Becoming

 

 

 

Our visitors left this morning.  Although I was absent often for school, it was nice to have our family and friends here to enjoy our new land and visit with us and the kids.  As always we were spoiled and very well taken care of, with warm yummy meals every night!  Much appreciated.  I'm sure Bear will wake up wondering where Godigo's trailer is.  They played hard everyday that's for sure.  Pat was kind enough to bring some pumpkins along and we had fun carving them in the rain, under a tarp, with a fire warming us :) 


And then there were just 4... We hit the grocery store in town after the guests cleared out. The kids both had a good nap this afternoon while I attempted to study for a looming Pharmacology exam taking place this coming Wednesday.  It will be a long week of school for me so I am trying to get ahead of the game.  Hopefully my internet will cooperate.

After the kids were rested and fed we set out on a truck excursion.  The land here is so vast, there is much to explore.  Today we set out on the back roads to Conconully hoping to maybe catch a deer on the way.  We took a road going North West out of Conc and found ourselves in the woods, following Salmon Creek.  It was a gorgeous area spotted with idyllic campsites, and the road could actually be followed all the way into Winthrop.  We decided not to voyage too far and headed back to the ponderosa.

  Much excitement ensued upon returning to our property.  After a walk with the kids, I returned to camp to find Cam with his eyeballs glued to his binoculars scoping out the top of our hillside.  Was it a buck?  The thing of legend?  The fabled animal we had yet to see this entire past week of modern rifle hunting season?  The answer was only available to those willing to journey out.  So, up the hill I went.  Now, for those who haven't been here, I should explain that our property is STEEP.  I've delighted in knowing that I will have strong legs living around here.  Nevertheless, it didn't take too long to grab my rifle and make it near the top.  Talk about adrenaline (and a bit out of shape), I felt like a biathlete ready to stop skiing and take a shot.  I put the stalk on....

Trying to replay all my hunter knowledge didn't take long as I don't have much.  Don't touch the trigger, be quiet, and make sure it has at least 3 points on one side, is about as far as I got by the time I got close enough to check out the suspects.  Nope, still not close enough to distinguish horns from brush.  Creeping through the sage brush I was finally breathing normal and gaining some confidence.  Hiding behind a pine tree within 30 yards or so I raised my binos one more time.  

Brush... not horns... sage brush.  With a sigh I stood up, bid goodnight to the deer and headed home to make dinner... B yelling "MOM" all the while as I descended (only those who have heard the intensity with which she yells this will truly appreciate it)..

This move for us has been an active step to create the life we want to live and one maybe a little out of our norm for the kids.  We are not experts... While I wish I had the knowledge of a seasoned hunter (I was proud I remembered how to unchamber my bullets after my little evening hunt),         veteran rancher, and model mom, I don't.... but we are LIVING.