December/Holiday Tidbits....

We're waiting for Christmas with great anticipation, and wish that everyone we know and love has a wonderful holiday!  It's snowing again, but the total accumulation is only about 2 feet now....there were a couple of days temps were above freezing and the snow levels sunk down a bit.  Locals say this is the snowiest November they have seen in years.  We've heard that a herd of 5000-6000 bison are migrating from Yellowstone to the Gardiner area.  I'm excited about seeing hordes of buffalo wandering around town.  We already see deer and elk browsing in the yards.

Here's a photo of Dan clearing off the deck from an earlier snowfall..... yes, we do grill year-round...

And here's an introduction to our new family member!  Pepper is an 8 month old giant schnauzer/border collie mix who's been an absolute gem.  Dan and I both miss Tucker a lot, but he's living a well pampered life in Michigan with his prior doggy daycare sitter.  He's much safer there- at only 8 lbs, there were too many ways to get eaten or killed in Montana.

Pepper came to us named Susie, but I couldn't get used to calling her that- it seemed strange calling her the name of a childhood friend.  We thought the name Pepper fit her well, and so far, she seems to agree.  Pepper is about 40 lbs, and one of the most mellow, calm dogs I've ever met.  We are all bonding well and she's a great fit for us. My deepest thanks to her previous owner for giving us the opportunity to add her to our family.

Dan thinks she looks a bit like a raccoon with her gray face.  I got her a pink snazzy collar along with the other doggy things we needed.  She's a winner!

We're excited about Rachel and Paul coming to visit for the holiday- keep your fingers crossed they get out of the London airport tomorrow!  Right now it's closed, but they are planning a full re-opening tomorrow.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

You Can Have THIS, or You Can Have THAT

 

The popular commercial featuring hamsters driving a ‘cool’ car to rap music brings to mind the difference in our lives Out West versus our past lives in the the Columbus, Ohio area.  There’re a lot of differences- neither one good nor bad, but very different.  Figuring the current THIS is Montana and THAT was 25 years living in Columbus, here’s a comparison:

THIS:  People never lock their doors, and many even leave their keys in the car at home.

THAT: Our homes had security systems and were always locked; one would never leave their car unlocked, much less leave the keys there.

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THIS: There’s lots of snow.

THAT: Little snow, lots of ice and drizzle.

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THIS: Few neighbors and wide open spaces.

THAT: No matter how hard you try to get away, you’ll still hear the hum of cars on a road or highway.

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THIS: ‘Fast food’ is a 15 mile drive to get a burger in a bar.

THAT:  Fast food has many options, including Chipotle (sigh…)

  

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THIS:  Fancy food is either: a 15 mile drive to get a burger in a bar, or a 65 mile drive to a restaurant (sigh…)

THAT: Your choice of restaurants, style of cuisine, etc. etc.

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THIS: Fly fishing can lead to some hum-dingers of trout….

THAT: Fly fishing in the O’Shaunessy reservoir might lead to a couple of carp.

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THIS: Wolves can kill and eat an elk 300 yards from your home.

THAT: Your neighbor’s teens could have a wild party 300 yards from your home.

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THIS: A traffic jam in Gardiner happens because of deer, elk and bison wandering the streets.

THAT: A Traffic jam in Columbus is caused by cars, not animals....

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THIS: Drive to work is ½ mile; drive views include snow and lots of elk…

THAT: Drive to work was all over town; drive views included homes, asphalt and traffic lights.

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THIS: Fashion and fun is designer cowgirl boots and a rodeo.

THAT: Fashion and fun was a buckeye necklace and an OSU football game.