"Zip the Snake" test run today!

My friends from the Magic Valley Flight Simulation (www.mvflightsim.com) group setup a test zip line in the Snake River Canyon today, and Michelle Costa from KMVT TV took a couple of rides, which were featured on their news show tonight!

I gotta tell ya, if you have never been on a zip line, it is an exhiliarating experience... and as you fly a hundred feet above the Canyon, with the Perrine Bridge in the background, it brings to mind those days long ago when Evel Knievel attempted his ill fated jump across the Snake River. Now YOU can pretend you are a dare devil yourself and Zip the Snake... and.. coming soon is TANDEM BASE JUMPING! (www.tandembase.com)

Thats right- you thrill seekers can be strapped to another body, and JUMP OFF THE BRIDGE!
BASE jumpers have been coming to Twin Falls these past few years, where its legal to jump off a perfectly good bridge, with a parachute of course... but its still NOT for the faint of heart!

So come on out to Twin Falls, zip the Snake and Jump off our famous bridge!

Stones get Lifetime Achievement Award from Twin Falls Chamber

The Magic Valley area has a couple of "jewels" in artists, Authors and Historians Bev and Gary Stone, and they were recently recognized for their life long efforts in preserving and promoting state and local history with a Lifetime Achievement award from the Twin Falls Idaho Chamber of Commerce.
Throughout their 70+ years, Bev and Gary have spent countless hours researching pioneer diaries, investigating remote outposts along the Oregon Trail, meeting with Native American Tribal leaders, exploring caves and Chinese Mining sites, and personally fixing and building historical sites that have fell into disrepair. They published a book, "Stone by Stone on the Oregon Trail"based on authentic pioneer diaries, with artwork created by Gary that he painted out in the wild, in remote sites that haven't been traversed since the migration west.

Their stories are abundant and well researched, and they have made it their life long quest to pass them along so that history is not forgotten. Gary's artwork hangs as a testament to that quest in the Oregon California Trail Interpretive Center in Montpelier Idaho. Their efforts in preserving history are on display at the Stricker Ranch and Rock Creek Station in Hansen Idaho, and at the Magic Valley Airport in Twin Falls, where 2 of Gary's Murals adorn the walls and tell the history of the area, and pay tribute to soldiers from Idaho who have lost their lives in the Iraq-Afghanistan war.

Times News Article about Hansen Mural

Steve Crump wrote a great article in Friday Feb 18ths Times News about our Community Mural project in Hansen... check it out at http://www.magicvalley.com/news/local/article

Southern Idaho TravelCast: Oregon Trail in the Magic Valley

Help Gary Restore the Hansen Mural

Back in the 1970's, the Daws Family Market sported a cool looking Mural of, and Map to the South Hills, on the western side wall at the corner of US 30 and Rock Creek Road in Hansen Idaho. After they sold the market in the late 1990's, the new owner painted over the mural, which caused an uproar throughout the community.

Idaho Artist Gary Stone is working with Angie and Stace Campbell, who recently purchased and remodeled the market, and are now working to restore the former icon to their building.

Gary has been in his studio working on prospective renderings, so he can create a NEW & IMPROVED version of the South Hills mural in his unique woodcut art style, which he will attach to the building. We are currently soliciting businesses, attractions, and local ranchers who would like to be forever immortalized on Gary's Mural.

If you would like to be part of history, please call (208-481-0312) or send us an email (bknopp1@yahoo.com) and we will discuss how you could be included in this project.

We are excited about Reviving, Repairing and Restoring this important Landmark to Hansen and the Magic Valley Community!

Community Garden

Over the past summer, I have been participating with about 10 families in a community garden, and we held a barbecue and "harvest feast" on Monday. We enjoyed homemade salsa, jalepeno dip, squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, corn on the cob, potatoes and other items fresh from the garden. The steaks were deliciously prepared by Virg Johnson, and although he does raise cattle for beef, these were not from his steers.

Since we are in Idaho, and not far from Preston, it reminded me of the scene in "Napoleon Dynamite" where the farmer shot the cow in front of the kids on the bus!

Anyway, here is Taylor, a grand daughter of one of the members who worked in the garden, with a giant pumpkin ready for harvest!

Cowboy Poet Event

Went to the little town of Shoshone today for the Lost-N-Lava Cowboy Poets and Musicians Gathering. Since it was "open mike" time, I got on stage and read a story about Old hoss thief Dowdle Bill and his demise at the Rock Creek Station and Stricker Ranch and showed everyone the painting that Gary Stone made of Dowdle Bill in chains on the porch of the old store..which is the last original building still in existence on the Oregon Trail.