Anthropologists from the University of Montana, in conjunction with the US Forest Service, will be visiting Superior this week and performing an archeological dig in the China Gulch area of Cedar Creek. They were also here in 1995 and discovered several things, including the U-shaped hearth in this photo.

Cedar Creek has a colorful history to say the least. In 1869, a Frenchman named Louis Barrette discovered gold and established Louiseville, named after his wife. By 1870, Louiseville was a booming mining town, but within 3 years it would be completely abandoned.

The Chinese who were forced out of Idaho moved into the abandoned mining camps and slowly began to take over Cedar Creek. By 1880, there were more Chinese in the area than white Americans.

The Mineral County Historical Society will be sponsoring a bus trip tonight, June 25th to the site of the archeological dig. On Saturday, June 28th, they will provide an additional bus trip and tour of the area and will allow individuals to see items found during the dig. For more information on the tours, contact the Mineral County Museum at 406-822-4626.

Sanders County is again having its County-Wide Garage sale this weekend. From Dixon to Noxon and then back through Hot Springs, this is a HUGE event!

According to their website www.SandersSaleing.com - this is a 2-day yard sale extravaganza. It starts at 8:00 a.m. and goes until ?

For a list of sales and some of the items that will be offered, click here.

Join us this weekend in St. Regis for Western Montana's Largest Flea Market! This is the 32nd Annual Memorial Day Weekend Flea Market in St. Regis - so it has become quite the event.

It goes from Dawn to Dusk Saturday, Sunday & Monday of Memorial Day Weekend with over 150 Different Vendors. You'll find just about anything you could want, from antiques to books to handmade crafts to collectibles.

There is always a good turnout and lots of great food. The breakfast is especially popular with pancakes, eggs, sausage & bacon.

To get to the flea market, Take Exit 33 for St. Regis off I-90 Follow Signs to Community Park.

Hope to see you there!

And, if you're interested in area real estate while you're in St. Regis, contact Kevin & Monica Ray from Streamside Realty at 406-207-1185 or visit us online at www.YourMT.com. We're your Western Montana Real Estate Specialists.

We will be holding Open Houses in 2 Great Missoula Houses tomorrow. Please Join Us.

3/9/08 Open From 1:00 - 3:30 p.m.

8775 Paintbrush Lane $262,000:Updated Spacious 4 Bedroom Home on Large Yard, Jacuzzi Tub, Tile Floors & More!

Great views from this almost half acre, landscaped yard with mature fruit trees, garden and raspberry patch. Enjoy the panoramic mountain views from the large covered deck. This home is move in ready with lots of upgrades including jacuzzi tub, appliances, new roof in 05, central A/C, U/G Sprinklers and tonsmore. This spacious and comfortable home is in a quiet neighborhood just out of town with quick and easy access to I-90, N. Reserve, Downtown, Missoula Intl.Airport and the University District. For more information, or to schedule a personal showing, call Kevin & Monica Ray at 406-207-1185 or visit us online at http://www.yourmt.com/.

3/9/08 Open From 1:30 - 3:30

9500 Platinum Court $310,000: NEW, Spacious 5 Bedroom, 3 Bath Home on 2+ Acres, Borders Common Area

MOVE IN READY! Beautiful Ranch-Style home on more than 2 flat acres. Master suite with his & her closets, vinyl windows, elegant kitchen with breakfast bar, pantry, custom blinds, and deck off the back. This home has a full basement, partially finished that adds to the spaciousness of this home. Strong 25 gpm well. Property borders 2.47 acre common area in back with O'Keefe Creek running through it. Bring your 4-H animals or horses and enjoy! Frenchtown school district, easy access to the interstate and all of Missoula. For more information or to schedule a personal showing, please call Kevin & Monica Ray at 406-207-1185. You can also visit our website at www.YourMT.com.

"Going Green" is definitely the trend right now. This extends to all aspects of our daily lives, from eliminating plastic shopping bags, to measuring and minimizing our carbon footprint, and also to home construction.

According to the National Association of Home Builders, the green segment of the construction industry is expected to climb from 2 percent of all housing starts in 2005 to between 5 and 10 percent in 2010. If these numbers are any indication, the practices advocated by green enthusiasts are well on their way to becoming mainstream.

So what makes a home green? According to ListedGreen.com, some good examples of a green home are:

• Energy and system efficiency
• Solar power
• Solar hot water
• Wind power
• Water saving devices
• Recycled building materials
• Low or No-VOC products used
• Certification Programs targeted for Green Building like
  LEED for Homes®, GreenBuilt, EnergyStar®, along with many others

One home, that is currently for sale in a breathtaking Superior, Montana location, demonstrates that you don't have to sacrifice style or comfort to help the environment. The home was designed by a Master Electrician who used his experience and knowledge of construction to bring some unique and exciting "green" elements into this home. The 4 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath home is more than 2,800 sq. ft. including a full, finished walkout basement. It is located on 1.6 acres that overlooks Cedar Creek and features a 2 car, insulated garage, and a separate 24 x 28 insulated and heated shop with an additional 1/2 bath.

Starting with the construction in 2003, this home was built using Amvic Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) with concrete fill. The manufacturor states that this type of construction results in an ASTOUNDING R-Value of 50+! The Amvic forms are manufactured with over 60% recycled materials and generate less than 1% construction waste. It can also contribute up to 28 LEED points to a home.

The use of ICF in construction has many benefits for the homeowner, including lower heating and cooling costs, potential health benefits because no CFCs and HCFCs are used, and a quieter home due to the sound barrier that is created.

The heating system for this home is in-floor hydronic (liquid-based) radiant heat. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, radiant heating has a number of advantages: it is more efficient than baseboard heating and usually more efficient than forced-air heating because no energy is lost through ducts. The lack of moving air can also be advantageous to people with severe allergies. Hydronic (liquid-based) systems use little electricity.

This home makes the most of the in-floor radiant heat by having tile floors throughout. The home's heating system is located in a small room in the basement for easy access. The energy efficient design of this home has resulted in extremely LOW utility costs that average $150 per month. This is especially low when you consider the cold Montana winters, the large size of the home, the heated shop and the increasing number of days over 90 degrees we have had in the summer.

Cooling the home is also efficient in the summer due to the insulation and a 200 CFM Ceiling-mounted Exhaust Fan. This extremely quiet fan cools the whole house and is necessary to freshen the air of this well-insulated home.

Additional features of this home include:

• a Light Tube in the basement bathroom, allowing for natural light,
• Hardi-plank siding,
• 26-Gauge Snaplock Metal Roofing and Aluminum Soffits,
• Fully Guttered with Underground Drains,
• R-38 Insulation in Ceiling,
• Fully Integrated Media Networking Panel,
• Photo-cell Lights in Front of House and Shop,
• 2 Wells,
• RV Sewer Dump Station,
• 2 Laundry Rooms, one upstairs and one downstairs,
• Large deck,
• Large pantry,
• Beutiful gardens and landscaping,
• The shop is wired for welding, and
• Energy Star Appliances.

This home is also located in an area with abundant wildlife. You will frequently see deer, elk, and wild turkeys out your window, along with an occasional moose.

This amazing home is currently For Sale and is priced to sell at $359,900. For more information, contact Kevin & Monica Ray at Streamside Realty at 406-207-1185 or visit us online at www.YourMT.com.

The snow is almost gone in beautiful Western Montana and hiking season is just around the corner! As a warm-up we decided to hike the Superior Vista Trail this evening. This trail was just formalized in the last year or two and leads up a mountain on the North side of the town of Superior. It is moderate to difficult in terrain with the first 1000 feet at 10% grade and the remaining hike at 15-20% grade.

The trail is marked with several signs with photos of Superior, the county seat for Mineral County, in the early 1900's and the historical sites that can be seen from the trail.

Once your high enough on the trail, there are spectactular views in every direction of the Clark Fork River that runs through the town of Superior from East to West, and the Lolo National Forest.

Mineral County, Montana is ideal for outdoor recreation. In the county, there are 87 miles of river, 650 miles of streams, and over 50 high mountain lakes. In addition, there are over 400 miles of hiking trails and more than 1,000 miles of off-highway roads. 87% of land in the county is either forest service or state owned so private land is at a premium. In September of last year, Mineral County land was the most viewed and searched in the country on the popular website Landwatch.com.

The county is quickly becoming a vacation destination and a place for second homes. If you would like to learn more about Mineral County, the local real estate market, or some great hiking trails, contact Kevin & Monica Ray at Streamside Realty at 406-207-1185 or visit us online at www.YourMT.com.

According to a recent article from Careerbuilder.com, the best states to find a job are those with the lowest unemployment rates. The best states to find a job and that have unemployment rates that are less than the national average of 5 are:

1. South Dakota
2. Idaho
3. Wyoming
4. Nebraska
5. Utah
6. Hawaii
7. North Dakota
8. Virginia
9. Montana
   Unemployment rate: 3.6 percent
   Population: 957,861
   Mean annual wage: $31,290
   Top industry: Trade, transportation and utilities (20.5 percent)
10. New Hampshire
11. New Mexico
12. Delaware
13. Maryland
14. Iowa
15. Vermont

The Worst States to find a job are also included in their list.

Missoulians love their pets and there are many places that are pet friendly in Missoula.

Missoula and its surrounding areas have abundant recreational opportunities for you and your pet, including 2 dog parks - Jacob's Island and Fort Missoula's Canine Campus where you can let your pooch run without a leash. There are many other great places to walk your dog in Missoula, but you must comply with the city's leash laws. Our favorite places in the city limits are the Clark Fork River Walking Trail and the Kim Williams Trail. For a really good workout with your dog, you could also Hike the "M" trail on Mount Sentinel.

• Go Fetch! Bring your leashed pet and enjoy Go Fetch!'s Pet Bakery, Self-Grooming Pet Center, Dog Hikes, Toys & Accessories.
• Petsmart - Of course PetSmart is a great place to take your pet. It's one of my Beagle's favorite words!
• Dog Logic - Cageless Doggie Daycare, Boarding, and "Social Club".
• Pet Friendly Hotels & Camping/RV Areas

There are also some wonderful Pet Groups in and around Missoula:

• Animeals - provides food for hungry animals.
• Rolling Dog Ranch - an amazing sanctuary that rescues disabled animals. Also - A great place to visit and spend the day when you're in Western Montana. If you're an animal lover, you will enjoy their blog about life on the Ranch.
• MontanaPets.org - helps you find pets that need a home.

Are you a current Montana State Resident and thinking about buying your first home? Then you may want to look at a First-Time Home Buyer's Savings Account.

Why Start A First Time Home Buyer's Savings Account?

• It's an easy way to help you save for your dream of home ownership,
• Lowers your Montana State adjusted gross income for annual deposits, up to the allowable limit ($3,000 per year individual, $6,000 per year for married couples filing jointly),
• The annual interest is not subject to Montana State income tax if left in the account or used to purchase a home,
• Deposits can be made for up to 10 years or until you buy your first home,
• Almost ANYONE can contribute to the account - WHAT A GREAT GIFT IDEA for newlyweds, college students, etc. (Tax deduction only applies to account owner however)

This is just an overview of the program, for more information, visit First-Time Home Buyer's Savings Account.

More info on Montana Home Ownership Programs - Great for First Time Homebuyers! Montana Board of Housing!

If you are a first-time homebuyer in Western Montana, contact Kevin & Monica Ray with Streamside Realty at 406-207-1185 or visit us online at www.YourMT.com. We are experience Buyer's Agents and can help guide you through the home buying process. There is NO COST to you for our services.

If you're want to keep an eye on Missoula, Montana, here are the best local web cams to help:

Downtown Missoula & View of the "M" on Mount Sentinel - Missoula County Webcam

The Univeristy of Montana's GRIZ CAM - GRIZ CAM

The Missoula International Airport also has a webcam at FLYMISSOULA

The Missoulian's webcam & weather forecast - Missoulian Cam

Here's a list of other Montana webcams.

Want to see your favorite webcam quickly? Add iGoogle as your internet browser's homepage. One of the free tools on iGoogle is that you can add your favorite webcam and it will appear on your homepage. We have the webcam from our favorite vacation spot, Oceanside, Oregon on our page.

If you want to learn about the Missoula Real Estate market, contact Kevin & Monica Ray with Streamside Realty at 406-207-1185 or visit us online at www.YourMT.com.