I grew up in SW Washington where it rained excessively. I have lived in western Montana, where the weather is similar to Idaho. Minnesota was completely different from all of those. I prefer Idaho and western Montana weather to the endless rain of the Columbia River Gorge, and to the extreme temperatures and high humidity of the Midwest. It's not perfect, but it is certainly beautiful. Unfortunately, many people moved here since 2020, to escape the tyrannical Covid policies and other left-wing influences in nearby states. It's now overcrowded, traffic is terrible, and housing developments are shrinking the prairies and forests. It's not the place it was 30 years ago. I sympathize with the folks who moved here to get away from the craziness elsewhere, but am also saddened by the changes they brought with them.

We have to water the garden every day most of the summer. We are part of a community water system, which was bought out a year or two ago by a large conglomerate with corporate offices far away. With no regard for the rural lifestyle enjoyed by most people in our community, the water rates were raised to the point where having a garden is nearly unaffordable, and raising livestock is more so. It's quite discouraging.