I really love the River House.  It's a mental oasis.  Lots of plants, trees, shrubs, and flowers.  The swimming pool is a great attraction; we've had lots of company this summer.  I appreciate the view of the Snake River out my back windows (which are huge)  I'm composting.  George is working his head off to put a deck around the pool......and house.  It's awesome to be closer to Miriam and her family.    I eat a lot of shaved ice.  It seems to reduce stress.  The house sat empty for five years.  The owners couldn't sell it (for 695.000) and Fannie Mae eventually took it over.  George had considered retiring in Hagerman and had been looking online for houses. The next time we visited Miriam, we spent a few hours driving around looking at them.  We were tired and ready to go home and George said he had one more but we didn't have to go look at it. I said we might as well.  We came to a long gravel driveway with a grove of trees at the end.  The old house was nestled in a grove of mature trees like it was hiding from the world.  It had a circle driveway.  George always wanted a circle driveway.  We couldn't get in so we just walked around.  Surprise (s)!  1.  A swimming pool.  I thought we could fill it with sand  2.  The entire back of the house was floor to ceiling windows with a great view of the river.  The room we could se inside was HHUUGGEE!!!  There was a pond in the living room which emptied under the foundation to a pool outside, both ugly.  George called the realtor who told us it was under contract.  I don't know why we weren't dissapointed.  We just drove away.  OK.  We told each other "It'll fall through"  Never did look online again for two or three months, but one Sunday night I was curious.  It was on the market again!!!!  I told George and he flew into action. Drove up to Idaho the next morning to make an offer, but the realtor said to wait a few days, Fannie Mae takes time.  George knew that was a bunch of bull.  He went to see Gary McCall and we made a full price cash offer.  The realtor had her own buyer on the hook but I guess they couldn't do a cash offer and we got it.  It was fast.  We didn't go inside the house until we had the keys handed over to us.  It is a lifetime project.  We have replaced the wraparound decks.  Made a bedroom and walk-in closet from space from the HUGE living room  It's still huge. put in new garage doors, painted walls and cabinets, built an airplane hangar, bought the two houses next to us., bought cows, built sprinkler systems, got new siding, bought furniture.  And on and on and on.