My new job brings me back to my hometown quite often. I work as the executive director for the McCall-Donnelly Education Foundation, which is located in the small mountain town of McCall, ID. I grew up in this quiet place, perched on the edge of glacial Payette Lake. Boise is now the place I call home, but McCall will always be my birthplace – the little corner of the earth from which I sprang.

Returning here so frequently has provided me with unexpected peace of mind. I aimed to leave Idaho far behind when I left McCall at 18, but what I’ve found in the ensuing 10 years is that I’ve developed a deep reverence for my connection to this place. My mother still lives in the same cozy log cabin I grew in, and every time I return for work, my room is there waiting for me. Same as it’s always been.

My last visit to McCall happened to be during the first true snowstorm of the year. It came as they usually do – late at night and with plenty of shutter-knocking wind. The next day was breathtaking – Payette Lake was a cold, steel grey and the sky billowed with heavy clouds. Mom and I drove around the east side of the lake to walk along our favorite stretch of road. It’s a place I’ve walked all my life.

Sweater: Wool – purchased new from J Crew.
Skirt: Wool – purchased at a thrift store.
Scarf: Silk – purchased at a thrift store.
Boots: Waterproof leather with wool lining – purchased at a thrift store.

The water is thin and clear like chopped glass, the land rolling beyond like McCall’s ancient, fabled lake dragon – Sharlie. When I was a child, I was terrified Sharlie might gobble me up during one of my many timid, water-wing enhanced swims out beyond the buoy line.

Home. On this day I am wearing a custom perfume by Caitlyn Davies of Intentions Perfumery. The blend contains silver fir, amber, oak moss, and patchouli. It smells just like walking through a high mountain forest, which is why we named it Payette. It’s the perfect aroma to compliment this day.

This graffiti-covered slab of mossy granite marks the turnout for “the cliffs” – a series of giant rock faces jutting out of the lake that shoot down into the water far enough to make for some fantastic jumping spots. When I was young, my fear of whatever might be lurking beneath the deep blue Payette would all too often leave me quivering near the edge, in my lifejacket, unable to jump. Memories are with me wherever I go in this place.

Earrings: Hand-hammered steel & bronze – made by Hazel Cox.
Necklace: Hand-hammered bronze, silk threads – Hazel Cox strikes again.
Rings: Silver band – made by Mike Rogers / Gold, diamond, elk ivory – made by Glade Davis.

This is me, sitting in the same area that the first two shots were taken, about 20 years ago. Such a mystery why I was unfailingly called “young man” most of my childhood, isn’t it?

My dad took this shot. I fed that chipmunk almost all of my jelly donut, making sure to save the gooey center for myself. I figured the jelly would only get his paws all gummy, anyway…..