Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Catching Up

I have wanted to post multiple times over the last few days.  So much is happening!  We make plans and then something else comes up and intercepts our day.  Having VERY limited internet has made it difficult to post but has made it very easy to read and I have been devouring several excellent books lately.  (Hope to get a list going in the next few months sharing some of my favorites and hearing about your favorites!)

I planted a garden a few weeks ago but with limited resources we decided on a small container garden.  I don't have a green thumb, so when the plants were doing so well and producing fruit and veggies I was so shocked and excited.

We went to Sandpoint (about 1 hour and 15 minutes away) on July 4th to watch fireworks and play in the lake.  It is a beautiful town with great shops and so well landscaped.


But when we got back, a squirrel had devoured our garden!  I was so angry and sad all at the same time.  We still have some plants or at least remnants of plants and are hoping to still have some produce.  Since that night, the same squirrel has come back each night to feast on any leftovers.  I have tried everything I can think of to scare it away including cayenne pepper, peppermint spray, foil over the plants, and setting out the boys fake alligator.  (I thought that one would be a long shot since alligators aren't indigenous to this area, but it is the only pet toy they have that looks realistic!).  I am hoping to get a fake owl to see if that works and Josh suggested covering the plants with a net at night.  Any ideas?

We have been working hard around the property working mostly on mowing and remodeling our friend's cabin to make it livable.  

Lucas turned 9 on Sunday and for his birthday he requested we go on a hike.  It was so, so amazing to be hiking in the backcountry of Montana!  There were signs posted alerting hikers that this is Grizzly country and we did hike with our bear spray (didn't see any bears!).  We hiked to a secluded glacier lake and the kids had their first experience skinny dipping!  




Along the way we picked and ate huckleberries, which to me taste like a perfect mix of grapes and blueberries.  After posting tonight, I plan on researching recipes for huckleberry pies or muffins.  



One of my fears in living in the forest is forest fires.  We are having our first taste of this threat right now as they are fighting a fire in between where we live and town.  It is so extremely dry here and were are in need of rain.  
(This is a helicopter dipping its bucket into the river to fight the fire.  I'm still trying to figure out resizing photos to make them larger on here without loosing the quality!)

I miss all my Texas friends and hope you all are well!  We became official residents of Montana today turning in our TX drivers license for a Montana one.  It was bittersweet but we are constantly grateful for this opportunity!  




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