ISI 135 October/November by Montana Senior News

A VOICE FOR RAPTORS

Photo by Jackie McNeel

WHAT’S INSIDE... Letters to the Editor......... 3

Taste of Idaho ................14

Health & Fitness.............26

Book ............................... 2

Lifestyle..........................15

Panhandle .....................30

Puzzles & Games ............ 4

Real Estate .....................17

Southwest Idaho............33

Insurance & Finance........ 8

Senior Discounts............18

Honoring Veterans.........11

Travel.............................20

Holiday Happenings.......13

Caregiving ......................22

By Jack McNeel

Janie Veltkamp has a large facility on her property near the south end of Coeur d’Alene Lake designed to care for raptors, also known as birds of prey. This includes eagles and ospreys, hawks and falcons, and owls, among others. “We have a two-fold mission here at Birds of Prey Northwest,” Veltcamp explained. “The primary mission is education with live raptors. The secondary mission is rehabilitation for injured wild raptors. We know we can’t stop the guy that’s shooting eagles, but give us an hour with a third grader and our live birds of prey, and they’ll grow up to be conservationists.” Working with raptors wasn’t in her plans when she started college. She initially received a four-y ear degree in nursing and worked as a nurse. Then she went back to school and earned a master’s degree in biology from Purdue University. She was on her way to medical school but ��volunteered to help with a peregrine falcon release project in Indianapolis. “That’s when I met peregrine falcons, and every thing changed,” she remarked. Her life since about 1993 has largely been devoted to raptor rehabilitation and educating others about the value of these amazing birds. Initially, she volunteered on a peregrine raptor rehabilitation project in Indiana and then helped with several other reintroduction programs. In 10 of the past 25 years, she has helped to reintroduce endangered raptors in various states. Veltcamp moved to Idaho 15 y ears ago to property north of St. Maries. She soon got the required state and federal permits from Idaho and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. When asked how many birds she has worked with, her reply was “thousands.” Asked which species were included in those she has worked with just this spring and summer, she answered, “seven merlins, eight orphaned ospreys, young eagles, red tailed hawks, great horned owls, and kestrels.” In a ty pical y ear, she will rehabilitate 10 to 12 eagles alone. Bald eagles are more common in northern Idaho with its abundance of lakes, which attract bald eagles, but she also receives eagles from other facilities. “We get golden eagles from the Twin Falls area, and I have a peregrine here from Ohio,” she said. “I get many from elsewhere in Idaho, but they may come from all over the country.” The birds she treats and releases are in addition to the educational birds, which can never be released due to injuries preventing them from living in the wild. She presently has 15 such birds, including bald and golden eagles, a peregrine falcon, osprey, goshawks, red tails, pigmy owls, and horned owls. Veltcamp has long desired to establish a facility on the north end of the lake, east of Coeur d’Alene. Her idea is to (Cont’d on pg 32)

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IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT • OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2017

REVIEWS•STORIES•ADVENTURE•HISTORY•ROMANCE•POETRY By Connie Daugherty River of January by Gail Chumbley; 2014 Mont “Chum” Chumbley is a pilot. He’s a natural, and he lives to ��y Helen Thompson is a dancer. She’s a natural, and she lives to dance. They come from different worlds and have nothing in common. Yet they are very much alike and destined to be together. In her 2014 award-winning biography , River of January, Gail Chumbley follows the lives of her husband’s parents from 1927 through 1936. Using their letters, shared stories, and interviews, along with her own story telling skills, Chumbly has created an informative and entertaining book that reads more like a novel than a biography. It details the struggles of not only the individual characters, but of the world through the Great Depression and events leading to WWII. River of January includes historical details of the entertainment business from the decline of vaudeville to the emergence of talkies (motion pictures with sound). As well, the book reveals how developments in aviation also moved quickly in the 1930s. Chumbly adeptly follows those drastic historical changes. Having both come from humble beginnings, Helena and Chum each choose career paths ��. At 18, Chum joins the Navy with the hopes of becoming a pilot. He works his way through the military bureaucracy, getting assignments everywhere, it seems, other than at �” ght school. His lack of education holds him back, but he’s �� He has something to prove to his family, to himself. So, when an opportunity presents itself Chum accepts it. “A nervous and sleep-deprived Mont Chumbley reported for flight elimination exercises.” Everyone expects him to wash out;

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after all, he has failed the entrance exams more than once. But Chum knows all he needs is a chance to prove himself. Meanwhile, Helen has her own struggles. While ��and self-assured on stage, off stage she is a pawn of her controlling mother’s insecurities and personal dreams. The only way Helen seems able to escape—while keeping her mother at least somewhat satis�� s to accept jobs that take her away from her New York home. She �nds herself traveling with dance troops throughout Europe. This need to escape home and family in order to discover and develop their true potential is one thing Helen and Chum have in common, though the way they deal with it is very different. Eventually, the stock market crash throws the whole world into economic turmoil, which leads to political turmoil, and Helen and Chum are caught up in it all as the entertainment business and the technology of aviation transform. Chum finds himself, restless and bored, with a job in West Palm Beach, Fla. He jumps

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Published six times per y ear, our paper is written to serve the interests of mature readers. Our readers are encouraged to contribute interesting material. Any views expressed in editorial are not necessarily the views of the publisher. This publication does not endorse any particular product or service shown in the advertisements appearing in this paper. All copy appearing in this publication is copy right protected and may be reprinted only with written permission of the publisher.

at an opportunity to demonstrate Waco Aircraft Company’s new ��plane for the Brazilian government down in Brazil. Meanwhile, Helen is back in New York as 1934 slides into 1935, working in a three-person act under her mother’s watchful and domineering presence. Helen, too, is getting restless and ready for change. “She also knew her time had come to move on from their partnership. She hoped her mother would see it the same way.” Helen ��New York on a ship to Brazil and lands a gig dancing in a club regularly frequented by Americans. “Three y oung men seated near the dance floor caught her ey e, clearly American by their dress and relaxed posture.” One of those young men is Chum, and he catches her attention immediately. “This new girl, this sparkling, compelling blonde on the stage, radiated a magnetism that surprised him.” In a moment, as their eyes meet, the pilot and the dancer connect. And although they try to be together as much as possible, they each have careers and obligations that take them in different directions. Eventually , Chum proposes, and Helen accepts. They plan to live in Rio de Janerio, but it isn’t that simple. Between Helen’s mother, who disapproves of their union, and the war, the young couple’s letter transcripts reveal their struggle against seemingly unmovable objects to continue their love and establish a life together. About the Author: In 2016, Chumbley published River of January: Figure Eight, picking up where the award-winning River of January dramatically left ��B In the sequel, she tells the story of their continued courtship, marriage, and struggle to keep their love intact, despite the challenges of WWII and the unrelenting interference of Helen’s mother. It is the realism of the story—the struggles and successes, the bad times and the good, as well as the author’s narrative—that keeps readers enthralled and turning pages. These two books are more than a family biography. In telling the story of these two intriguing and imperfect people, Chumbley has captured and preserved the history of an era. Chumbley is a retired history teacher. In 2005, she received the Outstanding Teacher of American History from National Daughters of the American Revolution in Washington DC. A native of the Pac��Northwest, the author was born and raised in Spokane, Wash., and earned a history degree from Western Washington University in Bellingham, Wash. Chumbley and her husband currently live near Boise, Idaho. She received the 2016 Idaho Author’s Award for Memoirs and Biography for River of January. ISI

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OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2017 • IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

LETTERS

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Letters

QUESTIONS•COMMENTS•PRAISES•SUGGESTIONS

Troops Are Appreciated Dear Editor, Our American sons and daughters have been ��y for their lives in some of the most dangerous regions of the world. Every day, more violence and hostility in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other dangerous zones across the globe. One young Marine is stationed in the Middle East. We are trying to cope. These men and women are risking their lives every day to protect our country and our own

freedom. Some are y oung fathers who never held their newborn babies. Others never receive letters from people who care. Each and every troop member wonders if he or she will ever see home again. You can write a personal note to let them know how much they are appreciated. Sally Heward, Ovid, Idaho

THE ONE-YEAR CAREER OF VAUGHN MEADER

Back in the U.S., he became a piano-playing nightclub performer in Greenwich Village. When John F. Kennedy became president—and a national presence—Meader discovered his facility for crowd-pleasing JFK impersonations when he tossed out a few Kennedy esque lines onstage one night. Meader, who bore a passing resemblance to the y oung president, quickly mastered Kennedy’s gestures and facial expressions and moved onto the stand-up circuit with an amusing Kennedy-based shtick. On October 22, 1962 (the same night as JFK’s historic Cuban missile-crisis speech), and before a live audience, Meader, three writer friends, and a small ensemble recorded The First Family. In the course of 17 skits, Meader offered spot-on sendups of both John and Robert Kennedy while Naomi Brossart provided the voice of Jackie. The Cadence Records disc poked good-natured fun at JFK’s PT-109 history, Kennedy athletics, White House kids, and even Jackie’s breathy description of her White House redecoration.

By Randal C. Hill On November 22, 1963, when a Milwaukee cabbie picked up his passenger, the driver recognized 27-year-old Vaughn Meader of the wildly successful comedy album, The First Family. “Did you hear about Kennedy in Dallas?” asked the driver. Meader, figuring it was a joke set-up, answered, “No, how does it go?” Then he heard the world-changing news on the taxi’s radio. Born in Maine in 1936, Meader moved around often before settling in Brookline, Mass. He ��y Brookline High Scool in 1953 and joined the army shortly afterward. While stationed in Germany , Meader found an interest in music, and, with some fellow soldiers, formed a country-music band called the Rhine Rangers.

Dear Sally, Thank you for your letter. We are honoring our veterans this issue on pages 11 and 12 with a story about the Saratoga WarHorse program for military veterans. For individuals interested in sending letters or care packages to our troops overseas, we found a couple of websites that provide information on how to do so: www.anysoldier.com and www. operationwearehere.com ISI

The Day I Died Released in November, in its first six weeks, The First Family racked up sales of 6.5 million discs—the fastest-selling LP in history at that time—and won the 1963 Grammy Album of the Year award. Meader became an overnight celebrity. While Jackie Kennedy disliked her portrayl, JFK enjoy ed much of the album and gave several copies as Christmas gifts that y ear.

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(continued from page 3) He even opened a Democratic National Convention dinner with the line, “Vaughn Meader was busy tonight, so I came myself.” After the assassination, Cadence Records destroyed all unsold copies of The First Family to avoid being accused of “cashing in” on the president’s death. Meader never did another JFK impression and would sometimes refer to the Dallas tragedy as “the day I died.” He drifted around the country , unsuccessfully try ing new routines before descending into depression and embracing a hazy world of booze and drugs. He found God in the late 1960s and returned to Maine, where he

managed a pub in the small town of Hallowell. To further distance himself from his once-famous past, he reclaimed his given �� name of Abbott (Vaughn was his middle name). Near the end of his life, Meader, a lifelong smoker, sold the movie rights to his story to pay his medical expenses for ongoing COPD treatments, though the movie was never made. On October 29, 2004, Vaughn Meader died in obscurity at age 68, a mere footnote in 1960s entertainment history. ISI

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PUZZLES•QUIZES•GAMES•CONTESTS•BRAINTEASTERS•FUN

The Leaves of Brown Came Tumbling Down, and So Did the Branches By Bonnie McCune

See page 29 for the solutions to today’s puzzles.

(SENIOR WIRE) Every y ear the huge silver maple on the parking strip in front of our house heralds autumn by changing the colors of its leaves. Sidewalks, lawns and curbs become clogged by huge banks of the crunchy fragrant foliage. Kids and I love to kick through them and toss them at one another. Not this year. Instead, late this summer the tree began shedding sections of trunk and branches. I might have thought the sky was falling, until I saw the entire road obstructed by wood. These weren’t a small inconvenience. They blocked the entire road, smashed cars parked underneath, and required emergency (and expensive) removal by tree services. Needless to say , the city forester told us the entire tree has to come down. We’ve adjusted to this order, but every time I look

at the plant, my heart contracts. It’s got to be about 120 years old, 75 feet high, and 15 feet in diameter. It’s kept us cooler in the summer and served as home to birds, squirrels, and probably other critters I don’t know. How will we know, year after year, about fall’s arrival without our huge harbinger? What I didn’t realize was the amount of affection our neighbors held for our giant. I’ve never met so many residents as I have in the past few weeks. Without exception, they all bemoaned the pending loss. I began to hope the tree is able to receive some of these good feelings as it prepares for termination. It’s given us so much, it deserves to know of our appreciation. So I began to wonder if trees have consciousness or spirits? When I was a child of about eight, I thought every thing had a life force: small animals, bugs, �� ers, trees, perhaps even rocks and Earth. I later learned

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this is called animism, the belief that all objects and creatures possess a spiritual essence, common in primitive cultures. Little did I know I was dabbling with philosophy and anthropology, but I managed to outgrow the cumbersome compulsion to apologize to every ant I stepped on or ensure all my dolls received their bottles. However, my animism reactivated toward my tree. I think of what the tree must have been like when it �� started growing. Since I live on the plains, prairie was all around, not forests. Did it grow from natural seeding, or did a human coax a sapling into survival? How many parents and children stood in its shade as it grew, thankful for its shelter? Did it feel pain when branches broke in blizzards? There are religions and spiritual values that believe in the consciousness of all things, or at least living things. Some people who believe plants can feel and react have systems similar to nervous systems of animals. One of these was poet Joyce Kilmer. “I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree,” he wrote. This classic exposition about a tree contains in its simple lines the entire relationship of living things to one another. “Poems are made by fools like me, but only God can make a ��L An interesting aside, Kilmer died in battle during WWI, cutting short his outpouring of poetry and making him one of millions �� throughout the centuries during human ��y I wonder if he would have preferred to be terminated by a dead tree. So when the noisy, violent chainsaws start up outside my house and bite into my maple, I hope on some level it realizes how much it will be missed. ISI

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By Florence Paxton Coloring is not just a past-time for kids any more. It’s a therapeutic, meditative, and just plain relaxing past-time for adults. But We’ve decided to take coloring one step further. Why not relax your brain, AND give your gray matter a workout at the same time? Thanks to reader Florence Paxton of Homedale Idaho for providing the Doodle Puzzle for a little mental workout while you relax. Thank y ou to all who participated in our Doodle Puzzle Contest in the August/September 2017 issue. The winner of the $25 prize for

Doodle Puzzle

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT • OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2017

submitting the correct answers is Eleta C. Creutz of Ammon, Idaho. Congratulations, Eleta! A $25 cash prize is awarded from each issue of the Idaho Senior Independent to the person who submits the winning answers from the previous issue. Please mail y our entries for all contests to the Idaho Senior Independent, P.O. Box 3363, Great Falls, MT 59403, or email to info@idahoseniorindependent.com by November 15, 2017 for this edition. Find the 21 items listed below, then get out the crayons or markers and have some fun!

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.

Apple Pie Black Cat Blow Bubbles Bow Tie �� Canned Peaches Cattails Cherry Pie Dinosaur �� Eyeglasses Face Mask

13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.

Football Helmet Glass of Wine Hot Dog Inchworm Pumpkin Rake and Leaves Squirrel Turkey ISI

OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2017 • IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

How Did We Get from Summer of Love to Summer of Bifocals? By Michael Murphy

(SENIOR WIRE) Can y ou believe it? It has been 50 y ears since the Summer of Love! That time in American history when men grew “long beautiful hair,” wore colorful beads and paisley shirts, and still used the men’s bathroom like all the rest of the guys. San Francisco, of course, was the epicenter of the hippie peace and love movement. During the summer of 1967, around 100,000 young people walked, hitchhiked, or �oated there, seeking tranquility and free medical treatment for some annoying bug they happened to pick up along the way. Haight-Ashbury, the center of the drug culture, was the place to be. It was an area of the city where all the beautiful people badly in need of a bath could “turn on, tune in, and drop out.”

Man, remember those crazy bell-bottom pants that both men and women wore back then? Well it just so happens that I still have a bell-bottom. Unfortunately, it is now part of my anatomy and closely resembles the Liberty Bell. Some folks look back at that period of pot-smokin’, free-lovin’ hippies with disdain. But I’ve got to tell y ou, all that wild and crazy behavior sounds pretty darn good to me at certain times nowadays, like when I’m sitting in the hospital lobby waiting to get my colonoscopy. Sure, I sometimes get a little depressed when I recall all the energy and optimism of my youth. But actually, I’m feeling pretty good about how today has gone so far—it’s already 9 a.m., and I have not misplaced my car keys even once. When I was a y oung man during the Summer of Love, it was not uncommon for me to arrive home just as the sun was rising. Now, during the long summer evenings 50 years later, I ��y myself heading home from a “night out” about the time the sun is setting. In the 1960s some hippies dropped out of society to form what they considered utopian communes. There, the young people sat around naked and weaved entire bouquets of �� ers into their hair. l can’t imagine doing that now at my age. I have hardly enough hair left to hold one dandelion, and eliminating the naked part is self-explanatory. A popular catchphrase for my generation back in the 60s was “Don’t trust anyone over 30.” We baby boomers have had to update the saying periodically as time passed. Last I heard, the most recent version of the expression for my age group is, “Don’t trust anyone over 115.” Around the time of the Summer of Love, a lot of young people were totally into LSD. Now those same folks are a lot more concerned with their PSA. As a young guy, I had perfect eyesight. Yet, just to be cool, I wore specs with rectangular or round lenses like the rock stars. Of course, those lenses were just for looks and were made of regular glass. For the last 10 years I’ve been wearing those nerdy magnifying glasses, which I need so I can read the restaurant menu and never accidentally order the fried pickles again. Worst of all, I recently had to purchase a pair of glasses with bifocals to help straighten out my vision since all the baseball players on TV look like they’re carrying a Siamese twin riding piggyback. And these glasses are ��y not cool—they’re more like the glasses included with a Gramps Halloween costume. It just so happens that I also graduated from high school in 1967, at the start of the Summer of Love. Sex, drugs, and rock and roll were all part of being a senior back then. Not so much as a senior today, though I do keep some Gas-X handy. I bri� y thought about attending my 50th class reunion. But then I said to myself, “Are you nuts? Hell, half of the guys who go to that probably won’t even survive the trip!” Besides, I needed to stay home and do more exciting stuff, like walk the dog and water the lawn. Yes, I have to admit that l miss some aspects of the Summer of Love. But as Bob Dylan sang, the times are ��y “a-changin,” and there just isn’t a whole lot that we can do about that. ISI

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New Device Stops Cold Before It Starts

“one of the best presents ever. This By Doug Cornell New research shows you can little jewel really works.” Many stop a cold in its tracks if you take users say they have completely one simple step with a new device stopped getting colds. People often use CopperZap for when you first feel a cold coming prevention, before cold signs apon. Colds start when cold viruses pear. Karen Gauci, who flies often get in your nose. Viruses multiply for her job, used to get colds after fast. If you don’t stop them ear- crowded flights. Though skeptical, ly, they spread and cause misery. But scientists have found a quick way to kill a virus. Touch it with copper. Researchers at labs and universities agree, copper is “antimicrobial.” It kills microbes, such as viruses and bacteria, just by touch. That’s why ancient Greeks and Egyptians New research: Copper stops colds if used early. used copper to purify water and heal wounds. That’s she tried it several times a day on why Hippocrates used copper to travel days for 2 months. “Sixteen heal skin ulcers, and why Civil War flights and not a sniffle!” she exdoctors used it to prevent infection claimed. Business owner Rosaleen says of battlefield wounds. They didn’t know about viruses and bacteria, when people are sick around her she uses CopperZap morning and but now we do. Researchers say microbe cells night. “It saved me last holidays,” have a tiny internal electric charge she said. “The kids had colds going across the membrane surrounding round and round, but not me.” Some users say it also helps the cell. The high conductance of copper short-circuits this charge with sinuses. Attorney Donna and pops holes in the membrane. Blight had a 2-day sinus headache. This immediately stops the mi- When her CopperZap arrived, she crobe from reproducing and de- tried it. “I am shocked!” she said. “My head cleared, no more headstroys it in seconds. Tests by the Environmental Pro- ache, no more congestion.” One man had suffered seasonal tection Agency (EPA) show that copper surfaces kill germs that sinus problem for years. It was so get on them. That way the next bad it ruined family vacations and person to touch that surface does even dinners out with friends. His not spread the germ. As a result of wife Judy bought CopperZaps for this new knowledge, some hospi- both of them. He was so skeptitals switched to copper for various cal he said, “Oh Judy, you are such “touch surfaces”, like faucets, be- a whack job!” But he finally tried drails, and doorknobs. This cut the it and, to his surprise, the copper spread of MRSA and other illness- cleared up his sinuses right away. es in those hospitals by over half, Judy and their daughter both said, “It has changed our lives!” and saved lives. Some users say copper stops The strong scientific evidence gave inventor Doug Cornell an nighttime stuffiness, too, if they idea. When he felt a cold coming use it just before bed. One man on he fashioned a smooth copper said, “Best sleep I’ve had in years.” Some users have recently tried probe and rubbed it gently in his it on cold sores at the first tingle in nose for 60 seconds. “It worked!” he exclaimed. “The the lip, and report complete succold went away completely.” It cess in preventing ugly outbreaks. worked again every time he felt a One family reports it has worked cold coming on. He reports he has to eliminate warts as well. The handle is sculptured to fit never had a cold since. He asked relatives and friends the hand and finely textured to to try it. They said it worked for improve contact. Tests show it them, too, every time. So he pat- kills germs on fingers to help you ented CopperZap™ and put it on stay well and not spread illness to your family. Rubbing it gently on the market. Soon hundreds of people had wounds, cuts, and abrasions can tried it and given feedback. Nearly reduce or stop infections. Copper may even help stop flu 100 percent said the copper stops their colds if used within 3 hours if used early and for several days. of the first sign. Even up to 2 days, In a lab test, scientists placed 25 if they still get the cold it is milder million live flu viruses on a CopperZap. No viruses were found alive than usual and they feel better. Users wrote things like, “It soon after. The EPA says the natural color stopped my cold right away,” and “Is it supposed to work that fast?” change of copper does not reduce “What a wonderful thing,” its ability to kill germs. CopperZap is made in the U.S. wrote Physician’s Assistant Julie. “Now I have this little magic wand, of pure copper. It carries a 90-day full money back guarantee and no more colds for me!” Pat McAllister, age 70, received costs $49.95 at CopperZap.com or one for Christmas and called it toll-free 1-888-411-6114. (Paid Advertisement)

PLANNED GIVING

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IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT • OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2017

Insurance&Finance

BUDGET•MEDICARE•TAXES•ESTATE•INVESTMENT•RETIREMENT

Targeted Philanthropy: Support Causes That Align with Your Values and Priorities By Sandy Nelson (SENIOR WIRE) Judging by the numbers, Americans are generous people. The Giving Institute reports that charitable donations exceeded $358 billion in 2014—more than in any of the peak years before the recession. If your budget has room for philanthropy, you’ll ��y no shortage of potential causes and organizations to support. The tone of most fundraising solicitations is urgent, and it can be hard to decide where the need is most pressing. You can take a scattershot approach and give directly to a few groups that provide services you consider important, whether it’s hospice care, sheltering homeless and abused animals, or conducting research into breakthrough medical treatments. Or you can delegate the distribution of funds to an organization like United Way. But y ou don’t need to be affluent to help people meet their basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter. If you have time or energy to spare, most nonprofits train volunteers. Local food banks accept nonperishable food,

shelters distribute donated clothing and home furnishings, and Habitat for Humanity relies on volunteers to help families build their own homes. When deciding where to direct your �nancial giving, consider how effectively the organization will use your gift and what matters most to you. Research the target organization’s mission and consider how well it aligns with your own passions and priorities. GuideStar offers an online database at www.GuideStar.org with information about the mission and performance of nearly 2 million U.S. charities and ��J including some that operate locally. Ask for a copy of the group’s IRS Form 990 and see how much of the money it raises goes to administrative and fundraising costs and CEO salaries, and how much goes directly to programs and services. According to the Charity Navigator website, “The most ��cient charities spend at least 75 percent of their budgets on programs and services, with the remaining 25 percent spent on administrative and fundraising

Guest Editorial

PROTECTING YOUR LANDS FOR THE FUTURE By Eric Grace, Kaniksu Land Trust Executive Director Land Trusts provide conservation options to landowners who want their land to remain undeveloped for future generations. We also provide opportunities to enrich the health, happiness and quality of life for all. If you own land that you would like to see remain protected into the future, y ou might consider working with a land trust. Did y ou know that many estate planning tools used to protect wealth can be used to protect your property? Charitable remainder trusts, life insurance, and testamentary trusts are just a few options. If y ou own land, these tools can also be used to protect that land forever, while ��

In north Idaho, the Kaniksu Land Trust has successfully protected over 3,000 acres. We also work with the medical community, schools, and other groups on education and health programs. We believe a vibrant and healthy community is determined by the appreciation and love of our environment. The Kaniksu Land Trust is not alone. There are 19 land trusts that operate in Idaho. For more information, see the advertisement on this page. If y ou do not live in north Idaho, contact the Idaho Coalition of Land Trusts (www.idaholandtrusts.org) to ��y a land trust that works in your area. ISI

costs.” It urges donors to favor groups with “reasonable” CEO compensation—about 3 percent of expenses. Donations that attract matching funds magnify the impact of your gift, so ask if your target organization has community partners pledged to match � ancial contributions. In this way, even a modest donation can snowball into �� People happily clear their cupboards and closets of food, clothing, and toy s during special drives because they assume these are what disadvantaged people need most. While relief organizations appreciate such generous gestures and often ask for in-kind donations in emergencies, cash donations allow the organization to more efficiently direct help where it’s most essential. Giving locally lets you see the results of your gift up close and circulates more money and resources in your own community. Ask if your donation goes to a national organization or stays at home, solving local problems. ISI

OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2017 • IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

PLANNED GIVING

PAGE 9

Is a Trust Still a Trust by Any Other Name? Confusion Can Ensue By Jonathan J. David (SENIOR WIRE) Dear Jonathan: A few years back I completed my estate planning. The documents I prepared included a living trust. I was talking to a friend of mine recently, who told me that she and her husband recently completed their estate planning, and one of the documents they prepared was a trust, but it is called a revocable living trust. What is the difference between a revocable living trust and a living trust, or are they the same? Could you please explain? Jonathan Says: A revocable living trust and a living trust are the same thing. This is a type of trust that is created during your lifetime, which you can amend or revoke at any time, so long as you have the mental capacity to do so. It can get a little confusing because these types of trusts go by many different names, including revocable living trust, living trust, revocable trust, and inter-vivos trust. Also, sometimes these types of trusts don’t use any of those names in the title other than the word “trust,” along with the name of the person who created it, i.e., the “John Doe Trust dated January 1, 2017.”

Dear Jonathan: What is the difference between a revocable trust, an irrevocable trust, and a testamentary trust? Jonathan Says: A revocable trust is a trust created during a person’s lifetime, which can be amended or revoked at any time, so long as the person has the mental capacity to do so. An irrevocable trust is a trust that, once created, cannot be amended or revoked. This type of trust can be created and take effect, i.e., funded, during a person’s lifetime, or it can be designed to take effect only upon a person’s death. A testamentary trust is a type of irrevocable trust that is created in a person’s last will and testament and only takes effect upon the person’s death. Dear Jonathan: Is a living will and last will and testament the same thing? Jonathan Says: No. Although they both have the word “will” in their name, they are designed to address two totally different situations. A last will and testament is a document that sets forth who is to receive a person’s assets upon that person’s death. A living will is a document that sets forth what

type of medical treatment a person wants to receive if he or she is either in a persistent vegetative state or an irreversible coma and is unable to communicate his or her wishes. Dear Jonathan: I have both a living will and a DNR, but I can’t remember why. Don’t they do the same thing? Jonathan Says: No. A living will is a document that sets forth what type of medical treatment y ou want to receive if y ou are either in a persistent vegetative state or an irreversible coma but unable to communicate your wishes. A DNR, which is the abbreviation for “Do Not Resuscitate,” is a document that states y ou do not want to be resuscitated if you are in cardiac or respiratory failure, i.e., your heart or breathing stops. For example, if you are at home and suffer cardiac failure, the paramedics who arrive at your doorstep will automatically try to revive you. However, if y ou have a DNR, and the paramedics are made aware of it, then they will not attempt to revive you. I hope this helps. ISI Jonathan J. David is a shareholder in the law ��B of Foster, Swift, Collins & Smith, P.C., 1700 East Beltline, N.E., Grand Rapids, Michigan 49525.

�� By Teresa Ambord

GIFTS: DID YOU KNOW? The current administration in Washington D.C. wants to repeal gift and estate taxes. If your assets put you in the category where you may end up pay ing those taxes, y ou may be happy about that, regardless of your politics. But until and unless that happens, if you’re worried about exceeding y our lifetime gift exemption, y ou can make gifts in several ways. You’re probably ��y - Gifts y ou make to y our spouse who is a U.S. citizen are free of gift tax under the marital deduction. - You and your spouse can both make gifts up to the annual exclusion amount of $14,000 per recipient, for 2017, without touching y our lifetime gift exemption. Here are two other way s y ou may be less aware of, to give away money without adding to your total lifetime gifts: - Gifts and bequests that y ou make to qualified charities are not subject to gift or estate tax. - You can pay for another person’s health care or tuition expenses that aren’t subject to gift tax if y ou make the pay ments directly to the provider. As alway s, before y ou make gift-giving or bequest decisions, talk it over with your estate planning professional to be sure y ou get the details right. INHERITED IRAS: DID YOU KNOW? If you have an IRA and don’t need to use those funds during your lifetime, that is, other than the required minimum distributions (RMDs), y ou can stretch the ��y of the IRA by naming your spouse or child as the ��y Naming y our spouse allows him or her to transfer the funds to a spousal rollover IRA, and leave it there untouched, until your spouse is required to take RMDs. If you name someone other than y our spouse, that person must begin taking distributions right away, but can stretch them out over his or her lifetime. WHAT IF YOU FAIL TO NAME A BENEFICIARY AT ALL? Your IRA will still go to y our heirs, but depending on your age when you pass away, your heirs may have to receive the total distribution

of funds within ��y years, defeating the tax��L WHAT IF YOU HAVE MULTIPLE BENEFICIARIES, SUCH AS YOUR CHILDREN? You may want to set up separate accounts, rather than leaving one IRA to be divided among them. The reason for that is funds in an inherited IRA are distributed based on the life expectancy of the oldest ��y without regard to the age of the younger �� ries. So let’s say y our oldest child is 40, and y our y oungest is 25, that’s a big gap and would mean that the youngest child would lose the ��ts of leaving the money in the IRA longer. If y ou want to preserve the tax-deferral ��y for all your ��y ask your estate planning advisor about leaving separate accounts for each one. IS IT EVER A GOOD IDEA TO NAME A TRUST AS THE BENEFICIARY OF YOUR IRA? This can be a good strategy under certain circumstances and if done with the help of y our professional advisors. Here’s one reason you may want to do this: Suppose your oldest daughter, who would be your �� ry, is a frivolous spender. You feel certain that the moment she inherits your IRA, she’ll empty the account and have a shopping spree, defeating the tax-deferral purpose of the IRA. Do y ou have children from a previous marriage? If so, naming a trust as y our IRA bene�ciary can ensure that those children will b��”t from your IRA, if that is y our intention. Your estate advisor can help y ou establish a trust as your beneficiary so that it meets the requirements of what is called a “seethrough” trust. That is, it must be valid under the laws of y our state; it must be irrevocable (or become irrevocable upon y our death); and the beneficiaries y ou name in the trust must ��y

Lights Love OF

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a non-profit | no-kill animal shelter

PO Box 1005 / 11650 N Ramsey Rd, Hayden, ID 83835 208.772.4019 or 208.819.2812 www.kootenaihumanesociety.com

PAGE 10

INSURANCE/FINANCE

SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP! Whatever decisions you make, you should at least run your plans by a professional estate planner or attorney well-versed in estate matters. Mistakes are easy to make. Just think of all the ultra-wealthy celebrities who thought they had all the bases covered. Two examples are Michael Jackson, the “King of Pop,” and James ��one of the stars of The

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT • OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2017 Sopranos. In spite of each of them having accumulated immense wealth, both men left their heirs scratching their heads and at times scraping for money because of a simple lack of professional estate planning. ISI Adapted from information provided by the professionals at Thomson Reuters Checkpoint. ISI

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Subscriber numbers are up and we now have more demand in towns like Boise, Meridian, Pocatello, Nampa, Coeur d’Alene, Twin Falls, Caldwell, Rexburg and Idaho Falls. Current distribution companies should reach out. Must be able to lift up to 30 pound bundles and have transportation. Retired and need some extra income? Email about this opportunity: info@idahoseniorindependent.com subject: Distribution, include contacts in your email and availability on the ﬁrst week of even months.

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OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2017 • IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

VETERANS

PAGE 11

HONORING OUR VETERANS November 11 & Always Saratoga WarHorse

TAKING ACTION. MAKING CONNECTIONS. CHANGING LIVES. By Marti Healy Charlie (name changed to protect his privacy) couldn’t sit still for longer than a few seconds at a time. Something inside him wouldn’t allow even that much peace. That had been taken away from him in Afghanistan. His feet shifted constantly , anxiously , under the table in the small, private classroom setting where he was gathered with ��y other military veterans on the second day of a three-day program known as Saratoga WarHorse. It was only later that day—after the personal encounters with the horses—that Charlie was finally able to speak openly about how angry and devastated he had been when he was told he could no longer be deploy ed back to Afghanistan—how lost he had felt with nowhere to go, nothing to do, no one to be. He talked about how his family and friends had pressed him repeatedly to tell them about his experiences in the Middle East. Until he told them. And then, he said, he remembers the looks in their eyes, and how they turned away from him and didn’t ask him about it again, and how it would never be the same between them, and how he knew there was no forgiveness. And y et, as Charlie spoke about all of this at the completion of his Saratoga WarHorse experience, he sat in total calmness. His hands rested in his lap. His feet were steady. His voice sounded as if he were talking about someone else, someone he had once known in his past. MAKING CONNECTIONS Just a short time earlier, Charlie had buried his face and wept against the warmth of a horse—and then into the shoulder of the man who had brought him to this place, and the arms of his buddies who shared this experience with him, and into his own crossed forearms pressed hard against his body. He had let the tears fall openly, and left the stains as testament on his face without shame. They had all wept like that. They had all earned the right. And all of them had just experienced the heart of the Saratoga program. Bob Nevins, founder of Saratoga WarHorse, stresses the fact that it is the veterans themselves who are personally responsible for the lifeimpacting experience they take away from the

unique, equine-centric program. The horses are the critical means. The people are the dedicated facilitators. But it is the veterans who somehow make the profound connections that break through their pain and memories, barriers, and brokenness, to begin to heal and move forward. TAKING ACTION Nevins, a highly decorated Vietnam veteran himself, �st experienced and envisioned the process that would become known as Saratoga

The shared experiences between humans coming back from the world of war, and horses coming back from the world of racing, are striking.

WarHorse; but it wasn’t until he aligned his observations and strategy with the considerable insight, knowledge, and capabilities of equine specialist Melody Squier that the program began to take its current shape and form. Based on the silent, natural language and psy chology of the horse, the power of healing is enabled with tremendous impact between veterans who are suffering from the unseen wounds of military service and veteran thoroughbred racehorses who are suffering from the same ty pe of damage to their souls and hearts and minds. The potential internal wounds and scars are frighteningly similar. And the connections that are possible between these two populations are profoundly healing—for both humans and horses.

Currently , studies are underway to try to understand the science behind it all. It has been called chemical, biological, psy chological, and spiritual. And it is, perhaps, all of these things. But in the end, it is as undeniable as it may be ��L CHANGING LIVES Charlie is a real veteran. But he’s just one veteran from just one military experience. Because that’s how it’s done at Saratoga WarHorse—one veteran and one horse at a time. Many hundreds of men and woman and horses who have gone through the program before and after Charlie—either in Saratoga Springs, New York, or in Aiken, S.C. Some of them are terribly young, and some are achingly worn; some are fresh from the ��‘ , and some have been haunted for far too long. Yet, regardless of the branch of service, regardless of the distance traveled to either location, the Saratoga WarHorse experience is completely without charge to the veterans; all costs are paid by donations. Charlie began his three-day Saratoga WarHorse experience not knowing what to expect, expecting nothing. But with one more surge of courage, he reached out for a way to ease the alienation, the anger, the hopelessness of never being able to imagine any tomorrows. There, in that place and that time, in the round pen with a single horse and a silent life-impacting equine connection, what he found was absolute truth and honesty , trust and forgiveness. A exchange of peace for pain. ��L Before the end of the day , Charlie sat quietly , at ease, in hope. Charlie talked about his future. ISI For more information about Saratoga WarHorse, please contact: www.SaratogaWarHorse.org. 518.744.3600. If you are a veteran who is struggling, please do not hesitate to contact: Bob@SaratogaWarHorse.org or Janelle@ SaratogaWarHorse.org.

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VETERANS

PAGE 12

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT • OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2017

HONORING OUR VETERANS November 11 & Always Discounts and Other Perks for Our Veterans on Veterans Day

By Teresa Ambord (SENIOR WIRE) Of course, there’s no way to repay or adequately thank those who have served our country in the military, or the families who muddled through without them while they served. But a lot of businesses take it upon themselves to give a nod to military personnel with a discount on Veterans Day and some, more often. Thanks to lists provided by Country Living Magazine, a site called bradsdeals.com, and other resources, here are dozens of restaurants, plus a few other businesses that take discounts for our veterans seriously. 1. Unless otherwise stated, be aware that you’ll need to present valid military ID of present or former military service. 2. Also realize that some locations of each restaurant do not participate, so don’t depend on a discount unless it’s been veri��Some discounts are by state, and some vary by the franchise owner’s discretion. A quick call should do it. 3. Some of the discounts below are only on Veterans Day while others are any day or on certain days (for example, any Monday). Applebee’s—Get a free entrée on Veterans Day. A&W—Discount varies. Arby’s—Discount varies. Ben & Jerry’s—Discount varies by location, 15

percent to 25 percent. Boston Market—No ID is required for activite duty and retired military personnel and their families to receive a free brownie or cookie with any purchase on Veterans Day. Buffalo Wild Wings—Get a free small order of wings and a side of fries on Veterans Day. Captain D’s—Not all locations participate, but those that do offer a 10 percent discount, and sometimes as much as 25 percent. Carl’s Jr—Discount varies. Chevy’s Fresh Mex—A 20 percent discount if you wear your uniform or show a valid military ID. Chick-Fil-A—Discount varies. Chipotle’s—Discounts to those in uniform, some as much as 50 percent. Cinnabon—Discounts of 15 percent off. Cold Stone Creamery—Discount varies. Cracker Barrel—Discounts of 10 percent to 15 percent, based on the manager’s discretion. Dairy Queen—Discounts vary by location, but at some places you can get up to 50 percent off. Del Taco—Discount of 10 percent off at participating locations. Denny’s—Participating locals offers 10 percent to 20 percent off, and the 24/7 breakfast chain usually offers Veterans Day specials as well. El Pollo Loco—Offers 15 percent discount at participating locations, and this extends also to police, �� EMTs, law enforcement, as well as military. They ask that you let your

waitperson know before you pay, and if you’re ��L Famous Dave’s—A 5 percent discount on Tuesdays. On Veterans Day, former and active military get a free entrée, and possibly a corn ��yand side dish at participating locations. Golden Corral—On Veterans Day, anyone who’s served in the military qua�� es for a free dinner. Other discounts may be available, depending on the location. Hard Rock Café—Get 15 percent off your meal (alcohol excluded). Hooters—A good place to find specials on Veterans Day, and on any Monday you can get 10 percent off. Some Hooters reportedly don’t discounts, so ask. IHOP—Some give hefty discounts every single day to military personnel. Ask! Johnny Rockets—Up to 50 percent off. Lone Star Steakhouse & Saloon—On Mondays get 20 percent off, and 10 percent off on other days. Longhorn Steakhouse—Get a 10 percent discount at participating locations. Margaritaville Casinos—Get a 10 percent discount at participating locations on Veterans Day. Ninety Nine Restaurant & Pub—Active duty and retired military can get 10 percent off at participating locations. O’Charley’s—Veterans and active duty military get a 10 percent discount, and on Veterans Day, a

SOCIAL SECURITY

Disability Benefits If you have become disabled or have been denied, you need a Representative. Why Should You Appoint a ‘Representative?’ They will greatly improve your chances of a favorable decision. An experienced representative will know Social Security rules and regulations, and can present an argument for your disability to Social Security or the Administrative Law Judge. At the hearing, they will also be prepared to crossexamine the medical expert and the vocational expert, to make sure your claim is accurately presented.

For over 17 years, Kelly Bennett has been a very successful, non-attorney Social Security Disability Representative

Call (208) 283-6875

for free consultation www.kbdisability.com

Recognizing and honoring the life and service of our Veterans at end of life. Contact us at 1-800-HOSPICE for information about Veteran services.

OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2017 • IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT full complimentary meal from a special menu, plus a 20 percent discount on the next visit. Outback—Get a 10 percent discount, but some Outbacks do not offer discounts. Outback has also been supportive of certain military reunions, ��L Papa Murphy’s—Participating locations will take up to 50 percent off one pizza. Pizza Hut—Discount varies. Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen—A 10 percent discount at participating locations. Ruby Tuesday—Active duty, veterans, and reserve military members can get a free appetizer on Veterans Day at all locations. Scholotzsky ’s Deli—Get 10 percent to 30 percent off at participating locations. Subway—Offering 10 percent off if not in a military town. Texas Roadhouse—At participating locations, y ou can get up to a 20 percent discount (in some places higher, even up to 50 percent). Wendy’s—Discount varies. Zaxby’s—Get a 10 percent discount at participating locations. Want more? Here are a few other businesses that honor our military with discounts: Cabelas—Offers a 5 percent discount. Eddie Bauer—Gives 15 percent off most merchandise (some promotions excluded). Home Depot and Lowe’s—They give military discounts, but not at every location. Sam’s Club—With the purchase of a membership, active or retired military get a $15 gift card. Don’t have a valid military ID? Go to a Veteran’s Outreach Center, and take your military paperwork. You should be able to get an ID card. You may be able to go to the government website for the county you live in and get an ID. ISI

HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS

PAGE 13

I have been using the iPad Pro 10.5 with iOS 11 for several months now. It is nothing less than amazing. Most of the differences between traditional computers and iPads no longer matter, including the capability to run two apps side-by -side and the ability to drag-and-drop from one document to another. If your granddaughter is a little older and knows how to touch ty pe, add an external keyboard. Consider an Apple Pencil if she likes to draw. If she is very young, I recommend the least expensive iPad you can ��y with an Otterbox case to protect it. ISI A tech enthusiast his entire life, Bob is currently developing an educational software project. He can be contacted at techtalk@bobdel.com.

Tech Talk

I WOULD LIKE TO GET MY GRANDDAUGHTER HER OWN COMPUTER FOR CHRISTMAS. WHICH ONE SHOULD I GET? By Bob DeLaurentis Q: I would like to get my granddaughter her own computer for Christmas. Which one should I get? A: You did not mention your granddaughter’s age. If she is old enough, she might have preferences of her own. However, if that is not a factor, the good news is that I have the same answer no matter what her age. The very best all-around computer available right now is a 10-inch iPad Pro. Every 10 years or so, a new computer design appears that is so perfect it becomes almost universally suitable. Before the age of high-density displays, the perfect computer was the MacBook Air. Flip the calendar backward from 2010, and models come and go, from 1998’s iMac to the 1989 Compaq LTE. Moving forward, the future is touch, which means smartphones and tablets.

CITY GOES HERE BOISE Santa in Old Boise

The Ashley Inn

Nov 25–Dec 23 ‘17 • 10am–4pm Santa In Old Boise

Nov 11 ‘17–Jan 27 ‘18 Norman Rockwell Christmas Be greeted with the soft glow of twinkling lights outside, and the ﬁreplace blazing inside our “Norman Rockwell Christmas” lobby. Free to visit, rest and enjoy the holiday displays.

Dec 24 ‘17 Christmas Eve Dinner & Caroling

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Ashley Inn • 406-382-5621 #1 • TheAshleyInn.com

Reservations required. Light Christmas Eve dinner followed by caroling. Warm gingerbread topped with whipped cream. Dec 25 ‘17 Christmas Day Dinner Reservations required. Full traditional Christmas Day dinner. Families have made this their new tradition. Ashley Inn • 406-382-5621 #1 • TheAshleyInn.com

HAYDEN

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Nov 18 ‘17 • 9–4pm Christmas Bazzar & Tea

Nov 23 ‘17 Thanksgiving Day Dinner

Ashley Inn • 406-382-5621 #1 • TheAshleyInn.com

Nov 24–Dec 29 Lights of Love Have a light illuminated in memory or in honor of your beloved animal companions, past and present. Each light is $10. Your donation will help ‘light up the lives’ of the homeless animals in our community. Purchase your lights at the Silver Lake Mall or at Kootenai Humane Society.

Cascade Medical Aux. Unusual, unique, high quality gifts. Delightful Christmas Tea also supports new medical equipment.

Reservations required. Full traditional Thanksgiving Day dinner. What joy to relax & have your family dinner in Cascade.

11650 N Ramsey Rd • 208-772-4019 KootenaiHumaneSociety.com

TASTE OF IDAHO

PAGE 14

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT • OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2017

Celebrate History with Port Wine

(StatePoint) During its long and rich history, Port has earned an army of enthusiasts, who have discovered many ways to enjoy this fo��” ed wine, from serving it with dessert to using it as a base in elegant cocktails. Produced exclusively in the Douro Valley in the Northern provinces of Portugal, the �� shipments of Port were recorded in 1678, taking its name from the coastal city of Oporto from which it is traditionally exported. To this day, Port is considered one of the oldest protected wines in the world, and this sweet, smooth wine created by adding a neutral distilled spirit to the rich red wines of the region harkens back to the tastes of the �� One of the oldest Port houses is Taylor Fladgate, which is celebrating its 325th anniversary this year. Established in 1692, Taylor Fladgate commemorates this milestone by releasing a nod to Port’s history: Taylor Fladgate 325th Anniversary Reserve Tawny Port, a special blend of fine oak-matured Ports selected for their depth and richness of ��and offered in a 1692-style bottle that will appeal to history and wine buffs alike. “Our history is often the history of Port itself, because in 325 years we have always been in the front line,” says Adrian Bridge,

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managing director of Taylor Fladgate. “Port is one of the great classics in the wine world today, partly due to Taylor Fladgate’s tireless work throughout generations.” Traditionally, Port wines are served towards the end of the meal with cheese, as a dessert wine, or as an after-dinner drink. It is popular to enjoy a slightly chilled glass of tawny port with nut-based desserts like pecan pie or biscotti, and can also be enjoyed in a cocktail: INGREDIENTS • 2 oz. Taylor Fladgate 325th Anniversary Reserve Tawny Port • 1 oz. Clement 6yr Aged Agricole Rhum • 1 dash mole bitters DIRECTIONS Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass and add ice. Stir to chill and dilute. Strain into a double old fashioned glass with a large ice cube, and garnish with grapefruit peel. This season, celebrate Port’s rich history and complex ��There are a wide variety of styles of Port, and each has its own characteristic ��y ISI

OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2017 • IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

LIFESTYLE

PAGE 15

Lifestyle

GARDEN•REAL ESTATE•RECIPIES•TECHNOLOGY•DECOR•ANTIQUES

Fermented Dill Pickles vs. Vinegar Dill Pickles

By Steve Heikkila Look in y our refrigerator. Is there a jar of pickles in there? If there is, those pickles were probably pickled in vinegar rather than fermented. What’s the difference? Well, if you’re not a hippie or from Portland, Ore., that’s a fair question. There’s some confusion about what it means to pickle something, because there are two ways to pickle. One way is to immerse the stuff you want to pickle in a bath of acid. Seriously! I don’t mean like hydrochloric acid or sulfuric acid. I mean vinegar. The low pH of the acid solution is antimicrobial, so it preserves your stuff. The other way is to immerse the stuff you want to pickle in a brine solution. Now bear in mind that the items you want to pickle are crawling with bacteria (don’t freak out–you’re covered in bacteria, too). A lot of that bacteria doesn’t care much for salt, so when you put it into the salty brine solution, it loses its joie de vivre.

Other bacteria living on y our food—including Lactobacillus—love life in the briny sea. They binge eat and reproduce like crazy via anaerobic fermentation until, pretty soon, they’re the boss of the pickle jar pond. That whole lacto-fermentation process raises the acidity of the brine solution. And, wow, those bacteria love to live in an acid solution even more! Just like with the vinegar pickles, the low pH of the acid solution is antimicrobial to other germs and critters, so it preserves your stuff. WHY LACTO-FERMENTED DILL PICKLES ARE BETTER Vinegar and fermentation both preserve your pickles by creating an antimicrobial environment. So, aren’t they the same? No. They’re not. Not at all. You see, the vinegar pickles are dead. Everything used to make vinegar pickles is sterilized (that means every thing is killed), and then the high-acid vinegar goes in to keep everything dead. The fermented pickles are alive! They’re crawling with live bacteria, and that bacteria is good for your gut microbiota. You’ve probably read about “probiotics” somewhere. Well, these are those (some of them)! There is increasing ��y evidence that a healthy and diverse microbiota community in y our gut is related to good

health, so eating fermented food is good for you. Lactobacillus bacteria is not only good for your gut, it’s also good for your vagina if you happen to have one (as many people do). In a cage match with pathogens like E.coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, and Candida, Lactobacillus bacteria kicks everyone’s butt! Fermentation also increases the nutritional value of y our pickled goods by contributing vitamins and increasing the bio-availability of minerals. LOUIS PASTEUR VS. AMERIGO VESPUCCI America was named after a Florentine pimp. I learned this from the venerable American Smithsonian Institution. Amerigo Vespucci was also a pickle merchant. He supplied sailing ships of his day (his own, Columbus’s, et. al) with pickled vegetables (lacto-fermented, not vinegar-pickled), and the vitamin C in those pickles kept the sailors from getting the dreaded scurvy. Then in 1864, Louis Pasteur discovered a way to kill pickles by canning them. Canning your pickles pasteurizes them. That means that heat and pressure are applied to kill everything. And when you do this, your pickles can be stored a long, long time. That’s a very good thing in some regards. It allows us to store foods without spoilage for a long, long time. For instance, in the zombie apocalypse, we may have nothing left to eat but pasteurized canned goods. Those who’ve read Cormac McCarthy’s The Road will know what I mean. But, wow, sorry gut microbiota, those pickles are dead. And that’s the bad news. The microbial slaughter is indiscriminate. The good bacteria also die. So, the pickles in your refrigerator? Probably canned vinegar pickles. Dead. You want Vespucci’s pickles, not Pasteur’s (even though I suspect that Pasteur was a nicer person).

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(continued from pg 13) So, How Do I Make Those Fermented Dill Pickles? It’s so easy to make fermented dill pickles. Throw some herbs and spices (there are a lot of options, but dill is an obvious start) and may be some garlic (if y ou like Kosher sty le garlic dills like I do) into a jar. It doesn’t have to be a sterile jar. We’re not canning. Just make sure it’s clean. Add some sea salt and pack it with cucumbers. Fill the jar with distilled water (chlorinated tap water will kill y our bacteria!) until the pickles are covered. Let it ferment for at least ��y days, up to a few months. And there you go. You have pickles. SOME CONSIDERATIONS Here’s what you should know to make your fermentation life easier: Fermentation Stones: Fermentation is an

IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT • OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2017

anaerobic activity, but anything poking out of the surface of the water gets air (aerobic). It’ll get moldy, and you don’t want that. A way to make sure your pickles stay under the surface of your brine liquid is to place a fermentation stone on top. In big crock ferments, these are traditionally actual rocks. For jar fermenting, you can buy little glass fermentation pucks. Fermentation Airlocks: It’s worth buying some fermentation airlocks that screw onto the top of a wide-mouth canning jar. I use Zatoba Kraut Caps to keep aerobic activity and mold away. Carbon dioxide is a byproduct of fermentation (if you’ve ever made beer, you know this). If you have an airlock on your fermenting vessel, excess carbon dioxide gas escapes, displacing any oxygen. And oxygen from the air can’t get in. This inhibits mold. Adding Leaves with Tannins: The longer y ou ferment your pickles, the more sour they’ll be (full sours in Kosher-dill lingo). But they’ll also be softer. To keep them crisp, a lot of pickle recipes counsel adding leaves high in tannins, like grape leaves, cherry leaves, even tea leaves from a tea bag. I don’t do this. Then again, I think this is more of an issue for sliced cucumbers. I try to pickle small, whole cucumbers. The Brine: There are sophisticated ways to get the right salinity for your brine, but if you’re making no-fuss fermented dill pickles in quartsized mason jars, a good rule of thumb is 1-1/2 to 3 tablespoons of Kosher salt per quart of non-chlorinated water. Use 3 tablespoons if you want full sour, or 1-1/2 tablespoons if you want them less sour and a bit less salty. Herbs and Spices: You can go nuts here. I used a different mix for each of my two quarts (which is a great thing about making small batches). I love the garlic. In one batch I added some hot chili powder to make them a little spicy . Typical suspects are dill seed, dill weed, mustard seed, coriander, cumin, fennel seed, black peppercorns, cinnamon sticks, allspice, and caraway seeds. Experiment. You have endless opportunities to get creative here. Go easy on the fennel, unless you like licorice pickles (trust me on this). Now go make some fermented dill pickles! Let me know how they turn out. If they’re good, send me your recipe! ISI

How to Make Lacto-Fermented Dill Pickles Prep Time: 10 mins Total Time: 10 mins Serves: 2 quarts INGREDIENTS Batch 1: 1 TBSP Coriander Seeds 1 Tsp Piment d’Espagne (Hot, dried pepper from the Basque region of France. You may substitute hot paprika, cayenne, or Aleppo pepper) 1 TBSP Fresh Dill Seeds 1 Tsp Black Peppercorns 3 Cloves Garlic 3 TBSP Coarse Mediterranean Sea Salt Batch 2: 1 TBSP Coriander Seeds 1 Tsp Caraway Seeds 1 Tsp Black Peppercorns 1 TBSP Fresh Dill Seeds 2 TBSP Fresh Chopped Dill 2 Cloves Garlic 3 TBSP Coarse Mediterranean Sea Salt Cucumbers: 4 Pints of Small Pickling Cucumbers (enough to stuff two, quart-sized Mason jars) Distilled Water METHOD Place the herb, spice, and salt mixture for batch 1 in a clean, quart-sized Mason jar. Place the herb, spice, and salt mixture for batch 2 in another clean, quart-sized Mason jar. Pack both jars tightly with cucumbers. Pour distilled water into each jar to cover the cucumbers completely, but leave about a halfinch of headspace. It’s important that none of the cucumbers is above the surface of the brine. Screw lids ��y with fermentation airlocks on both jars. Allow the pickles to ferment in a cool place, out of direct sunlight. After 24 to 48 hours, they should begin to bubble with activity. After three days, you should taste them. They should be ready to eat in about ��y days at a crunchy, green “half sour” stage. If you like them “full sour” let them ferment longer—up to several weeks. Test them regularly. When they reach the sourness you like, replace the airlock with a tight lid and refrigerate. They’ll last in the refrigerator for about three months (although mine never last that long). Steve Heikkila lives in Portland, Ore., and is the writer, photographer, cook, webmaster, social media guy, grocery shopper, and head dishwasher for Slowburningpassion. com, blog devoted to creating healthful, �� tory, low-carb, whole foods recipes.

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REAL ESTATE

PAGE 17

Real Estate

REMODEL•DOWNSIZE•RELOCATE•EQUITY•REVERSE MORTGAGE

Six Ways to Bring Warmth into Your Home this Fall (StatePoint) With the shorter day s and cooler nights of fall can come the urge to hibernate. But first prepare yourself and y our home for the season with these cozy and warm accents that will make time spent indoors cozier. Incorporate metallic décor. While you’re breaking out the pumpkins, cornstalks and

cornucopias, take a different approach this season and incorporate copper or brass accents. These metallic items will elevate décor, and the orange and yellow tones will complement the changing leaves outside. Try picking out a unique candelabra or vase or small decorative pieces to style the room. Makeover the Fireplace. Fireplace season is on the horizon, so start thinking about new ways to make it the focal point of a room. Try painting it with a subtle whitewash for a look that will instantly revive brick and brighten the space. Before you get started, prep the �� ce by scrubbing brick with a wire brush to remove any residue. Then, tape off any areas you don’t want painted with a quality painter’s tape like FrogTape brand painter’s tape, to prevent paint bleed and achieve professionallooking results. Lay er, Lay er, Lay er. Bare floors can make y our home feel chilly . Warm up a space by lay ering area rugs on

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hardwood �@ ors or to an already carpeted area. Not only will this add color and texture to a room, the extra cushioning will ensure feet avoid the cold, so you can keep your slippers tucked away. Update the Guest Bedroom. With the holidays on the horizon, there’s no better time to give y our guest bedroom a cozy update. Surprise overnight guests by painting the room a moody green or blue that is on trend and sets a relaxing tone. Don’t forget to incorporate little touches like books or a plant on the nightstand to make them feel at home. Update Window Coverings. Heavy drapes keep out drafts and make a room feel luxurious. Switch out summer sheers for curtains with a heavier weight, or layer drapes for an elegant look. Don’t Underestimate the Power of White Paint. Vibrant doesn’t always have to mean using bold colors. Make a space feel brand new again by repainting wood trim a crisp white color. It may seem like a tedious task, but with a little effort, y ou can completely transform a room. Start by �� in any imperfections, sanding, and cleaning the surfaces to be painted. Then, you’ll want to tape off the wall next to the trim so your handiwork looks like that of a professional.

For this job you’ll want a quality product like FrogTape painter’s tape, treated with patented PaintBlock Technology, to help ensure your work looks professional and allows y ou to achieve the sharpest paint lines possible. When painting trim, opt for a semi-gloss paint to make elements stand out. For different project inspirations, visit FrogTape.com. Grab y our pumpkin spice latte and start adding little touches like these to your home, for a cozy and stylish season. ISI

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IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT • OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2017

Ski Heaven? Idaho and Montana Fit the Bill

SENIOR DISCOUNTS ON THE SLOPES By Holly Endersby

If you live or vacation in Idaho or Montana, you are in luck: you have wonderful ski resorts to choose from, and they all want seniors to visit them! In fact, there are so many that we have just a sampling to whet your appetite for some of the best skiing in the nation. SCHWEITZER MOUNTAIN RESORT Starting in North Idaho, Schweitzer Mountain Resort is Idaho’s largest ski resort with 2,900 acres and 2,400 vertical feet. Two chairlifts offer night skiing as well with an average snowfall of 300 inches. The resort regularly offers lodging and lift ticket packages on their website, with a special pre-Christmas offering right now. As part of the Powder Alliance, a season pass at Schweitzer gets you on the slopes at 15 other resorts, including Bogus Basin near Boise. With lodging on site, Schweitzer is a ski-in, ski-out resort, making it exceptionally convenient. Best of all, the resort has an active Prime Timers group geared to retirees who like to ski and socialize. With several leaders on hand, newcomers can learn the mountain safely and at a leisurely pace. “It’s a really fascinating group,” said John Rohyans, a retired attorney who now lives in Sandpoint during the winter and visits frequently in summer as well. “We average about 60 people a week, and it helped my wife and I get connected to other active people when we moved here.” Prime Timer membership runs $25 a year, and it comes with ben��y The group negotiated a season pass for seniors 65 and older, skiing Sunday through Friday for $175. “We all are active and like-minded and go hiking, kayaking, biking, and ��when we can’t ski. We have so many close friends here because of Prime Timers,” explained Rohyans. Schweitzer has 92 trails with plenty of open-bowl skiing, as well as three terrain parks.

Ten percent of the runs are for beginners, 40 percent for intermediate folks, 35 percent for advanced skiers, and 15 percent for expert powder hounds. Thirty-two kilometers of Nordic trails are maintained daily. Visit schweitzerprimetimers.org for additional information and great prices. BRUNDAGE MOUNTAIN RESORT Down in central Idaho, a stop at Brundage Mountain Resort near McCall is a must for avid skiers. It offers 1,920 acres and a vertical drop of 1,921 feet. Brundage boasts great, widely groomed, evenly pitched runs, with 20 percent for novices, 50 percent for intermediates, and 30 percent for advanced skiers. The mountain gets a good amount of powder, with lots of low-angle runs to try while still giving skiers that ��y feeling. Many retirees join the 50-50 Club, where they get together weekly to hang out and learn to ski new terrain or enjoy tips from an instructor on how to better ski Brundage’s gorgeous powder. The mountain management has brokered lodging and lift tickets with every motel in McCall. With senior daily lift tickets running $37—or between $28-$30 for multi-day tickets—Brundage ��y The more adventuresome skiers head to Hidden Valley, which communications director April Whitney called “nature’s terrain park” with its ample logs and drops for freestyle freaks. In addition, Brundage also offers backcountry skiing via snow cat, with guided trips through an additional 18,000 Forest Service acres. Lakeview Bowl area is known for its powder, and popular trails like Temptation, Dropline, and Kickback boast superb snow. BOGUS BASIN Closest to Idaho’s major population center, Bogus Basin is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. Only 16.5 miles from Boise, this resort typically runs from mid-November to mid-April. Three high-speed quad chairs, one triple, three

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doubles, and three conveyor lifts transport 9,980 skiers per hour. Bogus offers 2,600 acres for day skiing and 165 for night in addition to 37 kilometers of groomed Nordic trails. Runs are divided into 22 percent easy, 45 percent more ��, and 33 �� With no lodging on site, the resort offers packages with virtually every motel or hotel in Boise. Bogus Basin also has a Prime Timers group for individuals 55 and older. They begin meeting the �st Wednesday after New Year’s and focus on having a fun, safe, weekly ski outing, according to Jim Carney, a regular member. “We have eight leaders who help with our weekly outings,” he said. “Most of the folks are retired and ty pically ski two to three times a week. We have members in their 80s who still skill weekly.” Carney stated that members enjoy a cup of coffee together before skiing and might get some food and drink after their day on the slopes. Interested mature skiers should visit the Bogus Basin website for more information on Prime Timers. “Our members have a lot of grey hair, but it is such an interesting group,” he said. “With so many varied life experiences, we have great conversations.” BIG SKY In Montana, it’s impossible not to seriously consider skiing at Big Sky. The resort includes Moonlight Basin, purchased in 2013, which makes it the largest downhill ski area in the US, a sprawling 5,800 acres across four mountains. Skiers certainly won’t get bored here. In addition to great downhill skiing, Big Sky boasts superb Nordic skiing with 85 kilometers of groomed trails. It is one of the most highly rated Nordic skiing resorts in the nation. Amenities are plentiful, with a Town Center that features a number of restaurants, from elegant to brew pub friendly , a movie theatre,

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PAGE 19

art galleries, sporting goods stores, and an ice and hockey rink. The Bozeman Health Big Sky Medical Center opened there in 2015 as well. The terrain is divided into 14 percent for beginners, 25 percent for intermediates, 42 percent for advanced, and 15 percent for experts. That translates into 2,300 acres of beginner and intermediate terrain featuring long, groomed runs. Because of its size, skiers never feel crowded, and it’s not unusual to have 70 runs groomed a day. Average snow accumulations are a whopping 400 inches. While Big Sky rarely gets huge dumps of snow, it repeatedly gets 3 to 5 inches throughout the week, keeping the snow fresh and consistent. Big Sky has embarked on a 10-year, $150-million improvement plan, and the �� example of this is the Powder Seeker lift with its 60 high-speed chairs with heated seats and blue-bubble covers, to help keep skiers warm while in transit. In addition, the resort will replace all the “Magic Carpet” conveyors this year. The resort is an economic driver for the local economy and has brokered great ski-and-stay packages. Check out their website for current holiday nine- and ��ypackages as well as other specials that appear throughout the winter. No matter what kind of skiing you enjoy, you’ll ��L WHITEFISH MOUNTAIN RESORT If you’ve been to Glacier National Park, then you’ve been in the vicinity of �� Mountain Resort. And this ski mecca has some awesome ski-and-stay packages. For example, a Hibernation House hotel skiand-stay is $89 per person, mid-week, double occupancy , Sunday through Thursday . This includes not only y our lift tickets but lodging that features a daily hot breakfast and a relaxing, after-ski hot tub. The walk-up day rate for seniors 65-69 is $68 per day, or $62 per day for two or more days. If you’re 70 or older, you ski for free. ��”sh also offers a learn -to-ski package for any age that covers two day s of lift tickets, two days of rental equipment, (Continued on page 21)

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IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT • OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2017

Travel

CRUISE•LEARN•RELAX•FLY•WONDER•NEW HORIZONS•CULTURE

Ainsworth Hot Springs Resort, British Columbia

Photo by Jackie McNeel

By Jack McNeel Beautiful scenery with an incredible hot pool, unusual yet outstanding restaurant, and clean motel rooms—what more can anyone wish for in a short vacation trip north of the border? Ainsworth Hot Springs, BC Canada is located on the west side of Kootenay Lake, about 130 miles from Sandpoint, Idaho and only 275 miles from Kalispell, Mont. It’s an easy overnight trip through beautiful countryside and can easily lead to a several-night trip, to enjoy more of what that area provides. The hot springs have been here for centuries, used by indigenous, First Nations people as a place to soak and relieve aches and injuries. They called it nupica wu’u, which translates to “spirit water.” That changed in 1882 when George Ainsworth, an Oregon man, acquired the property while on a mining venture to investigate nearby mineral deposits. For the last 50 years, it’s been a tourist attraction, and for 30 years the hotel and restaurant have become a well-known destination. Two years ago, the Lower Kootenay Band of the Ktunaxa was able to purchase the property with its pool and motel. Jake ��y assistant manager, explained they wanted something ��y of their culture to offer their clients and hopefully entice new clients. With that in mind, a new chef, Aaron Day , was brought in with the mandate to create a menu for the resort’s restaurant, the Ktunaxa Grill, honoring indigenous ingredients used by First Nations people but created in a different way “to make them presentable in a ��-dining restaurant, yet ��y of the culture,��

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Day has certainly done that. For lunch, you can still get a half-pound angus burger, but if you’re more adventurous, you might try a smoked bison steak sandwich that comes with roasted cremini mushrooms, bacon jam, grilled onion may onnaise, and a Swiss-cheese chip on a handmade bun. One item you will ��y in every Canadian restaurant that serves First Nation food is bannock, a homemade bread that comes in various forms, depending on the restaurant. Bannock served at the Ktunaxa Grill is excellent. In fact, everything we tried there was excellent. For dinner we had three appetizers, starting with smoked elk carpaccio served in a bannock tuile with fresh berries, pickled beets, and berry gastrique. We moved on from that to steelhead smoked over applewood with a fennel and beet salad. (Incidentally , Day smokes all the items, 0n-site, for the many dishes containing smoked food.) The third appetizer was a skillet of roasted Saltspring Island mussels, tossed with wild boar sausage, local grape tomatoes, rosemary, caper berries, lemon, and butter. The dish came piping hot, placed on a metal grill at the table. Diners seated next to windows have a beautiful view over treetops to Kootenay Lake a short distance away, and those on the far end of the room can look down from this third-��view to observe swimmers and soakers in the warm waters of the large pool below. The entire pool area is enclosed with beautiful hanging and potted ��‘, a teepee adds to the First Nations atmosphere. Natural water, heating to 110 degrees Fahrenheit, �@ ws from a circular cave on the west side, replenishing the pool six times a day. The cave would be black were it not for electric lighting. The water circles around to drop into the large outside pool, which holds at about 97 degrees Fahrenheit. A swim and soak is included in the price of a room, but if you don’t spend the night, you can enjoy the pool for a reasonable fee. Rooms vary a bit, depending on whether they face to the east over the lake or west where the view is very limited due to the mountain rising immediately behind. All rooms, however, are comfortable and clean. Many are naturally heated with the hot water from the springs. Ainsworth sits a short distance north of the ferry terminal at Balfour and midway between Nelson and Kaslo. Be sure to allow time to explore Nelson, just 30 miles south, and Kaslo, 13 miles to the north. Nelson has all the modern touches, but with a strong, historic element. In fact, 350 buildings are listed as “Heritage Buildings,” and the town has an old, but functioning, streetcar. Nelson rests on the west arm of Kootenay Lake with the Selkirk Mountains behind. It also has BOB, short for Big Orange Bridge, which dates back to 1914. Kaslo is somewhat smaller, but equally interesting. Townspeople refer to it as “Canada’s Little Switzerland,” with the high peaks of the Selkirks and Purcell Mountains above. Kootenay Lake lies adjacent. Picturesque perhaps describes it most correctly . It’s a town of galleries and museums with a wooden city hall dating back to 1898. Another popular attraction is the S.S. Moyie Sternwheeler, the world’s oldest, intact passenger sternwheeler. It plied the waters of Kootenay Lake for 59 years, ceasing operations in 1957. It is open for tourists, with thousands visiting annually. Each community adds to the intrigue of this whole region and makes a visit to Ainsworth one that can easily add up to several days of a highly enjoyable vacation. The ferry, 8 miles south of Ainsworth, is part of the 3A highway sy stem and free transport across Kootenay Lake to the east side, which has a number of studios where artisans hang their work for sale. It’s also at the northern tip of the Selkirk Loop, which is a wonderful addition to an Ainsworth Hot Springs visit. Returning southward along the eastern shore of Kootenay Lake will take y ou down through Creston and onto Highway 95, south of the border crossing at Porthill, then south to Bonners Ferry and Sandpoint. Montana travelers can follow Highway 2 near Bonners Ferry toward Troy , or continue to Sandpoint and take Highway 200 toward Thompson Falls. The circular Selkirk Loop drive can be a twoday excursion in itself should time permit, but Ainsworth Hot Springs can be the highlight of that trip as well. ISI

OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2017 • IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

TRAVEL

PAGE 21

Frontier Life of Cowboys and Indians Comes Alive in Montrose

The Ute Indian Museum, also near town, commemorates Ute Chief Ouray, his wife, Chipeta, and her brother John McCook. Photo by Dianna Troyer

By Dianna Troyer As we listen to the hiss of a forge and marvel at a farrier pounding and shaping a red-hot glowing horseshoe, gunfire suddenly erupts from a nearby saloon at Adobe Flats, a recreated historic town near Montrose, Colo. It is a ty pical day at the Museum of the Mountain West, where volunteer docents become a character from a frontier era. Like museum founder Richard Fike, they look like time travelers from the late 1800s. “Many of our 30 volunteer docents wear period clothing to help visitors feel like they’re

Ski Heaven cont’d from page 19 and two half-day lessons for only $79. The resort also offers great ski-and-stay packages in condos: simply check their website, or call for updates on available options. With 3,020 skiable acres, 105 marked trails, and plenty of bowl and tree skiing, y ou will never run out of places to explore. The resort has a 10-year average snow cover of 300 inches �� Beginner runs comprise 12 percent of the mountain, intermediate 40 percent, advanced 42 percent, and expert runs top out at 6 percent. ��features ��y terrain parks as well, offering exciting freestyle opportunities for all levels of skiers. Night skiing on Chairs Two, Three and Six runs from 4:00-8:30 p.m. with special rates for skiers 70 or older. With awesome prices and packages, it’s almost mandatory you ��y ISI

in an authentic western frontier town,” say s Fike, wearing a timeless cowboy hat and boots and jeans with suspenders. After buying property near Montrose in 1996, he had more than a dozen historic structures or storefronts moved to the site, including a hotel, school, church, laundry, medical ��y general store, livery, and a schoolhouse. Then he ��y the buildings with more than 500,000 artifacts, dating from about 1880 to 1930. The museum earned a 2016 Certi��y of Excellence from Trip Advisor last year. “Most of the items around here are from my personal collections,” says Fike, 77, a retired archaeologist, who established a non-profit foundation to run the site. “I’ve been a collector since I was 4 and love teaching about history. People come and see what we’ve done here and sometimes donate their own historical items.” Fike’s passion for artifacts began in childhood. “When I was 4, my father was working for the Alaska Department of Highways. We were in Skagway, and I found a metal clock made in the 1850s in a store. It had mother-of-pearl inlay and a notation on the back that it had been cleaned in 1898 and had been in the Klondike gold rush,” he says. “My mom bought it for me, and it’s in my living room.” Fike’s fascination for the past led him to an archaeological career throughout the West with the Bureau of Land Management until he had time to establish the museum. Long before western towns like Adobe Flats emerged, Ute Indians roamed the area. To take a closer look at their lifestyle, we drive a few miles to the newly remodeled Ute Indian Museum. Dioramas, historic clothing, tools, and bows and arrows transport us to the tumultuous time when Chief Ouray led the Utes from roaming western Colorado to settling on several reservations. The museum is located on the original homestead site, where Ouray and his wife, Chipeta, lived. Outside the museum, we see Chipeta’s crypt and stroll around a native plants garden, past teepees and a memorial to the Spanish conquistadors who explored the area in 1776.

At the museum, docent-led tours can be arranged to the nearby Shavano Valley Rock Art Site, where detailed petroglyphs depict the tribe’s sacred springtime bear dance. Surrounding Montrose, the trails that cowboys, Indians, and ranchers once explored led to one of the deepest and steepest canyons in the west, Black Canyon, which plunges 2,700 feet down in some places. Today, these same trails are shared by hikers, mountain bikers, UTV riders, and equestrians who cherish the area as much as those who �rst explored the land more than a century ago. ISI

Fike welcomes visitors to the Museum of the Mountain West near Montrose, where he re-created a frontier town. Photo by Dianna Troyer

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IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT • OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2017

SUPPORT•INSIGHT•COMFORT•SERVICE•ENCOURAGEMENT

12 Ways To Help A Housebound Senior Stay Involved In Life

By Lisa M. Petsche

When someone is co�” ned to their home due to convalescence from an illness, recovery from surgery , or chronic illness or disability , their world shrinks considerably . It’s easy to become disconnected from others and the world in general. Unfortunately, family support for seniors in such situations is often limited. Societal trends that include delayed marriage, decreased family size, and increased mobility contribute to elder isolation. Even if adult children live nearby , they ’re likely to be busy juggling careers and families of their own. The following are some things that you, can do to support someone who is homebound and help them stay engaged in life. 1. Remember that you may have to be the one who makes most of the effort in the relationship. Plan to call or visit when you’re not rushed for time. Arrange a regular date to get together, and when you do, treat the person the way you always have. 2. Allow the person to express emotions freely. Illness and disability affect people phy sically , mentally , emotionally , and spiritually . But although there may be similarities, no two people experience their situation the same way. Listen attentively , demonstrate compassion, and provide words of encouragement. 3. Encourage them to practice self-care by eating nutritiously, exercising (if appropriate), getting adequate rest, and avoiding unnecessary stress.

Also encourage the person to keep medical appointments. Do whatever y ou can to help make this happen. For example, bring over a meal or offer to drive them to an appointment. 4. Ask, rather than guess, what kind of practical help y ou can offer. Perhaps it’s dusting and vacuuming, doing laundry, or running errands. If your assistance is declined, continue to express y our desire to help. Meanwhile, take it upon yourself to deliver a casserole or ��yor, if y ou’re a neighbor, sweep both walks or bring in both sets of garbage cans. Encourage the person to ask for and accept help rather than struggle alone. 5. Bring a surprise gift, such as a favorite movie, magazine or food treat, fresh �@ wers or a plant, or a gift �� to a favorite restaurant that has takeout and delivery service. If y ou’re on a limited income, sign out reading material, movies, or music the person would enjoy from the public library. 6. Help a female friend feel good about her appearance. Offer to set her hair or do her nails, or bring her a pretty new accessory. Put together a pamper kit of items to give her a lift when she’s alone—for example, a relaxation CD containing soothing sounds of nature, scented candles, fragrant shower gel or body lotion, foot balm, or gourmet coffee or tea. 7. Encourage the person to cultivate some solitary pastimes—such as taking up puzzles, writing, sketching, or crafts—that bring ful�llment and enable them to enjoy their own company.

8. Facilitate connections to the outside world by sharing news about family, friends, and current events. Bring a newspaper or newsmagazine with you. Better yet, arrange a subscription for the person. 9. Encourage your friend to get a computer, and teach them how to use it. Internet access can help them stay connected to loved ones, keep up with local and world news, and gather healthrelated information, among other things. They can also take online education courses, play games like chess and bridge, and connect with others in a similar situation through Internet message boards and chat rooms. 10. If mobility issues are preventing the person from getting around in the community, encourage them to rent or buy a walker, electric scooter, or wheelchair, and help facilitate this. Also help them register with the local accessible transportation service if appropriate. 11. Offer to get information about community resources, such as home healthcare services, friendly visiting programs, shopping services, meals on wheels, and accessible recreation and leisure programs. 12. Encourage y our friend to seek help from their primary physician or a counselor if they continually feel sad, angry , or overwhelmed. There is no need to suffer, because depression is treatable. ISI Lisa M. Petsche is a medical social worker and a freelance writer specializing in boomer and senior health matters.

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Loved Ones Notice Telltale Signs of Alzheimer’s During the Holidays During the holiday s, families come together from near and far to celebrate the season. Often it is also a time when family members begin to notice subtle changes in loved ones that were not apparent before. “If family members notice even subtle change, it is important to follow up with someone,” said Lynn Mullowney, executive director for the Alzheimer’s Association. “Our helpline staff is available around the clock—even on holidays—to provide no-cost, ��y care consultation from master’s-level clinicians who can help with decision-making support, crisis assistance, and education on issues families face.” The professionals at the Alzheimer’s Association toll-free helpline assist callers with questions about Alzheimer’s warning signs, help getting

a diagnosis, and resources available for people living with Alzheimer’s, their friends, and family. If you have a family member living with Alzheimer’s or a related dementia, the holidays can be challenging. With some planning and adjusted expectations, your celebrations can still be happy, memorable occasions. The Alzheimer’s Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer’s care, support, and research. Its mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research, to provide and enhance care and support for all affected, and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. ISI Visit alz.org or call 800.272.3900 for more information and to �� your local chapter.

Nursing Home Abuse Vastly Under-reported

EMERGENCY ROOMS COMING TO MORE THAN MEDICAL RESCUE By Alan Schlein

(SENIOR WIRE) More than 25 percent of possible sexual and physical abuse cases against nursing home patients were not reported to police, warns a new government audit. The Health and Human Services inspector general’s ��y issued an unusual “early alert” recently, based on preliminary ��y from a large sampling of cases in 33 states. The IG’s report blamed Medicare for failing to enforce federal law, which requires that nursing homes immediately notify the police in abuse cases. Investigators issued the early warning because they found that the results were ��y alarming that corrective action is needed right now and can’t wait a y ear while the report is completed. Looking at records from 2015 and 2016, investigators found 134 cases of abuse of nursing home residents severe enough to require emergency treatment. This sampling represents a tiny fraction of the nation’s 1.4 million nursing

home residents. But it means the problem is considerably larger than people are aware of and shows that the issue has been under-reported. These incidents of potential abuse and neglect were found in 33 states, including cases of rape and sexual abuse; more than a quarter of the cases had never been reported to law enforcement authorities. Of those 134 cases, Illinois had the largest number of incidents overall, with 17. It was followed by Michigan (13), Texas (9), and California (8). One example, cited in the alert, involves a woman who was left deeply bruised after being sexually assaulted at her nursing home. Under federal regulations, that incident should have been reported to the police within two hours, but the nursing home involved didn’t do that. “They cleaned off the victim,” Curtis Roy, an assistant regional inspector general at HHS said. “In doing so, they destroyed all of the evidence that law enforcement could have used as part of an investigation into this crime.” That nursing home told the victim’s family about the assault the next day. It was the family

who informed the police, but investigators found that even then, the nursing home tried to cover up the case. “They went so far as to contact the local police department to tell them that they did not need to come out to the facility to conduct an investigation,” said Roy, an audit manager with the inspector general’s office, which investigates waste, fraud, and abuse in the health care system. To uncover the information, IG investigators cross-referenced Medicare claims from nursing homes with their claims from the emergency room—something that neither Medicare nor Medicaid ever did. The alert suggests that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), the agency which governs both Medicare and Medicaid, needs to become far more active in tracking these kinds of cases. CMS could have ��this out, however. Medicare pay s for hospital care and doctor’s services for the elderly , while Medicaid is responsible for paying for a larger percentage of seniors’ nursing home expenses.

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IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT â&#x20AC;˘ OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2017

Since the two are parts of the same government agency, they could have done what the IGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s investigators did. Investigators looked AFH to see if an individual on Medicare ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝claims for both nursing home care and emergency room services. They also looked to see if the emergency room diagnosis indicated the patient was a victim of a crime, such as phy sical or sexual assault. The IGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝y is urging CMS to sy stematically scour computerized billing records for telltale signs of possible abuse of nursing home residents. This problem and its under-reporting is nothing new. The law was even strengthened in 2011. It requires someone who suspects abuse of a nursing home resident causing serious bodily injury to report their suspicions to local law enforcement in two hours or less. If their This facility is a Joint Commission accredited agency. suspicion of abuse does not involve serious bodily injury , they are still required to report it, but have 24 hours to do so. Failure to report Gooding â&#x20AC;˘ 208-934-4842 ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝L Meridian â&#x20AC;˘ 208-887-6633 The problem is that CMS never got explicit authority from the Secretary of Health and Twin Falls â&#x20AC;˘ 208-734-4061 Human Services to enforce these penalties, so their actions were toothless. CMS only began seeking that authority this year. Toll Free â&#x20AC;˘ 800-540-4061 What investigators still donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know is whether the nursing homes where the abuse LHCgroup.com Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s All About Helping People.ÂŽ took place were ever ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝or punished in any way. That will be part of the ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝Inspector Generalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s report, which is not expected for about a year. Reaction on Capitol Hill didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take long. Sen. Charles Grassley , R-Iowa, who serves on the Finance Committee, which regulates Medicare and Medicaid, said he wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait to start pushing Medicare to take immediate action. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A crime is a crime wherever it takes place,â&#x20AC;? Grassley said in a statement. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unacceptable for more than one-fourth of potential crimes in nursing homes to apparently go unreported.â&#x20AC;? Of the unreported cases, about four out of ďż˝ďż˝y involved alleged or suspected rape or sexual abuse. CMS defended its current procedures, responding that it has long required immediate reporting of this ty pe of incidents, but to state inspectors. EMERGENCY ROOMS FOCUS ON ELDER ABUSE A unique program at the New YorkPresby terian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center emergency room could serve as a model for ERs all over the country to help older victims of abuse recognize and deal with elder abuse. Abuse often leads to depression and medical problems in older patientsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;even death within a year of an abusive incident. But many of those subjected to emotional, phy sical, or ďż˝ďż˝ncial CoeurÂ d'AleneÂ andÂ Hayden,Â Idaho abuse too often remain silent. Identifying those (208)772-7994Â victims and intervening often poses major www.hospiceofnorthidaho.org challenges for doctors and nurses. A 2011 New York state study found that as few as 1 in 24 cases of abuse against TO residents age 60 and older were reported to AND authorities. That ty pe of under-reporting is We Offer: certain to exist all over t 5SBOTJUJPOBM $BSF 6OJU - Short-term Rehabilitation Unit the U.S. Because a visit Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy to the emergency room -Outpatient Therapy t $PNQMFY 8PVOE $BSF 5FBN may be the only time t 4FMFDUJWF .FOV T 'JOF %JOJOH BOE 8J Ăś an older adult leaves t 0O TJUF .FOUBM )FBMUI $POTVMUBOU t .FEJDBSF .FEJDBJE .BOBHFE $BSF the house, the staff of $POUSBDUT BOE 7" BQQSPWFE the ER can be the ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ MAKE A RESERVATION line of defense. If you have a scheduled surgery and will need Rehabilitation therapy following the procedure, call and make a reservation for your The Vulnerable continued care. Our therapists will work with your physician to get Elder Protection Team you back home as quickly as possible. REHAB MADE EASY! (VEPT) was launched Please call to schedule a tour or just drop in. We are always available to show you the center and answer any questions you may have. in April at this New York hospital, where t UI 4USFFU -FXJTUPO TM

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it includes three doctors and two social workers who take turns being on call to respond to signs of elder abuse. Also available when needed are psy chiatrists, legal and ethical advisers, radiologists, geriatricians, and security and patient-services personnel. Tony Rosen, the founder and lead investigator of the VEPT program at the New York City hospital, said his team has noticed that if one form of abuse exists for a senior, most of the time so do others. The most common kinds of elder abuse, he said, are emotional and ďż˝ďż˝ncial. The VEPT team works within that hospitalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s emergency room and has trained the entire ER staff to recognize situations where elder abuse is involved. When someone comes into the ER, a doctor interviews the patient and conducts a head-to-toe physical exam looking for bruises, lacerations, abrasions, and areas of pain and tenderness. Additional testing is ordered if the doctor suspects abuse. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Unlike with child abuse victims, where there is a standard protocol in place for screening, there is no equivalent for the elderly, but we have designed and are evaluating one,â&#x20AC;? said Rosen. The team looks for specific injuries and uses radiographic images showing old and new fractures, which suggest a pattern of multiple traumatic events. When they ďż˝ďż˝y these signs, but the older patient is not interested in cooperating with ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝a safe place or getting help, a psychiatrist is asked to determine if that older person has decision-making capacity. The team offers resources but can do little more if the patient isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t interested. They would have to allow the patient to return to the potentially unsafe situation. Patients who are in immediate danger and want help or are found not to have capacity may be admitted to the hospital and placed in the care of a geriatrician until a solution can be found. Unlike with children and Child Protective Services, Adult Protective Services wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t become involved until a patient has been discharged, so hospitalization can play an important role in keeping older adults safe. In the ďż˝rst three months of the program, more than 35 older people showed signs of abuse, and a large percentage of them were later ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ to be victims. Changes in housing or living situations were made for several of them. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s difficult to identify and measure appropriate outcomes for elder abuse victims, because each patient may have different care goals,â&#x20AC;? Rosen told Kaiser Health News recently, â&#x20AC;&#x153;but we are working on making a case that detection of elder abuse and intervention in the ER will improve the patientsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; lives. We also hope to show that it will save money, because when an elder is in a safe place, expensive, frequent trips to the ER may no longer be needed.â&#x20AC;? The New York hospitalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ER team continues to tweak VEPT to improve the program and to connect to emergency medical, law enforcement, and criminal justice services. Eventually, they hope to help other emergency departments around the U.S. set up similar programs. The VEPT program was initially funded by a small grant from The John A. Hartford Foundation and now is fully funded by the Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation. WHAT ABOUT SENIORS NEGLECTING THEMSELVES? Another major but rarely discussed factor with elderly abuse involves seniors not taking care of themselves. In order to get a handle on the extent of abuse of the 60-and-older population, and the victims and perpetrators involved, the federal government recently pulled together the ďż˝ďż˝ďż˝ever national data set based on investigations undertaken through local and

OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2017 • IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT state Adult Protective Services systems across the country. Its ��y were surprising. Of the 267,202 state-reported cases last y ear to the new National Adult Maltreatment Reporting System, nearly 60 percent were categorized as cases of “self-neglect.” This is ��as “a person’s inability, due to physical or mental impairment or diminished capacity , to perform essential self-care tasks including obtaining essential food, clothing, shelter and medical care; obtaining goods and

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services necessary to maintain physical health, mental health or general safety ; or managing �� This 60-percent “self-neglect” far exceeded all other kinds of abuse reported. Behind selfneglect in complaint reports were neglect (by others such as family members or paid caregivers) at 19 percent, ��exploitation at 15.9 percent, emotional abuse at 14 percent, and physical abuse at 10 percent. There are a few problems with the numbers because not all states categorize and investigate

PAGE 25

abuse complaints the same way. Studies show that only a tiny percentage of abuse cases are ever reported in the first place. But the federal agency that collected the information, the Administration for Community Living, set up the data collection in hope that the new maltreatment reporting system will begin providing a better way to track a problem that is expected to keep growing as the number of older Americans skyrockets. ISI Also contributing were NPR; AP; Kaiser Health News, the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, the Hill, and Money magazine.

�� “The incidence of Alzheimer’s doubles every five years after 65, so that after 85 about half of us will have Alzheimer’s. None of us wants to be counted in that number.” By Carrie Luger Slayback (SENIOR WIRE) As I left a meeting in 2016, a charming lady stopped me. “I never miss reading your ��articles, and there’s a free lecture you must hear: “The Brain and Exercise.” If y ou tell me y ou read my articles, I’ll do any thing y ou say . So, I showed up at the University of California Irvine MIND’s lecture series with Dr. Laura Baker of the Wake Forest School of Medicine, speaking on “Exercise for the Brain: Is It Worth the Sweat?” Introducing Dr. Baker, Dr. Carl Cotman, founder of UCI’s Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders (MIND) almost gave away the answer, but not quite. First, he told us that The U.S. Centers for Disease Control recommend 150 minutes of exercise weekly, but people 20 to 29 get less than 30 minutes, and those in their 80s get a paltry 15. “Sitting is the new smoking,” he said, describing Americans’ 50-year decline in active lifestyle. “Exercise lowers risk for heart disease, cholesterol, ty pe-2 diabetes, improves blood ��mood, and reduces stress,” he reminded us. But Baker’s study demonstrated that there’s even more than the above oft-listed physiological �� ts. To show us the “brain ��” she assembled 71 sedentary adults, 55-89, all of whom were diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI.) MCI is described as memory problems greater than normal age-related failure to recall. Although not all people diagnosed with MCI progress to Alzheimer’s, the progress is tragic for those who do, with loss of brain cells, severe shrinkage of the brain, together with characteristic plaques and tangles.

And with those losses comes greatly diminished ability to care for oneself. “Not a single drug is effective in stopping or slowing the progressive nature of the disease,” Baker told us. But Baker’s study found something that is effective. Her study divided a carefully matched group, all of whom had high likelihood of progressing to Alzheimer’s, into two subgroups. Both exercised 45 to60 minutes four times a week for six months. One group received classes in stretching. The other had aerobic training with a personal trainer at a gy m. The aerobic group exercised at 70 to 80 percent of maximum heart rate while the stretching group exercised below 35 percent. Baker described the results at the end of six months. Participants had spinal taps analyzing their cerebrospinal ��y indicating the presence of a protein marker for the tangles associated with Alzheimer’s. The protein decreased with exercise, showing a decline in the tangles. Baker emphasized, “No study with medication has been able to decrease the protein marker associated with Alzheimer’s.”In the exercise group, scans revealed brain volume increase rather than expected further brain shrinkage. The parietal lobe, frontal lobe, and hippocampus increased in size, together with “key areas that connect these three.” The gains in brain weight affect “executive function,” that is ability to plan, initiate, multitask, and focus. Participants in the stretching group probably ��in �� and balance, but tangles in their brains increased, brain weight decreased, and their dementia progressed. In the exercise group, the gains may have been caused by increased blood ��y to the brain’s memory and processing centers accompanying high-intensity activity. The incidence of Alzheimer’s doubles every ��y years after 65, so that after 85, about half of us will have Alzheimer’s. None of us wants to be counted in that number. What we want in our

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senior years is independence and the continued ability to care for ourselves, maintaining as much of the cognitive essence of our personalities as possible. If a pill would accomplish reversal of dementia’s progress, people would take it. But we do not have a pill. Baker prescribes a timed dose of vigorous activity. She has research to show it works. She has evidence that 45 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise at 70 to 80 percent of maximum heart beat seems to reverse the progressive nature of dementia. I suspect y ou agree that in order to hold off the progress of Alzheimer’s, exercise is definitely worth the sweat. ISI Carrie Luger Slayback is an award-winning, retired teacher and current marathon runner, winning agegroup �� places in the LAMarathon, 2014 and 2015, and Carlsbad, Calif., in 2016.

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IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT • OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2017

Health&Fitness

NUTRITION•STRENGTH•HOLISTIC•PREVENTION•DIAGNOSIS

By Dr. Holly Carling We’ve all heard the words “gut-wrenching pain,” but until you have colitis, irritable bowel, diverticulitis, Crohn’s Disease, or any other �� mmatory bowel disease (IBD), you really don’t have a clue how accurate those words are. The severe pain, often followed by a quick dash to a restroom, leaves the sufferer to reach for anything they can get their hands on to help. IBD is increasing dramatically in the U.S. Typical conventional treatments include corticosteroids, a�� tory medications, immune suppressants, or surgery. Although they can be helpful, they do not address the causative factors to bring about lasting health. Despite inadequate studies on alternative treatments, several clinical, “alternative” modalities have shown to be beneficial. In the home, many have found certain foods to aggravate their condition and have on their own ��L Nuts, seeds, gluten, pasteurized cow’s milk, corn, sugar (especially high fructose corn syrup), commercial eggs, and certain spices top the list.

Gut-Wrenching Pain

Sugar appears to be the number-one food aggravator. Simply eliminating sugar helps control IBD considerably. Sugar is an acid that irritates the delicate mucus lining of the intestines, leads to pH imbalance, and disrupts healthy “flora” (normal gut bacteria). Raw honey seems to have less negative effect on the gut. Remember that alcohol is a ��sugar and can also lead to IBD. Acidic fruits that have been picked green are also aggravating foods. Pasteurized dairy products can lead to an ��ygut; however, that does not seem to be true for raw dairy—especially raw goat milk. Fermented raw milk (yogurt) has particular ��as it helps to re-establish healthy gut bacteria, but beware of commercial yogurt that has been pasteurized and is often laden with sugar and other sweeteners. Processed wheat products are also very irritating. They, too, upset pH balance, turn into a sugar in the body (so behave like a sugar), and create extra mucus, bloating, and gas. Many people, if not most, have some degree of gluten intolerance. You can have “normal” gliadin

levels—gliadins are a component of gluten—on your labs but still have some gluten intolerance. This must be ruled out. In addition to dietary changes, you might consider acupuncture. Acupuncture is used to reduce inflammation, control pain, improve immune function, and improve digestion. When seeing an acupuncturist, y ou would expect health questions to be limited to the intestines. However, acupuncturists have a broader view of what underlies digestive �� including liver, gallbladder, kidneys, and the stomach. Since nutrition is an integral part of their training, they will evaluate this as well. IBD is a complex set of issues and requires a comprehensive approach in order to obtain resolution. Acupuncture combined with a sound nutritional approach, supplements, relaxation techniques, and restorative modalities should be on the top of IBD sufferer’s list if they want lasting results. ISI

Have Parkinson’s? New Podcast Can Help You Manage the Disease By Ayanna Runcie Miami Herald (TNS) The cause of Parkinson’s disease remains unknown, but people who want a hands-free way to stay updated on new developments about the disease can listen to a podcast launched recently by the Parkinson’s Foundation.

The podcast, entitled “Substantial Matters: Life and Science of Parkinson’s,” will be produced bi-weekly and feature discussions about exercise, clinical trials, and nutrition, among other subtopics. “Parkinson’s is a movement disorder and... audio is a great format because people can listen rather than read—people don’t have to focus

on print,” said Vaughn Edelson, director of education for Parkinson’s Foundation in Miami. A new episode of the 15-minute podcast will be released every other Tuesday and can be accessed on iTunes, Google Play, TuneIn, Amazon Echo, and RSS feed. Archived episodes will be on the foundation’s website. Dan Keller, founder and president of Keller Broadcasting, will host the show. He decided to partner with the Parkinson’s Foundation because he ��y it as an area where people are hungry to get information. “I think that when you have a substantial population of people with a certain condition, it’s worth getting the information out there,” Keller said. “And people are familiar with the medium, you don’t need a grandchild to help you �� Each episode features ��experts, such as phy sicians, phy sical therapists, personal trainers and doctors. The �st eight episodes cover early warning signs of the disease, the foundation’s role in improving care, the b��” ts of exercise and nutrition, how to manage Parkinson’s fluctuations, levodopa delivery methods, neuroprotection, and vaccination. ISI

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HEALTH

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You Want a Piece of Me? A Story of the Bobbsey Twins By Robyn Justo (SENIOR WIRE) Sometimes just one little letter can change everything, making crop circles into crap circles and crockpots into crackpots. And sometimes one word can do the same. There are a few C-words that I don’t like, and you can imagine what they might be. A word can reduce us to roadkill faster than ACME can flatten Wile E. Coy ote chasing the Roadrunner. Years ago, I met a really cool gal, who just happened to have been previously married to the man I was currently engaged to at the time. We met by accident on a plane, although I don’t believe there really are accidents, since I had wished I could talk to my ��y exes to ��y out if I was the only one who was challenged. Gumby and I became fast friends. When we got off the plane, armin-arm, I remember the color draining from my � ncé’s face as his mouth fell open. “ W H A A A A T ? ? ? ” h e s a i d . “ H o w … ? ? ? ” H e c o u l d n ’ t s p e ak , which was rare. We both grinned at him, knowing that we had shared special girl �� Over the years (20-some, give or take), Gumby and I lost touch. But one day last year, I got an email. By the way, I never married the guy, and he eventually passed on. The strange thing was that I had been dreaming about him, and she had been awakened at 2 a.m. one night knowing that she had to talk to me. I gave her a call, and it seemed like no time (or lifetimes) had passed. The laughter was still there as were the great stories, except that, in her words, she had “silly cancer.” My heart sank. She had an amazing attitude, which quickly got me laughing again with her. Gosh, maybe the disembodied ex was coming into my dreams to help us make that connection again for some reason. It didn’t take long for me to get on a plane to Phoenix to see my longlost Mister-Sister. The weekend was ��y with giggles and “I do that too!” and “I love that too!” comments. We were twins for sure. After moving back to California from the Hawaiian islands recently, I did what most people my age do. I found new docs just to make sure that I was fully operational. I was afraid of losing my hair, but it turned out that this wasn’t an issue, but there was another one in the form of two interesting looking formations (one that resembled a small triangular alien craft on my leg.) Gotta love extraterrestrial life forms. The doc wanted to destroy the ship before it amped itself up to warp speed or replicated. I had no clue that he wanted a good-sized chunk of the planet it landed on as well. I wonder why some things that we end up getting have names that sound Italian, like it’s almost normal to say , “I’ll order the eggplant parmigiana with a side of melanoma.” Yikes. Gumby and I were always kind of like the Bobbsey Twins, and now we were the Biopsy Twins. When I told her that, she laughed hysterically. “That is SOOO funny!” What wasn’t funny was how others reacted (or didn’t) to the news of the C-word. One of Gumby ’s friends told her that her condition was chronic, and at least she wasn’t dying. What? And one of mine told me that it didn’t sound like fun. Ya think? Others didn’t say a thing, glossing over it, or worse, not even noticing what was written or said to them, but went on and on about their jobs and all of the things they had to do that day, ad nauseam. Some minimized it or read off a list of all the “soand-so’s” who have the same thing. So if y ou don’t understand Italian, you might want to read about it. You won’t get any on you. Maybe say, “S#!@, I’m sorry.

You must be scared,” or “Is there anything I can do to help?” Honestly, knowing that everyone else has it too doesn’t help. Some get on a soapbox about our air, water, and food, but I’m feeling that it might be more important what comes out of our mouths (or doesn’t) at a time like this than what goes in it. A main course of empathy might be in order. So I might look a little like Frankenstein soon (ARRGGHHH!), but I’ve got a friend who gets it because she got it. Gumby is as irreverent as I am about all of this, and, I don’t know about you, but if I have a choice, I would rather (eventually) die laughing. ISI

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IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT • OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2017

Get Fit—and Stay Fit—for Hunting

By Holly Endersby Climbing a steep trail or wading through thick brush with a full pack and heavy �� is no walk in the park. But it doesn’t have to be excruciating, either. No matter what kind of hunting you do, getting in shape—and staying that way—is a must, especially as you get older. Being fit allows y ou to enjoy the scouting, tracking, and packing out that make hunting challenging and rewarding. But getting fit isn’t something that happens overnight. Like hunting itself, it takes commitment, time, and effort. As alway s, check with y our doctor or health professional before starting any physical ��m. Ed Elliott is the owner, and one of the professional certified personal trainers, at Rudy’s Gym in McCall, Idaho. Elliott is 70 years old but physically looks and acts years younger. He attributes this to life-long physical activity but more so to weight training. “You lose 5 percent of y our muscle mass every 10 years or so past 35 to age 50. From then on, it’s 1 percent a y ear,” he explained. “You may weigh the same as you did in high school or college, but unless y ou consistently weight train, your body composition has changed to a higher ratio of fat to lean muscle.” According to Elliott, a well-rounded physical �tness program includes cardiovascular exercise, which can be any thing from brisk walking outside to stair machines or tread mills. In addition, he recommended 30 minutes of weight training, three times a week. Elliott emphasizes compound moves when he coaches his clients, so they engage more of the large muscle groups than with a single muscle exercise, like a bicep curl. Having strong core muscles, for example, helps a person recover if they start to fall, so think of weight training as a safety measure as well. I am a 68-year-old hunter, and phy sical activity is essential to me. My morning begins

with 40 minutes of yoga, focusing on balance and strength poses, and exercises that activate my core muscles. I like front and side planks, because they engage my core muscles and are ��L Like most people my age, I have some chronic issues to contend with. Every day, I hike �� ils. One change I’ve made is walking with trekking poles. The poles keep my weight evenly balanced between both sides of my body and help my weaker leg, which has a permanent joint injury, to carry the same burden. I’ve had to adjust my hunting pack so that I can attach my �� to it, otherwise carrying a �� over my shoulder is awkward with the trekking poles. Once in the area I intend to hunt, I compress the poles and stow them in my pack for the hike out. Another change I’ve made is walking daily with a weighted backpack. A 10-pound bag of sugar ��y nicely in my pack and gives my shoulders enough of a workout that carry ing a hunting pack in the fall is easy . That and upper-body free weights with a simple weight bench machine help keep me in hunting shape. As a woman of Scandinavian descent, osteoporosis has raised its ugly head in me as well. Again, weight-bearing exercises help slow down this nasty development. Be sure to ask y our doctor what exercises y ou should and should not do. For example, on the advice of a phy sical therapist, I avoid movements that crunch my spine, like sit-ups, and substitute plank poses instead. Elliott noted that the biggest obstacle to older people getting in shape is their denial about how much exercise they really get. “They might say they are an avid hiker, but when y ou ask them how many times they ’ve hiked in the last three months, it might just be ��y times, ” he said. “It’s a critical psychological hurdle for most older people to just walk into

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a gy m. The majority of them have exercise equipment at home they don’t use.” The best way to get in shape for hunting is to incorporate moderate, prolonged cardio exercise with weight lifting and additional �� nce options, such as yoga. Sorry folks, there are just no shortcuts here. If y ou are sedentary and want to hike miles every day you hunt in the fall, you won’t be a happy camper when you have your elk or deer �� Research suggests it takes about 12 weeks to see moderate improvement in ��Don’t let that discourage you: rather, use it as motivation to get moving! “You didn’t gain weight and get out of shape overnight,” Elliott said. “And y ou won’t get ��overnight either. But by adding consistent weight training to your program, you will see some noticeable improvement within a month.” As y ou age, y ou can’t expect nature or a magic pill to take care of you. Your quality of life depends on making choices to keep moving. But we all accumulate injuries or conditions as we age; just don’t use them as excuses to not exercise. Cross training can help avoid muscle strain. If y ou ty pically use a bike, switch to a ski machine or stair climber a couple times a week. Or take a nice long walk. “If you have a shoulder injury, then focus on leg exercises until the shoulder heals,” Elliott recommended. “Or if y ou have a leg condition, focus on upper body and appropriate core exercises. Find options, not excuses, to continue to exercise when y ou are healing from an injury.” But it’s not just time in the gym or on home equipment that counts: it’s effort and intensity. Most people don’t work hard enough during their workouts, which is why a personal trainer is such a big help. An effective ��program will gradually and sy stematically challenge y our body . You may experience some minor discomfort as your muscles respond to the increasing energy demand, but prolonged or intense pain is not to be expected. If that happens, check in right away with both your doctor a��ch. A note to older folks: stay hy drated when exercising. Drink water before you feel thirsty, even in the winter and especially during your hunt. Be committed to an effective fitness program, and y our love of hunting will continue to motivate you to stay in shape … all year long! ISI

OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2017 • IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

HEALTH

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IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT • OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2017

Panhandle

L O C A L P E O P L E •L O C A L S T O R I E S • L O C A L F U N • L O C A L B U S I N E S S E S

A Wallace Welcome By Jeremy Watterson Town names throughout North Idaho’s Coeur d’Alene Mining District more often than not pay homage to the men (or in one case, donkey ) who first discovered the rich mineral lodes that made the communities destinations for generations of hard rock miners who followed in their boot tracks. A couple of these men never left the Silver Valley . Noah Kellogg, whose pack animal discovered what became the Bunker Hill and Sullivan Mines, or so the story goes, is buried in Kellogg’s Greenwood Cemetery. Bill Osburn is buried in the Elk’s section of Greenwood Cemetery in Spokane. Andrew Prichard is buried at nearby Murray, while George Murray and Jim Wardner’s �� resting places remain a mystery. Captain John Mullan is buried at Saint Mary’s Cemetery in Annapolis, Md., but monuments to his historic expedition through Idaho Territory in 1861 stand in remembrance along the military

road that bears his name, including one at the town of Mullan. Now, after a remarkable local effort, William Wallace has a proper monument in the town he founded in the form of his headstone. But Wallace isn’t buried in Wallace … Rewind 131 y ears to 1886, when Wallace bought the 80 acres of cedar�� swamplands that would eventually comprise the hub of

silver operations in North Idaho. Three y ears later, his land deeds were deemed unlawful. Walter Bourke, the man to whom Wallace’s tract scrip was initially issued, claimed he had lost the originals after selling them to Wallace. Bourke (no relation to Burke Canyon) requested replacement, which the Government Land Of� e in Washington D.C. granted, thus voiding Wallace’s scrip and, subsequently , all of Wallace’s land deals. Despite this query of ownership, Wallace continued to sell off parcels. After a tumultuous legal battle and a scramble of land grabs, William Wallace left Idaho in 1889. He eventually settled in Whittier, Calif., where he died in 1901 and lays buried to this day. Fast-forward 115 years and enter husbandand-wife historians Tony and Suzanne Bamonte. While researching a book on the 1883 Silver Valley gold rush, the pair discovered that the

cemetery Wallace was buried in had been turned into a city park in 1967, with well over 2,000 headstones removed in the process. With the help of Chuck King, a prominent Spokane historian, the headstone of William Wallace was located in a collection at nearby Acton, Calif.—like a one-ton needle in a haystack. A ��l player in the grand plan of welcoming Wallace back home, Jamie Baker was tasked with driving the carved gray granite marker the 1,300 miles from southern California to north Idaho. With the eternal monument of his adopted hometown’s namesake in the bed of a borrowed truck, Baker set out to return a bit of Wallace back to the town he had left under suspicion and turmoil. Along those many miles, Baker, along with King, hatched a scheme to honor Wallace, a decorated Civil War veteran, with the largest parade the town had seen since Teddy Roosevelt’s visit in 1903. On June 24, 2017, the inaugural Wallace Founder’s Day honored the homecoming with a parade replete with marching bands, Civil War re-enactors, motorcy cle escorts, military and police personnel, and other local dignitaries. An antique cannon shot kicked off the festive affair. A picnic and party on the grounds of the old Northern ��Depot culminated a rededication ceremony of Wallace’s headstone, which reads, “William R. Wallace / Died Nov. 16, 1901 / Aged 67 Years / A Native of Kentucky” After an impassioned effort many y ears in the making, this stone rests permanently along the banks of the South Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River in front of the splendid, Chateau style architecture of the NP Depot in the heart of a little silver boom town that time forgot. ISI

Coeur d’Alene’s Pickleball Ambassadors By Jack McNeel Pickleball has rapidly caught on throughout Kootenai County and particularly in Coeur d’Alene. It was unknown just a few years ago, but, like in much of the country , pickleball is exploding in popularity , especially with the senior population. John and Letha Rodriques are not only responsible for much of the tremendous growth of pickleball in the Coeur d’Alene area, they have helped spread that enthusiasm with trips across the country as well.

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OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2017 • IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT The couple moved to Coeur d’Alene in 2004. John recalled the first time he saw a game of pickleball. “I was in Mullan doing tile work around their pool and was up on scaffolding. Looking into the gym through Plexiglas, I saw kids playing this game. I said ‘what sort of stupid game is that ��y Things have changed dramatically since that �� introduction to the game. Letha commented, “After we’d played a couple of times, we were hooked!” That was about seven years ago. Letha soon was keeping email addresses of people in the area who liked to play . She was asked to be an Ambassador for the U.S.A. Pickleball Association (USAPA). This involves promoting the sport, teaching clinics, and essentially being the contact person for the organization. “I now have about 375 people on my email list,” she said. John noted that his wife is also the contact person for people who come from out of state, and she can advise them where they can play and what times the courts are open. They have also become two of the better players in Coeur d’Alene. Letha laughed as she said, “I don’t know about that.” John responded, “I would say we were best, but others have caught up, and some have passed us. The two strongest women in Coeur d’Alene are probably Letha and her partner, Selena Hoit. There are a lot of men who are strong players.” Letha’s list of 375 names represents not only Coeur d’Alene but people from such other towns as Post Falls, Rathdrum, Hayden, and Sandpoint. She guessed that approximately 200 would be from Coeur d’Alene alone. The local North Idaho Pickleball Association (NIPA) has a membership that now numbers 140. “Probably 60 percent are over 50, but we’re getting a lot of young people now,” said Letha. “The youngest we have is 14.” She added that most of the really top play ers come from a background in tennis. The size of the court adds to the attraction for seniors. John explained y ou can put four pickleball courts on one tennis court. That allows for a lot less running. “When y ou play doubles, each partner controls a 10-foot area. The whole court is 20 feet wide. From the net, back seven feet, is the no-volley zone, also called the kitchen, and a player cannot stand right at the net. Players volley ing back and forth are actually 14 feet apart or more.” “It’s a great social game,” Letha said. “That’s one of the biggest things. Almost anybody can play. It’s also one of the fastest growing sports,

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if not the fastest, in America. It’s also starting in a lot of other countries.” Coeur d’Alene hosted a tournament in midAugust, their third, which brought together 324 players for over 600 matches. Players entered from 17 states and two Canadian provinces. John served as tournament director—“a really cool experience for me,” he said. Following the tournament, they immediately began ��y meetings with plans for next year. The couple’s enthusiasm for pickleball has led them to take trips largely for the experience of seeing what other communities are doing. They have enjoyed newfound friendships across the country. Their trip this past summer took them across the continent. “Our trip lasted six weeks,” John explained. “We would play pickleball in the morning, drive four or �ve hours to the next city, and play that evening. We just did it over and over. We followed the USAPA route of places to play. We went to some little towns that had just one or two courts, but people were playing, all the way to New York.” “It’s like a big family ,” John exclaimed. “They welcome y ou. They challenge y ou. Every place we went they wanted us to play because we’re new blood. You get to a place where every body knows every body , and they say we’ve got to play them. We met some great people.” This trip also taught them something about Coeur d’Alene pickleball. “What came out of this was ‘wow,’ we really have good play ers in our area, we really do,” Letha commented. Both John and Letha teach, sometimes in one-on-one situations and sometimes in clinics with a number of players. Many times, they do this free of charge, or possibly in exchange for dinner. As enthusiasm and interest in pickleball has spread, so have the towns with pickleball courts. Numerous towns throughout Idaho, even some of the smaller communities, now have a court or two. Boise leads in sheer numbers of courts, but Coeur d’Alene would be higher on a per-capita basis with 30 courts within the city limits. Twin Falls added six new courts this year and have six more planned for the future. John say s Lewiston has some really nice courts. The list goes on.

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The rapid growth and need for more indoor courts is becoming evident in Coeur d’Alene. “This winter, we’re going to be packed, just packed,” John commented. The interest is growing so fast, we just don’t have enough—but we’re working on it.”ISI

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IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT • OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2017

Raptors - continued from cover said. “We have 18 eagles in total, which is about have a raptor education center with a wing maximum.” Some of those birds are being to rehabilitate injured wild birds of prey and rehabilitated for later release and others for use a second wing devoted to birds that are nonin educational work.” releasable and held for educational purposes. The other notewothy event was the early That’s similar to what her facility now does but August release of Veltcamp’s �� book, Beauty would be in a more populated area and thus more and the Beak. It’s the true accessible to the public. The story of a bald eagle shot dream of a new center is still by a poacher in Alaska alive, but outside financing in 2008. The bird’s top has not yet been available. beak was blown off by the “Everything we do here is shot. An Alaskan center self-funded through donations rescued her and named and grants. We get no state or her Beauty and held the federal support.” She quickly bird for a y ear in hopes noted that she wouldn’t be able the beak would grow back. to keep up with the expanding That didn’t happen, and work without the help of her the bird was scheduled to husband, Don, plus a network be euthanized. Veltcamp of volunteers. happened to be vacationing Two recent events in in Alaska at the time and Veltcamp’s life are particularly was allowed to bring noteworthy. Last fall, the Coeur the bird back to Idaho, d’Alene Indian Tribe received a where she assembled a permit from the U.S. Fish and ��” c team of herself, Wildlife Service to operate an an engineer, and a dentist. eagle aviary , the idea being They created a prosthetic that many eagles are injured beak for Beauty , using a in one way or another to the Since 1993, Veltkamp’s life has been 3D printer. extent they will never be able largely devoted to raptor rehab and Beauty still lives on to survive on their own. This educating others about the value of these Veltcamp’s property. “She tribal facility was designed to amazing birds. Photo by Jackie McNeel is 16 this y ear. She could keep them alive and healthy . conceivably live another When the birds molt their 35 years or so,” she said. “In captivity, eagles feathers, the tribe collects those feathers for and other raptors can double and triple their ceremonial use and also makes them available to life span when they ’re free from all other other tribes. mortality factors.” Tribal members brought in Veltcamp to help B eauty and the B eak has already received give instruction on how to properly care for these rave reviews. It is published by Persnickety birds. The tribe does Press, which is a sister imprint of Cornell Lab not y et have facilities of Ornithology . It’s aimed primarily at third to hold eagles, so, through sixth grades, but adults enjoy it too, in the interim, the and it contains additional content dealing with eagles are being held eagle biology, natural history, and conservation. at Veltcamp’s property “My intention was to write about one bald across the lake from eagle but focus on conservation of all eagles, tribal headquarters. including pointing out the risks they face from “The tribe has eight illegal shooting and lead poisoning, both of eagles here now,” she which are preventable,” said Veltcamp. The book was a collaboration with coauthor Deborah Lee Rose, an award-winning children’s author. “It’s turned out to be a great success in terms of conservation, educating youth about eagles, and national readership,” said Veltcamp. Asked to summarize the high points in her life, Veltcamp said, “Just doing my job, reintroducing raptors, and finding Don, the man of my dreams, at the age of 50. I’m approaching 62 and proud of my age,” she said. “It took me 62 years to get here, and I don’t know many women that age publishing their �� book and handling eagles in front of third graders.” ISI

OCTOBER // NOVEMBER 2017 • IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT

SOUTHWEST IDAHO

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Southwest Idaho

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Chasing Steelhead

By Holly Endersby If you are planning to ��y for steelhead this year on the Salmon, Snake, or Clearwater rivers, you’d best be up on your catch-and-release technique, because Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) has decided returns are so low, anglers may not harvest ��. According to Joe Dupont, Fisheries Manager for the Clearwater Region of IDFG, you would have to go all the way back over 40 years to find a steelhead count this low.

So why is this happening? Like many things, there’s not just one answer. This is the lowest count of hatchery steelhead since the Snake River dams have gone in, and clearly these large concrete structures have had an impact on both steelhead and salmon. While hatcheries were supposed to mitigate for the loss of wild steelhead, they have struggled over the years to replace what were once large numbers of native �sh. Wild �sh don’t congregate in huge numbers either as smolt or as returning spawners. In hatcheries, thousands of �sh are grouped together, and despite the best ��y practices, disease has a way of in�� rating these abnormal conditions, although that doesn’t seem the case this year. A big influence on smolt survival is the amount of water released from dams. The faster the ride, the better survival as juveniles can avoid predation from other ��y and birds because the higher flow makes it harder to see the smolts. But dams and hatcheries aren’t the full story. Ocean conditions are key to healthy returns, and, according to Dupont, “steelies just disappear mid-ocean, and we really don’t know what goes on then.” Dupont cites food availability in ocean waters, temperature, and, of course, predation as all having an impact on the number of steelhead returning to Idaho. Our state has plenty of great habitat for spawning and rearing of smolts, but if the � h can’t get back from the ocean, all the habitat in the world doesn’t matter. Unlike salmon, steelhead, which are ocean-going rainbow trout, can spawn multiple years. Most hatchery steelhead return to Idaho to spawn after a year in the ocean, and these fish typically run

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around 8 to 11 pounds but can go a bit heavier. Fish that stay in the ocean multiple years before returning to spawn are usually larger and can be over 20 pounds. Two runs of steelhead come to Idaho. A-run ��y typically are found in the Snake and Salmon

rivers early in the season and run 4 to 6 pounds. B-run ��y return to the Clearwater and Salmon rivers after at least two years spent in salt water: ��y Occasionally, ��y spend three years in the ocean, and these steelhead can weigh upward of 20 pounds. The largest Idaho steelhead was caught in 1973 in the Clearwater River and weighed in at 30 pounds, 2 ounces. The current catch-and-release regulations apply to the A-run ��but Dupont said the B run isn’t expected to be much better. The great thing about steelhead ��is the length of the season, especially during a good run. According to IDFG, the Clearwater River has good fishing from August to December, the Snake is often best September and October, and the Salmon River doesn’t really start to see steelhead until October. Late winter and very early spring can offer good �� upriver from Salmon, Idaho and in the Little Salmon River near Riggins and the South Fork of the Clearwater. I’ve spent time in February near Salmon, chasing steelhead in snow showers with ice coating the edges of the river and my �� line, and I still did

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where you ��y this year, given the low return , proper catch-and-release techniques are critical. Gary Lane, owner of Wapiti River Guides in Riggins, is adamant about releasing �sh with the least amount of trauma possible. “Research shows having a ��y out of water for more than 12 seconds increases mortality, so we almost always release ��y while they are in the net,” he explained. “Anglers can lean over the side of the boat and remove a single, barbless hook fairly easily,” Lane said. “Try to keep from touching the ��y as much as you can in order to retain the slime on the body. If you want a photo, lean over the boat and take one with the ��y in the water in the net ,” he added. “The integrity of our wild ��y run is key, so if you get one, handle it carefully!” So there you have it, anglers. While steelhead season will be different this year, you know that even the worst day of ��has got to be better than sitting inside! ISI

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well. On a sunny day, my husband and I have been known to put the boat in near Riggins and enjoy ��in December when there’s not enough snow on the mountains to ski. February through April you will �nd avid steelhead anglers plying the waters of the Little Salmon River in the narrow canyon between New Meadows and Riggins. The fish have a tendency to pile up below the falls at the head of the canyon, and veterans as well as beginners have a good chance of getting into steelies there. “February and March on the South Fork of the Clearwater can really be fun,” said Dave Cadwallader, retired Regional Director of IDFG in Lewiston. “There have been days when we’ve ��y Cadwallader also understands the reasoning behind a no-harvest season versus shutting the ��down completely. “If people can’t ��they lose engagement and concern for the ��over time, so having a catch-and-release season makes certain sense, despite the issue of mortality.” Avid angler Bob Mirasole said he’s had luck by the town bridge in ��on the Clearwater as well as on water near Lenore. He said ��” ng can be good on the North Fork of the Clearwater below Dworshak Dam and by the bridge near Peck. Typically, Mirasole ��decent fishing for steelhead at the ��yof the Snake and Clearwater, just outside Lewiston. Bur no matter

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Comic Books Still Thrill Collector Jaimz Lucero By Dianna Troyer

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