We left the Nevada desert at the end of April, and after cruising leisurely through California and eastern Oregon, we arrived in Southwestern Idaho the 3^rd week of May.  Our first stop was a quiet country park in north Caldwell northwest of Boise, where we spent a week.  During our stay there we took a drive north through the Boise National Forest along the pretty Payette River Scenic Byway past Cascade Lake and up to McCall.  Our intent was to then travel east toward Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons, but with the Memorial Day weekend approaching, we thought it wise to sit tight for a few days.  We planned to stop at the Elks Lodge in Mountain Home, ID until just after the holiday weekend, but wound up staying 10 days waiting for the weather to turn.  While we waited, we took a trip along the Sawtooth Scenic Byway up through Ketchum, Hailey and as far north as Stanley.  The Sawtooth Nat’l Recreation Area, Salmon River and Redfish Lake near Stanley are beautiful.  As of June 4^th, quite a bit of snow remained, and old man winter didn’t seem ready to leave!  With the rivers at flood stage and weather posing a problem for travel, we were still unable to head east to the National Parks, so we put it on hold for awhile.  In the meantime, we landed a volunteer position with the US Fish & Wildlife Service, so we took the short trip back from Mountain Home to the Boise area to settle in for a few weeks.  A few shots of the Boise area (the rose garden and the Boise River in the heart of the city), as well as photos of the 2 scenic trips can be seen in the “Boise & Mtn Areas ” album.

We’re currently volunteering at Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge in Nampa, just west of Boise, and have met another wonderful group of people.  We’re helping with various educational and outreach projects and events, and are enjoying living at the lake with the wildlife.  There are ducks and birds, coyotes and marmots, squirrels and rabbits, and of course, lots of deer.  I’ve become quite involved with all my furry friends who hang out in our yard, especially my little marmot buddy.