Encouraging Hearts and Home 06.25.2020

A Patriotic Flag, Fiber Feathers, Lemon Sugar Cookies, and Black-Eyed Susan Planters are this week's featured posts. 

Hello and Welcome!

We have had chilly weather at camp, but that did not stop the campers from arriving and enjoying as much as they could of the beautiful mountains and the lake! I have to admit at this point in my life's journey, I prefer comfort over adventure, but back there in the memory bank I too have stories of how I braved the cold, the wet, and the wind during a camping trip. 

There was this one day, however, that we had non-stop rain! And for the most part, the campground was empty save for our trailer and the camper of the second host. This gave me time to get my commemorative afghan completed. When we set out for Montana I began a Weather of the Day afghan for our first year in Montana. And finally, this piece has been completed! I had to take a break from knitting for a while due to a broken wrist (I recorded the day's weather for accuracy) because the first year also brought a fall on a frozen puddle during a hike one day...

But here is my completed piece, still a novice knitter, however, I enjoy the process and try to add a skill to each new piece I make. For the record, this piece is plain knit stitch. The color key I chose was blue for sun, white for snow, grey for overcast and purple for rain...

The afghan fits nicely along the bottom of the bed in our little 5thwheel while we travel, and is a great source of warmth during those cold evenings. 

Encouraging Hearts and Home 06.18.2020

Easy, reusable face shield, 111 Best Dad Jokes, Grilled French Fries, and A summertime Bucket List are this week's featured posts. 

Hello and Welcome!

It has been very cold from time to time at our campground. Some mornings there is a fresh dusting of snow on the mountain caps! But when the sun comes out, it is the best place to be to hear the birds sing, breathe in the fresh piney air, and see so many families having a great time with each other. 

Our tubs of Swiss Chard proved to be too easy for the ground gophers to keep out of, but they ate well until we brought them back home on our days off! I will say I am never afraid to try something new...tubs of growing vegetables was in fact something new!

We are hoping to hike around the lake to see the waterfall on the otherwise along the mountains. We have been told it is running faster than ever before, due to all the snowmelt. It will be a fun day... and a good bit of exercise, around the lake is 7 miles!

Encouraging Hearts and Home 06.11.2020

How to regrown lettuce, Bread Vada, No-Bake Cheesecake with Rhubarb, and Tres Leches Filipino Egg Pie are this week's featured posts!

Hello and Welcome!

We have been at "camp" for a week now, and currently at home for our two days off. I had a lot to get done, with laundry, bread baking, and of course visiting here! Funny retirement seems pretty consistent with all those working years, days off simply mean a different set of chores to get done...

One thing we did differently this time for our volunteer stint was to take a couple of tubs of Swiss Chard with us. they did not take up much room in the back of the truck and so far they have provided us with a delicious side dish of cooked chard for our supper one night last week. I believe that this week the small tender leaves will provide us with a nice bowl of greens and vinaigrette to go along with one of our suppers. 

During the day they are covered with bird netting, and at night we turn a large storage tub over the top to prevent any possible Swiss Chard eating wanderers to get to our crop before we can! The cooked chard was perfect along-side grilled salmon and buttered corn...UPDATE: we still lost, they were eaten to nubs in the tubs!

Encouraging Hearts and Home 06.04.2020

A mess-free way to pit cherries, amazing Garlic Harvest techniques, attracting bees to your garden, and No Fuss Easy Dill Zucchini Pickles are this week's featured posts. 

Hello and Welcome!

We are heading out of town tomorrow, we will be volunteering with Montana State Parks as Camp Ground Hosts to open camping season here in Montana! I have been busy getting a few things cooked up ahead so our first few days learning our new duties! We spent a year traveling and working for the National Park System (2018-2019) as Interpretive Guides. It was a lot of fun, but now as volunteers, we just want to hike and camp! Once our duties are done for the day we can just kick back, camp, and relax! It is exciting to me that our parks are opening up once again...

Encouraging Hearts and Home 05.28.2020

DIY Produce Sprays and Washes, a memory quilt made from favorite tee shirts, Slow Cooker Smoked Brisket Chili, and How to Prepare Tomatoes for Canning are this week's featured posts!

Hello and Welcome!

Last week I shared with you our culvert pipe replacement, so very glad that big job been completed! This past weekend we (and by "we" I mean the "royal we" where it is the menfolk who do most of the physical work, thanks and a shout out to them!) got the first section of the upper storage loft completed in the shop building. 

Now there will be shop floor space to start setting up a workshop and not simply a place for storage. The long term storage items (holiday decore etc, camping gear, and other stuff that we are not yet certain we will need, so we are hesitant to part with it!) will occupy the first 20X12 foot section. The remaining loft (built-in two sections) will be used as a hobby workshop/craft room with the downstairs shop dedicated to woodworking and forging metal works, all a part of the five-year plan.  

Loft from frame to floor!

Encouraging Hearts and Home 05.21.2020

How to store cucumbers, Healthy Start to the Day Cereal Bars, Update a Plastic Flower Pot, and Easy Chocolate Cake are this week's featured posts!

Hello and Welcome! 

I hope your week went smoothly, with moments of joy, accomplishments, and a sense of pride. We had a bit of a chore to complete here in Montana, the menfolk had to change out the culvert for the irrigation canal that runs the perimeter of our property, and it was quite a job! The old one (metal) had rusted and collapsed. Which caused water to back up in the canal bed to the point of overflowing over the canal bank onto the lawn, which (of course!) leads to the house! 

When we purchased our home and began remodeling the double car garage into additional living space, we discovered water damage. 

Encouraging Hearts and Home 05.14.2020

Sunflower Garden Flag, Homemade Sloppy Joe Sauce, Thoughts on Marriage is Made of 3, and Easy DIY Critter Corral are this week's featured posts!

Hello and Welcome!

My husband and I have been busy this past week buying a small 5thwheel trailer and getting it outfitted for camping and exploring our new home state of Montana. We enjoy camping and spent a year volunteering with the National Park System, prior to moving to Montana. 

We worked as interpretive guides in Washington and Arizona. During our time as volunteers, we lived full time in a large 32-foot 5thwheel. We found it quite comfortable and truly enjoyed meeting so many wonderful visitors and of course the Park Rangers. 

I thought I would share a few photos from that year, 

Let's go camping!

Top left Our full-time home away from home. Parked at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument (located 6 miles north of the International border between Arizona and Mexico.), winter of 2019. Winter in the desert is quite lovely!

Top right My husband as Smokey the Bear, for Smokey's birthday at Fort Vancouver National Historic Reserve Park early 2019, in Vancouver WA. That Smokey suit is so hot there is a fan in the hood piece!

Lower left The beautiful cacti of the Arizona desert. We were quite surprised by the beautiful varieties of cacti. It was very interesting to learn about the desert, and how the plants and animals survive and thrive. 

Bottom right Our new to us and much smaller 5thwheel for exploring Montana and surrounding states. If you have any suggestions for travel in Montana and the surrounding states, please share!

Thank you for letting me share a bit about us, and now on to the hop!

Encouraging Hearts and Home 05.07.2020

Applesauce Cake with Caramel Icing, Wood Framed Flower Vase, Lots to Love Sweater Set (for dolls), and DIY Vintage Calander Display is this week's featured posts!

Hello and Welcome!

Spring has arrived here in Montana! Our irrigation water from the mountain snowpack is flowing in all the irrigation canals!  

All the greenhouses are open and advertising their products. The birds are nesting in every nook and cranny they can find in the trees. Wildflowers and perennials are blooming all around the valley. And while these are all signs of spring, until the water is running through the irrigation canals it doesn't seem like springtime has arrived! 

It is these traditions around us that help us build our homes and habits. Quickly the seasons will pass from spring to summer, then summer to fall, and fall to winter. Each will contain a tradition that reminds you that yes, another season is coming! What are some of the traditions in your own community?