Heading back to school was rough after my break. I enjoyed my days at home with the family and being back on the kid schedule. This is a quick quarter though, and at the end I will have my LPN and only 3 quarters left until my RN. I can't believe we've already been here the best part of a year, and have now seen ALL seasons. Summer is yet another beast. It's harder on animals, little people, and the land. The threat of wildfires is already here, and it's just another reminder that we are actually part of the natural world around us; that as much as technology has advanced us, mother nature still has the final say. Luckily we have a metal shop distanced from the timber, but still worry for those around us, and what such a dry year may bring.
The three of us took a little journey over to the Spokane area to scout camping sites for the week we will spend when I have to work over there in July. It's fun being in a new region, and while I am a bit nervous about the job at hand, having my family there will make it all the better. We stayed a night in Spokane, went out for Italian food, and explored the city a bit. Home of my beloved Gonzaga Bulldogs, so I wasn't complaining. Then it was back home for kids doctor's appointments and real world chores. The kids and I took a quick trip back to the coast to make the rounds with the family before school started up again. We enjoyed some quality time with my folks and grandparents. Cal and Dottie spent several days with us last week. We enjoyed their company, many good meals, and they were able to explore a bit on their quad; Cam and I even got out on a date night! Cal helped Cam build an overhang above the door to our shop, and over the area where we stack wood in the wintertime. This was really the one chore that needed to get completed before the cold weather sets in, so I'd say our winter list is looking good; we have plenty of wood, a weather proof shelter, and now a place to keep our wood supply dry and easily accessible. We also had a great visit from my cousin and his family. It is such an amazing thing to see those you love grow and flourish. I loved sharing our new world with them, but I especially loved seeing the happiness they have as well, and our visit definitely left my heart full! There are many ways to go about this life, but it's a personal choice to make it how you'd like, and it takes a strong person to make strong decisions for themselves and a family.
After our company had gone, it was back to the grind for me. The big event at home has been the filling of our pool! We were a bit nervous about testing our well, so spread it out by 4 days, and have been enjoying the cool water ever since (and the water supply seems to be holding nicely). A nice dip definitely helps to ease the heat of some of these days, and I often feel like I sizzle upon entering the water. I have a feeling Cam was right, that it might just be a necessity this summer. The other BIG BIG news around the ranch involves our game cameras. After a couple weeks off from checking them, we rode up after dinner last night to discover a ton of new pictures that included a LARGE COUGAR. Cam and I have seen one cougar together in the wild, the only one either of us has ever laid eyes on. We were bear hunting up behind the North Fork Brewery up the Mount Baker Highway, cruising along the backroads, when I spotted a cat on the side of the road. I let out the only words I could muster, and we slowed. It was like a slow motion movie when that animal looked right at us for what seemed like forever. LONG, skinny, and powerful, is what I remember, with a very long tail, and eyes that have anything BUT fear. Cam of course wanted to shoot, but I asked him not too and remarkably he watched the animal athletically head into the trees. I told him he would have good hunting karma for allowing what he considers one of the hardest kills to walk on. THIS cougar, looks a little bigger than what we saw. We caught the picture at about 10pm above the lake by our house. Here's the thing... we know we are surrounded by them, we even talk about it when hiking sometimes, wondering how many we have probably passed. With little ones, there is of course a greater concern, and if I could send out a memo to all the mountain lions in the area, I would tell them my hat is off, you have my respect, I'll gladly keep my distance and enjoy your legend as long as you stay away from my legacy. Very cool to see really, but makes you think a little more when you are running in the morning.......
Apart from being in awe with our surroundings, we haven't been doing all that much. I'm back to late nights and early mornings, and IT's HOT. I feel like we should be planning for next year, as far as a garden, animals, and food storage, but with building a house on the horizon, it seems we are ok with a bit of "down time." That's not to say it's all smooth sailing around here (it wouldn't be Team Brown without a little excitement), for today the washing machine broke, and the AC in both our travel trailer and my car went out. The travel trailer was an easy fix, Cam will look at my car tomorrow, and order a part for the washer... Does anyone know where the gravy train is?? Because we certainly have yet to find it! Needless to say, we high tailed it to the lake today to cool off and get out of the shop for a bit. Cam made me crab stuffed salmon (courtesy of Jeremy and Elicia---such good fish!) for dinner, and now all is quiet on the Eastern front. There is a lot of work heading our way that I'm guessing will be accompanied by copious amounts of sweat, to the soundtrack of thunderstorms and joyful children and nail guns. In this moment though, I'm happy to be on this journey; I'm tired because I work hard to have a career that will be good for my family, my husband can fix anything that breaks, our kids are thriving, and we are keeping on together.
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