Infinite Possibilities - I like the sound of that!

No longer is snow gently falling around me as I write this. It seems that happened a lot this winter in the camper! Such a beautiful & peaceful feeling filled with a calmness and solace that I could never seem to portray in these blog entries.

Now, as I write this I look out the windows to see a darkening sky filling the air around me mixed with heavy moisture as the drops of rain come and go. I see an extremely serious mud situation that is no longer a concern as it is now something much more than just a “concern”.  I see tiny birds scrapping through the ground where bird seed once lay, and little red berries popping up all around in the greens on the forest floor.  I see, one of the most precious sites I have ever seen, tonight. I see our beloved Malamute Basin playing with his new & adored little sister, CJ.



CJ immediately after picking her up. She was kind of nervous but we werent! We were so ready for her!



Her very first day of exploring Montana!

CJ joined the camper life last Tuesday. She came from Sandpoint, Idaho (for anyone who loves Malamutes I would highly recommend this breeder, she’s GREAT). We met at a Best Western in Coeur D Alene, Idaho after some extra yummy continental breakfast and a bit of CNN that morning. I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited about a puppy! Don’t get me wrong – I LOVE, and I mean, LOVE Kaycee and Basin but something happened to me that just threw me over the stinking edge of excitement on this one! Let’s just say, it was a very, VERY long week leading up to her arrival. It was love at first site for us both; I should say all three of us. Kaycee stayed at her most beloved Grandpa Rich’s house while we were away – the traveling is so hard on her now. Her health is continuously deteriorating and our hearts are heavy even amidst this wonderful time of this new precious life. CJ clings to Kaycee – just adores her. Kaycee is protective over her and is sure to chastise Basin whenever he is too rough. It’s been a good week full of many laughs, tiny barks, and stomachs full of butterflies from the cuteness that is floating around here. 

The nights however, have been long and full of puppy cries and screams. I am eager for Brandon to get back so I can have some sleep! I also informed mother today that if she wants grandbabies that we will require her to come stay for at least the first 6 months ;)  

Brandon with Basin and Kaycee with CJ in our valley playing on a beautiful spring day, cherished memories!

Long story short – things have been insane on this end! We’ve been eagerly waiting on the loggers for over a month and today they finally showed up to tell us they can’t do it because of the mud and soft ground situation! Bummer! But I guess we should get used to set backs and things not going as planned if we are going to build this house. They did agree to drop the trees on the home site for now so we can get started and will be back later in the summer when things dry up. In all actuality, we should be (and are) really thankful for their honesty regarding not tearing up our property! For those of you who are outside of the Rocky Mountain region, I don’t know if you have heard but we have a nasty little beetle that is insisting on destroying our forests. It’s quite the situation that has trees dying by the hundreds of thousands out here. We lucked out on this property where there is a large variety of trees so even after they clear the lodge pole there will still be an array of greenery surrounding us, many lose all their trees! However, there are still a number which do need to be removed asap. As far as everything else goes, we are partly still on schedule. It’s been a difficult spring for home building. For those of you back east, you might think your spring sometimes is lacking that “springy” feeling but I just want you to know that you are the lucky ones! I think we’ve only had one day reach 60 here at camp so far! But I mustn’t gripe too much about the weather. Even a spring blizzard can be quite magnificent when appreciated.


Another Moose on our road!



There are rumors that the Grizzlies are now in this particular part of Western Montana. I suppose there has always been a rumor of one or two out and about but for the most they never cross our minds when we are out camping around here. It is a whole different story down by Yellowstone or up by Glacier. I say this as it is now the season for the awakening of the bears! I have never lived in a heavily populated bear area, in the mountains so am a bit on my toes regarding possible encounters that may take place in the near future! I did hear the wolves howling yesterday while being outside. To date, I only have spotted one.  And as far as that lovely mountain lion that buried that deer and fawn on the hill – we suspect it’s still around and every time I think about it, I kind of don’t want it to be! The mountain lions officially have made the top wildlife fears on the Em list. Too sneaky for my liking!

It’s May now and that means one thing. It’s almost time for the annual Wisconsin trip home! Even with everything going on out here I am still filled with some serious stokage to get back to my roots! Our annual Wisconsin trip is always a great time. The sounds of the spring peepers, the warm humid air, and greenest of green trees and fields, these soothe are souls. Most of all, there is no place like home J I usually drive out with the dogs and Brandon flies in after his work rotation so we can ride home to Montana together. It never seems like there is enough time! As much as I would like to do an extended trip home this year, say more than 6 or 7 days I just don’t know that it will happen! There are a number of people I simply cannot wait to see – my parents, best friends, the ladies at the cheese curd factory, and many more! I am not exactly sure of the time frame yet as I have to make it work with the house plans but will keep my Wisco loveys posted!

Other then all of that – I have not much more to report other than life is good!  

There are a lot of things we have learned to appreciate in this season of our lives. These things are those which are mostly unheard but always seen. They are almost untouchable in all of the senses we are so used to using while we reach out to grasp those things which seem to be so “important” in our worlds. They are the whispers of the wind blowing through the valleys full of bitter, mountain evening. They are in the gentle rays of sunshine you’ve so desperately waited, for so long.

In this season of our lives we have learned to laugh a little longer, as its sound filling the atmosphere brings satisfaction beyond any HBO night. We’ve learned to keep smiling when sometimes we’ve wanted to weep. We’ve taken delight in the true meaning of “team work.” We’ve grown. We’ve thrived. We’ve Loved. In this season of our lives, we have truly lived. What a great feeling.

Until next time – from the mountains of Montana – take care, have a great day, and Happy Mothers Day to all of the mommas out there!

Mental note worth mentioning: When you live your life with an appreciation of coincidences and their meanings, you connect with the underlying field of infinite possibilities.



A gorgeous view stepping out from the camper one morning to see the fog slowly lifting from our valley, courtesy of Brandon photography ;)



There is absolutely no way to summarize this blog entry! Lets just call it, "Update" ;)

Greetings from beneath the big sky which seems to be a little extra blue today! I keep looking up to it and saying to myself, “now that is a summer sky!” However, the snowflakes falling down this afternoon are begging to differ with me and my opinion! That’s okay though. The warming of the temperatures outside have been welcomed day and night out here on the homestead. We are glad winter is over regardless of these teasing little white things falling out of the sky as I write this.

The snow is melting abruptly and with bits of rain falling in between the snow we have found that the end of this gorgeous little valley is quickly becoming a mud hole like no other. It will be nice to have a little gravel down soon to help with the 3’ ruts which seem to be left every time anyone dares to drive back here. At the same time, it’s kind of nice to know that not many people will drive back here unless they have to!

It has been a tough month in Montana. I think this is about the third time in 12 months my old dog Kaycee has had us grieving her upcoming passing. Every time she has left her veterinarian dumb founded by how she keeps chugging along. This time however, its different. We have her on a lot of water pills which keep her swelling down. Two weeks ago her veterinarian gave her a couple of weeks at the absolute most. He informed that either the water pills would work or they wouldn’t and even if they did it would still be only to make her last days more comfortable. They did work and she is definitely more comfortable. Shes eating again and even getting around a bit. Still though, everyday is intense as it may be the day I’ve dreaded for the past 14 years. The day I must say goodbye to her.   



Me and my beautiful, beautiful dearest friend.


Brandon isn’t taking this lightly either. He has become extremely attached to the old gal over the past couple of years. And to be honest with you, I’ve NEVER seen her connect to a man the way she connects to him. It’s a very sad time for us but we try to stay positive and keep our spirits up for her while she is still here. Basin is a wreck, bracing himself for the inevitable. The only other dog in his pack since the day he arrived will soon be gone and he knows it.

I’m not quite sure when the day will come but I can only assume it will be anytime now. We are just doing our best to enjoy every last moment we can with her and just showering her with love and attention before its time.

We have made the decision to add to our pack once again after Kaycee is gone. We hope it will help Basin as well as both of us to make the transition to her not being here anymore and also this will give us a new little life to filter the love we gave Kaycee into. Her name is Cj and she is another purebred Alaskan Malamute! For the few of you who are familiar with Malamutes you will know this is a big deal. These dogs are SO incredibly intelligent that they prove to not be for everyone! My mother tells me a newborn baby would probably be easier then raising a malamute puppy after seeing how much of a challenge Basin was! But we love them and will forever be Malamute people after having Basin. He is everything one could ever hope for in a furry companion and has changed our lives for the better!

Cj - soon to be the newest member of our pack!



A big girl!

 On another note, we are ecstatic to announce that construction of the homestead is underway! There has not officially been any “breaking of the ground” yet but its right around the bend! We have decided to go with a large, stick built house that will of course have a very rustic theme. We have been incredible blessed to have some doors open which will make it possible to have plumbing and a bedroom (to say the least) by the end of summer! I cannot put into words how exciting this is for us. In fact, I think a large part of us is still in denial that this is actually happening! We have an architect drawing up the plans as I write this and much more underway that will be shared soon along with construction photographs! Thank you to the opening doors - you know who you are and because of you this is all possible!

Living in the camper throughout the winter was an experience that we both agree we will never regret. Our character, patience, faith, knowledge, love, etc have all benefited from pushing ourselves out of our comfort zone. Soul searching has been accomplished that I am convinced can only come when hand in hand with nature as it was intended. We have created memories which we will never forget and have had so many laughs out here that there were times when we would fall asleep with smiles on our faces, many times actually. We have learned to be thrifty in ways we never knew possible. We value things more than ever, such as water, or heat. I am convinced that using a bathroom toilet will never be taken for granted again. On the other hand, Brandon seems to have grown so fond of our make shift outhouse that he actually thinks he will miss it! He tells me there is something oddly refreshing about taking care of business outside on a winters morning. Between you and I (and the rest of the world) I personally think he must’ve not used it during any of the -40 snaps because there was absolutely NOTHING refreshing about that other than the fact I survived it! Haha I will hate breaking his heart when I tell him that there is absolutely no way we will have a bathroom freezer to keep him comfortable during his strenuous sweats!

Even with all of the pros, and even a couple of cons we are still ever so eager to get into a house. A place to call “home”. And for any family and friends reading I would like to cordially invite everyone to Christmas on the homestead this year. We hope to get together as many people from our families as possible to celebrate our first Christmas in our first home as one big family. Of course, let’s make sure it’s ready by then but please do mark your calendars J

We hired a general contractor on the home building project and her name is Emily. LOL She is new to this but I think she will do a fine job. Of course, any input is always appreciated so please feel free to drop her a line if you have any advice when it comes to generalling  a house.



Branding Day - The Last of a dying breed



The American Cowboy  

I have also been very busy with the photo biz! The webpage is still under construction but I will let you all know when it’s up and going! So far my primary focuses on the biz are nature, landscapes, wildlife, lifestyle, and outdoor portraits. It’s a very exciting time for us. After about a year of kicking a name for the business around to no avail I finally came up with something that seems to work. Photography By Em. It might not be that catchy but I figured as long as my photos are then it doesn’t really matter what my name is! So here it goes folks! Wish me luck and spread the word!

As if all of that isn’t enough we have felt there is something else we must do with our lives. Home building is an enormous project. Getting the business of the ground is also time consuming. Kaycee dying is heart breaking and adding Cj to the pack will also prove to cut sleep time down by a few hours at night for a while. Even with all of this there seems to be that little voice that is ALWAYS in the back of our minds. A voice that reminds us constantly that we came from something bigger then what we see here. We have this opportunity to give back to this world in positive ways and to expand not only ourselves, but that which surrounds us. And so begins the next news worth mentioning!

Over a burger at this great little burger joint in Drummond a few weeks ago we were talking about all of these things I’ve mentioned. Eventually our conversation switched to what our society is turning into. It’s clearer than ever to us as we have been pretty isolated from it.  Brandon shared with me some of the shows he has seen on TV based on how “messed up” you can get and then the next morning constantly questioning what happened the night before. This is how we are entertaining our youth and even our adults. We play up “belligerent drunkenness” as cool and drug experimentation as “part of life” or even drug addiction as a “disease” when in fact many times it is nothing more than self-medicating. We constantly try to play off this terrifying epidemic as if it’s healthy and natural to “sow your wild oats”. Sadly, it probably has become the norm now for many, many people.  Don’t get me wrong, sometimes it IS disease and we do believe there are innumerable individuals out there who need serious help to overcome their strongholds. But why is this becoming so “typical” amongst our society? At what point is someone going to point out how dangerous this lifestyle is, how many people it kills, how miserable they are while they are alive, or the long term effects it has on them (if they survive it) along with their loved ones. At what point will parents begin to  realize that these are the patterns they are teaching their children, and that their children will most likely mirror every move they make (or forever struggle with NOT mirroring) the dysfunction that was all they knew? It’s not rocket science yet so many people are oblivious to the effects these things have on them and their loved ones lives. We have grown numb and are desensitized in regards to what we have become.

Our conversation grew quiet and after a few Oprah episodes while staying in Deer Lodge I knew right away that it is time for a revolution. There was a certain scene on Oprah (by the way, I’ve never appreciated her until now, I can’t believe I missed out all these years), where she spoke of being born into a family in the backwoods of Mississippi to a mother who didn’t want her nor could she afford another child. She mentioned something like, “News Anchoring every day for the rest of my life would have been like dying a slow death.” Or “My grandmother would have NEVER imagined me where I am today.” Don’t quote me exact but it was powerful. It was so powerful that I felt similarly about so many things in life. Just existing is like dying a slow death for Brandon and I both and we know in our core that anything we set our minds to can be accomplished, even if the world questions us. There is always something more. There is always something new to try, a new place to explore, another challenge to overcome, or even a new dream to follow. Life is too short to just exist. Its too precious to "settle". I digress, back to my point! We had been kicking the idea around to start something new for a while. Last summer we considered starting a jeep club based out of Philipsburg and that seemed like a lot of fun but our vision is clearer now as we have founded an organization called, “Be Free, Montana.”

I have a page on facebook created for it. Please click like on the page and spread the word! You can even share the link on your own page. Even if you have absolutely no interest in taking part, we still ask and would appreciate SO much if you can spread the word! I am currently working on getting a non-profit website set up for it and will keep you all posted on that as well.

In a separate post I will publish the summary of our mission and am eager to hear feedback! I will not go on too much about that now as those who are interested can read about it separately J I will however mention that we are extremely excited about where this might branch out to! “Be Free” was actually Brandon’s idea for a name and it stuck! A dear friend sent me a most treasured gift late last year – it is a guitar pick neck chain with “If you want to be free, be free” etched into it which are the lyrics from my absolute favorite Cat Stevens song. I think it’s fair to say these words impacted us deeply as they have become our motto for life.  

Mother will be arriving to visit the middle of next month. We are excited for her arrival and to share in our “camper” life with her before it’s over. I think she will savor the peace and solace that we have found out here and I am eager to share cups of coffee with her out front on the beautiful, Montanan spring mornings. I know she is also EXTREMELY excited about the home building so it will be so nice to have her here to share input! After all, that is what mother does best! I finally am old enough to really appreciate and value her wisdom, knowledge, and opinion more than ever!

Oh! How could I forget! There is a wedding in the making too! Brandon and I are both absolutely TERRIBLE at planning things! Seriously, we can plan a trip to anyplace in 2 seconds flat without hesitation but when it comes to pretty much anything else the room just grows quiet, usually there is a “durrr” sound floating in the air and a random eyeball spinning in a skull! We have tentatively picked a date. It’s very tentative mind you – if anyone REALLY wants to go and November 24^th doesn’t work for them then please let us know! We picked Thanksgiving in hopes that if someone wants to go and they have kids in school they can still bring them.  I do need all of your help though and this is very important. If anyone is interested and is thinking they would like to attend PLEASE, PLEASE let me know! This effects everything – from which island to which resort to what’s for dinner! Please email me, comment, call, or whatever – just let me know if you are interested in going and what the actual odds are of you making it as well as if November 24^th would work for you.

It is tentatively going to be on the island of Kauai, Hawaii (again that might change if we get a large enough group and can get some great rates at a resort on another island). Also, for ANYBODY who has visited any other islands other than Kauai please, PLEASE feel free to send me a short or long report on what you thought about it! I’ve only been to Kauai (loved it) so any information regarding other islands is greatly appreciated in case we decide to look into one.

We plan on spending probably 5 or 6 days on the island and then plan on heading to Bora Bora and New Zealand afterward so we are in hopes that our time in Hawaii is spent in a “vacation like” fashion with our friends and family. In other words, we don’t need privacy but will respect you if you do (maybe lol we are vedy vedy sneaky)! Otherwise, let’s enjoy each other’s company in paradise! If November 24^th sticks we will celebrate our thanksgiving appropriately by having a large island style feast of some sort that is sure to please your palettes. We need to look into it more still but are going to try to rent some “beach toys” for the day to celebrate. I.E. jet skis, surf boards, snorkel gear and other stuff like that depending on how good of deals we get J Maybe even a boat! A lot of this is still up in the air – just ANY feedback is appreciated – especially an idea of who wants to go! PLEASE let me know if you think you even MIGHT want to go!

Well folks! THANK YOU for sticking it out with me on this one! This has become quite the toilet reader but I just wanted to catch you all up on what’s been going on out here! It has been very busy, but I would rather get on once a month and write this up then forget about it all together!

Oh yes. And the original purpose of this blog - To journal the life of living in a camper in the wilderness of Montana! Well, anymore its just “normal”. Things get easier everyday as the weather warms up. There haven’t been many surprises other than the first confirmed attack on Brandon last week which means only one thing to us –it’s time to spider bomb this beast! (In case you haven’t heard, both of us are absolutely HORRIFIED of spiders!) I am sure a few of you would laugh pretty hysterically if you could watch us when there is a spider on the ceiling. Its chaos in the camper when these things happen!

We also learned that the reason our furnace went out was only partly from the regulator. We seem to have a faulty propane bottle that almost blew it up again so that one is now retired!! In fact, I don’t care to ever see it again after knowing how much one of those little buggers can cost you when you use it on a camper!

Soon I will pull the plastic from the windows and have a warm breeze blowing in. We are so eager for the warmer season to experience the sounds of this incredible forest filling our ears every night as we sleep.

Until next time – thank you for reading! Please leave a comment if you are here – my page tracker shows hundreds of views on each post but I  have no idea who they are and am nosey J

Take care & Happy Camping!

Mental Note worth mentioning: Dead mice on hood of jeep so dogs don’t eat them = not good idea!









I haven't officially checked the temperature BUT.....

It’s here. It’s finally here. Today I have not checked the thermometer but my guess is, it’s nearly 60 degrees, at least in the mid-50’s. I slept in this Sunday morning for the first time in a long time. Now that the nights are warmer the batteries last longer. I am utterly savoring not having to get up to flip the generator on periodically throughout the night.

I was pleasantly surprised this morning when I went outside for the first time. Everything was vibrant and springing with life. Don’t get me wrong there is still a LOT of snow up here but something changed overnight. My conclusion is that spring is finally here.

The dogs and I immediately celebrated with a hike/photo tour (later they celebrated with tuna in their food). I have never in my life appreciated the sun as much as I did this afternoon. I suppose I’m being soft, as the truth is, I am always cold. But it’s been a long, cold winter and as much as I loved my union suit I am ready for some tank tops and shorts!

I have been attempting to put enough time aside to sit out by the “bird tree” in hopes of all of the critters that come around grow comfortable and familiar with me. The small ones seem more trusting whereas the camp robbers are very skittish yet. I can understand why they might be skittish if they live up to their name. What they don’t know is, they are welcome here. All of those food scraps I actually poured out for them. In time, they will know. There are also a few squirrels and a large and beautiful black/blue bird that come around now around the same time every morning.

It has been awhile since I’ve updated this blog! I don’t know where time goes sometimes. My sweetheart and I celebrated Valentines Day by taking a really fun scenic drive which ended up in Garnett Ghost Town. I had never been up there, let alone in winter but that jeep is tough and somehow made it to a place where only snowmobile tracks lead to. Many of the buildings were completely immersed in snow yet we managed just to float along top. This was amusing to us as long as we didn’t fall through and get stuck up there until July LOL. Garnett Ghost Town is awesome. Many of the buildings you can sort of climb down into. There are awesome antiques and many places to explore. This will definitely be a summer stop to take full advantage of this jewel in history.

The rest of the month held a couple small cold snaps, broken down furnace, busted regulator, and cracked hot water tank. The motels were great for about 3 days. Long, hot showers and baths, cable TV. It was actually perfect timing for the furnace to go out as that week was brutally cold. I’ve sort of emotionally blocked it out but if I recollect correctly it was nearly -35!  On top of the hurricane force winds the dogs and I became stir crazy and began to miss our trees and solitude. It was nice to get back home. Everything is up and running again (except for the water heater tank). I hate to admit but it is sort of nice to take a break from hauling water! J

Ahh Spring is here. Home building plans are underway for this summer and it will feel INCREDIBLE to make progress on Operation Homestead.

Also, for my family who reads this! I have officially committed to attending our annual family reunion in August so the rumors are true and I am super excited to see you all. I’ll probably be full of Beggers Pizza and Gyros by the time I get there but aside from my onion breath it will be a great time!

This afternoon on our hike I felt this certain sense of pride. As I looked around and noticed how much snow has melted already and as we tromped through fresh mud puddles up and down this dirt road I remembered the excitement and anticipation I felt when I was first watching this snow fall. The unknowns, the excitement, the change, the challenge, the goal….my heart filled instantly with gratitude and I smiled as we headed back to the camper.

Until next time – keep soaking up that sunshine, I know I will. J



Valentines Day, 2011 Garnett Ghost Town



The Gentle Tease of Spring



From a peak in Breckenridge, Colorado

I’m not really sure where to begin after the past few weeks! It doesn’t seem too often when I can’t find a topic worth mentioning but in this case I could go on for hours. No worries, I won’t put you through that but let me tell you this has been a pretty awesome month. Though, I’ll admit – I think we are both beginning to be eager for springtime temperatures & maybe some more sunshine.

It seems like just yesterday we made the transition to living out here on the land. Before we knew it winter would be showing us signs of new life beginning to spring forth all around us. Don’t get me wrong – I know that winter is not even near over but things are changing. Slowly the forest is showing an interest in waking from its winters nap. The birds have become more abundant. They are not afraid of us at all. They treat us as if we are part of their family. The moose have become plentiful again as well. They have become curiously strong in their desire to no longer avoid us and our little area here. However, we do have yet to see them walking around outside the kitchen window although their hoof prints have shown that they have already done so a few times without our noticing.

I am proud to report that we have finally grown acquainted with this new life and for the first time can step back and see some of the areas we have grown in because of this decision to “learn to do things the hard(er) way).

In the beginning it was pretty intense. Who knew what would become of us. Human popsicles to say the least and that’s not even mentioning the mechanics involved in (as the Bee Gee’s would say) stayin’ alive which did not prove to be the easy way out of throwing your money into some landlords pocket.  (sorry for the run on but you get the point)

It was busy. Very, very, verrryyy busy. There was never a full nights rest. There was a little withdrawal associated with unlimited use of H2o. There were semi-scary unknowns. But it was so refreshing. Inspiring. Calming. Awakening....but mostly Beautiful.

Now we have come to a place where we rest more, play more, worry less, focus better, and to be blunt we just have this whole thing down pat. So its nice! Its nice for the breather.

The snow is getting deep around us. The little path we clear to get up here has quite abruptly grown to  at least 4 feet on each side of the drive. Not much more room to push the snow to so we keep our fingers crossed that some will melt off before more dumps down ;)

Last week we were able to winterize the camper for the first time to go to Colorado for a short but wonderful road trip. Brandon returned around 11 pm the night before we left and like a champ drained the tanks while I loaded up the jeep. We did our first anti freeze flush (and the other winterizing fixins) and it went surprisingly smooth convincing us that from now on when we feel like going somewhere for a day we just will! Yes folks, it was THAT easy. So easy we wondered why people would pay to have it done.

We locked everything up and headed south the next morning. We were both pretty tired but also very excited which fueled us. (I later found out that I actually drove the first shift)…so yes a little tuckered out but so ready for a few days away!  We drove straight through, experienced an amazing real gourmet sub sandwich from a little place in Idaho (ruined us on subway for.ever.) and by dark we were in the beautiful state of Colorado. It was amazing. My first real shower since earlier last year was AMAZING! I actually almost passed out from the steam. It would have been a wonderful faint. The next morning we made our way to Breckenridge where I resided for a short time along with some very dear friends of mine nearly a decade ago. I loved seeing Brandons excitement as he, for the first time, saw the incredible Rockies of Colorado.



On The Scenic Loop


It was so fun that we decided to keep driving that day and did an additional 5 hour scenic loop on the most BEAUTIFUL road we have ever traveled.



Brandon on top of the mountain



Over the next couple of days we snowboarded (at elevations over 12,000 which was awesome).
We lost our entire change jar plus some at the local gambling town of Central City (and not in between the seats of the car either we were going for that jackpot), and on our final night in Colorado we stayed at the elusive Stanley Hotel. I’ve always been a fan of the Stanley and part of my birthday present was to stay there. Upon arrival to our room I mentioned to Brandon that it had taken me 15 years to find a person who would stay there with me, his respond, “I don’t blame them!”  This place is said to be one of Americas most haunted hotels and definitely had a very eerie “feeling” throughout. Especially in two rooms -  one of which we slept in - Room 1209 of the Manor House.


We explored the old establishment like crazy that night, taking hundreds of photos and covering every inch we could find. We returned to our room, ordered room service and passed out. I think being awake for 48 hours (thanks central city) was actually a lifeline for getting at least a semi-decent nights rest.
 


Not to say it was without its scare though. TOTALLY creepy place! Lots of bangs all night, lots of heavy stomping up and down the hall allllll night (very loud) until the second our alarm went off at 4am.  We never seen a soul! But again, thanks to Central City we were able to sleep through most of the construction in paranormal’ville until it was time to head home! Stanley was awesome by the way. We both said, “Coolest hotel we’ve ever stayed in!” and we will definitely go back next time we are in the area.

It was a long drive home of almost, dare I say, “Not so excited to come home” mood floating around the jeep. We both agreed we had not wanted that time to end. It was priceless.

De-winterizing the camper upon return was a breeze. We poured some water through, lit the pilot and hit the sack. Before we knew it we were back to the daily grind!

Things have become hectic around the homestead. With springtime lurking I know there is not much time left to solidify building plans! Construction loan is one of the biggest things on the list this month & I realized right away that this would be no walk in the park but will be well worth it in the end.  Then we get to design our home! And I think we all know what happens next and it doesn’t include a summer of nothing but swimming, snorkeling, & camping! ;) We’ve braced ourselves and are eager to get the project underway. It has been a dream of ours and will be nice to have accomplished.

Well, in short (or not so short) that is the update on what we’ve been up to! Hopefully this finds you well, prosperous, and having a great winter!

From a chilly little camper home in the mountains of Montana,

Peace out!

Mental Note worth mentioning of the week: Never leave light on, not even accidently, when leaving your camper for 4 days. :)

                                                  

The Birds, The Wolf & The Bearded Man in the Rubicon Jeep

It has been quite the eventful week here at camp. In mostly…. The most wonderful of ways.

We started out with some camper difficulties. As mentioned earlier, the fridge wasn’t working so we had some coolers buried in the snow outside to store fridge goods. We never claimed to be experts in the camping world. In fact, when this project first came about both of us would agree, this thing was an alien to us! But we pulled out the old manual and tried to trouble shoot this beast. Took about a hour before I was on the horn with any and every camper place in the state explaining over and over again the series of things that have been going on with the camper.  Some I sensed may have had some good points, others seemed stuck in which method we should use to charge our battery pack (lol which wasn’t really a question or concern but whatevs)

Anyway, after a week of tweaking to no prevail the furnace began  to act up. When the lights go out at night and until morning we run on battery power only. During the night I was noticing increasingly how the fan seemed to be on constantly & it was freezing inside. So I would get up, reset the furnace until the heat started blowing in. After  a few nights of dead batteries at 3am, being up 10 times an hour and temperatures constantly plummeting by the minute I realized we had an issue that would quickly need to be dealt with.

So we (especially me who was holding down the fort during this time) were a little bit worried about the situation. I sat down one afternoon trying to figure out what would cause this. Being in the middle of January we probably wouldn’t want to fuss around with this for too long. Then something awesome happened! After a lengthy conversation with a camper place out of Missoula and just as I was convinced we would be alone on fixing this skirted sanctuary the heavens opened and I heard some incredible words. “You know…there is a place that travels to fix campers”

Sold! The next day a bearded man in a sweet Rubicon jeep hauled down from Missoula to service our home on wheels. He was great. Within 2 hours the furnace & fridge were back in gear. A few inexpensive parts had gone out & a loose wire.  So for those of you perma-boondockers who do not have the option of taking their take their rebellious rigs in – There ARE camper repair men! Ah! Life is good. I’m not nearly as nervous about this thing breaking down as I was before these little gems of men popped their little heads up in our world this last week!

So perhaps a little long winded but well worth the appreciation of the situation.

A few weeks ago my sweetheart let me supervise as he hung a bunch of suet balls which we had purchased in hopes of drawing in birds. On our walks we can’t help but notice how many different beautiful species we have around here. Even last summer, the sounds of the birds were unbelievable out here in this valley.  It was like a spa cd playing in your ear, so nice.  So anyway, I decided to try to get them used to being around, so these suet balls are dangling in the trees surrounding the camper. After a couple weeks with no sign Brandon began to wonder if we had done enough. I said we did, that they would come, but deep down I just kind of hoped!

A few days ago as I was having a coffee at the kitchen table (which is a slide out so it’s  surrounded by windows) I began to hear the most incredible bird sounds. I looked out the window and watched dozens of new friends totally freak out over the seeds hanging in the trees. I was all smiles sitting here with the dogs and couldn’t wait to introduce Brandon to our new friends. Basin was pretty excited too and Kaycee just wanted to have a thanksgiving I think. The little guys scrambled here and there in a symphony of chaos.  Brandon now calls me the bird lady which I think he, for some reason, finds incredibly amusing.

Had another new wildlife encounter this week that was rather beautiful (some would disagree). On a warm brisk morning after I turned the dogs out for a while I was inside the camper  & exercising  - sweating profusely. So I had opened the door. The cool temperatures blowing in felt great. I noticed Basin was acting weird, like he acts when he sees a predator. He sat there in full alert squeaking his nervous but  “can’t stay quiet”  mini-Basin alarms. So I walk out to him and look up the valley. I didn’t see a thing but when I crouched down to Basins level and looked I watched a red coat walking through a cluster of trees which are about 100’ from the camper. At first I thought it was a fox but as it calmly walked up the far part of the driveway I was able to see its tremendous size and BEAUTIFUL red coat. It looked like a red Alaskan Malamute. It was calm, I was calm, Kaycee was oblivious and focused on finding food, Basin was a nervous wreck. Anyway, it sat for a moment so I tried to move a little closer (but still did not stray far from the front door) as it it calmly trotted away.



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A lot of people out west are fairly outraged by the wolf population. They kill their livestock; take out the elk, etc. Personally, I think hunters over hunt the elk population more than the wolves feed on it and that humans are the ones to blame. But that’s another day. It was my first encounter with a wolf and was simply amazing. Nature is beginning to accept us out here. Momma and baby moose poked around the front yard and sniffed the dogs dishes as well this week. The wild in the area are accepting us as non-threats and we are beginning to really reap the peace and solace that comes from truly getting away from the fog, drama and regular hustle and bustle of average everyday life.

We have enjoyed making time to do one of our favorite things: snowboarding! For the past couple of weeks we have really been focusing on taking time for “us” instead of focusing on lesser priorities all of the time. It has been wonderful and there have been many smiles! Last winter we did quite a bit of traveling for snowboarding but with the camper we are more home bound than normal. However, we have a great ski mountain within 10 minutes where we have had great times getting back into shape for the season and semi-bracing ourselves for the awesome time on the slopes in Colorado coming up. 

Had over a foot of new powder this week so we were up there a couple days ago. Brandon was weaving through the trees as I stayed on the side of the run. I looked over to see him flying mach 2 into a tree. After he fell from hitting the tree he looks up with this enormous smile (like he does when something happens to him that would usually put an average person in the hospital). So I stop and am speechless, this was a big tree & it made a lot of noise! I know to ignore Brandons cheesy smile while I inspect him for injuries and/or concussions. He seemed fine and denied all together that this collision caused any pain in any way. Luckily for him the tree was dead and mostly rotted. When he moved away the sucker fell over. Moral of the story: If you have to hit a tree make it a dead one. If you’ve got that daredevil, thrill seeker loved one diving through the trees on the side of a double black diamond on the slopes, make him wear a helmet! (Which fortunately he agrees to do now)



And folks. That just might be the longest post yet. So if you are still reading – thanks for sticking with me. Sometimes I wish I could record moments out here and send them to all of you. This one of the next best things I suppose.

I hope everyone has a great week & is doing well.

Sincerely, from a camper in the mountains of Montana,

The Bird Lady & Brandon



This is me trying to climb on 4' of powder to that tree per his request. It was tough! LOL



On the side of a steep mountain on my bum



Brandon  having a red bull growing his wings in the lodge



Corn Beef Hash, Large Snow Flakes, Good Coffee - life is GOOD!

I hope this finds you all well and enjoying 2011 so far!

Once again, I have slacked over the past couple weeks on keeping up on our blog. Nothing too major to report and to be honest we have been spending so much of our time just running around keeping up on the camper and making sure everything stays going smoothly. In fact, it has seemed like we are insanely hectic now that I think about. For the first time in our relationship we have had to force find time for our weekly date which after a few months we realized we had been missing! So this week we started up again on remembering that taking care of “us” is as much of a priority as staying alive in the camper. Of course, staying alive is nice too so as things have transpired out here we are beginning to come up with a system that gives us more spare time.

Cold temperatures are always a little more of a challenge. Inside stays cozy enough if you wear enough layers.  We do go through an extra lot of propane (around what I had budgeted for our coldest month) so it’s nothing too shocking. If the temperatures are above zero we always are below budget. We have had quite a few cold snaps over the past couple of months and usually the bath tub faucet doesn’t work for a day. Again, nothing major. Just little things that make you go “hmm”.

For any camper/rv  savvy people out there we do have a refrigerator issue this week. I’ve googled it and apparently it is very common – there were many posts but so many contrasting opinions and we still haven’t quite figured it out even after hours in the manual and tweaking it. The fridge has gone on strike! However, when it is on A/C (when the generator is running) it works fine. The propane is the issue – the pilot does light. It is a combo of a blue/orange flame but it only stays lit for about 10 seconds then it shuts off. We conclude that this must obviously be the problem but again this is foreign material to us! So if ANY of you have any ideas or advice it would be much appreciated! Until it is repaired we have some holes dug in the snow outside where coolers are set it. It works very well (thanks to my sweetie for making sure I had a place to store cold food). We don’t have any animal problems with them. The bears are hibernating, if it was warm out they would be having a smorgasbord!

I am sitting near the window at the dining room table as I write this. There is a snow so thick and heavy falling outside that it literally is forming a blanket around me in this camper. It reminds me of my younger years, back on the farm. Sitting in the kitchen looking out towards the horses as this heavy, thick snow coated the earth.  Or maybe it’s the smell of the corn beef hash. One of dads specialties. Something I’ve acquired a taste for over the years and recently on our many camping escapades it is something we've grown very fond of.  Either way, it is a beautiful morning.

As far as what we’ve been up to besides just “living”  as mentioned earlier,  date days/nights  are once again a priority and boy have we enjoyed this so far!! Even if its just a hike through the woods or a drive/photo tour in the jeep. This week we kind of splurged and went to our favorite restaurant which is located right in town called, “The Silver Mill”. Lets just say we ate so much that we couldn’t shove an ounce of food down our throats for two days! I think our waitresses eyes bulged out of her head everytime she came to remove a new stack of empty plates! AND dessert to die for – this candy’ish coated whipped frozen raspberry trifle thing. We never did figure out what it was but it was the first time Brandon has EVER devoured my dessert then when he ordered his own the favor was returned, it was SO good!!  And we had such a wonderful time, sooo many laughs that our stomachs hurt for hours.  I’ve never experienced a relationship that literally gets better and better as time goes on. Not just a little better but every day we grow closer and stronger in leaps and bounds. We are so blessed. We both agree that whatever this is that we’ve found in one another is beyond anything we’ve ever imaged even being possible.

We had so much fun that we couldn’t stop there so the next day we headed up to Discovery ski mountain to strap our snowboards on for the first time this year (finally!!!)! Another spectacular day and now that our snowboard fever has kicked in we are especially excited about our upcoming snowboard trip in a few weeks to Colorado. This will be the first time we actually winterize the camper before we go so any input on that is also appreciated!

 This trip is also my 30^th birthday present,  planned by Mr. Romantic himself and I am just so excited to see his face as we ride a lift to 12,500 feet above sea level just to ride our boards back down. Montana has some GREAT snowboarding but I am still convinced that Colorado is the best if you want to experience above timberline and great powder. We will also be staying a night at the notorious Stanley Hotel (where The Shining) was filmed and Brandon insists we stay in their most haunted room -  I think its 412? I am willing to place money on us not sleeping a wink, but it should be quite the experience!

We are also planning another event. One we are more excited about then anyother. Last week Brandon eagerly hiked me up the hill to a boulder where we had spent many summer afternoons and near where we found out the property was ours. I looked around thinking about trees that needed to be cleaned up and where the house was going to be when I realized my sweetest of sweets was on one knee in 3 feet of snow, ring in hand, and with wide eyes he asked me to be his wife. I do not know how to explain what we have or how special & unique it is. In fact, I never knew something like this could exist. It is beyond love, beyond compatibility. It is the most beautiful thing I have ever experienced or even witnessed. A love full of nothing but complete and utter adoration, loyalty, respect, and so much more even.

We are excited to announce that we will officially be husband and wife! Plans are still up in the air but we are really stuck on the idea of having a very informal ceremony on the island of Kauai, Hawaii and possibly this June. We are so very excited about what the future holds for us as we reflect back upon the past couple of years as being the best of our lives. Everyone is invited of course and if you can’t make it, we understand  but if you can it would mean the world to us!

So that is about it! I have a lot to do today. Trying to get my new web page up and going, working on home building plans & loans, and this afternoon a little Kauai leg work! Also, our little big dog has officially been diagnosed with an auto immune disease. The vet thinks he will gradually get to be in very rough shape over the next 5 years. We refuse to believe this is the fate of our loved furry man so we are going to try to get a university of veterinary medicine to look at him. Perhaps it’s snow nose or something else. Or perhaps there is something they can do to help him. At any rate, the power of positive thinking has proved to be one of the most valuable assets we can have.

                                            Until next time, take care & happy camping!