Exit of the Yakima Club

Four years ago, three Yakima couples accidentally came together with a common quest: to find retirement property in Sanders County, Montana.

We were basically acquainted with each other beforehand, but it was a surprise to find out we had a common goal.

Don and I had already chosen Thompson Falls as our destination. Lee and Charlotte were next. Lee's a truck driver, and for years he'd enjoyed a regular route through Thompson Falls. He'd fallen in love with the area, and Charlotte was thrilled with the prospect of moving there. Mike and Sue had connections in the Thompson Falls area, and they recognized it as a real gem for anyone who hunts, fishes, and enjoys small-town conservative life.

Somehow we all connected with each other and formed "The Montana Club." We'd get together for dinners or barbecues at each other's homes. We'd share our property-search progress reports, along with tips we'd picked up about the area.

Lee and Charlotte were the first to actually buy property...20 view acres on which they'd build a log home. Within a couple months, we'd bought our 41 acres, about 5 miles down the road from them! And about 18 months later, Mike and Sue found their parcel, 50 view acres with an existing house and barn.

Lee and Charlotte sold their Yakima home just last week, and will be renting a house in Thompson Falls until their log home is built next year. Mike and Sue will be permanently relocating to Thompson Falls within the next couple years. They want to do some remodeling first, plus they're both still employed in Yakima and own a big house here. Don and I, of course, plan to be gone from Yakima by mid-October of this year.

When all six of us get moved, we'll still rotate house to house for dinners. A wonderful friendship has formed between us. But we'll have to change the name of the group from "The Montana Club" to "The Yakima Club."