PRAIRIE: Lamenting a lost treasure

As a young man seeking adventure and distant places, I arrived in this area 60 years ago. As I traveled by train across Montana, Idaho and into Washington, I was awestruck by the beauty and openness of this country. At that young age I knew in my heart this was the place I wanted to live. Leaving a family of 14 siblings, parents and a huge extended family was painful but all was tempered by my desire to live in this beautiful country.

Over the past 60 years I have been blessed to be able to enjoy a sense of peace and contentment, to raise a family and be able to participate in all the outdoor activities this country affords its inhabitants. All these have been done in a sense of relative isolation from the press of humanity. The quietness and peace this afforded seemed to rejuvenate my soul and prepare me for the stresses of everyday life and the pursuit of earning a living for my family.

So here I sit in my advancing years in a new home recently built three years ago on the prairie. We had a beautiful 180-degree view of the prairie to enjoy. Then came all the homes, shops and all the roads, concrete, asphalt, etc. As this happened we sat and watched the prairie being eaten up by development.

We slowly watched the death of the prairie!

JERRY PAULUS

Rathdrum