 |
| Young Souls Run Wild and Free |
fires and the destruction of some beautiful land. It's difficult to view the area that held our neighbor's home; it looks like a war time photograph, although this time it's attached to faces and hearts you have come to know. They have thankfully been settling into a rental house not far from us, and we have still been able to enjoy each-others camaraderie and friendship.
I have taken to the kitchen to put some fruit up for the
winter. So far I have canned peaches and pears, and have apples to put in
the dehydrator (hopefully today). Still on my list is my Grandma's frozen
corn, maybe trying my hand at pickles, and whatever else I can squeeze in over
my break. There are many things that are satisfying about putting up your
own food-- good preservative free nutrition, connecting with ancestors through recipes, and the
feeling of accomplishment for a day well spent. It's not exactly easy,
and in fact the whole process is quite time consuming when you have young
rascals underfoot; nevertheless when you sit down at night with scorched
fingers and tired feet, hearing those cans pop and seeing the beauty all lined
up in a neat row is simple satisfaction for the present moment and for the
coming winter, when homegrown goodness tastes best in my opinion.
With my own mother in Italy, I've been a bit more creative in my
recipes, as I didn't have her to call. My peaches I canned in a light
syrup I made with honey, one of my most favorite ingredients for most
everything. Pears I did how I could remember, but I'll double check when she gets home.
While I have been homemaking and tending to a little woman
with the sniffles, the boys took to the woods to scout our transformed
countryside to see what game is left as hunting season begins. We have
once again been reminded of the power of the world around us to alter our
plans, or shape the success of chores we take on. My neighbor inquired
the other day as to whether the fires had changed our opinion or plans of
building and I definitively said NO straight away. I talked with Cam a
bit about this later in the day and we both whole heartedly agreed that living
with the world is better than not knowing it exists. It's better to risk
a loss and be part of the hills rather than not know all that is around you:
the feeling on your skin of a changing season, the patterns of migration of the
animals around us, the need to prepare for most all the seasons, and most
importantly that nature really doesn't care about anything we have on the
agenda, and it's best to respect that straight off.
To add to our homestead toolbox, we made a quick trip to
Montana to pick up a tractor Cam had found on Craigslist. We put on some
serious mileage, and unfortunately there was wildfire smoke even in Kalispell,
so it didn't highlight the scenery quite like we had hoped. Cam and I
both have a love for Montana; him growing up wanting to be a backwoods
anything, and me growing up with family stories passed down of my own
roots. We treasure anytime we spend there really, no matter the brevity
of our stay. Back on the ranch, we've already put her to work, and Cam
has given the thumbs up for a successful purchase. 
Next on the docket was a Southerly trip to Arizona for Cam's
cousin's wedding. It was the kid's first time flying, of course, so that
was quite exciting. Bear settled right into the window seat and was
amazed at take-off and the flight attendants! He couldn't believe his
luck that he got Sprite on the airplane (or in general). We all started
the trip off with minor colds, but really enjoyed our time at the gorgeous
wedding, and of course with family. We were grateful to make it there and
show our support! The kids really latched on to their cousin Bryce, and
it was fun to see them play together... and DANCE!! Those kids lit up the
wedding dance floor. 
Another highlight from the trip was an exploration of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, a trip Great Grandpa Rudy would have been very
glad we took. The kids loved seeing the desert animals and of course
tagging along with Bryce through caves and other exhibits. It got fairly
toasty out in the desert though, and we were soon running for shade as well,
where we said good-byes to Bryce and his family before we all left the next
day. I was grateful for the time spent with family; I feel very lucky to
be part of them.
Coming back home I've gotten the sense that our work load is
about to escalate and our way of life is morphing. Besides my schooling of
course, we have been lucky over the last year of being here to take some trips,
explore the area, and "dink" off a bit. I get the feeling
though, that we are in for a grind for the next year or so. Today, we
broke ground for our house. It's a big feeling. Very exciting of
course, and a bit scary... all the work ahead, and a lot of unknowns. I
feel like we have some momentum though; I'm going into my last year of nursing
school and will hopefully finish with a very satisfying career; we've done this
before and have gained some knowledge, we're a bit (just a bit) older and
hopefully better equipped to deal with the tornado of stress we seem to fill
our life with, and honestly we are building our dream life, and despite what
some think, it takes a lot of elbow grease, and isn't always cookie cutter
perfection-- and we are ok with that. Nevertheless, I am feeling ready
for the challenges ahead; I'm so ready to be done with school and have the
satisfaction of finishing the program, we are so ready to be sitting on that
front porch, sipping coffee and watching the kids thrive, and I know these
thoughts, and a lot of hard work, will get us to our goal, even if it is a bit messy along the way.
No comments:
Post a Comment