For everyone who asks "Where do you live?"

Driving to the ski hill the other morning, Brian and I started talking, (we still do talk to eachother crazy isn't it)? On Decemeber 27th we will be residents of North Fork Idaho, for three years! I still can't believe how quickly time has gone, the winters, springs, summers, and of course my favorite fall. I remember the night we got here laying in bed which was frozen from moving in -13 weather, and thinking, what the hell have I done? I had the most god awful feeling in the pit of my stomach. I remember actaully thinking "will my father drive all this way to come pick me up?" I'm pretty sure he would of, but I gave it a couple of days and fell deeply in love with this place called North Fork...


You ask what has North Fork done for this girlie, well I can tell you. Every single day I meet people on different paths of their lives. Whether it's a rafting junkie, just getting off the river for eight days, or a father taking his son hunting for the first time in the hopes of shooting that price winning bull, or that fisherman who comes in just to get warm and tell me his fishing story for the day, or how those steelhead still acting like steelhead stumped him again. I love my everyday life, my job, and my days off.



The peacefullness of escaping "the busy life of North Fork" if you can even call it that. Camping with my dogs, hiking with my groom, sitting around a camp fire playing horse shoes. Those long summer nights, that are so hot all you do is pray for a breeze. I love everyday I look out my window and see the amazing Salmon river, with that amazing fish, that keeps the best of best fisherman coming back.

I have to remind myself seeing a mountain lion, big horn sheep with a full curl, 8 bald eagles sitting in a cottonwood fishing, or a mountain goat, is not normal and truly is special. I'm not religous, but one of my favorite quotes is "God is in the mountains, and every now and again walks along the river banks." I truly believe this is where he would walk. There is something special about North Fork, and if you are lucky enough maybe one day you can come visit me.


Tears well up in my eyes when I think of how I almost walked away from this place. Because of how special it is and how much I love what I do, I had to dedicate an entire blog to it. Below are pics of this amazing place, and how lucky I am. So to answer your question this is where I live!

With a back drop like this how can you not take a picture?

It's true dogs are more relaxed in Idaho!

Early morning snow

The Middle Fork of the Salmon River

FIRE!!!

So our September which is normally pretty slow and easy (which allows us to catch our breath, before October), was not so. The Forest Service in this area, has 10,000 acres saved for a prescribed burn over the next three years, and 2010 was the first year. We were dishing out breakfast and lunches for an average of 21 Firefighters a day, with a surprise dinner as well. In our small Cafe and minimal staff this is not an easy feet. However it does benefit us to a great extent!

The fire reviews are mixed in the local community, for or against it, frankly in the eyes of a business owner it boosts the local economy and I can not complain. We were tired after the fact though, and weekends were anticipated and needed.

The pictures are amazing and frankly take my breath away. After the first "out of control" where they brought a total of 5 helicopters, 2 airplanes, and around 280 Fighters, we were surrounded, running out of everything in the store from Copenhagen to instant mashed potatoes.

I just pray for the next two years they decide to prescribe burn in September again, and keep my usual low month exciting and tiring!

The pictures posted are from the "big burn", there were many smaller burns, of fire lines and back burns before this one, but this is the most exciting. If you drove into North Fork at several different times, it almost looked like they were fighting Godzilla not a fire. See below.

What are you up to, Pam?

Friends, I know, I know I haven't been doing my job when it comes to blogging, but holy hell, I've been busy! This summer has been awesome, we had a great 4th, our 5 year anniversary came and went, we headed to Kellogg, to enjoy a weekend of just the two of us, no "kids" dogs I mean. My mother came in August, with my niece and nephew, holy jeez, they have gotten sooo big, I can't believe I have a 13 year old nephew, that just made me feel old! My brother and his wife finally came to see us! I learned so much about my brother, it was great. I think I have realized how I grew up and my experiences are not what everyone else experienced. However the experiences I experienced have formed me to be the person I am today, and I'm ok with that.

I've confirmed that North Fork is the place I want to be long term. It does something to you, I can't explain it but it just feels right, does that make sense? We have finally found a great cook who completes the Cafe, Jim is awesome, he is the best thing that has happened to us as a business, I just wish he was younger so I could employ him for longer, I'm afraid he's going to leave us to soon.

Brian and I have taken up golfing, again, it's amazing how my husband is so talented at almost everything he does, we've been golfing more this summer than in the last 5 years. I could say I'm getting better, but I would be lying. HAHA, I must admit though I can produce some clutch hits, and surprise everyone, including myself.

Our house plans our done, and sent away to several building companies for quotes, I'm excited I will admit it, but not overly excited, things could change, but if all goes planned, our house should be live-able in a year... My fingers are crossed.

I would post more pics from this great summer but our camera is broke, and we have yet to replace it... maybe for Xmas.

So, that's what's going on in my life. I'm hoping for a busy fall, and a great steel head season. They're coming, more and more everyday, and people are getting antsy. I'm not quite ready for winter, but I'm sure when that time comes around, I will be ready... for some time off.

Some random camping, floating pics, oh yeah and our Lake Powell trip with the parents! All good times!