My home town Twin Falls, Idaho

My good friend Pat sent me some devastating flood pictures of her home town yesterday. Hobart, IN. It's bad up there y'all. It seems we need to keep every direction of this country in our prayers ~ directionally and metaphorically speaking.

Hobart, IN got me thinking of Twin Falls, Idaho. It's a beautiful little town I grew up in in Southern Idaho.

I googled some pictures to share with the Crumb Snatchers in the morning and then realized by sharing them with y'all, my bloggy friends, you might get some insight into me as well. Or not.We'll see.

"Remember when Evel Knievel attempted to jump the Snake River," is how Big Shooter and I explain where we are from to people our age or older. "Well, we both watched it." He watched from the canyon's edge with his Dad and the other bridge workers and I watched from the roof of my Grandpa Bozo & Granny Grunt's camper roof parked not too far from the canyon's rim. The dirt ramp is still there today over 30 years later.

This is the Perrine Bridge that stretches over the Snake River 500+ feet below. You can walk across it. I did once. I think that's why I am afraid of heights now. It shook, vibrated and you could see through it in places. Scary.

Now people BASE jump off it. To get a feel for how high and big it is, look very closely and you'll see the light posts that line the bridge. To this day, I hold my breath when I cross a bridge.
Remember when the barge hit the bridge here in Oklahoma and all the cars and trucks plunged into the river? That was the bridge we crossed each weekend to get to our camping ground. For two years I couldn't let Big Shooter drive that way. He had to drive an hour further to get us to our weekend camping spot because if I thought he was headed towards the bridge I would start to shake and tear up. I had frequent nightmares of driving my family off a bridge or watching helplessly as others did. I am a little better now. At least I can open my eyes when we cross a bridge. (The answer to your question before you even ask is: When I'm driving I force myself to breath and I have tunnel vision of the other side. I say, "Uh, huh. Wow," to the Crumbs when they exclaim about things they see over the sides.

There are falls like this one all along the canyon walls. This one happens to be by a main road that leads down into the canyon so it gets lots of photo ops.

Every kid from Twin has fond memories of the Western Days Parades. They are exactly what you think of when you picture small town parades. Flags, old cars, old farm equipment, beauty queens, rodeo queens, decorated bikes, clowns, politicians shaking hands and kissin' babies...

Patriotism at its purest.
No other reason than plain ole Love My Country So I'm Gonna Carry Her Flag in the Western Days Parade.

Love it.

Why the produce? Southern Idaho has some of the world's most fertile and best soil on the planet. It is a rich combination of clay, sand, and volcanic material. It can grow just about anything in it. It's the weather that dictates what can and cannot.
I loved this pic because my only claim to fame is not really even my own, but my paternal granddaddy's. He was the Idaho State Horticulturist for a number of years. (If that title is wrong, rest assured my Dad will provide the correction in the comments. wink. wink.) He had a particular interest/hobby of "inventing" different varieties and kinds of produce. He had several pattens on walnut trees, melons, flowers, etc. The last one expired a few years back. But, if you ever see a Santa Claus melon in the grocery store you can think of me. I named it. My grandfather developed/invented/produced what ever you want to call it a melon that is a cross between a cantaloupe and a honey dew. Kind of like Casaba melon. The catch is, he wanted it to be able to last into the late fall or even Christmas in a dark, dry store room so people could eat it around the holidays. Hence, the name Santa Claus melon. Only I really called it the Santy Claus melon.

This would be a view from the top of the canyon right next to the bridge. It is most likely early fall because the girl is dressed for warm weather and it is starting to turn brown. See how flat it is on the plateaus? It is a huge valley surrounded by mountains. Perfect farming area. That's why it's called the Magic Valley area.

Our other natural claim to fame is the Shoshone Falls.

It's called the Niagara of the West.
Higher than Niagara, not as wide.

So loud and thunderous, you can hear and feel it rumble and shake the earth from far away. (Y'all know FIL from the comments? That's Big Shooter's Daddy-O. He built all the overlooks along the canyon rim. He's pritty darn talented with a hunk metal. You know the book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie? Well, give FIL a hunk o'steel and he can build a empire...)

These pictures are taken in the spring because the people are dressed in warmer weather clothing and The Falls is at full capacity from the spring thaw up river.

I think every child should have memories of the City Park.
Every kid I knew growing up had at one time or other climbed up on this stage to perform his or her Concert of a Lifetime.
Each summer they still gather in the park for Band Nights.
Sigh.

One of the golf courses I learned to golf on with Big Shooter's momma and later worked at down in the canyon.

This could have been a picture of my best friend Sheila and her Daddy fly fishin'. I preferred to fish from the bank. (I have a water issue too...)

Big Shooter and I spent many a day and evenings doing just this while we were dating. If we still lived there, I am sure I'd have many pictures just like this one. Just with my own Crumbs and the Love of My Life instead of strangers...well, actually I probably know them...it's a pretty small town.

Where are you from? Where are you now? Will you ever move back? Do you want to move back? Just wonderin'.

Love Note to My Big Shooter: Sigh. So long ago. Do you ever want to move back? What an idyllic childhood we both lead and were so unaware of...sigh again.