Pipes & Wires & Walls

Well, here's the latest (well, as of Monday night). Can you see the little pony wall? That was my idea - and everyone keeps saying what a good idea it was! The fireplace will go next to that, in the center of the cabin (that pony wall will the left side of the fireplace hearth) so the shorter wall (it was originally designed to be full height) will allow for more heat circulation, and also makes the little hallway feel more open. Good idea, huh? And, in a little space, the fewer walls you have, the more space it feels like.

Today provided a bit of everything - cold this a.m., nice until noon-ish and then wind & snow & then rain & now it's clearing again. Made it tough on the work crew. Btw - can you see the blue boxes? Those are where electrical will get run (well, GOT run today).

One of the volunteers had brought his 12-yr old son with him. They went for a walk today hunting sheds (they found a couple of last years). Anyway, while they were out, they had 4 wolves come right at them. They had to shoot over them to scare them off!! So, that was the excitement for the day.

Beautiful Day - More Visitors!

Well, it dawned bright & clear today. So, it was a great day for some more of our volunteer crew to arrive! W'eve had 5 show up so far, and we may have some more come yet. And, a lot more supplies & lumber is coming in w/ them. So, I guess the remodel should move pretty quickly now! One of the volunteers is bringing his 13 yr old son, so that'll be cool for Bendigo. I'm sure they'll find lots of trouble to get in to!! Jeff said maybe Bendigo and the other boy can just do the feeding in the mornings. I'm not sure that's a great idea (2, 13-yr old's on the tractor & trailer feeding 65 horses? I think not). As Mark & Greg Halley alwasy quoted their dad "One boy is almost as much help as a man, 2 boys are 1/2 as much help as a man, 3 boys - you better get another man!

For me, it means a TON more work. We'll have 12 people at least here for meals, starting w/ lunch today, so it pretty much means I'm buried in the kitchen. I'll sure be glad when the first of May gets here & my kitchen help arrives. Of course, by then this group will all be gone. But it'll still be nice to have help. Bendigo is catching the brunt of it right now. He helps set up & then does the dinner dishes. Tonight, we're going to start a new rule that employees have to help w/ dinner dishes. Otherwise it just gets too overwhelming. Of course, the only help we have right now is Conrad (besides Jeff & Ben) but at least that's 3 people to help. And, maybe having to clean up after others will encourage Conrad to clean up after himself!!

I've put up last night's picture - they worked on framing that window yesterday and a few other little things. We kinda took it easy for Sunday. Also, we've had bluebirds show up all the sudden - they're everywhere! This isn't the greatest picture, but hopefully you can see him. And, the deer were right up close to one of the cabins when I walked up that way yesterday so I've posted one of those pics too.

Ok, so someone PLEASE tell me what I'm doing wrong with cookies! I am COOKIE-CHALLENGED!! They have great flavor & aren't like HARD, but are ALWAYS crispy (except for the Molasses cookies I did earlier). I made Peanut Butter cookies today & as usual - they're crispy. I want CHEWY cookies. Anybody have a suggestion? ANYBODY???

Memory Loss

You know, every day I sit down and remember that there was something from the night before that I wanted to share - and every day I can't remember what it was.. Grr. Very frustrating. Anway, I'm posting the photo from the end of day yesterday. I know you can't see a ton of progress - but it's there! They finished shoring up the roof joists & then laid out the bathroom. Can you see where everything will go? The tub & toilet on the left, the sink & linen closet on the right. Door in the middle of the wall. Today, they are actually putting up walls. So, that'll be more obvious.

Our next bunch of guys to work was supposed to fly in today, but the weather has put that out of the question. It POURED rain all night and today is snowing. Jeff did say that he loves sitting in the middle of nowhere listening to it rain - and it's especially enjoyable when you get to have a real roof over your head at the same time, instead of a tent!

One kinda wierd thing yesterday - we had propane tanks on 4 different buildings go empty - all in the same day. And, since they are all set up on a 2-tank system (both tanks turned on & when one is empty it switches to the other) and the tanks are all those big 100-(gallon? pound? I can never remember). So, it is quite strange that they all went empty at the same time. So, Jeff & Conrad spent a lot of time changing out tanks. Then, Jeff dug a new hole for the outhouse & stood it back up - after he fought w/ the backhoe awhile. It is one that just attaches to the back of the tractor. Then, when you get set up, you sit on the backhoe seat to use it. But, it's like riding a buckin' bronc, and all the bolts were put in w/ nuts - no flat head bolts, so it's quite painful to run it, apparently (not that I would know).

I've been perusing the Lehman's catalog & dreaming. They just have the coolest stuff. I did find it a little intimidating that they have a 12lb sledgehammer with a steel handle - that'd sure rattle your chops if you missed, huh?

Those of you who knew & remember Dad - remember how much he loved those hands-on puzzles? The ones that you had to get the ring off something or whatever? Well, Bendigo has apparently inherited that. There are at least a dozen of those things hanging on the wall here, & he's slowly working his way through them. I think he's on #4 or 5 for solving. He's pretty good at them!

Progress

Well, our little 2-person crew are making good progress! They've got the rafters shored up (they were sagging the middle - not a good thing, although we're thinking we could start a new home-style with rafter's called a "reverse eyebrow"). And, now they're working on walls! The bad news was that I don't get to pick paint like I thought. The contractor who's donating his time, was able to get 8 gallons of beige... oh goody. But, he did say that I can paint one wall in the living room another color, so that was my token I guess. Jeff says not to worry about it since there's no way 8 gallons will put the 3 coats (base & 2 paint coats) on all the walls, so we can use it as our base coat & then pick out what we want for the top coat on some of the walls. So, we'll see how that goes.

The picture here is from last night. I'll take another one today & post tomorrow.

Marvelous Mistake

Well, we got our first set of overnight "guests" today. One of the shareholders arrived, along w/ one his employee's, to stay for a month, to work on our cabin! So, I'm officially on staff today as cook. So, I made wonderful Molasses cookies today. I was going to take a picture & post it, but I let Ben take it of me holding the cookie (and in my new apron) and I look like a very large, demented damsel with a cow pie (the cookies are big, dark & kinda cowpie-ish looking). So, you will NOT be getting to see that pic.

The biggest surprise of the day, however, was the mistake!! Last night I made pizza, and wanted to make dough from scratch. But, the first batch ended up more like batter than dough & obviously wouldn't rise. So, I dumped it & started over. The 2nd batch was better (mostly because I added 50% more flour) but I left it an hour (and it's only supposed to take 30 minutes) and STILL no rising. So, we improvised w/ hamburger buns for our crust. (Which actually worked out pretty well in-and-of itself, btw! It was kinda like personal pan pizza's for everyone). Anyway, when we got done w/ dinner and I looked in the bowl, it had finally started to rise. So, I stuck it in the cooler & this a.m., took it out & let it rise awhile. Then, I plopped it in a bread pan & baked it. I got the BEST compliments on my "Artisan Garlic & Herb" Bread! They pretty much ate the whole loaf. Crazy, huh?

The 2-man crew came in & decided to pull the rest of the stuff out of the cabin, so it's now totally bare in there - they even blew out a lot of the little cache's of insulation. So, now it's a totally bare, big empty room. I took a pic but it won't load tonight so you'll have to wait until tomorrow!

Internship

Well, the demo is pretty well completed, except for stripping wires and the last few nails that need pulled. As part of Bendigo's homeschool, we try to make sure he gets lots of real-life experience. So, I've included a picture here of Ben showing off his nail-pulling prowess during his "demolition" internship! Quite impressive, don't you think? :) Yesterday, he got to help his dad with "Emergency Response" training. Jeff had filled the dump trailer but it wasn't hooked to the tractor. Jeff went to hook it up and it seemed to be hung up a little on the ball, so he jumped on the trailer and rolled forward a little to get it to drop on. But, instead, it wasn't hung up - it was balanced just right so that the weight wasn't forward enough to drop onto the ball. So, after he pulled forward, it was balanced just right to roll over the board in front of the tire and down the incline toward the shop. That was a little exciting.

As you can see, it's pretty dang bare in there. The tub will get moved when they're ready to put it in it's new location, rather than lugging the thing around 2x. And, the 2 walls that you see are still up, will likely get moved also (at least 1 of them), but again, will just move it when they're ready. So, I'm very anxious to see the "construction" part of the project begin! Hopefully by Saturday we'll have something "new" to show you! I am a little concerned with leaving for the 6 days we'll be gone, and leaving the crew here on their own to work. I'm sure you women can relate - how do I know they'll do it the right way (read here: MY way)? BUT.. I am VERY excited to pick out my paint colors while we're out. It's going to be a little difficult because of the floor color that they are putting in. The colors I really wanted I don't think are going to match well, so I'm going to have revise a little.

Jeff has also told me that we can order the same type of shower head that Denny & Randee have, so I get to start looking for that. I think those are called something like an "Australian Shower"? Anyway, they are quite cool. I've also picked out the new bed we'll get in a month or two - I think we're going w/ a queen size, memory foam, cool-max mattress. We've never had a queen size, but have been sleeping on one here (the one redeeming quality of all the beds here - they're either twin or queen, no full-size) and have decided we really like that size.

Conrad, the new hand, is working out quite well. We're not entirely sure he's been off the sauce very long, but he's settled in and his stomach is settling and he's working hard. So, that's a relief. And, we got word today that the other wrangler, Beau, (who had surprised us - bad surprise - by saying he hadn't planned on coming back unti July), will come back June 1, so we'll be ok w/ employees for the summer and only need to hire 1 or 2 for hunting season. That's a relief!

Well, I'd better get busy. I'm supposed to organize the food store room today, bake cookies and I'm planning on homemade pizza for dinner, so lots to do. And, we're also trying to get everything cleaned up for the shareholders that are coming in to help.

And... it's gone

The snow lasted through the morning & then it melted even faster than it had piled up. So, we're back to windy & cold & no snow.

The demo is just about demolished. Jeff was delayed some because he couldn't find the water shutoff, and when he DID finally dig it up (literally - it was buried), it was broken off. So... more issues to fix. But, now he's finally got everything shut off & is hoping to finish the demo (mostly) this evening. They still about 1000 nails to pull, but otherwise are done.

We did find cool planks under the several layers of old laminate, etc. But, not sure if there's any insulation under those boards. If there IS, we're going to try & get approval to just sand & finish that floor rather than cover it up again. If not, guess we're going back to laminate.

It was a good news / bad news day. First - good news - Tyler is coming back to work on the 1st (which leads to the other good news that I'll share below). Bad news - we don't know for how long. His dad is still on his death bed and Tyler's not sure how long he can stay. So, we need to try & figure out how to deal w/ that.

Second good news - the good news from Tyler means we can plan on being out for our 4 days as we hoped. We'll fly out the morning of the 3rd (weather permitting, of course) and stay in Boise overnight for the meeting. Then, will drive to Richland the afternoon of the 4th... so... all we need now is somewhere to stay ... (hint, hint).

The other good news / bad news - the mechanic working on our truck is done and even did the job for less than we thought. The BAD news is that when he went to drain the oil, he found 5 GALLONS of oil & coolant in the drain pan. So... how'd it get there? We are hoping and praying it was a blown head gasket & NOT a cracked block. We're waiting to hear on that latest development.

Is it Christmas Yet?

Well, we awoke to snow, snow, snow. It's becoming quite the winter wonderland out there. And out goes the new hand to fix fence in the snow. I'm sure he's thrilled. This is a romantic life, right?

Last night I spent another quiet evening reading, Jeff was watching basketball - again. I HATE March Madness. I'm wishing I had the stuff for the quilt I'm working on, I'd have gotten a lot done these last couple weeks!

I've gotten a couple emails from people who've had trouble w/ Ben's blog - is that true for everyone, or just a few? I think he might have too many gadgets in the sidebar, and it makes it too slow to load for those w/ slower internet connections. If you can let me know if anyone has had trouble, or if you've gotten on fine, that'd help me troubleshoot it.

And, in case you didn't notice, I added a link to the left that you can click on to get to the website for the ranch. Then, you can click on the live webcam & choose "Flying B" to see a live pic of the ranch. Right now, it's just all white!

I want to post a big public THANK-YOU SOOOO MUCH to Gordon, Steve & Roy for getting the rest of our junk into storage this week! I know that it was just one more chore that they all had to think about in addition to their already long lists of things to do! We appreciate it more than you all know!!

Mail Day!!

Well, the plane FINALLY made it in! So, we got groceries and packages and mail!! Not as much as I expected, however. I'm not sure if that's good or bad!! And, our new hired hand arrived also. He's already out fixing fence.

Last night was very beautiful. Totally clear sky and of course the stars are just brilliant out here away from city lights. Today has been kinda weird. It looks like it's going to clear up at any minute, but there have been a few lazy snow flakes just drifting around too.

Here's the current picture of the demo. He has made progress! It's been a little scary (in a look-what-could-have-happened sense) seeing what's inside the walls / ceiling. There was a fire in the attic area at some distant past. The whole center portion is black. We think it was a flue fire as there is an old chimney that goes out right there. And, there was zero insulation in the walls - when Jeff pulled down the sheetrock, you could see right through to outside between the boards. And, the hot tank is homemade- just an old metal drum with holes drilled & propane element stuck in it. And, Jeff found one old electric wall heater in a wall. He'd turned off all the power in the breaker box & he really thought this was another propane heater & just needed to find the connection. So, he pulled it off the wall & it started sparking & cracking! He pulled the wires loose so it quit & then had to track down where the power came from. He trailed it out the wall, along the side, over the roof and down the other side to a SECOND breaker box on the outside of the house. This was apparantly the only thing in that box that belonged to the cabin, all the rest of the breakers in it were for the employee cabins. Brilliant huh? We are scratching our heads a lot w/ this demo, and asking "What were they THINKING??"

Jeff is hoping the new hand can hack it. He seems like a nice enough guy and he worked here for several years, the last time was 8 years ago. But, he's middle aged (no comments here, just a fact) and has been driving truck for the last 8 years and has already noted that he's terribly out of shape. Jeff said he loaded 8 bales of hay and had to take a break. Even I do better than that - the bales only weigh like 50 lbs! But, he DOES know what he's getting into since he's been here before, so we aren't too worried.

Well, I'd better start dinner since I now have someone else to cook for! I did get my floors all mopped today since I got new mop heads in. That was cool - not that I like to mop an entire lodge floor, but it sure looks a lot nicer!

Ben's Blog

Ok, so Ben is all set up w/ his blog. PLEASE go check it out & participate in his poll, etc. His blog addy is benondgo.blogspot.com

DEMO - Demolition!!

Well, the demo continues. Jeff has hauled countless bags of insulation that was in the "attic" out of the cabin. Here's a picture of what it looked like after he pulled the ceiling down. AND... I was just out there a minute ago after he had picked up all THIS insulation and you couldn't tell he'd done anything - he'd gone up & swept off the beams & other areas & it pretty much looked just like this again. How depressing! But, it doesn't seem to bother him. Well, except that there is so much other stuff to do and such a short time to get the demo done. Speaking of other other things.. I'm also posting a pic of the outhouse that fell into it's own hole - kinda funny I thought. Jeff didn't find it so amusing, but he's the one who'll have to fix it, so I suppose he wouldn't.

And, added to the demo, the outhouse and the leaking fire line, the horses are getting out daily again. So, lots of fence work needs done.

No plane today but Tammy is hoping tomorrow a.m. And, if the plane DOES arrive, it should be bringing a new wrangler that we can put right to work. Should his first job be fixing the outhouse? (giggle)

Btw-what do you all think of the new look for the blog? I thought it was very classy! And, I hope easier to read.

Hey... anyone know why our walk-in cooler is freezing things suddenly? It's been working great & then we got up this a.m. & everything in it is frozen - and not just like have-a-skim-of-ice-on-the-top frozen, I mean like frozen SOLID. Weird.

Thank-you for Millie for playing secretary (or Executive Assistant if that sounds better!) for me! I so appreciate her help and info!!

Another Sunday

Another nice Sunday. Jeff fed this a.m. He said he could see where the horses had been out last night & wandered all over the place, but apparently put themselves back in after their fun. Weird.

Jeff worked on the cabin today - he was just going to work on shoveling up all the loose insulation above the ceiling, but ended up pulling the whole ceiling down. I'll have to take a pic & post it! It looks like a blizzard of ... grey-blue snow.. it's like 2feet thick in there!

I spent the day reading mostly, and getting Ben's week lined out for school. Btw, here are a couple pics of him working on school at the computer. There's also one of 2 bald eagles (1 mature, 1 immature). I hope you can see them. If not, someone let me know and I'll try to edit them for you.

Progress!

Well, we finally got the go-ahead on our remodel (as I mentioned yesterday) so today we got all the JUNK out of that cabin. I don't think it had been cleaned since 1962. Jeff even said he felt like he should be wearing rubber gloves. UGH. Nearly all of it went to the dump. I think we only took out like 3 small boxes of stuff and few pictures and a couple pieces of furniture. But very little. We did find some arrowheads someone had tossed in a dish. This was the central location for the Sheepeater Indians and there are, apparently, a lot of artifacts around. There are some caves just downriver a little ways that have been excavated and a lot of stuff found there.

Jeff wanted to get the carpet ripped out by the end of today, but since a major water leak appeared bubbling right up out of the ground, he had to stop & chase that down. He has determined that there is likely a break in the line that goes to a fire hydrant, but will need to dig it up to be sure. So, that will delay the demo.

We do expect to have a new employee in there sometime the 1st of the week, so an extra body will be helpful. Jeff also had to take time today to work on a washer & to track down some supplies that are supposed to be here for the remodel.

The wolves were singing again last night. There is one particular individual who is quite melodic. He (or She) doesn't just do the normal howl like the others, he (or she) kinda hoots. It's hard to explain but quite fascinating to listen to. I wish I could record them for you all to hear. But, I don't have anything that can really pick up the sound like that. Any sound to record has to be right next to the microphone.

My Shower Heels

Hello Everyone - yesterday was SLOW... so I didn't even bother blogging anything. But, now that the bed situation has been temporarily resolved - kinda, I can move on to my complaints about the shower. The cabin we're in has only a shower stall. And it's TINY. And, the wrong shower head was put on the stem and there aren't any others here to replace it with. SOO... I'm too stinkin' short for it! I can't get out of the spray! To shampoo my hair, I have to squeeze against the side and push my forehead tight against the wall so that I can get the shampoo in before it washes away. Have you ever tried shaving your legs when you can't get out of the spray? GRRR!! And, I've always hated water in my face... but in that I can't get away from it!! I'm thinking that if I put on this pair of plastic high heels I have, it might help. But the picture of me showering in high heels is just too ridiculous to contemplate!!

On to more positive updates!! We got the go-ahead to start demo on the interior of the Foreman's cabin! WAHOO!! So, we have to try & have that completed by next Friday as that is when the volunteer construction crew is showing up. So, we hope to have a completed cabin by end of April - we'll see how it goes.

Today I made more bread. I have 3 loaves rising right now - I even put cheese in one for Jeff. And, I put together a sourdough starter base, so only have to wait for that to start working and I can make sourdough breads.

We were also PROMISED a plane next week. Tammy was apparently home sick yesterday w/ the flu so has been unable to arrange our deliveries. We are all quite excited over this possibility. I must say that I'm having trouble imagining how mind-numbing it must have been here before they installed the satellite. Just the 1 day yesterday of no real-time communication and few emails made me feel forgotten :(
You see how important you all are?? We LOVE getting emails & hearing from you all.
We 3 get along pretty well here, but you run out of things to tell each other - lol.

I also found out this afternoon that I will go on the payroll a week from today, more than 2 weeks early. So, that's good. We have the construction crew coming next Friday & they want me to cook for them (of course) so are paying me to do so! So, my lazy days are about to end.

I tried to upload more pics, but our connection is too unstable tonight. So, will have to try tomorrow.

Ok.. one more chance

Well, Bendigo has requested that we extend the poll just a little longer as not everyone had a chance to vote. So, we've extended it 2 days and pared it down to the top 3 answers. So, you all may vote again on the revised list if you choose. We'll keep you posted on the final result!

And the votes are in....

Well, the voting is pretty much wrapped up & it appears that Ben's blog page will be titled "Ben on 'd go". So, now I just have to get him all set up for it.

Today was relatively nice here. I'm working on a new quilt - kinda. I want to do a blue jean quilt, but am putting some other colors in there too. Jeff had an old shirt he was tossing that is a deep maroon - almost purple - so I cut it up too. But, I don't have many old blue jeans around... so, if anyone out there is getting rid of some... hint, hint!

I finished my apron yesterday. If I get around to it, I'll take a pic so you all can see! It has horses on it (of course) but ... and hold your hats here... it's NOT purple!! Not even a little bit! See? I can mix it up once in awhile!

Not much else happening here today. Jeff finished up another project, putting a shed around the compressors for the refer & freezer. Other than that we're waiting - waiting on the plane, waiting on the go ahead for the remodel, waiting on staff, waiting on nice weather... waiting.

Btw - Ben wants you all to know that his blog won't be this fluffy stuff! It'll be a "meat & potatoes" blog - whatever that means.

Oh.. I do have an update on the bed! It seems to be better than the other one - still not great, but definitely less painful. So, that is an improvement!!

Story Day For You

Josie stands and peers inside the cab, then turns her intelligent gaze up to her Master. That gaze speaks clearly - "Must I?"
"Josie! Get IN!" he demands sternly.
She hesitates one further moment and then jumps up to the seat, quickly turning to verify she won't be left alone in this strange box. "In, Sage!" he demands to her relief as she watches her older sister obey and leap in next to her. Two pairs of intent brown eyes watch closely as the man slams the door and then moves to enter the other side.
As the box begins to rumble, Josie tucks herself close to Master as she suspiciously eyes the black hole in the dash and the bobbing stick in front of her. When the man grabs the stick & pushes it down, she cocks her head as the rumble-sound changes.
Bumping down the road in this little space, Josie carefully watches everything. Sage sits primly, eyeing the countryside, like the princess she believes herself to be would eye her subjects. Josie sees this as she hunts for wandering horses, lost cows, menacing hordes or attacking cats. She takes her job as Watcher & Guarder very seriously.
Suddenly a sound intrudes. "Bzzz...Bzzt" Oh NO! She is the Watcher and Guarder of Runner-Kickers! She HATES Buzzer-Fliers! They dont' listen to her bark and there's no where to nip them and they SCARE her!!
Josie sinks closer to Master, tighter to his side as Sage suddenly notices the Intruder. Sage, unlike her sister, is NOT afraid of Buzzer-Fliers. But, she loves to catch them!! SNAP! SNAP! go her jaws as she tries to catch the buzzer. Josie climbs under Master's arm as she seeks to put distance between herself and the deadly battle being waged mere inches away.
Sage leaps at the buzzer! Her feet are on the dash, now on the floor, and suddenly over Josie's cowering backside as the buzzer comes her way.
Desperately seeking to burrow under Master's knee, Josie is wedged into a ball. She feels no compunction to help sister - after all, doesn't she save sister from the big Runner-Kickers? Doesn't Sage flee and demand help when surrounded by those Runner-Kickers? And Josie loyally rescues sister from them! So, it's only fair that Sage save her from Buzzer-Fliers!

Suddenly, the buzz cuts off. Peeking out, Josie sees sister sitting primly once more, smacking her jaws and licking her lips. She has emerged victorious!! Josie backs out of her huddle and praises sister enthusiastically with thumping tail and kisses - just as sister does for her when Runner-Kickers have been vanquished!
After all - what are sisters for? And so, Sage and Josie return to their perusal of the passing country - one regal, one intent. Buzzer-Flier fighter complimenting Runner-Kicker fighter. Sister complimenting Sister.

A Rainy Day

Well, today was a rainy, windy day - following the rainy windy night. The river is coming up quickly and getting quite muddy. Jeff stayed busy even w/ the weather, cleaning up the piled garbage & junk behind the hay shed. For some bizarre reason, someone had been piling bits & pieces to be burned there... next to the hay shed. Even though there is a perfectly good burn pile clear down past the runway at the other end of the ranch. Go figure. So, anyway, he hauled it all down there & burned while the rain is around to help keep things under control.

Josie especially likes to go down to the dump. The boneyard is adjacent, and is quite extensive. She just sits on the hill & survey's her own personal candy store. She appears to be considering "Hmmm... which one do I want to chew on today? Oh.. this one here has a little gristle left... oh wait - that one still smells nasty!!"

The dogs do smell better, maybe the rain is helping wash it off. So, perhaps they'll be allowed in the bedroom tonight - we'll see. We're heading to bed early since we got very little sleep last night. Jeff just wants to build a fire & settle in. So, I guess we'll head off to the cabin & call it a day!

Never a Dull Moment

Ok... so there ARE dull moments... but seldom completely dull days! This morning, we are trying to evaluate our nights sleep on the different mattress. We THINK it's a little better, but still didn't get much sleep and are trying to determine the underlying reason out of the several that leap out. What are those reasons you ask? Well...

The obvious one was the banging of things all night. Why were they banging? Because the wind was howling. Why was it so loud? Because all our windows were open. Why were they open? Ok - review here: Remember when I told you that the heater in our cabin doesn't have a thermostat? It's just on all the time. So, we usually sleep with the bathroom window open a crack and the bedroom door open so the heat can escape to the front room which has no heat. But, LAST night, we had to close the bedroom door - so we had to open both the bathroom window and the bedroom window all the way. Why'd we close the bedroom door? Because the cabin STUNK. Why'd it stunk? Because of SKUNK! Yes - Skunk. The dogs went out as we were getting ready for bed, and started barking. Then it stopped abruptly and in they came - in all their odiferous glory! They usually sleep in the bedroom with us - but that was NOT going to happen. So, we shut them out of the bedroom. And, now you know why it was so hot in there! And, with the windows open, all the banging was exceptionally loud - especially the clumping in the bedroom from the wind coming in & catching stuff on the walls, the window blinds, rattling the doors... UGH.

So, was it the noise, the stink, the heat, or the bed? You decide!

Btw.. we have an identification on one of the bushes! It's rose hips from a wild rose bush!

Sunday the 15th

Hello All:

Well, I trounced Jeff at Cribbage last night. And, then we both had a awful nights sleep on that stupid mattress. So, today we traded mattresses w/ another cabin. Don't know if it'll help - but I sure hope so!!

We are waiting to hear if someone can feed our horses. Our friend has had some pressing issues arise and can no longer do it. So, we're hoping that someone will let us know soon as they'll need fed tomorrow!!

I did some research today and discovered that Idaho has zero requirements for Homeschoolers. They don't monitor it or anything. Which is good and bad. We are in the process of determining how we want to handle high school. Jeff & I both would really Ben to have an actual diploma, not just a GED, but that is easier said than done when you homeschool, especially when you are as remote from schools as we are.

Today is rainy and windy. It looks to be this way for awhile.. Ho Hum. Means no plane probably for at least a week.

We had a coyote in the yard today, Josie chased it off - we are hoping she doesn't try chasing 1 too far when we aren't watching!

The horses have stayed in the pasture 2 whole nights in a row!! We are hoping that particular problem is fixed for now.

Fruit Trees?

Ok, I need some help. We have these trees out in front of the lodge. While some are obviously just shade trees (usually cottonwood) some are fruit trees and some I THINK are fruit trees. Can you all look at the pictures here & see if you can tell what kind of tree / bush each one is? I included a close up of two of them that still had fruit. I'm pretty sure the one (the one w/ the poor closeup) is a Cherry tree. The other close up is of a bush-type... but I'm not sure. Could it be a Current? It has lots of long thorns which confuses me. Maybe it's not an edible fruit bush at all. And, the big one we think is an Apple tree. Unfortunately, there is ZERO old fruit on the ground under any of them (thanks, I suppose, to the resident elk & deer population). Anyway, if you can identify any of these, please let me know. Thanks!!

Friday the 13th

Well, the 13th was a good day for us! We had lots of visitors (well, lots for us). We had FOUR people show up - 3 of them unexpectedly. So, that was fun. 3 of them were the 2 guys who are going to help on the remodel and their pilot, and the other one is the guy who's in charge of the satellite & computer stuff. He's a doctor out of Boise and he came bearing gifts! We like him already! He brought a newspaper, pepsi and coke, tortilla chips, ... and butter of all things. That was a little weird, but since I did need butter, it was cool. He made me give him a list of our "wishes" and said he'll bring stuff everytime he comes. We put pizza & Starbucks on the list & invited him back soon!

The guys helping w/ the remodel were also very welcome. Now that they've come & looked it over, we expect the go-ahead for demo by Monday or Tues. Then, they will come back in w/ help & expect to have the new construction done in a week!! So, we should have walls & sheetrock by the end of the month. I even got to pick what formica I wanted for counters, the tile for the backsplash, and I'll get to pick all the paint colors. It's like building our own custom house (in a small box) - very exciting!! I have chosen to keep the ancient green tub - it was either that or a small shower and no tub. So, I can either paint the tub, or fix the bathroom so it fits in ok.

There was also a bighorn ram laying up in the rock cliff just upriver. The pilot saw him on the way in so the guys all checked him out thru the binoc's.

The horses were out AGAIN yesterday a.m. - as they had been the evening before and that morning and the day before that. So, after all our guests left, Jeff went & fixed MORE fence... and this morning they were.... NOT out again! YEAH!! We are hoping that'll hold them awhile now.

Ok, so now is my time to editorialize a little on current affairs in the world at large. This whole fraud scandal w/ the guy who managed to defraud people of over 64 BILLION dollars? BILLION??? With a "B"? There are so many questions this raises for me... But, I'll stick to the ones that I find most baffling - why is the guy in jail? We have murderers, drug dealers, pedophiles and every type of amoral felon out there, who are NOT in jail for whatever reason - and this guy goes to jail? And, if he HAS to go to jail - why a Manhattan jail? I mean really - why not Rikers or some REAL jail? And... how does him in jail help those he defrauded or the world at large, for that matter? It's just costing taxpayers more $$. Why isn't he sentenced to "community service"? Make him get his hands dirty & maybe face some of the people he hurt. What if he was sentenced to work w/ the people that the charities that he defrauded could have helped? At least he'd be doing some good and who knows? Maybe, his conscience would prick him enough that some of the defrauded $$ would show up to help people.

And... I think about the scale of the fraud. The amount of money. If he could defraud that much, from the few people that invested w/ him (in relation to how many people invest with others just in the US, let alone world-wide) - think about how much good that amount of $$ could be doing? In a perfect world, where people used their excess $$ to do good instead of buy luxury yachts or fancy jewelry or whatever they do with it, imagine the impact on the hungry, the homeless, the jobless, the disenfranchised? I am not speaking of a utopia where what one had, everyone is entitled to. I'm just talking about a moral and conscious effort to put excess $$ to work to help others. I don't begrudge those who have $$ their beautiful lifestyle - but perhaps they would feel more satisfaction from helping others than in purchasing one more "thing" for their life? Think about it... if he had NOT defrauded those people, and each of them had taken only 10% of that $$, that would be 6.5 BILLION DOLLARS to put towards charity. 6.5 BILLION!! And that is only from the relatively few people he stole from!!

Yes, I know some of you might say I'm naive - but come on!! What is wrong w/ our world when that kind of $$ is floating around out there, but we still have all the issues that we face? That money could start new businesses and put people to work. It could open new homeless shelters and soup kitchens. It could pay teachers. It could buy vaccines. It could do so much good!!! Who knows how far reaching such vast sums of money would be? Maybe the gov't wouldn't be forced into this incredibly stupid move of having to "bail out" wall street?

Ok... I'm done with my ranting. I'll now return you all to our quieter life of backcountry living - where we have a little yearling deer peeking in our window. It's very quietly advancing into the yard, listening to us in here, and obviously looking around for the dog. And, it has been so kind as to fertilize our lawn for us too!

Mr. Fix It

Yesterday was a beautiful day here. Still cold, but did eventually get up above freezing. We finally got enough psi to get the hydro going again, so we're off the diesel generator. Jeff said that it really was kind of a good thing that we had those issues now, as it forced him to start & shut down both generators (hydro & Diesel) several times, with no one here to assist, so now he's pretty comfortable w/ them.

We rec'd Ben's math curriculum in the mail on Wednesday, so he was able to start back up w/ math again. And, because of power issues, he's skipped science on Wed, so school was a long day for him on Thursday. I have included a picture here of him reading for school by the big wood stove. That is one of his favorite things.

We also had "visitors" yesterday. First thing in the morning, a whole herd of elk were right behind the ranch on the hillside. I put a couple of those pictures in as well. And, in the afternoon, we had 4 little does right in the yard! We've also seen the otters several days, a resident bald eagle and ducks (Merganzer's I believe).

The horses continue to get out. I would swear they are just testing Jeff's patience. So, he has lots of fencing to do today. Yesterday they pushed against several rails & broken them & have also discovered that the 10' of tape (electric fence) isn't actually electrified, so they just walk through that too. Jeff has been reluctant to put up real fence in that spot as it is where the fence crosses the creek and it will just get washed away when the spring runoff comes. But, I guess he'll have to break down & just do it. We know they aren't doing it because they are hungry - we're feeding them LOTS, but I think it has more to do w/ the little bit of green grass that's starting to come up - even w/ the very cold temps! Now, that is what I all optimism!

Jeff has also been working on equipment - not like big equipment - I mean like washers & dryers & propane heaters. Not only did we run out of propane two different places so he had to relight a TON of pilot lights, but all of the washers & dryers that are here have issues. So, he's been trying to resolve those. We do have one fixed, but i think the others are just hopeless. And, one of the propane wall heaters in the staff quarters won't light. But, he thinks he's getting that nailed down. And, we finally figured out the problem w/ the UPS (not the package delivery - the universal power source - it's like a big surge protector w/ a battery backup) so the webcam is back up & running as well as our phone (or as well as that ever works).

The biggest news for Thursday, was that Jeff walked up to the hot springs. He wanted me to go, but I'm old enough to have learned a few things. I told him to go and see how far it was (he kept saying it's just around the corner from the Mormon Ranch - yeah, right!). And, sure enough, when he returned he said "It's a good thing you didn't go with me!" It was WAY further than he thought! He said that it wasn't real inviting either, but he cleaned it up some while he was there & filled the tub (it is so quintessentially Jeff that he would clean up some random spot that he runs across). So, hopefully it'll be a little nicer for the next people. But, the biggest deal for him was that he saw 4 bull elk - 3 of them 6-points or better. And, he also saw big wolf tracks (of course, he's seen them just up the creek from us too).

The elk are moving down into these lower drainages now - we're wondering if they are preparing to calve. We are kind of excited for that, but also know that it will bring in the wolves. I don't think we can just stand by and watch them harass those new babies. Jeff said we may have to stand guard! We know that isn't really feasible as the elk see us as big of a threat as the wolves, so what can a person really do?

Da Plane! Da Plane!

Well, our "ship" (or plane in our case) finally came in!! And it was a good day for it. The hydro froze up in the night so we woke up to a very cold cabin very early this morning (early for ME.. it was before 6am! Ugh!) I should note here that our cabin is, of course, the ONLY cabin without a propane heater. It only has an electric baseboard heater and a woodstove. So, Jeff got up & got a fire going (he's so sweet) and then went & worked on the hydro all day. Because it's been so cold, the problem is that the creek and the settling pond are frozen, so we can't get the psi we need to make the hydro run. So, he eventually caved and started the diesel generator for the day - but he'll likely turn it off tonight because it's very noisy. So, we aren't sure when the hydro will be back up & running as it's supposed to be very cold here (at least at night) for the next several days. So, even though it eventually gets above freezing during the day, it gets below zero at night, so that doesn't help much. But, by the weekend it should warm up and get things flowing again.

We were quite excited to get our groceries. We got junk food and milk and cereal and fresh fruit - among other things. We decided we kinda like this - other than the delay in getting the food - it's kind of like having a personal shopper. We just tell her what we want and she goes shopping & sends it in!!

OOOHHHH... and VERY exciting - there were TWO books in the mail bag! We didn't get any other mail since I had forgotten to have Jeff sign the forwarding notice so it got kicked back, but the books were great. And, Ben got 1 of the 2 things he needed to finish experiments for science. So, he can at least get one of them out of the way!

I will say that if anyone loves us out there & wants to send care packages - we'd love Starbucks coffee and Ben would love the bulk hot chocolate (all we have are the little packages) and I would love bulk lemonade (it's REALLY hard to make Russian Tea with little packages of Koolaid lemonade). Oh, and Jeff would love just regular potato chips (we only get Dorito's & Frito's so far). BUT.. we DID get microwave popcorn, so we're going to have a movie night tonight. Of course, we'll have to watch it on my laptop since we don't have a DVD player in here yet, and that causes it's own set requirements - we have to sit all lined up in row in front of the laptop (like in a sled) because if you sit to the side, you can't see the screen. So, one of sits on the floor, one on the footstool and one on a barstool. It's quite amusing!!

Cats & Kids

Did I mention that we have 2 cats here? We were some concerned since Sage thinks that cats are simply "kitty-snacks" for her, or perhaps a really fun flight-less bird to chase. Anyway, she seems to be hard-wired to chase them - we canNOT break her of it! And, it can become extremely annoying to us having to listen to her bark & whine & stress - and she drags Josie into the game also. But, surprisingly enough, she's hasn't chased them that much -that we've noticed. They typically hang out in the barn & she can't get in there, so it's worked ok. HOWEVER - we are starting to wish she WOULD chase one of the off. The youngest - and friendliest - has taken to getting under the lodge floor and then meowing INCESSANTLY! And if it's not under there - it's wandering by my bedroom window at night - "MEOW. MEEOOWWW. MMEEEOOOWWWglflr" I'm starting to WISH the wild animals (or not so wild) would get it! (Does my lack of sleep show?)

Today, Bendigo is filling woodboxes while I clean the lodge floor. He actually kind of enjoys this job, believe it or not. Of course, the fact that he has to use the Rhino to bring the wood up, probably doesn't have ANY impact on how much he enjoys it, hmm? Which is probably a good thing since we go through a LOT of wood here in the lodge, especially with it being so cold these last couple days. And, of course, last night is when Bendigo's propane for his little wall heater ran out. So, it was very cold in his room this a.m. Jeff got the propane replaced and all the heaters re-lit except for one. He's been fighting w/ that all day. It's been unclear whether it's a thermocouple (NOT thermocoupleR as we've always called them - you learn something new every day) or the thermostat or the gas line...

On my "observation" for the day - you ladies can probably relate more to this than the guys - but, have you ever noticed the pull your loved one puts off when they are absorbed in something they truly love? And for each of us, that is different. For Karen - I'll bet you've noticed it when E is involved in his radio / electronic stuff, right? And for Jennet & Millie - I'll bet there is a particular job at the ranch that just brings our your man's inner glow (not that I think guy's would particularly like that phrase - haha). For me, it's when Jeff is standing contemplating this place and his role in it. He is truly loving this job already. I pray that it will only grow with time. I have noticed this in the past, but came to a new awareness of it yesterday as I poked my head around the corner into the great room and saw him standing w/ his coffee staring out the window at the surroundings. I was wishing I had my camera to capture that look - although I'm not sure they always capture that aura real well - it must be as much an electricity as a look.

And, on that note, I am happy to report that we DID find my camera this morning!! I had really wanted it yesterday (as noted above) and also last night since there was a gorgeous moonrise over the mountains. And, you know where it was hiding from me while I searched high & low, every place I'd been, everyone's pocket - EVERYWHERE??
It was buried deep, down in a dark, dank place - it's impossible to say how it found it's way - to the middle of the kitchen table!!

Well, tomorrow the plane is still scheduled to arrive!! WOOHOO! So, we looking forward to mail, junk food, milk, science supplies, and hopefully some stuff from the storage unit!! OH - that reminds me! I need to go and get some books ready to send out w/ the plane!

Still No Plane

Well, it cleared up & was nice again today - just like yesterday, but still no plane. :( But, we did hear that they are trying to schedule one for Wednesday, so that is what we're looking forward to!

Yesterday we spent most of the day relaxing & not doing a lot. The horses had to be fed of course, and Jeff had to do a little more fence work (they got out AGAIN), but otherwise, we puttered. And, here's an interesting observation on people - well, really more on ME, it would be quite rude to say EVERYONE is as contrary as myself. We decided that Sunday would be our sorta "day off". So, I determined to do nothing - no cooking, no cleaning, etc. And, that's what I did - to the extent that I was ready to scream by the end of the day because I was so - stinking - BORED!! Now, wouldn't a normal person have done something, even if it involved some type of "work"? Or is everyone as cut nose-spite face as I? At any rate, I did get one short bit of entertainment - Jeff & played a game of cribbage before bed. He actually won - he says it's the 1st time ever! Of course, he won because I helped him find all his points in each hand!

Today, though, we were MUCH more productive - and not nearly so bored! We cleaned light fixtures today (lots of dead little bugs!) and worked on cleaning more mounts and laundry, and printer issues. So, am happy w/ all that.

Cereal Wars

This morning, as we ate breakfast, Jeff & Ben were discussing their favorite cereals. Ben noted that Honey Bunches of Oats is his favorite. Jeff said that kind wasn't even around when he was a kid and that the local store only carried 3 types when he was younger. Ben, being Ben (and a normal 13-yr old boy-kid), replied "Yes they did!" in that way that kids have that emphasizes each word... you know, "Yes. They. Did!." "They've been around since like .... '95!". We found that quite amusing - Jeff asked Ben how old he thinks his dad is!

Also during breakfast - I quite enjoyed my homemade bread! I'm still getting HUGE loaves so need to work on my sizing, but otherwise it turned out great! Unfortunately we used up the last of our milk, so we are really hoping the plane arrives Monday as we all really like milk.

Ben & I finished the puzzle last night - I think we'll glue this one & put it up in a cabin - it's pretty cool. Lots of "sportsman type" things on it.

Oh, btw - I should let you all know the protocol for talking on the phone to us, should we call. It's pretty much like talking on a hand-held radio. There is a delay (2-3 seconds) between the time we talk and the time you hear it. So, when you answer the phone, you won't hear us respond to your "Hello" immediately. And, you have to talk very deliberately and not overly fast. And, if possible, make it clear when you've completed your sentance / thought so we know when to talk. We won't make you say "Over" at the end of each thought - yet!! :) We DO have a phone # for it, but it won't be a lot of use to anyone at the moment since we don't have the phone setup anywhere we can hear it ring. Eventually we hope to have a cordless that can be kept in the lodge during the day.

There were a LOT of elk just across the river this afternoon. Well over a hundred (probably a LOT more than that) - they stretched from our ranch clear down around the corner to the Mormon Ranch buildings. They were grazing across the hillside - it almost looked like Buffalo. If I could remember where I put my camera, you'd have a picture - but, I don't.

I set up my sewing machine today!! So, now I can quilt, quilt, quilt. If only I HAD something to quilt - I guess I'll finish up a little project I never finished. And, maybe I can make myself an apron. But, beyond that, I need more fabric so I can start the other 2 projects I've been wanting to do.

We also hung / rearranged pictures around the lodge today. There were a lot just sitting around leaning against things - now they are on walls. We rearranged a little furniture, and listened to the latest that technology can provide - or maybe I should say COULD provide- when the lodge was built.... we enjoyed the John Denver, Lobo, and Ronnie Milsap 8-track tapes very much! If anyone has any 8-tracks they'd like to get rid of, we have a home!!

Have I mentioned the radio's? We've discovered that there are so many buildings, spread so far about, that Jeff & Ben have taken to wearing those little hand-held radios on their belts so that they can communicate. I'm thinking I'm going to need one in the lodge as well, to track them down! Tonight, Jeff called Bendigo on the radio to tell him dinner was ready, and Ben when Ben came in he said he'd forgotten he had the radio on, and it scared him when Jeff hollered at him out of it!!

Well, off to the cabin for another old movie & more settling. Love to all!

1 Full Week

Well, we've been here one full week as of today - and yes, we still love it! I am feeling more at home daily, and today was much more productive. I made 2 loaves of bread, a venison roast for dinner, paid bills, cleaned... it was great!

We did run a little short on sleep last night, however! At midnight, I woke up with the urgent feeling I'd forgotten something - and then it hit me! I had left the oven (propane) on and had left toast in the oven. So, I got up & had to head down to the lodge to turn it off. When I stepped out the door of the cabin, I heard a horse galloping madly & whinnying. So, I went ahead & went to the lodge, but he still hadn't quit when I returned, so I went in & got Jeff up as I was concerned something was after them. When he got out there (in the snow, by the way - we got almost 2" last night) w/ the spotlight, we were relieved to see that it was only that some of the horses had gotten out and 1 that was left behind was panicked. So, Jeff herded them back in, rescued one that was caught in wire & we returned to bed. And, Jeff asked me why God couldn't just say in your head "Get up & check the horses!". Instead, he let me forget the propane, go all the way to the lodge, worry over the horses & go back to get Jeff up. I thought that was kinda funny. It really was a blessing in disguise that I had forgotten the oven!

But wait! The adventure continues!! We had just gotten back into bed & were just about asleep (again) when the wolves started! They were VERY close. And LOUD. So, we were awake for a long time due to their noise. But, actually, they are extremely musical. They harmonize and sing really beautifully! So, while I wished I could sleep, I really enjoyed their serenade also!

So, today, Jeff fixed fence for most of the day! And, as I noted, I was busy being productive also. We are a little concerned when we'll get our next supply delivery however! We were hoping they'd send a plane today since it actually was quite nice. But, now it's supposed to snow for the next 5 days at least! So, it might be awhile before we get fresh milk, potato chips (Jeff is going through withdrawal) and Ben's dvd player!!

Slow Day

Well, quiet day. We're all sleeping better so are happy with that. Bendigo is slightly frustrated as he can't find his school binder. So, he's getting further behind every day on certain subjects. But, otherwise, he's pretty happy. He does school in the a.m. & then helps around the ranch in the afternoon - usually chopping / filling wood boxes, cutting kindling, helping his dad w/ projects, etc. But, he never forgets to play his "daily pool game"... lol I'm afraid we may be raising a pool shark!

Btw - we've received several suggestions for Bendigo's blog, including Salmon River Ben (from Gordon), Ben Ho (from Ed), and approval of Backcountry Bendigo. However, we're waiting to hear what Steve says, although I'm a little afraid it'll be something like "Mucho Macho Middle Fork Muchacho"! (I crack myself up!!)

Jeff was quite pleased with himself today also - he fixed the pickup which has been broken down awhile awaiting a new fuel pump. He pulled it apart & cleaned all sorts of things & put it back together & it runs great! So, everyone is happy with that. AND... he cleaned a couple of dirty, nasty elk mounts today - honestly, I don't think they've EVER been cleaned... literally INCHES of grimy dust & gunk on them... ugh. They sure are looking better now!!

Nothing else much new. We did get snow for a bit today, but mostly rain. Good night!

A Tuesday

After a night of intermittent rain, the day is overcast and we are getting intermittent rain showers today also. So, Jeff is working on indoor projects today as raking leaves & yard work is miserable, not to mention difficult, when everything is wet. He has fixed a picture that had come loose in it's frame & hung crooked (it's the little things that really bug him) and re-sanded & re-finished the top of 4 tables that the wrangler had stripped & put a finish on this winter. But, for Jeff, it just wasn't quite up to par so he's doing a little upgrading.

On the up side - I slept good! Someone must have been praying because I feel WAY better today than the last couple days.

This afternoon we did a little cleaning around the lodge and Jeff cleaned several of the mounts - they were DIRTY, and we all know how he is about taxidermy!

HEY - We heard wolves yesterday - our first time for hearing them here. Yes, they do sound just like in the movies! Josie sure doesn't like it, she spins around in circles like she's expecting them to attack any second and from any direction! These wolves were actually a long ways away, but she didn't seem to know that. Then, today, there were coyotes just across the river. THOSE Josie wanted to rip to shreds, man! "Let me at 'em!" Although, if she actually SAW them, it might be a different story.

The bad news for the day was that they've canceled tomorrow's plane due to weather. So, no more deliveries until the 1st part of next week :( We are all very sad - no junk food for Jeff, no tv for Ben and no groceries for me. It might be a long week!

Ben's highlight for the day (besides sitting by the fire doing his homework listening to the rain in the lodge) was the exciting find of an OLD 4-wheeler. The wranglers had said it was dead & it was just sitting in the weeds. Jeff messed w/ it a few minutes, gave the pull cord a yank & it fired up!! So, he has dubbed it Bendigo's new toy.

Our first "alone" day

Well, Tyler & Scott got off this a.m. So, it's just us Artley's here now. We sure hope that Tyler is truly coming back. It made us nervous that he took everything he owned, including his saddle!! He's the only wrangler we've got that has been here & knows the area, so he's a very valuable asset.

We are starting to feel more at home. Jeff said this morning that his face hurts from smiling so much. I guess that means he's happy? Bendigo is working on school stuff today. He's always enjoyed being able to school wherever he felt like it (at his desk, in his room, in the recliner, etc.) so he's REALLY liking being able to sit in the lodge at different locations, or whatever.

This morning the elk had come down the hill and some crossed the river & are with the horses - they just stood & waited for the hay w/ the stock! So, we'll have to deal w/ that soon. And, there were otters at the bridge - Jeff & Ben went down & watched them awhile. Jeff said they didn't mind the humans or the dogs at all - they'd float right under them & stare back up.

It was very warm today & Jeff got lots of yard work done. And, we moved a few things out of the foreman's cabin. It was big excitement today that we got not one, but TWO planes in today. One took the boys out and the other one delivered propane & groceries. The biggest excitement of the day, however, was that I got a PHONE hooked up!! Yup, that's right! We've got a phone in the wilderness! Of course, I can't tell you the phone # right now, but I hooked it via the internet using Vonage. Unfortunately, I had to put it in the storeroom for now, so it's not terribly convenient!!

Our First Sunday

Well, we awoke a little later today, which was nice, but I still didn’t sleep great. It would appear that couples working here together is extremely rare since every single bed (at least everyone that’s larger than a twin) has a swale in it from only 1 person always sleeping on the outside edge. So, I continually fall into the hole in which Jeff blissfully sleeps. Anyway, it was a balmy 30 degrees today, as compared to the 19 degrees yesterday a.m.

For our Sunday service, we listened to the 1st installment of an Enduring Truth series that we found here in the lodge. It’s by Pastor Paul Sheppard whom Ben really likes. After that, we spent most of the morning getting setup so Bendigo can school tomorrow. I was quite frustrated when I got the printer totally unpacked & setup & then couldn’t find the cord to connect it to the laptop. So, no printing for awhile. Hopefully I can track that down quickly – I had to special order it in the 1st place so do NOT want to have to deal w/ that again!

This afternoon we took a walk down to the “Mormon Ranch” which is owned by the Forest Service now. We saw a large herd of elk (~80) on our walk and 2 golden eagles as well as numerous geese & birds. There was also 1 large wolf track but I didn’t get a picture before Jeff stepped on it.

After dinner I set up a puzzle table on which I can put together the puzzle I bought on our way here. It’s right by the wood stove in the lodge. It’s quite relaxing to sit there & puzzle over the puzzle.

Tomorrow (Monday) Tyler & Scott both fly out. Tyler isn’t expected back for a month, so it’ll just be us. But, we will get at least 1 visitor on Wednesday when Tammy’s husband comes in for a day or two to help Jeff fix the pickup. They have to drop the fuel tank & replace a fuel pump & filter & maybe o-rings.

I hope you aren’t finding the blog too boring. I’ll try & be more entertaining later – honestly, right now I’m just too tired at night! Not sure if it’s the mountain air, all the walking between buildings or what – actually, it’s mostly the not-so-swell bed swales!!