On this episode of Almost Paradise In North Idaho, Ted sits down with Gabriel Custodio, from Sand Creek Connections in Sandpoint, Idaho, the local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). But this conversation goes beyond programs, schedules, and services. It becomes an honest discussion about the reality that every person, at some point in life, struggles with something.

Together they talk about loneliness, anxiety, isolation, relationships, purpose, and the importance of supportive community. Ted also shares some of his own experiences, including struggles with anger and competitiveness in sports and activities, along with attending Celebrate Recovery after the painful end of his 30-year marriage. During that season he was introduced to the concept of co-dependency and began learning tools that still help him today.

This episode challenges the stigma often attached to mental health struggles and reminds listeners that seeking help is not weakness—it’s wisdom. Sometimes people need counseling. Sometimes they need friendship. Sometimes they just need someone willing to listen.

As Ted reflects during the conversation, everybody needs a hand up once in a while. And maybe one of the strongest things a person can do is admit they don’t have to carry life’s burdens alone.

Today’s Morning Brew takes listeners into the wild and dangerous world of Boundary County landfill law after Ted is stopped while attempting to rescue perfectly good cardboard from the recycling bin for use in the chicken coop.

What begins as a routine dump run quickly turns into a full-blown legal drama involving warning signs, changing rules, questionable interpretations of the word “salvaging,” and Terry’s now-famous legal doctrine that “as long as your feet stay on the ground, it’s allowed.”

Along the way Ted reflects on growing up in a world where people reused things instead of throwing them away, why rules usually exist because somebody ruined things for everybody else, and the biblical challenge of respecting authority… even when it involves cardboard apparently belonging to Caesar.

Featuring an off-key parody song, this episode proves life in North Idaho is almost—but not quite—paradise.

This Morning Brew went completely off the rails—in the best possible way.

Ted and returning partner-in-crime Mark Carpenter took on a round of “Stump The Chumps,” answering trivia questions while Joy served as judge, scorekeeper, and chief instigator.

What followed was a spectacular combination of wrong answers, wild guesses, laughter, protests, accusations of questionable officiating, and very little actual dignity.

Somewhere beneath the chaos were a few correct answers, though historians may debate that point for years to come.

By the end, Ted was openly questioning the fairness of the scoring while Joy seemed far too entertained by the whole thing. Listener discretion—and voting—is strongly encouraged.

Ted welcomes old friend and former podcast partner Mark Carpenter back to the microphones for a wide-ranging and occasionally rowdy conversation about the upcoming North Idaho primary elections and the growing debate over what it truly means to be a conservative candidate.

Ted and Mark dig into voting records, campaign claims, and why some candidates are being accused of sounding more conservative on the campaign trail than they have proven to be in office. Yes, the term “RINO” comes up more than once — and no, this episode does not stay safely in the middle of the road.

But as always, the conversation takes a few unexpected turns along the way.

The two also discuss the controversial use of beagles in medical testing, whether people should refuse to watch movies starring actors whose politics they disagree with, and Mark’s shocking confession that he has never seen The Matrix.

Ted even floats the idea of attending a future “No Kings” rally in Bonners Ferry with microphones in hand to hear directly from the crowd.

Agree or disagree, this episode is candid, conversational, and unmistakably North Idaho.

Sunday afternoon was supposed to be peaceful and relaxing after church. Instead, Ted found himself in an unexpected battle with an aging garage door that finally decided it had enough.

What started with a mysterious clank quickly turned into a full-scale mechanical mutiny involving tangled cables, falling poles, pinched fingers, bad engineering ideas, and one very frustrated homeowner talking to both himself and the garage door.

But somewhere in the aggravation came an unexpected realization: maybe the breakdown was actually a blessing in disguise. Sometimes life’s interruptions are warnings, protections, or even answers to prayers we didn’t know we were asking for.

Thirteen years ago this weekend, we loaded up a U-Haul truck, our animals, and a whole lot of faith and headed 1100 miles from Loveland, Colorado to Bonners Ferry, Idaho. What we found wasn’t a perfect property, but a rough, overgrown place that somehow felt like home the moment Ted stepped into the pasture under a cloudy North Idaho sky. In this reflective Morning Brew, Ted shares the story of hearing a mysterious question — “How bad do you want it?” — and how that leap of faith led to eighteen acres of hard work, unexpected beauty, and a life truly blessed beyond measure.

Today on Almost Paradise in North Idaho, we sit down with Bryce Cordel, Chief Nursing Officer for our local hospital, to discuss the growing challenges facing small rural hospitals across America—and what those challenges mean right here in Boundary County.

Most of us do not spend much time thinking about hospitals until the day we suddenly need one. Whether it is an illness, injury, emergency, or the critical first moments before transfer to a larger medical facility, access to local healthcare can mean the difference between life and death.

Bryce shares both the struggles and the strengths of rural healthcare: staffing shortages, financial pressures, emergency preparedness, and the ongoing effort to provide quality care close to home. But this conversation is about more than budgets and buildings. It is about community, responsibility, and the importance of caring for our neighbors during moments of crisis and uncertainty.

No one hopes to need a hospital. But there is tremendous comfort in knowing one is there when life suddenly turns upside down.

This is an honest and thoughtful conversation about preserving something many communities lose only after realizing how valuable it truly was.

In this heartfelt Morning Brew, Ted says goodbye to Jaxon—his loyal, mischievous, and unforgettable standard poodle. From riding shotgun on trips to the dump to guarding the property with a few confident barks each night, Jaxon lived life fully and on his own terms. Known for his sharp intelligence, curious nose, and occasional counter-surfing adventures, he brought both challenge and joy to the household.

But this episode centers on Jaxon’s final week—a difficult and uncertain stretch marked by sudden paralysis, unanswered questions, and the quiet realization that it was time to let him go. Through it all, Jaxon showed a gentle dignity that made saying goodbye even harder.

With humor, honesty, and a touch of faith, Ted reflects on loss, loyalty, and the hope—however debated—that we might one day be reunited with the animals who meant so much to us.

In this gripping episode, retired naval aviator Mike Peterson joins the show to discuss the recent dramatic rescue of a downed American weapons systems officer deep inside Iran after an F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down. Mike shares his emotional reaction to hearing that a fellow aviator had been recovered and explains the unique brotherhood that exists among those who fly dangerous combat missions.

Drawing from his own military experience, Mike describes the intense survival, evasion, capture-resistance, and rescue training aviators undergo in preparation for the unthinkable. He gives listeners a rare glimpse into the mindset required to launch on missions knowing that one day rescue may be your only path home.

The conversation also explores what civilians often misunderstand about downed aircrew, the courage required to endure isolation behind enemy lines, and why the principle of “leave no one behind” remains sacred in the U.S. military.

Finally, Mike offers his blunt assessment of what Donald Trump and America should do next as tensions with Iran continue and ceasefire pressure builds. This is a powerful conversation about duty, brotherhood, sacrifice, and strength in dangerous times.

After growing up in Kansas, where trees are more of a suggestion than a presence, moving here thirteen years ago meant adjusting to forests, mountains, and enough timber to make a Kansas boy nervous.

We chose this place partly because of the beauty, though I’ve since learned you can have too much of a good thing. Soon after arriving, we had nearly a hundred trees removed just to reclaim some sunlight and views.

Since then, I also acquired a chainsaw—a development that likely has my guardian angels working overtime, because trees and my chainsaw skills can be a dangerous combination.

I once built a fine garden fence, only to have a windstorm flatten it with a falling limb the very next day. Recent storms have toppled more trees throughout the area, but they also left me with enough firewood for several winters. Around here, God sometimes takes the trees and gives us firewood.