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| Harriet and Pearl |
Coffee and Breakfast: Fruit, including locally grown cantaloupe that was perfect, and yummy frittatas. Did I mention Elizabeth used to run a restaurant?
Good Morning! visit with Harriet and Pearl, the most pampered chickens ever, but also the most well mannered and friendly as well! And I might say, the most well traveled: they have taken road trips to and from Minnesota, among other places. These ladies are definitely members of the family, and obligingly provide Bob and Elizabeth with delicious eggs in exchange for their plush living arrangements. Their chicken condo, the Omlet, is predator proof, which is necessary in this area, and is very stylish. In the winter they live in a heated garage and in all seasons they "free range" in the gardens and grass, or snow, of the back yard.
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| Dave and Laurie do some work for a change! |
and it felt good to sweat a little for once. We are definitely going to need a serious fitness regimen after this vacation to work off the excess flab we have accumulated over the weeks on the road.
We were able to get quite a lot done in their absence and, what with altitude and total lack of stamina, we were ready to quit when they got home. We got cleaned up and jumped into the car for a road trip up Livingston way to tour the new property: the Ranch at Poison Creek. We packed a few essentials and treats for the numerous dogs and goats on the property that belong to the current tenant, a 50 something year old Dutch transplant named Pebbles.
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| Pebbles' Goats |
On reaching the remote property, down a winding, climbing, gravel road, the first order of business is to give the numerous guard dogs and goats their treats. Biscuits for the dogs and carrots for the goats. The goats were hysterical and very friendly. I guess Pebbles actually rents some of them out as pack animals, they can carry up to 70% their own weight in cargo...I did not know that goats were used as pack animals! They have tiny little saddles for kids to ride as well on these back country trail rides. Some of the goats are rescue animals that Pebbles (her real name!) adopts and takes care of.
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| The front yard |
to the mountain ranges beyond. The property is totally surrounded by a huge ranch, which used to include this 10 acres too, but a family member sold it off, so the 'backyard' is equally expansive and free of obstruction. They may someday have a wind farm that violates this pristine landscape, but this remains to be seen. There is a spring that brings water to the sight and so they hope to eventually have a pond with feeders to pastures for a horse, a cow and goats of their own. Of course Harriet and Pearl will live within the house surroundings....too many critters up here to keep them safe from.
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| The back yard |
Bob and Elizabeth are in the process of discussing possible plans for the site with a local architect and tomorrow we get to go along to the University of Montana, Bozeman campus, to see what the architect/professor has so far. We are very excited about that, now that we have seen the site. The vision so far is really amazing, and it is great to be able to see everything at this infant stage, with the property, basically undeveloped , except for Pebbles' trailer and goat sheds, and when we come back it will be a work in progress, and in future years it will have been transformed: a home and workshop for Bob to build his classic cars.
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| Bob and Elizabeth survey their property |
We took the scenic route back down to Livingston, along the crazy gravel road and every road that was the driveway for some ranch was miles long and there was rarely any sign of the actual dwelling, but up that way is Tom Brokaw's house, and Michael Keaton lives down there a ways. It is really big country out here. Big. Really BIG.
I can't wait to see what winter is like out here.......
We had lunch in Livingston and did a little drive around the town and then drove back to Bozeman.
We had naps and blogging catch-up while our hosts went to check out a new oldies car venue nearby in Bob's own custom built 30's Roadster, which is a thing of beauty and true labor of love for Bob. He has had a hand in executing every detail including sewing the upholstery and hand rubbing layers of paint and top coats.
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| Ailing Pearl gets a lift to the Garage |
When they returned we sat on the porch watching the sun go down and the moon come up...Harriet and Pearl had a walkabout on the lawn and found the ants we dislodged in the garden this morning.
It is apparent that Pearl is under the weather, she seems to be limping and her nose is running! I guess you can tell if a chicken is sick if the comb and area on their cheeks and around their eyes is paler than normal, and in comparison with Harriet, Pearl seems significantly less red! She also, uncharacteristically wanted to snuggle in Elizabeth's lap, Harriet is usually the lap chicken. So the girls will sleep in the garage tonight.
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| Sunset from the porch |
We had a little pizza, (we were all still stuffed from our huge lunch in Livingston), and some champagne on the porch. Finally, one by one we started off to bed, reminded that we have an early wake up call tomorrow: we have to be on the way to the U of M by 10:00 :)
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| The moonrise |
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| A blurry shot of the sunset watchers |
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| One last look at the ranch property and beyond |
Quote: I can't stop repeating what Marlene said when she sipped her favorite wine every evening during Grog at 5: "hmmmmm! that's really good!" I miss them already.
Lesson: Today's lesson refers back to an earlier question regarding the correct pronunciation of the town of Lead, So. Dak. Per my friend Noreen who grew up in the state I have just learned that it is in fact pronounced LEED. Thanks Noreen!
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