Beautiful, Serene Ola, Idaho

For Mother's Day, we headed for a place called Sagehen Reservoir for a picnic.  Sagehen is a small reservoir surrounded by Douglas Fir and Lodgepole Pine trees and nestled in the mountains northwest of Boise.  As we made our way toward Sagehen reservoir, we wound through desert sage covered hills and through several little towns.  One in particular caught our eye today, a place called Ola.  We've been through Ola several times before, but this time we stopped to take a little closer look at this gentle, pastoral piece of Idaho history.  Wikipedia describes Ola as an unicorporated town in Gem County Idaho.  Homesteader Carroll Baird established the first post office in Ola on July 22, 1882.  Wikipedia states that Baird chose the name Ola "for an old Swede that happened along."  Ola does seem a place that folks might "happen along." 

Today's Ola from afar...a sleepy little place with plenty of story.

Ola's community church.  Each of the windows had a candle glowing in it. 

Baird's cabin thoughtfully preserved.

The modern day post office.

And the school house.  When I see old school houses still in use I think of all the technological changes that have been incorporated into it - like internet access and whiteboards.  Amongst all the changes, brick and mortar still remains.

A message to think twice about litter...

A homestead, a place called home.

A cabin up the creek.  Gone but not forgotten.

Spring green in the hills above Ola.

Jackson and Speedwagon in the mountains near Ola.  We never made it to Sagehen reservoir, there was too much mushy wet snow on the road and we thought we'd get stuck.  That wouldn't be fun.  We spent our time wandering around Ola instead.  I think it turned out to be a good thing. 

A sign wishes us well as we head back out of the canyon towards home.  I am so glad we "happened along" Ola today.  What a great Mother's Day.