The "Perfect Life" At The Lucky Dog

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Each of us, during quiet moments, conjures up a “perfect life”. Though often we may doubt its viability, still we confect our list – the components of our own personal nirvana.

Dreams are risky however, especially if you speak out-loud about them. One must either acquire a thick skin or internalize dreams to withstand the naysayers. Dreams though should only to be shared with those who will embrace them with us. All others are undeserving anyway and ought to be kept in the dark. There is a spark that must be nurtured within us if it’s to be kept alive. The dream of a “perfect life” may be more attainable than most of us imagine.

My perfect life involves a large parcel of land on the Snake River. I speak of it as if it already exists because in my mind it does. It’s here on the mighty Snake that I and a few friends live, recreate and pursue our all-consuming hobby – retriever training and waterfowl hunting. Best of all we pursue our passion from our own back doors.

On our parcel of paradise a spring-fed creek delivers water (year-round) to our ponds designed specifically for dog training and world-class waterfowl hunting – even fishing. Our creek forms a natural marina as it flows into the Snake. Here we safely moor our boats, year-round.

A beautiful rock wall surrounds our property, similar to the renowned rock walls of the English Cotswolds. We manage our property strictly for wildlife habitat, waterfowl hunting and the retriever training. Trails wind unobtrusively throughout the natural habitat and many of us have a favorite secluded nook where we steel away to partake of the beauty. Quail and pheasants flourish on our paradise.

Many of us hunt waterfowl together on our property and we kill hundreds of ducks and geese during the season. Some of us have man-caves where we gather to smoke cigars, sip port and engage in spirited conversations after a long day’s hunt. Our paradise is better than any hunt-club.

For off-site opportunities we often motor up the River and hunt the islands for pheasants and quail, mostly because we don’t want to deplete our own property and because the hunting is just so darn good on the islands. When we tire of waterfowling we sometimes cross the River to chukar-hunt in the craggy haunts of the nearby Owyhees.

Our homes are quaint and unpretentious yet they’re timeless and built to last for generations. They’re state of the art and energy efficient. Our electricity costs are virtually non-existent. On-site power-sources provide much of our electrical needs and some of us are completely off the grid. Many of us have large gardens and the land provides for us. Some of us even have greenhouses, heated by geothermal wells. Cooperatively we run a few head of cattle – just enough for our own needs and to control vegetation and to get the agricultural tax exemption.

Our homes are nestled on the River’s edge and this affords us 360-degree views of the River and the beautiful Owyhee’s on the opposite shore. From our decks we can see boaters who occasionally motor by, yet they must look closely if they’re to notice us. The color and build of our homes makes them virtually invisible to the casual observer. There is a common-thread about our homes that make them fit together and meld into the natural surroundings in an unobtrusive manner. Upon first-glance a visitor might think these homes were here since the beginning of time. If you know of the famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, you’ll understand.

The footprint of each lot is relative small and the raw wildness and virtually untouched habitat comes right up to our doors. This enhances the mystic and oneness of our homes with the land. No time is wasted here mowing lawns or trimming shrubs; instead we focus on training and hunting opportunities. The look and feel of our homes is not only appealing to us but to others and that means our parcel of paradise is a good investment. Anyone would want to live here. Yes, we are at-home here at The Lucky Dog, Idaho’s first dog-subdivision.