Maybe THIS year?!

Well, last I sat down to write was... last year. Sad, huh? I know... But we were working on getting our 25X30 garage up and we were hit with -22 degrees in Nov. Brrrr! That was essentially the end of our building days for the year. The garage is what we will be living in, before we build a straw bale house. We also lost 23 chickens due to that fast freeze. What a waste. But they decided not to make use of their shelter and if you are too stupid to get to where it's warmer.... out here, well..that's what happens.

This Spring has been very cool and wet compared to years past. Montana had been in a 10 year drought, which I do believe is over. We had records snows, twice as much as normal snowfall for the winter. Add that to rain, a few warmer days and that makes for flooding. Sadly some folks hit worse than others. Two lives lost so far.
We're keeping the kids and dogs away from the creek when it's flowing like this. Better safe than sorry.
It's also caused us to rethink where we will build the main house. The pasture site no longer looks that great. The side of the hill will be more of a task to build. If it floods up there it's ark building time!
On our land we have had very full creek beds and some waters coming over the culvert, washing a bit of the dirt away. So we have decided to err on the side of caution and not use it to cross with our vehicles. The weather continues to not cooperate with rain, blowing winds and chills. Grr!

Each weekend the hubby has had off to work on the land has been met with foul weather. What a slap in the face to a weatherman. ;-) But it seems the clouds are breaking, rain abating and this weekend is looking up. The slab is down since last Nov., the holes in the u-channels of the building are drilled. So, dropping those down and bolting them is an easy task! (Please, gods of irony and smiters of the arrogantly hopeful, do not bash us due to my flippant words of enthusiasm!)
This would mean the u-channels are down, the walls can be bolted in shape and pulled upright, bolted then in place and concrete poured to anchor it all. In a day or two, 80% of the building would be up!
We need to enclose the ends of the garage. The front will have an Arctic room. For those not in the know it's a room used as a barrier for the extreme temps. The door opens to a closed foyer space. Then there is another door that opens to the interior of the house. No opening doors in -45 to have the heat roll out and the cold blast through! The back of the garage will be built out to enclose the well head, the bathroom, solar batteries and freezer. That will be another 2 months of weekend work at least. As long as it's done by Nov.!

We lost a sheep, Donald to what looked like polioencephalomalacia...yeah, that's a mouthful. Basically it a neurological issue causing the brain to swell and go necrotic. From what I was told, his B12 was blocked somehow and this was the result. It was ugly. I'm glad he went to greener pastures. We'll see Donald again some day. The chickens are shooting out eggs faster than we can keep up. Selling them off to buy more feed. The chickens like this arrangement, so do I. Feed costs are up!
Found Morel mushrooms growing on our land and a Mallard hen and her nestful of eggs along the creek too. Life is good here.
The kids are growing like weeds and are loving the woods, though the pull of video games and TV have been pulling them back to "civilization". But once we are down there for good it will be a treat rather than "must have". Hoping we'll have our place in Great Falls rented soon as we are ready to move. Thinking too some family will be coming up to live closer. That will be so very nice! Maybe we can talk them into living next door in the woods. Hmmm?