Christmas 2021 Newsletter - Merry Christmas 2021 and New Year 2022!!

Merry Christmas 2021!!  

       

 It seems like just last week we were putting together the 2020 Christmas letter!! Like other years, 2021 has been pretty eventful.  But as is usual for us, it was eventful in a totally different way than prior years.

We spent Winter 2020-2021 in Florida, visiting friends and staying warm.  In late February we traveled to Red Bay, AL to have the final round of warranty work completed on our 2020 Tiffin Phaeton 40IH.  We had not been happy with our new motorhome and were hopeful that this final warranty trip would resolve all of the issues we were having.  It became clear rather quickly that neither Tiffin, nor the Spyder System's Software Technical team were going to be able to resolve the issues we were experiencing.  Bill reached out to the Dealer where we bought the motorhome and they offered us slightly more than we paid for it 10 months earlier.   Unfortunately,  we couldn't locate an acceptable replacement for it, so we were trying to accept the fact that we would have to keep the Phaeton.

About that time, a house came up for sale in Star Valley Ranch, WY that was larger than we wanted, but reasonably priced.  Our Realtor friend toured it for us and the owners accepted our initial offer.  So, we sold the motorhome, bought a small freezer (the fridge freezer in the motorhome was full), rented a U-Haul trailer and proceeded to travel to Wyoming from Alabama.  The weather the third week of March turned on us and we had to drop down from I-40 to I-10.  In all we drove 2600 miles in 4 days.  Roxy was having issues with her IBD, so we didn't dare to stop at any motels, opting instead to sleep in the truck.  It was cold enough that even as far south as we were we had to leave the engine idling all-night to stay warm. 

The house we bought is very striking, being a 3-story with log siding.  Here we were getting the fall decorations ready, three bales of straw!

After we moved in and were doing some work on the first floor, we discovered that the first floor had originally been a 2 car garage.  In 2006 the owner remodeled the first floor and added a 32' x 36' detached garage.

We found an RV Park/Log cabin motel close to Star Valley Ranch where we rented a cabin room for a month until we closed on the house.  Since late April we have been nonstop working on the house, as at 25 years old it has needed more work than we anticipated.   And, finding folks to work on it has been challenging.  We never did find a landscape company to cut the grass, so we bought a zero-turn riding lawnmower with a pull-behind trailer and a 6’x10’utility trailer.  We have used all three far more than their original purpose.  It was a good thing we bought the lawnmower as the man next door had hip replacement surgery over the summer and Bill was able to cut their grass everytime he cut ours.  The next-door neighbors have been very appreciative.

Bill learning to use his zero turn lawnmower. 

We tell ourselves that the house is worth it, as it has an awesome setting.  We are about 50 miles south of Jackson Hole and 60 miles south of Grand Teton Nat’l Park.  Every road out of this Valley is a designated Scenic Byway.  We are on the 8th fairway of a Championship Golf Course (good as to the view, but bad due to broken windows… bad golfers).  The views from the second-floor deck are incredible!!  (Did I mention this is a 3-story house?)  From the back of the house, we look westward across the fairway and Star Valley to the Caribou Mountains.  From the front deck we face east to the Salt River Range and a view of Cedar Creek Canyon.  Part of our project has been to remove trees that destroyed much of the view.  So far, we have removed about 2 dozen trees; some because they were dead, some were too close together and some were too close to the buildings.  We still have 7 large trees to remove in the back that will open the view to the Caribou Mountains and the setting sun.  There were way too many trees for the .62-acre lot!

View to the Southwest from the back, second floor deck.  In the summer it is a view of the 8th tee, the Valley and the Caribou Mountains to the west.  In the winter.....well, the snow is really pretty!

One of my favorite scenery subjects is Tin Cup Mountain. It is one of the highest peaks in the Caribou Mountain Range, which runs down the western side of Star Valley. In this shot, the pink color is coming from the sun rising behind it, above the Salt River Mountain Range, on the east side of Star Valley.

Tin Cup again, this time with the clouds below i, covering the view of Star Valley.

 

And then there are the fabulous sunsets to the west.  

Cedar Creek Canyon in the fall with clouds moving down the Canyon.  

Early mountain snowfall in Cedar Creek Canyon.  

The view from the front deck is Cedar Creek Canyon and the Salt River Mountain Range. Sunrise over Haystack Mountain in the Salt River Range to our east. 

The first floor of the house contains a Family Room, Laundry Room, Guest Room with a custom designed Queen-sized log bed, a bathroom and a second Guest Room or office.  The Family Room has a sort of kitchenette with mini fridge, microwave, etc. So, we have room for guests.  Next summer we plan to add a complete RV pad next to the house.  The second floor is a Living Room,  Dining area, Kitchen, Pantry and Half Bath.  This is where we spend most of our time.  The third floor is a loft Master Bedroom with Master Bath and large closet. Two French Doors to an east facing balcony  A King-sized custom log bed came with the house.

                             

First floor kitchenette in the living room.  The first floor rooms really could be a separate appartment, except Mary wouldn't have a laundry room. The first floor guest room contains a custom designed Queen Size log bed that came with the house.

Dining area on the second floor.  One of the previous owners had enclosed the deck on the south side of the house, so we had a six foot wide room the width of the house to work into our living space.  So, we added a bar on one end, next to the dining area.  To the right of the photo is a sliding door to the deck, with a view to the west and the golf course, Valley and Caribou Mountains.

The gas fireplace is set off with an antique fireplace mantel.  This is the fireplace that malfunctioned shortly after we moved in and we nearly burned the house down when the gas leak exploded and started burning. 

Mary and her shadow working on Christmas cookies and peanut brittle for Christmas gifts.

View of the staircase to the third floor Master Bedroom Loft from the bar area.  Even with blinds drawn, there is a lot of natural light inside the house.

We had a small Christmas Tree from the Casita in Arizona, so we put that up and Roxy likes to either lay on the rug, or under the Tree.  She really isn't amused with the Reindeer headband.

Roxy, feeling silly, being made to wear antlers for the Christmas photo. 

The custom designed log bed in the Master Bedroom loft came with the house, as did the similarly designed log bed in the first floor guest room.  There are two doors out to the third floor balcony.  We just had the outside storm doors replaced, which has made a great difference in how weather tight the doors are.  

The view out the back windows is incredible, and will be even better when Bill takes out the remaining trees that are blocking the view of the mountains. 

One thing we continually talk about is how beautiful it is here and how fortunate we are to be able to live here.  Mule Deer inhabit this valley and in winter Elk, Moose, Bears and sometimes a stray Mountain Lion can be seen (or evidence of their presence).  Elk and Moose  have come down from the mountains.  We frequently see deer in the yard.  So frequently in fact, that Roxy is not even intrigued with them anymore.  Guess she thinks they are just big dogs and they don't seem afraid of her.  About 12 miles north of us on the main North/South Hwy is a feedlot for the Elk.  They are also coming down from the mountains and will remain in the state sponsored feedlots until late April/early May.  We’re hoping to get up to the National Elk Refuge north of Jackson Hole this winter and take a sleigh ride through the Refuge. It would be awesome to take that tour.

A herd of deer on the outskirts of the Town of Star Valley.  The doe in the photo below decided to join us for Sunday Brunch.

Two moose (the 'cow' above, and the 'bull' below) that we saw when driving home from Idaho Falls.  We frequently see wildlife along our route through farmland and mountains.

On a positive note, this house is teaching us A LOT about designing a house for this climate and we're grateful for the opportunity to have this house (sore muscles and all) before we design and build our own ONE STORY house next year..  We are totally redesigning the house that we had planned to build this year.  We will instead be building a totally different house design in 2023.

Along with  the log beds, we also bought a MacDaddy Troy Bilt Polar Blast 4510 snowblower for $1100, which new was about $2400.  Here is Bill clearning snow from the first major snow storm. As you can see he's grown a beard to keep the cold off of his face. Now he just needs too grow some hair on his top to keep his head warm, too.

One of the things we have learned is to align the house so that the snow shed from the roof does not fall on the driveway.  Bill added the "wall" along the base of the deck to keep the snow shed from blocking the covered walkway from the house to the garage.  So far it is working.

When we moved in at the end of April, we noted that the deer had been under the decks for protection from the weather.  After the first couple of snow falls, we found that the steps from the ground level to the second floor deck got really icy and slippery.  So, to keep the critters from climbing the steps to the deck and to keep the delivery folks (UPS and FedEx) from going up the stairs, Bill put orange snow fence around the base of the stairs.

Here is a short VIDEO of the sounds the snow & ice coming off of the roof makes. One has to be sure not to walk too close to the esges of the house,too, because IF one of those chunks of iced snow fall on your head, it CAN kill you. That's why Bill built that half wall on the lower walkway... to keep the snow shedding out of the walk way so we would have a safe passageway to get back to the garage. However, the shedding of snow makes an awful noise (as the ice slides down a metal roof) coming down, which can be heard partly from the outside, but is much, much louder inside the house. So, to get the best effect, be sure to have your SOUND VOLUME TURNED ON to enjoy it better.

(Analog)

Every room has it's own heater ('Cove' or 'Cadet') and all of the thermostats were like the one above (analog).  The calibration was not very accurate, so it was impossible to tell what the temperature setting was. Bill has now replaced all of the thermostats to digital versions (like the one below), including the one in the heated garage, for a total of 10 new digital thermostats. Apart from being a great tree-cutter lumberjack and carpenter, he has also become quite a good electrician... a proud graduate of You Tube Videos.

(Digital)

The main entrance on the first floor has a coat tree and now has several boot trays to collect the moisture from snow melting off of our boots.  This is another item that has taught us what to plan for in our building design.

We still plan to do some traveling in the West and occasionally may go east of the Mississippi River, but it will be a different mode of travel than a 41' diesel-pusher motorhome.  We don't know what that will look like just yet, but we're having fun looking at all the options available. 

Our new mailing address has a note of finality to it:
30 Last Chance Cir #7337
Star Valley Ranch, WY 83127

Homes in "The Ranch" as it is referred to, (short for the Town of Star Valley Ranch) do not have mailboxes along the road, instead we are a Postal Substation of Thayne, WY, hence the #7337.(without this number attached to the address, the postal personnel would not know which box to put it into. Packages (UPS/FedEx) still deliver to the house itself, though.

This photo is NOT from our immediate area, but from Jackson Hole (about 50 miles northeast of us), but it will give you an idea of what some people have to deal with, when living in the mountains. How would you like to snow-shovel or rake that much snow of your roof every week? As you can see that is a shingle roof (which holds the snow on it, which is why we are so thankful our home has a metal roof (as will the new one we design). We can put up with the noise, when it sheds, as long as we don't have to shovel it off. 

In closing this year, we hope that 2021 has been kind to you and yours, and we wish that 2022 brings you joy, good health and safety/sanity, to you and all around you...

Mary and Bill

Merry Christmas

&

Happy New Year!!

Nielson's Furniture & Appliances in Kemmerer, WY

We know... Covid gets blamed for everything that is wrong these days, but perhaps in some cases there is a justifiable reason for some things not being available due to the strains of life under the Covid shut downs. One such case is the lack (or delays) of getting furniture and appliance choices and prompt deliveries due to their lack of availability from the factories.

Having just moved out of a 440 square foot 40ft diesel pusher motorhome (which had all furniture and appliances attached to it), and bought a 2,560 square foot house in western Wyoming, we have needed to get a lot of furniture and appliances. We had some furniture from our last Casita in Benson AZ, which thankfully Mary talked me into not selling when we sold our 576 square foot Casita (our winter residence), but still we need a lot of furniture and some updated appliances. The new house came with a stove, dishwasher, refrigerator and a small microwave, plus a washer/dryer, but given that it is a 25 year old house, these were sort of out-dated. So, she decided that we would keep the existing appliances, but wanted to get a bigger microwave, as well as an additional 20 cu. ft. 'garage ready', upright freezer to keep in the garage (for extra 'winter' and 'hunting' meat storage, able to stand up to the cold of of a Wyoming winter even in a garage).

However, we went to Lowe's and Home Depot, as well as many other local appliances and furniture stores, and everyone seemed to have nothing available (other than their display floor-models). At Furniture Row in Idaho Falls ID, we were able to order the furniture, though wait times for their availability and delivery has been anywhere from 6-16 weeks.  

Then, not one to give up that easily, Mary found a place Nielson's Furniture and Appliances (online) in Kemmerer WY (about 120 miles from our location) and sent them a Messenger inquiry to see what the actual availability (or wait times) they had for appliances, Within minutes she heard back from David Nielson, the owner. Dave Nielson, told her that he had lots of appliances available to go right away. Needless to say, we were blown away by this news, given our experience everywhere else. Kemmerer was a bit of a drive away, but then again in Wyoming, 'next door' could be 20-30 miles away, so one gets used to driving longer distances to get to the best destinations. Also, one doesn't mind longer drives out in the country, because 1) there is very little traffic on the roadways, and 2) the scenery is always B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L. One also takes these longer drives to go to other places where one can get other things that may be needed... like a trip to the hardware store, a visit to Popeye's Chicken, or Papa Murphy's (if it's a Tuesday or Friday), or lunch at Culver's, etc.

Kemmerer WY is a small city in Lincoln County at an elevation of 6,949 feet, which covers an area of 7,807 sq. mi. and has a population of 2,747 (2019), which is the largest city in Lincoln County and the count seat.  Like Star Valley Ranch, their sales tax is only 5.0%, (Wyoming 4.0%, plus Lincoln County 1.0%), which compares with Idaho cities between 6.0% and 6,5%) and Wyoming has no income tax. However, Kemmerer also boasts other points of interest. The original JC Penney store (1902) was and remains in Kemmerer, and still operates with a reduced stock, as well as having the JC Penney Museum and Homestead. JC, by the way was representative of the original owner and founder's name... J.C. Penney... James Cash Penney Jr. (September 16, 1875 - February 12, 1971. The history and biography of JC Penney Jr. is inspiring and can be found at https://historicmissourians.shsmo.org. In Kemmerer there is also Fossil Butte (nearby) and the Fossil Country Frontier Museum.

So yesterday, Monday 07/19/2021, we drove the 240 miles RT to go visit Kemmerer and Nielson's Furniture & Appliances store. The scenery down to Kemmerer, as well as  little known secret store are both A-M-A-Z-I-N-G !

On getting to Kemmerer, having spotted no wildlife all the way there, we were finally treated to two young bucks crossing the roadway.

Arriving at Neilson's in Kemmerer, WY

A nice 'Welcome' sign at the entrance to the store. IF you visit it, don't stand around in the doorway, because there is a motion sensor that dings a tone to announce someone's arrival, but if you hang out at the doorway, the dinging doesn't stop... Ding, ding, ding, ding... 

Next to the appliances there is every imaginable appliance accessories and parts display.

And next to the plumbing section is a bicycle and bicycle accessory section. That is all on the lower (basement) floor.

So, after picking out a Whirlpool 19.6 cu ft upright freezer, which sells for $999 at Nielson's (and is available right away), and by comparison sells for the same $999 at Lowe's (no price difference), we took a tour of the rest of the store (two more floors), which is much more than just 'furniture' and 'appliances'. They are also a Radio Shack dealer and stock just about anything else you can imagine. Everything from batteries, lawn and garden decor and machines, holiday decorations, bicycles, plumbing accessories, televisions, toys, etc., etc., etc. Just check it all out in the many photographs which shows the vastness of their offerings. 

Imagine that... no price difference than at a big box store. The only difference is that there is availability at Nielson's... AND NOT at Lowe's or Home Depot. And for just $75 Neilson's will deliver your purchases, even in Star Valley Ranch (118 miles away);then unload it and install it wherever you want it. PLUS, we get to contribute closer to our local community. This is like one of those big antique stores that one can spend all day just browsing the merchandise, only here it is ALL NEW, all at ONE LOCATION and all quality products with name brands. A lot of the furniture is actually marked "Ashley Furniture", even though it is not a factory -owned Ashley store.

Another unique aspect are the vast amounts of the wildlife mounts, which abound throughout the store, hanging on the upper walls and displayed with professional and very detailed, artistic taxidermy. Worthy of note is that these animals were hunted mostly by David and David's family, true hunters.

Ok, so you can see how much different inventory there is in this business. As I said this is a family-owned business. The Owner is David Nielsen, who owns and manages the store on weekends, because he also has a full-time job with the State of Wyoming. His daughter, Samantha, who is a real cutie and reminds me of my grand-daughter, Kayla, manages the store during the week. So we hear tell, 'Grandma' manages the inventory, and does it the old-fashioned way, because she doesn't like computers. One has to give Grandma credit for managing such a vast inventory, without a computer, and this whole family for the great job they do with this business. They also have at least 5-6 other employees, who help in the huge showroom and work in the warehouse, assembling products and delivering them. The girls in the showroom are all thin, no doubt a result of having to go up and down the three floors of the store.    

As I said previously, they are also a Radio Shack dealer, and have a vast selection of electronics, including the latest smart TVs.

Below is the beginning of the warehouse where the assembling is done, but the main warehouse is huge and despite their vast availability of appliances in their showroom (unheard of with most big-box stores), David told us that not only does he have the 3-4 other freezers (like the one we picked) in the showroom, but also has about 10 more available in the main warehouse. The only thing they didn't have available (new, in the box) was the 1.7 cu. ft. 1100 watt microwave, but they offered to either let us take their showroom model, or they could get us one in about 1-2 weeks, which they could deliver together with the freezer. They are very accomodating.    

Here are some of their Holiday Decorations, for Christmas, Thanksgiving, 4th of July, etc.

 

Below is the lovely Samantha, David's daughter and very capable weekday Manager.

 

Some of the taxidermy mounts. Elk (above) and Bears (below).

Rustic furniture, but actually it is from Ashley Furniture, in different colors and decor.

We also liked the desk in the background, that raises the top so that one can work standing, and has outlets on the table-top. And OMG! is that a 14-point buck in the background?

This pair of mountain lions was a favorite, not only to us, but to everyone we show the photo to. And just look at all the points on those racks (on the wall)

The Dining Room area of the showroom (3rd Level).

The Living Room area.

One view of the storefront (from inside) on the 2nd Level (at street).

Battery center in the Radio Shack area.

The bicycle and bicycle accessories area in Basement Level, next to the Appliances and appliance accessories and parts. 

More assorted decor items on the second (street) level...  and a huge Bison mount at the register....

All framed art is on Sale (50%) at time of our visit.

Below: Mary checking out with Samantha at the register and Bison overhead. 

They even have portable air-conditioners. With the heat in Star Valley Ranch, we are even thinking of getting a 250 sq ft coverage/6,000btu one, for the 3rd floor.

Leaving, sorry to go, but looking forward to returning sometime in the future. Visiting the store is always fun and the people there are very friendly. Maybe next time we'll even visit the JC Penny store, home and museum, and check out the ACE Hardware, and Ridley's supermarket, too.

Nielson's Furniture & Appliances is located at the corner of Pine Ave (the main street, Alt 30) and Emerald Street, on one end and JC Penny Drive, on the other.

Around the corner, on Emerald St, there is this old Army truck, displaying a promotional banner with their name on it. 

Then going around the corner of the rear alley

Above, the alley to the back of Neilson's, and below their delivery truck. 

At the next corner is the JC Penney store, home and museum...

And across the street is the Flanders ACE Hardware store.

Mural around the corner of the Ace Hardware store.

Flanders ACE Hardware at 709 Pine Ave. has been a family owned business for  over 30 years with 4 generations having work in it. Though Kemmerer is the largest city in Lincoln County and the county seat, it is still in a rural area and sights like this are common. Some drive trucks with many horses (power), and others manage with just a single horse.

And down the street, the Fossil Gallery...

Leaving Neilson's and Kemmerer...

Passing Ridley's supermarket...

and Family Dollar...

and the South Lincoln (county) Cemetery...

And below some of the views of the trip back to Star Valley Ranch...

Lander's Cut Scenic Pullout...

Well, we hope you have enjoyed following us on this trip to Kemmerer and if you find yourself in the Kemmerer area, we can highly recommend viisiting it, as well as calling in on Neilson's Furniture and Appliances and Radio Shack, at 718 Pine Avenue. Ask for Dave or Samantha, both who will be glad to help you find whatever furniture item, appliance or other item you may need. And for information you can call them at (307) 877-4404... OR contact them online with a MESSAGE at:

https://m.facebook.com/pages/category/Electronics-Store/Neilsons-Furniture-Appliance-and-Radioshach-208332109207438/ (Messages)