March was filled with lots of activity beginning with a trip to Bozeman where Eileen took the state award for precision rifle in her division. Several days after returning home, my daughter, her husband, and their 9 kids arrived from Alaska. It was a full house! Janice and Paul took off for a Hungarian get-away […]
Glacier Country
Adventure on the edge of the wilderness
Mechanized Logging
With the snow melting and company coming, the sled was not an option for retrieving fuel from the forest. We enlisted the services of Mallory as our new log truck operator. ********************** The thaw creates some slippery conditions. We must rectify that! It’s a dirty job, but some girls have to do it. […]
A Day of Cutting Wood
Adventure on the edge of the wilderness can take shape in different ways… Winter has been dragging on, albeit the weather this season has been mild. Nevertheless, cold and snowy days have taken their toll on our woodpile due to our having to fill the wood stove twice a day in order to keep the […]
February in Review – Shooting Sports, Hauling Wood, and a King Cake Party
4-H shooting sports parent night is held in February and every year my girls have been shooting, I have participated. However, this was my first time wearing a precision shooting jacket. Oh my gosh! That thing is so uncomfortable, I don’t know how my girls do it. I felt trapped and had to get out […]
January in Review – Attending a Birch Bark Basket Class
Recapping the month of January brings to mind the basket weaving class that the girls and I attended. The class was educational, informative, and fun. I became interested in the seminar when I learned that the demonstration would be making baskets with birch bark. I’ve been collecting birch bark, hoping to do something creative with […]
10 Scenes to Help You Appreciate Winter
Adventure on the edge of the wilderness can take on many forms… My first winter in Montana was a special one. It was different from what I was accustomed to in the south. It was cold, but pleasantly so. Snow blanketed the ground all winter, and for the first time in my life I saw […]
A Frugal Noodle Kugel and Mark Zuckerberg
What does a frugal noodle kugel have to do with Mark Zuckerberg? It all started like this: I woke up this morning thinking, “What’s for breakfast?” The idea of a noodle kugel came to mind. My intention was to get rid of the leftover egg noodles from the previous night’s meal. I had […]
How to Untangle a Chain Saw Chain – the art of manliness for women
Untangling a chain saw chain can be challenging and frustrating if you don’t know what you’re doing. After bucking wood to create woodpile envy, the saw chain was dull and needed to be changed. It was my daughters’ and my first time ever having to do that. The dis-assembly went smoothly until it became time to put […]
Tips for Successful Wood Splitting
Since moving to a home that is heated by wood, I’ve had to greatly improve my wood splitting technique. (I had no technique, now I have a little. I’m no expert, but these methods have worked for me.) Tips for successful wood splitting: -Look for a log that has a natural split […]
Kalispell Christmas Spirit Remains Steadfast
Charles Conrad only lived in the beautifully appointed Conrad Mansion for the final seven years of his life. Anyone associated with the Conrads or who descended from the family will attest that those seven years were the most joyous years in the Mansion. One aspect of that brief, happy time was the annual […]