A Few Adventures and the Chores

     We have now been here a little over a week. There have been a few adventures. For instance, I learned that a clay hill where the goat and donkey play makes a wonderful slippy slide... and found myself incredibly grateful for a hot shower and the ability to wash my clothes and jacket as goats and donkeys are fairly unconcerned about where they relieve themselves. Adventurer learned that when Sandman says, "don't walk on the ice," he is trying to help her on a 40 degree day (where the ice is surely not solid especially over moving water) not to go for a swim... and again I am grateful for a washing machine but even more so that my son got my daughter safely out of the creek and up the hill to warm up by the fire.

     We have settled into a routine with the animals and home. I get up with the Mountain Man every morning to start the fire while he prepares for work. I am enjoying the simple task of feeding the fire throughout the day and so far it has been our sole source of heat with the exception of the day that he saw flames through the wall. For that 24 hour period we turned on the HVAC and relied on propane as the property manager made some repairs where the piping leading from the stove attached to the wall. Log cabins shift and settle more than most homes and apparently that was the cause but I am very thankful my Mountain Man saw the flames where they shouldn't be and that Joe, the property manager has now fixed it securely!

     Adventurer joins me most mornings to feed everyone and make sure the water is unfrozen and full. We call out good morning to the horses (Jon Bon Jovi, called Boy, and Mama) and they meet us by the fence to receive their hay. Then it's over to Odie and Lovey (the donkey and goat) to feed them theirs. Check in on the chickens to see that their water is not frozen and that they have not dumped it during the night. We leave the top half of their door open throughout the day so that they can be free range but with the wolf pack in the valley and the coyotes we count every night to see if there are still seven. Larry, the rooster, says hello when we arrive and if daylight beats us he hurries us on our way. After everyone has food we check the mail, grab the paper, and close the front gate. Then we swing all the other gates wide so that all the animals can visit and range around the property together. Some days their antics are very distracting as they are in the front of the house and others they go down to the creek or in a side pasture and we don't see them unless we go looking.

     Next, it is inside to feed the Bear and pick up the cat food. Bear thinks it is quite yummy so I put it high during the day and back down for the kitty crew as they wander in every evening. The Bear still heads straight for his bed every evening as my children say their prayers so the kitties get many hours of free time to wander the home and eat indoors before they scatter in the morning as I walk out. One has decided that Bear is tolerable as a pal and will come in in the day to play with him and be loved on by the children but the rest are still fairly shy of us.

     Around lunchtime, Adventurer and I check the chicken coop for eggs. She gets very tickled by every one we collect and we tell the ladies, "thank you." The evening chores are handled by the animal property manager, Suzanne. She corrals everyone back in their home pastures and feeds them. Sometimes she can stop in for a visit which we all enjoy. Other than that it is basically bringing fire wood into the house, feeding the fire, and back to household chores you'd have anywhere and school as usual. Somehow, the new chores all make the days fresh and new with the animal friends we have here and it is easier for me, a night owl usually, to hop out of bed every morning early. In all honesty, I am sore every evening so it must be more than it seems, for me at least, but it is a good sore and a good night's sleep every night.

Pictures will have to wait till another time

     We had another wonderful day but definitely a full and busy one. Out of bed and off the ranch before day light, I met the movers at 8:30 and checked off boxes as they off-loaded into our storage rooms. Moving into a fully furnished house means that we only need our personal effects at the house for the next few months. Of course, those personal  effects were set to the side to be brought to the cabin. Four hours of standing in the drizzly cold left me ready to warm back up. Another reason to love heated seats in the car! We had time to run a few errands and then back to the ranch to meet the movers. 

     They beat me to the cabin by half an hour which gave them time to off-load the rest of our things onto the front porch. Then I got to stand at the door and direct boxes to either the basement or the attic. I have to hand it to the men, they were incredible professionals and good sports about all the stairs. Mountain Man's decoy collection was left in the front room for him to see as soon as he walked in from work.

     The movers left just in time for me to get a ham in the oven and visit with the property manager who takes care of the animals. Suzanne had been off the property for a few days as she drove the owner to Salt Lake City to catch her flight. It was nice to see her again and chat for a minute. Mountain Man literally walked through the door as the ham came out of the oven and the dining room table was covered with decoys in the few minutes it took to prepare the sides. Fortunately there is a bar and barstools for the family to eat together while the decoys took up our usual space. Mountain Man is happy, all the ducks are accounted for. 

     After dinner we finished unpacking a few more boxes and the little touches around the house are exciting to see. It's amazing to me how well everything seems to fit. I did a little bit of work on Sandman's space in the loft with him while Adventurer and Cat designed and began work on two costumes they are creating. Being in a house again is heavenly in that the girls had room to spend the afternoon having a tea party, playing dress up, and then creating in spite of the damp weather! I loved listening to them collaborate and am looking forward to seeing their final outcome. 

     With the children tucked into bed Mountain Man and I were able to catch up on our day. The job is everything and more than he was hoping but that is his story to tell if I can ever talk him into a guest post. As it is approaching midnight and I have morning chores I decided to share a little about our day and save the pictures for the future. I hope each of you is reading this from a happy, safe place that you are glad to call home. For tonight, I am full of happy feelings and toasty warm by the fire. 

We Have Arrived!!!

     We feel like we are living a dream! We drove into Montana on Thursday night. As we drove through Missoula, the girls and I stopped to pick up a few groceries and then Adventurer said, "Let's go home and make dinner." Just that simple. Of course, we are not there yet (our forever home) but each day feels a little bit closer. We are feeling incredibly blessed that while we look for property we are able to stay at the Lazy Susan. I don't know where we will be in four months but I am loving where we are today!

     The owner of the house had all the lights on and made sure it was toasty warm inside so our first hours spent in her cabin were very comfortable. Driving up through the front gate and down the drive looked like the perfect scene out of a Christmas movie. I can absolutely see the kids one day driving home with their children to spend Christmas in the mountains at the grandparents' place. The property managers had posted a sign that said, "Welcome to Montana!!", on the front door and they stopped in with a housewarming gift after giving us time to settle. It was a lovely candle that smells yummy and believe it or not is from the Chesapeake Bay Candle Company, which is truly lovely considering we spent the last almost fifteen years calling the Chesapeake Bay area home. 

     Our first few days here the owner was still doing last minute things tying up loose ends before her trip but tonight we are settled in, we have been to our first church service here, and we have even had a friend to dinner. We took a walk down the road from our place and were counting llamas, deer, and wild turkey. Yes, this move feels like coming home.

     Mountain Man starts work in the morning. I expect him to love his new job. We already like our neighbors and thoroughly enjoyed our new church and the people we met there. I will post pictures tomorrow after the last of our household goods are delivered. I just want to say again, how grateful I am. This last year made no sense at so many different points. We appreciate those who made the last year easier and we are so grateful. All we could do was trust in the Lord and try to follow His will. Whatever comes down the line, I am so very thankful for these moments of rest and ease!