MONTANA WINTER CELEBRATES MY ARRIVAL!!

Well I finally have my computer hooked up in Billings, Montana! My poor blog has never been so neglected in the three years since I have started it! When I finally logged on yesterday the domain had expired! The move has been both exciting and stressful but what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger! Unfortunately I have been battling the flu for almost a week and it sucks because I can’t take the typical meds….Nyquil, any of the cold and flu meds make me hyper and jittery. The drive up was great and I stayed at a friends house in Whitehall, Montana about 4 hours from my final destination of Billings. The weather was supposed to be in the 30′s and 40′s during the week but…it changed to -10 the day I was supposed to head to Billings to look for apartments being that I AM JUST A GIRL!!  I was a bit freaked out that I didn’t have an engine block heater and stayed in Whitehall another day and took my car to a nice mechanic to explained that my car was just fine and would be until -50. (I hope it doesn’t get that cold here.)

The good thing is that except for the extreme cold hitting my lungs I’m pretty much acclimated already. Its 45 degrees and I shut off the heat and opened all of my windows…prompted by the realization that I burned my breakfast…but that’s beside the point. The cold is dry and 45 here in Billings is not nearly as cold as 45 in Medford.

These are some of the horses I help feed on the ranch.

This is me making the mistake of carrying alfalfa in my new down coat from Cabela’s (my new favorite store!) The coat is microfiber and the alfalfa would not come off with one of the rolling tape removers made for fabric. It is very warm though and when I finally hit Billings on a cold cold morning even the locals were commenting on my good choice of clothes.

The photos were taken by a youngster….do I really have that much gray hair??

When I made it to Billings the next day it was cold and windy. I had some appointments to look at apartments and while I was waiting for credit checks and references to be conducted I drove around the city to get a feel and eventually made my way to the top of the rimrock. It was unbelievably cold and windy…I didn’t leave my car for too long but here is the view….

Lease, garage door opener and a half gallon of Pendleton Whisky….all moved in!!

Just joking. Its going to take awhile before I get settled. I only spent one night in my apartment then took off for Whitehall again I had meet my new boss in Missoula in two days. Whitehall is a bit over the halfway mark between Billings and Missoula nice not to have to drive all six hours in one day!

I pulled over at the Big Timber exit to get this photo of the Crazy Mountains…but my car door wouldn’t open. I momentarily worried that it was broken before I discovered that the wind was blowing so hard I had to use brute force to get it open enough to get my leg out. I finally managed to stand up to take the photo but the minute I got my body back in it slammed shut again!

Then upon trying to reenter the interstate my little 4-cylinder engine had a hell of a time getting up to highway speed which prompted me to chant I THINK I CAN, I THINK I CAN….I didn’t stress it though it eventually got up to highway speed and the nice thing about the interstate in Montana is that it doesn’t have a whole lotta traffic on it.

Meanwhile back at the ranch…another front had moved in and the creek was freezing over the water at the barn had frozen and the cows and horses needed water. I was excited to chop the ice so they would have a place to drink. It may not look impressive but it took me about a half hour of steady blows to make that. the ice was quite thick by the bank. Then….

the cows broke through the fence! (There is only a mama and her baby) One of the youngsters and I herded them back in. I discovered it was easier to entice them with food instead of chasing them but then after getting the cows back in a horse go out! He was easily bribed too! This is the section of fence I repaired.

I cannibalized it from a section that was only being used along the driveway. I was feeling quite industrious but in my head while I thoroughly enjoyed myself in the long run I would  much rather be a renter freeing my time up for art and hiking and such things.

The next day I took off for Missoula early because there was a storm and I was worried about getting there in time in the morning. Unknown to me at the time I was driving through the worst storm in five years! This was the Interstate between Deer Lodge and Missoula I only saw one plow and it was heading in the opposite direction! Luckily there was little traffic and I just took my time. I encountered tow trucks and cars that had slid off but I safely arrived five hours later.

I came down with the flu the next day and have zero photos of Missoula. I never made it to the old town and aside from work I stayed in bed the whole time. The drive back to Billings was absolutely beautiful but I had an appointment to get my internet set up and didn’t stop to take photos…the cable guy was in my driveway when I arrived! I still feel like crap but hopefully I will get a walk in today to take photos of my neighborhood. But it is almost noon now and I still haven’t had breakfast or gotten out of my pajamas…starting to feel like of of those lazy lowlife people…shoot me if you see me in public wearing my pajamas! A line has to be drawn somewhere!

February 13, 2011 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: Billings, Cabela's, cows, Crazy Mountains, fence repairs, horses, Missoula, Montana, moving, new apartment, Pendleton Whisky, photographs, Rimrock, snow, snow storms, Whitehall, winter | 2 Comments »