Sunday, August 14, 2011

The little valley I live in!

In Idaho, we tend to refer to many of our areas as valleys.
We have many mountain ranges here in Idaho which makes for a lot of valleys.
There is Magic Valley (Twin Falls area), Treasure Valley (Boise and surrounding areas),
Mini Cassia Valley (Burley), and etc.

I live in what is called the Little Wood River Valley.

In the photo below,the mountain range you see beyond the foothills
is called the Pioneers.
This is where the water for this entire valley flows from.
It is collected into the Little Wood reservoir for storage.
It is the life blood of our area.

The photo below is facing north of town.


The Pioneers run to the east of us and end at the Craters of the Moon Natl. monument.

They run to the north and east of us and meet the Boulder mountains to the north,
which then creates the Big Wood River valley and that is where the
 Sun Valley Ski resort and the towns of Ketchum, Hailey and Bellevue are located.
All of them are little mountain towns.
Sun Valley is definitely a resort town, filled with many awesome and very expensive shops.
Many of the rich and famous have homes there.
Here in my little town, we call that area the upper valley.
Many of the people in our town work there at various jobs
and it is where I worked for a few years as well.

If you squint and look real hard at the photo above I have put a little white 'here' to show
where our dairy farm was and where we lived for many years
before we crossed the highway and bought part of my grandfather's place
which is where we live now.


The photo below is facing east...
and there in the back ground is my little home town.


 If you put the last three photos end to end
you see most of the valley on the north side of the highway that divides it.


This picture below is me descending what we call Picabo Hill and coming down into town.







 If I stand and face southeast, this is the rest of the valley.
The little black 'here' shows where I live now.

The Craters of the Moon is to the east of us and so on the south and east
 of us are lava flows for miles.
  



With the mountains to the north and west of us and the lava flows to the south and east,
when people ask where I live I always say that I live on the edge
of Heaven and Hell.
The two extremes make for a beautiful valley.





And below is a photo of what we call Queen's Crown. It is a peak at the top of Picabo Hill.

The photo below is descending the other side of the hill into the little town of Picabo.
The gold medal skier Picabo Street was named after it.

My mother was raised in this teeny little Picabo.

 Picabo has a population of about 75.


Cattle grazing on the Queen's Crown Ranch.





Queen's Crown is an awesome landmark from any direction.
It can be seen for miles in two different directions.
In the photo below, it can be seen in the distance.

This was taken on my way home from my doctor appointment in Hailey.





I love, love, love this view!
It means I'm almost home!



I wanted to share this post with you so you can get an idea of the Idaho that I call home.
Idaho is a rural state with very few cities, and the cities we have are small cities.
Mostly, Idaho is made up of a lot of charming small towns set in little valleys like
the one I live in.
 I was born and raised all of my young life in Boise and love the city,
but this Little Wood River Valley is my home.

64 comments:

BECKY said...

Oh June, You truly are surrounded by beauty! I love these photos. The summers must be sooo nice, but this Florida gal couldn't ever tolerate your winters! Down here it is green and sunny year round...and if it is cloudy and rainy for a few days in a row, people get irritable and a tad depressed.

Thank you for taking the time to share your lovely photos!
Have a wonderful week!
Becky

Mariette's Back to Basics said...

Dearest June,

Thank you for this excellent tour of a beautiful rural Idaho! We've lived and worked near vulcanos in Indonesia but your area is so strikingly beautiful and peaceful. Tranquil I should say... So I learned something again. Thanks for putting this together with great visual effect.

Have a great week ahead and love to you and to your angel!

Mariette

oldgreymare said...

No wonder you love it so :D
xx
z

Draffin Bears said...

Hi June,

So wonderful to see the beautiful part of the world where you live.
Nice to be able to picture your lovely farm and I love the mountains with the snow peaks.
Thanks for showing us around.

Hope that you have a happy week
Hugs
Carolyn

joanne said...

it is an absolutely beautiful area, I've been to Nampa many times and always enjoy the drive. Thanks for sharing your part of the world!

Wendy & Megan Chamberlain said...

Hi June
Thank you for sharing all that beautiful scenery. I just love all the wide open spaces and varying scenery in the United States.
I love mountains and miss them so much. Where I am presently living in Cambridgeshire, the countryside is flat fenland.
Wendy

Pondside said...

It's beautiful where you live! You can see for miles and miles - no wonder you love it.

Maryjane-The Beehive Cottage said...

What beautiful country you live in June! A special place on earth and how blessed you are!

My husbands father owned 336 acres in Hailey between the 1960's through the early 1980's. The land had the snake river running through it and we spent many family reunions on the ranch. At one point in our early marriage hubby's father gave us the opportunity to run the ranch which had a small dairy farm on it if we would like. My hubby wanted to do it real bad but the cold seemed a little to much for this CA girl and moving from family gave me grief to even think about it. We would have been dairy farmers and we could have been "neighbors"! Funny how things in life "almost" happened! :)

Love the pictures!

Hugs,
Maryjane

My name is Riet said...

How wonderful to be able to see where you live June. I am always interested in how and where people live. What a beautiful country and so much space around you with the mountains and the valleys.Thank you for sharing .
Hugs from Riet

Dorthe said...

Dear June, OH you live in beautiful surroundings, Those small valleys looks green and inviting, and the high mountains all around -are just fantastic.Such pieceful views for you to have just outside your door,June -the cattle, and green mountains. I so understand you feeling great ,when returning home from the city, to this little heaven on earth.
Hugs,Dorthe

Yvonne said...

Dear June,

What a fantastic view, you have, and what a lovely black cows :-)
Enjoy this new week !!

Hugs from Yvonne

this is the first day alone,(whith our 3 cats :-)
our kids are back to school after 6 weeks of vacation, and my husband is back to work :-(

Jacqueline @ HOME said...

Dear June,
Thank you so much for showing us around the area that is your home.....very different to mine !!!! It must be wonderful to live there.....beautiful mountains and valleys, a feeling of space and much peace and quiet I imagine.
....and, it's so lovely to hear you wax lyrical about it. You obviously love living there very much and, I don't blame you. It is idyllic. XXXX

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Susan McShannon-Monteith said...

How vast and beautiful is this place you call home June...
The early settlers must have been transfixed by the blueness of the sky and the green of the valley.
A magnificent spot on this earth to live.
Susan x

Magda said...

You live in a beautiful place. My village is amoung woods and near 1000 lakes :) Welcome to my blog : http://ogrodymarkiewicz.blogspot.com/

Donna Reyne' said...

Wow! It is so beautiful! I love the openess and that you live "out" away from any city! I bet you have some great bird and bug sounds too!
I am currently into just sitting out on the deck and listening to nature. It doesn't take much to entertain me!
Have a wonderful week!
Hugs my friend,
Donna

flowersandhome said...

Wow! All that space!!! A dream really. Nature everywhere you look. We certainly have nothing of a sort around here. There is some countryside but nothing like you're showing us here. Gives me the idea of finally being able to breathe, so much openess! Waw!
Bye,
Marian

Half-heard in the Stillness said...

How lovely to live near such contrasts of beauty June! Those snow-capped mountains had my husband smiling when I showed your pictures to him. He used to be a mountain-climber! I've never seen those sprays to irrigate before, I'm guessing that they roll across the meadows?

Hope your visit to the medic was successful and I just wanted to tell you Big Big Thank you's for your lovely comment about my writings. Hugs to you from England dear June!

Jane

Claudia said...

June, thank you so much for this beautiful post. What a beautiful place you live in! I've never been to Idaho but my goodness, what natural beauty lies everywhere. No wonder you love it.

xo
Claudia

summersundays-jw said...

Beautiful!

Jeannie B. said...

How lucky you are to open your eyes every morning and see such beauty.

Castles Crowns and Cottages said...

Good morning dear June,

Your home is truly a valley of peace. I see your horses on your sidebar...what happened to SMOKE??????

I hope that this summer has been one of pure joy. I am going into my 9th year of teaching and who knows what this year will bring, but knowing that God is at the helm is all right with me.....peace Anita

Junebug said...

Qh my girlie! I love how you can see for miles and it is beautiful. I can also image it covered with pure white snow. You will have to do another post this winter for us. I love traveling Idaho and had always said if I had to move from Oregon that is where I would go. If I'm ever traveling through your beautiful area I'm headed to your valley for a cup of tea!! Have a great day and hugs for the week! June bug

highheeledlife said...

Beautiful!!! magical and peaceful is how I would describe it... xo HHL

Ceekay-THINKIN of HOME said...

I have never been to Idaho...but your pictures of it are beautiful. I love country...and you sure have it!

Leslie said...

Thank you June, for these beautiful local photos. I love the drive between Hailey and Carey. Queen's Crown always takes my breath away. Have you seen the new baby alpacas living in Picabo? ~ Leslie

Victorian1885 said...

Good morning June
Your mountain surroundings are heavenly! Country views are so calming... we are really enjoying our small town Valley life. Thank you for sharing your countryside view of life.. Have a great week my friend!

Hugs,
Wanda

Diane said...

Thanks for sharing your part of the world June. You live and were raised in a beautiful spot. It's pretty green there, isn't it. Even though we're neighbors I was never in Idaho, maybe I flew over it. Lovely post. Diane

Leslie said...

For some reason my computer will not allow me to post an email to you. Would you please email your physical mailing address or P.O. box address to me at: haileylilly@gmail.com
Thank you ~ Leslie

Cindy said...

Thank you for sharing your home land. You are truly blessed to be surrounded by such beauty everyday!

Peonies & Magnolias said...

How beautiful to be surrounded by all this land in your valley. It must be wonderful.

I know where I live the farm land is getting less and less every year as more and more subdivisions are built.

Have a wonderful week.

Sandy

Bente said...

Hi June. So interesting for me to se this photos from your home land. It is beautiful, for sure.

Hugs from Bente

Marie said...

So beautiful! Having been born and lived in Florida all of my life, these open lands and valleys seem magical to me. I can only imagine the sunrises and sunsets :)
thanks for sharing. I have a dear friend in Idaho - no wonder why she loves it there.

~Marie

Deb said...

Such a gorgeous spot that you call HOME. You are truly surrounded by beauty ~ Thank you for sharing it ♥

Katherine said...

I love it when people take me home with them, it satisfies the curious nature in all of us. It also shows the pride that others have in their community. This vista I could never get tired of looking at.... I could smell the grass (and the cows)just by looking at the pictures.
It's a beauty!

Trisha said...

Beautiful! I have never been to that part of Idaho and I have lived here my whole life! I think we are pretty lucky to have grown up in such a special state surrounded by such beauty-I can't imagine growing up any other way! Hope you are enjoying your summer!!

~Trisha

Lounging with a Latte said...

Thanks for the tour of your valley. It looks lush and beautiful.

www.MaisonStGermain.com said...

What a beautiful place to live. Beauty from all sides. Thanks for sharing. It is so nice to see where others live. Have a wonderful week:)
~Debra xxx
Capers of the vintage vixens

Suzanne@Meridian Road said...

Everything is still so green! It's been a good year for water.
It is really pretty there. I love all the open space, and I really like that not ALL the farmland is under pivots like it is here. Ditches and fences are nice to see.

Sissie's Shabby Cottage said...

Hi June,
I always hurry over when I see that you have a new post. I think that you live in Paradise. The mountain ranges are breathtaking and the land is so pretty. I love that you can see for miles and miles and still have the majestic view of the mountainous range.

I miss the rolling hills of my home state, West Virginia. And, as soon as our home sells here on the coast of North Carolina, we are heading back to the hills.

Beautiful post.

hugs
Sissie

Deborah said...

June,
This is absolutely beautiful!!
Thank you so much for sharing this with us...oh you must adore this place!!!

Deborah xoxo

Heaven's Walk said...

Wow, June! Talk about heaven on earth! I can...not...believe the view that you have from your home, along the road....it's screamin' fantastic! What a blessed place to live! I'll bet that the winters there are brutal, aren't they?

xoxo laurie

Stacy's Shabby Shoppe said...

I just LOVE Idaho....because it's nestled up all cosy right next to Utah! (*_*) xo

Suz said...

June,
I love your little valley. I never realized that was the term in Idaho. What a beautiful job you did, taking us to your home.
Thank you so much for your lovely words of support. They mean so much to me and really raise my spirits. Tomorrow we are of to Montreal to celebrate our thirty-eighth anniversary. I am grateful for the time together.
Big hugs,
Suz

time worn interiors said...

Breath taking!
tot

mudderbear said...

It looks so peaceful. Thank you so much for this little trip through your world. It is as nice as taking the drive for real. I love to drive through Idaho mountains.

jenny~ said...

june-

thanks for posting this, it gives me a piece of home when im missing it and all that i know so much, so again i thank you for giving me just a little bit of home.

Sandi~A Cottage Muse said...

Oh June...looks like you've shown me a little piece of heaven for sure! Thank you so much! Now I know why you blog with a smile!

{oc cottage} said...

LOVE this post! I actually live at the mouth of a canyon...that's almost a valley, right? ;} And when we cut through it to go to my big sister's house it's just green, green, green! Well, now it's amber, amber, amber {we can't just say "brown" this is the OC after all!;} In the winter it looks like Ireland...ok, not to anyone who has been to Ireland...but it's close! And after all these years I still have to say "moooooooooo" when I drive by all the longhorns! {don't spread that around!} You are so lucky to see all the beauty everyday!

m ^..^

Bumpkin Hill said...

what a delight to feel like I visited your home area, it is so beautiful, it must be such a joy to live amongst that beautiful scenery! Thanks so much for sharing, hugs, Catherine xx

Unknown said...

Beautiful! I love love the mountains.

Rebecca said...

Having just driven through your lovely state, I have to agree that Idaho is one of the most beautiful states in the union.
How are you and how was your doctor appt?
I can't believe summer is almost gone and I still have all my studio under a tent. Working hard to get it together... today I am putting down some flooring... woo hoo
Blessings today my friend
RE

@nne said...

You made wonderful pictures of these beautiful landscapes! Love, @nne

mary beth said...

June! I was just in your "backyard" a few days ago...we were travelling from Kansas to Seattle, and I loved the Idaho part! I especially loved seeing how the farmers planted right up to the mountain's edge..every square inch seemed to be put to good use~ such lush green fields full of crops~ you DO live in God's country~ thanks for sharing your photos with us!

Carole said...

We certainly don't have spaces like that here in CT. At least I've never seen it. Absolutely Gorgeous.

thanks for showing us around.

x
C

Suzanne said...

We definitely need to get out of Boise more often! What a beautiful state to explore. Thanks for sharing your part of it!

Lovey said...

Such tranquility where you are June...beautiful.

Reading Tea Leaves said...

Awe-inspiring June. The expanse of space and the mountain range is incredible. I imagine my little county of Suffolk here in the UK being just a dot amongst such wide open countryside!

It is so interesting to see where you live and read of your love and obvious delight in your home town.

A wonderful post. Thank you!

Jeanne
xox

Farah said...

Oh June what a tour... you are living so closed to nature... very lovely photos... mountains and such lush green mountain... its beauty... real beauty ...Its a very inviting post I saw your this post thrice... love to see it fourth time too
hope you like to visit again for a pretty pincushion
http://craftaworld.blogspot.com/
Love
Farah

Ana said...

Oh dear June,
What a beautiful place. It reminds me of where my dad was born. A very rural area with lots of valleys, some tall hills and beautiful green pastures. We spent many of our summer vacations there and I just loved it. Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful home with us. Have a wonderful day.

Much love,
♥Ana

Cassy said...

I like those beautiful view on your surroundings. The photos are greatly captured as well.

Cass from Video Guitar Lessons

kelli said...

Hello June,

I truly loved this post and the photos. It really reminds me of where I lived as a lttle girl on the western slope of Colorado, near Ouray. It is so beautiful, with such huge open blue skies. Also, I remember a camping trip as a little girl---we ended up at Crators of the Moon--I remember it rained so hard and the ground was so lumpy and hard.
Have a beautiful day
xo Kelli

Debra@CommonGround said...

Hi June!! this is a wonderful post, love seeing your countryside, it's so beautiful. This is one of the best things about blogging; Getting to see where we all come from. The Queen's Crown is just amazing! Hope you're feeling well and back to your old self, only better, xoxo Debra

The Rustic Victorian said...

How nice to see what you see, comin and goin!

Marcie