De Jai Vu

We found the subdivision – the steep, unpaved dirt road, lots of containers (former ocean going types) a trailer or 5th wheel on every occupied lot. There were several nice homes, several steel “pole barns” for sheltering the RV and securing the tools and toys, several loaders, at one lot a road grader!! All this despite the strict CC&Rs – residential, no businesses, complete your HOME within a year and RV is OK. Pretty standard for residential CC&Rs.

By process of elimination, since the FOR SALE sign was “missing,” we saw a two wheel track up the side of a ravine to the apparent flattened place. Yes, it had a provided water system, electricity and septic on nearly 2 acres. But Tom would NOT have considered the price of $275K; maybe $225K IF the access road had been paved, he said! 

 Fifty years ago, we were the “driveway cutters: we had “Daisy the Backhoe!” We bought the THREE acres, drilled a well, designed a dual septic/water saving system, built a BRICK garage with curved corners to match the “proposed house.” We made plans; we were in control! God laughed and offered “greener pastures.” We moved our three kids and Elke dog across the country for THE JOB. 

We visited the area in Colorado several years ago, having sold the property thirty years ago. We saw what happened when CC&Rs were NOT enforced, roads were NOT maintained, promises were NOT kept. 

When we found Strawberry in the Central Sierras surrounded by National Forest and only five miles from the Emigrant Wilderness, we were forever HOME! It too had a private water system so the lots could be a quarter acre rather than the one to three acres in the subdivision we “found” here in Idaho! What happened in the nearly 80 years since that California Mountain Subdivision? The little cabins used a couple of weeks a summer became Retirement Homes to the subsequent generation, or worse RENTALS – VRBO or HOMEAWAY! The strain on those water systems, the individual septic systems, the dated electrical systems became substantial. I don’t know how many times I explained that hair driers and microwave, let alone cell phones, had NOT been invented when those cabins were built in the 50’s. 

And like Strawberry, not all cell phones work in this part of IDAHO!! The same community “problems” – lack of respect for THE LOCALS, unruly dogs and kids, noise, and DUST will come quickly to this subdivision in lovely Rural Idaho! Everything that the city dwellers are attempting to get away from will follow them to the hills and valleys, including BIG BOX Stores and a hospital/Medical Center. De Jai vu!  Humans never learn when ENOUGH is ENOUGH!! Nor do they learn from the mistakes made by their elders; we are NOW the ELDERS! Too old for a DO OVER!! 

ON THE ROAD AGAIN!! Will continue to be OUR MOTTO!