Ever hear of Monument Rock, Idaho? Neither have I. Neither has Greg Lanting of Twin Falls.

"My mom was looking in some tubs of items from my mom's parents' farm home," Lanting explained. "There are a bunch of very old postcards. Some of them have copyrights on the pictures from 1908. One postcard has a picture of a tall, spire-type of rock witha boulder perched on top. The front of the postcard says, Monument Rock Idaho."

In the photo on the postcard, two men are standing at the base. The rock appears to be about 50 feet tall.

"I have never seen or heard of this rock, nor have my parents," Lanting said. "I also Googled it and came up blank. Just wondering if it is a fake. Maybe your readers might have an idea?"

Clearly, it isn't Balanced Rock in the photo. So anybody have an idea what - or where - Monument Rock might be?

• • •

Idaho, famously, is the state that elected officials leave as soon as possible after leaving office. But our emeritus-politician census may have reached an all-time low.

Among living former governors, U.S. senators and U.S. representatives, only five reside exclusively in Idaho: Former Govs. Cecil Andrus (in Boise) and John Evans (in Burley), ex-Sen. Jim McClure (in Boise and McCall) and former Reps. Bill Sali (in Kuna) and George Hansen (in Pocatello). Plus Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter, of course, a Star resident who spent six years in the House of Representatives.

Ex-Gov. Jim Risch is serving in the Senate in Washington, D.C., while his predecessor, Dirk Kempthorne - though he still owns a home in Boise - spends more time in the nation's capital. Former Gov. Phil Batt has a place in Green Valley, Ariz., near Tucson.

Among the ex-senators, Larry Craig, who started a political consulting business earlier this year, is still a Washington resident although he still owns a house in Eagle; Steve Symms, who runs a Washington-based consulting firm with former Arizona Sen. Dennis DeConcini, spends much of his time in St. Lucie, Fla., though he has another home in Virginia.

Former Congressman Richard Stallings lives in Mesquite, Nev., outside Las Vegas, and Orval Hansen in Arlington, Va., near Washington. Helen Chenoweth Hage was a resident of Tonopah, Nev., when she was killed in a car accident three years ago.

Ex-Rep. Larry LaRocco was a Washington lobbyist for years after leaving Congress in 1995, but he's spent more time at his Boise home since launching unsuccessful campaigns for lieutenant governor (2006) and U.S. Senate (2008).

Ironically, an Idaho politician with 16 years' experience on Capitol Hill may come closer to qualifying as a full-time Idaho resident: Sen. Mike Crapo has commuted on weekends to his home in Idaho Falls for years.

Steve Crump is the Times-News Opinion editor.