The mural at the Magic Valley Airport continues to grow | KMVT | Twin Falls, ID News, Weather and Sports | Video

The mural at the Magic Valley Airport continues to grow KMVT Twin Falls, ID News, Weather and Sports Video

Here is a video interview with Gary Stone from earlier this year describing his creation of the Veterans Mural.

A Relationship Ends....

Christmas can be a sad enough time when you don't have family and old friends, or loved ones around, but it is doubly difficult when a special relationship comes to a close on THAT day.

Before Sylvia left for Canada a couple weeks ago to take care of her mother, she had been having feelings that perhaps our partnership was not going to last, that her anxiety over money was having an adverse affect on her feelings towards me and our potential for marriage. She had been having "negative spiritual impressions" about our relationship, and was praying for an answer about "us". ... Alas, she got her answer, and it was a firm negative about marriage to me.

Sad thing is, I had also been praying that I would receive confirmation about us, and had been "wrestling" with God about the same issue. I would ask for an answer, and become distressed, and then feel that perhaps it just was not right for us to be a couple... although I did not like that answer, when Sylvia and I spoke on the phone on Christmas night, we both knew that it was the proper conclusion....but a very sad one none the less....

So, here I am in Twin Falls, in my house, watching her dog, with her clothes and things here, awaiting her return so she can pack up (again) and move somewhere else, so she can start her temp Hygientist job in mid January... what a wierd way to break up!

Oh well... life goes on, and I do KNOW that the Lord has a plan, just gotta follow His Will....

Thanks for tuning in... more hopefully uplifting stories coming your way soon!

Merry Christmas Eve to all...

It was a fun and interesting day today ....although somewhat lonely, as my girlfriend Sylvia is in Cardston Alberta with her mom... but we did talk a couple of times and are anxious to see each other again when she returns January 4th... that will be interesting, as one of us needs to move our things out* of the home I rented .. but we have not solidified who is moving, or where the chosen one is going!


*Being LDS, we "covenant" not to live together until marriage, so until we get those plans solidified, we will live separately....

And my dear sweet daughter Keely called from Saginaw Michigan, where she is enjoying the holiday with her mom, and grandparents, and hoping Kyle makes it there safely after getting off work late tonight and driving from Baltimore... be careful boy, heard there were snowstorms in the Midwest..

Here in Idaho it was a beautiful sunny day, temps in the 20's, but in the Canyon, standing in the sun, it felt like 50 wonderful degrees. I went down there with Gary Stone and his friend Gary Harris to feed his horses (see the photo of Licorice and Liberty and the canyon below), and pick some Sage, after listening to some funny stories from their youth.

They were so entertaining, that Bev left the room following breakfast, after asking a bunch of questions, to go write a story. The gist of it was about Gary getting a "wild" horse for Christmas when he was about 8 years old. Gary Harris lived just a couple of doors down, and that morning came out to see what all the fuss was about, and it was Gary's dad delivering the horse. I will let Bev, the professional writer tell the story, and will put it out on the web for all to enjoy.

Suffice it to say, we were in stitches listening to the Gary's tell stories about that wild horse, that they rode all over Burley from the time they were 8, until Gary moved to Twin Falls in 7th grade. The horse was so wild, it took both of the boys yanking on the reins to get it to slow down and stop....one story about them running full speed into a tractor trailer on the Burley highway was enough for a chapter in the Stones Biography (or Screenplay!) that I promise I am going to write someday!

If it were a scene in a movie it would have everyone doubled over in laughter! Hilarious!

Upon speaking with Syl, she said she also had a kind of a "nostalgic" morning too, as she and her mom looked at old photos, and talked about the people in the photos, and her family history.

Being Christmas Eve, its a little sad being alone (except for Syl's dog Mindi the Bichon, my little companion), and listening to all that sweet Holiday music triggers memories of family gatherings, and "home"from both my youth in Trenton, and when raising our kids in Battle Creek Michigan.

But, Idaho truly is my new "home", as I KNOW that I was led here by inspiration from above, and I am greatful to be here, and thankful for my friends, especially Bev and Gary Stone, who are having me over for their family Christmas Dinner.

Aside from that, life feels good, and I hope and pray for all of my family and friends that they will be impressed to remember the REAL reason for the Holiday, and that is the birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ, Heavenly Father's son, who lives and loves all of us! May God Bless all of you now, and throughout the coming year.... your friend, Bill

"Stones would play, inside my head"...remember the Neil Diamond song?

Ever had one of those nights when a million things are running through your head, and you just had to get up and write things down? Well, its 2am in Twin Falls Idaho, and my brain is jumping with things to say, so here we go...

This seems to be the norm, since I moved out here to Idaho in early October, and met Bev and Gary Stone. Bev has named me the "whirling dervish", cause it seems like I am constantly spinning around spouting ideas that come to me as they tell me more of their life story...

These 2 amazing people were "celebrities" of sorts, not just here in the Magic Valley, but throughout Idaho.... and the Pacific Northwest.... and in Washington DC... and even in China!

Did you know that Gary's Mural at the Magic Valley Airport in Twin Falls was featured as the backdrop for the Chinese National Television DAILY broadcasts back in the year 2000?

Yep.... it was, and there is an interesting story behind how that happened.... more later....

And did you know that Bruce Willis and Demi Moore (when they were still together), knew the Stones? and that Bruce owns Soldier Mountain ski resort north of Twin Falls?

And that the Amazing Kreskin (oldtimers will remember him from Johnny Carsons Tonight show) at his show in Jackpot Nevada, said that someone in the audience had "powers" like him, and he picked Bev out of the crowd! She was there to cover his show for the local newspaper, and met him after the show, and according to Gary, they communicated with hardly saying a word to each other.... the Amazing One still sends the Stones a Christmas card each year.

Speaking of Amazing.... someone DID start to write a book about their incredible life adventures over 25 years ago, and spent a couple of weeks with them taking notes, went to Vegas to cover the very 1st World Series of Poker for a periodical, stepped off a curb and got hit by a car and killed! I sure hope that doesnt spell bad Karma for me, as after spending the past 2 months with Bev and Gary, I KNOW that I could write a book!

But life has changed a ton since the early 1990's when they were at the "pinnacle" of their "fame" so to speak, following the publication of their book, "Stone by Stone on the Oregon Trail". At that time, Gary's paintings that were the basis for the book, were placed on display in the Senate Rotunda in Washington DC... he was the ONLY LIVING ARTIST to have been given that honor!

Since then, the Internet has taken over as THE means for transmitting information and the Stones "gathered some moss" so to speak, as they never got onto the Information Highway. They did try, and had a website for awhile, but in their words, they "got ripped off" by some "shady characters" who took a lot of their money and ran.

The more I hear about their "affairs" and learn that they have not been paid for much of their work on their Oregon Trail books, the Historical centers they have helped create, and other projects that they have created, the more determined I am to help them!

You dear readers, will be amazed at the things I have discovered about Bev and Gary Stone. They were once called "living treasures" by the Governor and other leaders here in Idaho, because of their wealth of knowledge about the History of the Pioneers who traveled west and settled this wilderness just over 100 years ago. And the things they have found in the Canyon!

Bev and Gary own land in the lower Snake River Canyon, of which Gary is fond of saying, is less known about than the Mayan Culture! After all, it has only been settled for just over 150 years by white man, but there is an incredible history (and artifacts to prove it) that certainly pre dates those settlers.

And that is another story in and of itself, which we are being cautious about telling, as Gary firmly believes that it is his responsibility to protect and preserve the land where the Ancient Americans lived hundreds of years ago, and also where the Chinese mined for gold not that long ago.... all of which we intend to "show the world" at some point... more on that later too!

So, if you have read this far, you still know only the tip of the Stones "iceberg".. if I were a movie producer, I would want to make a movie of their life story; somebody would need to write the screenplay... i could help outline it, but it would still take me months just to do that...

but I will try to convey to you in future stories, the scope of their work as Writers, Artists, Historians, Story tellers, Ranchers, Inventors, Tourism promoters, Guides, Cowboys, Courtroom lawyers, Rights advocates, and just plain good ole' folk!

There is plenty more to tell... they had a 10 year legal battle with Idaho Power over the Canyon, and access rights, etc.... How about the Murder trial where Bev defended her cousin? Gary has inventions he is working on for natural shelters, and wind turbines.... and he continues to win awards for his work on the Veterans Mural at the Airport. And people over in China want to buy his amazing Woodcut art of Western Scenes... he has been cranking out scenes of Wild Horses painted on Saw Blades... it is truly amazing and beautiful artwork!

Please tell your friends about Bev and Gary Stone, and invite them to visit our website (http://www.stonebystoneenterprises.com/) , which will be updated after the Holidays to show more of Gary's Art and also how to find Bev's wonderful and entertaining short stories on Amazon (another project I am working on).....

Until then, thanks for tuning in, and helping me to tell the world (again!) about Bev and Gary Stone and their accomplishments! Your friend... Billy Bob Knopp

Back Home in Idaho with Bev & Gary Stone

Whew... after a 26 hour drive back to Michigan with my buddy Mel on Thanksgiving and Friday, a short 12 hour visit with my kids Keely & Kyle and a nice Holiday dinner with my sisters and their families on Saturday, and a return trip of 27 hours to Utah, + 3 more to Idaho, I am finally back home in Kimberly, semi-moved in to "our" house with Sylvia!

And I am back to work promoting the literary and artistic works of Bev & Gary Stone, seen here at Norms Diner in Twin Falls. We have so much to share with the world, including Bev's "Secret of Santa Claus" and "Santa + Martha" books, her wonderfully entertaining short stories, and her interesting perspective on Pacific Northwest History. Gary continues to create his unique "Wood cut Art", paints on his Twin Falls mural at the airport, and his new Idaho Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan Mural, and always has other artistic creations in the work.

In addition, we are close to launching their "Stone by Stone" TV show in January, which will be a "Discovery" type show that features the many interesting facets of their life time journeys.

And we are promoting their works at a special Benefit Event on Thursday December 17th at the Twin Falls Airport.... whew! So much to do, so little time....

Please visit us at: www.stonebystoneenterprises.com Thanks, Bill

Happy Thanksgiving...Return to Michigan!

Hello Everyone and Happy Thanksgiving!

It's been awhile since I posted new stories about my "journey" to Idaho, and that is mostly because it has been a wild and crazy 7 weeks here... We are SO close to unveiling our website, which has been a huge project, but I have a real pro, Rob Ricks, working diligently on it.

And, I finally moved out of the Olsens home yesterday, so I am trying to get setup in my new home office, and as you can imagine, it has taken awhile to get all the "Techie" things straightened out. And, since i sold all my worldly possessions a couple months ago, it is a very simple and "spartan" place...i bought a pan last night so i could fry up some eggs this morning, which i did by mixing them with a plastic knife, and eating on paper plates with a plastic fork.. so glad I had those utensils in a bag I brought from Michigan!

I am driving to Ogden to see Sylvia... more on her and I a little later, and my buddie Mel is going with me on the trip, so he can visit his daughters... we have all ready discussed watching that he puts the bottle tops back on while we drive!

Here's hoping that all of you have a great Thanksgiving weekend and remember always to Thank our Heavenly Father for all the wonderful blessings we enjoy, especially our freedom!

God Bless and visit often! Bill

On to Idaho...now what?

As I drove north to Idaho in early October, both my heart and mind were racing, with thoughts of Sylvia, and questions to my Father in Heaven…. what am I supposed to do in Idaho? How am I going to build a tourism business? Should I work for myself, or someone else, and Who then? And how does this new found love interest play into all of this? But I have learned one thing over the past few years, and that again is, that Faith proceeds the Miracle. By exercising complete faith in the Lord’s plan, and turning all things over to Him, and following His will, not my own, that amazing things will happen. So, I relaxed, and just Let God work his miracles, and don’t you just know it, He did!

I KNEW from my experience in August as I sat in the Salt Lake Temple, that I was meant to be in Idaho. So, I sold most of my worldly possessions, and moved here, completely on faith. I also knew that if I kept my eyes and heart open, I would see and feel miracles.

My interview with Michael Collins, the manager of Canyon Crest was a pleasant one, and we agreed there might be some possibility of working together, but I was not sure that this was the answer for me. My next stop was to the LDS Employment Services office, which just happens to be managed by Josh Olsen’s parents, who are on a volunteer “Service Mission” there for the church. It was nice to see them again, after meeting them in 1996 when I drove Becky to Idaho from Michigan. And they were very helpful, inviting me to attend a Job Workshop which just happened to be scheduled for that very evening.

The seminar was led by former professional HR personnel, and business owners, and one of the key components was developing your “30 second commercial” or some call it your “elevator” statement , as it is how you describe “who you are” in a brief description. I came up with mine, which is-“I have over 30 years experience in soliciting and hosting group events in hotels and resorts, where my knowledge and enthusiasm in promoting my products and services resulted in building successful sales teams and profitable operations. My strength is in creating collaborations both within the organization, and in partnering with outside entities, for the benefit of all. My Vision is to create a synergistic organization which will bring thousands of visitors to the Twin Falls area”

Little did I know that the next day I would have the opportunity to use it for the first time, and it would take me on a course that would change my life, and lead me on a new and exciting step on the journey..

The "Chance Encounter"...

Waking up in this part of Idaho, is quite a bit different than Northern Michigan, as it is quite flat, with sagebrush as far as the eye can see, but the most impressive view from my backyard window, is the Snake River Canyon, just a hundred yards away. I was anxious to start making things happen, and was making some phone calls, when I needed to run out to my car to get some notes I left there.

Becky was in the driveway talking to a friend in a truck, when she called to me that I needed to meet someone, who turned out to be Gary Stone, the man who had sold them the land their house was on (which I might add, is smack dab along the original Oregon Trail!). Gary had stopped by, because it “just so happened” ,(coincidence?) that Gary’s horses, Licorice and Liberty, had figured out a way to open the new gate Gary had just installed, and had moseyed on over about ½ mile to “visit” the Olsens horses. Josh had found them that morning, corralled them, called Gary and went on his way to work.

She had told me on my previous visit a little about Gary, so I was interested in meeting him, and I was happily surprised to do so at that moment. When Gary said to me, “so what do you do?”, it "struck me" to tell him my 30 second commercial I had written the night before, and had been practicing that morning, so I gave him my little speech.

Gary smiled at me and said, “I’ve been looking for someone like you for 20 years”, asked me what I was doing right then, and told me to jump in his truck for a ride over to his place… and this became the start of a friendship, and business partnership….and the rest, as they say, is History.....which you will soon learn about!

A Fond Farewell to Utah

Now its Tuesday (October 6), and it is crunch time for me to hit the road for a 3 hour drive to Kimberly Idaho, and to move in with the Olsens, prior to that first job “interview” on Wednesday morning.

If you knew anything about my friend Dax, you would agree that he is one of the kindest, most willing to serve, human beings ever, and he proved it again, by volunteering to take Mel in his truck to Provo, so he could stay a couple days with his friend Hannah, and look for a more permanent place, and for a job. We said our goodbyes, I wished Mel luck, and told him I would keep in touch, and away they went.

This allowed me to pack up my car, again, with all my worldly possessions, and hit the road to Idaho…after what was supposed to be a “brief” stop to say goodbye to Sylvia, at her cousins place in Ogden. It didn’t turn out quite as “brief” as expected, as we met downtown for lunch, picked up talking where we had left off on Sunday, then continued the conversation in her cousins kitchen a few hours later.

As I was telling her a story about my Dad, and how he used to dance with my mother in our kitchen, she suddenly stopped me, and said that she had just had a “slap on the head”, a lightning bolt of an "impression", that completely changed her mind about me; that spoke to her heart and said that “maybe there is something here with this guy”.

Up until that time, she figured, as I had, that she would come out west, enjoy the LDS Singles scene, check out all the prospective dating partners over the next few months and see where things led. Being a Latter Day Saint Single, limits the “dating pool” if you plan to date only those of your faith, and in Michigan that “pool” seems to be just a very small pond.

However, in Utah, and Idaho, there are thousands of singles of our faith, so by moving out here, our “prospects” had just increased by a huge percentage..... So why limit our choices?

We have both learned over the years, much about "spiritual discernment" and how to recognize the impressions of the Holy Spirit, when it speaks to our hearts and minds. Considering the impression I received on Sunday, and the one she was now feeling, we determined that we both needed to ponder and pray specifically about these feelings and impressions, to determine "exactly" what we were to conclude from them.

We decided to talk on the phone each night over the next week, while I was in Idaho, and she was up in Cardston Alberta, visiting her mother. That way we could get to know one another better, and determine where this relationship was going.

So off I went to Kimberly, Idaho, and the next step on my journey!

On the Road Again....

Monday dawned with total uncertainty as to where Mel was going to go. If you recall, he ended up coming with me to Ogden, to stay with me at Dax’ house in their son Kalebs room, where we were sleeping on a couple of twin mattresses. Mel had made some phone calls to old friends in Utah, but as of yet, none had offered him a solid place to land, while he looked for a job in the Provo area, where he felt he should go.

The latest plan was for me to take Mel to Provo, so I could leave for Kimberly Idaho later that day, to settle in at Josh and Becky’s, and prepare for my meeting on Wednesday with the manager of the Canyon Creek Conference Center. At that interview, I planned to propose assisting them with bringing group business to their facility, similiar to what I have done for over 30 years in the Hotel biz. I was anxious to get started in seeking work, and find out exactly where the Lord wanted me to go. I had faith that He would show me, but also understood that it is up to me to do my part too.... I know that Faith proceeds the Miracle, but it involves effort too!

I packed up my car with Mel’s stuff, including his newly repaired bicycle, (which I had had fixed at a local bike shop, figuring he had to have some kind of transportation other than walking) on the back of my car, and drove to Provo, with the intention of dropping him at a prospective apartment, or with friends, or at a hotel; anywhere that would allow us to split up and continue our separate journeys. I expressed my concern to Mel about where he thought he should go, but he never panicked, but was certain things would work out for him... he is a man of great faith!

However, I guess the Lord had other plans once again. The apartment Mel had expected to rent that day, fell through, and by 5pm, we were heading back to Ogden for another (final?) night with Dax and his family. Looking back, I realize now that had I not brought Mel back, I would not have had time with Sylvia the next day, which proved critical in the advance of our relationship.

Super Saturday & Sunday in SLC

One of the main reasons Mel and I timed our trip as we did, was to attend the LDS Church Conference, which I had secured tickets for prior, from the Traverse City District Secretary.. good thing, as it is near impossible to get tickets in Utah, and hundreds of people stand in line for hours to wait for the unused seats, which are released 30 minutes prior to each session, beginning at 10am and 2pm on both Saturday and Sunday.

I was fortunate to get tickets for the opening session on Saturday and the closing session on Sunday, and the Priesthood (Men only) session on Saturday night. Prior to the trip, I had asked Klixi to go with me on Saturday, since she was leaving Sunday to go home, and promised Mel I would take him with me to the evening Session.

Another Mormon “Singles” tradition is a huge “Dees Dance” on Saturday night, where the Ladies dress to the "nines", since the "eligible" men come dressed up in their white shirts and ties after attending the sacred meeting.

Mel and I met up with Klixi again, and drove to the site of the dance, hosted at a nicely decorated Banquet hall, featuring a scrumptious buffet, and a professional DJ, with strobe lights and the whole works. It was quite a contrast to the more laid back dance from the night prior, including the age group and attire of the attendees.

Sylvia met us at the dance, and she looked great, and I was "smitten" by her good looks, and fun personality. We had fun dancing, eating and talking, and getting to know one another better, and I was hoping she was as attracted to me, as I was to her. Although I knew I was heading off to Idaho in a few days, and had not planned to start a "relationship", I wanted to spend more time with her, so I invited her to attend conference with me the next day, and she generously accepted.

In the meantime, Klixi was tearing up the dance floor with different guys, and Mel got into it too, and made a new friend named Hannah. We all had a blast, and on the way home, it was apparent by her comments that Klixi was watching Sylvia and I, as she mentioned how it appeared there was some “chemistry” between Sylvia and I... I was certainly hoping it was true!

Waking up Sunday morning, I had a small dilemma, as I had planned to go to Dax’ mom’s home for a gathering of her friends to watch the morning session of conference, then meet Sylvia for the afternoon session. But what to do with my buddy Mel, who was staying with me at Dax’ house, with no vehicle, and no plan?

However, Mel was fine with me leaving him there, and as it turned out, his new friend Hannah (from Saturday nights dance), came by to see him, and they even had dinner with Dax and his wonderful family…. while I spent the day with Sylvia at the Conference being spiritually fed, and gettting to know her even better!

At one point, in the middle of the session, I can't remember exactly when, I felt a calming spiritually feeling that impressed upon me that I was exactly where I needed to be at that moment...sitting next to the person the Lord had led me to be with....that he had prepared me to be worthy for, and to be with the rest of my life.....what a sweet spirit I felt at that moment, as the feeling came over me and spoke to my heart and said…”here she is, I brought you two together, now its up to you”.

If you have ever had a feeling like that, it is hard to deny...however, the "natural" man in all of us, begins to question whether it was real, or just our imagination, or doubt the validity of that impression... but I cannot deny that it happened, and I looked over to Sylvia and thought to myself...."Okay, but what if she has other thoughts or plans?"

My feelings the remainder of the conference were sweet and tender, especially towards Sylvia, whom I now believed was a special gift from my Heavenly Father, and I certainly hoped she would come to feel the same way.

Following the conference, we walked over to the Visitor Center, and as we sat on the 2nd floor, near the statue of Christ, a woman came over to us, and as Sylvia bent down and looked in her purse, she said "do you mind if I sit here... Sylvia?"

It was Sister Crites and her family, a dear friend who had moved 2 years ago to California from Holland Michigan. What a joyous reunion it was, as Sylvia reminisced how she used to have the young girls over for “dress up” parties where they wore her furs and collection of shoes. The photo above is of their family at the Visitor Center, before they hopped in the car for their 12 hour journey home.

After a nice visit with them, we drove back to her car in South Jordan, and sat and talked for quite awhile about our personal journeys, and how we both were led by the spirit to move out west. At one point, we shared our first kiss, and it felt “electric”, and we had to stop the momentum, in fear of it leading to places neither of us wished to go... (being mindful of our temple covenants!).

There certainly WAS some "chemistry" between us, so before we left that night, we promised to meet the next day, before I headed off to Idaho, and she to Canada to visit her mom later that week.....which turned out to be quite an "enlightening" journey for both of us!

Friday Night Fun in Utah!

Both Mel and I were so excited to finally be in Utah, even if he didn’t have a place to live, a car, or a job! We were BOTH jobless and homeless!

Our plan was to go to our first LDS Singles Dance that night at one of the area church buildings. One of the most noticeable things about Utah is that there seems to be an LDS church on every corner, kind of like seeing Walgreens, Rite Aid and other Drug stores in Michigan! That sure makes the drives on Sunday mornings a lot shorter, compared to when i had to drive 30+ minutes to Charlevoix each week.

We had heard about the dance through my friend Klixi, from Grand Blanc MI, and who was in Salt Lake for the birth of her daughter Megan’s baby just the week prior. Klixi and I had dated for about a year since March 2008, and remained close friends, and still enjoyed going out together, especially to church singles events. Just the week before, I had also invited Sylvia, whom I had not yet met, to join us for the dance.

It’s a tradition in Mormon country that BYU always plays on the Friday night prior to conference (probably so those fans will pay attention and watch the Church Conference and not football on Saturday!). So we made plans to meet at Lumpy’s Sports Bar to watch the game and eat before the dance.

After an hour spent unloading my roof carrier, the trunk, and the inside of the car of all my and Mel’s worldly possessions into Dax’ garage, we headed out to pick up Klixi, and find Lumpy’s. It wasn’t an easy task, as Lumpy's sports bar was tucked behind a couple of other buildings. I suspected this was a result of the days when “private clubs” were the only way non church members could get a drink in public in Salt Lake City, keeping these undesirable places hidden from view as much as possible. Klixi, Mel and I found a table in the back, near the TV, and set down to look over the menus.

Bummer alert... the Detroit Tiger game had just ended and my beloved Tigers had lost, which was an ominous sign of things to come for them over the next few days!

Knowing it would be near impossible for Sylvia to find the place, I left Klixi and Mel at the table, and stood out front on the phone, guiding her to the parking lot. I was anxiously awaiting my first look at this Single Sister from Michigan that I had been told would be “just my type”, by my friend Mark back home. She had also been told by her friend Linda, the same thing, so we were both curious about meeting.

When she stepped out of her Camry, I noticed her long legs, flowing blond hair, and pretty face, and thought to myself, "she sure is good looking" (not sure, I may have used the word "hot"!). Her first words to me were something to the effect that she “really had to go to the bathroom”, so I knew she was just a regular gal, and led her inside to find the ladies room.

I went over to the table to check in with Mel and Klixi, and then decided to be a gentleman and wait by the rest room door, since our table was tucked in the back and might be hard for her to find. As Sylvia came out of the rest room, she was laughing, and started telling me the story of what had happened to her while in there.

While she was sitting on the throne, her phone rang out on the counter, where she had set it, and since she was expecting an important call from “Ofer” the Moving guy bringing her stuff from Michigan, and had already been cutoff once, she was racing to get it, and as she was pulling up her pants, she got a sliver in her hand from the beautiful décor (old barnwood?) in Lumpy’s bathroom. There she was, grabbing for the phone, with her pants half up, and hand bleeding from the injury...what a site...good thing nobody else walked in at that moment!

When she shared that with me, and laughed about it and called herself a "Dork", I figured she was a lot like me!

Following a fun dinner and “getting to know each other” time…it occurred to me that this scene was a little odd, as here I was sitting with my ex girlfriend, while trying to impress a “new prospect”. All the while, Mel was rooting out loud for the BYU Cougars, while most of the other patrons in Lumpy’s were shouting him down... we had not known until we got there that Lumpy’s is a HUGE University of Utah bar-BYU’s arch rivals! So there were a couple of "tense" moments when Mel got a little boisterous.

Klixi also pointed out that she was the only one in our group that had a job and a home, as Sylvia too, had just moved out from Michigan to live nearer to her daughters and find a job as a Dental Hygentist. If nothing else, Sylvia and I had in common our desperate circumstances!

At halftime of the game, we departed for the church dance, with Sylvia following us and finally found the right church (out of about 20 we passed). I spent most of the time dancing with Sylvia, while Klixi danced with the DJ and other guys brave enough to ask her, and Mel watched, or went out to the car to check on the game (BYU won).

We left the dance before midnight, said goodbye to Sylvia, dropped off Klixi at her daughters place, and headed back to Dax' house for the night, looking forward to General Conference the next day....All in all, it was a good first day in Utah!

Coming Attractions!

Be on the lookout for the next blog, which will feature:

• Our First Singles Dance


• Meeting Sylvia


• Dax and the Kids

and other Adventures on the Western Trail!

The Final Drive & Arrive in Utah

Thursday was going to be a long day, as we planned to get to Utah that night, and it was still at least 12 hours away.

And, I was determined to stop in Colorado to visit my cousin Skip, my mom’s brothers son, whom I hadn’t seen in 10 years. As we neared his place, we ran into the first snow storm of the season, but luckily, it wasnt too bad, and was confined to the drive through the mountains.

Skip is a talented guy who creates beautiful custom jewelry, while living with his dogs in a cabin on a hill, with a beautiful view of the Rocky Mountains. He truly is a “mountain man”, living off the land, shooting deer for food, with a simple lifestyle.

I wish I had had more time to visit with him, but we needed to press on to Utah.

Our target destination was Provo, where Mel hoped to settle, with one of the primary attractions being a lady he had met online on an LDS Singles site (a great place to meet Mormon singles-remember what I wrote earlier about the "pond" being pretty small in Michigan!). He had visited Utah in April, and met her, and they had a become close, so he felt there could be a "future" for him there.

Mel was excited about seeing her again, and hoped to build their relationship, however, she was wavering, and on the day we left Michigan, had told Mel that she was unable to offer him a place to stay now… so here we were heading to Provo, with no sure place for Mel to land... unless he could convince her otherwise, or find another friend to take him in.

That left me in a dilemma, as I was planning to stay with Dax and his family, and still was unsure if Mel was going to be with me too... what do I tell Dax? And, should I be concerned about baby powder footprints showing up in Ogden?

We arrived in Provo at 11pm, after a long day on the road, driving directly to Mel's lady friends home... and sure enough, she reiterated to Mel that he could not stay there....so after a half hour of discussion (pleading?), he jumped back in the car and we headed to Dax’ house in Ogden, arriving after midnight.

First Stop on the Journey West

Our first days destination was Nauvoo, Illinois, as we decided that it would be a great start to our adventure if we stopped along the way at some of our LDS Church Historical Sites.

The drive was fairly uneventful, despite my concern for the load of stuff strapped to my car roof, but it held, and we rolled along at a pretty good clip.

However, one thing did annoy me… Mel had a habit of taking the top off of his pop (soda) bottles to drink, and not putting them back on, then drift off to sleep while holding the bottle, and spilling it in front of him. I am not anal about my car, but I was not pleased with the prospect of sitting on a wet seat when he took over to drive.

The first time it happened I startled him awake, when I made a “point” of telling him of my displeasure over his “habit”, and of course, during the remainder of the journey, I kept reminding him to put on the top! I think this started to annoy him....

Keep in mind that Mel is kind of a “rotund” guy, and got sleepy along the way, so he tended to pour his drinks over the top of his belly..........unless of course I woke him up when I noticed a topless beverage....I began to keep personal tabs on the where abouts of his bottle tops, ever fearing that I would glance over and see the liquid pouring out on the front of his shirt!

We made it to Nauvoo prior to Midnite, and got a pretty nice two bedroom suite not far from the Temple and other historical sites, at a pretty good price for midweek and off season.. and we promised to return there one day with our new wives, which we were sure to find when we made it to Utah/Idaho!

In the morning I went out to the car, while Mel took his shower, and when I returned to the room there were these white footprints leading out of the bathroom. With a quizzical tone in my voice, I asked Mel about the suspicious tracks, wondering what in the heck could have caused them.

He shared with me that he always generously used baby powder on his body after showering…this was not a “visual” that I was expecting! But I did find it funny that a guy our age "powdered himself up" and I laughed it off, although I suggested to him that it was not polite to leave powdered footprints on the floor, and perhaps he should conserve the amount of baby powder next time.

We then took a long walk through the historical village of Nauvoo, which for Mel, was a little tough, as he has some health issues, but he was a trooper, and made it back to the motel without the need of oxygen or a ride to the emergency room.

For those of you who are not LDS, this is a very interesting historical period for you to become aware of, as you may not know that the LDS people were driven out of their homes, and even murdered, all because of their religious beliefs. Its hard to believe that these things happened in the United States, a country which was founded on those religious freedoms.

We left later that (Wednesday) morning, and headed to a place little known, even to many of the LDS Faith. It is called the Valley of Adam-ondi-ahman and it is located near Gallatin MO, north of Independence.

This is a spot that according to our Church doctrine, was a sacred place of gathering in ancient times, and will again be a site of special spiritual manifestations in the future.

I had an impression before we got there that we were going to meet someone special, and sure enough we did, when we met Brother Buck, who is there on a Mission for the church, as a caretaker for the place.

He told us of a special location on the hill overlooking the Valley, called Preachers Rock, where if you stand and speak in a regular voice, persons down in the valley hundreds of yards away, can hear you, and can speak back to you in just the same way.

One of our church apostles was there this summer with his grandsons, and he sent them down into the valley, and stood at that spot, and spoke and they heard him loud and clear. Pretty Cool!

This phenomenon is similar to stories of Prophets of old that stood and spoke to the multitudes that could hear them clearly, and is also evident in places such as the temple ruins of Ancient cultures in South America.

Following our visit there, we set off for a long drive through Kansas (pretty boring!), finally stopping for the night in a motel and enjoyed a good nights rest, after a long days journey, and planning for a stop in Colorado, and to make it to Utah the next night!

Anxious to get out of Michigan!

We were supposed to leave on Monday September 26, but I got a call from Mel saying he was still waiting to get his car fixed, compliments of a “grant” from the local Veterans committee.

When I arrived in Mt Pleasant on Tuesday morning, I was surprised to find Mel’s apartment still in disarray. I guess I expected it would look like my house did when I left Bellaire, empty and clean, but it was far from it, so much that I wasn’t really sure what he was taking, and wondering just how I was going to get it into my car!

But he assured me his ex wife and daughters were coming to clean things up after we left, taking just his luggage and other essentials, so I commenced packing the car, including the canvas top carrier, which I expertly packed …

I sure wish I had taken a picture! My Dad Arnie, who taught me how to pack a car for a vacation would have been so proud of me! There was not ONE INCH of unused space in the trunk, on the roof, or inside the car for anything else..

I felt like Mr Haney from Green Acres, with his vehicle piled to the top, driving by to see if Mr Douglas wanted to buy any of my “junk”!

I also made a phone call to Sylvia, whom my friend Mark Squires, in Michigan had tried to set me up with earlier in the summer. He had described her to me then… blonde hair, blue eyes, slender, fun personality, etc, and I had told him that she sounded like someone I would be interested in, but things did not work out for us to meet while we both were still in Michigan.

Later, when making my plans to move west, I found out that she was also moving out there to be closer to her daughters, and I decided to call her to see if she wanted to meet me in Utah and go to an LDS Singles Dance together…turns out that call would later change my “destiny”…

Preparing for the Journey West

I flew home on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend, with my head spinning. I just knew I was supposed to move to Idaho, but just how was I to do that, without a solid job offer? And I couldn’t just quit my job and move without an income. So, I decided to turn it over to God, and trust that He would make it happen… and He did, both at work, and in my personal life.

Its interesting to note, that my friend Melissa in Bellaire (in the photo on the left, who hosted a great going away party for me!), had told me earlier that summer, that “you need to move out west and be with your (LDS) “people”.. and that there is someone out there that is perfect for you”… again prophetic words, as I will explain later…

In September, I sold everything I owned; all my furniture, and my personal “stuff” except for photo albums and other memorabilia, which I stored with a friend in Traverse City, and my sister in Trenton. I was able to visit friends and family before I left (and enjoyed some great rounds of golf with good friends, and my cousin Mark) and I told them I was simplifying my life, was ridding myself of worldly things, and following the Spirit wherever it led me!

They probably thought I was courageous, or just plain crazy! Oh well.. its not the first time!

Earlier that summer, I had also talked with my buddy Mel in Mt Pleasant, and he had told me he was trying to figure out a way to move to Provo Utah, where he had gone to BYU, and to follow up on a love interest he had visited with in the Spring.

So, when I got back from my trip, I called Mel and told him if he was serious, that I was moving in late September, and if he wanted to come along, he could, so we put the wheels in motion for the move west.

What a liberating experience to sell most of your "stuff" and to pick up and move to an unknown existence, with all your worldly possessions packed in your car… homeless and jobless, but happy, knowing you were following the will of the Lord!

So we set off on Bill & Mel’s Excellent Adventure…

Idaho Beckons

As I drove towards Twin Falls Idaho, I was excited, about what lay ahead for me, especially considering the spiritual prompting I had received in the Temple. My only recollection of the area from my visit back in 1996 was the Miracle Hot Springs, as that’s where my two day visit to Idaho took me. And that was a blast, as a freak snow storm had hit the area, and the Olsen kids (Josh' brothers and cousins) had a snowball fight while jumping from one hot spring pool to another.

As I drove over the Perrine Bridge and looked down at the Snake River Canyon I was awestruck. I stopped at the Visitor Center there, and noticed a couple of guys packing parachutes on the lawn, and soon learned they were Base Jumpers. I was told that this bridge was the only one in the US where it was legal to jump from at any time, thus attracting people from around the world to parachute into the canyon.

It is pretty cool watching people walk to the middle of the bridge and hurl themselves off, before pulling their rip cords and floating down to the banks of the Snake River, where a flag stands as a target. And you can imagine the reaction from the drivers of the vehicles on the bridge too.. I heard from the Chamber Secretary that just about daily, the police get panicked calls from passersby, who call shouting "someone just jumped off the bridge!" But to the natives of Twin, its a regular occurrence, and they treat it like its no big deal... but I LOVED IT!

My creative juices began to flow, as I asked around about this phenomenon, and discovered that a Twin Falls Visitor Bureau did not exist, just a simple visitor center managed by the local Chamber of Commerce. And, although the Southern Idaho Tourism Department has an office at nearby College of Southern Idaho (CSI Twin!), it did not have the resources to focus on Twin Falls. So it appeared to me that there was an opportunity here for someone who knew how to bring together various entities for tourism promotion… ME!

Impressed to Go West

During the summer of 2009, I felt impressed to reconnect with some key people from my past, including the LDS missionary who I first met in the summer of 1994. With todays technology, I figured I could find Dax Gurr, since his name was unique, so I did a search, and sure enough, I found him in Utah, now married to Jennifer, with 4 great kids.

I also reconnected with Becky and Josh Olsen, in Idaho. Becky and I had worked together at the Stouffer hotel in Battle Creek, and she had been baptized by Josh; in January 1996, I helped move her and her son Tyler to live and work at the Olsen family business, the Miracle Hot Springs in Buhl. A year later, Josh returned from his mission, and courted Becky and they were married in 1997.

I had always vowed after visiting Idaho so many years ago, that someday I would return… but never realized how prophetic those words were…..

I bought a plane ticket to Salt Lake City for the week leading up to Labor Day, and made arrangements to stay with Dax a few days, then go up to Idaho and visit Josh and Becky. I also set up some meetings to meet with friends in the hotel business to discuss what kind of opportunities there were in Utah, just in case I was convinced to get out of Michigan and head west for a new adventure.

Well, Salt Lake was nice, and offered some interesting opportunities, but it just did not “feel” like where I was supposed to go. So, in an effort to gain some spiritual direction, I attended the SLC Temple, and sure enough, while praying and pondering on these things, I felt a strong impression that spoke to my heart and said…..”Idaho”….which was where I was heading in a couple of days to visit the Olsens.

Introduction to my "Journey"

September 2009

Have you ever had the feeling that there’s somewhere else you are supposed to be, rather than where you are now, and that you are being guided by a higher power and KNOW you need to make significant changes in your life?
Well, I recently did, and here’s my story of “Stone by Stone on the Western trail, with Billy Bob Knopp”

My name is Bill Knopp, that rhymes with Top, although most of our relatives say Kuh-nope, but that’s a story for another time…. And since moving to Idaho, I hear theres lots of Knopp folks in nearby Burley, and they say Kuh-nop….but that’s neither here nor there for now…

They say that life is a “journey” , well mine sure has been an interesting one lately… One might reckon I’m having another “mid life crisis” at age 55, but I had one of those at age 40, and this here’s a big difference…back at that time, I was feeling somewhat in despair and was looking for “something” in my life, and made some huge life changes. I went through a divorce from the mother of my 2 kids, Keely and Kyle, bought a candy red convertible Mustang, quit a great job in the hotel industry to chase a multi level marketing “dream” and spent all my retirement savings.

Ultimately, after much soul searching and heartfelt prayer, I found spiritual fulfillment through baptism into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, gained a testimony of the restored gospel and changed my lifes direction. The following 15 years also featured an interesting and adventurous journey with a variety of relationships and marriages, jobs, and moves to different communities in Michigan, until recently….

Just a year ago, in the Fall of 2008, I was getting those “feelings”, impressions, promptings, call them what you will, that I needed to move, or relocate somewhere else…Funny thing is, I had a great job as a Director of Sales with Splash Universe in Dundee, MI, and had finally moved to Dundee from Flat Rock, where I had lived for 2 years (with my buddy Toma the Mime and his son Ian), to cut down on the commuting time. I’d been there just a month, was settling in my new place, and got a call from my old friend Tom Albrecht, who was now DOS at Shanty Creek Resort in Bellaire in Northern Michigan. Tom and his boss John Stultz were looking to fill a golf and ski sales position there and both Tom and Lisa Nelson (another old pal in the hotel biz), thought of me for that role.

I was not in the mood to move again in such a short time, or to leave my sweet friends in Dundee, but the offer was too good to pass up, so I headed 4 hours North in mid November, arriving in a snow storm, which I don’t think quit until late March!

To make a long, (although only 9 tumultuous months long) story short, I transitioned with my new co workers through promotions, firings, hirings, re-hirings, restructuring, new bosses, office relocations, ego driven power struggles, and ultimately personal revelation, that Bellaire Michigan just wasn’t where I “belonged”, but another step on the my journey… and I was being prepared to move yet again..

I loved living in Bellaire.. I was living in a great house, in a quaint little town, where I could enjoy riding my bike among picturesque scenery, and enjoy the company of good friends, but it just did not seem to be my “final destination”….