CdA Magazine Summer/Fall 2023

THESE

the perfect PLAYGROUND

FOR YOUR NORTHWEST ADVENTURE

Play amidst nature's beauty with first-class accommodations, award-winning dining, and a world renowned spa and golf course. An amazing adventure awaits.

““If I could give 6 or 7 stars I would. I have been through buying and selling a couple of homes. In other hands, this sale would have taken much longer. My requests were met with respect and a willingness to meet them as much as possible. I highly recommend Lea and John as a great choice of agents.” S.S., Home Seller

“There are so many REALTORs® to choose from, how do you pick the right one? Listen to what they say and check out their background. When you do, you will come to the same conclusion that we did...Lea Williams. Lea is a professional that should be the standard for the industry. It’s your choice... choose wisely. Good luck, but whatever you do, interview Lea Williams.” –J. & J. A., Waterfront Home Sellers

Publisher’s Message

With summer just around the corner, I wanted to express my enthusiasm for the warmer temperatures and sunny skies that come with this season. While I have been fortunate enough to have lived in tropical climates and appreciate the awe-inspiring grandeur of the ocean, I will never forget witnessing the Northern Lights for the first time from my front yard last winter. It was the most remarkable feat of nature I have been lucky enough to see.

In our business, we have the privilege of meeting many inspiring people and sharing their stories with readers. In recent months, our team has had the pleasure of interviewing individuals such as Karie Lee Knoke, a contestant on the television show Alone who lives in a yurt in the Idaho forest; Mikki Stevens, the founder of the Red Hot Mamas; and Theresa and Matt Wild, who have made significant contributions to the ALS community.

Additionally, I am excited to attend the upcoming performance of CDA ACT and witness the talent of its exceptional actors. And I hope you enjoy our feature on the seaplane community, showcasing the incredible beauty of our region’s many lakes from above.

While compiling this issue, we learned new things about some of the coworkers I see almost daily. Did you know The Coeur d’Alene Resort’s Chef Jim Barrett jumps into cold water after workouts? And John Eloe, The Resort’s director of facilities, likes an early morning cold water plunge better than a cup of coffee? Or that Keri Alexander, previous publisher of our Shoshone News-Press, retired to grow a flower garden?

The more I read, the more impressed I am with this place we call home.

Have a great summer,

Clint Schroeder Regional Publisher

CEO Brad Hagadone

The

PRESIDENT

The Hagadone Corporation

PUBLISHER

Todd Hagadone

Clint Schroeder

EDITOR David Kilmer

Editorial Consultant

Maureen Dolan

PHOTOGRAPHY Brett Schneider

Quicksilver Photography

ADVERTISING SALES

Advertising Director

DESIGN/PRODUCTION

Ben Norwood

John Grod

Kari Packer

BLUE541 Dennis Hall

Art Director

Designer

Designer

Production

Morgan Phillips

Mindy Pongpanik

Chance Woudenberg

Mike Mortimer

Sheri Jones Printed

BUSINESS MANAGER

SUBSCRIPTION

Coeur d’ALENE, IDAHO’S LUXURY HOME BUILDER

burri tos breakfast

Smothered

4 10-inch tortillas

12 eggs, scrambled

12 ounces shredded hash browns

12 ounces chorizo sausage

8 ounces shredded Pepper Jack

8 ounces black beans (rinsed & drained) 1 large roasted poblano pepper, (skinned, seeded & diced)

Cotija, chili verde, cilantro, pico de gallo and sour cream

In a saucepan, heat the chili verde and set aside. In a large skillet, cook hashbrowns until golden brown. In a separate skillet, brown the chorizo until fully cooked, then fold in the scrambled eggs, black beans and poblano peppers and continue to cook until eggs are fully done, adding hash browns last. Warm tortillas and add Pepper Jack cheese to each tortilla, then divide egg mixture between them. Fold the filled tortillas with sides tucked in and top with all garnishes. Enjoy!

Dockside

Chef Casey Fassler

TIP: "To add flavor and manipulate the consistency of sour cream, try adding other flavors to it like salt, lime juice, Cholula, Tabasco or heavy cream."

Chef Casey Fassler is the executive chef of Dockside restaurant, located at the water’s edge of The Coeur d’Alene Resort, and has worked with Hagadone Hospitality for 23 years.

"The Works burri tos breakfast

Tortilla

Scrambled eggs

Cheese

Fried potato

Choice of meat (chorizo in photo)

Cabbage medley

Olives

Tomatoes

Sour cream

Guacamole

Onions

Beans

Rice

Take the large tortilla, and add a pinch of each ingredient, being sure to layer the flavors and colors. Don’t make the rookie mistake of overloading the burrito, or it won’t wrap up properly at the end. If done properly, this burrito will weigh up to one and a half pounds. Serves one person with a healthy appetite. Buen provecho!

George beattie mexican food factory

George Beattie is the morning cook at Mexican Food Factory, where he has worked for more than 10 years. He’s mastered the art of preparing a lot of breakfast burritos in a day, while taking pride in his work and striving for quality.

TIP: " Make your burrito look great by layering your ingredients instead of mixing them. When the food looks good, the brain is already saying it will be tasty, even before that first flavorful bite."

Veggie burri tos breakfast

12-inch tortilla

Farm fresh eggs

Whole milk

Cheddar cheese

Potatoes

Bell peppers

Red onions

Mushrooms

Olive oil

Salsa

Dice potatoes and vegetables, then pan roast them with olive oil, salt and pepper at 425°F until lightly browned. Scramble eggs with milk and salt and pepper, toss with cheddar cheese. Combine 1 cup cooked eggs, ½ cup potatoes and ¼ cup veggies evenly. Roll that combination into the tortilla, then finish it by searing on a hot, lightly oiled grill.

deb heit & jayden vasseur rustic cda

TIP: "Simple and fresh is always best, being sure to season each step and properly proportion your ingredient ratios for the perfect bite throughout."

Rustic CdA owners Deb Heit and Jayden Vasseur lead their female-run business through mentorship of young women, helping them navigate all aspects of the restaurant industry.

WANT TO SEE WHAT LISTINGS ARE AVAILABLE IN NORTH IDAHO? SCAN OUR QR CODE OR VISIT

Nature FOrce of

She became a household name after surviving for 75 days in a remote valley in Labrador, Canada on the TV show Alone. Yet outside the limelight, Karie Lee Knoke has quietly gone about building an extraordinary life in the wild. Today, she lives in a fully self-sustaining yurt in the Idaho Panhandle, where she teaches others how to live simply off the land—and how to reconnect with their own primal awareness of the natural world and themselves.

KARIE LEE KNOKE SHARES A PROFOUND CONNECTION WITH IDAHO'S WILD PLACES

HOW DID YOU KNOW YOU WERE DESTINED FOR AN UNCOMMON LIFE OUTDOORS?

“While my friend’s Barbie doll had blond hair and drove a Corvette, my Barbie was a brunette and rode horses. On the weekends, my family and I would go backpacking or canoeing down Class III rapids. My great-grandfather taught me how to fly fish for trout when I was maybe six years old.

“In fifth grade, we studied wilderness survival for two weeks. It was the best. I aced everything and even won the regional shelter building contest. It was all play to me. I’ve carried my survival kit that we made in that class on every one of my backpacking adventures since.

“When I read the book My Side of the Mountain, my world changed. The concept inspired me to want to go out into the wilderness with just my knife and survive. In 2019, I ventured out to live in the Idaho forests using mostly primitive gear and eating 100 percent wild food. That trip only lasted six weeks, cut short by nearby wildfires. I felt unsatisfied. And so, when I was contacted to apply for Alone, I couldn’t resist.”

HOW DID YOUR ROOTS MAKE YOU SUITED FOR LIVING OFF THE LAND?

“I come from a long line of pioneers. My great-great-great-grandfather was a scout on the Oregon Trail, making me a sixth-generation Pacific Northwest territorian. When I know how to survive off the land, I feel safe. When I moved to Tucson, Arizona, I didn’t know any of the desert plants, and I felt an undercurrent of fear that I couldn’t explain for a long time. Finally, I went to the library and checked out some books on desert flora and fauna. Within a couple of weeks of learning and exploring the desert plants, I felt a sense of safety at my core. This is a phenomenon of our primitive survival instincts. I didn’t feel safe because I wasn’t connected to the desert.”

“Nature reminds us what it means to be human; what we are connected to rather than what we are separate from.”

–Terry Tempest Williams

wilderness

WORDS o F WISDOM

“Location is everything. Knowing your ecosystem and being able to read the landscape will help you make important decisions, such as where to build shelter, where to find edible plants, where to find animal habitats for hunting, where to find water and good fire-making materials.”

“Deciduous trees like cottonwood, willow or birch are indications that water is near. Cottonwood is one of my favorite woods for making a bow drill kit. It’s soft and easy to create enough wood powder and heat by friction to spark an ember, which you can blow into flame.”

“Food is everywhere in the forest. The Bears Head mushroom (pictured left) is edible, mild in flavor, nutty and sweet. It’s typically found under rotting logs or injured trees and makes a nice side dish for dinner. Be sure to positively identify any plant or mushroom before eating it.”

“Fats are the hardest to find in the wilderness and extremely important for mental clarity. An animal’s brain is loaded with fat, and has a creamy chevre-like texture, very mild and savory. Add a little berry sauce and it makes a divine dessert.”

WHAT WAS YOUR TRIP LIKE IN A KAYAK THROUGH THE INSIDE PASSAGE?

“Just one month after I had a miscarriage, and nearly lost my own life, my ex-partner and I decided to build a wood and fiberglass kayak and paddle the Alaskan coast. It was an immediate initiation into extreme kayaking when we launched from the Ketchikan dock, in a storm, with 10-foot waves rolling down the channel. Sorry, Mom, I lied when I said we would only kayak on sunny days.

“We aimed to kayak from Ketchikan to Haines and live off the land as much as possible. This was my first real adventure at foraging. We ended up paddling a total of 500 miles over the course of three months. I loved our adventure, and I thrived on being out in the bush. We caught salmon and crabs, and ate all kinds of crustaceans, such as limpets and chitons. We harvested beach greens, beach asparagus, seaweed and berries. Carbs and fats were the hard ones to find, so we had to carry those.

“We had close encounters with sea lions, and one day found ourselves in the middle of a pod of humpback whales feeding, their huge mouths emerging all around us. It’s times like this, when your life is in danger, and your focus is on doing whatever it takes to survive, that your senses become heightened. I’ve never felt more alive than in those moments.”

The Inside Passage is a coastal route for boats along a network of passages which weave through the islands on the Pacific Northwest coast of the North American Fjordland. The route extends from southeastern Alaska in the United States, through western British Columbia in Canada, to northwestern Washington state in the United States. Alaska's portion of the Inside Passage extends 500 miles from north to south and 100 miles from east to west. The area encompasses 1,000 islands and thousands of coves and bays.

~Wikipedia

“The Wilderness holds answers to more questions than we have yet learned to ask.”

–Nancy Newhall

AFTER TWO AND A HALF MONTHS OF SOLITARY SURVIVAL ON ALONE, WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO RETURN?

“When you’re attuned to the land, your senses and intuition become razor-sharp, because your survival depends on it. What I felt out there was quite deeply profound.

“On the other hand, coming back was shocking. As we flew into Toronto, I didn’t want to return. I wanted to scream: Why do we need so many freaking lights and flashing signs telling us where to buy things? It was like the culture shock of returning from a developing country back to the U.S., but on a magnitude of 10. I experienced the unexpected upwelling of heartbreak and grief down to my core. Even now, I get waves of grief, and I remind myself that grief is an expression of love. Allow yourself to feel it and let it go.”

Photos Courtesy of The HISTORY Channel/Brandon George Ko

ALONE

SEAS o N 9

The HISTORY® Channel’s hit survival series Alone delivered a fresh set of dangers and challenges. Equipped with just ten items of their choosing, Karie Lee and the other survivalists were dropped into a remote wilderness valley in Labrador, Canada.

While documenting their experiences, each participant had to endure hunger, loneliness, and the elements in total isolation, with hopes of outlasting everyone else to claim the prize.

�Through each success and setback, Knoke maintains a happy-go-lucky attitude and giant ear-to-ear grin,� said Outside Magazine. �She comes across as equal parts Daniel Boone and Stevie Nicks, a blend of hardened outdoors person and soulful bard. She enters the show's pantheon of most compelling cast members.�

WHERE DO YOU LIVE DAY-TO-DAY?

“My home is a 30-foot yurt deep in the woods. It’s what I call beyond off-grid, meaning I’m not connected to anything except nature. I am surrounded and supported by the natural world around me. My water comes from the sky and my warmth from the trees. I hunt and forage for food and medicine from plants and wildlife as much as possible. Any waste is composted and returned to the forest to be recycled. I even built a gravity-fed, fire-heated bath house with a shower and sauna.

“Living off the land may seem to be a simpler way of life, but it is also hard work. It’s an energy exchange. It comes down to asking, how do you want to spend your time? Chopping firewood or working in an office to pay the bills? For me, living off the land gives me connection to my food, my water, my heat and to the land itself. It gives me a sense of belonging.”

WHAT IS SACRED CEDARS WILDERNESS SCHOOL?

“I’ve longed to start a wilderness school and retreat center for many years, but didn’t have the land. Just before Alone, I purchased 13 acres near Sandpoint, Idaho. The intention is to provide a place to host workshops that include wilderness survival, primitive skills and nature awareness skills. The focus is ultimately about how we live in respect and reciprocity with the Earth. I have faith that what I am doing is for the highest good of all, and people can support my endeavors by donating to the school, financially or in-kind.

“Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the earth.”

–Henry David Thoreau

“I hope to share the deep truths I found by living solo in the wilderness. I want to guide people to have this deep connection experience, and then help them integrate it into their everyday lives. We cover not just ‘how to do’ in the woods, but ‘how to be’ in the woods.

“We offer workshops in primitive crafting such as pottery, basketry, buckskin sewing and rawhide containers, as well as herbal remedy making and energy medicine. People can learn how to work with wild hide, how to cook over a fire with clay pots, how to forage for mushrooms, start a fire with a bow drill or sew a pair of buckskin pants.

“The reality is that we are all nature beings and we inhabit this planet Earth. We are all connected and all one. How we treat the Earth is reflected by how we treat each other, and vice versa.”

Delight GRANDE DAME of GRANDE DAME PROFILE

It’s 4th of July 2022 in downtown Coeur d’Alene,

and the parade floats and bands are getting ready to roll. Leading the way will be this year’s grand marshal, Mikki Stevens, who is just now preparing to speak to a group of women attired in sparkly red outfits with outrageous hats and holding hand-painted signs of support.

The weather is gloomy and rain threatens, but the mood among these women is upbeat, excited and more than a little emotional. They are here to march behind their beloved leader who means so much. And although the storm of incurable cancer looms over Mikki, she is the model of cheer and positivity, as she has been for a lifetime of bringing joy to others through entertainment.

True to form, Mikki wears a big hat and a bright red coat, which is buttoned up against the cold today. She stands atop the bed of a decorated pickup truck float and gazes with affection at all these faces around her. These days, her immune system is vulnerable, and people have to keep their distance, although you can tell they all want to hug her.

They hold a prayer circle and then the ladies burst out into song. First, they sing "Accentuate the Positive,” a fitting tribute to Mikki’s lifelong positive spirit: “You’ve got to spread joy up to the maximum, bring gloom down to the minimum, and have faith…” And then they harmonize beautifully to “You Are My Sunshine.”

Mikki thanks the ladies for all the years together, and praises their shared accomplishments.

“Turn around, take in the synergy of zany, wildly caring, beautiful women,” she says. “These faces are the grandest parade marshals. All walks of life, all manner of diversity, working together for common good.”

This is a tearful, joyous swan song for the Red Hot Mamas, a women’s musical comedy troupe that Mikki founded in 1991 and reluctantly disbanded in late 2021 after a series of crushing health events.

“The Red Hot Mamas have enjoyed a fantastic, unsurpassed ride of bringing joy, hope and fun to the lives of so many,”

- Karen Welts

Over those years, the Mamas performed for three U.S. presidential inaugurations and three Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parades, and marched for the Queen of England in London and the St. Patrick's Day parade in Ireland, along with numerous other appearances and honors.

They volunteered for every worthy cause they could find. Multiple high-profile awards and national media attention

followed their warm-hearted antics. And all the while, Mikki was the driving force, known for a tireless creativity in costume design and dance routines.

“Mikki has inspired us, changed lives, spread laughter and fulfilled dreams,” says Kiki Miller, a longtime Red Hot Mama. “To see her honored as grand marshal is deeply gratifying.”

When Mikki was a little girl growing up in Coeur d’Alene, her mother scraped together the $1 fee for dance and baton lessons for her and her sister Gail with Coeur d’Alene Parks and Recreation. In junior high and high school, Mikki twirled the baton and performed on the cheer squad, and at North Idaho College she added musical show production and led the college drill team.

Her talents took her to interesting places. She danced, acted and did voice-overs in Hollywood, including the voice of Pebbles Flintstone. She also found herself being the chauffeur for Herve Villechaize, who played Tattoo on Fantasy Island, which she

“Mikki is a woman of faith, compassion and humor, of vision and boundless energy. I believe she truly loved each and every woman in the group, and all of us looked up to her.”

- Amy Bartoo

At the end of the day, it’s always a good feeling to be heading for home. Imagine if home was in North Idaho near one of the beautiful lakes we have come to love.

I was born and raised in Idaho and grew up thinking that all kids got to run in the forest and jump into mountain lakes as soon as the ice thawed. I was very surprised to find out how lucky I was to have that experience.

I celebrate every day with the fresh air, clean water, abundant wildlife and dramatic changes of seasons.

Jan Leaf

Associate Broker

says was a lot of fun. She competed as a bodybuilder in Ms. Natural Northwest and Ms. Alaska, and she was Sarah Palin’s talent coach. She founded the Red Hot Mamas because she wanted to make a difference with humor, she says. “I wanted to produce wholesome, modest, radically funny, family-oriented musical comedy entertainment. To create spontaneous combustion. To lose it, laugh too loud and smile until everyone’s cheeks hurt.”

All who joined were taught and expected to behave like professional actors, dancers and teammates. Mikki accepted all who wanted to participate. She created banner carriers, wheelchair and walker acts, and other character roles that could be adapted to physical abilities.

“The Red Hot Mamas have enjoyed a fantastic, unsurpassed ride of bringing joy, hope and fun to the lives of so many," Karen Welts, a Mama for more than 25 years.

Included in the hundreds of women who participated over the years were those escaping domestic violence, cancer survivors, recent widows and some

struggling with obesity and body image. “Watching these women gain confidence, make memories, share tears and laughter and create lifelong friendships, along with the sheer joy of making people laugh with wholesome entertainment was priceless,” Kiki says.

In 2010, Mikki was diagnosed with stage 4 blood cancer. The illness and the treatments tore away her job, her many activities and her self-image. “I had defined my selfidentity by what I ‘did’ so when that was stripped away, I fell hard,” she says. “I had to dive deep with the Lord to discover who I really am.” It came down to core values, to discovering what was most important. And that was faith and family, including her high school sweetheart Dennis to whom she’s been married for more than 50 years, their daughter Dusty and grandkids Kennedy and Braeden, who call her Gaga.

“I am blessed with the very best people, best community and best life,” Mikki says. “Always live, love, learn, laugh, appreciate and never give up. No matter what. No matter how. Always shine on.”

“Mikki has inspired us, changed lives, spread laughter and fulfilled dreams.”

- Kiki Miller

Realtor of the Year 2018

623 W EMPIRE AVE, COEUR D’ALENE

Beautiful 4 BD, 3 BA, 2,398 SF Fort Grounds Stunner. Property includes a main home and an over-garage ADU. Within minutes you can walk to the beach, city park, dining and more. This is truly a year-around home with great income potential. Owner contract terms are available.

2886 N ATLAS RD, COEUR D’ALENE

Luxury lives in this gorgeous 4 bed, 4.5 bath, waterfront property. With 3,317 square feet of upscale living. Look out to see the rushing Spokane River and the lush mountains in all directions. Walk to everything you need, including restaurants, shopping, trails, and parks.

5775 N COLFAX ST, DALTON GARDENS, ID

Dalton Garden Home sits on 1.23 acres. 2 BD 2.5 BA with 3,890 sf. The house has been designed for multi-generational living with separate living quarters, or it could service a business. The extra-large lot provides plenty of space for RV, boat, or equipment parking. Close to schools, Canfield Recreation Area, Dalton Area, and only minutes to downtown Coeur d’ Alene.

1103 W IRONWOOD DR., COEUR D’ALENE

Over 4600 square feet of commercial/health care space available for sale. There are multiple offices along with parking in this desirable Ironwood location. The property is within the Health Corridor of the Ironwood Medical Plaza. Investment property or bring in your own business. Convenient access from both Hwy 95 or NW Blvd in Coeur d’Alene.

1724 E LAKESIDE AVE., COEUR D’ALENE

4 BD, 3BA, 3,500 SF New Construction in Downtown Coeur d’Alene. The design and architectural features are modern with elegant touches of color and texture throughout the home. Located one block from Sherman, you are close to restaurants, The Centennial Trail, Resort Golf Course, McEuen Park, The Resort and Marina.

532 SONGBIRD WAY, SPIRIT LAKE, ID

*UNDER CONSTRUCTION* (2 Builders for the price of one) Beautiful rancher ON 5 acres! This home features Private well and property served with 400 amps underground power. Choose white or Black walnut cabinets, LVP flooring throughout, Granite or Quartz counters, 3-car garage, composite siding, 30-year comp roof. Abundant Wildlife! Any size SHOP CAN BE ADDED FOR ADDITIONAL COSTS

The Darren Miller Group

Nathaniel Von Lind was working in the North Dakota oil fields when inspiration was born.

All day he worked as a saltwater disposal operator. But what he dreamed of was his wife and six kids a few states away, and of his new hobby: making things out of leather. He made a leather belt for a friend, then another. “These guys were just blowing through their cheap Walmart belts,” he says. “They would stop by our station just to place orders with me.”

By the time he went home for Christmas, he had a list of belt orders and shipping addresses. He’d already started a blog, Craft & Lore, sharing his love of rugged, old-school stuff like knife sheaths and ax masks. So he simply turned the blog into a shopping cart, and his business was born.

He partnered with his buddy Michael Miles, an entrepreneur since he was a kid. The two could easily spend hours together, working on new designs and just enjoying leathercraft.

“We'd be hanging out on weekends, sitting down at his dinner table, and his wife would be feeding kids around us, and we were at this little corner of the table, working and dreaming up these new ideas,” Michael says.

When Craft & Lore held a Kickstarter campaign, supporters pre-ordered 300 of their hand-crafted wallets.

“I called Michael, and said, ‘You know, I think it’s happening,’” Nathaniel says. “So we started stitching wallets. We’d carry our tool bags to different places around town, get together and work.”

“We wanted to build things that would last forever, using designs that are all our own,” Michael says. “It was never about the business. We eat and breathe this stuff.”

For many of their customers, the smell and feel of leather brings a sense of nostalgia. It speaks of durability, of simplicity, maybe the recollection of a beloved relative or a treasured trip into the backcountry.

“At trade shows, people walk up and are transported by memories,” Michael says. “It takes them back in time. We have a customer who sits in a cubicle in New Jersey. He says every time he looks at his wallet, it reminds him of being out there in the woods.”

Just as the day they started, these friends still love hanging out and making things. They both love prototype days; trying something a myriad of different ways and then learning it still doesn’t work. And then finding a brilliant design that does. For them, playing with leather never gets old.

“All the time we look at each other and say, ‘We’re just a couple of knuckleheads. How do we get to do what we do?’” says Nathaniel. “We’re very grateful for what we’ve accomplished.”

“It was never about the business. We eat and breathe this stuff."

“If you have an idea, pursue it. Start as a hobby, then as a side hustle before you go all in. Put the time in on weekends and nights. When you launch your business, partners are essential. You should have different strengths. Find a yin to your yang.”

-Michael

Krista Panerio was working in law enforcement when all the pieces of her new calling came together.

She was helping her husband, Justin, with a large renovation project for a barn venue. Some of the old horse stalls became a boutique shop, and Krista began crafting gift items. While on that project, she and Justin rescued a yellow lab named Duke, who tore his ACL and meniscus and needed a $5,000 surgery.

“All these things were guiding me,” Krista says. “The barn style, my childhood interest in fashion design, and now needing to pay some big veterinarian bills. I told Justin, ‘I’m going to make some jewelry today, then sell it to one of the larger casino gift shops.’

He said with a chuckle, ‘Well, I can tie flies really well, so I guess I could help you finish some.’ Duke was on my heart and we made up our minds. A business was forming right in front of our eyes.”

Her work with leather began after admiring a holster that had belonged to a Texas Ranger. It had a fine, sleek cut for an easy draw. Then she had an important meeting where she wore a black business suit to meet with a room full of U.S. Immigration and Custom officials. But the designer handbag she’d chosen drove her crazy.

“I’ve never felt so unimpressed with a design,” she says. “A punch list of alterations rushed into my mind: Why can’t these handles be long enough to sling around my shoulder with one hand? Why is the zipper such poor quality? Why isn’t my phone easier to get to?”

She found herself drawn to make things that would not only look good, but be highly functional, things that would last and would become a part of her customers’ everyday life. Today, she and her husband work out of a silothemed headquarters they built together. She’s the designer and Justin is in charge of production. They put their full attention into everything they make.

Krista is a diehard bow hunter who once harvested a record whitetail buck in the state of Kansas. The arrow of her brand is her archery arrow wrapping the “P” of Panhandle. Panhandle stands for the Idaho Panhandle, and “Red” is what they called her growing up, and still do because of her red hair. A former educator and head coach, she has a passion for teaching and helping others.

“We’ve built a place where people can not only get fine leather gifts, but a warm hug and welcome,” she says. “I know the world is not easy, because I have been there, but if I can build you a purse or teach you something about life then maybe I’ve fulfilled my calling.

"The leather business saved me, and I love it. Who knew a yellow lab and an old barn could lead me this far? Always be ready to elevate your purpose. After all, that’s what I truly wanted.”

Always be ready to elevate your purpose." "

“Handcrafted is special. You cannot replace meeting the maker, appreciating the time and talent that goes into a truly functional design and knowing every single stitch has been specially done for you.”

-Krista

THE SMARTEST HOME IMAGINABLE

MATTHEW WILD AND HIS TEAM TURNED TRAGEDY TO TRIUMPH AND INSPIRED AN INNOVATIVE NEW HOME DESIGN

HESE WALLS CAN TALK.

And the tales they tell are of admiration and innovation. Of a daring dream come true despite the odds. Of all the powerful possibilities when a community pulls together. The builders of this project set out to create the ultimate home for people with ALS, a progressive neuromuscular condition which erodes voluntary movement. In order to survive, most ALS patients rely on their families, who must make radical changes in their day-to-day life and home environment.

Architectural rendering by Miller Hull Partnership

et this project envisioned a different scenario: Instead of having to adapt, what if a family could move into a home that is adapted for them?

One that continues to adapt with the progression of the disease? How dramatically would that change lives affected by this devastating disease?

It started with a heartbreaking diagnosis. A young former U.S. Marine, wounded not by bullets or bombs, but from within, his own motor neurons beginning to die one by one. When Matt Wild received confirmation of his ALS back in 2015, he responded with a warrior’s courage. In an email crafted to his loved ones, he coined the term “Uncrushable Spirit.” And then he set out to leave a legacy in caring for other people with ALS.

Matt’s Place Foundation completed its first ALS smart home in Coeur d’Alene in 2017. Today, that home has already served two families, thanks to the efforts of more than 100 contractors, businesses and individuals who donated and worked tirelessly to make it happen.

And yet, Matt and his team were not done yet.

“Our team has an audacious goal this time around,” says Theresa Whitlock-Wild, Matt’s wife, caretaker and foundation partner.

THE STORY BEHIND MATT’S PLACE

Matthew Wild, a former U.S. Marine, was 41 years old when he began experiencing strange feelings in his hands and arms. It started with a sporadic loss of strength in his hands and grew to include tremors in his arms, hands, shoulders, back and chest. In February of 2015, a neurologist confirmed that Matt has Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). His family and friends joined more than 30,000 U.S. families that face this disease each year. ALS is a disease in which neuron cells in the brain and spinal cord slowly deteriorate. Over time, ALS destroys the ability to walk, speak, eat, swallow and breathe. As a former Marine who revels in the challenge of a seemingly impossible task, Matt wanted to be an inspiration for others battling ALS. Soon after his diagnosis, he came up with a slogan: “Uncrushable Spirit,” and Matt embodies that philosophy every day. He will not give up and continues to look for blessings every day.

OUR GOAL IS TO CREATE THE SMARTEST HOME IN THE NATION. J

Theresa & Matt

n this new home, people with ALS, known as pALS, can live with greater dignity and independence. They can move more freely in specifically designed spaces and with lift systems where needed. They can communicate directly with the house using motion, touch screens or even simply the gaze of their eyes. All this time, they can rest assured that their family’s physical and financial burdens are greatly eased.

Most exciting of all, this is a prototype, House Number 1, with the plan to be able to scale and ship anywhere, which will multiply all these benefits exponentially across the country.

“This is the most inspirational project I’ve ever worked on,” says Andy Barrett, Matt’s Place Foundation board member. “To work with Matt weekly over the last couple of years has put a lot of perspective on what’s really important in my life. For Matt, it’s about community, family and the importance of putting service before self. The guy starts every Zoom meeting with a joke and a smile. He asks us how our kids are doing. He motivates the entire team and gives us a real sense of purpose and an attitude of gratitude. He’s a real leader through all the adversity in his life. And he couldn’t do it without Theresa by his side. The two of them have made it their mission in life to help others with ALS. They live with a real sense of purpose. So when a guy like that asks you to help build a state of the art home designed for at-risk pALS to live in for free, we all jumped on it. We created a great team to design and build it.”

The home is built of cross laminated timber, or CLT, a sustainable form of lumber made from smaller trees. With wood flooring, walls and ceilings, the house not only looks great, but is more efficient. Wood is a natural insulator, staying warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.

It is designed in three parts. The plan is that these will be created in kits which can be shipped anywhere. First, the master bedroom, which could be added to any home. Then, the kitchen and living

room which can be added to the master bedroom for a small house, or even an additional living unit, or ADU. If there are additional family members, the upstairs can be added for two more bedrooms and an extra bath.

The master bedroom suite has an open floor plan concept. This gives pALS and their caregivers space for transfers, and tools that help alleviate the challenges including a ceiling lift, bidet and touch faucets. There is also a HomeSeer smart hub that allows a person with ALS to control their lights, fans, doors, entertainment and thermostat, using their hands through a tablet, their voice, or with an Augmented and Alternative Communication device, or AAC, using technology known as eye-gaze. The idea is that pALS can have independence no matter what stage of the disease they are at.

IT’S ABOUT COMMUNITY, FAMILY AND THE IMPORTANCE OF PUTTING SERVICE BEFORE SELF.

Theresa tests the smart hub system

In 2017, after finishing their first home in Coeur d’Alene, Matt and Theresa realized the need and exciting possibilities. They invited Andy and Liz Barrett to serve as board members for the foundation, who in turn invited them to meet with Russ Vaagan with Vaagan Timbers, Brian Court with Miller Hull Architects from Seattle, Craig Crowley with DCI Engineering, Cody Coombs with DMC Properties, Zach Bull with Baker Construction and representatives from the City of Spokane.

They discussed the mission of Matt's Place Foundation, which is to help with some of the most costly expenses of ALS that are not covered by insurance, such as remodeling for accessibility. These are unexpected costs that most families had not planned for.

ased on the knowledge Matt and Theresa had acquired over the years, they could help the architects design the ultimate ALS home. Spokane Catholic Charities donated a building lot for the project. The team began asking for subcontractors who would be interested in donating materials, labor or money. They had just worked through all these challenges when Covid struck, putting the project on hold. Then the build was delayed significantly due to the supply chain issues, as well as cost increases that affected the amount that contractors could feasibly donate and labor shortages. Adversity to be sure. And yet the people invested in seeing to its completion never wavered, which makes the finished product all the more impressive.

“We couldn’t be more grateful to this team,” Theresa says. “Families who encounter ALS have to make this series of difficult decisions, which never get easier. And all these costs typically must come out of their pockets.”

The cost of an exterior ramp for accessibility, for example, can cost up to $20,000. The bathroom must be made accessible. In addition, there is a power wheelchair, wheelchair accessible vehicle and respiratory equipment including cough assist, suction machine and a nebulizer. And the list goes on.

It's estimated that 50 percent of people diagnosed with ALS will succumb to the disease within the first three years of diagnosis. Matthew is one of 20 percent who has lived more than five years with the disease. The typical cost of care is staggering: $250,000 to $350,000 per year.

“Families can be absolutely overwhelmed trying to figure out how to manage care for the person with ALS while carrying on the rest of life and work," Theresa says. “Insurance seldom covers the cost of outside caregiving, so a loved one typically becomes the full time caregiver, and when the family has no other resources, that family caregiver is left to shoulder the burden exclusively. They must help feed, dress, bathe, support and transfer their pALS, and there is no respite.”

HOW YOU CAN HELP

The Matt’s Place Foundation is 100% volunteer, and is blessed to have a wonderful team of board members, volunteers and supporters. They help with grants towards accessible ramps, accessible bathroom and housing remodels, as well as grants for mortgage/rent assistance in addition to the two homes for families to live in. If you are inspired to get involved, they would appreciate help in sharing their story. You can become a partner, donate to the Uncrushable Spirit Wall, and help make a difference in the lives of those diagnosed with ALS.

hat is where the Matt’s Place model home can change lives. These homes are built by the community, for the community it serves. Families can apply to live in the home through an application process. There is no rent or mortgage required.

“The hope is to alleviate some of the burden, and help families find the time to spend with their loved one and continue to live each day to the fullest,” Theresa says.

“Whether it’s technology that allows pALS to live comfortably and with as much dignity as possible, or a house that can produce more energy than it consumes, the Matt's Place Spokane home is a model for the future,” Andy says. “The next one will be even better!”

ALONE, WE CAN DO SO LITTLE; TOGETHER WE

THANKS TO THE HANDS THAT BUILT IT

Andy Barrett, ToolBox and BlockHouse

Miller Hull Architects, Brian Court, Susan McNabb and David Lieberman

Vaagen Timbers and Vaagen Brothers Lumber

Baker Construction

Catholic Charities of Spokane

DCI Engineering

Stimson Strong-Tie

Fred's Appliance

Pat Weber, Adaptive Technologies

Pick Electric

Design for The PPL

Rolled Steel Products

Cisco

M & L Plumbing

Vestis Systems

NextGen Electric and Solar Tribe Media Lab

Washington Trust Bank

Hayden Homes

saved by the cold

CONTRAST IS A POWERFUL PRACTICE FOR THOSE WHO DARE TO PLUNGE

jump in the lake

In mid-winter, Jim Barrett has Lake Coeur d’Alene to himself.

Dressed only in swim shorts, he leaves the warmth of his car and walks barefoot through the snow, over the frozen sand, toward 34-degree water. His body shivers and his brain screams: Don’t you dare go in there!

But he must go. He has his reasons for the insane act he is about to commit. He wades in, past his shins, his waist, his chest. He lowers further until only his head is showing. With utter focus, he takes in a few deep breaths through his nose.

And then comes a curious response. His body relaxes and his mind clears. This state persists long after he has toweled off and returned to shelter. He feels utterly calm, and yet ultra alert, for the rest of his day.

“The cold is my medicine,” he says. “Some days I need more than others. If I just

need energy and focus, then one minute provides me that. If I need physical recovery or need to feel better mentally, I spend more time in the water.”

For Jim, who is the executive chef of Beverly’s restaurant at The Coeur d’Alene Resort, this ritual has become an important part of his health and well-being practice. He combines it with training at Peak Fitness and walks with his wife Trisha and their three dogs. Last year he competed in a 30k trail race on Schweitzer Mountain, and later that summer climbed three 14,000-foot Colorado peaks with his son. Good medicine, indeed.

“On days that I don’t go into the lake or the cold plunge tubs at HeatPraxia, I simply take ice-cold showers,” he says.

“I usually take my normal warm or hot shower and finish it with the coldest water possible for 2 to 3 minutes, making sure to keep the water moving on my head, back, chest and legs.”

“Forcing myself to go into the cold water builds mental resistance and grit, allowing me to cope better with stress.”

plunge in the tub

Heather Gallegos is a heat practitioner at HeatPraxia located in downtown Coeur d'Alene. She also practices cold plunges, and recommends combining the two for maximum effectiveness.

“Personally, I feel amazing after a sauna and plunge,” she says. “My mind is clear, my aches and pains are gone, my mood is uplifted and my energy is great.”

She commonly hears from HeatPraxia guests that their mental health improves dramatically, especially in the dark winter months. People have even overcome addictions of various kinds after a regular regime of hot and cold.

“After immersion in cold water, our bodies release serotonin and dopamine up to 250 percent beyond the normal range,” she says. “These neurotransmitters are responsible for making us feel happy and increased serotonin is directly

associated with reduced symptoms of depression. Cold immersion also helps regulate norepinephrine and the stress hormone cortisol.”

A former U.S. Marine, as well as a nutritionist and personal trainer, Heather says sauna and cold exposure, along with red light therapy, have helped her recover from heavy metal toxicity. After suffering from neuropathy for a decade, she is nearly free of the condition.

“For anyone who says they could never handle the cold, I encourage you to come in and try it,” she says. “I’ve found that when we microdose adversity in our lives, all the stressors and hardships we encounter get easier. Try it once. After you experience how great you feel and how resilient you become, I predict that your mind will be changed forever.”

“I feel amazing after a sauna and plunge. My mind is clear, my aches and pains are gone, my mood is uplifted and my energy is great.”

hit the backyard

John Eloe’s cold therapy journey started with the Polar Plunge, an annual New Year’s Day tradition.

“I had always wanted to try it and finally, three years ago, I literally took the plunge,” he says. “I came out and tried to warm up, and noticed one guy was still out there, just floating around. It really challenged my thinking. By February, I was watching a documentary on cold immersion and I started making twice-weekly trips to the lake.”

For John, who is director of facilities for The Coeur d’Alene Resort, cold plunging is a way to stay calm and balance stress. “I can come home from a long day and be tired and a quick plunge re-centers my mind and refreshes my spirit,” he says. That keeps him at his best whether he is working, raising his kids or pursuing biking, hiking, skiing and boating.

Cold therapy has become a family affair. He has a small man-made pond

in his backyard which is deep enough to submerge in up to his neck. His wife and kids will sometimes join him there. But his regular practice is to go in the mornings while everyone else is still in bed.

There, in the dark, he breaks through the ice, and climbs in. He counts his breaths as a measure of time while he looks up at the stars. And when he’s done, he slowly climbs out, then warms up perhaps by the fireplace or in the hot tub.

He encourages others to start their own practice. “Yes, it is cold,” he says. “Yes, it takes courage. Yes, it is hard. But quite frankly, it gets easier with practice. The mental and physical health benefits are absolutely amazing. Your confidence in your willpower brings a new awareness of what you can accomplish. Your mental clarity and positive mindset climb to the clouds.”

do your own cold therapy study the science

Read reports from experts like Wim Hof, Dr. Susana Soeberg and Dr. Rhonda Patrick on the research and benefits of cold exposure.

start small

Start by finishing your shower with cold water. Begin with just a few seconds each time. Start a 30-day challenge with cold exposure every day to build your tolerance and commitment.

skip the gym

If you are pressed for time, consider skipping the gym one day a week and do contrast instead. This practice is a moderate aerobic workout so it’s fair to replace a workout with it. Give your body a day to recover and your mind an hour to relax.

"If you say ‘I can’t do it’ you are absolutely correct. You can’t. Instead, ask yourself how many things you can do. Be brave enough to try new things.”

One July afternoon

last summer, Kim Bowler

waded into Lake Coeur d’Alene at its farthest southern shore,

her skin coated in diaper rash cream against the sun. She adjusted her goggles and started swimming. Her plan was to swim all afternoon, and all night, and with any luck, by sometime the next morning, emerge onto dry land again at the north end as the first person in recorded history to swim the entire 24-mile length of Lake Coeur d’Alene.

She had checked and rechecked the weather forecast, and all looked good. The winds were light and the lake was placid.

Despite the nerves, she felt physically strong and decided to swim a little harder. The farther she got before dark the better, she reckoned.

In the deeper water near Conklin Marina, she was met by her support boat with a crew of volunteers. They would help keep an eye out for hazards, feed her every 45 minutes or so along the way and observe the strict rules for an official open water swim as established by the Marathon Swimmers Federation.

Even though this was her first record attempt, long distance swimming was familiar territory. As she stroked north, her fingers felt the cool pressure of the water, just like she remembered from childhood summers spent in her family's backyard pool, practicing flip turns with her dad, or playing in lakes and rivers. She wondered why she’d stopped swimming in high school, why she’d left it for 20 years before rekindling this feeling of floating, turning, kicking, breathing. The entry, catch, pull, push, recovery… entry, catch, pull, push, recover…

A few years ago, she’d rekindled that childhood passion, joining a local U.S. Masters Swimming (USMS) team and taking on a 6000-yard challenge in a pool. As other swimmers faded with each lap, she grew stronger. Climbing out after that final lap, she felt strong and empowered. She looked back and thought to herself, I did that. She had been chasing that feeling ever since.

As the afternoon waned and the light grew golden, she listened to the sound of water rushing past her ears. Every 45 minutes or so she would refuel, drinking eight ounces of a mix of electrolytes and carbs she’d prepared the day before. Or a banana if she needed a little more.

It proved difficult to match the boat speed with her pace, despite using drag anchors. So her husband Chris got into a kayak and stayed at her side for the rest of the swim.

By 8:30 p.m. the sun was setting and soon she was swimming in darkness. To her surprise, she wasn’t afraid. The sky was clear and studded with twinkling lights. She even saw a couple shooting stars. During this part of the swim she felt a profound sense of peace.

By 2 a.m. the moon rose, a slender crescent moon with a pale light. There was still a very long way to go. To get her through the miles, she thought about her family. Her husband Chris, right there nearby, high school sweethearts and inseparable ever since. Their 13-year-old son Kale, and 9-year-old daughter, Johannah. She thought about her nursing job at a Spokane surgical center. She drifted into thoughts of her fantasy swim in a Scottish loch someday.

She was cheered by the thought of other previously successful journeys: Two 10km swims in Flathead Lake, Montana and a 20km swim in Priest Lake from Buttonhook Bay to Maiden Rock. And organized events like the Coeur d’Alene Crossing, the Columbia Crossing in Pasco, Washington, the Long Bridge Swim in Sandpoint and Across the Lake in Kelowna, B.C., Canada.

In the early hours, her crew said, “Kim, the sun will be coming up any time now.” She was elated, until she swam another 45 minutes and didn’t see any sun. Then another 45 minutes, and another.

-Kim Bowler

"I find joy in the journey; seeing the stars at night, the little fish in the morning and even appreciate being tossed and rolled with the waves when they come.”

Ijust want this to be done, her brain began to say. Not quit, that’s different. I just want it to be over now.

This is where her training came in, all the miles she’d put in under the remote tutelage of her coach Sarah Thomas, a renowned international open water swimmer. Just keep moving. And her body did what she asked, stroke after stroke, as finally the new day dawned.

She signaled her support boat, changing from clear to sunglass goggles. She wondered if she should ask how far it was to go. Sometimes it’s better not to know. Swimmers have had their spirits crushed by the truth. But she had to ask.

In response, a crew member raised a hand. Just one hand, she realized with joy. Less than five, I can make it. Four fingers held aloft. Only four miles to go to shore. A cry of relief escaped her lips. She locked eyes with Chris.

“Let’s finish this,” he said.

Her last mile was difficult in choppy water. She couldn’t see the way. She kept on swimming until the lake bottom appeared, and in a few more strokes she could get her feet under her. She walked out of the water, turned and raised her

arms, victorious, so her crew could hit the stopwatches. She’d been in the water for 16 hours and 40 minutes.

She was amazed at how many people had gathered to watch her arrive. She sat down on a rock for a while. She fought a little nausea. There was no euphoric rush, just a tired happiness that she was done. Back home, she rinsed off the diaper rash cream and lanolin anti-chafe in the shower, slept hard for a few hours, then woke to enjoy a celebratory meal with her family. She could finally look back at all those miles and say to herself, I did that. She’d earned her nickname, Kimmer the Swimmer.

Next up, she plans to swim the length of both upper and lower Priest Lake, and vows she has an even more audacious swim in mind, still under wraps.

“My mantra since swimming Lake Coeur d’Alene has been ‘I can do hard things,’ Kim says today. “I remind myself of that whenever the going gets tough. I also find joy in the journey; seeing the stars at night, the little fish in the morning and even appreciating being tossed and rolled with the waves when they come.”

The Creekside home philosophy of building is based on achieving superior craftsmanship on all levels. Our commitment to excellence serves as the foundation on which we build every custom home. It is our dedication that ensures your new home will meet your highest expectations.

WHERE BOATS CANFly

From aloft, this landscape is magnificent. Big timber rolls beneath the wings. Ahead, a mountain lake beckons, then grows to fill the cockpit windows, the islands evergreen, the waters an inexpressible blue. A morning as fine as it gets.

“Well, this is just a beautiful day to go flying,” the pilot says.

His vintage De Havilland Beaver casts a palpating shadow on the landscape, propelled by the satisfying growl of the Pratt & Whitney radial engine. The pilot’s laid-back voice comes through the headset again, this time with a bit of mirth.

“Mind if I turn on the AC?” he says. He grins as he opens the window and adds, “Old school 1950s AC!”

He cranks up his airplane’s theme song, “Black Betty” and banks out over the wide open radiance below. It’s a marvelous sensation. In this exceptional craft, part bird, part fish, you are a voyager from the golden age of flight, and the world is your oyster.

All too soon, the pilot, Kevin Franklin, pulls back smoothly on the power, and you settle onto the surface of the lake. His plane gets a lot of airtime. This morning he flew in from Desolation Sound. This afternoon he will land his family at a remote waterfall. “To just get in a plane and fly there shrinks the distances and brings the natural world together in incredible ways,” he says.

Photography by Quicksilver Studios

Kevin taxis to Tanglefoot Seaplane Base on Priest Lake, a first-rate facility where pilots can land in a sheltered bay and haul out on a well-maintained ramp. They might be greeted by Hank, one of the family dogs who walks around with a wheel chock in his mouth and otherwise lounges around the airbase like a happy-go-lucky teenager.

Here pilots will meet the Fenwick family, impeccably gracious hosts who have lived a remarkable life together and are true seaplane connoisseurs. They own and fly some very interesting airplanes, and have turned this brushy shoreline (hence the name Tanglefoot) into one of the more unique experiences in North Idaho.

“My mom would fly us kids from here to Sandpoint to go get groceries,” says Stuart Fenwick. “I grew up thinking that was just how you got around.”

He and his wife Amy’s six-month-old baby, Charlie, has been flying since she was three days old. “At the beginning, she would just fall asleep from the vibration,” Amy says. “Now when we go flying, she gets excited when she sees the airplane.”

In the same way, Stuart learned from his own father, Loel, by sitting in his dad’s lap as a little guy, holding an altitude and a heading with a hundred percent focus. He remembers a family outing where they flew into a hanging lake with sheer cliffs all around, accessible only by air. They were stranded there for a week by weather with only enough food for two days. “We sat under a tarp in the campfire smoke, eating fish and huckleberries for food,” Stuart says. “It was my favorite camping trip of all time.”

His family’s flying legacy goes all the way back to Loel’s early childhood, when he was a starry-eyed passenger on a Sunderland flying boat. His family flew from England to South Africa, where his father managed a game preserve, and where Loel picked up the melodic resonance of speech that persists to this day.

“It took four days to fly from Southampton to the Mediterranean, and then down the Nile River, and then to South Africa,” he says. “We would land on the water, and they would have these beautiful boats come out and take us to the hotel, all of it run by the British Overseas Airways Corporation. As a young boy I had the run of the airplane. That meant I could dash downstairs when it was going to land and I could watch the splashing on the windows. And then I could go up to the flight deck, a spacious place where people were walking around, and there was the captain, and the co-pilot and the navigator and the radio operator. Behind it was the galley, and it had ice cream. So it was a great place for a four-year-old. The pilot and crew would let me play with all the stuff, and we became good buddies. It certainly did steer me toward flying boats.”

Loel went on to a storied career as a physician and inventor. Inspired by the way African women gave birth, he helped lead a movement to make American childbirth more natural, creating the Borning Bed and the family birthing system now used in most hospitals in the modern world.

Along the way, he rekindled his love of flight. Then he and Olson met, four eventful decades ago, at a 4th of July picnic. “I saw this poor gal with all these guys crowded around her, bothering her, I was certain,” he says with a smile. “So I made sure she had a little space.”

THE FLYING FAMILY

(clockwise from left)

Loel and Olson Fenwick, Tanglefoot Seaplane Base, Olson in the backcountry, pre-flight check, Stuart and Loel fly the Mallard

Soon after they married, he realized she’d been missing for long periods without telling him where she was. When he confronted her, she pulled out her logbook. She had enrolled in flying lessons in order to determine that flying was safe, and was just about to solo herself. “I loved it right away,” Olson says. “I rented that airplane every day I could.”

She has gone on to be a superb pilot in all kinds of craft, most recently, by helping some rather distinguished friends keep flying the Idaho backcountry into older age. “The amount I learn from them is amazing,” Olson says. “It’s an opportunity to fly with someone who has over 70 years of flight experience, in their airplane that they’ve flown for 40 years, that they know so well, a perfect backcountry airplane, a Cessna 206 turbo with tundra tires. I always say, I sit in the left seat with good hands and good eyesight, and they fly the airplane through me. Idaho has more than 60 backcountry strips, and we’re so lucky to have those.”

“SOMETIMES, FLYING FEELS TOO GODLIKE TO BE ATTAINED BY MAN. SOMETIMES, THE WORLD FROM ABOVE SEEMS TOO BEAUTIFUL, TOO WONDERFUL, TOO DISTANT FOR HUMAN EYES TO SEE.”

Charles Lindbergh

When the Fenwicks bought this stretch of peninsula at Priest Lake, it came with some history and some rumors. One previous owner was the British billionaire Sir James Goldsmith, who’d planned to build a golf course, marina and 400 townhouses here and a ski area nearby.

Instead, under the Fenwicks’ care, Tanglefoot Seaplane Base has become a meeting place for annual fly-ins, a training ground for Boy and Girl Scouts, a place for regional safety seminars and an alternate landing area in case of weather. It could also prove vital as a place to land supplies or provide evacuations by air in an emergency.

THE GRUMMAN GOOSE

This 1942 Grumman G21A Goose is a very good performer with excellent land and water operations. It carries nine people with ease and is great for exploration. 350 Grumman Gooses were built from 1937-1945. Built as an eight-seat commuter aircraft for businessmen in the Long Island area, the Goose was Grumman's first monoplane, its first twin-engined aircraft and its first aircraft to enter commercial airline service. During World War II, the Goose took on an increasing number of combat and training roles. “These kind of airplanes require unique skills to fly and build, which I find rewarding to master,” says Addison, who owns and operates a manufacturing corporation that builds flight test and wind tunnel test instrumentation. “Since I have a day job, these old airplanes are a nighttime and weekend disease.”

“This airplane is very well built and offered a project within our restoration wheelhouse and skill set. Truly one of the great airplanes… a pilot’s dream.”

~Addison Pemberton, owner/pilot

THE BEECH 18

This plane, flown by Brooke’s Seaplane for summer sightseeing tours over Lake Coeur d’Alene, is the only operational plane of its kind in America, and one of just six currently flying on floats in the world. The Beech 18 was instrumental with helping with World War II and served as a commuter. This particular plane was privately owned since it was new and was never used as a commuter. Brooke’s Seaplane Service has always been a family-owned business and the Rogers family has owned it since 2021. On the aerial tour, guests fly over Lake Coeur d’Alene and the rivers that feed it including the Chain Lakes. Other highlights are downtown Coeur d’Alene, the town of Harrison, and three lakefront golf courses including The Famous Floating Green at The Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course.

“The 1954 Beechcraft D18S is one of the most unique seaplanes of all time, and was Beechcraft’s first all-metal airplane.”

~Shane Rogers, owner/pilot

“Tanglefoot has been absolutely wonderful to the community,” says Bruce Hinds, former president of the Washington Seaplane Pilots Association.

“The Fenwicks love seaplanes, and we love being able to share that as a public use seaplane base with fellow pilots in the community. It draws people from all over.”

“We’ve had planes land here after being caught in a blizzard,” Olson says. “And we’ve had an opportunity to meet a lot of people who just saw us on the chart and dropped in and then became longtime friends. We have found wonderful mentors for our children in aviation: Hank and Helga Sallmon from Clark Fork, Addison Pemberton from Felt’s Field, Ernie Martin from Sandpoint and Bob Benscoter—who we just lost—who owned Grandview Resort, as well as Burt, Tonya and Dick Rutan.”

“Taking care of these classic flying boats today is kind of like looking after a dinosaur,” Loel says. “They are the very last ones in the world. But the way this place brings together family, friends and other pilots, it’s certainly a lot of fun.”

THE GRUMMAN MALLARD

This 1951 Grumman Mallard is one of fewer than ten still flying and one of only three that escaped the saltwater corrosion of ocean operations. The Mallard is the precursor of the Grumman Gulfstream and today's executive Gulfstreams. Factory built to airliner standards and luxuriously equipped with a ten-seat lounge cabin, the Mallard was the favorite of executives such as Henry Ford, William Boeing, King Farouk and Lord Beaverbrook when it was the very best aircraft for business. It was also their favorite for adventures with family and friends—a role for which it is still treasured. “The airplane has delightful control harmony and effectiveness,” says Addison Pemberton, who took a turn at the helm. “The engines are very smooth and the cabin is very quiet. I felt like if I had turned around in flight I might see back in the cabin a movie star or a business mogul seated in those cushy seats. I have great admiration for the engineering and vision the Grumman team had back in the slide rule and pencil days.”

“The Mallard is the ultimate, as far as I’m concerned; the finest, most beautiful flying boat ever built by anybody.”

~Loel Fenwick, owner/pilot

SPLASH-IN AT TANGLEFOOT SEAPLANE BASE

In this annual event, the Washington Seaplane Pilots Association convenes in June, flying a variety of beautiful craft into Cavanaugh Bay. There, the pilots and their guests camp out and enjoy cookouts, flying safety seminars and a sightseeing flight around Priest Lake. The special guest in 2022 was pilot Dick Rutan, talking about his book The Next Five Minutes and the story of the first ever nonstop, unrefueled flight around the world. washingtonseaplanepilots.org

IT’S OPENING NIGHT FOR ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED SHOWS OF THE SEASON;

just minutes away from the curtain rising on Frozen at the Kroc Center Performing Arts Theater. Things are highly abuzz. Costumes are tucked and tweaked, makeup applied and lines rehearsed one last time.

As you spend a little time backstage, you see these are not ordinary actors. Far from it. These are extraordinary actors. They see, feel and inhabit the world in ways we may just be beginning to understand.

Tonight’s presentation may have more than its share of long pauses, missed cues or even a meltdown or two. And that’s okay. It will be one of the most heart-warmingly beautiful shows you will ever have the privilege to enjoy.

Arvijahn Bagtus, who plays the king, looks resplendent in his royal robes. He stands a little taller when he puts them on.

“He can’t wait to sing and entertain,” says his mom, Violet. “He’s been humming music since he was 18 months old. He loved the radio, and by the time he was two he’d say, ‘Mommy, that’s Mozart.’”

Standing with Arvi is Josiah Mannion, who is volunteering for his first season with CDA ACT, which stands for Celebrating Different Abilities through Art and Community Theater. Josiah’s role is called the shadow, and the relationship between an actor and a shadow is one of the things that makes this performance so interesting.

“Arvi processes language differently,” Josiah says. “So getting timing down on lines is a challenge. In order to work out what you’re saying, Arvi first needs to say it back to you. Then he has to process his response for a second and then he speaks. That’s the way his brain works. The other actors know Arvi, and what a sweet man he is, and they are willing to give him the space and time he needs to be the king.”

Shadows dress in black to keep the spotlight on the stars of the show. They provide the guidance and prompts and make sure every actor knows where to go. Some actors don’t like to be touched. Others instead need to be turned and sent the right way.

The theater group, originally called Out of the Shadows, was the brainchild of Wendy Carroll, an actress who dragged her neuroatypical son, Toby, to countless auditions, rehearsals and performances. He’d bring water to the actors and help in front of the house.

“One night, I looked out into the seats and saw my son, ever supportive, never complaining, sending encouraging vibes,” Wendy says. “And then I heard a silent voice say, ‘When is it my turn?’ At that moment my heart broke. His turn was whenever I made it happen. I turned to the theater community who knew my son and lovingly embraced him for years. And they rose to the occasion.”

The first production in 2016 was Beauty and the Beast, followed by Fiddler on the Roof, Mary Poppins, Music Man and then Frozen.

Jamie Sciarrio was in the audience that first year, and she recalls crying through the whole performance. She was so excited about what she saw up on stage. Today, the school teacher wears many hats with CDA ACT. She is president of the board and play director. She is also a set designer, set painter and choreographer.

“I do this because all these amazing actors and volunteers deserve this,” she says. “They give it their all.”

EVERY ACTOR IS UNIQUE IN THEIR PHYSICAL ABILITIES, PROCESSING ABILITIES AND SENSORY ABILITIES,” JOSIAH SAYS. “OUR JOB IS TO MAKE SURE THE SPACE STAYS OPEN FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO SHARE BEAUTY ON THEIR OWN TERMS.

When actors get anxious about things, Jamie reminds them to breathe. Or wear headphones to help cancel out noises. She keeps sounds and temperature down. “It’s really being mindful of everybody,” she says. “Sometimes we play referee.

I’ve learned to be a lot more patient, and a lot less of a controller.”

She loves to see the progression in confidence and ability. The first year, one young man was known to the other actors as Bathroom Boy because he was so shy he would hide during each rehearsal. Today, that kid is lighting up the stage. Other actors have stepped beyond needing a shadow. They interpret lines and conjure up complex emotions. Some have gone on to perform with other community theaters.

“I’ve done theater since high school, but this has been the most rewarding,” says Judy Ludlow, who acts from her wheelchair, which is battered from her impressive world

travels. Her husband Nathaniel serves as a shadow, stagehand and set builder. Their love, laughter and enthusiasm for life together is infectious.

“We’ve done all the shows,” Judy says. “When you see other characters and their challenges, and you see how they’ve grown, you realize the growth and potential that is possible. Just rise up, take one step forward and it can be done. I may have multiple sclerosis, but I’m having the time of my life.”

Still, it takes courage to stand on this stage. One year, Arvi’s mom wasn’t sure if he could handle any more stimulation. “I told him, ‘Arvi, honey, maybe you shouldn’t do it anymore.’ And you know what he told me? ‘No Mommy, I can’t quit. I’m not going to quit.’”

WHEN YOU SEE OTHER CHARACTERS AND HOW THEY’VE GROWN, YOU REALIZE WHAT IS POSSIBLE.

~JUDY

GET INVOLVED WITH CDA ACT

“Come watch a show. Come to one of our workshops. Interact together and get over that fear of the unknown. We can use your time, talent and treasure. We need set builders, we need set painters, we need people who can teach skills. And if you don’t know what your talent is, just ask me. I’ll help you find it!” ~Jamie

Buy tickets now for the 2023 show.

CDAACT.COM

After spending some time with these actors and volunteers, you begin to wonder what really is neurotypical, or normally abled, after all. Don’t we all have our own diverse peculiarities? Aren’t the differences what make things beautiful?

And honestly, wouldn’t it be a better world if it was okay to have a meltdown now and then? What if you could simply say, ‘I need a moment?’ And be loved and supported in that moment. And then go right back to whatever you were doing. And if you’ve just finished a performance on the CDA ACT stage, that means bringing the house down for a very long standing applause at the end of the night.

“Like all art should, these actors allow you to take off the blinders,” Josiah says. “To see the beauty of what you are missing, the beauty and the joy, and carry it back into everyday life.”

CAPTAINS AND THEIR CRAFT CARRY ON THE NAUTICAL TRADITIONS OF LAKE COEUR D’ALENE

THE MISH-AN-NOCK

107 ft Lake Coeur d’Alene Cruises tour boat

CAPTAIN JESS DEMERY

“I get a lot of comments about girl power that keep me motivated and inspired.”

She’s seen plenty of sea miles on cruise ships, including the U.S. East Coast, the Mississippi River and the Panama Canal. But she’s happiest at the helm on Lake Coeur d’Alene, where she worked her way up from deckhand to captain, or when she’s out walking the shoreline with her dogs.

“Some of the most difficult aspects of being a captain are the weather and wind. Wind gusts can make or break a docking maneuver and can be challenging. On the flip side, you can also use the wind to help you dock, which is quite satisfying.”

“I enjoy having kids come into the wheelhouse and letting them steer the boat and take pictures. When I get approached and passengers let me know they had a phenomenal time and that they would gladly do it again, it makes me feel like I did my job well.”

“Being outdoors in the fresh air and sunshine, especially in the summer, makes me love being a captain all the more.”

THE DISCOVERY

CAPTAIN MARK RAUGH

“Out here you get to see the very best sunsets, sunrises and wildlife.”

A longtime paramedic in emergency medical services, he was the first ski patroller on a snowboard at Silver Mountain Resort. After driving one of the Eagle golf course boats on Lake Coeur d’Alene, he was hooked, and soon pursued maritime school and his captain’s license.

“My biggest satisfaction comes when everyone gets back to port at the end of the shifts and I know that we all did a safe and above-satisfactory job, even with the weather, tight timelines and logistical challenges that confront us on a daily basis.”

“Driving a boat like this, I hear a lot of questions. Non-passengers ask me, ‘How old is the boat?’ ‘Is it real wood?’ ‘How much maintenance does it take?’ or ‘Can I take a ride?’ Passengers say, ‘You park this boat better than I can park my

car.’ And they ask, ‘Do we have to wear life jackets?’ ‘Can I play my own music?’ and ‘How do you flush the toilet?’

“I have very much appreciated being a captain for Gozzer, and seeing day in and day out all the different aspects of the waterways. I thank the Lord daily for blessing me with these opportunities. Life is as good as you make it, and being a captain is one way to do exactly that.”

37 ft luxury limo for Gozzer Ranch

CAPTAIN TERRY BRINTON

“I love the responsibility, the exposure and the sense of freedom that it leads to.”

He grew up boating on the lakes of northern Ontario, Canada, and fell in love with sailing while he worked at a summer camp in Algonquin Park. He runs the Outdoor Pursuits department at North Idaho College, and is on the water or in the mountains just about every day.

THE STUDY ABOARD

26 ft Colgate training boat

“Blasting along under a full late summer harvest moon with the boat shouldering into a strong breeze out of Wolf Lodge Bay, working as a team and catching spray from stem to stern... It doesn’t get much better than that.”

“Boats have taught me that things change fast. When it’s good, you have to pay attention, let it soak in, and allow yourself to feel grateful. You never know when a thunderhead is going to blow in, or the wind might die or something breaks. If you do everything you can to stack the odds in your favor with proper preparation, chances are the good will outweigh the bad.”

“I’m still that little boy trying to outrun the chase boat trying to reel me in in my skiff, just so I can stay out a little longer. If they can’t catch me, I don’t have to go in, plain and simple. If I can impart that sense of freedom to my students, I get to relive it all over again.”

CAPTAIN SAM READ

“I get to meet people from all over the place who are excited to be at the lake.”

A retired middle school science teacher, he spent childhood summers at Arrow Point Resort on Lake Coeur d’Alene and bought his first boat when he was ten years old. He teaches his guests about the history of the lake, maritime traditions and maintaining a positive outlook on life.

THE EAGLE

34 ft Cd’A Resort Golf Course shuttle

“The most fun is the kids. Every week I transport kids who have never been on a boat ride, let alone a classic wooden speed boat traveling at 30 miles per hour. They always want to go faster.”

“There’s no better feeling when gliding across the water during the early mornings and evenings when the water is calm. Wedding charters are a special privilege; escorting the bride and groom back to The Resort at the end of their big day across the moonlit lake. I have even had the occasion to share some marital advice.”

“It’s also a great feeling when I can render assistance occasionally to stranded boaters, paddle boarders and swimmers. Like the boating season, time is too short, so I say, ‘Always try to make it a good day.’”

THE SIZZLER

60 ft custom sailing yacht

“It’s an absolute treat to run a boat like this on some of the most beautiful waters on our little planet. I pinch myself every time I step on the deck of this magnificent sailing craft that is more like a work of floating art.”

“After running The Sizzler for 16 summers and counting, we have quite a relationship. She knows my moves and I usually know hers. We part ways in the fall and reunite every spring. Together, we have seen all kinds of conditions, from calm waters reflecting the full moon to gale force storms.”

“I’m grateful we can bring a unique kind of joy to our guests, the joy that comes from gliding along powered only by the natural elements, hearing the music of water against the hull and the voices of the wind.”

CAPTAIN DAVID KILMER

“If you love boats and water as much as I do, this job is a dream come true.”

His first sailing trip was 2,300 miles across the Pacific on a small sloop. He ran charter boats in the Caribbean and wrote about it in his book, A Peril to Myself and Others, and successfully cruised his own sailboat from Bellingham to the Bahamas during 10 adventure-filled seasons.

CAPTAIN’S TIPS

“Stay calm. Problem-solving is 95% of a captain’s job. It’s really about being the leader that everyone needs.”

-Captain Jesse Demery

“Failure to plan is planning to fail. Anything can happen on the water. Plan ahead and be prepared.”

- Captain Mark Raugh

“Always keep a weather eye. You can deal with the gusts much better when you see them coming.”

-Captain Terry Brinton

“Never shut down your engines until you are secured to the dock. And when you come upon another boat, assume the other guy does not know the rules of the road.”

-Captain Sam Read

“Make a habit of finding something to tidy or fix. As a fellow captain once said, ‘If you’ve got time to lean, you’ve got time to clean!’”

-Captain David Kilmer

There’s an overwhelming feeling that comes with every health crisis. And the very last thing families have energy for is the day-to-day logistics: Where to stay, what to eat, how to care for kids.

A caring hand, a smile, a healthy meal and a comfortable bed are things that mean so much. A place of love and support in a time of uncertainty. And that special place in Coeur d’Alene is the Davidson Family Hospitality Center. For families facing adversity, the warm care they experience here makes all the difference.

On July 19, 2022, Community Cancer Fund hosted a celebration in Coeur d’Alene to recognize Tom and Debby Davidson for

their generous support of Community Cancer Fund’s mission to fight cancer across the Inland Northwest region. To honor their generosity, Community Cancer Fund dedicated the $5 million facility on the Kootenai Health campus after the Davidson family.

“We are incredibly grateful to Tom and Debby Davidson, as well as the gifts from many other supporters,” says Jerid Keefer, co-founder and executive director of Community Cancer Fund.

The Davidson Family Hospitality Center was inspired by a desire to ensure access to care and provide outstanding support services for patients and families at Kootenai Health. The Center has twelve adult rooms, six Ronald McDonald House rooms for pediatric patient families and two swing rooms – all of which provide a home-like setting for those in need. It has already served 1,500 families and counting.

“It’s my honor and privilege to love on every family that walks through our doors,” says Cheri Lukes, the facility’s family service coordinator. “Most of them are experiencing difficult times, and it’s very comforting to know we can help ease some of their stress by providing a safe, clean, comfortable place they can call home while receiving medical treatments.”

She will never forget her first Christmas there. A family of four adult kids and their parents came to prepare Christmas Eve dinner for everyone staying there. “I was so touched by this family’s unselfish desire to serve others on such a special holiday,” Cheri says. “They cooked and ate with our guests and took turns mingling and visiting with them for hours. One of our guests was a guitar player and she happened to have it here with her. The evening ended with her playing guitar, while all the others belted out Silent Night. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the place.”

The center is a model nationwide, since there are only a handful of other facilities with a Ronald McDonald House co-located with adult lodging.

“I try to imagine what families prior to the creation of the Hospitality Center did for lodging accommodations and how some could afford hotels in the Coeur d’Alene area on top of the unanticipated medical bills,” says Tiegan Colwell, family service supervisor.

CHERI LUKES

Family Service Coordinator

“This staff works tirelessly to make every guest feel welcome.”

She says she feels privileged to work with an amazing group of mission-focused, teamoriented individuals who strive to provide a high level of service and comfort for the families they serve.

“One of the profound things I have seen is the resilience of our patient families,” she says. “Whether a family is getting prepped for a major open heart surgery, learning the heartbreaking news of a cancer diagnosis or caring for a prematurely born baby, they all show a level of strength and resilience that I admire. They give me a level of motivation to provide top service and accommodations to make this as comfortable a stay as we can.”

Carolyn Keefer is a retired teacher (and Jarid Keefer’s mother) who volunteers at the center doing chores

Join Community Cancer Fund in their Fight

Founded in 2014 by a passionate group of community leaders, Community Cancer Fund is determined to fight cancer at the local level. Deeply moved by their own experiences with cancer, this group is determined to devote more resources to cancer screening, prevention, research, treatment and care in the Inland Northwest.

Prior to the Davidson Family Hospitality Center, the biggest investment was $3 million for Camp Goodtimes, a free summer camp at YMCA Camp Reed for children affected by cancer. This CCF endowment funds the medically supervised summer camp in perpetuity. Camp highlights include college team visits, tie-dye extravaganza, bass fishing day, and a host of typical camp activities. The motto at Camp Goodtimes? “An opportunity to just be kids.”

Learn more at communitycancerfund.org

“We invite local citizens and businesses to come join the cause at our annual event on Lake Coeur d’Alene in late July,” says Fritz Wolff, a co-founder of the Community Cancer Fund. “You can help enable our continuing support of this amazing facility and provide care to families on their cancer journey. We greatly appreciate all the local businesses who contribute by participating in this marquee summer experience together.”

Carolyn says, “This staff works tirelessly to make every guest feel welcome. These guests are all experiencing a difficult chapter in their lives, so to have a staff that is so caring and concerned for them is a beautiful thing to see. This is their 'home away from home' where they can now have a meal, knowing they have a variety of food choices in a warm, safe and loving atmosphere and a nice place to stay. I'm proud to be a part of the gift the Community Cancer Fund gave to our community.”

“We’ve experienced so much generosity and compassion from the volunteers,” says Alyssa Given, a guest of the Hospitality Center whose baby was born in the Kootenai Health NICU. “There are frequently goodies being baked and meals being made in the kitchen. Four different pet therapy dogs have been brought in during our stay here as well and our kids look forward to those interactions so much. Having this place during our daughter’s hospital stay has kept us together as a family and allowed us to spend more time with our new baby. It’s made a stressful season in life more bearable.”

"The Davidson Family Center has made a stressful season in life more bearable.”

-Alyssa Given

How Keri Alexander went from weeds to fabulous flowers

ornings are an especially delightful time at Sunshine Flower Farm.The proprietor takes another slow sip of coffee, fills her favorite yellow watering can and begins her rounds.

The sweet fragrance from verbena and the vanilla frosting aroma of heliotrope waft through the air, along with rosemary, thyme, mint and basil.

“There's a stillness that's intoxicating,” says Keri Alexander, who built this garden bit by bit from a patch of thorn bushes. “This has become a quiet, protected space where the noise of life disappears, and I feel the deepest sense of satisfaction and peace.”

Her friends begin to arrive. The rufous hummingbirds are first to greet her with the zzzzzzz-ing of their wings. A couple of males return here every year and seem to recognize her. Then the butterflies, bumblebees and honey bees, pollinating their little hearts out and adding to the garden’s charm with their dancing wings.

or Keri, the joy this garden brings is in direct proportion to the amount of work it has taken to create. Their historic home came with oodles of charm, but also with an unused backyard space that had gone back to nature, and a deathtrap of a deck.

“One sunny spring day, my husband Mitch and I were looking out at all that, and Mitch said, ‘I'm going to rip that deck out right now,’” she says. “He and our son Mason removed the entire eyesore in a matter of a few hours and then we had a clean canvas to begin.”

Mitch further proved his hero status by removing a seemingly insurmountable amount of thorn bush and digging up countless rocks. He trimmed the grass and weeds down with a riding lawn mower, and created a fire pit and raised garden space for veggies. Using their truck and a chain, the couple pulled out numerous overgrown juniper shrubs, spruces and pines that were growing around the perimeter of the house and in the two flower beds that align their front walkway. It was a satisfying feeling.

Then, out the back door, Keri began to create what she called Hummingbird Haven, a magical place of hanging baskets along with feeders for its namesake visitors. What began as a few small pots became a colorful world of blossoms and vines. It became the owners’ best-loved part of the home, a place to watch nature’s never-ending show.

“Hummingbird Haven is a respite and oasis from the busyness of life and a place to savor our short summers with our family and friends,” she says.

“It's a respite and oasis from the busyness of life and a place to savor our short summers with our family and friends.”

BEFORE

Built in 1935 by Sunshine Mining Co., their home was stately but surrounded by scrub brush, rocks and a rotten deck.

unshine Flower Farm, which grows cut flowers for commercial sale, is Keri’s second career. After working in the newspaper business for 31 years, most recently as publisher of her hometown paper the Shoshone News-Press, she wanted something completely different.

“In 2021, I watched an amazing documentary about Floret Flower Farm and I was captivated by the story,” she says. “After lots of prayer, many discussions with Mitch and many sleepless nights, I decided it was time to do the scary but exciting thing. I have a strong desire to grow healthy stems that will give my florists and their customers a long vase life.”

A home rich with Idaho history

Back in 1935, it cost $25,000 for the Sunshine Mining Company to build this mansion for Frank Eichelberger, their VP of operations. The New England Colonial design featured a butler’s pantry, maid’s quarters and a private tennis court. Each room had a buzzer so the owners could ring for maid service, and one buzzer still survives today. A series of executives lived here over the years, including Marvin Chase and his family, who was general manager of the mine when a deadly fire in 1972 claimed the lives of 91 miners underground, a disaster still commemorated in the Sunshine Mine Memorial just down the road.

Memorabilia from Mitch’s great-grandparents’ bar, the Miners Club, includes a quarter slot machine that was used for gambling many years ago. The dark blue sign is the original Sunshine Mine signaling codes, a gift from Harry Cougher, a previous owner of the mansion and former Sunshine Mine Manager. If walls could talk, the objects here could tell a lot of stories.

or years she’s grown things for fun like geraniums, petunias, marigolds, begonias, verbena, calibrachoa, sweet potato vines, daylilies, herbs, tomatoes, zucchini, smoke bush, yarrow and liatris. As a flower farmer she’s now added dahlias, gladiolus, cosmos, zinnias, sunflowers, strawflower, snapdragons, stock, bells of Ireland, sweet peas, celosia, nigella and nicotiana and more.

“I love the dahlias because they are divas,” Keri says. “They are challenging and require a ton of care but once you see those blooms you're just enchanted by their beauty.”

The gardens are a colorful counterpoint to Keri and Mitch’s historic home. “We fell in love with its spacious rooms, charming character and old but wellbuilt bones,” Keri says. “The delight of bonfires, barbecues, family dinners, holiday entertaining and owning and sharing a piece of history brings us tremendous joy.”

While Mitch, the former Shoshone County Sheriff, likes to head for the mountains to ski, hike, and fish, Keri has

none of those proclivities. Instead, she likes to stay home and putter about. The garden has proved a perfect pursuit.

“When I’m among my flowers, my mind wanders into a state of meditation and time passes quickly,” she says. “I talk to myself or sing to my tiny co-workers. Of course there are pests, diseased plants, drip irrigation leaks. There are times when plants die and I try to figure out what I did wrong. But most of all, in the garden, my soul feels grateful, curious, joyful, enthusiastic, passionate, creative and artistic. I love watching someone else's eyes light up when they see it all.

“It’s quite rewarding to share the power of flowers with others.”

Keri’s advice for your Idaho flower garden

Match Your Location

If you have morning sun and afternoon shade, plant fuchsias, impatiens, begonia, bleeding hearts and coral bells. If you have a sunny location, plant petunias, lantana, salvia, nicotiana, bee balm, zinnias, geraniums, snapdragons, daylilies, hollyhocks and rhododendrons.

Treat Hummingbirds

Hang feeders away from full sun. Use four parts boiled water to one part sugar. Do not use red food coloring; it’s harmful for the birds. Clean your feeders often and change the liquid daily if it’s hot out.

Mind Your Body

Don’t try to tackle huge projects in one day. Space out the physical tasks into smaller increments so that you don't injure yourself.

Stay Organized

Keep your tools, flower buckets and snips nice and clean. Follow a schedule for watering, deadheading and other essential duties.

Savor The Season

In spring, enjoy tulips, daffodils and snapdragons. In the heat of summer, zinnias, sunflowers and nicotiana. Add a hoop house or a greenhouse to extend the growing season into late winter and early spring.

Dining Guide

BEVERLY ’S RESTAURAN T

Beverly ’ s, e Coeur d ’Alene Resort ’ s signature restaurant, overlooks the lake

from the seventh floor, with ne dining

in an atmosphere of casual elegance

Praised by food critics as one of America’s top restaurants, Beverly ’ s o ers innovative cuisine using the freshest locally sourced ingredients by season. Reser vations suggested.

e Coeur d ’Alene Resor t 115 S 2nd St., 7th floor Coeur d ’Alene, ID 83814 (208) 763-3950 beverlyscda.com

CAPONE’S PUB & GRILL

Capone’s is the sports bar and beer Mecca of Coeur d’Alene, Hayden, Post Falls and now the Ponderosa Golf Course An extreme selection of craft beer (41 on tap), excellent food, and the best pizza in town and a full liquor bar, Capone’s is THE place to be for any sporting event, party or night out.

751 N 4th St. Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814 (208) 667-4843

Also in: Post Falls, Hayden & Ponderosa Golf Course caponespub.com

THAI BAMBOO

Considered one of Coeur d’Alene’s finest restaurants, ai Bamboo has served millions of ai and Asian dish entrées to the greater Spokane & CdA community since opening in 2001. Enjoy our award winning food, amazing decor and top shelf service. Come step inside and be transported to a beautiful, exotic, and tasty place.

(208) 667-5300

2010 N 4th Street

Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814

thaibamboorestaurant.com

CRICKET’S Restaurant & Oyster Bar

Indoor and outdoor seating with a full food menu and the largest liquor selection in downtown Coeur d’Alene!

First opened in 1985, Cricket’s has stood the test of time. Maybe it’s because Cricket’s is the only game in town for oysters, or maybe it’s their vast menu that spans from build–your–own pizzas to steaks and sandwiches. Whatever it is, it’s working. Happy Hour from 4pm–7pm.

424 E Sherman Ave. Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814 (208) 765-1990

SWEET LOU’S RESTAURANT AND TAP HOUSE

Open every day, 11am to 10pm

601 E Front Ave., CDA (208) 667-1170

477272 US 95, Ponderay (208) 263-1381

6915 E. Athol Crossings Road, Athol (208) 561-9496

Terrific traditional and regional fare. Serving hand-cut steaks, freshly ground burgers, wild salmon and smoked ribs. Family-friendly environment. sweetlousidaho.com

THE FLOATING GREEN

Coeu r d ’A lene Resor t Gol f Cou rse, t h is restau ra nt ma kes a fabu lous d in ing e x per ience for a ny mea l of t he day Nor t hwest-inspi red c u isine a nd t rad it iona l fa re w it h f u l l ba r ser v ice a nd a n e xcel lent w ine selec t ion.

e Cd ’A Resor t Golf Course

900 S Floating Green Dr. Coeur d ’Alene, ID 83814 (208) 765-4000 oatinggreenrestaurant.com

THE PENTAGON BISTRO & MARTINI BAR

Distinctively di erent, in Liberty Lake, WA

Open Daily 2:00 pm - 10:00 pm

1400 N Meadowwood Ln. Liberty Lake, WA 99019 (509) 891-7790

VICINO PIZZA

Neapolitan Style Pizzeria in Riverstone. Wood fired pizzas, salads and the best meatballs in town. CDA’s only 100% Italian wine list. Six draft beers and 5 TVs with NFL Sunday Ticket for the sports fanatic in a casual Italian farmhouse setting. Expansive bar, plus seating at the garage door overlooking our large patio area for outside dining.

2385 N Old Mill Loop

Coeur d’Alene, ID (208) 758-7997

vicinopizza.com

The Floating Green Restaurant

WH ISP ERS

A waterfront lounge with a cool vibe, W hispers is the place where the bar sta put a superb twist on the rtini, with flavors like emon Drop or Chocolate Get cozy and enjoy a drink by the replaces above Lake Coeur d’Alene.

e Coeur d ’Alene Resor t Street ’Alene, ID 83814 (208) 765-4000 t.com

TAP HOUSE UNCHAINED

Lunch, dinner and 24 craft beers and ciders on tap. is unique cycling-themed bar is the ideal sports watching-location. Build a 6 pack to-go with our extensive Bottle Shoppe collection featuring 250 bottles from over 100 breweries.

herman Ave. ’Alene, ID 83814 (208) 765-4000 cdataphouse.com

SCHMIDTY’S BURGERS

Home of the Certified Angus burgersmade with the freshest meat and vegetables.

Large selection of beverages that include soda, flavored teas and lemonade, all served up by our fast and friendly sta .

Locally owned & operated.

1524 E Sherman Ave. Coeur d’Alene, ID

(208) 292-4545

facebook.com/Schmidtysburgers

KAIJU SUSHI

Mouthwatering Monstrous Sushi!

Now Open Late! 11:30am - 12:00am

Located in Beautiful Downtown CdA on the corner of 5th and Sherman. Open for lunch and dinner. Serving beer and signature spirits.

424 Sherman Ave.

Coeur d’Alene ID, 83814

(208) 966-4019

kaijusushicda@gmail.com

Dining Guide

T I TO’S I TALIAN GRILL & WINE SHO

P

ur fresh menu features Italian king with a Mediterranean twist e are downtown Coeur d ’Alene’s iginal Italian restaurant, with indoor and outdoor seating on Sherman Ave., ivate dining area, brick oven and y stocked bar and premium wine lection in our wine shop

210 E Sherman Ave.

Coeur d ’Alene, ID 83814 (208) 667-2782 titoscda.com

THE CEDARS FLOATING RESTAURANT

A Coeur d ’Alene landmark that is rich in tradition Enjoy this unique award-winning floating restaurant with 360˚ views of Lake Coeur d ’Alene Entrees include a large selection of fresh seafood, aged steaks, prime rib and pasta specialties. L ocated only a few minutes from downtown.

Coeur d ’Alene, ID 83814

1514 S Marina Dr (208) 664-2922 cedars oatingrestaurant.com

THE WHITE HOUSE GRILL

If you want a taste and feel of the Mediterranean while drinking Ouzo and eating a crazy amount of garlic, just drive to Post Falls to be with us in our crazy, noisy, but also romantic White House Grill. Guests can enjoy seasonal outdoor dining on the patio. “You love garlic; we love you!”

Full bar, extensive wine list, 12 beers on tap.

702 N Spokane Street Post Falls, ID 83854 (208) 777-9672

DO CKSIDE

Celebrate your North Idaho getaway at e Coeur d ’Alene Resort ’s family restaurant, open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner at the water’s edge. Dockside is known for their legendary Gooey Desserts, 18-foot salad bar and stunning views of the Boardwalk and Marina.

e Coeur d ’Alene Resor t 115 S 2nd St. Coeur d ’Alene, ID 83814 (208) 765-4000 docksidecda.com

Dining Guide

Mulligan’s Bar and Grille features home-style comfort food and is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner ey o er signature dishes such as Mulligan’s l egendar y omelets, home-style chicken fried steak, premier steaks and seafood and a garden-fresh salad bar

506 W Appleway Ave. Coeur d ’Alene, ID 83814

MULLIGAN’S BAR & GRILLE (208) 765-3200

cdainn.com/mulligans

KOOTENAI RIVER INN

eat Food and Great Ser vice

Springs Restaurant & L ounge is wn for the best steaks and seafood in the region, and you ’ ll see why when r y our mouth-watering recipes for ourself W hether for breakfast, lunch or dinner, sample the best our area has to o er while you enjoy riverside ws and the wildlife of North Idaho

P laza Street Bonners Ferr y, Idaho 83805

(208) 267-8511

kootenairiverinn.com

Post Falls, ID 83854

(208) 777-0807

RANCHO VIEJO

Experience the ambiance and taste of Mexico!

We o er a Full Bar and Happy Hour!

Try our new item

Quesa Birria Tacos

N 8882 Government Way

Hayden, Idaho

(208) 762-3310

VINE & OLIVE EATERY AND WINE BAR

Located in the heart of Riverstone o ering European inspired menu executed with NW flair in a warm, inviting atmosphere and industrial chic decor. Dynamic Northwest wine list with interesting imports and 8 local taps. Beautiful private room seats 12 and is home to our floor to ceiling wine club bins. Covered patio seating in the summertime.

2037 N Main St., Coeur d’Alene, ID (208) 758-7770 • vineandolivecda.com

EL TACO LOCO

Authentic Mexican Taqueria

Tacos • Burritos • Tortas • Quesadillas

Ensaladas • Beer & Wine • Salsa Bar Dine-In or Take-Out

Try our new item Tacos DeBirria

219 W Canfield Ave. Coeur d’Alene, ID (208) 719-0040

MACKENZIE RIVER PIZZA, GRILL

& PUB

PIZZA. BEER. GOOD.

Dine In, Carry Out, or Order Online

405 W Canfield Ave. Coeur d’Alene, ID (208) 772-5111 mackenzieriverpizza.com

THE OVAL OFFICE BISTRO & MARTINI BAR

Distinctively di erent, in our original White House location, e Oval Office is a quaint, romantic restaurant that serves Northwest cuisine with a foreign flair. You will love the steaks, ever-changing fresh fish selection and extensive selection of appetizers and martinis to choose from. Take advantage of the best happy hour in the Northwest. 3-6pm and 9-11pm daily.

620 N Spokane Street Post Falls, ID 83854

(208) 777-2102

STARTING AT $375K

BUYER INCENTIVE

MONTROSE COMMUNITY

POST FALLS, IDAHO

MODEL HOME OPEN

THURSDAY TO MONDAY 11AM - 4PM

Viking Construction has been building homes in the North Idaho area for over 40 years. Their homes in the Montrose community range in size from 1,152 sf to 3,278 sf and all have wonderful standard features such as Whirlpool stainless appliances, Cemplank Fiber Cement siding, skip trowel ceiling texture, front landscaping and RWC extended home warranties.

BECKY RANDLES

Viking Construction List Agent 208-755-3275

realtorrandles@gmail.com