The "Cabin"

Hmm? Who? Wha'?

2010-04-12T05:31:00.000-07:00

Okay, yes, it's been a while. Bob here, with no Rumplestiltskin-like excuse, no password forgotten, no nothing except procrastination run amok.

So. What's happened since I last updated the page a year ago. *sigh* Nope, not gonna do that. Best to write as if I've been writing.

Spring in our little hunk o' western Montana is glorious. Weather changes can come quickly and dramatically, as they have this year. Sun, wind, rain, hail, snow, and all the combinations thereof hit us last Thursday; Friday it just snowed, Saturday was sunny and short-sleeve spring-y. We're anxious to build up more garden area, but really anxious to get flowers and veggies in the ground. Our starter pellets, seed, trays, and plans are ready, and this year we're going to try a horse trough as a raised bed for corn. We bought a cold box from Kalispell's Habitat for Humanity Restore, and can't wait to try it out!

Thankfully the windstorms of last winter and spring have, so far, not been repeated. From what I see, no trees fell during the winter anywhere on the property!

Some of the relatives will be up this weekend to open their cabins for the season, and it'll be great to see them all. Winter's solitude is over. The deer are far fewer, the tom turkeys are strutting, we saw our first neighborhood osprey yesterday, and skunk cabbage is sprouting.

Here's to spring, and a goal to update the blog juuuuust a bit more frequently.

Spring

2009-04-10T20:09:00.000-07:00

(Bob) The past couple weeks ushered in the official start of spring. We try to be outside as much as we can, soaking up the warmth, listening to the birds, and eagerly anticipating the avalanche of green that's about to happen.

The skunk cabbage is up behind the beaver pond, with its vibrant, almost plastic-looking yellow flowers and its... vibrant... scent. I've done a couple river walks recently; the water's still painfully cold, but with the sun shining and swallows swooping and ducks milling and no one else on the water, it's too hard to resist. Plus, I don't want to wear my waders anymore. And I'm a moron.

The deer still loiter, but in fewer numbers and for less of the day. With snow melting so quickly and warm days and grasses and water plants emerging all over, the deer are wandering.

Wild strawberries are sending their tendrils all over, racing to flower and fruit before the ferns and tansy (and everything else) tower over them. Inside, we have many (many (many)) seed packets, flowers and veggies, ready to be popped in a peat pellet before going into our wee garden. There's still snow in shady spots, and across the river there's still quite a bit.

A drift boat came by today. The afternoon was beautiful and warm, so I didn't bother to tell Mr. Fisherman we haven't seen a single jump or bird of prey fishing yet. Being outside is enough; accomplishing stuff can come later.

Tom and Susan opened their cabin last weekend, and Jim and Peggy (and Sydney and Peyton) are due this weekend. That's maybe the real marker of spring... when family arrive. As much as we love and cherish the solitude of winter at The "Cabin", it's also very fun to get our cool neighbors back.

Contrast, Thy Name is Obama

2009-02-03T20:23:00.000-08:00

Whenever President Bush or Secretary Rumsfeld or Secretary Rice went to Iraq, it had to be a surprise. With the greatest military force in the world, and the most sophisticated personal security force in the world, our muckety-mucks couldn't go to our latest imperial outpost in the clear because it was too dangerous. I may be wrong about Rice and Rumsfeld, but I'm almost positive every trip George Bush made to Iraq was cloaked in secrecy and was announced by the media as "a surprise visit".

Today President Obama thedwse shdue snxn... sorry. I still get a bit teary when I say or type "President Obama." He and Michelle did a surprise visit of their own today, to an elementary school. Two big questions: 1) While the president was reading to the children, was Joe Biden in an undisclosed location instructing NORAD to continue its terrorism drill scenarios, and 2) How cool is that President Obama's first "Surprise Visit" was to a school in Washington D.C.

Was it all a crass photo op? Maybe, but I doubt it. Based on the campaign, and Obama's ability to construct coherent sentences on his own and express his views in controlled and uncontrolled situations, I gotta think he can make his own mind up.

On a slightly related note, Tom Daschle screwed up, he screwed up big, and if he's done something illegal, he should be tried and maybe go to jail. The administration was right to not stand behind him, and he was right to withdraw his name. But just think, had this been the Bush administration, Daschle's conversative doppleganger would be defended vociferously and, were the crime sufficiently horrible, probably end up with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

A while ago I said (by the way, this is Bob, not Monique) this blog wouldn't be political. So, I slipped a bit, k? We had freezing fog last night, it's weirdly still out there, and the deer and turkeys are hanging around together like they did last winter. I love this place!

Birdhouses and

2009-02-01T20:13:00.000-08:00

Yesterday afternoon we met some friends at Red's in Kalispell for an early dinner and drinks. I'm not a real social creature, and I'm definitely not a "let's get drinks" guy. And I'm horrible at talking (shouting) over loud music or a blaring TV. But I had fun yesterday with Monique, Martha, Chris, and Karen.

Today as Monique took the ornaments off the outdoor Christmas trees, I built a birdhouse from a cedar fence plank. I was slow -- I meant deliberate -- and the house turned out great. We'll put it on the cottonwood by the river, and hopefully a bird couple will like it.

The wild turkeys are hanging out with the deer again, which is fun to see. The raccoons are also active again -- lost another suet block to the handy little twerps. I don't want to deny them food, but if just left to the chickadees, nuthatches, and woodpeckers, a block of suet would probably last a month. One raccoon can take the whole block with him/her in one night. And it's hung on a branch that isn't exactly accessible. I take down the bird seed feeder nightly, but it's not practical to take the suet out of the aspen every day.

We don't have quite this much snow anymore, but winter's not over, and this was a great sunny day.

A New Day

2009-01-21T21:17:00.001-08:00

Well, duh. "Groundhog Day" was cute, but apart from that story, every day is a new day. New opportunities, new risks, new challenges, new surprises.

Yesterday was a biggie with President Obama's inauguration. Our 44th president, and the fifth to whom I've paid attention. Carter was my cusp -- I wasn't very political in the late '70's -- but starting with Reagan I have been, and yesterday was important to me for a couple reasons.

First, President Bush's approval rating yesterday was around 23%. Obama has a honeymoon because Bush has, in the parlance of our British friends, "assed it up" so very thoroughly.

It's difficult to think of the tremendous energy and time and money and apologies and court battles that lay ahead to mitigate or undo some of what Congress and the Bush/Cheney administration "achieved." I hope Obama, Congress, and most importantly, we the people, have the tenacity and long-range thinking to stick with it.

Second, Obama has stayed above the fray and seems like a good, normal guy.

ALERT! ALERT! Bush is the regular guy! Bush is the rancher who just wants to wear his cowboy hat and cut brush.

REALITY! REALITY! Yeah, not so much. The Crawford Ranch was purchased and the house built during the 2000 presidential campaign. It was, in nearly every way, a prop. A set-piece. He didn't live there before he became president, and he's not going back to it. 'Course, he is an ex-president, so if he wants to do some chainsawin' in the backyard of his new exclusive Dallas neighborhood, I don't expect too many folks will complain.

Obama seems like a good, normal, smart guy. When he's attacked, he keeps it civil and focuses on policy. Bush had a nasty team running his campaigns, and McCain hired most of them for his. As Clinton slid into the dregs with her campaign, Obama never really bit. So we really have Bush, and Cheney, and most especially Mr. Rove, to thank for the margin of victory and the sentiment that massive change was needed from the past eight years.

I didn't vote for Obama because he's black, or because he's a Democrat. Obama had the only sensible, radical campaign of change. How amazingly cool that George Bush and Dick Cheney brought our country to a place where the color of the candidate's skin was so far removed from so many voters' minds?

It's a ramble -- sorry. The new administration has an enormous set of challenges ahead, and I wish them (and us) lots of energy and enthusiasm. Many people (and a whole cable network) are attacking because he's not their guy, and that's fine. The issues to be faced and the damage to be undone are too big to be bothered by the small stuff.

Bush and his handlers were consistent in their arrogance and inflexibility; Obama has promised to listen to anyone with good ideas for the country, and has asked for help from all sides. Devolve into partisan politics as usual, Mr. New President Guy, and, well, 23% approval ratings will seem like the good old days.

Christmas Goodies

2008-12-28T07:40:00.000-08:00

Beautiful snowfall

Quality time spent at home

A Lovely Christmas!

I Should Count to Ten...

2008-12-23T19:42:00.000-08:00

...before writing this. One, two, three, four, screw it.

Of the many, many reasons we love living in rural Montana, an ironic sense of the quaint ranks high. For example, we have high-speed DSL access and it's less expensive than we paid for regular DSL in Seattle, but there isn't a whole lot of local info to access.

We want to attend a Christmas Eve service. Not in the online version of the Daily Interlake newspaper (oh, bastion of reasonable editorial!), not in the Flathead Beacon, not in the Bigfork Eagle is there a calendar listing service times. So, okay, I went to the website of the church we visited last year.

Here's their monthly calendar.

Surprisingly, frustratingly, agnostic-inducingly empty, doncha think?

And they're not alone in having nothing scheduled for Christmas Eve or Christmas. I don't care if they're not up to snuff with flash and animated GIF's and weekly messages from pastor/priest and staff; some content would be helpful. As much as I loved Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean," I don't think a church should take the Isla de Muerta approach, where a service can only be found by those who already know when it is.

Yes, yes, I'll call around tomorrow and find out whose service is when....

In other news, it's gorgeous here, I'm having tremendous fun reading the "What Global Warming?" articles on the web, and feeling quite meteorologically lucky, compared with Spokane, Seattle, the Midwest, the East, etc.

This photo shows two of our five outside trees with lights. There's been no wind here, so the very powdery snow is still in the branches.

I hope to post again tomorrow and Christmas, but if I don't, peace and joy, Merry Christmas, safe travel, and blessings to you and yours. --Bob

A Winter Wonderland

2008-12-21T04:48:00.001-08:00

Monique and I are back from Helena and a visit with my cousin Lynn and her family, and Hall with a visit to Monique's parents. A busy, fun weekend.

Along the way we stopped twice for eats, and in the spirit of Christmas, I'll be generous with the first review.

1. Safeway Deli, Polson. Oh my dear good god this was bad. You know the taste when you nibble a piece of synthetic leather utterly devoid of moisture? Warm it up and you got their fried chicken.

2. No Sweat Cafe, Helena. A Hippie hangout, with anti-social tendencies like a no cell phone rule, fair-trade coffee, and other weird stuff. Great food, the service is, shall we say, "casual", and lingering is encouraged. Buncha non fast-food hippies....

3. Muralt's Cafe, I-90 and Exit 96, Missoula. Outstanding. Good food, excellent fries (and I'm not a big fries guy), and friendly service.

Okay, enough with the silliness. Visiting the Bubbs was a blast, and seeing their spastic black lab Scout made it that much more fun. Very much in the "It's a Small World" vein, as we were just about to leave, the couple that occasionally helps clean Lynn & Shawn's house came over, and voila, it was Monique's music director from Flathead High. My dad and his Two Degrees of Separation theory would've loved it.

Hall was wonderful, and the food there is always good :). Not really having gotten into Montana college football too much (either for the Griz or the 'Cats), I was still interested in watching the National Championship game between Montana and Richmond. We all watched, and just like all those actors who don't win the award, "it's an honor just to be nominated." Well, the Griz should be proud they made it to the championship game... literally. Finding the stadium and getting their uniforms on was the high point of the evening. Richmond quickly, decisively, and inarguably destroyed them. It was over way before halftime, and Montana had no idea what was going on.

Unlike Seattle and Spokane, we've gotten moderate snow this weekend. On the left is a shot of steam coming off Flathead Lake, and on the right, our backyard with 7" of snow perched everywhere.

A Season of Plenty

2008-12-02T20:20:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving was, as is usual for the Blazek clan, plentiful. Carla had a dozen people for dinner, and everything was delicious. It was a good trip, and Spokane provided lots of snow!

Monique and I hadn't intended to do much Black Friday shopping, but maybe because we didn't feel pressure to be there right when stores opened, that's why we were out as long as we were. Yes it was nuts, but so am I, so it's a wash.

The lovely family pictured is enjoying a deer block from our local ranch supply store. After putting a couple treats right in front of the house, we decided to move them into the trees so the deer can feel more protected. They have nothing to fear from us (unless they go for buried bulbs and whatnot), but it's a bit disconcerting at night hearing animals pawing and chewing just outside the bedroom window. And since raccoons found and destroyed one of our bird feeders, it's just better to be a little more conscious of our outdoor food supplies.

Decorations are going up, the wood stove is running nearly every day, and this weekend we'll go tree hunting. I'm very nearly done shopping, so it's just down to cards and/or the Christmas/Epiphany/President's Day letter.

Given how little I've blogged about stuff this year, it should be a doozy.

Here's to warmth, love, security, deep sighs of contentment, and the settling in for winter. Peace!

Yesterday

2008-11-05T14:15:00.000-08:00

One of the things that amazed me most about the election yesterday was how little we heard about Barack Obama being black. In some circles I'm sure that was the main subject, but not from where I sat. For me, I was impressed how this was about new vs. old, change vs. status quo, anybody vs. President Bush.

Just for grits and shiggles I went to Fox News this morning, and saw two of the comment areas: Why Did John McCain Lose? and Why Did Barack Obama Win?

I went into both, and unfortunately read some incredibly ignorant, frightened, and racist comments. Hopefully Fox has either taken them down, or handed them over to the Secret Service.

A friend on Facebook wrote she was wondering where we go from here. My answer was, I dunno, but a lot of people would have to work VERY hard to do more damage to the country and the world than has been done in the past eight years.

I'm not much of a figurative Kool-Aid drinker (literally, however, I love the stuff), so my expectations for President Obama are realistic. Part of me wants him to use the executive signing statement as much as President Bush has, except to use it within the law and for good purposes. But really, instead of tit for tat, I think America needs a steady hand, an articulate voice, and a less petulant personality in our leader.

As usual, Comedy Central's Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert provided brilliant insight and analysis, while CNN premiered their holographic analyst. That's a head-shaker, that one.

Winter is approaching quickly, the wood pile needs a little more attention, and there are many rocks left to skip before the snow covers them. Now is not the time to just sit back and coast. The bloviators are catching their breath and regrouping, and the Republicans are still stunned. Gotta keep working, people.

Tomorrow

2008-11-03T20:17:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is Election Day in the U.S.

I can't comprehend how the presidential candidates sustain their schedules. Recently I was in San Jose for five intense days of meetings, and I was exhausted for two days when I got home. The pace, the demands, the energy required to do what they've done is remarkable.

In 2000, I voted for Nader. Governor Bush's primary campaign against Senator McCain -- really, a foretaste of his presidency -- was nasty, deceitful, and brutally effective. I didn't believe Al Gore best represented my interests, and I thought George Bush was a political aberration.

Senator McCain employs many who got George Bush elected in the anti-Clinton wave, but McCain's caught in a torrent of anti-Bush sentiment. He's been grabbed by a thresher, with blades named Bush, Cheney, Rice, Wolfowitz, Bremer, Perle, Rumsfeld, Rove, Miers, Gonzales, Feith, Ridge, Brown, Chertoff, Ashcroft... (and that's without using The Google!). Even Governor Palin, undoubtedly picked for her uncanny resemblance to President Bush in mentality, philosophy, experience and vocabulary, hasn't seemed to help the McCain campaign much.

Should Barack Obama win, he will not (cannot) save the nation. The debt, the wars, the economy, the culutre of corruption, the propaganda, the unitary executive, the mistrust, the bold and bald admitted lies; these are why George Bush's approval ratings are in the low 20's, and no one can easily or quickly confront (much less overcome) obstacles that large.

But tomorrow morning I'll gladly, proudly vote at the Swan River Elementary School (Go Warriors!). I hope you all do the same, whomever your candidates are.

Oh. Except, don't all show up at Swan River Elementary (Go Warriors!). That wouldn't work.

Ridiculous

2008-10-29T19:13:00.000-07:00

Over a month since I last updated this blog? Insanely ridiculous, that. So much going on, such wonderful weather, so much to blab about. Let's start with the super good.

This nasty-looking beast is Scout, the newest member of my cousin Lynn's family. Scout is a black lab, famous for their energy, but she has two boys, Jake and Nicholas, to run her ragged and teach her the ways of the world. The first time I met her, she ran right up and put a couple little puppy piranha teeth into my hand. But dangit she's cute, so it didn't really hurt.

Whenever we next see her, be it next month or next spring, she'll be huge (and, no doubt, just as menacing a cur as she is in this photo).

Now for some sad news. These are a couple lovely apples from one of the trees on the property. It was was right on the river, between my grandma's and aunt and uncle's places. I say "was" because a few weeks ago a beaver got it. I'm bugged threefold: 1) the beavers have been active all year, so I should have seen this coming and could have easily prevented it; 2) of all the apple trees here, this by far produced the biggest and sweetest fruit; 3) I have no desire whatsover to either kill the beavers or see them gone, but when Monique and I found the tree down, I was not pleased with the thoughts of revenge / vengeance that entered my little mind.

All the other apple trees are protected, as are some of the shrubs, which the beaver have started taking en masse. But there are too many to protect, so it's got to be selective. One willow stump I protected this spring has 6' shoots; that one will stay protected.

In the living room, we have a 4'x5' window about 12' off the floor; from the outside, it's about 20' off the ground. It was cracked and had moisture between the panes, so we wanted it replaced. When "The Guy" came over to do it, I helped as I could, but much of it was left to his strength, balance, and confidence of hauling a broken window down a 24' ladder and pushing the replacement up the same ladder. Long story short, it's in, but it was almost a tragedy as Jeremy was very nearly knocked off the ladder as he moved the new window into the frame. I was on a ladder inside the house, watching as the window started backward -- there was nothing I could do. I still shudder at that image. Luckily (and unbelievably) he recovered his balance and somehow kept the window from falling.

Lastly, autumn is fully here. No snow in the Swans yet, but we're hopeful, maybe for the weekend. The turkeys have come back, we have a deer lick out and more hearty bird food in the feeder than just the black oil sunflower seeds.

Peace, and for our American friends who aren't (convicted) felons, please remember to vote next Tuesday.

Really, It's That Time Again?

2008-09-25T19:32:00.000-07:00

Yep, really. The first dusting of autumn snow fell on the Swan Range while we were in Arizona, there are piles of bear poo around, the turkeys are back, and we... are... home.

Home from a long, hot weekend in El Mirage, AZ, where theater simple worked their interpersonal magic and interviewed dozens of residents about what they like about their current community, and what they look forward to in the future.

Thanks to everyone's kindness and hospitality, and huge thanks to Maria, Racquel, Mike, and Jan.

Oh, and Monique is home, which is a grand thing. The latest installment of Myth Understandings went well, and Gerda's Journey was a hit. I'm confident this fall's run without Monique will be good, too, 'cause ya can't have her back right away!

We brought Christine, who plays the main character in Gerda's Journey, back to The "Cabin" with us. She was a superb houseguest and had no trouble embracing The Way of The "Cabin" almost immediately.

The first apples were picked and pied, the last of my huckleberries were eaten, and the inaugural game of Apples to Apples was played. We had a blast, and hopefully she'll be back to take more naps here.

It is quiet, it is dark, it is cool, and it is home. Four fundamentally good things. Peace!

Of Sleep and Sugar Water

2008-07-31T19:53:00.001-07:00

Clockwise from top: Dad, Silas, Lucy, Carla

I'm done apologizing for not posting as often as I could/would/should. There is something funny about this place, this "cabin," that makes one sleepy. I took this picture on the first day -- the first day! -- of our family reunion last weekend. Note the supreme gravity draw on the two dobies and my pop. Carla's only just hanging on.

I cannot be expected to blog in whatever bizarre hyper-relaxatory field is produced here. [note to work: just kidding]

The reunion was a blast, but I won't show pics 'cause I mostly took photos of the kidlings. Carla and I floated the river, my dad and I put new gate posts in at the road, and it was a good turnout in great weather. Grandma was in terrific form, saucier and funnier than I've seen her in a couple years. She's our matriarch, no doubt.

Monique was missed and asked about. Because I have a big ol' head cold, I say this for her sake... I'm glad she's not here right now. My sinuses have a grand capacity, and my head is very thick these past few days. If she were here she'd be taking care of me, and I'd be more focused on plowing through this. As it is, I'm doing well taking care of myself (made a big pot of homemade chicken soup the other day), and sort of "being" with my fogginess.

The birds are keeping me alert, going through two cups of bird seed every couple days, and a cup of hummingbird food every four. The day lily is about to bloom, as are the coneflowers, and yesterday I made it outside long enough to pluck and chomp our first ever raspberry. How cool is that!

In the good ol' summertime

2008-07-20T07:43:00.000-07:00

Monique took this photo of a little buck eating dogbane on July 7. Summer is a good thing.

I was in San Jose last week for a productive but long business trip and an excellent reminder of how good it is working from home.

The best parts of the week were:

#4: Mild weather. The week before it'd been over 100 every day; the week I was there, it was mid-80's.

#3: Using the light rail instead of a rental car. Inexpensive, convenient, safe, and very handy. Can't wait until Seattle's opens in 2009.

#2: Seeing giant redwoods for the first time. They're freakishly big trees that grow like weeds. The Big Basin Redwood State Park has some biggies, and this page has a lot of good photos of trees we saw.

#1: Alaska Airlines customer service + my inveterate earliness = a nice long dinner with Monique in Seattle!

I was booked on the 5p flight from San Jose to Seattle, but got to the airport early enough to see the 3p beginning to board. I asked if there were seats available, and not only got on the flight, but got an aisle seat in an exit row... hello LEGROOM! It was a wonderful flight up, Monique picked me up at the airport, and we drove to Spiros in Kent, my favorite Greek restaurant in all of Seattle.

After a great meal, we went for a little walk. It was a totally un-hectic, good couple of hours together.

It's good to be home.

My Early 42's

2008-07-13T06:19:00.000-07:00

Last Monday was my birthday, and Tuesday was Monique's. For mine we hiked into the Jewel Basin, a "neighborhood" hiking area with many alpine lakes. This shot is on the way to Black Lake, one of the easier destinations. You can see a little strip of Flathead Lake on the right.

I've hiked into the Jewel several times on my birthday... one year the glacier lilies were in full bloom, the next year there was snow everywhere. This year was in-between, with some snow around and wildflowers blooming on the hillsides.

In the afternoon we went for a float, got pizza, and relaxed, which we're quite good at. Turning 42 means nothing. I'm healthier and happier than when I was 32, and my life is better and fuller. Wisdom -- if I have any -- has come slowly, but then, I've always tried to pace myself.

For Monique's birthday we borrowed a sit-on kayak from my cousin Tom and, with our sit-in kayak, paddled from The "Cabin" to the bridge outside Bigfork. In a little over two hours we saw a huge amount of the river that was new to both of us. There are surprisingly, wonderfully, stunningly large undeveloped areas, so now it's easier to understand from where all the moose might come.

I eventually woulda explored the river, but Monique's wanted to do it pretty much since she first saw it. I appreciate her adventurousness and curiosity, AND the fact that it's responsible adventurousness.

For dinner we went to a nice restaurant in Bigfork and had salmon and garlic mashed potatoes. Garlic + Mashed Potatoes = lovely.

General note to floaters on the river: if you bring refreshments on your float, please think ahead and have a place for the empties. The river and riverbank are really thoughtless, stupid. On a completely unrelated topic that probably deserves its own paragraph but I've already started typing so why bother, I'm thinking of getting a pellet gun. You know, the kind with enough power to puncture... ooh, say, inflatable objects.

The Farm

2008-06-28T20:53:00.000-07:00

About 20 miles outside Big Sandy, MT, is my great-grandparents' farm.

Last weekend Monique and I joined my aunt and uncle and a cousin and his wife out there. It was my first time being at "The Farm" in spring -- mine were always autumn hunting trips -- and our first time there since my dad's uncle Ed passed away in February 2006.

I won't type much here, except to say we had a terrific time, it was beautiful, and I can't wait to get there again. The 5.5 hour road trip is SO much nicer now than when we lived in Seattle!

14 Hours and Counting

2008-06-10T21:09:00.000-07:00

June 10. Not March 10, or even April 10, but JUNE 10. This morning, around 8a, it started snowing here. Mostly rain with a little snow, but then it went the other way.

This was taken just before noon, when it had been snowing for almost four hours.

It's now after 10p, and it has snowed all day.

All -- stinkin' -- day.

Heavy, wet snow requiring tree shaking to unburden the leaves (and in the case of the giant lilacs, the flowers) of the slushy stuff. I don't remember too many days this winter when it snowed fourteen hours straight. If it freezes tonight, we'll have some tree damage, and the cherry orchards in the valley could get wiped out.

The other big news for the day is my sister and her two dobies are visiting.Lucy (on the couch) and Silas (on the floor) and Carla (not pictured... see her blog here) arrived this afternoon, we had pizza, we played in the snow, and in keeping with the rather odd weather happenings, we listened to Christmas music and watched the Peanuts Christmas Special after dinner.

All in all a terrific day. And given the incredible bizarre dangerous weather happening elsewhere in the country, I'll take a misplaced snow day anytime.

Here's hoping you all find the true meaning of Christmas this summer. Peace!

Lush

2008-06-08T07:12:00.000-07:00

The crabapple tree's flowers are mostly gone now, but it was a beautiful bloom. We've been weeding, and scattering seeds, and basically walking around saying "green!" to each other. (Yes, this picture focuses on pink, but you get my drift).

It's a rainy June so far, which is fine. More snow in the mountains, lots of free watering for the trees and garden, and when it does get sunny and warm up, it'll be all the sweeter.

We've lived here nine months now, and how time flies. Although the last snow melted from the field just over a month ago, it seems ages. The deer -- daily visitors throughout the winter -- are just now appearing again, having switched from their more reserved gray coat to the "traditional" tan spring/summer look.

We've taken the kayak out a few times, Monique having gone the furthest so far. It's a good little boat, and once I feel more confident in my balance, and once the river's dropped a little, I'll try it from upriver a ways. The water's still high, and the sound it over flowing by is one of my strongest childhood memories from the old cabin. Spring runoff is not done, but there's almost no "stuff" floating by -- the logs, branches, stumps, twigs, posts, and planks that were sitting low throughout winter have moved on.

Monique, me, and my uncle Bill cleaned out the swimming hole -- armed with rakes, we worked about 90 minutes to get the majority of stuff in our beloved swimmin' hole back into the current. I'm not a huge fan of making all that someone else's problem, but in this case, I guess I was.

Still haven't gone to Glacier Park, or the Jewel Basin, or Bond Creek. Maybe next weekend. Being around here is so fun and so energizing, I can only imagine what some of our favorite hiking places look like.

Spring

2008-05-22T20:20:00.000-07:00

Three hundred and nine shades of green, and at least that for sweet smells attracting all manner of bugs and birds. Our little river rising, scouring the banks, sending more than a smidge of offal on its way.

Rain, sun, hail, snow (not too far up the hillsides), more rain, oh, and wind.

It's spring!!!!

Haven't seen any new fawns yet, but my cousin and his mom saw a big -- big -- black bear by their house. They're situated in the woods, and it's far easier for animals to stealthily get near their place than our "cabin". I saw the pictures, and it's pretty hard to imagine that critter has been sleeping most of the last seven months. It was huge and healthy looking.

I love the little zzzwzzwzzwzzwzzw of the hummingbirds. After we put the feeder up, we had two and three visiting within an hour. They'd come before to check out the windchime, but how do they sense there's food that quickly?

The river hasn't risen today, and I can say with solid confidence about every willow twig we planted last year and earlier this year: unless it's on the slope of the riverbank, it's gone. The river's up about 3.5 feet, maybe 4, from last fall. I'd completely forgotten the force of it against the bank when it's up like this... I had to tie down the willow stumps to keep them from floating away, and I know the skinny shrubs around which I tied the rope won't be happy if the current tries again. Serves 'em right for having 1" thorns (spikes, really) every couple inches.

This shot shows my Grandma's dock (steel cable from it around the apple tree). The foreground dock is usually ten feet from the water, but the slope's gentle here, and a little rise means a lot of encroaching.

I drove into town today for gas (yay Costco!), and the Flathead river near Kalispell is amazing. Its legendary green color is more a sickly brown-green, and it is high. Oh, and I'd forgotten my Costco card, so that was a worthwhile lunch hour! My lameness sometimes surpasses my own expectations.

The Wild Mile kayak competition on the Swan this weekend should be a blast. I've not been before, and this is supposedly one of the better short runs in the country when the water's up.

2008-05-20T06:12:00.000-07:00

I've never understood how irises work. It's a long, flat leaf, there's really no stem, and from the long flat leaf flowers emerge. Amazing.

And you know what else is amazing? In the midst of stupid gas prices, a Long, Flat, Seemingly Endless Bataan Death March to the White House, and no permanent cure for simple allergies, trees and wildflowers and bugs are sticking to their schedule.

Monique's in California for the week, which means my diet has quickly devolved into cold Ravioli straight from the can, Sweet Tarts, and Rosauer's fried chicken. She's at a director's conference in Pasadena, and theater simple is performing there as well. It's weird not having her here, and this weekend for Memorial Day, it's gonna be weird not having any of my family here. Despite the holiday, I'm gonna try to go for a hike.

There's a log -- maybe 20 feet long and 10" diameter -- stuck against the big rock in front of the "cabin". It floated down sometime yesterday, and it's balanced perfectly. That takes some doing! The top is smaller and lighter than the bottom, so if it hit the rock in the middle, it would bounce off and float downriver. The rock face is definitely not flat, and the amount and force of water hitting the log is constantly changing.

This is a shot I took the other evening. Normally I like to hide buildings, power lines, etc., but I kinda liked the look of this, so I kept it in.

Spring... rebirth, regeneration, reawakening, hatching, cleaning, nurturing spring.

Ibuprofin and Tim Tams

2008-05-11T17:31:00.000-07:00

Green's bustin' out all over. It snowed yesterday, hailed today, but dangit, it's spring. The raspberry canes we got through FreeCycle are in the ground, and so are the perennials from Swan River Nursery. We even scattered wildflower seeds today. Lots of work in this rocky, clay-dominant ground, and we got rained and hailed on, but it's good being outside.

Digging, raking, planting, planning, puttering. Our 4'x4' garden bed has plants in it. Beans, peas, and various other veggies are in.

That's the "ibuprofin" part... as for Tim Tams, they're just about the best dang cookie (or "biscuit") ever. Here's a previous entry of mine about them... http://freetimeproductions.com/ozalbum/feb04.html. Llysa brought them back from Australia, and Monique brought them back from Seattle.

I have one more pine to transplant this spring, a lovely little tree I promised the power company I'd move so they wouldn't tear it out. That'll probably be it until autumn.

And the other monster news here: the garage is in! The garage is in!!Tuesday was the big day, when the 24'x30' building arrived by truck, courtesy of Kinninburgh Construction. The first pic shows them coming on the property, apparently about to take out a few trees. In reality, I didn't have to remove any, and they didn't even run any over. The middle picture shows them moving it into place over the slab, and a Montana Highway Patrol car... seems when the guys were moving it over the Flathead River during a rainstorm, some yahoo decided to ignore the flashing lights, the "Oversize Load" sign, and the guy holding a stop sign on the road, flew by, and crashed into the cars that had actually decided to obey the law. The moving guys did everything they were supposed to do; morons will be morons.

The final pic shows the garage bathed in evening light and the end of its first day at its new home. I waited until Monique got home Thursday before putting either vehicle in there.

Thanks and thanks and thanks again to Bill and Yvonne for the garage!

It's ALL about timing

2008-05-05T17:58:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid riding in our car, I used to wonder how the world would look if we'd left the house a minute earlier, if that stop light had stayed green another ten seconds. If that car that just passed us from Kansas had changed any one of a thousand points in its journey, I'd have never seen them.

I was reflecting on that idea this weekend, which I often do when I'm back in Spokane. Silas and Lucy, my sister's dobies, were in fine form Thursday and Friday, and this is a moderately rare photo... I actually got them to hold still close to each other. Silas (sitting) looks like he's winking, but it's either a half-blink or (more likely) Lucy spat in his eye to gain an advantage. Lucy's the alpha dog. She's also cute, sweet, demure, and a documented, unapologetic dirty fighter.

I also helped my folks prepare their new garden. It's a huge area, and a completely blank slate. We're still getting frosts here, so our starters are not ready for the great outdoors. They're ready, and we're ready, but the weather is not quite ready. Our little 4'x4' garden bed will be chock full o' green bits, when we can actually get stuff into it.

The world-famous Bloomsday race was Sunday, and it was a glorious morning. I wasn't able to get my usual perch, and had I arrived two minutes earlier, my second-favorite spot would've been open. I took a few pics of wheelchair racers warming up, and the start of the race for the elite women and men, and the wheelchairs.

Micah Kogo won in record time; in the photo below, he's number 103 (on the right). I've never been a runner. I could run fairly fast for a short period, but running -- jogging or sprinting -- has always been a painful, unnatural, un-fun activity.

I appreciate what good runners can do, and it's always fun watching someone who's genuinely gifted at their craft.

And finally, on the way home, I saw this lovely family. I won't say where I came across them, but as soon as she saw me, mama headed back up the hill and the triplets clambered dutifully behind.

Had I left Spokane five minutes earlier or later, I would have missed them. Had I not stopped at St. Regis (and I didn't need to), I would've missed them. Had I driven just a couple miles an hour slower or faster, ... ... ...

Timing.

Da Boyds

2008-04-23T20:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday at dusk I saw a bird's silhouette fly across the field. No biggie; there are lots of crows, ravens, and eagles around. But as soon as I saw it land at the top of a pine tree, I knew it was an owl. As it turned its head, I saw its Great Horns. Couldn't see color or any detail, but who cares?!? I've never seen an owl here at the "Cabin" before. How extraordinarily cool.

And this afternoon, amid huge snowfall and downpour, sun and wind, two good-sized toms came a-wanderin' by. We thought they'd be interested in the new black oil sunflower seed we added to the bird feeder (fondly remembering the pre-logging days of winter when several turkeys would hang out under or on the deck, waiting for bird seed). They passed on the food, but as they walked by the downstairs bedroom windows, the bigger of the two stopped, puffed out, gobbled, and challenged this usurper, this upstart, this... reflection. Needless to say, the brave bird was not in the least bit intimidated by his bad self.As he puffed and posed, he gave the window a few solid whacks with his beak. Then he and his turkey toady sauntered into the field, quite pleased with the big un's show of force and claim staking.

They're lovely birds, and super tasty, but not so smart. Not avian intellectual elites, shall we say.

Lots of robins about, Monique saw a dozen bluejays today, and yesterday I saw a golden eagle get chased up- and downriver by a raven that looked positively puny in comparison.

Birds are so cool!!

sweetmercifulheaven

2008-04-21T18:46:00.000-07:00

The fellow currently spending part of his days occupying the Oval Office in the White House, whether you like him or not, is having a rough go.

I SWEAR I'M NOT GOING POLITICAL ON THIS BLOG.

One of the president's tasks is presenting the face of America to the world. Many people thought his "Awesome speech" comment to the Pope was folksy, down-to-earth, and sincere. I don't know, nor do I know what I'd say if I got to meet a pope or comment on his comments. Anyway, yesterday on NBC's prime-time gameshow "Deal or No Deal," Mr. Bush made a cameo via satellite.

The contestant, a soldier back from his third tour in Iraq, was cheered on by the president, and then the president joked about his low approval ratings. Considering why his approval is low, it strikes me as sorta callous to joke about it with a soldier.

Anyway, there's a keen picture on the Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ The site is constantly updated, so if you go there and don't see the link, I'm sure you can use The Google to locate it.

It snowed today, though not the storm we were expecting over the weekend. Just snow, and wind, and sunshine. Our concrete slab is complete, and now the process of moving the garage can begin.

Our beans and sunflowers quickly grew beyond their initial peat pellet homes, so this weekend we transferred them to 5" peat pots. I do not understand the back of seed packets stating "plant indoors 6-8 weeks before final frost." The bean plants grew three inches over the weekend!!! Six to eight more weeks indoors and they'll be climbing the stairs!

We Got Slab!

2008-04-17T21:52:00.001-07:00

Okay, ya know what? Actually posting something should be optional with a clever title like that.

It's true, we're the proud owners of a 24'x32' monoslab! Many thanks to the incredibly efficient, professional, and good guys at Gembala Concrete! (FYI, the little blue box in the lower part of the photo is a 4'x4' garden box under a tarp).

The first cement mixer arrived at 9:00 this morning, they began pouring at 9:15, and were done at 10:00. Luckily it was much nicer than the snow flurries and cold wind we've had the last couple days, and it helps the concrete cure more quickly.

Rod, John, and Shane work well together, and they most definitely know what the heck they're doing. I watched for a while, in between phone calls for work and rewriting an invoice posting routine I've fiddled with on and off for months.

Tomorrow the form boards get removed, and in a couple weeks the slab will be set thoroughly, and the garage can be moved into place! There's also rough plumbing pipe in place so eventually we can have a sink / toilet / shower out there, and we have a line on a couple different wood stoves for heating the building.

I'm learning a lot living here... not so much about how to do things like pour concrete or rough-plumb, but more about how these things are not rocket science. I totally and unreservedly appreciate professionals doing their job, and I accept without hesitation that I could not do what they do with anywhere near the speed accuracy, confidence, or skill. However, PVC pipe is just PVC pipe, and digging a trench only takes skill in avoiding other buried gotchas like the power line and making sure it's graded properly.

Rambling, rambling. My point is, I'm gaining confidence (mostly theoritical) that I, one of the least mechanically-inclined people EVER, can maybe do some stuff around the property. That's exciting.

Plus with the economy tanking and Obama and Clinton having their time wasted by Stephanapoulos Gibson last night on ABC -- most of those questions were not worthy of a candidate in their first pre-primary run for school board -- Maverick McCain might just have a chance this fall. But sorry, I don't talk politics in this blog :)

We're in for a cold, cold, snowy weekend, but that last couple evenings have been beautiful.

Ground Breaking

2008-04-15T21:24:00.000-07:00

Today, even during a nice cold blustery Spring snow storm, we had the forms put in and our area prepped to have our slab poured for the garage! Already I find myself dreaming of the landscape after this addition will be welcomed. Where the garden plot goes, where the wood pile can stack...it feels like Christmas in a way! (well ok the snow helped that image along!)

Tomorrow the plumber comes out to do a basic rough in of pipe so that when/if we ever decide to have running water in our new car/toy and workspace sanctuary, we'll be able to do it without concrete being drilled.

(did I also mention that I have now fallen in love with Bobcats?) I'll have to put it on my birthday list :)

It is always enjoyable to watch people do what they do well. Today was no exception. I watched from almost every window of the house as they changed the landscape into a prepped and ready to go surface. Now if the weather will only cooperate! (we have a couple nights that look like they are going to dip below freezing again soon)....not the best for letting a newly poured slab form up properly. And as much as I've been enjoying watching this process....I don't want to have to see it twice because the first one didn't take!

Oh, and in other news....remember that tray that we planted just the other day? Seeds are bounding up all over. I can only imagine just how good the oxygen is in our home lately....we are becoming a beautiful greenhouse!

More to come.

Growth

2008-04-13T18:00:00.000-07:00

Spring is on! (even if we're scheduled to some pretty cold weather in the upcoming weeks)
Green is poking up everywhere we look and our living room is full of that lovely neon (doesn't quite look like it could be real) new green on willow sticks and branches that we've been nursing for a few weeks now.

We also have planted our first starter seeds (some vegetables and some flowers) in anticipation of being able to utilize the new planter box that Bob built the other day.

With any luck we'll have the concrete guy out this upcoming week to break ground where we are having our garage put in and then we'll have a place to not only keep our cars but start organizing (and accumulating) some fair weather toys.

Personally, I can't wait to get my bike out, put on my new tires and remember how it feels to ride for an hour or two.

Soon. :)

2008-04-13T07:49:00.001-07:00

One of the close-by mountains showing its snowpack and a couple avalanche paths in the evening light.

Meanwhile, down where the birds are singing and the trees are budding... well, birds are singing and trees are budding. Thursday it snowed, and Saturday it was in the 60's.

The convertibles were out, and open jeeps, and lots of Harleys. Note to the moron on the sleek yellow motorcycle: I don't wish harm on anyone, but you do 90mph on our little highway, and then accelerate on the straightaway, you are an idiot and I wish there'd been a cop at the junction to see you whizzin' by. I'd much rather read about your stupidity in the police reports than the obituaries.

It was a glorious day, and I was out in it. I transplanted a tamarack, built a little 4'x4' garden box, and looked longingly at the river. It FELT like swimming weather, but the snow across the river subtly reminded me no, not quite yet.

Today it'll be 70 degrees, a few of our little indoor seeds are sprouting in their peat-pellet mini-greenhouse (after less than two days!!), and it's time for a trip to the Swan River Nursery.

April 2 - First Day of Spring

2008-04-04T18:47:00.000-07:00

Forget this March 21 nonsense. On April 2 we saw an osprey for the first time since last fall. Robins, bluejays, chickadees, turkeys, and the first semi-swarm of bugs were prevalent on the 2nd.

And today, while I was walking along the river trying to solve a programming problem, I saw two figures down by the swimming hole. Cousins! Relatives!

It's snowing in the mountains, and raining here. It's superbly wonderful, this changing of seasons. Spring is distinct and wonderful in Seattle, but there really isn't that KAPOW transformation from winter because it's so mild.

Dug up our little Arbor Day trees the other day and put them in pitchers with potting soil. I hope they slept well through the winter. And I gotta say this about the Arbor Day foundation: the idea is a grand one, and everyone should plant as many trees as they can. But since I signed up and sent in my $10 last fall, I've gotten a couple dozen unsolicited mailings from companies OTHER than Arbor Day. The irony of an institution calling for the planting of trees and conservation, while at the same time selling their members' information, ensuring the customers receive lots of mass mailings... well, it's a whopper.

I've said it before, but I'm anxious to get outside and start playing in the dirt. We have lots and lots of seeds to scatter about the land :)

Peace and good weekends!!

Be Careful What You Wish For

2008-04-01T19:41:00.000-07:00

In my year-end letter, I said

We have ... sincere hopes for a white Christmas (and a white Valentine's Day
(and frankly, a white April Fool's Day)).

Well, lookie what happened! Woke up this morning to a solid, powdery snowfall. It's snowed most mornings (and more than a few afternoons) the past few weeks, with not too much accumulation. How cool that it snowed today. No foolin'.

I've never liked April Fool's day -- I do not wear practical jokes well. A few years ago I saw a truly heartless and illegal "prank": our then-director of HR, her subordinate, and the facilities manager pulled a couple people into a visible meeting room and told them they were fired.

HA HA HA Now THAT'S comedy! Yep, our corporate director of HR -- the person entrusted with every employee's personal information, the person responsible for lecturing each one of us on "appropriate" office behavior -- participated in this hilarious lark. I've seen a similar scene on "The Office," but even they wouldn't conceive that an HR DIRECTOR would have the 'nads to flip that crap.

Ahh, good times by responsible professionals; I miss them.* Really**

Right now we're listening to The Cambridge Singers, the album "Brother Sun, Sister Moon." One of my all-time favorites. The wood stove is crackling away, it's dark, and we've been at "The Cabin" seven months.

The turkeys are back, deer are feeding less on willow and more on the brave grasses sprouting up, and our driveway is nearly free of snow. Life is grand.

*A big, smelly fib
** Same, only bigger and smellier

You Can't Handle the Truth!

2008-03-29T07:03:00.000-07:00

Listen up you job-hating owl-hugging junk-science-loving America-bashing nutjobs.

Global warming, huh? Really? You and your tree-worshipping hippie screwball friends sure about that? Check it out, losers -- it's March 29, it's snowed six inches since last night, it's still snowing, and the whole region's under a snow advisory or heavy snow warning. Gee, that doesn't sound like warming to me!!

Seattle got snow yesterday! Spokane, Kalispell, all the way east past Havre. SNOW. Snow doesn't happen unless it's cold, folks. How can the earth supposedly be warming if there's big snow falling at the end of March? Hundreds and hundreds of miles of evidence just proved you completely 100% wrong!

I'd feel sorry for you if I didn't despise you and everything your solar-powered hand-wringing commie crowd stands for.

That hypocritical liar Gore flies around in his private jet, wasting fuel and scaring people with fantasy stories of glaciers melting. NEWS FLASH --America used to be covered by a mile-thick glacier, which means they've been melting for years!!! Somehow polar bears can't swim anymore, and sea levels are rising? You ever see an ice cube melt in a glass of water? The water level doesn't rise!!!! Meanwhile, ski resorts are still open, the mountains around here have lots of snow, and the second-greatest President of all time is 100% right, as usual.*

Gas is expensive because that's the way God wants it, losers.

P.S. Have a nice day.

* Greatest Presidents of the United States of God Bless America
1. Reagan
2. Bush Jr.
3. Bush Sr.
4. Lincoln
5. Jefferson
6... All the rest, down to the bottom of the bottom of the pile, your buddy Clinton! Deal with it, he's the worst ever!!!!

A typical day

2008-03-04T20:55:00.001-08:00

In case you are wondering what we do here at the cabin when it snows more than 8" in one night...here are some clues ;)

Monique "shovels" the snow out of the driveway

Bob marching out to play in the river. "Cold? nah...it's refreshing!"

Appreciation

2008-02-27T19:27:00.000-08:00

Last week I worked in San Jose. It's a nice office, face-to-face meetings are much easier than conference calls, and the hotel was nice. That said, San Jose has traffic. And the tap water tastes like chemicals. Oh, and I had to wear shoes to work. SHOES!

That aint right.

Got home late Friday night, and Saturday while I was puttering around outside pulling dead tansy stalks, it snowed a little. And it was a quiet, cloudy day. It was a perfect welcome home.

I appreciate my home, and working at home. I appreciate my family, my friends, my life, and my love. My godchildren Sarah and Nickolas are wonderful, Monique is a gem, and there are many people I respect and love very much.

inviting the darkness

2008-02-20T19:27:00.000-08:00

Monique here:

For those of you who didn't know, or who don't happen to look up at the night sky, tonight is a full eclipse of the moon. I'm still watching it as I type this. (It's lasting a lot longer than I thought it would).

I love a full moon in a snowy month. The glow outside during the night is stunning, magical and down right cool. But in my time standing outside attempting to get photos of the moon as it becomes veiled by the Earth, I was reminded just how many other things we don't see when the moon is full. Thousands and thousands of starts in the black sky. Distant (thank you) lights and how just a few placed together can create a very noticeable glow. And how things seem to even sound different when there is less light in the sky. I'm not sure how much of that last one is in my head, but the world seems completely new and different when we step out of the lime light.

It's hard not to love the moon. It is quite beautiful (and useful when you're out at night and don't have a flashlight!), but it is also good to be reminded how much else is going on around you that you can't see when you only focused on the brightest light.

I hope you all find pleasures and treasures in your own darkness. And remember now and then to look up! ;)

If We WEREN'T Here

2008-02-12T19:44:00.001-08:00

This is how it usually works: in the spring -- somewhere between late March and early May -- we come out to the "cabin" to open it after winter. It's always an anxious time for me... was the place hurt by winter, was it broken into, did it flood, etc.

We give the place a good once-over, clean and vacuum, survey the area, and see what's what. For years you couldn't see any lights unless they were on a relative's cabin. Since the electric co-op came through and thinned trees near the power line, we now have a direct view across the highway to a neighbor's yard light that could, if necessary, double as a runway light.

I won't get into the whole across-the-river tree situation, but certainly our view and privacy have drastically changed.

Aren't I Mr. Sunshine today? One more, and that's it. I promise.

Over the years 80% of our fixed windows have gotten moisture between the panes and eventually cracked; this winter the window at the top of the living room wall joined the club.

What I'm saying is, if we were still in Seattle, didn't know any of this had happened, and didn't find out for another two months, I'd probably have myself a fit.

On the plus side, yesterday was the anniversary of Dick Cheney shooting his friend in the face with a shotgun while "hunting" caged quail. Remember how up-front he was on it, and how dubya didn't find out for a couple days? That's just a solid public servant who knows his place.

A replacement window arrived today, Monique made shrimp scampi for dinner, our little tabletop herb garden is doing very well, and "Nickel Creek" is playing on the stereo. I'm glad -- I'm thrilled -- we're here. And I'll try not to worry too much about what might happen. Enough stuff really does happen that I shouldn't the possibilities fester.

Perspective

2008-02-06T19:22:00.000-08:00

Our area wasn't ravaged by tornadoes, leaving dozens dead and hundreds injured.
I don't have a fatal disease.
I didn't lose my job, wreck my car, or get stomped on by a cornered moose.
They did cut down a couple dozen trees across the river from us.

There, that's not so bad.

I took a walk across the river this afternoon, and apart from the 50-foot Steam Boundary Zone (SMZ), it's pretty much a clear-cut. Accomplished in one day.

I felt numb walking around, but the size and quality of the road the bulldozer created struck me most.

Nature lovers in their cars, as well as drunken idiots on ATV's, can now easily drive to where the river rounds the corner. We'll be able to see and hear them juuuuust fine.

Once a year I have a nightmare in which the land across the river is suddenly and completely transformed into a casino or motel. This is definitely not that, but it is real, it's ugly, and a nice area of forest is denuded. Yeah, stuff will grow back, but it woulda killed 'em to leave a few trees standing?

I Prefer Beavers

2008-02-06T07:47:00.000-08:00

There's logging happening across the river. It's state-owned land, but I doubt this is not part of a state-sponsored work program or vocational school. I wandered over yesterday and saw a vastly widened road and several dozen stacked trees. This morning they're logging directly across from us. In the last fifteen minutes seven trees were felled. It's 9AM... the math doesn't bode well.

I believe there's a law prohibiting logging with x feet of a riverbank. Aint seein' no one measurin' out there... just big, tall, healthy trees falling, one after another.

Wood products are necessary -- this cabin would be dang chilly if all the wood were removed. And since that forest was last logged in the 1970's, it definitely need cleaning. But if I trust whoever is doing this to be conscious and respectful, and they -- accidentally -- take just a few extra trees they really shouldn't, well, who's going to care? This is a timber region, by god.

Our view across the river is already changed; how will it look when they finally bring the logging truck down what was a small path, and take all they've cut? Guaranteed, there will be MUCH more traffic over because they "improved" the road.

Ignorance is Bliss

2008-02-03T19:49:00.000-08:00

It's 9pm on SuperBowl Sunday, 2008. The Game is over, and I don't know who won. I listened to a little ESPN radio this morning, but since coming home from errands, I've played outside, taken a nap, watered the plants, done some laundry, walked the property in my snowshoes (a.k.a. playing), and watched Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell in Groundhog Day. Come to think of it, we just had Groundhog Day and I don't know if six more weeks of winter is on its way or not.

Bliss.

The only times I've been a big football fan were when the Seahawks were young: Largent, Herrera, Krieg, Doornink, et al. John Elway was so good he actually got me rooting for the Broncos toward the end of his career, Favre is simply outstanding, and that's it.

I know the Patriots were 18-0 going into today, so they probably lost. But then, Brady is an amazing quarterback, and 18-0 aint just because the league's watered down with so many teams. Don't know anything about the Giants, which means they probably won.

But I honestly couldn't care less. Today I saw whitetail deer, turkeys, a pileated woodpecker, a dozen or so ravens, two ladybugs (indoors), and more fox tracks. The sun was out a while, Monique comes home tomorrow, and in 351 days dubya retires and the world can begin recovering. Life is good.

Clear and cold

2008-01-24T08:08:00.001-08:00

The past few mornings it's like we live in Yellowstone Park, only without the snowmobiles. Huge steam rising from the river, big ol' chunks of ice floating by (more on that in a sec), and sincere cold*.

* cold for these parts, not cold for Minnesota, North Dakota, Michigan, Maine, New Hampshire, et al.

We don't have a thermometer, so we rely on the internets for weather info. We know the websites aren't accurate for us; a forecast for Bigfork (eight miles away) really means Kalispell (30 miles away). If they say 20% chance of snow, we'll get six inches. We do know it's been below zero every night since Sunday, and the high hasn't been very. The only burden has been trying to start the vehicles every few hours to keep their vital fluids from freezing.

But the scenery... astonishing! Brilliant stars, lots and lots of river steam, and crystal clear skies. Two days ago I decided to go for a river walk. Waders, ear muffs, cheap driving gloves, camera... check!

I'm totally comfortable in water and I know this part of the river quite well, but I'd never been in water with ice before. What's floating on the surface may or may not have bulk below, but regardless: ice has mass, and moving ice has kinetic energy that can't be ignored. Of course I chose noon for my walk -- sun high, the "warm" part of the day. Guess what? That's also when most ice chunks break loose and float downriver.

Here's a shot of me in my waders and tennies, among clouds of bottom ice. The ice consistency is much like a DQ Mr. Misty^TM (ahh, the width and breadth of my education and life experience comes to the fore). It's not slippery at all.

My toes grew cold immediately, but I stayed dry. As soon as I entered the current, ice floated by. Most slushy and harmless, but some was big, several inches thick, and pointy! The beast in the photo below was about about twelve feet long, five wide, at least four inches thick, and moving quickly. I knew enough to not turn my back to the current.
Only got whammed once, by a sneaky chunk just below the surface. It wasn't pointy, but it was solid, and it hit me on the thigh. Monique watched as I took at least ten minutes to walk the last 20 feet back to shore. I was scanning upriver, waiting for a moment when not much (visible) ice was floating by. I wasn't scared, but I definitely knew my timing was poor and my toes were numb.

The snow is deep, beautiful, white, and it has those little sparkle flecks. Supposedly by Saturday the temps will soar to near-freezing... T-shirt weather!

This last shot is of frozen old footprints (mine), evoking a photo from the moon. The only footprints upriver from us for quite a ways, are mine. Mine and the deer's and the beaver's. That's just good.

by the light of the....

2008-01-20T19:13:00.000-08:00

Monique here...on a cold clear beautiful night here in Montana.
It has been a beautiful weekend of amazing weather, snow-shoeing and just enjoying the lovely winter here. It won't be a long post tonight...but then again they say that a picture is worth a thousand words....so here are a few thousand to hold you over.

I hope you're all warm and snug in your own deep mid-winters!

Hunkering Down

2008-01-19T17:13:00.000-08:00

While these frozen rounds of river foam look like floating rice cakes, I assure you, the foam tastes much, much better. No, I didn't try one, but I have eaten rice cakes, and I stand by my guarantee.

Stomach issues sidelined me today as Monique and some friends saw Johnny Depp's "Sweeney Todd" in Kaslipell. I stayed home, played a lot of Yahtzee (my family knows exactly what I mean), and watched snow fall. Lots of it.

Yesterday at lunch Monique and I went down to the Swan River National Wildlife Refuge and trekked around in our snowshoes. First off, how completely cool that I can visit a National Wildlife Refuge on my lunch hour! And second, once we got a couple hundred yards in, ours were the only tracks around. Walking back I felt tired, and since then I've been wiped out. I've been taking vitamin C, drinking tea, and only went outside to knock a few icicles off the house.

It's very quiet around here. I don't really pay attention to traffic noise, unless it's unusually heavy or light. Just a bit ago a logging truck passed, and I realized that was the first big truck I've heard all day. Woo Hoo!! Come summer, maybe I'll try the trick I heard from one of my aunts... steal a "Road Closed" sign and stick it on the highway.

Just kidding, any authorities monitoring blogs for suspicious or potentially suspicious activity!! ^HA_HA Wouldn't dream of interrupting commerce on Montana's rural highway system to reduce noise and traffic and pollution! No way, José!

The Christmas tree is down and chopped up, the decorations are boxed up, but until the snow leaves, some of the outdoor lights are staying up. They look so good!

Here's a shot looking down the river. Where the current slows, and especially in the shallows where the bottom is uniform, there's quite a bit of ice. If the high over the next two days only hits 10 as forecasted, with lows around -10, the ice should expand nicely.

Eek! A Week!

2008-01-11T18:29:00.000-08:00

A whole week's gone by since I (Bob) posted. The big wildlife news is that both Mutt & Jeff are still around! One morning there were nine deer roaming around, including the two boys and two of their chums. Dunno if I've ever seen four bucks in the same place at once, PLUS there were five girls around, too. That was amazing.

Work's been quite busy for me, and for the first time in my life, I've taken to playing Tetris. For me it's the new Sudoku, and greatly helps explain why I haven't blogged more recently.

Politically we watch from afar... Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, gettin' geared up for Florida and the biggies. Anyone who wants to get a glimpse of the insanity of caucuses need only watch West Wing, especially the episode where Toby, Josh, and Donna are left behind by the motorcade. I promise I won't get political here, but The Daily Show and The Colbert Report -- even without writers -- are still the best and most honest political shows on TV.

We've gotten a lot of snow lately, which we love, but this weekend's s'posed to warm up. We'll have some left whenever it snows again, but Kalispell only had a few inches to begin with.

I feel really out of practice on this "typing my thoughts" thing... gotta try to do better and more frequently.

Bliss

2008-01-08T21:16:00.000-08:00

We have found a great new use for our wood stove!

Granted the idea that the wood stove gives off HEAT is not a new one. And the concept that the heat from the wood stove can make water also hot (if placed in a proper container on the top of said wood stove) is not beyond our mental thinking--in fact we tend to keep a kettle on most all the time to keep some moisture in the air.

But tonight...in a stroke of genius, we put this knowledge to a wonderful use. The lovely little foot bath that Bob gave me for my birthday a while back has one small flaw...the water cools too quickly when you use it. Not so if you heat up a stock pot of water on the wood stove and dish it in to foot bath!

The result...happy, toasty, soft and lovely toes.

It may be snowing outside,...but it's not winter in here!

mmmmmm

Happy New Year!

2007-12-31T21:39:00.000-08:00

We were just outside (10:30p) shooting off a few fireworks. Fret not, family; there are still a few left for July 4th. :)

Took zero pictures today, because I was either working inside or outside. Both photos in this post were taken yesterday, during a brief appearance by the sun just before sunset.

Our two cords of wood are now completely split, and the only stuff left to do are the rounds I ferried across the river; they're still down by the dock.

New Year's Eve was always a struggle for me, because a) I don't drink; b) I don't stay up late; c) I'm not a party person. Oh, and d) I'm not a social person. I've made it to midnight many times, including for the fake millenium celebration in 2000. I was in Kent Washington, and walked over to a small park where people were (illegally) shooting fireworks. I guess I was curious to see if the power would go out, America would collapse, etc.

Tonight is more casual, and but for neighbors' fireworks, I may be asleep by midnight.

I remember staying up in Spokane, watching Dick Clark, then going outside with those spinny noisemakers and little quasi-kazoo horns.

Last picture for the year, taken yesterday from the riverbank. Peace, blessings, and good fortune to everyone in the new year. -Bob

Let it Snow, and Snow, and Snow

2007-12-28T18:32:00.000-08:00

Bob here, with a few shots and thoughts from today. It's snowed almost continuously for two days, maybe ten new inches. Also in that time, there's been a group (herdette) of six whitetail deer around, including this cute little fella. A genuinely nice surprise today was Monique realizing one of them is Mutt, the uni-antlered young buck we saw so much of in autumn. Good to see he made it through hunting season, and good to see him hanging out with some cute females.

Christmas was relaxing, unstressful, peaceful, and fun. It was so quiet -- no logging trucks -- and so beautiful with snow and critters about. I didn't overdo on food, except maybe popcorn; the last three nights we've watched each part of the Lord of the Rings trilogy (extend-o version).

Monique's building a jigsaw puzzle, one of her favorite things to do here at the "Cabin," and perfect for this time of year. Yesterday after chopping some wood, I took the kind of catnap where when you wake up, you're exhausted the rest of the day.

Today at lunch we drove up Bear Creek Road for a hike. We walked for over an hour, and combined to take a couple hundred photos. There were deer tracks, old cross-country ski tracks, and older ATV tracks, but no other footprints we saw. The smallest, thinnest tree branches had inches of snow perched on them. The slightest breeze, of which there very few, sent snow cascading down through the trees.

You always hear the hum of trucks in the valley from Bear Creek, but it was so lovely up there, snowing lightly, and as I said, we didn't see or really hear anyone else. A big doe sprang across the road, but I had no chance for a picture. If a couple more inches falls, it'll be time to break out the snowshoes!!

Making our way back to the truck, you can see Monique found a big ol' pothole in the road. But she didn't panic, and my old lifeguard skills (and a large pine branch) got her out safe and sound.

Kidding!

We got home, cranked up the wood stove, hung the wet bits to dry, and thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon: turkeys and deer stopped by for bird seed, snow fell, we both got good work done, and another grand day here slipped into evening. I don't want to take the Christmas lights down until there's no snow. It's soooo cool out there!

Merry Christmas

2007-12-25T08:31:00.000-08:00

Several snowflakes per minute are falling as our music server randomly serves up Amy Grant, Vince Guaraldi, "Christmas Cocktails," Chanticleer, and about 90 other artists. Some songs are downright scary, obviously made because, as an "artist," you have to have a Christmas CD. Others are supremely beautiful. Our newest favorite CD is "Have Yourself A Prairie Christmas" by our dear friends Edd and Theresa. Tremendously gifted people, them.

Yesterday before Monique's niece Sarah came over, we went for a river walk. It was very quiet and peaceful, and it started snowing. Later, with cookies and ornaments made and wrapped, we took Sarah home and had a blast at their party. Kids, lots of presents and lots of good food!

Expectations are fickle critters, especially around Christmas, music, and church. Admittedly mine were not high as we drove to Bethany Lutheran church in Bigfork for their candlelight service (after fifteen years at Immanuel in Seattle with Joan Lundquist as music director, and Kevin's sermons at Advent in Mill creek, I'm spoiled). Last night I was very pleasantly surprised with the sermon and the music, both supplied by pastor Joe Strandjord.

Last Christmas Eve at Immanuel we heard a sermon I can only call dreck. Being at Advent Lutheran for the 11p service felt like taking a shower, and completely underscored, reinforced, and exemplified our reasons for leaving Immanuel.

After the service we came home, opened a present each, and watched the 1951 "A Christmas Carol" with Alistair Sim. In places it veers wildly from the book, but Mr. Sim's Scrooge is my favorite movie version. Overall, and without doubt, Strawberry Theatre Workshop's Fellow Passengers is now on top of my list. I hope they do it again sometime!

It's now snowing for real, Harry Connick Jr. is on, the Jell-O is setting, the turkey is being prepped, and munchies and goodies abound.

Merry Christmas!

Moonrise and Cancer

2007-12-21T20:56:00.000-08:00

A cord of wood is 128 cubic feet (3.6 cubic metres). The first time I bought firewood here, a guy showed up in his little pickup with a huge load of wood. He assured me it was a "fat" cord, meaning over the standard. By the time I got it stacked and could take a rough measure, I realized it was, at most, half a cord. Rrrrrg

We have some of that left, but hopes for a real winter prompted me to call another guy and, and today he delivered it. A cord of wood is 128 cubic feet (3.6 cubic metres) or, to a layman like myself, a big-ass pile of wood.

I like splitting wood, and so asked for it un-split. Maybe woulda been better to ask for a little un-split, 'cause we have about 40 "rounds" that weigh at least 50 pounds each.

As I stacked this afternoon, the moon rose over the Swan range as the solstice sun threw bright pink light on the mountain. Didn't grab my camera, but I revel in knowing there will be other moonrises over the snow-covered mountains.

Got an e-mail from a dear friend today with the horrible news that she has leukemia. I don't know what to write, say, pray for, or think. We're not in the same city anymore, and don't see each other every week at church like we did for over a decade. Sometimes a good long hug says what needs said. She's got a large community of support for those hugs and love, and lots of remote support from Bigfork, Montana.

Weather of a dynamic sort

2007-12-19T21:52:00.000-08:00

So much fun with this crazy weather. Sun, sleet, snow, rain. Last weekend we were in Hall visiting Monique's folks. First time taking the truck on a road trip, and it did great. It was good seeing her parents, too, as it had been over a year since I spent time with them.

The electric co-op was by this week to clear trees. Sad to see young and healthy trees felled because one day they'll be tall enough to interfere with power lines. Over the next few years I'll be more vigilant and make sure young 'uns growing in the ditch are transplanted someplace nice and safe.

The wind's been amazing, and giant clumps of snow crash off the roof. Oh, and the turkeys are starting to rap on the windows. We may try cardboard cutouts of foxes propped in the windows to dissuade the goofballs. And think, Franklin wanted the turkey as our national bird. At least, that's what I think I remember from 5th-grade history.

Beautiful Snow

2007-12-10T21:19:00.000-08:00

I remember watching breathless Seattle reporters when snow fell. With an inch on the ground, they'd jam a ruler into a lawn and say, with a straight face, "You see here, already four to six inches, and there could be much more in places."

To which I say "nine". From yesterday at noon, through early this morning. Powdery, but not drifted. Nine inches.

We woke up to a glorious morning, and though clouds came through a couple times, blue sky and sunshine dominated, and it was stellar. Yesterday morning there was no snow around here. This morning there was a deep blanket of pure powder.

Between projects at work, I ran around outside like a spastic puppy. Took over 300 pictures today... with white snow in trees, clear blue sky, and a river, it's not a difficult task to take some good ones. I made tracks all over the field, sometimes following a deer path, other times going off on my own.

I remember Spokane, playing at recess at Indian Trail Elementary, throwing snowballs or frozen pinecones into fresh snow-laden trees, trying to get them to dump their snow either on us or our friends. Sledding at Holmberg Park, or on one of the small hills near our house.

Today was cold, invigorating, and completely why we moved here; very little traffic, quiet, beautiful, peaceful, wonderful. Last night while it was snowing hard, we went for a walk. Down this lane and that one, we didn't go far, but snow creates new landscapes and exciting possibilities of exploration. Our lone tree out by the road simply glows with snow on it. LED Christmas lights are beautiful and energy-efficient.

Gotta post some photos on my website... soon!

PJs, Christmas Lights, Peppermint treats and Stars

2007-12-07T20:03:00.000-08:00

that is part of my list of things I'm grateful for tonight....(and of course I'm grateful for Bob who was smart enough to put all those things together and suggest that we go for a quick drive over to Bigfork to look at the lights while in our pjs. BEST IDEA EVER...well...ok...but it's got to be close. ;)

Bigfork has done a fine job in showing their holiday spirit with plenty of the big 'old-school' lights hanging from the trees and rafters as well as some of the newer LED lights. My favorite I think was the way they've decorated the old one lane bridge into town...garland and lights and trees with red bows....very classy!

My favorite part of the field trip however, (besides the spontaneous idea and implementation) was having the holiday lights topped by the original Christmas lights already hanging in the sky. The night is clear and dark and the fact that you can tell just how much the Earth has tilted by the new placement of the Milky Way in the night sky is truly awe inspiring.

It was a refreshing night, not only from the frosty temperature....but from the stress of the day having spent most of it at the hospital with my Sister-in-law and my niece. Nicole needed some pretty extensive dental surgery and so they had to do it at the hospital where they could put her under. The surgery took a little over an hour, but with the prep and the waiting...we were there from 9:30 until almost 2:00....Nicole did well considering that she's only three!

So needless to say this evenings jaunt was a blessing and a needed change....Bob and I enjoyed a small peppermint blizzard (thanks to Dairy Queen) and then returned to our warm cabin---which is also nicely lit with four outdoor trees covered in small LED lights and our first Christmas tree here together...it is the perfect size and the perfect fit in our lovely space. Our collection of ornaments are all out and shining nicely and if there was ever any doubt of what time of year it is....doubt no more.

Tomorrow: Karen and Terran are coming for visit so that we can watch Terran's stage debut in the Pied Piper with Missoula Children's Theater and so that we can make (and I'm sure snack on a few) Christmas cookies.

Blessed.

Settled In for the Night

2007-12-02T21:00:00.000-08:00

I found this "stick ice feather" yesterday in the shallows of the river. Patterns in nature fascinate me. From butterfly wings to riverbank shapes, nautilus shells to fractal geometry, beauty is beauty.

A few days ago Monique saw a bald eagle swoop up right over the house; I was outside too, but on the opposite side of the house. Never saw a thing.

I try to pay attention. It focuses my mind, connects me to my imagination, and inspires me to learn about critters. We have a group of ladybugs wintering under the wood pile on the deck, and wild turkeys are visiting regularly. Monique found a beautiful spider egg sack on the underside of a stick yesterday -- it was like a pale yellow polka-dotted candy egg. I'm amazed by teeny insects and fragile-looking deer surviving sub-freezing temperatures.

This photo shows prints on a tenuous thin sheet of ice... I'm pretty sure it's from a feral cat. We've seen a couple different cats around here, but I haven't seen one in the past few weeks. Snow is nature's fingerprinter.

Tomorrow is my dad's birthday -- Happy Birthday, Pop!

Mostly Photos

2007-11-30T21:25:00.000-08:00

Roger Smith died today. He was made famous to most of us through Michael Moore's documentary Roger & Me, about GM's massive plant closings in Flint Michigan in the late 1980's, and a few of the real people it affected. Condolences to his family and friends.

Tonight after dinner, we watched Roger and Me. I won't get political or rebellious tonight, so I'll just say Moore, who was much softer in those days, really skewered Smith, GM, and some blind (and/or clueless) supporters like Pat Boone, Miss America^TM© Kay Lani Rea Rafko, and a couple unforgettable mid-level county cogs straight out of Guffman's Blaine, Missouri (great analogy, Monique!).

It got up to 20° today, and for the very brief time the sun was out, I was down by the river taking pictures. The clouds chased the sun it as rose, eventually catching and overtaking it.

Frozen droplets

Steam and frost
Very cold water acting like hot springs...
Rocks in IceMorning Serenity

Chilly Morning

2007-11-30T05:44:00.000-08:00

Cold, clear, moonlight spills in the windows. Baby, it's cold outside! The forecast said a low of 5°F (-15°C); what it actually is, I don't know.

The stars are absolutely brilliant this morning, and the waning moon is high. Last night, before the moon rose... the stars were stunning. When I was in Seattle in October, we attended Strawberry Theater Workshop's "The Life of Galileo," which I liked for three reasons:

Our friend Andrew Litzky was in it, and dangit, he's good.
It's uncomfortably and unfortunately relevant to today's struggle between science -- and sometimes plain common sense -- and the increasingly co-mingled church-run government. In Galileo's day, the church was the government... you see my point.
I've always loved imagining what a place was like before electricity. Imagine the world before incandescent lights. Imagine what the stars, and more importantly, the moon and the sun, meant to people.

And the cold reminds me of the first season of "West Wing", the Christmas episode, "In Excelsis Deo." The main story is, a homeless person dies in the cold, Toby is contacted by the police because the man was wearing an overcoat Toby had donated, and Toby discovers who the homeless man. It was the first "West Wing" I ever saw, I've now seen them all, and that one is still my favorite.

Cold is good when one is protected from it. We are, and I'm very grateful.

New Additions

2007-11-27T20:17:00.000-08:00

(Bob) We have a wood-burning stove, firewood, and many matches. We have warm clothes, hats, boots, and an endless supply of pinecones to fend off potential wildlife attacks. And now we have a truck.

A 4WD Ford F-150 joined our ranks today. It's the same color as the Honda, and about seven times bigger.

It feels good having a four-wheel-drive vehicle for the winter, and something we can use for hauling, hiking, camping, and maybe someday, towing.

Last night the forecast was 100% chance of snow. Outstanding, we thought. This morning we awoke to find it had snowed -- about 1/8 of an inch. This afternoon it came a little more steady, and it's so beautiful. Kalispell has almost no snow, and while we don't have much, it's sticking here, probably owing to our proximity to the mountains.

Buying big-ticket items has always been hard for me. Cars, stereos, cameras, ... I simply don't spend money freely. Never have. The truck -- our truck! -- was a good price, we feel good about the seller, Monique's brother gave his mechanic blessing, and we definitely needed a winter vehicle. With all that, my natural inclination is procrastination and (to cut myself a break) frugality.

Our Christmas decorations are out, but the house isn't quite fully festooned yet. We've put lights on a few trees outside, and they look so good! Literally, there are no other lights visible from our cabin, one of the best things about living here.

Thanksgiving in Spokane was great. We had a good time with my family, despite a scary (and a completely happy ending) MIA episode with Silas (Mr. November on flickr). The Dinner was incredible as always, and the day-after shopping went well and quickly.

Stupid Sink

2007-11-20T22:38:00.000-08:00

Heard dripping while I was doing dishes tonight. Didn't notice it for a while because, well, I was doing dishes. And singing. But when I drained the sink, I distinctly heard dripping down where there ought not to be none. I opened the cabinet door et voila, one of the pipes had separated from the sink drain! Took about 20 minutes to clean under the sink, towel everything off, and jam stuff back together. Dunno why it happened or if my "fix" is secure; it must've been coming loose for a while. Crazy.

On a far better note, a few pics from yesterday and today. S'posed to hit the mid-teens tonight, and maybe a little more snow. FINE BY ME!!

A: Waders, Towels, and a Small Inflatable Raft

2007-11-18T09:06:00.000-08:00

Q: How do you get a thousand pounds of wood from one side of the river to the other?

Yesterday morning I took a friend's borrowed chainsaw and set out for the downed trees across the river. As the crow flies, it's maybe 75 yards. Driving there takes about ten minutes, and another couple to walk to the water's edge. Thank goodness there isn't a road that goes to the riverbank, but had I wanted to carry logs home in the trunk of my car, I couldn't have gotten the big ones through the brush and woods to my car in any easy way. And it would have taken at least ten trips.

Physically the hardest part of the whole day was getting the chainsaw warm. For the first 45 minutes, I expended huge energy pulling and pulling to get it going, only to have it work a minute, then sputter and die. Once warmed up it worked great, and I'm grateful to Marty and Susan for lending it to me.

I got ten big logs (18" diameter) and 28 small (6" diameter). My path is artfully charted below.
Paddle to the tree, put one large and a couple small logs on towels in the raft, shove off, and paddle to the dock. Empty the raft, repeat.

By the time I got the last logs over, it had been raining hard for a couple hours. My waders worked perfectly, and while I was cold, I wasn't wet.

After a very long shower and a big dinner of lasagna, sparkling cider, and ibuprofin, I sat by the fire and listened to the pouring rain. I'd like to get more of the tree, but I'm sore. Hands, back, neck, shoulders, intercostals... all of it.

Best part of the day was the wildlife. Saw two turkeys the size of barstools, a small ruffed grouse, and while struggling to get a log into the raft, a bald eagle flew upriver, only twenty feet off the water. I love owls and ravens, but bald eagles are so impressive.

Today will be about a walk, maybe watching "30 Rock" and "Scrubs" on the internet, and stretching. I should take advantage of the chainsaw while I have it, yet self-preservation and pragmatism will likely win out. I appreciate this about myself.

about the weather...

2007-11-13T19:09:00.000-08:00

(Monique here) We had a big wind storm last night that blew down a couple of trees across the river (thankfully nothing on our side!)....now to try and figure out how to get the wood from those fallen trees cut and floated across to us! A slightly easier task in a warmer season...but then we wouldn't need the wood!

Today was a beautiful moody day...with sun beams and dark clouds fighting for center stage. And since it was my last full day at home for a week I was glad to have the opportunity to be here to witness it.

Nature is good.

A Frosty Path

2007-11-11T13:37:00.000-08:00

The landscape outside was covered in silver this morning when we woke...the bright lovely morning light with a pretty hard frost was enough to get us up and grabbing cameras and slippers to go play outside....until it started snowing! Yes!! Our first real solid snow fall in the lowlands. Nothing is on the ground yet, and the snow didn't last nearly as long as either of us wished it would, but as I type this another round of weather seems to be approaching...perhaps we'll have a nice cozy snowy Sunday yet....

(and I can say cozy since we have a lovely wood stove with a nice warm fire going in it!)

I got a couple of fun shots, but as always,

I can't wait to see Bob's photos!

Glass and Fishes

2007-11-06T06:18:00.001-08:00

Saturday was momentous. Not only did Greg ("The Guy") show up to replace the windows, but he was on time, he brought his near-stoic chocolate lab along, and the job went smoothly!

Clear glass! No moisture betwixt panes! It's magic, it's wondrous, it's... it's beautiful.

I've learned more about how my house works, how relatively easy it is to replace the glass in our windows, and just exactly how heavy double-pane 4'x5' windows are.

Sunday I went fishing on the St. Joe river in Idaho with my dad and his friend Tom. It was my first time seeing the St. Joe -- what a beautiful area, and what a beautiful river.

We caught over 20 trout in about four hours, mostly rainbow and a couple brown. Catch and release is a good thing, and with barb-less hooks, it's pretty easy to get them back in the water quickly.

Dad caught the first fish, the biggest fish (15 inches), and the most fish. Because of his bad knees and the terrain from the road to the riverside, he also made the most noise. And when he's fishing well, he spreads the love, making sure the rest of his party knows just how well he's doing.

Busy Weekend Ahead

2007-11-03T05:59:00.000-07:00

Everywhere I've lived, people say "Well, you know what they say: if you don't like the weather, just wait 15 minutes, 'cause it'll change!"

This place is no exception. It's Saturday morning, the last day of Daylight Saving Time this year. It's cloudy, and it is dark. I went outside to see if Venus was around, but clouds are scattered in this part of the valley. There's a south wind, much warmer than the previous couple days. Yesterday at noon there was still ice on the river (where the sun hadn't reached the shallows).

Today, for the second time, I'll finish the "Harry Potter" series. Hard to imagine western storytelling without it. Just ten years ago, a poor, unknown author was finishing up the first chapter about an orphan boy who didn't know he was a wizard. The bulk of the whole story was laid out and thought through, which is only partly why it's so good. It's remarkable to think she used her initials because her publisher worried about a woman not being marketable to boys. Then again, nobody wanted to back Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" movies because they didn't know if that could be profitable. Ahh, experts.

So "Harry Potter" will finish today, and the front windows will be replaced in a couple hours. What hesitation in typing that sentence! What trepidation, challenging fate to ignore the appointment!

I feel completely unprepared for winter. The wood stove is in and working beautifully. I need to get studded snow tires for the Honda. And we need a 4wd. And to figure out a way to protect both from the weather. And wood -- we need more wood, and a dry spot to store it.

I want winter. I want deep snow and cold. But I've procrastinated and now we're in November and it could happen any time.

En Fuego

2007-11-01T19:57:00.001-07:00

This is a picture of winter security, of cozy warmth against a (hopefully) long, cold winter. This is a picture of a herkin' heavy wood stove that is now in "The Cabin"!

Two burly guys delivered and installed it, complete with tall stovepipe, chimney on the roof, and only two thankfully small incidents: 1) the guy on the roof cut his elbow on some metal sheeting, and 2) the guy on the ladder inside slipped off and twisted his ankle. Couldn't have been too bad, though, as he refused any Costco-sized ibuprofin.

Here's a shot with a hole in the roof. Lemmee tell ya, as a homeowner who's just recently become a full-time resident of said home, I was fascinated at how easy it was (for someone who knows what he's doing) to cut a hole in the ceiling, remove some insulation, and cut a hole in the roof!!

There's no way I'll be trying any of that stuff anytime soon, but it certainly helped reduce the mystery of how people routinely whack holes in their houses for the sake of "home improvement."

The guys did a great job, and my only complaint is a small one: they didn't clean up their job site well. Inside they vacuumed and picked up everything very well, but outside I found metal roofing, plywood, and other bits and pieces that had just been thrown to the ground. It would have taken a minute to clean it up, but they didn't. That's the ONLY reason I don't give them an A+ for the morning's work... they'll have to settle for an A.

Now all that's left is finding a cord or two of good wood and, theme of "The Cabin" so far, someplace to store it.

The Spokane/Seattle trip was good, although short for me. Got to see and spend some good time with my parents and sister, Andrew and Llysa, Edd and Theresa, and my godson Nickolas and his newish baby sister Rowan. Had some great food, saw a good play, drove a heckuva lot, and dropped Monique in Seattle for a week of meetings and work. Can't wait until she's back so we can lounge by the fire and figure out where all the furniture goes that used to be in that corner.

This last pic is a stitching of five I took this afternoon... the right side is just slightly darker than reality was, but I'm pretty happy with the panorama result.

Wowzers

2007-10-24T18:46:00.000-07:00

(Bob) Yesterday evening this was our sunset. Last throes of pink daylight, moonrise, snow sprinkled on the mountains. And it was a very warm day, which is why there isn't much snow left.

Venus in the morning has caught and held my attention the last couple mornings, so bright and big in the eastern sky. As a kid, and thankfully still today, I wonder what the sky looked like before electric light washed so much of it away. It's no wonder people worshipped, feared, followed, and "read" the night sky.

Imagine: a strong meteor shower with no moon and no interfering light, anywhere.

A crisp, cold, winter night, and the full moon illuminating a valley.

A moonless winter solstice in upper Canada or Alaska, with the Aurora Borealis dancing for days.

Imagine (types the guy with more lights on in the house than he needs) what the night sky looked like just a few hundred years ago.

Oh, and yesterday on my river walk I saw a HUGE crawdad (is that the same as a crayfish?) eating a smaller one. There certainly won't be many days left this year where an hour-long walk in the water will feel as good as that one did.

Yesterday at lunch we moved Monique's granparents' rosebush from beside the garage on their old farm to just by the cabin here. It's about seven feet tall, and should thrive nicely in the sunny spot. I wish there was a way to save that property.

Contacted "The Guy" #3 about our windows -- he's coming out next Monday afternoon to take a look at the job. Please, please, please.

all in the family...

2007-10-21T20:23:00.000-07:00

We got to visit with my Brother's family tonight...Sarah is next to me, Nicole is playing hide and seek and that handsome little fella on the left is Justin....what a cutie! It was great getting to see everyone and to hear Nicole chatter away (Basically trying to say everything that her big sister--light of her life--was trying to tell us), and to see how much Justin has grown. My other favorite thing was watching Justin taking everything in...and the special little moment between him and Bob.....

Hunting Season

2007-10-15T19:33:00.000-07:00

(Bob) Saturday morning some bowhunters asked my cousin Tom for permission to track a young buck on his property; they'd shot it on a neighbor's property. He agreed, went with them, and after an hour they found the arrow had worked itself out, and the deer had crossed the highway.

It made me think about when I hunted vs. how I feel now.

Then, I was in my mid-teens, and hunting was a trip to Big Sandy, MT with my dad, to his uncle Ed's farm, the Blazek homestead.

Now, I'm a 41-year-old homeowner on land that's been in my mom's family for 65 years, and hunting means listening to shotgun and rifle blasts that sound pretty darn close.

Then, it was tracking mule deer near the Missouri River breaks.

Now, it's seeing big trucks and laden ATV's going after white tail deer around the Flathead Valley.

Then, it was me hoping for the opportunity to take down a big buck with my 30-30.

Now, it's me hoping "our" deer, especially the dork brothers Mutt & Jeff, survive to next fall so I can shake the apple trees and give them more sustenance for the winter.

Quick note: "shake the apple trees" is not a figure of speech or a metaphor. I mean, à la bears, literally shaking a tree so ripe apples come a-tumblin' down.

I appreciate that Tom let the guys on his property and went with them. And I appreciate that they were bowhunters. At 17, with my rifle, I was skilled and lucky enough to get a trotting buck from about 125 yards away. Had I needed to be 95 yards closer for a bow shot, it never woulda happened. Here in western Montana it's easier hunting with bow and arrow because there are so many places to hide. Out on the rolling open plains of eastern Montana, I can't imagine how much more difficult it is.

I love venison, and have no problem whatsoever with deer hunting. Play by the rules, act responsibly, respect the property you're on, use the meat, and it's fine with me.

I have zero respect for hunters who break the law, act like idiots, or only go for "trophy" bucks. My dad and great-uncle Ed taught me well.

P.S. If your soul, your self-respect, and your doodle are so infinitesimally small that you hunt on game farms, well, you're just a putz.

P.P.S. About 6:30pm, as dusk hit its stride, Jeff wandered by the deck, eating some bird seed on the ground. He looks good, and while I hope the arrow-wounded deer wasn't Mutt, it is that time of year, and bucks should head for the hills.

Random Thursday Thoughts

2007-10-11T19:46:00.000-07:00

Hmm... maybe a smidge overexposed on the sun?

A nice foggy morning.

Bob here, typing away as the dark Montana night is diluted by a couple fluorescent bulbs on the river side of the house, and that #@*$ doorbell light on the road side. I swear, one of these days that thing's goin' away.

It's sadly ironic that people move to the country to get away from the city, then they can't stand the benefits of the country: quiet, dark, far from stuff! I have no problem with porch lights, lights for a driveway, etc., but please -- dual 300-watt pink mercury halogen spotlights to light your single-wide and the rusting '83 Monte Carlo you swear you're going to restore someday? I think some people are fundamentally afraid of the dark. The Milky Way is stunning.

Hey, speaking of less than dependable handymen, the guy who was supposed to replace our big 4'x5' double-pane windows last Friday didn't show up. It was raining, so I said Monday was fine. He called late Monday morning, noted that it was sprinkling in the area, and said "We'll play it by ear, but I should be out there this afternoon." Monday afternoon was gorgeous, all of Tuesday was stupendously nice, but no "The Guy." It's Thursday evening, and not a peep in response to the messages I've left. Plan B kicks in tomorrow (hint: it involves finding a new "The Guy").

One the deer missed
My sister Carla (fabbo zenamoon candle website here, nifty blogs here and here) had a birthday yesterday, and today as we chatted, she mentioned it's not the milestone b-days that bug her, but the in-betweens that drag you inexorably toward the next milestone.

Carla's now 44. When our parents were 44, Carla was 22 and I was 19. Goodness.

Recently I was introduced to the fun of facebook.com. I've found a couple pals from college, but when I looked for Shadle Park High School alum, there are only a few. Friends, friends of friends, networks, and there's something oddly rewarding about throwing a chicken at someone, giving them a pot full of candy corn, or naming them most likely to steal a car. Random, yes, but very fun.

This last photo is of my aunt and uncle's dock, which I found wedged on a rock upriver this spring. After freeing it, I Tom Sawyer-ed it down-river. Apart from a little list to the starboard, it's a good dock.

Time to go gaze at a few (million) stars.

In case there was ever any doubt....

2007-10-07T12:03:00.000-07:00

of where I get my beautiful silliness and fun outlook on life....

One need go no further than this photo of my mother, taken at the quilt retreat for Glacier Quilts

Love you mom!

nuff said. ;)

THIS is rich

2007-10-04T19:51:00.001-07:00

So it's late afternoon, and I'm out for a constitutional, during which I usually wander the riverbank and skip stones. I'm no Amelie, but I aint bad.

So I'm looking for stones, skipping them, watching them, listening to the river... basically meditating in a fidgety way, as I do.

So I rear back to sidearm a nice one, and somehow my non-throwing arm swings across my body and... I hit myself.

Yep.

Years ago a girlfriend missed the lake and hit me straight in the knee while trying to skip a stone, but I've never hit myself with a thrown rock.

Thank goodness it was small, and it hit the fleshy part of my index finger. I knelt down, dipped my finger in the cold river, and pondered this little hiccup in my athletic career. Then I noticed some very small snail shells and a translucent egg sac on the end of a submerged stick.

Life is good in spite of myself, and there's no bruise yet.

Here's a photo of Jeff from the other night, ambling past some of the taken-down-but-not-yet-stored drip irrigation hose; this weekend I'm going to try to convince him and Mutt to eat the tansy and knapweed. Nutty kids....

2007-10-01T16:06:00.001-07:00

As Bob mentioned, yesterday we took a little 'field trip' (pun intended) to one of the many places we have not explored yet in the area.

I think the fact that I grew up in this area and still haven't seen a fraction of what it has to offer makes my head spin sometimes!

Walking over the water/wind aged logs and looking across the lake reminded me of how, as a kid, I would pretend that it was the ocean and not a lake.

...even though I think I have a pretty good imagination...our trip yesterday reminded me that you don't have to stretch too far to think this beautiful body of water never ends...How wonderful to visit its shores again

.

Chilly Sunday

2007-09-30T18:27:00.000-07:00

Seeds for breakfast

Probably shouldn't use up a title like that, considering it's not even October yet. Ah well, it was chilly. A good day of shelf installation, dreaming of a wood stove, and watching the sun hit the snow-capped mountains.

This afternoon we went to the Flathead Lake Waterfowl Production Area, which is next to Monique's parents' old farm, nestled in at the north end of the lake! Didn't see any waterfowl in production, which is good, but also didn't see any waterfowl, which was a bummer. A large eagle circled for a few minutes, and we had a good view of at least one hawk. Nice breeze, great light, the sound of water lapping on the shore and the driftwood, and otherwise sublimely quiet. We'll visit there again, for sure.

Fun Fact: Kalispell Montana has a population of about 20,000. But did you know they're all Costco members, and they were all at Costco last Saturday afternoon?

My favorite picture I've taken since we moved here. Flathead Lake

Six Days of Unrelenting Busy-ness

2007-09-28T20:17:00.000-07:00

Bob here, which means one thing: that title is a crock. Six days of forgetting to post, more like it. Six days of thinking "Hmm, I should post something," six days of procrastirationalizing. That, and playing outside.

The cracked window panes get replaced next week, which will be grand. Looking outside and not focusing on the giant fractal lines in the glass will be wild. "The Guy" coming out to do the work I met at the Echo Lake store, and he lives about five minutes away. I like that.

I'm soon to begin a for-real homeowner project... installing shelves in the laundry / pantry. Apart from when I was a kid and put a hole in my bedroom door with my skateboard (yes, I rode my skateboard in the basement, but this was the days when wheels were fairly rigid, and I never liked the rough vibration of pebbles and asphalt running up my legs)... ehh, too long of a parenthetical offshoot. So, again. Apart from when I was a kid and put a hole in my bedroom door with my skateboard, the biggest holes I put in walls are push-pins. These shelves require nails, brackets, and I should probably use a level. A LEVEL! I aint no Norm Abrams!

It's pouring out, and Norah Jones is singing in the background. A big mug of hot cocoa is in my very, very near future, and I just borrowed "Marley and Me" from my aunt and uncle. It's in the queue, after "The Godfather."

Rivers are good. Rivers are important. River rocks are amazingly diverse, and skipping stones is an activity that's gotta be good for the soul.

Tearing up a riverbank with an ATV - not so much.

Oh, and autumn. Autumn is unstoppably important and good and rejuvenating. It is my season. Dragonflies and fuzzy-butt blue aphids and apples and tree colors and ... well, you know.

The Full Willow Story

2007-09-22T20:43:00.000-07:00

Monique and the willow: October 2006

Willow down: July 2007

When we arrived for the 4th of July, I saw the lovely river willow had been felled by beaver.

We noticed the tree was still green, meaning it hadn't been down long, but we also saw that branches in contact with either ground or water were sprouting roots! I quickly used the internets to discover willows are very hormonal, and good at starting over. I also learned the easiest way to propagate willow is to take a branch and jam it into the ground. Well, even I can do that, so I did.

That first day, Monique and I put ±30 twigs and branches up and down the riverbank. Since then, it just got into me. 1) Why didn't I protect the tree years ago? 2) Why didn't I learn about willow propagation and take selected branches off the tree years ago? Why didn't the beaver take the flippin' tree after taking the time to cut it down?!?

Because the beaver didn't take much, I could. I've planted at least 150 twigs, branches, even a few limbs. Branches I thought were dried out and "no good," I tossed into the river. Some came to rest by the swimming hole, and some of those sprouted new leaves and roots. We won't know until spring how many are still viable, and even longer to know if trees can survive where they've been planted.

Today with a handsaw and a pick I finally separated the tree from the stump -- that was a pile of fun. But I've fenced the stump and its many shoots, and sort of hope the beaver leave the rest as-is.

Enough about my willow ~~obsession~~ focus. Today was gorgeous, and after a trip to Kalispell for various bits and pieces, I spent the afternoon outside. Last Thursday was cold, rainy, windy, and cold, and definitely took the idea of "wood stove"... wait for it... off the back burner.

random note to self: don't do that.

I am thrilled to be up here. Yesterday morning I went outside and took this shot of our chestnut tree. Life is good.

In the air

2007-09-19T19:12:00.000-07:00

Autumn that is....Beautiful bountiful autumn. Leaves are changing (we got our first dusting of snow on the mountains last night) and even the sunny days are snuggled between crisp morning and evening air.

It's time for thick fuzzy warm socks, hats and mittens, sweaters, soup, cuddles under the quilt on the couch, and candles.

I love this time of year!

I fly to Seattle on Friday to help out on a shoot for Media Alchemy, and I'm also looking forward to seeing a few friends while I'm there (albeit a short time). I'm sure Seattle is beginning to show its autumn colors too! And while I'm there I'm on strict orders to stop in at Trader Joe's for some Autumn supplies. mmmmmmmm Trader Joe's......

Can't think of a title

2007-09-18T21:01:00.000-07:00

Oddly, I took no pictures today, so here' s another from yesterday's river walk.

Finsihed "20,000 Leagues Under the Seas" last night, one of my favorite books to read up here. It's supposedly a very accurate translation from Verne's original in French, and it's wildly different from anything I remember as a kid. Dunno what I'll grab off the shelf for my next read.

When Monique got home from her class this afternoon (see below for her cool fish!), she said it had rained most of the afternoon in town. We'd gotten nothing but some cool clouds, but soon the lightning and thunder began. It's now 10PM and the rain is pounding. Take that, forest fires!

random note to Trader Joe's: c'mon, open a store in Kalispell, wouldya? Sure, I mostly want you for your Aussie licorice, and chocolate-covered orange sticks... and those cheese doodle thingies, and your mac-n-cheese, and your pure juices... but I might grow into appreciating you for your produce, and meats, and... you know... real food. so how 'bout it? Pleeease?

Tonight on my walk I ran into the boys, Mutt and Jeff, the young deer who hang around the property. I tossed a couple apples their way -- I know I should discourage their trusting of and getting anywhere near people -- and I swear Mutt was ready to follow me. Kids these days, I tell ya.

Also came across two piles of bear poo I hadn't seen before (or maybe they hadn't been there before). As long as it's at a safe distance, I'd love to see another bear up here. I repeat for the benefit of any bears cruising the blogs, "as long as it's at a safe distance."

Fire-drenching, dust-reducing, tree-watering rain, thanks for showing up.

Feeling crafty

2007-09-18T19:24:00.000-07:00

For the past two days I've the HUGE pleasure of taking a class with my mom at Glacier Quilts. It was so much fun sewing next to my mom as we learned from one of the greatest quilt artists around: Ellen Anne Eddy. Her ability to paint and draw with thread and fabric is eye opening, soul sounding, and just a blast! Mom worked on a heron and a dragonfly, and I pulled out a sketch I have been carrying around for some time of a little fish. I've never been quite sure what I wanted to do with it....until now.
Here is how my fish started....just a little sketch.....

and I could never had imagined just how cool it would become.
I'm not done with my project yet, but I feel like a whole new door has opened up for a way to play with this art form. (and just in time for winter!...the perfect time for curling up with a blanket as you sew away) Thanks Mom for sharing such a great opportunity with me, and for giving me my love of art in all mediums!!!

A Good Cloudy Day

2007-09-17T19:08:00.000-07:00

Bob here! Took this photo this afternoon on my post-work river walk. It's a heckuva good way to finish the day, and it provides me a great opportunity to work on my rock skipping technique. If you click on the photo, you'll see a larger, less spooky-lookin' version.

When I bought "The Cabin" from my parents in 1999, I probably hoped to spend a couple weeks (maybe a few) at a time up here. In three days I'll tie my record for consecutive days here, and each day thereafter will be part of a pretty dang cool new record.

As Monique's posted, we've gotten a lot done; even so, after the first hurried and hectic weekend, we've taken time each day for a walk, or just some "puttering" outside.

random note to IKEA: You stink for doubling the prices on your closet doors in one fell swoop. Of course our closet systems don't look as good without doors as they could/would/should with doors, and I'll gladly tell everyone why our "storage solution" looks incomplete.

The oak and chestnut trees are beginning the turn to autumn, and our collection of unintentional bonsai maples are close. When the tamarack (for you Python fans, "The Larch") starts its shift to yellow, it'll really feel like fall to me.

Internet-based factoid: Tamarack is from the Algonquin word Akemantak which means "wood used for snowshoes". So there you go.

There are moments (sad, fleeting, pitiful moments) when I wake up, hear the river, and think it's traffic. That should end very soon.

Not really a day of rest

2007-09-16T19:34:00.000-07:00

....but it was still a good day. Bob tackled the fencing of the trees we planted the other day, and then after I had done a much needed clean of the living room/dining room area I went out to help plant the last of our three newbies! After he had made good progress on our first choice for the little crab apple tree, Bob discovered that the soil was all clay in that spot. A good place to put a pond, but not so much for a tree looking for good drainage! So time for plan B! We looked around and found a couple other spots that would be nice, but our second choice had the same problem. Finally, we decided to move a little volunteer pine down and over a bit from the front of the house and TA-DA we had the perfect spot. Now what used to be a mound of tansy and other weeds is a lovely little grove of bird dwelling, color adding, trees. Needless to say our hands are a bit sore, legs and arms are scraped and scratched and eyes are heavy but we still have a smile on our faces as we have three new tress to cheer on!

Mutt and Jeff

2007-09-15T20:05:00.001-07:00

Since we've been here we've seen the same three young bucks wandering the property almost every day. We have taken to calling the two we see the most "Mutt" and "Jeff" mainly because they are the oddest deer we've ever run into up here. "Mutt" in particular....have you ever heard of a deer who likes to play fetch? We hadn't either...until now. And the other day as I was walking home from an stroll at dusk, I came across Mutt's path and so started talking to him to let him know that I was there...darned if he didn't walk right up to me! (thankfully he stopped before he got within reach. Not the best behavior for three little male deer right before the start of hunting season. Let's hope that they continue to stay on our little lot of land and not wander off to where hunting is allowed!

September 15th--Bear Creek Road

2007-09-15T18:06:00.000-07:00

This morning Bob and I decided to go for a short hike up Bear Creek. We've been up this road many times before, but never have we actually run across a bear....until today! We were still in the car so there was no danger, and the "little" black bear was much more interested in running across the road and getting away from us as fast as possible. Still it was a great way to start the morning!

The hike was lovely too, with lots of photos to take and shopping through the new trees on the trail, wishing each and every one could somehow appear down in our field by the cabin. Our own trees are doing great however, and we even have three new additions to cheer on: two Serviceberries and one Crab Apple. Along with the 100+ willow branches that Bob as 'planted' down at the river side it's been a record year for planting trees!

Time has really done some funny things since we've been here. We arrived only a couple of weeks ago, Uhaul and car packed to the gills, and yet it feels as if we've been here most the year. I'm reminded every now and then by boxes that need tending to, or areas that are desperate to be organized, but I can't say it any better than, from the moment we walked in the door from our drive across the passes on the 30th....it's felt like home.

River swims, driving through the valley (where I grew up) to go help out at the quilt store, walks down the dirt road as the sun goes down, no television, deer, birds, (and bear) as entertainment, uninterrupted starlight, a moon so bright that it casts a shadow, and that wonderful feeling of going to sleep after a day of being active in the outdoors.

life is good.

-monique