Raise The Drawbridge! Just Say NO To Hollywood North...

Hard to beat this.

Uh oh, there goes another one.
Cars with California plates have begun circling the neighborhood and it's getting a little scary.  Denizens of the once Golden State, apparently weary of insane taxes and the endless frustration of one party liberal lunatic rule, are in the process of discovering North Idaho and Coeur D' Alene in particular.  They have checkbooks at the ready and aren't afraid to use them.  TMZ has taken to calling our little slice of paradise "Hollywood North" because of all the celebrity ex-pats who've discovered the area.  Kanye and Kim anyone?

When I fled San Diego county four years ago for the shores of Lake Coeur D' Alene I thought it would be years before others discovered this dandy hideout but, according to the latest statistics, I now live in the fastest growing county in the fastest growing state in the union.  Crap!  Houses and condos all around me are selling at an amazing rate and price doesn't seem to matter.  All the gold in California gives every impression of no longer being in a vault in Beverly Hills in somebody else's name but northbound in a great big hurry.

So long peace and quiet.

Just last week two of my nearest neighbors sold their home to a couple from Santa Monica and yesterday my next-door neighbor, Cool Rick, a successful local real estate tycoon called to let me know that he just sold his place for a crazy amount of money and said he had several out of town jaspers ready to buy mine should I care to cash in.  It's not often you get the chance to double your money in four years.  Maybe it's worth thinking about?  I wonder what the market is like in Alaska?  I do have to live somewhere and could maybe get used to wearing a parka in June while dining on smoked moose and whale blubber.  Texas has some appeal, the only drawback being that it's full of Texans. The Black Hills of South Dakota are beautiful and still relatively undiscovered.  Deadwood has gambling too!  North Dakota?  Twenty million acres of cow toilet has little appeal.  Back to Florida?  Nah, it's full to overflowing with New Yorkers and assorted East Coasters looking to dodge ridiculous state tax bites.

What is a retired dilettante to do?!  Californians are on the way to Idaho towing their lifestyle behind them.  The 'hood could soon be gnarly.  I wonder if they know about our winters, or the bears?  We do have bears...and they're HUNGRY.  Bring cash and food.

Cool Rick: "I got their cash and I'm NOT going to Disney World!"