March 2008

Nestled among sage garnished hills, beneath the wide-open western skies of Albion, lies the Chatburn Ranch – and a lesson in American cowboying history. Each morning as the sun ascends, shedding rays of light across the isolated rangeland, the Chatburn family has long since started the day. Ranch life is more than a job; it’s [...]

THE WOOD RIVER HIGH GIRLS SWIM TEAM BUILDS ON A WINNING TRADITION.

“Since God didn’t create any junk, we can find beauty everywhere, if we will look for it.” – Danny Edwards Danny Edwards doesn’t create any junk, either. Well, not anymore. There is that one piece – his first attempt at sculpting in bronze – that hides in his basement. It’s only practical use, Danny says, [...]

Behind his vibrant blue eyes and engaging personality, Cliff Johnson conceals the dark and gloomy path that eventually led him to becoming Filer’s police chief. “I learned early on that no matter where you come from, life is what you make of it. It’s all about choices,” he says. Adopting this philosophy did not come [...]

Leave your stereotypes, frilly pom-poms and cheesy “Go-Fight-Win” chants at the door. This is all-star cheerleading, where the cheerleaders don’t root for other athletes – they are the athletes. It’s a physically demanding sport that is rapidly growing in Southern Idaho. Newsweek reported in 2007 that the number of all-star cheer participants was on the [...]

Magic Valley Dilettantes Celebrate 50 years with production of ‘Titanic’ Those associated with the Dilettante Group of Magic Valley have gumption, talent and perseverance. Always have, always will. Through thick and thin, good times and bad, the theater company has never missed a single show. The group is Idaho’s oldest continuous musical theater, with 50 [...]

Janet Franklin’s handmade soaps are luxuriously simple. Besides a slim label hugging each bar, they are free of packaging and slightly rough around the edges. Their lack of over-commercialization is instantly appealing. Franklin uses a back-to-basics approach to her new business, Seashell Soaps, headquartered in the kitchen of her Buhl home. “I want to have [...]

Wake your garden from winter’s sleep. Buds swell and blossom, red breasts of robin. A sniffle, a sneeze hoping the tomatoes can stand the late freeze. Fresh, frenzy, bulbs in bloom; no other time of year could ever come too soon. Rain drops on the tulip tops, birth, birds, handle with care. Earth awaking, and [...]

Fresh, green blades of grass are a sure symbol of spring – and a welcome one at that, after a cold, snowy winter. But no matter the weather outside, you can welcome your own patch of green into your home as a beautiful, yet simple, centerpiece. You don’t have to have a green thumb to [...]

My father’s mom, Nana, is a Carolina girl with southern hospitality, humor and cooking skills. The first day of school each year, my sister and I would walk to Nana’s house down the street for our annual “first day of school tea.” We would dress up, talk about our new teachers and classes, and try [...]

Back in my teenage years I worked on my uncle Mark’s ranch in Fairfield. Everyone in the area knew Monty Funkhouser. Monty was a true cowboy and an icon; he was the real deal. One day I spotted him herding cows down the dusty road leading past our ranch. I quickly saddled up my buckskin [...]