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A Happy Birthday For Me

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I have been at my “new” job for a year already, so decided it was time to take a bit of vacation. My birthday was last week and I thought that would be an opportune time. Bruce said he would swap his holiday time off from Monday (Memorial Day) and take Friday instead, and we could go to Billings. Then I could peruse all the antique shops to pick my own birthday present. He is a smart fella. He knew that if he could come up with something lots of fun that I couldn't say no to, chances were greatly reduced that I would ask for my usual gift of labor on his part! (Instead of asking for wrapable gifts, I always ask him to finish some project on the honey-do list.)

So I had a wonderful, leisurely week. Got some gardening done (despite lots of rain), and managed to do a little pre-Billings birthday shopping right here in town. I found this first book at the fancy-pants thrift downtown.

I love books, and was thrilled when I opened this one and saw all it had to offer.

Chapter after chapter of animals found in the wild, with each chapter culminating in a frameable print, if a person would be so inclined to cut it out of the book. All of the pictures are by the artist Francis Lee Jaques who did innumerous illustrations for the magazine Outdoor Life. In addition to the beautiful pictures, the whole book is a very interesting read. It was published in the mid 1950's.

 

This picture alone was reason enough for me to buy the book. I think it is beautiful, and would go wonderfully with my small collection of other fox pictures – that is, if I can bring myself to cut this book. My Mom raised my brother and I to respect and never disfigure or maim books. But I can see, in my minds eye, a lot of these illustrations beautifully matted and framed, hanging at the cabin!

 

 

Especially this one! With the cabin being named Moose Springs and all 🙂

This second book I found at the regular thrift, and spent a whopping 75 cents for it! It is by Lawrence Sheehan whose wife Carol was the editor for the the magazine “Country Home” for many years. Her wonderful editorials were the first thing I turned to when I subscribed to that magazine, before it went under. She was like reading a favorite blog; so personable, fun, and interesting. Apparently she was a contributor to this book, and it is grand.

It has endearing photography, touching stories, and great ideas for incorporating dog inspired collections into your home.

 

 

 

I can't understand why anyone would have wanted to be rid of this book and donate it to the thrift! Oh well, their loss is my gain! It couldn't have come to a better home – I read my decorating books over and over again!

And on to our Billings trip –

This was my first find. I love how when something is just right, it practically jumps right off the shelf or wall into your arms. You can pass a thousand other things, and then, all of a sudden, there is that one something special thing that just pops out and glows! At least that's how it seems to work for me. The photo doesn't do this collector plate justice. It is a really stunning portrait of an elk, and will look perfect at the cabin.

For my turkey collection. I do not have another hen turkey looking back like this one, and at $4 for the pair I couldn't pass them up.

Another purchase for the cabin, and not only to feed my lamp fixation, but also my bear collection.

I think he is a cute little guy, and was very reasonably priced at an antique mall.

This Navajo style, 100% wool rug was a steal of a deal at a saddle shop. Now I wish I would have gotten 2, but I need to hold back a bit to see what will be truly needed when I get to finally decorate the cabin for real.

 

I was tickled to find these 2; Yellowstone Park memorabilia is getting harder and harder to find.

When we got home, my Mom and Dad came to town for cake and ice cream, and brought me some more awesome presents!

Isn't this the cutest little winter cabin! I love it!

And, what a coincidence, another plate! But this one is a true antique, and so beautiful and unique! It's funny because for Christmas my other Mother, Roxy, gave me an antique picture of a turkey herder that she found in Round Top, Texas; then my Mom finds this plate with a turkey herder! I have old pictures with sheep herders in them, but had never before heard of or seen turkey herders!

My Mom also gave me some yummy smelling lotion and lip balm, and 3 cute shirts for work. Talk about getting spoiled!

Then my bestest neighbor/friend/critter-sitter Eileen brought over this sweet garden light and hanger.

It is so pretty, and really puts out a lot of light, so I put it next to the steps in my yard to help folks not trip in the dark. She also brought me a personal birthday cupcake, and a baby tomato plant for my garden that she started from seed at her house! AND, she babysat Glee and Declan while we were in Billings since that was the first time Declan has been left for a whole day.

Pretty darn awesome birthday, wouldn't you agree?!

TTFN,

Teresa

 

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FLOWERS, SALAD, and BUGS

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The flowers are trying to do their best in this very unpredictable spring weather we are having. It spit snow and rain all day today. The honey bees are out and about trying to work, but it's so chilly they are like they are in slow motion. I even left the dandelions growing in the flower beds because I read an article that said the bees can utilize the dandelion blooms, and I try to do all I can to help them.

My Mom stopped by and said “You had better get after those dandelions, or they will take over all your flower beds and your lawn.” I told her what I had read, and she reassured me that I have enough flowers popping out to get the bees by without keeping the dandelions. So out they came, and they were by far the healthiest crop in the flower beds!

My Great Grandmother used to make salad with the dandelion greens, but I haven't been ambitious enough to try it. She also used to make watercress salad that everyone raved about. I finally got to go to the cabin last weekend (it had been 6 months since my last trip up), and I found lots of fresh spring watercress in several places up there when we took the dogs for a walk. I really want to try it, and I'm sure my Gramma probably still has my Great Grandmother's recipe, so maybe I will give it a shot. I remember the trickiest part about getting it ready was getting all the little water critters out of it before eating it. She would soak it all day in her kitchen sink in cold water with a whole bunch of lemon juice added, and that would bring the bugs to the top. GROSS. Call me squeamish, but I would just as soon not eat bugs as my protein for the day! A couple of summers ago I was at my cousin's, and we were picking raspberries in her yard and eating them. I tossed a big juicy one in my mouth and it felt like I got a shock! I spit in my hand, and there stood a big ol' ant, looking me right in the eye! The bugger had apparently been a hitch hiker on the berry and bitten my tongue! No thanks, I'll pass on the bugs.

Well, this turned into quite the random little story. My intent was to just show you all a few pretty posies. I believe I inherited a blabbering gene from somewhere in my very mish-mashed lineage 🙂 .

TTFN,

Teresa

 

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PROGRESS

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Here are a few shots of the progress on the new foundation for the cabin.

These are the drilled holes, but pre-pour of the cement piers. There was a good deal of surveying, angle calculation, time, and effort just to get these dozen holes put in the ground. And the majority of this Bruce did all by himself. God bless his heart.

 

 

 

He had to frame everything up, and set the sonotubes and rebar cages (which he wired together himself). Nine of the twelve holes drilled that will hold the pier posts ended up taking on water from the underground springs on the property. That did not make Mr. Bruce happy at all. He had to rent a pump and make other modifications to make sure everything was ready for the concrete pour. It took him the better part of the week to have everything ready. He had the concrete delivery scheduled for 9 a.m. on Saturday. Then, here came the cement truck, approximately 2 and 1/2 hours late. Just enough time for the ground in the yard to thaw out and be good and soft. I had to work the day they poured, and I am glad I wasn't there to watch, because it was a very stressful, torturous day. The cement truck got stuck on the property because of the boggy ground and excess weight of the loaded truck. And it was stuck a goodly distance from where the cement needed to be poured. A very good hearted man, who just happened to be stopped and chatting with Bruce in passing, gave up his Saturday on the spur of the moment when he saw the terrible picture unfold with the truck, and knew what a horrible pinch Bruce was in. He helped him get that concrete from the truck to the foundation holes, which was no small feat. Another cabin neighbor had a bobcat (a small tractor like piece of equipment) he let them use, and they would fill the bucket then drive from the truck over to the holes and dump in the concrete a scoop at a time. Not good. Once the cement was unloaded from the truck, which was a long while later, they were able to get it unstuck, and the truck driver got out of the yard and back to the road. This is a very condensed version of what transpired. There were lots of other exciting things that happened in the process, but this would turn into a book if I elaborated.

I haven't been up since the pour. Bruce said the road in the yard to the cabin is a torn up mess, and the piers are not pretty by a long shot, but thank The Lord they are done. And he beat the snow to boot. Needless to say, he decided to skip going up there this weekend. He needed a break away from that turmoil for a bit. Now, we wait til next Spring, then starts the process of getting everything ready to lift the cabin from the present foundation and move it over about 35 feet to the new foundation. Oy Vey, I don't even want to think about that…too scary.

So, on a happier note, here are some pictures I took on the way up to give Bruce moral support during the earlier part of this ordeal. I was a worthless helper, but that stuff was way beyond my capabilities.

This was one of my travel partners. The princess Declan, in her little pink blankey.

Glee rode in the back seat so she could hang her nose out the window. This little gal just snoozed the whole way up.

There was an impressive storm rolling in as I drove up.

It rained a little, slushed a little, and patches of blue sky shone thru all the while. Made for a very pretty spectacle.

It was pretty nice for the few hours I was up at the cabin. Bruce said I left just in the knick of time as it rained cats and dogs shortly after I headed back to town.

The trees in the cabin yard were putting on a pretty show of colors. Most of the leaves in town have blown off already. The wind just doesn't stop in this little town.

Anyway, steady by jerks. We just need to keep the faith that all will go well with this little mountain house, and it will be so wonderful when everything is completed and sturdy and snug when we finish.

TTFN,

Teresa

 

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The Drive Home From the Cabin

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What a beautiful day. If you click on the photos it will make them a bit bigger. I wish I could capture and pass on to you what it really feels like while driving thru the midst of this breathtaking scenery; the light and shadows, and hugeness of it all. The vastness and splendor is nearly indescribable. It just makes my heart swell to near bursting. Thank you, Lord, I am so fortunate to live here.

TTFN,

Teresa

 

 

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One Thing Down, A Thousand More To Go

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August is fire season in Montana. This year is no exception. We've gotten smoke here even from fires as far away as Canada, and more recently, the Missoula area, which is about 230 miles from here. Everything takes on an orangish hue, it gets very hazy, and distant views are very limited. Sometimes it smells very smoky out, at other times you barely notice. Montana is plagued with a pine bore beetle infestation. That makes for lots of standing dead pine trees in our forests, which is certainly fire fodder. That's why I was so happy the forest service came in last winter to the area where our cabin is, and did some clearing to hopefully reduce fire risk.

There was a huge standing dead pine, and a few smaller ones, on our property at the cabin.

Definitely not an asset. Too much big wind, lightning, heavy snow, etc., around here, and it needed to come down – with help, not on it's own, as it could possibly squash our little outhouse, or worse, if left to it's own devices, fall to where the cabin will be placed on it's new location (that'd be great, wouldn't it, to just get the cabin moved over, then have a huge tree fall on the roof?) Time to get gone, tree.

This tree was particularly bad as the top branched out in 3 different directions, which makes them even more dangerous. A pine tree with a single trunk and a split, multi branched out top is called a “school marm” by loggers. It also already had a bad crack down the side of the trunk, which considerably weakens the stability.

Bruce knows a fellow who formerly logged for a living, and asked him if he could come knock it down since he had the experience. He said he'd be happy to, and would enjoy it since he doesn't often have the opportunity to do that since he's changed professions. Very lucky for us. It took him no more than a few minutes, and he had that giant dead tree laying on the ground in just the right direction.

 

 

 

 

 

Bruce earlier took down the few other smaller trees himself, but this huge one was just too dangerous and really needed someone with the proper expertise to take it down. (Thanks Brian!!)

We had gotten a firewood permit last month from the forest service, and my big little son and I had made one trip up and gotten about a cord plus that we loaded up and brought to the cabin. That is only about a third of what probably will be needed for the winter up there. We knew we'd have to make at least a few more forays out amongst the giant, man eating horse flies (they are horrible up there this time of year, and bite like the dickens) to get a couple more cords, but now with these dead trees felled right here on our own property, there should be more than plenty to last the winter and spring.

Lucky Bruce now gets to cut all the logs to length with the beautiful, new chain saw I asked for for my birthday last year! One of the best, most useful presents I've ever gotten, and comes complete with a fella to run it 🙂 .

There was a full moon when we stayed this last weekend.

We had a campfire and roasted marshmallows, and watched the big, bright moon rise over the mountains. Doesn't get much better than that.

The next morning, this doe was standing right outside the kitchen window as I made coffee.

You can see the wild raspberry bushes growing in front of and under the deck. Glee loves raspberries, so we picked all the ripe ones we could find and she ate them for a snack.

So, at least one more thing checked off the massive to-do list at Moose Springs. Gotta love that!

TTFN,

Teresa 🙂

 

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Oh, the Cabin…….

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WARNING: This Is A Darn Long Post – Proceed At Your Own Risk!!

So, things have definitely been jumbled up with the cabin plans. We weren't even able to drive to the cabin (without fighting the weather and road conditions) until the first part of June. At that time, Bruce was finally able to start tearing the very decrepit decks off to assess the extent of structural damage we would be dealing with. It wasn't good, to say the least.

 

In the photos below, you can plainly see what bad shape the block foundation is in, and that the bottom log is deteriorating from water damage.

 

The plan that Bruce came up with entails pouring new cement pillar/pier supports to the left of where the cabin presently sits. The cabin has to be jacked up off the existing foundation (by professional house movers), and the rotting base logs have to then be replaced on all 4 sides of the structure. Then the movers will transfer the cabin over approximately 25 feet to sit it on the new cement pillar supports.

We were at an immediate disadvantage because by the time all of the problems were uncovered and realized, we were well into June. Anyone who has dealt with construction, and it seems that particularly in Montana, if you are lucky enough to find a reliable company to get done what you need, you had better get on their books very early in the season because their schedules tend to fill up very quickly. We were able to find only 3 companies in the whole state of Montana that move buildings. Add to that a variety of other complications because you are high in the mountains;

-Very wet, boggy ground in Spring/early Summer because of the massive amounts of snow that have just melted off, which in turn raises the water table of the many underground springs up there.

–Just the distance a company has to travel to get to what will be the job site. And if lucky,

-Maybe 12 weeks of good working conditions if everything has dried out well, and it doesn't decide to snow before October.

Twelve weeks might sound like plenty of time, but the lion's share of planning, arranging, calling, and much of the pure physical labor to frame out and pour the piers has to be done by poor Mr. Bruce. In the last month he has been racing toward a deadline at his “day job”, and has been putting in about 12 to 14 hours a day Monday thru Friday, and also working every weekend for that month. Consequently, spare time has been pretty darn scarce. Needless to say, he is a tad thrashed at this point in time.

He was going to try and at least get the piers poured and the cabin moved onto them in late fall (risky time frame due to the high chance of snow), then do the rest of it next summer. Well, the problem with that plan is that in preparation for moving the cabin, the interior tile floor has to be torn out, and that means that out with the floor also comes the whole kitchen, and whole bathroom, also the wood stove. So, even if by some miracle we could get the 2 different companies lined out for this summer/fall (one to drill for the pier foundation, one to lift and move the cabin, with time in between to pour the piers plus the 3 week cure time required for the cement before it can accept the weight of a building) the cabin would literally be rendered useless, sitting like a shell on the new foundation for the remainder of fall, and all winter, until we can get in next summer to put in new floors, new kitchen, new bathroom, new septic system and plumbing, new electrical, and all new windows. I told Bruce we would be better off to try and get the foundation lined out and poured late this summer if at all possible with the company's schedule being what it is, then let it sit and cure until next summer. We'd make it a priority by February-ish to get on the moving company's schedule for early summer. By skipping the moving part until next summer, at least the cabin is useable right now. We can enjoy it this fall, and be able to snow machine in this winter because we'll still have floors, cupboards, appliances, electricity and the wood stove.

GAD ZOOKS…..I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit.

I wish I had an iron clad constitution for all this risky business stuff, but I'm a good old fashioned, security driven, worrying sort of Irish lass, and me thinks we may well have bitten off a much larger and tougher chunk than we bargained for – I guess all in good time, if the Good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise 🙂

 

I hadn't dragged but the bare minimum up there because I knew we'd just have to haul it all out again as soon as we started ripping the floors out. All the good bargain stuff I had been finding had been tubbed up and was sitting off to the side in my dining room at home, along with the great big light fixtures from Craig's list. I decided if we have to wait a full year plus to start the decorating process at the cabin, I wasn't going to fall over all this crap in my house for a year. So this last weekend we packed the trucks and hauled a glob of it up the mountain. I spent a fun day Sunday hanging pictures, unpacking dishes, and making beds with fresh new bedding. We cut down a skinny little quaking aspen and I made curtain rods out of it. I hung my cute rummage sale find plaid curtains that turned out to be about a foot too long, so next weekend I will bring up a sewing kit and hem them. My camera battery went dead so this was the only photo I was able to get. It looked so cozy and homey when I got finished. I know I'll be cussing myself when I have to pack it all up and find somewhere to go with it next summer, but c'est la vie.

TTFN,

Teresa 🙂

 

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Randomness

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My itty bitty brain is just whirling – just a few weeks ago it was snowing pretty mightily around here; now it feels like full blown summer. I mean windows open, birds tweeting, grass growing inches per day summer! A few weeks ago, I was a domestic diva 🙂 tending my house, chopping wood, keeping my laundry up; now I'm back to alarm clock waking, trying to figure out what would be fastest to prepare for dinner after work, and making lists so I can try to keep up with everything that needs to be done in my very condensed at-home-time. Yup, no mo fairytale, it's back to the real world.

So, in order to try and achieve a little zen, I will share some pictures of random this and thats I have captured in the spare minutes I've grabbed over the last several days.

 

 

 

I have lots of pretty little flowers popping out. I was sad to see that I did lose many plants and ornamental bushes to this vicious winter we just escaped from – what a cold mean bugger he was!

We have had a few pretty substantial downpours over the last few weeks, and the bright side to that, along with the glorious greenness that presents itself, are these wonderful gifts from nature –

Morels! Oh, they are so yummy! Just soak them in water with a few teaspoons of salt and about a teaspoon of vinegar to dislodge any buggies trying to make a morel it's home, drain 'em, make sure they are nice and clean, cut them in half lengthwise, and drop them into a frying pan with a little butter, olive oil, sea salt, smoked paprika, and a smidge of pepper. For real, they are a gourmet gift to your taste buds! My big little son went down to the river and scouted out a few, which we ate for dinner that night. The next day he went out to my folk's farm and found about a quart of them. They are shiny clean and residing in the freezer, to be carefully doled out on special occasions.

 

There were at least a dozen Western Tanangers in my yard today, flitting about, eating from the suet feeder, and having a merry time. I just love watching all the birds that come to my yard. I think this giant window we put in during the kitchen remodel was the smartest thing we've done with this house. Actually, that would probably be second to the Tulikivi.

I changed a few things around in the family room. I found a beautiful print by one of our local artists, downtown at an antique/junk store. I needed another picture like I need a hole in the head, but it was so reasonably priced I couldn't resist.

I had the frame which I'd purchased several summers ago at a yard sale, so just had to have a mat cut and was good to go. It is a Russell Chatham print. I looked thru his archives online, and I believe this one is named “March Afternoon”. I truly love his work. He has lived here for decades, and the biggest majority of his art is done of this area, primarily Paradise Valley. His lithos and oil paintings go for many thousands of dollars, so I was happy to just be able to have stumbled across a print I could afford. Any kind of affordable work of his is about as scarce as hen's teeth to find. (Sorry about the reflections on the picture – I don't know how to get around that in photography yet.)

I found the “Indian Lane” street sign at a rummage sale the week before I started work. (Don't even get me started on having missed the last 4 weeks of rummage saling – I could just cry about it!) The metal Indian head is also a rummage sale find from a summer past.

Work has begun on the cabin.

 

Yikes.

It's still chilly enough in the evenings to have to start the wood stove up.

Coming home we saw this Mama and baby. Within a half mile stretch we saw the moose, at least a dozen deer, 10 antelope (which was strange because we were still in the mountains and they usually prefer being out on the flats), and these 2 courting cranes below.

So, that's a lot of randomness for sure, and is probably just the tip of the iceberg for what the summer holds. We have a lot of irons in the fire! Guess I better stock up on Wheaties! Or spinach!

TTFN,

Teresa

 

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Hey, Where Did It All Go?

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Made it thru the first week of the new job! Only a few mental collapses, a handful of melt downs, maybe 2 or 3 near complete nervous breakdowns. I think I masqueraded quite well and succeeded in containing most of it fairly neatly inside my little pointed head. I'll just keep chugging my tension tamer tea and hope for the best!

I am going to have to work on some pretty severe brain retraining methods, though, because this job requires that I WORK EVERY SINGLE SATURDAY (Gasp!!) I am going to have to give up my very most favorite-est thing in the whole world – rummage saling 🙁

Oh Lordy Moses, how will I ever cope?

Anyway, while I was at work Saturday, Bruce and our big little son decided to try and forge their way up to the cabin. Since we were not able to mud bog our way in a few weeks ago, Bruce was getting a little anxious and wanted to make sure everything was OK after that huge, deep snow started to dissipate. So imagine their surprise when they were able to actually drive up the mountain the 5+ miles, and found green grass growing around the cabin!

So, we've gone from snow clear to the top of the gates and halfway up the cabin, to driving the truck right up to the front door! Go figure!

 

 

 

Ah, springtime in the Crazies. (Maybe the name says it all!)

Luckily, there didn't seem to be any new damage. Lot's of assessing pictures were taken, and now a remedying plan can start to be formulated.

They saw a moose this trip, but it was lightly snowing, and the phone camera doesn't have much of a zoom, so all in all not too clear.

She was still there when they came out, but was further away.

Maybe winter is behind us now, and we can begin to look forward to starting this new adventure! I am so anxious to spend time at this cute little house in the mountains!

TTFN,

Teresa 🙂

 

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The Five Seasons of Montana

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Yup, five of 'em – Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring, and Mud!

I went for a short drive a week or two ago and really got a kick out of this little trailer when I saw it! Someone is going to capitalize on our 5th season, and they must really think it is going to be a doozy if they're going to the trouble to start a boot cleaning business!

It's an actual trailer that hooks to a vehicle! I don't have any idea what the real story is behind it, but knowing full well how sloppy, sticky, and goopy it can get here in the Spring, I thought maybe someone was really on to a money maker. It sure tickled my funny bone when I saw it. But I'm not pulling your leg about the mud around here.

We were hoping to be able to get in one more snowmobile run to the cabin since there is so much snow left yet. We actually had a bit of a flurry here yesterday and it stuck, which usually means 2 or 3 times more snow than we get in town lands in the mountains. So Bruce loaded up both the snowmachine and the 4wheeler not knowing what we'd encounter for sure, and off we went. It looked pretty dicey when we got there –

The forest service has had some loggers doing work up there this winter, so they had kept a section of the road plowed. Now that the melt off has started, the road is a wreck. Bruce thought he would try to drive in as far as possible (with the truck and trailer), then if the going got too tough we'd unload the 4wheeler or snowmachine to get in the rest of the way.

Well, I nearly stuck both of my feet thru the floor board in the truck I was so braced. It was too, too scary for me, so he had the monumental task of getting the truck turned around in all this muck, while pulling the trailer no less.

 

We got back to the main road, unloaded the snowmachine, and thought we could ride in on the snow beside the road. We had to ride double which makes it harder, and that snow was the consistency of snowcone ice, not nice and fluffy which works to keep your machine on top of the snow. Plus, it had melted down enough that the tops of all the sagebrush was sticking out and you had to drive right over them, breaking them off as you went. Some of the tracked vehicles had made huge ruts in the snow which nearly tipped us over when we'd hit them. Finally I said “STOP! I'm getting off!”, and I bailed. Bruce kindly suggested we turn around and head home, such a wise man 🙂 I was in a bit of a dither by then. So, we drove back down, loaded up, and pointed our noses toward home. It was a pretty day to take the snowmachine and 4wheeler for a ride on the trailer, hope they enjoyed it!

In consolation, it's always a pretty drive up there, and we did see some interesting things, so not a complete loss. The cranes are coming in, and I was able to get a few pics of these guys. We saw probably a dozen overall.

 

My folks have a pair that come in and nest at their place on the river every year. Mom says that is how she knows when Spring is finally here.

Well, that was my adventure for the week…. I suspect we won't be trying that again in the too near future! Lordy, I don't know how those folks that live up there full time do it! I'm not a sissy for the most part, but I sure didn't want Bruce and I to turn into a Donner Party of sorts – I'm a vegetarian for Pete’s sake.

TTFN 🙂

Teresa

 

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BRING ON THE RUMMAGE SALES!

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There is some serious rummage sale withdrawal going on in this county. For whatever reason we don't have flea markets or vintage sales much at all in this whole state as far as I can tell. When I read other blogs (based in other states) it seems like a lot of the folks have been going to big, wonderful fleas and sales for several weeks now.

Maybe, around here, this has something to do with it…

 

 

 

Boy, we've gotten our fair share of the white stuff this winter (and spring). It's funny, tho, that when someone has a sale because they are moving, or for whatever reason, bad weather or time of year doesn't seem to deter folks from attending in the least. It's each man for himself, and if you have the forethought to wear protective sport padding under your coat, smart. You are much more likely to get thru the throngs of people unscathed, that show up at these early-in-the-year selling events 🙂 It's all elbows and attitude once they fling the doors open.

We attended an estate sale about a month ago and were lucky enough to score a nearly new microwave for $5! for the cabin, and a few other odds and ends. But, Oh, the people!! It started on a Friday, and I think many must have taken a vacation day from work just to attend! Last weekend 2 sales were advertised in our local paper. I was so excited! Then I started to fret about the people factor. Gosh, I just hate the “Black Friday” type madness that occurs when there is only 1 or 2 sales. But they both sounded really good, so I decided to put on my big girl pants and just get after it. Sure glad I did! I ended up grabbing about 10 things, and left with nary a black eye.

Here is more show & tell of a few things I've picked up for the cabin over the last month or so. Some are thrift store finds along with the rummage sale stuff I just got.

 

Somebody worked hard carving this Indian Brave from balsa wood. He is so light, I nearly threw him to the ceiling when I found him are the thrift.

 

 

I love old Yellowstone Park collectibles, and hunt for them all the time.

 

I was in heaven!! But I could have laid on the floor and kicked my feet when I got to the check out line and saw what other people were leaving with…..so much neat stuff!! They said 'no earlies' in the ad, and sure enough they let people in early :-/ grumble,grumble But no matter, cuz it seems I've developed this disorder, where (in my mind) the cabin seems to grow considerably between my visits there. Unfortunately, my bubble is burst when I walk thru the door after having been away for a few weeks, and there it is in all it's itty bitty cuteness. Nowhere close to the expanse I have imagined in the interim; where truckloads of furniture, galleries of pictures, and scads of antiques were supposed to have room to live! I'm a pretty good squisher-inner tho, so I'll stack, and arrange, dangle, wedge, and squeeze at that little cabin; and what doesn't fit there can come back and live at CottageLodge 🙂

Here's another cute thing for the cabin that came from the downtown thrift.

Nobody else in the whole, wide world will have another lamp like this one! It is a one-of-a-kind, authentic, beaver chewed log base, with a cow hide shade I added (which also came from the thrift earlier this year).

And a neat old frame (out of the free bin). I've had the cute little beaver for ages and thought that would be a good clue to sit by the lamp.

Over the last few years I've gotten a pretty good bear collection started, and if space allows, some of them can go up, too.

 

 

So, even tho I've got ants in my pants to get to work on the cabin, there is still plenty to keep me busy right where I'm at. There's a vegetable garden to plan, lot's of yard work to be done, and the perpetual honey-do list on the house. All good!! All fun!! So blessed!!

TTFN,

Teresa

 

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