Home on the Range
Back in Wyoming and visiting a cousin’s new construction
The flight from State College to Jackson, Wyoming was swift. The plane left SCE at seven am and at 11:30 am (Mountain Time) I was at JAC, and picked up by Kim, a friend from Minneapolis who lives next door to Rose and Stephen when she is in Alpine. By noon, we were seated and having lunch at Miazga’s, sharing pierogies and a lobster roll that was the special that day.
Alpine was hopping when we drove through town, stopping at an art show and an ice cream truck, Scoopz, that was giving out free cones courtesy of the Bank of Jackson Hole. It was a warm welcome.
Dinner that evening was at Nancy and Mick Sherba’s VRBO rental on the Grey’s River. Kirk and Iris were there, knee deep in Legos that Nana and Mick had brought from Michigan. We made plans to visit Stephen’s cousin, Sarah Starbird, and her industrious other half, Chris Ruedy, at the new home that they built in Driggs, Idaho. They had fully moved in three weeks ago. I had never even seen the lot, though I heard about the build whenever Sarah and Chris, and their two fur babies, Owen and Scout, visited Alpine. Nancy had been instrumental in advising as the build progressed, and she was eager to see the finished product.
Wydaho is the nickname for this region, which is where Idaho and Wyoming meet in the beautiful Teton Valley. The communities of Victor, Driggs, and Tetonia are on the western edge of the Grand Teton range, over the (very large) mountain range from Jackson Hole. The views are spectacular, and Sarah and Chris positioned their house to take full advantage of the sweeping valley view.
Like any good hosts, Sarah and Chris armed us with beverages on arrival. An Amaro enthusiast, Chris mixed up Negronis, and Sarah fashioned Spicy Pineapple Margaritas with tequila that she had infused with half a Jalapeno for 24 hours. It was spicy! But the pineapple and lime juice that she mixed in tamed the heat and made them gulpable.
We met Maeve, a friend of the family who currently resides in an apartment above their garage, and who was looking for adventure after graduating from the University of Vermont. She found it on the mountain at Grand Targhee Resort, where she worked last season. Maeve is an extraordinary baker and whipped up a batch of Rosemary Shortbread so perfect that I thought they were from Persephone, the bougie Jackson Hole bakery.
Sarah gave us a tour of the house, accompanied by Owen and Scout. The phrase “God is in the details” is credited to American architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and he would have been very pleased to see the attention to detail in this new construction. The interior was warm with wood, including a spectacular live-edge black walnut center island made from two slabs from the same tree fitted together like yin and yang and held together with black epoxy.
But our main stage for the evening was on the porch, where we had dinner with Kirk and Iris predominating. Sarah had prepared an array of salads—a Greek green salad, parsley-heavy tabbouleh, a pasta salad, and plain pasta for the kids. The main dish was Chicken Shwarma from a NYT recipe, redolent with warm spices and featuring crescents of red onion, served with Pickled Carrots to accompany Rose’s Roasted Golden Beet Hummus, along with olives and tzatziki sauce.
The delicious food and the glorious setting enhanced the spirit that enveloped us all at that table. We were all family—some born in, some married in, some added by chance and pure luck. We soaked in the feeling of support and trust that comes with being a part of a family, and we counted our blessings and the achievements of two of our clan.
And we were all happy to meet Maeve and welcome her—and her Martha Stewart’s shortbread—to our family.
Loved loved this Anne you captured the afternoon porch dinner so well