Gerta Gets A Makeover

Gerta is our house, with whom I have an uneasy alliance.  She's a little bit ranch dirty, and I guess I'm a bit of a clean diva.  The problem, I realized in an earlier post, is she was and is a tomboy and loves it, and she does her best to remind me that when it comes to dust, grime and rough edges, she thinks she is the boss.

Gerta reminds me of Calamity Jane in the HBO series called "Deadwood".  (Rachel sent us the first season on DVD to occupy Dan as he recovered, and we have both been enjoying it.)  Calamity Jane is portrayed as a tough, grimy, drinking, profane woman who has a soft heart, deep underneath her facade.

If Gerta were a person, I could see her cussing someone out while spitting chewing tobacco on the ground and loving it.  But... she'd keep you warm and comfortable when you needed it.

In spite of her foibles, Gerta has a new look.  All the buildings on the ranch were painted this last summer, and Gerta went from her yellow house/green roof to a new beige house with gray roof:

Gerta's spiffy new look

What she looked like a year ago

She also got a new garage door installed; previously, there was a picture window in its place.

We are close to finishing what started out as our first project on the house- the front door.  The original door could have been a finalist in the 'Ugliest Door Contest':

We came up with an abstract mountainous scene, which Dan cut out of wood and carved and I painted:

We also painted the door off white.  All that's left is putting a finishing frame around the piece.

Next on our list is an update of the bathroom.  Since this 'first project' took a year, we'll see how quick that gets done..... :)  Pictures to one day come!

What the #&%* Happened??

Chilli had a run-in with a wild critter (badger or coyote), and Chilli lost.  We heard hideous dog screams and ran out to then absolute silence in the tall grass and trees next to our yard where Pepper was furiously barking.  Both dogs had been taking long forays in the fields around us... until this panicky time.

Chilli came stumbling out, blood dripping from her head and in shock.  We rushed her to the vet (about an hour away), and the end result was several stitches and a mild concussion.  She's now on antibiotics and anti inflammatory meds.

Poor little thing looks pretty ragged now.... we're talking about fencing the yard (to keep wild critters at bay), and she's now staying closer to home.....

Do I look as pathetic as I feel?

Mud-Puppy Party

Ring around the couchie
Paw prints leave an ouchie
Bad dog! Bad dog!
We all had fun......

One day last week while I was at the main lodge working, Dan was home in the living room resting.  The dogs had taken a run outside and disappeared in the fields behind our home.

Suddenly, both dogs came roaring through the back door chasing each other and did a mad dash around the couch, circling several times.  Unfortunately, they must have run through the stream beside the home that offers pitch black mud, and left a few souvenirs.....

It's actually MUCH worse in real life

This gives you an idea of the final result.

Who puts off-white carpeting in a ranch home, after all??  You can see the carpet steamer in the first photo, waiting to be put to use.  Although discouraging, I had to laugh.  Aggravating but funny.

Since then, the carpet has been cleaned and looks as good as it will ever be.  Chilli and Pepper are continuing their best-buddy adventures...

A Case of Mistaken Dog-dentity??

I'd been looking online at photos of available dogs for several months, wanting to find a doggie companion for our dog Pepper.  After Dan's accident, he finally acquiesced (meaning: gave in) to the idea of having 2 dogs.  Actually, I owe thanks to the ranch manager Rowdy who agreed with his wife to get a new puppy in addition to their 3 dogs.  That tipped Dan over the scales, and the search was actively on.

I came across this photo of a dog in a shelter in Idaho:

I called the shelter quickly.  The dog was identified by a number- 4658.  There was a bit of confusion when talking to people at the shelter; the had been 2 dogs- one was gray and white and had been taken, and the other was gray, white and brown and was available.  It sounded like the 2 had similar looks.

I was told the available dog was a miniature schnauzer mix, had been picked as a stray, was about 30 pounds, and was very sweet.  She sounded perfect, and since I'd been looking for months, I told them I wanted her. She was about a year old, spayed, and sounded like a great match for Pepper.  I arranged to pay her fee on the phone, and told them I'd work out a way to get her to us.

A friend of the ranch manager's son lived in Idaho, and we arranged for him to pick up the dog (which we named Chilli) and bring her to us.  In the meantime, a woman who fosters dogs for the shelter volunteered to keep Chilli in her home, since the shelter environment is very stressful.  This angel/woman's name was Sandi, and she gave Chilli a good home visit until the dog could be picked up.  Sandi told me Chilli was very sweet and loving, and we were excited about our new addition.

A week and a half later, Chilli arrived on our doorstep.  She and Pepper hit it off immediately.  Although skittish at first, she quickly adapted to her new forever home and we all settled in comfortably.  Here's a photo of our little girl:

The question I still have is... is this the same dog?  To be honest, I don't know.  One minute I think it's a match, and the next I don't.  The photo at the top shows a lot more white around the muzzle, but maybe that's the lighting.  The Chilli we have is about 15 pounds, and looks like a Yorkie-Dachshund mix.

Regardless, we're very happy with our Chilli, and still feel getting her was meant to be.  She and Pepper are now inseparable- they play together, eat together, go out on forays together, and sleep together.  It's been mostly great fun adding her to our family.

Here's a few more photos:

Another closeup- "mom" has trimmed some of her hair, but only on one side

Naptime after a hard day playing

Life is good with a bone and a toy

A tight fit in a comfy bed

But I want to share EVERYTHING......

Montana Misc. in July

Summer is swiftly passing us by, and we have to celebrate many things:

Family who came to visit:

A double rainbow we enjoyed

Ranch horses courtesy of niece Megan

Eek! Bear claws on a tree.....

Nephews Eric and Ryan with Pepper, and the giant get-well Bear I got Dan

A great visit with my mom and dad late May, Jennifer and Megan in June, and the Godziellas in July (angel helpers when Dan was hurt), the guardian angels who looked over Dan and kept him alive, generous managers and ranch owners who stood by Dan during his recuperation, a first grand-daughter coming soon from our daughter Erika, a new home and future wedding plans from our daughter Rachel, a beautiful place to live and work, the blessing of a pain shot for me in by lower left back (hallelujah!), a new companion dog and playmate for Pepper we named Chilli.....

In spite of the trials, our blessings are many.  Yee haw kippee kiy yiy yay!  (that's Montana talk for "it's all good....")

Montana Blooms

With snow each day on Memorial Day weekend, we went straight to Summer and skipped Spring.  That resulted in a bit of flower confusion- iris blooming on the same par with roses, lilac blooms in July, and general posy mayhem.

Once things get going, Montana makes up for lost time with flowers everywhere- even the weeds go crazy!  Below are a sampling of pretty petals that have been on the ranch in the last few weeks.  Dan has been responsible for many of them along with his crew (he did the planning, buying and some of the planting until his accident).  Enjoy!

 

Let's not forget the dandelions!  Pepper shows them off in her new

 summer cut.

Dust is NOT the Enemy

Today I power-cleaned my house- swept, washed floors, did laundry, dusted, gave the dog a bath, and cleaned the kitchen and bathroom.  I got into the ‘evil’ spots; those little nooks and crannies that any homeowner knows about, but hidden to the casual visitor.

I did it because I finally had the time to get the work done, and for the peace of mind that, for a little while, I could rest confident in the fact that my house is clean.

Somehow, I was raised to think that dust was a thing to fight.  A dusty house was a dirty house.  It was a negative status symbol, a sign that a woman was not in control of her home or her life.

I accepted that, and fought the enemy diligently.

Until I moved to Montana.

Here I’ve learned the silly simple truth that dust is part of life.  It’s in the roads, in the fields, in the air on my dog, and yes, it’s in my house.

I promise you now, that if you visit my home, you will find dust.  I’ll Swiffer it when it makes the furniture turn grey instead of brown, but there will always be some around.

Along with the aspens, the mountains, and the blue, blue skies, dust has kinda become a friend.  It’s constant, it’s dependable, and it’s always there….