A Call to Barns

Montana has a funny way of reminding me that, "Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans." For as slow pokin' as the vibe is out here in cowboy country, a lot sure happens every moment of the day. One minute you're mowing the grass or watching someone mowing the grass...and the next a herd of cows could be making its way through town to a nearby pasture. There's always a bunny looking really vulnerable and adorable or a young buck dashing through the neighboring property.

What have we been up to?

Monday- cloudy

-ran down the back road about a mile and a half, saw a dead fox, a live fox and some other ntwl (1)

- drove to Nevada city that for a Monday seemed pretty busy, I saw at least 25 people

- sought out a Bob's place pizza in Virginia City, but they were unexpectedly closed for a few days (no explanation desired or required)

- so we, drove to Ennis and grabbed a bite to eat and stopped by the local grocery store hoping to find Kombucha

- I now feel very confidant that there is no kombucha in Ennis or the Ruby valley as a whole. As a matter of fact Andrew and I searching out "fermented Chinese tea that comes in an assortment of natural and organic flavors" was probably a lost cause in these parts from the get go.

- returned home to do clip some edges while Andrew mowed some grass-picked up our friends Ted Sautes with Pans and Matt who work at the lodge, and went to play some pool at Chicks (Chicks will come with better explanation later, most likely in form of a photograph)

Tuesday

- Andrew headed into Ennis with his dad to drop off the car for a pre-7000 mile journey tune up (we have since heard it will be $1400 and we won't get the car back till Friday)

- went for a walk with Andrews mom through the Woodson property- I really find myself interested in learning about the different families and property politics out here, we're talking hundreds of acres of mountains and rivers bought, owned, split, traded, loaned, and leased by mostly the same players since Calamity Jane rode through town looking for love. It's pretty cool.

- Andrew then spent the next hour or so mowing the grass (I admittedly do not understand, but fully respect the dedication people have to keeping their lawns kept up here in the mountains, I would have given up to nature a long time ago. I also admittedly, have a lot to learn from Montana)

- saw a cattle drive come up from the back road, where I was hugged by the best cow dog ever.

- went for a bike ride, I got fussy over not wanting to peddle up hill

- met Rebecca's new German Shepard pups

- BBQ at Ted's for Matt's bday...so delicious

- heard some stories about white tiger hunting and big racked bucks

- a little breyers ice cream and Rachel Maddow

Today

- walk/ run down the back road and through Woodsons

- lunch

- put together the trampoline at the neighbors

- watched Andrew mow some grass

- started digging out some grass from behind the gas tank

- got rained out, so since then we've been sitting in the dining room working away on our blog and trying to get our apartment all set up in Tejas

Oof!... what a long blog post. Work with me, I'm still trying to figure out how I want to format this masterpiece. I had to get something down cause if I don't just do it, I'll get entirely too cerebral and meticulous about aesthetics. I hope though like the little map of the Ruby valley and the goings on here that I have drawn up in my head, you can start following along and figure out the latitudes and longitudes of our journey. Over a week left here in the mountains, I'm excited to share the rest of our do nothings.

1. ntwl- (n) non-threatening wildlife

Ted's "Matt's Birthday BBQ Sausage"

- 1 giant Montana Top Hills kielbasa sausage on a soft roll-chopped onion-ketchup

- Ted's tequila bottle of habanero mustard (secret recipe)

Barbecue over low hot coals in your backyard on the first hot and sunny days in the Ruby Valley. Serve to a couple friends while jamming to Notorious MSG and admiring your lawn.