been an Bob never quit waadvocate for water skiing in our area for decades.” ter skiing, however.

Bob, 70, and other skiers founded the Eastern Idaho Water Ski “I’ve been skiing Club in the early 1970s. They persuaded the Blackfoot City Council since the late ’50s,” to allow an area at Jensen’s Grove to be dredged, so it could be filled says Bob, who learned for a slalom water ski course. the sport from his late “It’s exhilarating to ski and feel the speed,” says Bob, estimating father on lakes in skiers go about 50 to 60 miles per hour on a typical slalom course. the Island Park area, “You zoom back where his family had and forth across a summer cabin. the wake and He subscribed end up going a to the American little faster than Water Ski Associathe boat. I love tion magazine and the camaraderie learned about compewith other skiers. tition skiing.

Plus it’s a great “I’ve won quite Bob Kesler and his wife, Marilyn, relax at the slalom water ski course a few trophies at family sport.”

To share his he helped develop at Jensen’s Grove near Blackfoot. [Photo by contests throughout Dianna Troyer] the area, mostly for third place finishes.”

Bob learned to ski despite having a clubfoot and polio.

“When I was two, I had polio which affected my right side and caused me to have a club foot. I had four surgeries to straighten the foot as much as possible. I was lucky because I didn’t end up in an iron lung as some people did. I tell people that my lifelong physical therapy is water skiing.”

Since he semi-retired from running Kesler’s Market earlier this year, Bob has a little more time to ski. Even while working at the family-owned business, he managed to schedule time to ski.

“We either go after work or take a two-hour lunch,” says Bob, who skis three to five times a week and often drives the boat for competitive skiers who practice on the slalom course.

Most eastern Idaho skiers go to the Boise area for contests held on private lakes. They practice at Jensen’s Grove on the 1,900-foot long waterway Bob helped develop. Skiers navigate around six buoys along a 930-foot-long course, using a progressively shorter towrope in each round.

The Keslers’ five children learned to water ski. McKay, 32, who lives in Blackfoot, occasionally competes and still asks for his dad’s advice.

“Dad’s a great teacher and coach because he always made it fun and never pressured or criticized me,” says McKay. “We had a great place to practice here because he was a steady force in working with the city council to develop it. Water skiing is a sport I plan to be doing all my life, just like he is. He’s incredibly caring.”

Bob’s kind demeanor has helped people learn to ski.

“He was patient with me and pulled the boat gently, so I could get up,” recalls his wife, Marilyn. “It took me such a long time, but I finally learned. It wasn’t all about skiing either. He’d point out the beauty of just being outside and on the water, so it was a great day even if my skiing wasn’t perfect.”

Bob often wears a T-shirt with the motto, “The lake is calling, and I must go,” a Father’s Day gift from Marilyn.

“Whenever he’s tense, which isn’t often, I tell him to get out in the boat and go ski,” says Marilyn. “When he comes back, he’s fine.”

Technological changes have made water skiing user friendly.

“Skis are wider now, so you can get up easier with the boat going slowly,” says Bob. “When people tell me they used to ski but are afraid to start again, I say, ‘Pish-posh, just give it a try.’”

Chilly weather doesn’t dampen his enthusiasm.

“This year we skied the first time on March 8,” he recalls. “The air temperature was about 46 degrees and the water was about 44. I admit the water on our hands and faces was a little nippy, but we were going stir-crazy not skiing.”

He wears wet suits early and late in the season.

“Sometimes, there’s still been a little ice on the water in spring when we start. Some years, I’ve skied as late as Thanksgiving.”

For Bob, winter is “a season I have to endure, but I just think about the upcoming ski season, and I get through it.” ISI

Friendship is Love, without its wings.

- Lord Byron

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 21

Butterflies and moths fascinate Soda Springs lepidopterist

By Dianna Troyer Butterflies and moths have led Gary Gier and his wife, Rosli, around the world. The Soda Springs octogenarian has taken numerous trips to South America, Central America, Malaysia, and Vietnam with other lepidopterists to see and collect the eye-catching insects.

“They’re all adapted to their habitat in their own stunning way. No matter where they live, the metamorphosis of butterflies and moths is an amazing and fascinating process,” says Gary, who has been studying and collecting butterflies and moths for five decades. “You look at a caterpillar, then an adult moth or butterfly, and it’s hard to believe they’re the same creature in such different forms.”

His hobby started while he was a student at the University of Montana earning a teaching certificate.

“For a field biology course, we were assigned a project to make an insect collection. I chose beetles and later shifted my focus to Lepidoptera, the order of insects that includes moths and butterflies. There are plenty to collect to keep a person busy. I got hooked.”

After graduating from the university, he taught junior high school science and math for 30 years in Soda Springs, retiring at age 60 in 1994. His continued interest in butterflies and moths compelled him to join the Lepidopterists’ Society in 1982.

“We’ve been blessed with good health,” says Gary, 80. “I can still get to the top of a mountain to look for butterflies. They’ve led us to places we might never have considered traveling otherwise. Rosli is 79 and isn’t into the butterflies like I am, but she loves to travel.”

He described a few of the most unusual butterflies and moths in the region.

During summer, large spectacular giant silk moths with a wingspan of up to six inches are occasionally seen flying around porch lights at night.

“The adults live about 10 days if they’re lucky. They’re born without a mouth, so they don’t even eat. Their sole purpose is to reproduce.”

A moth species seen frequently around dusk in summer hovers at lilacs and other fragrant bushes. Hummingbird moths are sometimes confused with hummingbirds because their behavior resembles the energetic bird as they sip nectar.

During winter, breathtaking butterflies are still around, although they are less visible than during summer. A few species of adults in the family Nym-

phalidae find shelter in cracks and survive without freezing.

“Their blood contains glycogens – biological antifreeze,” says Gary.

“They’re often the first butterflies seen in spring on a sunny day when there’s still snow on the ground.”

The hardy hibernating mourning cloaks, with a wingspan up to 4 inches, are a deep burgundy with their wings edged in light yellow and splashes of periwinkle. Orange commas and questions marks, with wingspans up to 2 to 3 inches, are named for black markings on their wings that resemble punctuation marks.

To help ensure butterfly and moth species are around for future generations to cherish, Gary advocates preserving habitat butterflies and moths need to thrive.

“They’re an important indicator species, telling us what’s going on in the world,” says Gary.

“If there’s quality habitat, they do well and so do birds and mammals. It’s important we maintain enough habitat for them all. I hope the developers

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PAGE 22 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014

don’t get their way all the time.”

In July, the Giers attended the national meeting of the Lepidopterists’ Society in Park City, Utah.

“I’ve been to three or four national meetings,” says Gary. “This one was fairly close to home. It was fun to get together and to keep in touch with people we’ve met in the field from different parts

of the country.”

For their next lepidoptery vacation, the Giers plan to go to Arizona or Arkansas in the summer of 2015.

“If we shoot big, perhaps Panama,” says Gary.

“We’re both still adventurous.” ISI

Biologist Ruth Shea Strives To Boost Trumpeter Swan Population round were the only nesting group of trumpeters in

By Dianna Troyer Regal trumpeter swans still captivate Ruth the lower 48 states that had not been destroyed by Shea as much as they did in the ’70s when the the early 1900s. Only about 70 escaped the biologist searched Yellowstone National Park’s slaughter.

“The swans that survived were those backcountry for nesting pairs.

“They’re magnificent birds that need protec- that stayed year-round near the warm springs tion and conservation of key habitats,” says the Blackfoot resident who is regarded as a trumpeter swan expert, based on four decades of studying them and dealing with issues that affect the birds in the Greater Yellowstone area.

She felt privileged to study the swans, which were named for their resonant distinctive trumpet-like call.

The largest waterfowl in North America, adults weigh about 25 pounds and have a seven-foot wingspan. They are considered the rarest native breeding bird species in the western U.S. In 1976, Ruth began working on her master’s degree, researching the reasons the Yellowstone swans had small clutches and their cygnets had high mortality rates.

“Basically, the adults lacked abundant and varied food sources in late winter before nesting, so they were breeding in poor condition, which Ruth Shea, a biologist living in Blackfoot, has been working for deaffected the viability of the young,” cades to restore the trumpeter swan population in the region. [Photo says Ruth, who joined The Trumpeter by Dianna Troyer] Swan Society in 1976 and is the or- in remote high elevation sites, which saved them ganization’s treasurer from the guns, but their winter food sources were and Greater Yellowstone limited,” Ruth says. “Those that migrated south to richer habitat were eliminated, and the populaCoordinator.

The society was es- tion’s knowledge of the historic migration routes tablished in 1968 to make died with them.”

Cygnets stay with their parents for up to a year it possible for the public and landowners to help and follow them to their usual wintering sites. Today restore the vulnerable most of the descendants of those last survivors birds. Ruth, who worked continue to winter in Greater Yellowstone, where 25 years for federal and rivers can freeze in a severe winter and create a state resource agen- high risk of starvation.

In eastern Idaho, there are about 20 nesting cies in the Greater Yelpairs of swans each year, but on average only lowstone area, now enjoys bringing pri- about 12 successfully raise any young.

“The low number of successful nests in Idavate citizens together to work in partnership ho and their dependence on a few specific wetwith these agencies to lands is extremely concerning,” says Ruth. “If the benefit the swans. She quality of those few successful nest sites is allowed often lectures about the to decline, it will be very difficult to maintain Idaho’s fascinating history and nesting flock. Recently nesting swans disappeared habits of these birds entirely from Yellowstone National Park, and the and the attempts to bol- Park Service is working hard to restore them. We ster the region’s nesting don’t want that to happen here in Idaho.

Although Idaho’s nesting flock is very swan population. small, sightings of wintering swans have increased Hunting in the late 1700s and 1800s re- greatly in recent years because most are from d u c e d t r u m p e t e r western Canada and migrate down here for winter.

Ruth suspects that the Canadian swan popuswans to near extinction lation is increasing because they migrate north in by 1900. Once common across the U.S. and Can- March and find food sources that are not available ada, most populations to Idaho’s nesting swans.

During the past decade, there has been an avhistorically migrated to erage of 62 nesting pairs in the Greater Yellowstone southerly wetlands to winter. Their meat and area, and about one-third of the nests fail to fledge long white feathers for any young. Greater Yellowstone’s nesting trumpetwomen’s hats were in ers remain vulnerable due to their low numbers, high demand. Low-flying low productivity, diminished breeding and wintering and huge, the swans range, and increasing human activity and habitat were eliminated from decline in historic nesting areas.

To help the swans, biologists with state, tribal, most of their range. and federal agencies are actively managing areas The swans that stayed in Idaho, Wyo- to re-establish populations where lakes and rivers ming, and Montana year- do not freeze in winter, so the swans can obtain

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014

adequate food, especially in the critical period before nesting.

Swans have been relocated to traditional nesting areas in Grays Lake and Bear Lake, where they were in the 1800s, as well as other sites in Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, and Oregon.

“Swan managers want to expose them to new places, so they’ll teach their young where to find good food,” says Ruth. “Once they’re introduced to another area, many of them will stay in the area and use it.”

Farmers and other private landowners are extremely important to the swans. As winters have become milder during the past decade, the swans have begun to forage in snow-free fields, and Idaho’s potato fields have become very important

to them.

“Traditionally, swans eat tubers of water plants, so it’s natural for them to like the cull potatoes left in fields after harvest,” she says. “In the early 1980s, most of those fields north of Idaho Falls were under a foot of snow during a typical winter; now many of them are snow-free much of the winter. It’s good the fields are providing another winter food source. It’s also encouraging that several private landowners are improving their wetlands to create new potential nesting sites.”

Ruth still shares her insights with those who are developing plans for trumpeter swans’ longterm management and site protection of nesting areas in the region.

“We’ll keep working on it,” she says. “A century

The Larsens Revive Days Gone By At Their Shop a museum dedicated to American memorabilia.

By Dianna Troyer The past is ever present at Jay and Sue People who yearn for yesteryear and want to Larsen’s remodeled farmhouse south of Pocatello, buy items made in the USA can find handmade where they refurbish unwanted vintage items into quilts, a rattan baby carriage, decades-old political home decor. They see potential in what others buttons, clocks, sparkling broaches, advertising art, wooden elemendiscard, such as a small set tary school desks, porof rusty bedsprings. table typewriters, salt “They need some doctorand peppershakers, and ing and cleaning,” says Sue. doilies.

“Then I’ll buy a foam pad “Bed and breakfast and some material to make owners like to browse a cushion, and we’ll have a here whenever they futon.” want to change the moOn her front porch, old tif of their rooms,” says milk creamers are flowerSusan. pots. In their shady backyard, One of their most milk cans are stools at a memorable customers picnic table. was a tall, handsome While Sue is fond of vinman who paid cash for tage household items and his purchases. furniture, Jay says he prefers “He said he had rerusty old farm equipment. cently bought a home Items are neatly displayed and needed to decoon their eight acres, including rate it,” recalls Jay. “We plow seats, wagon wheels, later saw on TV that he bathtubs, bed frames, milk had been arrested for cans, and sliding boxcar Sue Larsen shows a vintage clock at her shop, which robbing banks in the doors.

As the Larsens collected is filled with collectibles. [Photo by Dianna Troyer] region.”

When they married, more and more items over the Larsens never imagined they would one day the years, they were compelled to open a shop buy and sell antiques and vintage collectibles. behind their home in 2004.

“We’ve always liked pieces from days gone by “This is a hobby that has taken on a life of its and decorated with them,” says Sue. own,” says Sue. “For me, doing research and findShe says their interest in antiques was triging unusual items at estate and yard sales is more gered decades ago by an inexpensive one-piece interesting than the selling. We keep prices low because we want to sell quickly, so we can start primitive hutch she bought and refinished.

“We paid $100 for it, spent about $100 dipping looking again.” it to strip off the paint, and then I refinished it. It’s Sue caters to her cravings for collectibles on worth about $1,200 today, but we’d never sell it. her days off from working as a part-time clerk at We laugh at ourselves because we remodeled our the Veteran’s Administration Clinic in Pocatello.

“I’m 60 and retiring in August, so I’ll have more house in town around that hutch, then sold the house after we’d only been in it a year.” time to devote to this,” she says.

Yearning to live in the country, they bought a Jay, 66, has kept busy with refurbishments since retiring in 2005 as a welder for Union Pacific small farmhouse south of Pocatello in 1984, settled their hutch in it, and began remodeling again.

Railroad.

“Remodeling a house and refinishing furniture “I love it all from finding it to fixing it up,” says is the best weight loss program,” she says, laughJay. “I’ve even torn down buildings and sold the ing. “I must have lost (Continued on page 32) weathered lumber.”

A white and orange two-foot long World War II practice bomb resembling a torpedo hangs on a fence beside the driveway, pointing the way to their shop.

“We don’t advertise,” says Jay. “People find us by word-of-mouth. We’re near the interstate, so if we want to be open, we put up a sign near the on-ramp.”

Their shop looks like

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 23

ago our region was the last place where these swans survived, and it’s still the most important nesting area in the western U.S. We have the chance to restore them securely, and it’s exciting to see so many people in our region working together to pass that unique legacy on to our children.

“Personally, I believe the only way to conserve our wildlife long-term is to not merely rely on government agencies to do the job. Conserving our natural treasures is everyone’s responsibility.

Building public involvement and a strong sense of personal stewardship toward our resources is crucial. Fortunately, the swans have a beautiful way of bringing people together and teaching us that lesson.” ISI

PAGE 24 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014

It Is Time To Understand Your Options for Medicare Supplemental Coverage

By Ron Pollack, Families USA Medicare health coverage is fairly comprehensive. But if you need a lot of care, Medicare can leave you with significant out-of-pocket costs. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why most people have some kind of supplemental insurance to help cover the costs that Medicare doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t.

Choosing a supplemental plan that makes sense for you is not always easy. Here are some tips that will help.

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What are the types of supplemental coverage?

About a third of people with Medicare have supplemental insurance from a former employer. If you are lucky enough to have this type of coverage, it is probably your best option. Be careful if you ever decide to drop it â&#x20AC;&#x201C; you may not be able to get it back.

People with low incomes may qualify for their stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Medicaid program (and other related programs) that cover Medicare premiums and prescription drug costs. `If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fall into these categories, you may want to consider buying either a private Medicare supplement plan (often called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Medigapâ&#x20AC;?) or a Medicare Advantage plan. Both options have advantages and disadvantages, and you should do careful research before selecting one or deciding to change your current coverage.

What are Medigap plans?

Medigap plans work with original Medicare and pay costs that are left over after Medicare has paid what it covers. Depending on the plan, they pay for some amount of Medicareâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s deductibles and co-insurance. They do not usually offer additional services, so they will not pay for an item or service that Medicare does not cover. For example, they do not cover prescription drugs, so most people with original Medicare and a Medigap plan also buy a Part D plan.

Medigap plans are sold by private insurance companies. These plans come in several different categories, each designated by a letter: For example, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Medigap Plan F.â&#x20AC;? Every plan with the same letter must offer the same benefits, so it is easy to compare plans from different insurers. In addition, these plans have to follow state and federal rules.

What are Medicare Advantage plans?

Medicare Advantage plans are different from Medigap plans. Medicare Advantage plans are run by private insurers that contract with Medicare to provide all Medicare benefits. Many of these plans include prescription drug coverage, and some plans offer extra services that are not covered by tradi-

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and of course to insure. If downsizing is the next thing on your bucket list, make sure and call one of our local Farm Bureau Insurance agents today. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll help you bundle your home and auto policies to help you save even more. Oh, and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t worry, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be no downsizing when it comes to the great customer service that our agents are known for.

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tional Medicare. Medicare Advantage plans usually have provider networks that limit which doctors and hospitals you can use.

Medicare Advantage plans also have rules about what you will have to pay out of pocket that differ from the rules for traditional Medicare. Sometimes these rules are beneficial and can protect you from high out-of-pocket costs. For example, a Medicare Advantage plan may have a low copayment for office visits. But sometimes you may pay more for a service if you have a Medicare Advantage plan compared to traditional Medicare.

What factors should I consider if I’m deciding between buying a Medigap plan and a Medicare Advantage plan?

There is no insurance that is right for everyone. Here are some key factors to consider: • Medicare Advantage premiums may be more affordable than Medigap premiums.

• Medigap may offer better protection against high out-of-pocket costs (deductibles, copayments, and co-insurance) than Medicare Advantage.

• Medicare Advantage plans may offer extra services not covered by Medicare.

• Medicare Advantage plans can change what services they cover every year. Medigap plans usually do not change what they cover, but they can,

Facing Those Difficult Financial Conversations With Parents

By Mike McCormick Talking about money with an elderly parent is not easy. With more than 10,000 baby boomers turning age 65 every day, most have experienced the emotional trauma of losing a family member. Adding to this pain is the difficulty of settling a loved one’s financial affairs once they are gone or incapacitated.

Jane Client, a 58-year-old business owner and mother, is an example. We met through an introduction from her CPA and she was now trying to make sense of their family’s financial web after the death of her father. It came as a complete surprise to learn that she and her mother were beneficiaries of a substantial trust, and now Jane was in my office seeking help. The most terrifying part for her – she had to talk about money with her mother.

Jane’s mother was of the “Greatest Generation” and that meant all finances were left to her husband. Jane was not even sure if her mother knew what she owned, who managed it, or what they were getting charged!

“Dad taught me to make smart decisions by asking questions, but the trouble is, I don’t even know how to talk to mom about money. She just smiles and says that everything will be all right!

It drives me crazy how she does that!”

Fortunately, Davis Solie’s book, How to Say it to Seniors, offers helpful insight and poses several solutions as to how Jane can bridge this gap. Solie explains people’s need to maintain control of aspects of life in the face of almost daily losses of strength, health, friendships, and mental capacity. Another concern is a person’s discovery of his or her own legacy, and how they want to be remembered after they are gone.

Solie suggests that Jane’s questions could be phrased to value the decisions made by her parents and provide the opportunity for her mother to conduct an important step in her “life review” process at the same time. For instance, initiating a conversation such as, “Mom, we’ve been discussing the idea of getting our finances in order like you and Dad. How did you go about selecting your advisors? What were the steps he took you though in planning? What were the important considerations you had in designing the plan?”

By pursuing a series of open-ended questions, you are granting your mom authority and acknowledging her success and control of her financial situation. Further, it gives her the ability to pass along her wisdom and experience to the younger generation, increasing her feeling of self-worth.

Solie does caution against expecting immediate results. It is important to allow parents to decide at their own pace and to remain flexible and patient once we have planted the seed of a decision. If done properly, addressing these questions with mom has many potential benefits, whether or not she eventually agrees with the final decision. The conversation that ensues and the ability for mom to reflect on important decisions and share what she has learned with her daughter is a powerful tool. In the case of Jane, the potential benefits of discussing her family’s financial issues can even lead to an improved relationship. What could possibly be a better legacy than that?

Mike McCormick is a licensed Wealth Advisor with Cascade Financial Management, Inc. in Bozeman He can be reached at www.mccormickinvestmentadvisor.com or 406-219-3984. ISI

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 25

and do, raise premiums.

• Medicare Advantage may limit your choice of doctors to a particular network and may require you to get a referral from your primary care doctor to see a specialist. Medigap will not.

One key concern is that in many states, Medigap premiums can increase as you get older. And if you decide to drop your Medigap plan, you may have to pay a much higher premium to get that plan back in the future – if you can get it back at all. So be careful about making any changes to your Medigap coverage.

When can I enroll?

Normally, you can enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan only during Medicare’s annual open enrollment period, which runs from October 15 to December 7. Once you pick a Medicare Advantage plan, you must stick with it for the whole year (unless you qualify for a special enrollment period).

Sign-up periods for Medigap plans vary from state to state.

How can I get more information?

Anyone with Medicare can get help from a local counselor through their State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). Call 1-800-MEDICARE and ask for a referral to your local SHIP, or go to www.Medicare.gov and click on “Find someone to talk to.” ISI

PAGE 26 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014

Exhilaration Of Being Airborne Keeps Instructor Mike Marquette Flying

By Dianna Troyer Even though Mike Marquette has been piloting planes for decades, he still feels a surge of exhilaration every time he lifts off.

“I always feel so blessed to live in this day and age when I can fly around with the birds,” says the 66-year-old flight instructor who owns Marquette Aviation at the Blackfoot Airport. “How lucky am I to live in this generation, with aviation being 110 years old?”

Whenever the Chubbuck resident flies, annoyances and problems stay earthbound.

“When you’re several thousand feet up, you look down and see tiny features of towns and the landscape. It always reminds me of seeing the earth from God’s or the angels’ perspective. Any problems disappear.”

His wife, Lois, a former flight nurse, encourages him to fly if he feels discouraged, which isn’t often.

“He always comes back in a better mood,” she says.

Many of his passengers return from a flight feeling euphoric.

“It’s wonderful seeing people make memories of a lifetime in a plane,” says Mike. “Once, I flew a 9-year-old boy for his birthday. It was a surprise gift from his parents. When we got back, he was jumping up and down and couldn’t stop smiling.

He floated home.”

Mike has also taken people on airborne prom dates. Another time, a man scheduled a flight so he could propose to his girlfriend.

“Most people don’t know that for the price of a restaurant dinner for two, about $50 or $60, you can take a 30- to 40-minute plane ride you’ll always remember,” he says.

Mike is known for his expertise flying characteristically blustery winds of eastern Idaho’s Snake River Plain.

“The sun heats up the flat ground, so by afternoon you have some intense thermals. Most people fly as early as possible in the morning to avoid that turbulence.”

Mike’s calm demeanor is reassuring.

“He’s a great pilot because he’s methodical and cautious,” says Amos Brown, a line service-

Pilot Mike Marquette works on his Cessna 172 at the Pocatello AvCenter. He became a fight instructor after retiring as a UPS truck drive. [Photo by Dianna Troyer]

man at the Pocatello AvCenter, where Mike works in a hangar on his Cessna 172.

“When he flies, he has a feel for the aircraft and knows how a plane will react in certain conditions, which only comes with experience,” says Amos.

“That’s really important here because we get crazy wind gusts you don’t see at other airports.”

Mike began flying in 1985 after winning a contest for free flying lessons. Since then, he has earned a private pilot license, a commercial pilot license, and a Certified Flight Instructor certificate.

After retiring in 2007 as a long-haul trucker for United Parcel Service, he began working on his flight instructor certification.

“I love to teach,” says Mike, who also owns a Piper Cherokee 180. “I always let people take an introductory flight and sit in the pilot’s seat, so they can see if they’re interested. Some are excited, while others realize it’s not for them. This area is a great place to learn due to the strong crosswinds. If you can deal with those, you can fly almost anywhere.”

Since he began teaching, 16 of his 30 to 35 students have earned their pilot licenses.

“The attrition rate is horrific due to loss of interest, job changes, or finances,” he says. “About 70 to 80 percent of the people who take flying lessons never become a pilot.”

For those who are intimidated by the dangers of flying, he says there are risks in many activities.

“On the day I was supposed take my test for flight instructor certification, I broke my collarbone while riding my motorcycle,” he recalls. “Motorcycle drivers have about the same accident rate as small aircraft pilots, although I’ve never had serious issues while flying. In a plane, you’ll be fine if you use prudent judgment, follow the rules, and don’t put yourself in a compromised situation. Most pilots die at a ripe old age in their beds like anyone else.”

Mike says he loves sharing his aeronautical enthusiasm and may be reached at 208-339-0663. ISI

Google’s Self-Driving Cars

By Bill Siuru mous systems, these cars include video cameras You probably have been hearing about all the and radar sensors linked to a detailed mapping research underway in developing and testing au- system. This allows the car to navigate through tonomous or self-driving vehicles. Most of current urban streets and traffic without the assistance of work has been aimed at technology that augments a driver when desired. In contrast, the Google car a human driver in controlling the vehicle, sort of like is designed from the ground up to be completely the autopilot used in an airliner. These cars allow driverless. the driver to take over at The Google car feaanytime. Since today’s tures special software computers and other and sensors that feed inelectronics are quicker formation into an onboard than the human brain, computer that drives the they could also provide car. The sensors can control in an emergency. “see” beyond blind spots Google, which has and detect other vehibeen experimenting with cles, objects, pedestrians its autonomous driving and landmarks within a technology since 2010, 360-degree radius over a has unveiled a truly drivrange of about the length erless car. Indeed, there of two football fields. are no provisions for a 1. The Google driverless car is about the size of a golf In a normal car, there human driving. There is cart. is power steering and no steering wheel, mirpower brakes. If power rors, or brake and accelerator pedals like found assist fails, the car can still be steered and braked, in ordinary cars, even other autonomous vehicles. albeit with significantly greater muscle effort. But Since it doesn’t need a driver, it could transport what happens if there is no steering wheel or brake kids to and from school, people without a driver’s pedal? Google has accounted for this by using two license, or seniors with infirmities that no longer redundant motors for steering and braking so they allow them to drive. still work to safely steer and brake. Or in worse The prototype Google car can accommodate situations, you can hit the off button. two passengers plus a guide or service dog. The Even though quite tiny, the Google car provides interior of the vehicle has been kept simple and collision protection for both its occupants and practical for testing purposes. There are two pedestrians. This includes a foam exterior and comfortable passenger seats with seatbelts and flexible windshield. During the testing phase of this spacious legroom, plus a small storage compart- new technology, Google has capped the vehicle’s ment behind the seats. The only controls are top speed to 25 mph in order to minimize any stop and start buttons in the center console and potential danger. Even at 25 mph, driverless cars a navigation system for selecting and displaying like the Google one could be ideal in gated, 55+ the planned route. communities where golf carts and neighborhood Unlike previous driverless cars that have been electric vehicles are already very popular. Totally essentially ordinary cars retrofitted with autono- driverless cars that can travel in heavy urban traffic

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014

and at interstate speeds represent a much greater challenge.

Google is quite serious about driverless cars

and thus will build 100 self-drive cars within the year. It also plans a small pilot program in California in the next couple of years. If successful, it plans

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 27

to work with partners to bring this technology into the world safely. ISI

Idaho Trivia Roundup

By Bernice Karnop Idaho is known for its world famous potatoes, and rightly so. But there’s so much more. Mountains, rivers, and canyons, wildlife, hot springs, and historic skiing. Idaho overflows with natural and historic wonders. Idaho is rich with resources, industry, and people. Take some time to appreciate and learn about our great state this summer. Then spend some time visiting the sites that interest you most. We give you a place to start with these bits of Idaho Trivia.

• Hell’s Canyon is the deepest gorge in America, but have you stopped at Bruneau Canyon overlook? Here you get an impressive peek into a 1,200’-deep, 800’-wide canyon. This 60-mile long gash in the earth’s surface fascinates geologists. The rhyolite strata of the vertical cliffs indicate that this volcanic region predates the Snake River Plain and the Yellowstone Caldera.

• Bruneau Sand Dunes State Park, a short distance from Mountain Home, formed during the Bonneville Flood 15,000 years ago. The 470’ heaps of sand are the tallest freestanding dunes on the continent.

• The Snake River Birds of Prey Wildlife Area is a half-million-acre protected area within an hour’s drive from Boise. It claims to hold the world’s densest population of nesting eagles, hawks, owls, and falcons. Fifteen different species nest in the canyon’s basalt cliffs. They hunt the plateau above the canyon for jackrabbits, Townsend’s ground squirrels, and other rodents.

• A favorite fishing spot in Idaho is Anderson Ranch Reservoir near Pine.

A short drive from there takes adventurous souls to the Trinity Mountain Recreation area. Hikers may climb 9,451’ Trinity Mountain to the highest fire lookout in the Boise National Forest.

• The Cataldo Mission in North Idaho just off I-90, is the oldest building in the state. It was designed by Father Antonio Ravalli, who served under noted missionary Father DeSmet. The Coeur d’Alene Tribe did the construction from its beginning in 1850 to its completion in 1853.

• Silver City is Idaho’s best-preserved ghost town. Discovery of gold and silver in 1863 and 1864 brought hopeful miners by the droves. Idaho’s first telegraph service and its first newspaper were in Silver City. By 1912, $30 million had been taken from mines. Today 40 wood frame buildings still stand in various states of repair. They include a schoolhouse and Our Lady of Tears Catholic Church.

• Rigby claims to be the birthplace of television. Back in 1920 Philo Taylor Farnsworth III, only 14 years old, visualized dissecting images into their component electrons, transmitting them to a receiver, and reassembling them into a picture. His supportive science teacher was instrumental in encouraging the electronics genius. He dropped out of school two years later but he didn’t drop his ideas and experiments. In 1928, Farnsworth invented the first cathode-ray tube and thus the first television.

• Sun Valley is the first ski resort in western North America. Averell Harriman, who owned the Union Pacific Railroad, started the resort with his personal fortune. He invited Hollywood celebrities like Claudette Colbert, Errol Flynn, and Clark Gable to the kick off in 1936. An instant success, it continues to prosper in some of the most beautiful alpine valleys in Idaho.

Today Sun Valley is a summer destination as well, with golf courses, tennis courts, swimming, biking, and much more.

• Lest we neglect the humble potato, the city of Grace in the Gem Valley is noted for its certified seed potatoes. ISI

Visit Salmon For Travel To The Time Of Sacajawea The Sacajawea Center was built in 2001 to commemorate the role Sacajawea played in the success of Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery and to provide education and information about her people, the Agai’dika Shoshone.

Located just outside of Salmon, Idaho it is not hard to imagine what this valley looked like two centuries ago when Sacajawea returned to her homeland with the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

On site, you will find many points of interest. An

interpretive center tells the story of Sacajawea and her people, and the 71-acre park includes interpretive trails, a Native American fishing weir, tipis, and the Salmon Outdoor School.

Primitive skills classes and demonstrations happen at the Outdoor School Thursdays - Saturdays in June, July, and August. Mike Crosby, a local Lewis and Clark historian, provides interpretive talks on Saturdays – his intriguing topics include Sacajawea and her family, medicines used

How Did Old Ironsides Sail A Straight Line?

Submitted by Jim Meade The combat vessel U.S.S. Constitution (Old Ironsides) carried 48,600 gallons of fresh water for her crew of 475 officers and men. This was sufficient to last six months of sustained operations at sea. She carried no evaporators (i.e. fresh water distillers).

However, according to her ship’s log, “On July 27, 1798, the U.S.S. Constitution sailed from Boston with a full complement of 475 officers and men, 48,600 gallons of fresh water, 7,400 cannon shot, 11,600 pounds of black powder and 79,400 gallons of rum.”

Her mission: “To destroy and harass English shipping.”

Making Jamaica on October 6, she took on 826 pounds of flour and 68,300 gallons of rum.

Then she headed for the Azores, arriving there November 12. She provisioned with 550 pounds of beef and 64,300 gallons of Portuguese wine.

On November 18, she set sail for England. In the ensuing days, she defeated five British men-of-war and captured and scuttled 12 English merchant ships, salvaging only the rum aboard each.

By January 26, her powder and shot were exhausted. Nevertheless, although unarmed she made a night raid up the Firth of Clyde in Scotland.

Her landing party captured a whisky distillery and transferred 40,000 gallons of single malt Scotch aboard by dawn. Then she headed home.

The U. S. S. Constitution arrived in Boston on February 20, 1799, with no cannon shot, no food, no powder, no rum, no wine, no whisky, and 38,600 gallons of water.

Go Navy! ISI

during the Expedition, and the Expedition’s time in the Lemhi Valley.

You will not want to miss the Agai’dika Heritage Celebration August 15-16, which includes a Dutch oven gathering, a primitive living experience in action, Native American dancing, and a spiritual walk/run.

Visit www.sacajwaeacenter.org or call 208-7561188 for more information. ISI

PAGE 28 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014

Hack Attack Q: I am one of the 1.3 million people whose information was compromised during the recent hacking of the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services server.

Aside from signing up for the free credit monitoring and insurance that the state is offering to the victims of the data breach, what other things can I do to protect myself in the future?

A: Unfortunately, falling victim to online hackers is becoming increasingly inevitable. About 432 million online accounts belonging to 110 million Americans – roughly half of all adults – were hacked in cyber attacks during the past year, according to new findings by the Ponemon Institute, a data-collection research firm.

The risks are so widespread that two-thirds of 3,110 respondents to a Consumer Reports survey said they do nothing to protect themselves – the apathetic result of what experts call data-breach fatigue from the seemingly nonstop parade of high profile hacking of customer records at Target, Neiman Marcus, Adobe, and others.

Bad move.

“The most effective defense against an international onslaught of shadowy hackers is a well-

informed and vigilant individual,” notes Consumer Reports.

Five Things You Should Start Doing Today to Protect Yourself From Hackers 1. Don’t share anything you don’t have to.

That includes your Social Security number at the doctor’s office or on medical forms (if needed, your insurer can provide it); where you live, work, shop, or vacation; on social media; or any personal or financial information in phone calls or emails you do not initiate.

2. Monitor your financial life. Don’t rely solely on monthly statements from your bank or credit card companies; check account activity online or by phone at least weekly for quick indicators of fraud. Also, do what many Americans don’t: Access your free credit reports every four months at AnnualCreditReport.com.

3. Protect your technology. In addition to using strong and different passwords on different accounts and on all electronic devices, change them frequently (take note, Smartphone users).

Take an extra step, too, by checking for updates on security software, just in case not all are automatic.

4. Be a smart shopper. Use a credit card over a debit card when shopping online, traveling, at the gas station, and most everywhere else. Never shop (or do any financial transaction, including checking banking or credit card accounts) on public Wi-Fi networks. And when online shopping (ideally from a secure home account), always try to type website addresses yourself; relying on links in emails, advertisements, or online searches

can take you to a scammer-run site or download malware to your computer. When using your Smartphone to shop, use retailers’ dedicated apps, rather than your phone’s browser.

5. Be skeptical. Those “Dear Customer” emails from retailers with which you do business?

They’re likely bogus (they have your name, but do they have your email?), so don’t click on their links. And even with a personalized email, before clicking, hover your computer mouse over the link and you should see a full website address. If it’s not what appears in an email-offered link, assume you’re being directed to a scammer-run website or about to download malware. Don’t trust emails, text messages, or phone calls that ask you to confirm recent transactions (legitimate retail sites will send an order confirmation, usually with instructions on how to track the delivery of your purchase, but they will not ask for confirmation). Also beware of “warnings” from your bank asking you to confirm your account – look up the phone number yourself if you’re worried.

Remember, the best defense against hackers is you!

If you’ve been scammed, notify local law enforcement and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office of Consumer Protection at (800) 432-3545 or www. ag.idaho.gov/consumerProtection/consumerIndex. html. You may also contact the AARP Foundation Fraud Fighter Center at 877-908-3360.

Go to the AARP Fraud Watch Network at www. aarp.org/FraudWatchNetwork to find out more about prevention of scams and fraud or to sign up for “Watchdog Alerts.” ISI

Checklist for Fall Garden and Landscape Care

By Melinda Myers Yes, it’s hot now, but soon you will feel the change of seasons. Fall color will soon appear, pansies, mums, and asters will be in the garden center, and your thoughts will turn to preparing your landscape for winter.

Those in warm climates are switching to winter annuals, while those in colder regions are fortifying their landscapes for the cold winter ahead. No matter where you live, invest some time in preparing your landscape for the change in seasons. Dedicating some time now will pay off with healthier more beautiful plants next spring.

• Continue to mow the lawn high as long as it continues to grow.

There’s no need to cut it short unless that is the look you prefer.

• Fertilize the grass with a low nitrogen slow release fertilizer. Fall fertilization provides the greatest benefit to your lawn and gives you the best value for the time and money invested.

• Those in cooler regions growing bluegrass, fescue, and perennial ryegrass should

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fertilize around Labor Day when temperatures start to cool. Then make a final application between Halloween and Thanksgiving before the ground freezes.

• Those in warmer climates growing centipede, Bermuda, and zoysia should also fertilize around Labor Day. However, be sure to make the last fall application at least one month prior to the average first killing frost.

• Shred leaves as they fall. Leave some on the lawn to add organic matter and nutrients to the soil.

As long as you can see the grass blades through the shredded leaves, your lawn will be fine.

• Use the rest of the shredded leaves in your compost pile, as mulch on top of the soil or as a soil amendment. Just dig a two to three inch layer into the top 12 inches of annual or new planting beds.

These leaves will break down and add organic matter. By spring, the leaves will decompose and the garden bed will be ready to cultivate and plant.

• Plant a few bulbs now for a colorful early spring display. Incorporate compost, aged manure, or other organic matter into the planting area. Add a low nitrogen slow release fertilizer at the time of planting. In general, plant bulbs two to three times their vertical diameter deep. Follow specific planting and spacing directions on the package or tag.

• Select animal-resistant bulbs to avoid squirrels’ digging up the bulbs and deer and rabbits eating the blooms. Daffodils, hyacinths, grape hyacinths, and squills are a few to consider. Little Tommies (Crocus tommasinianus) tend to be more squirrel resistant than other crocus varieties.

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• Those gardening in mild climates need low chill bulbs that will thrive and flower after a mild winter. Or purchase precooled bulbs for winter planting and spring flowering.

• Allow disease- and insect-free perennials to stand for winter. This will increase their winter hardiness and your enjoyment. The dried leaves, stems, and seed heads provide beauty for you to enjoy, seeds for the birds, and overwintering homes for many butterflies and beneficial insects.

• Plant trees, shrubs, and perennials. The soil is warm and the air is cool – perfect conditions for planting and establishing trees, shrubs, and perennials. And for those lucky enough to garden in warm climates add a few winter annuals.

• Continue to water the landscape as needed throughout the fall. Be sure to water evergreens and new plantings thoroughly before the ground freezes.

No matter where you live or the size of your garden, get outdoors and enjoy the beauty of fall. And be sure to invest a bit of energy now to insure your landscape is ready for the season ahead.

Gardening expert, TV/radio host, author & columnist Melinda Myers has more than 30 years of horticulture experience and has written over 20 gardening books, including Can’t Miss Small Space Gardening and the Midwest Gardener’s Handbook. Myers’ web site, www.melindamyers.com, offers gardening videos and tips. ISI

Craft Beer - A Delicious Advocate For Quality, Variety, and Food Pairing

By Patrick Rollins Beer in America has been and is still in the process of going through a transformation. Beer is shedding the lifeless husk of the bland, the unoriginal, and unimpressive for the glorious wings of quality, variety, and possibility. Since the beginning of the beer renaissance in the late 1970s, consumers in America have been looking for new and delicious beverages to experience and many of them have turned to microbrews/craft beer. Craft beer offers variety with many styles available; it can offer full flavor with exciting and quality ingredients; and it can offer new ways to present meals with unique food pairings.

Everyone has a different taste, and since beer is a very subjective medium, craft beer embraced the ever changing palate. Since prohibition, the number of breweries in the United States has blossomed to over 1,400 brewing over 60 different styles of beer. The “Big Three” breweries currently hold roughly 95% of the American beer market and produce the same style of beer (American light lager) with slightly different variations. By the 1970s, Americans had decided they wanted something different and wide variety of beer became readily available to the average consumer. People could enjoy the golden/amber color, the floral aroma, and hoppy bitterness of an India Pale Ale, or the nearly black, sweet smelling, malty, roasted taste of a Porter. The flavor profiles of these beers were something never experienced before by the average American considering the bland, watery, pseudo lager flavors of what the big three offer.

The flavorless ubiquity of the big three breweries comes from the corn, rice, and other adjuncts they put in their brews which do absolutely nothing to expand the flavor of their beer. Craft beer is brewed using traditional methods with an eye to what’s distinctive and flavorful rather than mass appeal. The craft brewer’s focus is to enhance the flavor and overall experience of their beverage. The flavor profiles of craft beers can range from crisp and light to full bodied and heavy on the tongue, from the dry, spicy, hoppy notes to the

rich, sweet, malty taste. As the diverse mouth-feel of the different craft beers is enjoyed there is a symphony being played upon the taste buds with a variety of flavor notes such as vanilla, coffee, fruity, toffee, and nutty.

The taste and flavors offered by craft beer are marvelous by themselves but soar to new heights when paired with food. Craft beers’ broad range of flavors, aromas, and textures make them a perfect match for nearly any kind of food, from a rich blue-cheese hamburger to the most luxurious of gourmet dinners. Balance is provided from hop bitterness with sweeter richer foods and sweet maltiness with spicy more acidic foods. Similar flavors will enhance one another such as the spiciness from hops to the spiciness of hotter foods; while other combinations will complement one another, like roasty, nut-brown ale to the smooth creaminess of a New York style cheesecake. Most of all, just take on the adventure of experimentation!

The brave new world of beer has so much to offer and is certainly more interesting then the bland, yellowish, fizzy liquid most Americans are used to. With the variety, quality, and food pairing possibilities available from craft beers, let us raise a toast to continually expanding our horizons and trying new things! Cheers!

EzineArticles.com/4135432. ISI

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Ten Tips for a Safer Garage

By Bill Siuru Retirement often means spending more time in the garage or workshop.

Whether doing woodworking or restoring an old car, here are a few tips to make the time spent safer and healthier.

1. Disposable gloves protect hands from caustic materials like paint strippers, etching acids, rust removers, epoxies, etc. Surgical gloves, found at most drug stores, are great because their thinness does not hinder dexterity – surgeons use them for delicate operations. Leather gloves can prevent cuts and abrasion when handling metal, slivers from glass or wood, burns from hot items, acid burns from batteries, or hurt knuckles when wrenching a stubborn bolt.

2. Use safety glasses or goggles whenever there is a risk of flying debris, which is any time you are using power tools, sanding, or filing. Also, wear them when working under a vehicle, under the hood of a running vehicle, or doing anything with batteries.

3. Invest in a good pair of muff-like ear protectors and wear them when-

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ever you use power tools and especially air tools, which have a high-pitched wail. Alternatively, use small foam or putty-like ear plugs.

4. Wear a disposable surgical mask whenever there is any chance of dust getting into your lungs. This is important because the particles from many materials like asbestos used in brake shoes and pads can be cancer producing. You will need a respirator with charcoal filters when painting or around chemical fumes.

5. A readily available fire extinguisher allows you to snuff out a small fire before it gets out of control. It has to be mounted where it can be reached instantly. Learn how to use it. Once a fire starts, you won’t have time to find the instructions and read them. Fire extinguishers have to be properly charged and ready for use, so check extinguishers periodically When buying an extinguisher, make sure it is designed for any type of fire that could occur in your shop – Class A (ordinary combustibles like wood and paper), Class B (flammable liquids like grease, gasoline, oil, etc.), Class C (electrical fires), and Class D (flammable metals like magnesium). Either purchase an extinguisher with multiple ratings (A-B, B-C, and A-B-C) or purchase multiple extinguishers to handle the expected risks.

Be particularly careful with flammable materials. If possible, do not store them in the same garage with valuable vehicles. If you must store them, make sure they are in sealed containers and as far away from the collector cars as possible.

6. Smoke detectors provide sufficient warning to keep a minor fire from turning into a major conflagration. Make sure you can hear the alarm even when you are not in the shop or garage, which may require a more sophisticated alarm than the inexpensive battery-powered ones. Consider a security system that is professionally monitored or sends an alarm directly to the fire station, especially if you have a detached garage.

7. Carbon monoxide is called the “silent killer” because it’s odorless, you can’t feel it and it doesn’t cause irritation. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headache, fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea, and dizziness. Often you are unconscious or even dead before you’ve noticed the symptoms. The best defense against CO poisoning is a good carbon monoxide alarm. Smoke detectors do NOT detect carbon monoxide. You need both or a detector that includes both functions. Buy a battery-powered one that will work even during an electric power outage and replace the batteries periodically 8. Have a first aid kit in the garage or workshop.

9. Install a phone in your workshop so you can call for help. Slip a cell phone into your pocket so you can call for help no matter the situation.

10. Buy extra gloves, ear protectors, and surgical masks for friends who might come to help or just watch. ISI

Remodeling For Later...

By Roger Roemmich, author of Don’t Eat Dog Food When You’re Old Home Depot and Lowe’s loves aging baby boomers. Every day contractors load pickup trucks with lumber, drywall, paint, bathroom tiles, grab bars, bricks, and all kinds of remodeling materials in response to the increased demand for renovations to make houses more conducive to aging in place.

With demographic projections putting 8.7 million Americans at 85 or older by 2030, home modifications for aging in place have become big business.

The National Association of Homebuilders estimates that the market for remodeling existing homes to better accommodate aging boomers is between $20 and $25 billion, or about 10 percent of the current $214 billion home improvement industry.

That’s a lot of loot, but it’s well worth it for people who wish to grow old at home. A MetLife Mature Market Institute report, Aging in Place 2.0, suggests that spending $10,000 for renovations will recoup the expenses in 14 months just by staying at home Excellent customer service and paying for limited on-site adult daily services.

Three months in assisted living would likely eat up staff to answer and offer the $10,000 or more. With median long-term care costs at $81,030 per year, according to a Genworth for all plumbing, electrical, irrigation & lighting projects 2012 Cost of Care Survey, of aging in place is not store access and parking for “in & out” shopping only desirable, but also it is also cost-effective.

Modifications run the gamut from chair lifts to Large purchases loaded for you ramps, but removing trip hazards is the place to spend first. Falls account for 75 percent of all accidental deaths among people over 65, and they are the chief cause of forced entry into assisted living or a skilled nursing quarters. It is sensible to install grab bars, modify tile floors with non-skid, and to fit stairways with handrails on both sides. Building walk-in showers with seating and widening doors for easier wheelchair use is also common. Costs for full bathroom remodeling and door widening PAY & PACK anywhere from $4,300 to $36,200.

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percent can be a viable option to cover the renovation expenses.

As for ongoing costs for aging in place, there is something called the Federal Housing Administration Home Equity Conversion Mortgage program.

It can allow people to access the equity in their homes as income. Also, an increasing number of neighborhoods are falling into a category of housing called â&#x20AC;&#x153;naturally occurring retirement communities,â&#x20AC;? or NORCs (it rhymes with fork). A NORC is any geographically defined community where 40 percent

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 31

or more of the population is over 60 and still living in their own homes. The U.S. Administration on Aging says 17 percent of seniors live in NORCs, but AARP puts the figure as high as 36 percent. NORC residents band together to partner with providers to receive services at bulk rates, making aging in place less expensive for individuals.

Roger Roemmich earned his doctorate of accounting and finance from Michigan State University. He is also a certified accountant. ISI

When You Decide To Downsize â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Hang In There

By Eda Suzanne Until we started to pack to move from our home of 35 years, I was sure my spouse was the only pack rat living there. Once I started to go through storage boxes that were on the top of my bedroom closet, I had to admit I was one also. However, the reasons we clung to worthless items were totally different. He kept stuff he felt had potential value, like National Geographic magazines, record collections, and cameras. I stored expensive clothing that hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fit in years and white elephant gifts given by loved ones.

When you move, you pay by the amount of cartons and furniture that goes on the truck. And if your new home has fewer closets, you need to be realistic. My cousin, who knew that my husband and I were disagreeing as to what should be discarded or kept, gave us great advice, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Buy another cemetery plot next to yours, and bury the stuff.â&#x20AC;?

Those words, plus my sonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s saying, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Either you dump it now, or I will when I move you to assisted living,â&#x20AC;? sped up the downsizing process especially because the plastic statue he held up when he said it was one I took from my mother when we moved her to an assisted living.

Sorting through the garage, storage closets, and edrooms that once were home to our sons was beyond our physical capabilities. The cavalry â&#x20AC;&#x201C; our two sons â&#x20AC;&#x201C; came to the rescue. They packed cartons filled with memorabilia from their childhood â&#x20AC;&#x201C; dozens of trophies, yearbooks, and framed team photos. The massive, framed sign-in posters from their bar mitzvahs stood in the rear seat of their cars when they pulled out of the driveway. Our new home office â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an office that would no longer be referred to as one sonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bedroom â&#x20AC;&#x201C; would be filled with mementoes from our current lives.

Free Even though Florida houses have no Local basements, and attics Area are too hot to use for Information storage, it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t deLarry Waters NMLS 400451 crease the amount that Reverse Mortgage Consultant pack rats accumulate.

It is amazing how high Learn More: boxes can be piled on 208-762-6887 the shelves in the bedroom and hall closets.

After the interior of the house was organized, 157 W Hayden Ave Ste 104 we tackled the garage, Hayden, ID 83835 the hardest â&#x20AC;&#x153;roomâ&#x20AC;? for 855-762-6887 / NMLS 1079636 my husband to down-

size. The cartons stacked on both sides of the garage hid his stash of broken radios, telephone answering machines and other electronics, none of which had any kind of monetary value. Shelves of broken and useless tools as well as his collection of screws and nails were dumped. He wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t happy and still is upset about this. He reminds me every time he has to buy nails, ignoring the fact they were never the size he needed.

We moved into our home, unpacked, and found a place for everything. You could actually see the walls in the garage. I knew in my heart that all the

possessions we moved had a place in our new life. My husband and I vowed not to collect useless items and to live clutter free. Five years later, the state of our garage speaks to the validity of that promise.

Anyone need a computer key board in perfect condition? How about a burgundy lampshade?

Eda Suzanne, the author of Retired NOT Expired, is a freelance writer and humorous speaker.

Her website is www.edasuzanne.com and you may contact her at edasuzanne@comcast.net. ISI

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Larsens Revive Days - continued from page 23 30 pounds one summer with all the sanding I did.”

When the remodeling was done, they began scrounging estate sales for antiques to decorate their house.

“Pretty soon, I realized I had more than enough stuff and started selling on eBay in 1997,” she recalls.

In 1999, friends persuaded them to sell their pieces at a weekend show in Island Park. They picked a name for their venture – Daze Gone Bye.

“We had no idea what we were doing,” recalls Sue. “We just packed up our fifth-wheel with stuff and off we went. We didn’t have a tent. We barely made enough money to cover our time and expenses that weekend, but we got the bug and started going to more shows.”

Eventually growing weary of the show circuit, they have limited their travel to weekend shows in Hailey on July 4 and Labor Day. “We love the Hailey shows because so many people are coming through town at those holidays,” says Sue. “They want small vintage items they can pack easily.”

At the shows, they sometimes get ideas for a new project to start when they return home.

“We’ll always find something to do around here,” says Sue. “We’ll never move from this place. We have too much stuff.” ISI

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FRUITLAND, ID Beautiful custom built 4 bedroom, 3 bath, 3100+ sq ft home in rural Fruitland Idaho. Amazing view of the valley from the covered patio. Very open floor plan with vaulted ceilings, large spacious kitchen, and huge master suite. 1.91+/- acre lot provides lots of room for the garden, berry patch, huge yard and 3100+/- sq. ft. shop. Tall doors on shop for RV or boat storage, etc. Centrally located from Ontario Oregon, Payette Idaho, Fruitland Idaho, and just a short distance to Boise Idaho. $450,000. MLS #98559991 PAYETTE, ID Payette, Idaho - Immaculate home on 4.41+/- acres. 3227+/- sq ft, 5 bedrooms, 3 ½ bathrooms, vaulted ceilings, granite countertops, surround sound (inside and out) and large spacious rooms. Also, a 1600+/- sq ft finished shop, second storage building with insulated dog kennel. Sprinkle irrigated pastures outside vinyl yard fencing. Three car oversized garage with large finely graveled parking space outside. Landscaping is beautiful with above ground pool and deck for summer enjoyment. $475,000. MLS #98540283 ONTARIO, OR Ontario, Oregon. 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 1745 sq ft home on city lot.

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New Meadows, ID – 2 bdrm, one bath home, 936+/- sq ft. Two car detached garage. Both have vinyl siding and metal roof. Two parcels total approx. .44 acre of ground. Convenient location to year round recreation. $99,500. Listing agent is related to seller. MLS #98556483 HUGE PRICE REDUCTION. Quiet location in the country near New Plymouth, ID. 3.65+/- irrigated acres, 3 bdrm, 3 bath mf home with bonus room. Large shop with RV storage. Numerous outbuildings and over 25 fruit trees. $199,000. MLS #98526940 BUILDING SITE – Parma, ID – Fantastic views, breathtaking and beautiful.

5.32+/- acres with building right. Some mature trees, partial water rights and fully fenced. $49,900. MLS #98476164 PRICE REDUCED – Payette, ID – Home built in 1920 has 2 bdrms, 1 bath.

Recently new vinyl windows, carpet, tile, exterior paint and A/C. Refrigerator, range, washer, dryer and pellet stove included. Property is in a commercial zone with residential use allowed. $59,500. MLS #98550450 Fruitland, ID – 1998 Champion mf home features 3 bdrms, 2 baths, carport/patio with refrigerator, range, washer, dryer and storage shed included.

Convenient location in River Ridge 55+ Manufactured Home Park. Space rent is $270/month and includes water, sewer and trash. $28,500. MLS #98559536 Spacious Weiser, ID home features 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, living room, family room and covered patio. Beautiful hardwood floors on most the main floor. Carport, two city lots, fenced back yard, and private irrigation well. $149,000. MLS #98500114

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IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 33

PAGE 34 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014

Dental Implants Can Solve Many Problems

By Roberts & Hall, Twin Falls Do you struggle with loose, ill-fitting dentures? Do they prevent you from enjoying your favorite foods? Do they affect the way that you speak?

Do you lack the confidence to attend social events or eat out at your favorite restaurants? If you can relate to any of these scenarios, then implant-retained dentures may be a great solution for you.

There are several replacement options for traditional dentures involving the placement of dental implants. These titanium implants lock firmly into your jawbone and the prostheses that attach to them are much more stable than your once loose, uncomfortable, and sometimes embarrassing traditional dentures. With modern CT scan imaging technology, the number of people who are candidates for placement is greatly increased. With

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a quick and easy x-ray, bone levels can be evaluated three-dimensionally, and implants can be placed precisely into ideal bone in your mouth.

Locking dentures into place offers a variety of benefits: â&#x20AC;˘ Your dentures will be more stable, comfortable and make your food taste better. Traditional dentures can pinch and rock, adhesives are messy, food can get caught underneath them, they can slip and move while speaking â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the list goes on and on! By locking dentures down with implants, movement is greatly reduced, the need for adhesive is eliminated, the chance of food getting caught underneath is much less, and speaking becomes much easier because the dentures stay put in your mouth. Implant-retained dentures are typically less bulky than traditional dentures and can even allow for the removal of the acrylic across the roof of your mouth, which can greatly improve your sense of taste. â&#x20AC;˘ The implants will stimulate the bone in your jaws. Traditional denture wearers often suffer from premature physical aging due to the erosion of the jawbone where the teeth once were. This also causes the dentures to become very loose and uncomfortable over time. The stimulation caused by the placement of implants will help to maintain the bone at an ideal level, in turn maintaining a more youthful appearance and allow for a slower, more natural aging process. â&#x20AC;˘ They will lead to better health and nutrition. By locking dentures down onto implants, your chewing function is greatly improved, which can help to improve overall digestion and dietary wellness.

For appropriate candidates, implant supported dentures represent an ideal solution for missing teeth or replacement of existing traditional dentures. They will give you the confidence to smile, speak, eat, and enjoy life the way you deserve to!

To learn more, consult your family dentist and visit www.robertsandhall.com. ISI

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Stabilize your loose dentures or partials with implants or nonremovable options.

Call now for your free consultation 208-733-5346

256 Martin St. Twin Falls, Idaho 83301

www.robertsandhall.com

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014

Nutrition experts: Debate over value of vitamin, mineral supplements is far from over

By David Stauth Researchers from the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University and three other institutions have taken issue with recent claims that “the case is closed” on whether or not a multivitamin/ mineral supplement should be taken by most people to help obtain needed micronutrients.

The researchers have reasoned in correspondence published in the Annals of Internal Medicine that this type of dietary supplement helps fill nutritional gaps, improves general health, might help prevent chronic disease, will cause no harm and is easily worth the few cents a day that it costs.

To “call the case closed” is wrong and “misinforms the public and the medical community,” the researchers wrote. Their statements were a response to an editorial in the same publication last year that argued that such supplements are unnecessary and received widespread publicity.

Nutrition experts from OSU, the Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute, Tufts University, and the Harvard School of Public Health authored the statement.

While most nutrition experts agree that a balanced and nutritious diet is the best way to obtain needed nutrients, the researchers in this commentary point out that many Americans have a less-than-perfect diet – long on calories and short on nutrients and the vast majority is not getting enough of several important vitamins and minerals.

“It’s naïve to ignore the fact that most people have micronutrient inadequacies, and wrong to condemn a daily supplement that could cover these nutritional gaps safely and at low cost,” said Balz Frei, professor and director of the Linus Pauling Institute, and a biochemist in the OSU College of Science.

“There’s strong evidence that a multivitamin/ mineral supplement supports normal functioning of the body and helps improve overall health, and may even help lower chronic disease risk,” Frei said. “It’s irresponsible to ignore decades of nutrition research and tell the people of the United States they have no need for a supplement that could be so helpful, and costs as little as $1 a month.

“And if they have a poor diet, people should

try to improve that as well,” he said. “The two are not mutually exclusive.”

Among the points the researchers made in their commentary: • The vast majority of people in the United States do not meet all of the guidelines for dietary intake of vitamins and minerals.

• More than 93 percent of adults in the U.S. do not get the estimated average requirement of vitamins D and E from their diet; 61 percent not enough magnesium; and 50 percent not enough vitamin A and calcium.

• Many subpopulations have even more critical needs for micronutrients, including older adults, African Americans, obese persons, and some people who are ill or injured.

• Concerns about “increased mortality” from supplements of vitamins A and E have been based on extremely high use through supplements far beyond the amount available in a multivitamin, and in the case of vitamin E largely refuted by comprehensive meta-analyses.

The value of proper nutrition, on the other hand, is wide-ranging and positive. Micronutrients maintain normal cell and tissue function, metabolism, growth, and development. A supplement that helps a person “cover all the bases” can help protect daily, routine health.

Overt deficiency diseases such as scurvy or rickets are increasingly rare in the U.S. due to improved diet and fortified foods. However, certain vitamin and mineral deficiencies are still a major issue in the developing world, especially vitamin A, iron, iodine, and zinc. According to the World Health Organization, more than 650,000 children under

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 35

PAGE 36 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

the age of five die around the world every year from deficiency in vitamin A. And the potential for vitamins and other micronutrients to help reduce or prevent chronic disease continues to show promise. One of the longest, largest controlled studies ever done, the Physicians’ Health Study II, found a significant 8 percent reduction in total cancer incidence in male physicians – people who, through their education, income, and lifestyle, probably had diets much closer to optimal than the average American.

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014

“There are many issues that have helped to mislead people when it comes to the study of micronutrients,” Frei said. “For instance, most research is done without first checking to see if a person is inadequate in a nutrient, and you won’t find much effect from a supplement if it isn’t needed.

“In similar fashion, too much research has been done with groups such as doctors and nurses who are probably not representative of the general population,” he said. “Whatever has been shown to be useful in such research probably would be

even more effective in people who have poor diets or clear nutritional inadequacies.”

The researchers wrote in their conclusion that to “label multivitamin and mineral supplements useless, harmful, and a waste of money is wrong.”

The Linus Pauling Institute at OSU is a world leader in the study of micronutrients and their role in promoting optimum health or preventing and treating disease. Major areas of research include heart disease, cancer, aging, and neurodegenerative disease. ISI

Five Steps to Help Stop Cataracts Cataracts affects millions of people nationwide, and according to the National Eye Institute, 38 million people will suffer from cataracts by 2030. By age 80, more than half of all Americans either will have had a cataract or have had cataract surgery. However, there are measures you can take to reduce your chances of developing a cataract. World-leading ophthalmologist, Dr. Edward Kondrot, recommends three steps people of all ages should take to stop cataracts.

“Cataracts can be caused by a variety of sources, such as aging, nutrition, heavy metals and excess ultraviolet light,” affirms Dr. Edward Kondrot, founder of the Healing The Eye & Wellness Center. He is also the president of the Arizona Homeopathic and Integrative Medical Association, and the clinic director of Integrative Medicine of the American Medical College of Homeopathy.

“Most people think that you can only develop cataracts late in life, but cataracts can affect people as young as 40 years old. By changing your lifestyle, you can reduce your risk of developing a cataract later.”

Here are five steps to stop cataracts: 1. Diet. Maintain a healthy diet. Dr. Kondrot recommends the 70/30 diet, which is eating 70

percent raw living organic food and 30 organic that is cooked. Also, avoid white sugar, corn fructose, fruit juice concentrates, and milk sugar.

2. Stay hydrated. It is essential to stay hydrated to keep your body operating at the best of its ability. The Institute of Medicine states men should drink approximately 3.7 liters of water per day and women should have roughly 2.7 liters.

3. Check Lead Levels. Cataracts are linked to heavy metals in your system, such as lead.

Chelation therapy is essential to remove heavy metals and one therapy per month is recommended.

4. Cineraria Eye Drops. These homeopathic drops are available over-the-counter. The drops have proven effective in preventing the development of cataracts. Use one to two drops in the eye, three to six times daily.

5. Reduce stress. Stress has a negative effect on our bodies, leading to illness and poor health. Exercise, mediation, microcurrent stress therapy, and light therapy are great ways to reduce your stress.

“The first step that everyone needs to take to prevent cataracts is to visit their eye doctor.

A professional can determine the best course of action for you to take, as well as your risk.” ISI

Just like an Apple, You Need a Good Core

By Lynn Pribus Our bodies are an amazing collection of bones and muscles, and it’s important to our health and well-being to keep all the parts working together smoothly. The key is to maintain the health and power of our body’s core.

Fortunately, it’s never too late to develop and increase core strength.

What Is the Body’s Core?

The core is comprised of the muscles stabilizing the spine and pelvis.

These include the “abs” and “glutes” plus the illiacus, sartorius, and others, but it’s not important to know their names or where they are. What is important to know is that core strength is vital whatever your age. It’s essential during physical exercise and in everyday life. It helps us maintain good balance and perform activities from golfing to mopping a floor, from hefting a sack of groceries to holding a baby.

A strong core helps avoid injury because the muscles act like shock absorbers and reduce the chances of spinal injury or back pain. Protecting the back is an important benefit of a strong core because as many as 90 percent of all Americans experience back problems at some time, often causing pain and curtailing physical activity.

Another plus to a strong core is looking good. The core supports the back, helping us maintain the spaces between our vertebrae. The result? We stand straighter, walk taller, and move confidently – all things that contribute to a healthy appearance.

How Do I Develop and Maintain Core Strength?

First, consult your healthcare provider about exercise, especially if you are starting a new program. A key to enhancing core strength is to perform various exercises while keeping your balance because this forces the muscles around the spine to react. For example, hold onto a desk or wall and stand on one foot, then the other for as long as you can. Today ten seconds, tomorrow 15, next week 30. Then move on to balancing without holding on to something. After that, balance while using hand weights or machines.

Many people enjoy Pilates and yoga – and both emphasize core strength. If you have access to a physical therapist or personal trainer, invest in a session on core exercises, then make a second visit within a month to be sure you are performing them correctly.

The “secret” is to balance your workouts. Strength training is part of it because the whole body is connected to your core. It’s important to exercise both left and right, back and front. For example, tight abdominal muscles can affect the spine in a bad way if they aren’t balanced by a strong lower back. It’s also wise to remember that the body adapts to physical demands in about a month and a half, so it’s a good idea to change exercise patterns

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014

every six weeks or so.

If your healthcare provider gives an OK, here are three basic and effective exercises for strengthening the core.

• The Plank: Lie face down with elbows close to the sides, palms down under shoulders, toes on the floor. Lift the body to balance on forearms and toes with the head relaxed and facing down and the torso straight with no sagging. Hold position for 5 seconds and work up to as long as 60 seconds.

Slowly lower the body, rest, and then repeat at least three times. Easier: keep the knees on the floor.

Tougher: Straighten arms, keeping hands under the shoulders. Do not continue if you experience lower back pain.

• The Side Plank: Lie with the left hip on the floor, the left elbow under the shoulder, left hand palm down on floor facing away from the body, using the right hand for balance if necessary. Lift the body to balance on the elbow and the side of the left foot with the right foot resting on top of the left. The right arm can bear some weight. Hold torso straight from head to toe for 5 seconds, then slowly lower hip to the floor. Rest, then repeat at least three times, working up to 60-second holds.

Repeat the exercise on the right side. Tougher: lift the upper leg, or lift the balancing arm to point at the ceiling.

• The Bridge: Lie on your back with feet flat on the floor, beneath the knees. Tighten the ab-

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 37

dominal muscles and slowly lift the torso to create a straight line from shoulders up to the knees.

Hold for 10 seconds, then slowly lower back to the floor. Repeat, gradually increasing from to 5 to 30 times. Tougher: Extend one leg at a time to make a straight line from the shoulders.

Whether you perform these exercises at a fitness club or in your own bedroom, you will notice improvements in a few days and results in a matter of weeks. Go for it!

Lynn Pribus and her husband live in Charlottesville, Virginia. As part of their personal wellness program, they faithfully perform their planks and bridges at a local gym. ISI

Questions About Prostate Cancer Screening Screening – or testing to find a disease in people without symptoms – can help find some types of cancer early, when it is more easily treated. But for some men, the risks of prostate cancer screening may outweigh the benefits.

Asking questions is an important step in deciding whether to be screened.

Q: What are the screening tests for prostate cancer?

A: There are two main screening tests for prostate cancer: • The PSA test is a blood test to check the level of prostate-specific antigen in your blood. Most healthy men have levels under four nanograms per milliliter of blood. But everybody is different, and a lower PSA level does not guarantee a man is free of cancer, just as a higher level does not mean he has cancer.

• For the digital rectal exam (DRE), a doctor inserts a gloved, lubricated finger into the rectum to feel for any bumps or hard areas on the prostate that may need to be tested for cancer. This test may be done with the PSA, or the PSA may be done alone.

Q: What if the results are not normal?

A: If the results of the PSA and/or DRE suggest that you might have prostate cancer, your doctor will do a prostate biopsy to find out. A sample of prostate tissue is removed using a needle and sent to a lab, where a specialist will look at it under a microscope to see if it contains cancer cells.

Q: At what age should I have my first screening test?

A: The American Cancer Society recommends men learn as much as they can about prostate cancer screening risks and benefits and discuss the information with their doctor before deciding whether to be tested at all. Men at average risk of prostate cancer should have this discussion starting at age 50. Men at higher than average risk should have the discussion starting at age 40 or 45.

Q: Who is at higher than average risk for prostate cancer?

A: African-American men and men who have a father, brother, or son who was diagnosed with prostate cancer when he was younger than 65 are at high risk. Men with more than one of these close relatives diagnosed before age 65 are at even higher risk.

Q: Why shouldn’t all men be screened for prostate cancer?

A: It seems like it makes sense to check everyone to find out if they have cancer. But screening isn’t perfect. Sometimes screening misses cancer, and sometimes it finds something suspicious that turns out to be harmless. Also, there are not reliable tests yet to tell the difference between prostate cancer that’s going to grow so slowly it will never cause a man any problems, and dangerous cancer that will grow quickly. In addition, studies have not been able to show that annual PSA screening helps men live longer.

However, most men who find out they have cancer want to treat it. Treatments for prostate cancer can have urinary, bowel, and sexual side effects that may seriously affect a man’s quality of life. So, testing really is a decision that men should make after they have all the information. For additional information visit americancancersociety.org. ISI

Statins and Cholesterol: Possible Rewards, Probable Risks

By Tait Trussell Are statins to lower cholesterol right for you?

Two of the most reliable sources of medical information – Mayo Clinic and WebMD – have definite ideas about statins and cholesterol.

Americans are spending billions of dollars for such statins such as Lipitor, Zocor, and Crestor. But there are dangers as well as benefits.

First, Mayo: Statins can lower cholesterol. They may have other beneficial effects. “But doctors don’t know everything about statins yet.”

Whether you need to be on a statin depends on your cholesterol level along with your other risk factors for cardiovascular disease. If your cholesterol level is 240 milligrams per deciliter, or higher or your LDL, or “bad” cholesterol level is 130 mg/dl or higher, your doctor may recommend that you take a statin.

If the only risk factor you have is high cholesterol, you may not need medication because your risk of heart attack and stroke could otherwise be low. High cholesterol, after all, is only one of many risk factors for heart attack and stroke. Before being prescribed a statin, other risk factors should be considered including family history of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, sedentary lifestyle, obesity, smoking, narrowing of your arteries.

If your doctor advises a statin, the dose will depend on whether you need to

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cut your bad cholesterol significantly. Your lifestyle is still the key for lowering cholesterol. Exercising 30 minutes a day on most days of the week and managing stress are important.

Although statins are tolerated by most people, they do have side effects. Common side effects are muscle and joint aches, nausea, constipation, and diarrhea.

More serious side effects, however, include liver damage. Although not common, your doctor will likely order a liver enzyme test before you take a statin. “You should call your doctor if you have unusual fatigue, pain in your upper abdomen, darkcolor urine, or yellowing of your skin or eyes.”

Another side effect is muscle pain so severe that muscle cells can break down and release a protein into your bloodstream. This can damage your kidneys. Certain other drugs taken with statins also can raise the risk.

It also is possible that “your blood sugar (blood glucose) could increase when you take a statin.

Cassia Regional Medical Center is pleased to

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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014

This could lead to your developing Type 2 diabetes.” The risk is small. But the FDA requires a warning on statin labels regarding diabetes.

Some researchers have looked into whether statins could be linked to memory loss or Lou Gehrig’s disease. The FDA has warned of possible memory loss or confusion while taking statins. But these side effects seem to disappear if the dose is decreased.

Mayo doctors say your doctor may recommend another medication. And, if you have “bad” cholesterol (LDL) and high triglycerides, you may benefit by combining the statin with prescription niacin.

Can exercise and diet lower you cholesterol enough? Eating a heart-healthy diet can lower LDL (“bad” cholesterol at least 10 percent. If you lose 5 to 10 percent of your body weight, you can cut LDL cholesterol by 15 percent and reduce triglycerides 20 percent. (Triglycerides are the chemical form of fat in the body.)

If you exercise at a moderate rate – meaning you have enough breath to talk but not sing – for

a minimum of 2 and 1/2 hours a week, you cut triglycerides by 20 to 30 percent. At the same time, your “good” cholesterol – HDL – increases.

According to WebMD, if your doctor says you should take a statin to lower your cholesterol, “maybe you don’t think your cholesterol levels are that bad, or that you can try harder to eat right and exercise.” Probably you do not want to take another medicine every day.

High cholesterol levels “have a direct impact on your risk of heart attack and stroke. So, you do not want to make a hasty decision. Make sure the concerns are valid before you reject a statin.”

There are many reasons to reject statins. In addition to all the risks noted above, clinical nutritionist, Byron Richards, also points out to statin users that they can weaken the lenses of the eye and increase the risk of developing cataracts, according to a large study in the Ophthalmology journal of the American Medical Association. With all the risks to the heart muscle itself, he wonders how a doctor can know when the benefits outweigh the risks. ISI

Dear Betty - High Blood Pressure Dear Betty, My husband hates to take pills and he hates paying for them even more. When his doctor said she would like to start him on another med - this time for blood pressure - he almost flipped. No. He did flip. For the first time ever, he has not filled his prescription. He says he is going to bring his pressure down himself by exercising and losing weight (though he does not seem to be doing either). He also says that nobody ever died from high blood pressure and that I am not helping his stress levels by hounding him. This makes me feel like my blood pressure is going up. What can I say?

Also Stressed Dear Also Stressed, I would say his high blood pressure is putting him at risk for heart attack, stroke, congestive heart failure, and kidney disease – and that those diseases can kill you. About 69 percent of people with a first heart attack also have high blood pressure, as do 77 percent of those who have a stroke and 74 percent of those with chronic heart failure.

Among people starting dialysis for failed kidneys, almost 30 percent have high blood pressure as their primary diagnosis.

The thing about high blood pressure (usually defined as greater than 140 over 90, compared to a normal of less than 120/80) is that you can

have it for years without symptoms, so people like your husband might believe it is not doing them any harm. Others may not worry because it seems like such a common condition (about one in three adults, in fact, have high blood pressure and more than one in two older than 59). Though people ignore its significance, excessive pressure against artery walls silently does its damage.

You mentioned that your husband already takes medications. When people have health problems or are at risk for them, it is imperative for them to be more vigilant about their health, not less.

For example, chances for diabetic complications increase if blood pressure is also high. Likewise, chances of cardiovascular problems increase if you add high blood pressure to high cholesterol.

Tell your husband there will be time enough to quit those pills after his lifestyle changes take effect. It has worked for some people. Exercising and losing weight can reduce blood pressure. So can reducing dietary salt, eating healthier, quitting smoking, limiting alcohol use, and managing stress through deep breathing, yoga, or meditation. Some over-the-counter dietary supplements and even garlic can have an effect as well. But tell him he should not be gambling his health on the speed or degree of their effectiveness.

Several drugs lower blood pressure. The most widely used – simple diuretics – are inexpensive.

What is important, though, is that your husband gets the kind he needs. People with diabetes, for example, can often benefit from medicines called ACEIs and ARBs, because those drugs have a protective effect on the kidneys (and diabetics are at high risk for kidney disease). People with certain types of heart disease do better on beta-blockers.

There are other types of medications, too. Since he is worried about cost, he should mention this to his doctor. A generic version of the drug he needs might be available. ISI

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 39

Trying to Keep My Eye on the Prize

By Ernie Witham Great news for the suppliers of ace bandages, ibuprofen, ice packs, and physical therapists everywhere... I¹m playing golf again.

It’s not that I’m a bad golfer; I’m just a bit inconsistent. I can hit a long drive straight down the fairway then skull my approach shot right into the woods. Sometimes my pitch shot bounces off two or more trees, ricochets off a large rock, careens off my forehead, and ends up on the green three feet from the pin. I can then easily four-putt.

So, knowing that I’m not a championship-level hacker, my first inclination was to say no to my buddy Roger when he asked if I wanted to play in a celebrity fundraising tournament at Sandpiper, a course that offers not only regular hazards but also the opportunity to hit the ball into the Pacific Ocean on many holes.

But then Roger said, “It¹s the Santa Barbara Vintners Golf Tournament so there’s free wine and lunch.”

“Well. Seems like my civic duty then.” I got there early so I could support three local wineries: Foxen Vineyard, William James Cellars, and Jaffurs Cellars. They were each offering tastings of about six wines.

I went around four times, realizing after my 72nd tasting that I had “parred” the wine tasting.

I tried high-fiving other participants, but without a lot of success.

Many of the wine offerings were pinot noirs.

There were no merlots. That¹s because it was the tenth anniversary of the movie Sideways and Rex Pickett, who wrote the novel that became the movie, was the tournament host.

Rex is a good golfer. In one scene in the movie, Miles (Paul Giamatti) and Jack (Thomas Haden Church) are playing the 8th hole at the Alisal River Course in Solvang. When the impatient group behind hits up on them, Miles takes their ball and drives it right back at them, hitting their golf cart.

Only Paul Giamatti couldn’t hit a golf ball to save his life. So Rex is actually the one who hit that ball that hit the cart. I know because I was there that day as an extra, or as they more aptly referred to me “background” because I am so far away I could have been naked and no one would have noticed.

Other guest celebrities that played in the tournament included Richard Karn (Home Improvement), Don Ford (LA Lakers), Kathleen Bradley

The Inheritance Submitted by Julie Hollar-Brantley Morris Schwartz was on his deathbed knowing the end was near. His nurse, wife, daughter, and two sons were nearby.

“So, I don’t have much time.” he said to them.

“Bernie, I want you to take the Beverly Hills houses. Sybil, take the apartments over in Los Angeles Plaza. Hymie, I want you to take the offices over in City Center. Sarah, my dear wife, please take all the residential buildings downtown.”

The nurse was just blown away by all this, and as Morris slipped away, she said, “Mrs. Schwartz, your husband must have been such a hard working man to have accumulated all this property.”

Sarah replied, “What property? The schmuck has a paper route!”

Customer Service Jean-Paul Sartre was sitting at a French cafe, revising his draft of Being and Nothingness. He said to the waitress, “I’d like a cup of coffee, please, with no cream.”

The waitress replied, “I’m sorry, Monsieur, but we’re out of cream. How about with no milk?” ISI

(The Price is Right) and Lydia Cornell (Too Close For Comfort). They also had contests like Closest to the Pin, Longest Drive, and Longest Putt, a Sideways knowledge trivia contest, and a $30,000 car for a Hole-in-One on the 18th hole.

Plus, they were selling raffle tickets for a bunch of prizes, including a $20-per-ticket grand prize, which I entered because the proceeds benefitted local charity Santa Ynez Valley People Helping People, and because I’d had a lot of wine (I was now quite a few tastes over par).

Fortunately, just before we teed off I got in line for the Georgia’s Smokehouse truck for my free lunch. I got a very nice kale salad... okay, so I didn’t get a salad, I got the largest pulled pork sandwich they had with a bucket full of hush puppies, which I got all over myself, the golf cart and several other participants on the next fairway.

Each group was supposed to include one of the celebrities and I had worn my Montecito Journal hat just in case they were a celebrity short. “Hi Ernie Witham here. Ernie’s World?

You’ve probably heard of me.”

“No. Nope. Not really.”

I was a bit disappointed, partially because my buddy Roger was one of the negative votes.

Fortunately, it didn’t matter because we had Kathleen Bradley in our group. She had been one of “Barker’s Beauties” on The Price is Right. And she was a very good golfer.

Our foursome ended up just one over par.

We didn’t win, but we all had a good time. After

the round was over, there was more free wine, sandwiches, and prize drawings, including the grand prize of two nights stay at the posh oceanside Bacara Resort, a free dinner in their Bistro, a free wine tasting, and a free round of golf for two at Sandpiper. And... I won!

I hope I can help at future charity events. ISI

PAGE 40 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014

“The Magic of Music” Brings a Joyful Note To National Assisted Living Week, September 7-13, 2014

By Bernice Karnop “The Magic of Music” is the focus for National Assisted Living Week this year. According to the National Center for Assisted Living’s Executive Director, David Kyllo, the musical theme “celebrates the role music plays in the daily lives of assisted living residents.” The American Health Care Association (AHCA), a non-profit federation of health care organizations, established National Assisted Living Week in 1995.

Music is amazing stuff. It’s fun, but more than that, it is downright transformational. It connects patients to their family and to their faith. It reduces pain and anxiety. It has the power to dredge up forgotten memories, deliver comfort, and elicit a grin.

Over a million Americans need assistance

with daily living needs, including the elderly, disabled veterans, and others. The AHCA provides education, information, and tools to encourage quality care and quality of life for this vulnerable population.

During National Assisted Living Week families, individuals, businesses, and the public are encouraged to recognize and appreciate not only the folks in assisted living, but also the health care professionals who provide daily care for them.

So put a song in the hearts of residents and the staff who serve them. Bring cookies, flowers, or other tokens of appreciation during National Assisted Living Week – or any time of year. A simple visit adds a joyful note, not only to the resident but also to the workers who care for them. ISI

Three Tips For Choosing an Assisted-Living Home For Your Parent – Expert Also Shares the Biggest Mistake You Can Make Seventy percent of people age 65+ will need long-term care at some point in their lives, according to a 2014 study by CareScout, a division of Genworth Financial Services.

“But that doesn’t mean they have to sacrifice their quality of life,” says Peder Johnsen, CEO of Concordis Senior Living, www.concordisseniorliving.com, which owns, operates and develops senior housing communities.

“In fact, a person who needs some assistance with day-today living will often find he or she is much happier in a good assisted-living community with an atmosphere that reminds them of their former home.”

And it doesn’t have to be outrageously priced, notes Johnsen, a third-generation ALF operator whose family pioneered the contemporary congregate community model.

The median price for a private, one-bed home in an ALF community is $42,000, he says, citing the CareScout report.

By contrast, a semi-private nursing home bed costs a median

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But it’s up to prospective residents and their families to ascertain the quality of the community and whether it’s a good match for the person who will be living there.

“ALFs are not federally regulated and states vary widely on the breadth of oversight they provide, so you can’t necessarily rely on the law,” Johnsen says. “And don’t rely on salespeople either – that’s the biggest mistake people make.”

There are, however, a number of easy ways to see if a home has a truly caring atmosphere and well-trained staff.

Johnsen offers these tips: • Ask to see the home’s state licensing survey, an assessment that usually includes inspections, audits, interviews with residents, etc.

Every state has an ALF licensing agency and all have some form of survey system for ensuring that certain standards of quality are met, according to the Assisted Living Federation of America.

“Requirements vary from state to state, but no matter what state you live in, you should be able to ask the ALF for its most recent report, or obtain it from the licensing agency,” Johnsen says. The surveys will tell you if problems were found – or not – and what the ALF did to address them.

• Visit the ALF during non-business hours.

Go before breakfast or after dinner – times when the administrators aren’t around. What’s the atmosphere? How do employees behave with the residents?

“That’s a good time to talk to residents, too,” Johnsen says.

Be a “mystery shopper,” he suggests. Pretend you’re just visiting the community – not scouting it out as a prospective customer.

• Ascertain how “homelike” the community is.

In your own home, if you don’t feel like eating breakfast at 7:30 a.m., you don’t have to. You can have breakfast at 10. You can get snacks when you want them.

“Depending on what’s important to your loved one, there are potentially many rules that can affect how ‘at home’ a person feels,” Johnsen says.

“Some communities allow residents to have pets, others don’t. Some provide lots of activities. At some, residents can quickly and easily arrange for transportation or a service like hair styling.

Not every community can offer everything, he notes. That’s why it’s important to look for those features that are important to your loved one.

Peder Johnsen is the CEO of Concordis Senior Living and a third-generation assisted-living specialist whose grandfather and father built one of the first contemporary-style ALFs in Florida more than 30 years ago. He is an industry leader in staff development and training, and has overseen the development, acquisition, and financing of several communities. ISI

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 41

Overmedication Of The Elderly

By Carolyn Harrison Two compelling real-life stories tell firsthand of the ravages of the insidious disease of overmedication and elder abuse.

A beloved 77-year-old woman requiring 24hour care was admitted to a highly regarded nursing home in California for rehabilitation. Once there, â&#x20AC;&#x153;chemical restraintsâ&#x20AC;? were repeatedly administered. Every time a new symptom emerged, primarily a result of her adverse reaction to the medications she was receiving, her doctors misinterpreted these symptoms as a new medical condition. So, another drug was prescribed to treat each new symptom. This created further risk of her developing additional adverse reactions to this probably unnecessary treatment and resulted in a â&#x20AC;&#x153;prescribing cascade.â&#x20AC;?

By the time the woman was transferred for emergency surgery 18 months after entering the nursing home, she was ravaged by the unnecessary medications. Compromised by suppurating bedsores, the defenseless, humiliated, and confused woman did not survive the surgery.

This cherished lady was Carole Hermanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Aunt Matilda. Neither Carole nor Caroleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s family knew what to look for, what questions to ask, or whom to turn to for help â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and then it was too late! That is when Carole took up the mantle to help these powerless and hopelessly defenseless people.

Because once the medications start, their insidious alteration of behavior will create complete reliance on them.

Caroleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Aunt Matilda died in 1982 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the year (and the reason) Carole formed the Foundation Aiding the Elderly (FATE). For more than 30 years now, Carole and her team have worked relentlessly and selflessly to get the word out about the national disgrace of the abuse and overmedication of the elderly.

Doctors are now challenged about the medications they prescribe; demands are being made for government oversight; complaints are being filed with regulatory agencies overseeing nursing home medical practices and procedures; and civil actions are being filed on behalf of patients and their families. Yes! The movement to illuminate and reverse these all-too-common incidents of neglect, abuse, and criminal assault is growing.

Fast forward to January 15, 2013. A big, handsome cattleman from Idaho was admitted to the hospital for a broken femur. On July 15, 2013, this bigger than life man died â&#x20AC;&#x201C; having been reduced to a frail, helpless, humiliated shadow of his former self. He had been moved to six different care facilities in six months because he was acting out.

He could not speak, held his head low, and incessantly drooled, asking in his semi-lucid moments, â&#x20AC;&#x153;What ailment do I have?â&#x20AC;?

This dignified old cowboy did not know it, but he was suffering from overmedication. His daughter vowed on the day he died she would do everything she could to save at least one defenseless soul from this sinister disease. She, like Carole, gladly took up the mantle to help these powerless

souls who had been ravaged by overmedication.

She learned about the FATE organization, visited Sacramento, and a joint decision was made to start a FATE office in Idaho.

And the rest is history. A FATE/Idaho group has been formed, the word is getting out, fund-raising has commenced, and a FATE/Idaho inaugural event is scheduled for September 20 in Boise at the Cathedral of the Rockies. The ceremony will include a keynote address from Carole Herman, FATE President and Chairman of the Board; discussions with individuals from Idaho who have been helped by the FATE organization; a question and answer session; and a â&#x20AC;&#x153;next-stepâ&#x20AC;? discussion.

It is time for those in their waning years to receive the kind of treatment they gave us when we were vulnerable. The men and women deserve vigilant care, a kind and loving attitude toward that care, and the utmost support until they are ready to go to their next life phase.

Please call the FATE/Idaho office in Eagle at 208-939-FATE (208-939-3283) for more information about the September 20 FATE/Idaho inaugural event, how FATE can provide you with guidance and support, or how you can support FATEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mission to end overmedication.

FATE provides information, counseling, advice, resources, and referrals as a public service at no charge to those who need assistance in dealing with care of the elderly. FATE is an independent, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. ISI

Exploring A Legal And Ethical Gray Area for People with Dementia Should advance directives enable people with dementia to refuse food and water as a means of hastening their death? Commentaries and a case study examine potential benefits and harms.

(Garrison, NY) Many of the legal and ethical options for refusing unwanted interventions are not available to people with dementia because they lack decision-making capacity. But one way for these people to ensure that they do not live for years with severe dementia is to use an advance directive to instruct caregivers to stop giving them food and water by mouth. This is an ethical and legal gray area explored in commentaries and a case study in the Hastings Center Report.

People with decision-making capacity have the legal right to refuse treatment of any kind and voluntarily stop eating and drinking. In states where physician aid in dying is legal, people with decision-making capacity who are terminally ill can ask a doctor to help them end their lives.

For people who lose decision-making capacity, an advance directive can express their wish to refuse life support, including a feeding tube. But it is questionable whether there is a legal right to use an advance directive to refuse food and water given by mouth when a person can still swallow but lacks decision-making capacity.

In the lead article in the May-June issue, Paul T. Menzel and M. Colette Chandler-Cramer

express support for such directives and say that they â&#x20AC;&#x153;are arguably already legalâ&#x20AC;? because they follow logically from the legal rights to refuse life support and to voluntarily stop eating and drinking. Menzel, a professor of philosophy emeritus at Pacific Lutheran University, and Chandler-Cramer, a retired physician assistant and a member of a hospital hospice team in Washington State, propose guidelines for implementing such directives to guard against misunderstanding and abuse, and they offer a sample advance directive.

A commentary by Rebecca Dresser calls the proposal â&#x20AC;&#x153;both appealing and unsettling.â&#x20AC;? Dresser, who is Daniel Noyes Kirby Professor of Law and Professor of Ethics in Medicine at Washington University in St. Louis, writes that this use of an advance directive â&#x20AC;&#x153;is appealing because it offers some relief to people seeking to avoid the prolonged decline and extreme incapacity they have witnessed in relatives and friends with advanced dementia,â&#x20AC;? but she cautions that it fails to protect incompetent patients.

A case study with commentaries concerns a 75-year-old woman with Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s disease who, in discussions with her husband, â&#x20AC;&#x153;was adamant about not coming to the point where she would be unable to recognize herself, her husband, or their son and daughter.â&#x20AC;?

She made a plan voluntarily to stop eating and

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drinking (VSED) on a specific date. â&#x20AC;&#x153;She asked her husband to promise, should she ever waver and request nutrition or hydration, to remind her of the reasons she had chosen for pursuing this path,â&#x20AC;? said the case study. However, after voluntarily stopping eating and drinking, the women asked her

PAGE 42 IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

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caregivers – friends and hired professionals – for food and drink. While she sometimes exhibited decision-making capacity, she often did not recall having chosen VSED. The commentaries explore whether health care workers can follow a family member’s request to honor their loved one’s VSED plan when the patient’s advanced dementia makes disciplined voluntary action difficult. The commentaries are written by Ross Fewing, director of ethics at St. Joseph Medical Center in the PeaceHealth System in the Pacific Northwest; Timothy W. Kirk, an assistant professor of philosophy at City University of New York, York College; and Alan Meisel, the Dickie, McCamey and Chilcote Professor of Bioethics and professor of law at the University of Pittsburgh Schools of Medicine and Law. The entire report is available at www.thehastingscenter.org/Publications/HCR/Detail. aspx?id=6876 or contact the Hastings Center at 845-424-4040 for additional information. ISI

Having “the other talk” between parents and children Q: My dad is in his mid-70s and my mom passed away about ten years ago. Dad has since remarried. My sisters and I all know that we need to have “the talk” soon with Dad about caregiving and money matters, but frankly it is quite painful because it will be opening up some old wounds. We are at odds with how to proceed – do you have any tips or advice?

A: Among the more difficult family challenges in life is knowing how and when to have the talk about money matters or caregiving wishes with one or both of our parents.

Then there’s the other side of the equation.

Have you talked with your adult kids about your financial matters, and your vision of how you’d like to live out your life as you age? Your kids are probably as uncomfortable broaching the subject with you as you are broaching it with your own parents.

Follow these suggestions on how to talk to your parents about their finances, and then turn around and talk to your kids about yours. You will find that it will give everyone peace of mind.

Approaching Your Parents Talking with your parents about their finances and caregiving preferences is bound to be awkward. They may become defensive, thinking that you don’t trust them to take care of things anymore.

You know your parents best, so think about how to set them at ease. It’s helpful to say upfront that it’s a difficult conversation for both of you.

Before you have the talk, put together a list of financial and caregiving information you will need to help them. Get help by going to www.aarp.org, and searching for “organize important documents.”

When you’re ready, here are some tips on having the conversation.

• Share a story. A great way to start the conversation is to share a story about a friend or neighbor that your parents could relate to.

• Be respectful and positive. Let your parents know that you’re interested in helping make their lives manageable as they age.

• Start small. If your parents are hesitant to talk, try taking on something small. Ask them to tell you where they keep their important documents.

• Ask them to talk about their caregiving preferences. Do they want to age in place? Would they be open to moving into a retirement community with continuing care options? Find out if they have long-term care insurance or other means of paying for care if they need it.

Talking to Your Adult Kids Now that you’ve started the conversation with your parents, it’s time to talk to your adult kids.

They will likely appreciate that you initiated the conversation so they didn’t have to!

A great place to start is to take AARP’s 40-day pledge to create a “Living Longer, Living Smarter” plan at www.decidecreateshare.org. It will help you decide what kind of future you see for yourself, create a plan to achieve those goals, and then share that plan with your kids. The pledge will take you through the process of organizing documents, calculating long-term care expenses, and creating an advance directive. This document identifies the kind of care you want in the event you aren’t able to make medical decisions down the road.

It’s up to you how much you want to share with your kids. Think about what’s useful to know about your own parents, and let that be your guide.

We wish you all the best with your talk. At this stage of life, one of the best gifts one can give and receive is peace of mind. By talking to your parents, and to your kids, peace of mind is within reach.

For help on financial matters such as planning, budgeting, and goal setting check out www.aarp. org/readyforretirement.

Do you have a question for AARP Montana?

Send them to “Ask AARP Montana” at MTAARP@ aarp.org or 30 W 14th St., Helena, MT 59601 or call our toll-free hotline at 866-295-7278. As we receive questions, we will consult with internal and external experts to provide timely and valuable advice. ISI

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT PAGE 43

Understanding Hospice Care and Medicare Coverage

By Ron Pollack Executive Director, Families USA If someone in your family needs hospice care, this column explains what it is and what Medicare covers.

What is hospice care?

Hospice care is a program of care and support for patients who are terminally ill. These patients may no longer want to try to cure a terminal illness, or their doctor may have determined that efforts to cure an illness are not working. To qualify for hospice care, the patient’s regular doctor and a hospice medical director must certify that the patient is terminally ill and has six months or less to live.

A decision about hospice care can be emotionally difficult for the family, and the patient should be part of this decision whenever possible.

What is the goal of hospice care?

The goal of hospice care is to help patients who are terminally ill live comfortably. Hospice services may include physical care, counseling, drugs (including pain medication), and other treatments that can help a person feel more comfortable physically and at ease emotionally. Hospice care can include doctor and nursing services, home health aide and homemaker services, social worker services, grief and loss counseling, and short-term care in a medical facility for pain and symptom management. Care is generally given in the home but can also be provided at an inpatient facility.

What Medicare benefits are available for hospice care?

Medicare hospice benefits are available to patients who are eligible for Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) and who are certified as having six months or less to live (if the illness runs its normal course). Patients must sign a statement choosing hospice care instead of other Medicare-covered benefits to treat the terminal illness.

It is important to remember that Medicare will still pay for covered benefits for any health problems not related to the terminal illness. Medicare will also pay for a one-time only hospice consultation, and it will pay for this consultation even if the patient does not go into hospice care.

Once a patient is certified as having six months or less to live and has pro-actively chosen hospice care, Medicare covers a full package of services related to hospice care. There is no deductible or upfront amount the patient must pay before coverage begins. The copayment or charge for each prescription drug or for products for pain relief and symptom control cannot be more than $5.

All services a patient receives while in hospice care are covered under original Medicare, even if the patient has a Medicare Advantage plan (like an HMO or PPO). If the patient has original Medicare and a Medicare supplemental policy (Medigap), the Medigap policy covers copayments and charges for drugs and respite care. And the Medigap policy covers health care costs not related to the terminal illness.

What are the terms and conditions for hospice care?

Once a patient chooses hospice care, Medicare will no long cover treatment or prescription drugs intended to cure the terminal illness. However, hospice patients always have the right to stop hospice care at any time. At that point, health care for the terminal illness and services not related to that illness are covered as usual under Medicare.

To qualify for Medicare hospice coverage, a patient must get hospice care from a certified hospice provider. Once that hospice provider is chosen, all care for the terminal illness must be given or arranged by that provider.

A patient can’t get the same type of hospice care from a different provider unless the patient officially selects a new hospice provider.

Medicare does not cover room and board if a patient is receiving hospice care in the home, in a nursing home, or in a hospice inpatient facility.

If the hospice team determines that the patient needs short-term inpatient care (or if the patient’s caregiver needs respite services) and the hospice provider arranges the stay in a facility, Medicare will cover the ambulance transportation and stay.

Respite care for the caregiver is covered for up to five days. (Respite care is temporary care provided so that a family member or friend who is the patient’s caregiver can rest or take some time off.) Respite stays can be covered by Medicare more than once, but they can be provided on an occasional basis only. There may be a small copayment for the respite stay.

For more information about Medicare rights, visit Medicare.gov/appeals or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users can call 1-877-4862048. ISI

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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014

Simple Television Remotes Dear Savvy Senior, Can you recommend some easy-to-use television remote controls? I got my 74-year-old mother a new HDTV for her birthday, but the remote control is very confusing for her to operate.

Shopping Son Dear Shopping, It seems like most television remote controls today come with dozens of unnecessary buttons that make them very confusing to operate. Add in the fact that many people use two or three remotes to operate their home entertainment equipment (TV, cable box, VCR, and DVD player, etc.), and it compounds the problem even further.

Fortunately, there are several universal TV remotes available today that are specifically designed for the technically challenged. These remote controls have bigger buttons and fewer options that make them much easier to see, program and operate.

Simplified Remotes. Two popular consumer-friendly products to consider are the Flipper Remote and the Super Remote SR3.

The Flipper works all major TVs including cable, satellite, and digital TV receiver boxes with only one remote. Available for $25 at flipperremote. com, it offers a tapered design that makes it easy to hold, and for simplicity it has only six large color-coded buttons that are exposed (On/Off, Channel Up and Down, Volume Up and Down, and Mute.) All others buttons are accessed by sliding the top panel down, so they won’t get in the way during day-to-day TV watching.

Flipper also has an optional feature that lets you program up to 30 of your mom’s favorite channels for easy access.

The Super Remote SR3 from Universal Remote Control, Inc. (sold through amazon.com for around $13) is a slightly more sophisticated userfriendly remote that can control three devices – TV, cable or satellite boxes,

and DVD players.

It offers a light-weight ergonomic design, large easy-to-see numeric buttons each in the shape of the number it represents, and a centrally located “My Button” that gives your mom the ability turn on the TV and set the tuner to her favorite channel with a single button press.

It also provides four “Favorite” buttons for one-touch access to her favorite channels, and an “All Off” button that lets her shut down the entire home entertainment system with a single button press.

Super-Sized Remotes. There are also a number of over-sized TV remotes that are ideal for people with vision problems. The “Tek Partner,” “Big Button,” and “Tek Pal” remotes all made by the Hy-Tek Manufacturing Company (bigbuttonremotes.com, 630-466-7664) in Sugar Grove, Ill. are three solid options to consider.

If you’re interested in an extra large remote control, the $40 Tek Partner – which is 5 ½” wide and 8 ½” long – is their biggest. It offers huge brightly lit buttons with big readable characters, and a narrowed center (3 ½”) which makes it easy to handle for a big remote. It also contains only the essential functions making it easy to use and program, and it operates any combination of TVs, VCRs, DVD players, cable boxes, and satellite dishes.

If you’re looking for something a little smaller (2 ½” X 9 ½”), there’s the $25, rectangular-shaped Big Button remote which offers the same large and illuminating buttons as the Tek Partner and the same features.

Or, if you only want a basic remote for the TV, there’s the Tek Pal which comes with just six large buttons (On/Off, Mute, Channel Up and Down, and Volume Up and Down buttons) that light up when pushed. Available for $19, the Pal will only work with televisions that have cable wired directly into the TV. Send your senior questions to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. ISI