Winter Solstice

Brandon took this beautiful photograph around 10 pm on Winter Solstice

It's been one of those weeks. Or maybe even a couple of "those" weeks straight. Don't get me wrong. We are loving life just as much as ever and nothing major has happened to dampen our spirits but the past days have been a tiny bit of a struggle in their own way. I can't even say why exactly. It seems every spare moment has been spent running around like chickens with our heads cut off just trying to stay on top of the ever growing to do list. Ah welcome to homesteading, right?! :)

We still find ourselves laughing our heads off and of course taking a few minutes here and there to just "breath" but I still yearn for an afternoon to just "be".  This week definitely is starting out a little more bright. It seemed last week every single thing I tried to do would backfire. Again, nothing major - but have you ever had one of those days when you couldn't seem to walk to your car without slipping on ice and cracking your back? I think the dogs are taking full advantage of the situation. Basin is going through his 4th round of "Terrible Twos" testing us on EVERYTHING we do! Thank God for that vibration collar that keeps him in line. Especially thankful for the little button that says "Nick" which I haven't tried personally but I have a feeling it gives him a little more then a vibrate (sorry to the PETA people out there who take offense to this but you probably would understand if you knew the danger he puts himself in while frolicking across the wilderness paying no mind to the head of the pack putting himself in imminent danger because he refuses to listen).  And Kaycee, amidst her senility has found it ever so satisfying to get into the trash (in the camper AND in the shed) every chance she gets). I think I can literally hear her say, "What are you going to do? I'm 15 years old! You can't teach an old dog new tricks" ((insert Kaycee voice which is very lofty & soft with lots of huffs)). And she pretty much has a point...that is, if I can really hear her speaking which if that is the case I might need a day to just "be" more then I know. lol

I was so eager for Brandon to arrive home from work last week. Someone to laugh with me as we struggle to defrost one of the many pieces of machinery that seemed to have frozen solid during the 40 degree drop in 2 hours which took us from rain, to sleet, to pure blown blizzard. I realized abruptly once again how ever so fortunate I am to have a man to support me through these moments. No laughs, no condescending nature at all in fact, just full support. And by now,  I feel enough fuel from the love of my best of friends to turn my frown upside down.

The camper is staying cozy and warm. We did have a couple of nights which reminded me of the good ole, not so good ole winters days in the midwest. Humidity to beat the beans filled the frost bitten air. I'll never forget how quickly it goes straight through your bones, and every other operating piece of equipment you might happen to need to survive. It sure does make me appreciate days like today. A beautiful afternoon, 30 degrees, full sun and no moisture in the air. I can stay outside all day on days like today. However, I've decided to cut it short as it's winter solstice! From here on out we can look forward to more and more sunshine which is especially exciting given the fact we are perched on a south face!

Our hike today was wonderful. Sun all the way along the snowy road we decided to tour which if you stay on for long enough, you will end up in town. We made it about as far as what I like to refer to as "Moose Alley". I think you've heard me mention before the abundance of moose in this neck of the woods. With just me and the dogs we try to stay away from them while on foot. It could mean life or death if we cross paths with an angry Bullwinkle who is unpleasantly surprised by our presence.

Things are seeming to turn around. I said to Brandon last week, "It's almost as if the universe is trying to prepare us for something!" We just chuckled and my thinker of a man decides to not dwell on feelings as much as I do and points out the abundant beauty that surrounds us. I stop to take it in for a minute and admit that this is one of the most incredible places I have ever experienced in my life. And with that, life is good. So good.

It was 2am this morning when we warmed up the jeep to drive Brandon to meet his partner as they begin their 3 hour commute to work. Our hearts are always heavy as we part and every week it seems we miss each other more and long for the day work can be closer to home. Before I say goodbye I realize how eager I am to see him again and he hasn't even left the jeep. But I know that in the days to come much will be accomplished on both ends and much needs to be accomplished to make progress on this adventure of a life.

I drive back toward the end of the valley in the brightest full moon light I have ever seen in my life. It was so bright the valley looked as if there had been a giant street lamp brightening the winding road as I traveled down it. I pull up to the camper, still in my blue suit pajamas with nothing but a winter coat and snow boots pulled over and suddenly darkness surrounds me. I can't help but notice how suddenly our giant street lamp has been turned off. We had photographed the area the night before amazed at it's brightness. (See photo on the top of this post).

Instead of heading straight inside I take a stroll and look around a little bit amazed by the abrupt change. I see the moon it's its partial eclipse and delight in the gift of actually being awake to see it! I can't remember the last time I experienced this! Fortunately Brandon has a phone that works now so I call him immediately and we share a moment from miles apart watching this awe inspiring performance of the universe. I smile and stumble inside as I realize how close I was to missing one of my newest favorite moments.

I remember how fortunate we are and once again my gratitude is renewed. A little ice, a little humidity, a little struggle never hurts. I am thankful for this opportunity to grow larger, stronger, and gain more pronounced character.

We are really tossed up on home building plans as of late. Whoever said we are good at making major decisions was wrong (actually I don't think anyone has ever said that lol I think everyone knows better). When it comes to where we should go on our next road trip we are golden but what home to build?! That's a toughie! I won't speak too soon as these things seem to change daily but I think we have more solidly decided on what would be best and what we should do. Update on that once we are tied in, I am afraid to speak too soon. :D

Everything with the actual living out here is going really well. As mentioned previously, we haven't had as much play time as two mountain gypsies would like but we find our bond and our love for each other and this life growing like corn in the early summer. We couldn't ask for more. We are blessed.

Funny Brandon mentioned last night before heading out that the wildlife sure doesn't come too near to us. I agreed (with the exception of the coyotes)  then on the hike today I found such an abundance of moose, elk, and deer tracks surrounding camp so much that I couldn't believe my eyes! I guess the full moon prompted them to be out and about which has prompted me to sit up the next time the valley is so clearly and vibrantly lit up.

Mental Note Worth mentioning for the week? I suppose it's as simple as this. Sometimes when the light disappears and darkness evades don't assume the worst. You just might have the best front row seat for one of the most spectacular shows of your life.

Thanks for reading and until next time, Happy Camping!

My Boys - can't figure out how to get this right side up before my battery dies lol

Brandon and his plow partner!

Winter Wonderland!

Perhaps I've been overusing the term "winter wonderland" but I can't really think of any other way to put it. Even the photos do it no justice. This is by far the most beautiful winter I have ever experienced & has opened my eyes and heart to an appreciation that I thought dissipated when I was about 12 years old.

Yes, 12 years old was when I last felt it except now with this renewed interest and bigger muscles the  snow balls are rolled much larger. In fact, I used to think I knew how to play in the snow but now realize I had no idea how to roll a snowball until we waited for a semi warm winters day with gigantic white pieces of fluff gently falling all around us to the ground which already had a couple feet of white accumulation. What I am trying to say is, it's fun. A lot of fun.

You know, when we first talked about moving out here and into a camper we really felt that the world thought we were crazy. We did have a few supporters but overall it would have been extremely discouraging if we would have listened.  We never privately discussed these reactions from people. It's not of our nature to really dig into negativities like that. When we decide to do something, we do it. We enjoy the rush you get from the unknowns. The challenges of living off the land. But were we REALLY going to be freezing our bums off like they said. Was this REALLY going to be a horrible experience that we would never forgive ourselves for? We didn't know but we were doing this and we've loved the adventure so far.

Last week finally all of those discouragements were brought up during a lovely afternoon stroll down a path along the side of the creek. It sure is working out beautifully. And for the first time we openly admitted that we didn't know if it would. It's so cool when you can set your mind to something, do it, and actually succeed. I shouldn't speak too soon. There is a lot of winter ahead of us but seriously, is this the coolest place I've EVER lived? Um let me think, yes.

This has been a very snowy winter. The plow works wonderfully on the road and has become a favorite pastime worth fighting over who gets to do it. The dogs are in love with their new home. I am so glad my old girl Kaycee was able to experience this in her last days. She loves the peace and solace. No neighbor dogs to tear into, no traffic to bark at to warn mom. The nearest neighbors whom are still quite a distance away are all gone now so here we are, in this magnificent valley, all to ourselves.

And as far as staying warm goes, on our coldest nights which were near -40 the camper stayed plenty warm. Not throw a leg out from the covers warm but plenty cozy in some long johns and warm slippers. Right now I am gasping for air as this tiny space heater is aiming towards the bedroom where I am writing from blasting heat unlike anything I've felt since August. And for those of you who know me personally know I love it!

I turned 30 years old last week. I couldn't think of any other place I would want to be. For my 30th birthday we snowshoed to the top of the mountain and rode sleds down. In between my little emotional breakdowns from my first official life crisis the air was filled with nothing but laughter and gasps of excitement as we flew off the sides of boulders that we didn't know were underneath us. I couldn't ask for more then to have spent this day with the sweetest man in the world. Rewind a little, I also woke up to breakfast, coffee from Hawaii & all morning chores done while I slept in! I have to say, this was the best I've ever been treated on a birthday and I felt like a princess by the time evening came.

We also learned this week that one should never leave the black tank open on a cold night. I am SO glad Brandon has worked with medical waste in the past or he would never be able to do this job. And mind you, he put a new use to the words "Slush Puppies". I have never smelled such a foul odor as what comes out of this thing but he keeps on keeping on! Thank God cuz I would be gagging from here to Missoula if I had to do that job! Anyway, no major problems from that. Had to get a little messy & take a little time after dark on a cold night but everything was up and going again within the hour. Brandon comes in with his hands held out asking me to turn the pump on and spray some soap on his fingers. I had the bright idea of pouring vinegar over the soap  to help with some of the horrible odor that seeped into his palms. Awhile after dinner during a leisurely video game he turns to me and says, (excuse my language) "My hands smell like piss and vinegar I must really be full of it!" haa! Ahh I love this guy.

Have been able to take some fun photographs. Someday when I get a little antenna to stick on top of this beast I will hopefully have better internet service (which I'm surprised I have any!) and be able to attach more pictures to these posts. It's so beautiful.

Heard a woman screaming outside my window a couple weeks ago at the top of her lungs. I paused for a moment before panicking and hiding in the commode when it dawned on me that obviously there wasn't a woman screaming outside my window! I thrilled at the idea that a pack of coyotes had come so close that I almost felt like I was in the middle of them, they yelped all the way past and were on their way. The moose have also become abundant & there is a particular mom and baby that seems to always be around. For over 7 months now we have watched the baby grow into a young bull. She is getting used to our vehicle (we wouldn't dare approach her on foot) so we stop when she is near the trail and she just watches us. We don't push our luck in hopes of not chasing her off, she has become quite the popular model in front of the camera as well!

Haven't been on the mountain snowboarding yet but we are eager to do so. Eager to get out onto the lake and kite a bit. Eager to do many things. Perhaps this lifestyle has us a bit more tied down but I cannot say I feel like I am living any less the life. In fact, most days it feels like more.

Pumping water from the creek, filtering it twice, then pumping into the camper deemed unsuccessful. Our first use was great. Second one everything froze up almost instantly. I may have mentioned this in another post. I apologize for any redundancy you might notice. I digress, we've converted to hauling all of our water in 6 gallon containers. They are easy enough to poor into the camper & extremely convenient to fill. No longer do we go to town or friends house or even the laundry mat to fill them, silly us forgot there an awesome mountain spring with the BEST water where locals often go to, to fill up! It's PERFECT! So a bath a day it is & lots of delicious crisp, cool artesian well water from the Mountains of Montana.

It's a neat place and one where I have found my heart & soul. Today as I drove toward a neighboring town near I-90 I came upon about 800 head of cattle on the highway. I weaved in and out of them as I passed mile by mile of red and black angus. It confirmed to me that I've finally found home. I even used to jeep to push a few back to the main 3 mile long herd. Wanted to make my farmer friends back home proud. The ranchers in the truck in front smiled these incredible smiles and waved their arms off as I passed by. I smiled & was glad that I didn't live in a place with bumper to bumper traffic. I'd much rather deal with bumper to bumper cattle :)

That's about all for now folks. Thanks for reading! I try to get on here once a week. Last week I missed due to my turning 30 crisis but I'm over it now and back in action!


Mental Note worth mentioning - of the week:

Do not panic when the gas tester goes off continuously if you're dogs bum is right next to it.

Until next time from the happy campers,

Take care!

Momma Moose and Baby Bullwinkle

The moose are cool animals. They are highly respected by all in the animal kingdom and seem to carry a fearlessness with them wherever they go.

They are enormous critters with a fierce reputation. If one decides to attack you, there really isn't that good of a chance you'll get out without being seriously injured.

There are a lot of moose around here. In particular these two which have acted interestingly over the past 7 months. The photo to the right was taken on a cheap camera phone around the end of May. What an exciting thing to watch them jet across the road up ahead! Seeing in person is really incredible.

Over the next few weeks there were more encounters with these two. Momma was so skittish. We would spot her from a very comfortable distance and instantly she would make a run for it taking this little leggy nob back behind her with.

After awhile she would watch us a little longer each visit and finally a couple of weeks ago we were able to drive up to a safe but close distance and grab some great photos!

These beautiful animals are almost mystic. I can watch them for hours!