My Journey

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

ITTOG.....thanks and yea I'm doing my best to find my last best place in Montana. No luck to date.....

tgil.....like you I've also never found a shed while searching for them.....I too only stumble across them during my hikes. So many similarities in our lives.....backcountry exploring, weekends at soccer tournaments, Jeeps, and Goldens.....life is so wonderful.....



These upcoming posts.....not about travel.....they're just about life.....

So I've been parked in a field now for nearly 2 months and thought it high time to start my post(s) on "my summer vacation". Never in a million years did I think that things would go the direction that they have.....it's been interesting, fulfilling, and I'd like to think that the break has been good for Yukon & Montana (my dogs), and me as well. It'll probably take a few weeks to get to the end of the story.....



Some of you may remember that last summer I took a break from the road for a few weeks and worked on my friends place in Montana. The picture above is from my visit last summer. When I arrived this year quite a bit of work had been done to the vacant dwelling but the yard had been completely ignored.....weeds and grass were 3 to 4 feet high once again.....the "shack" was a disaster.....

When I started work this year there was still snow in the mountains.....



I began hauling junk and yard waste to the dump.....



I also gave stuff away.....there was tons of crap on the property.....



I dug up weeds and sod, built planting beds, planted trees, shrubs, and flowers.....



I worked really hard trying to establish a lawn that any kid would want to roll around on on a cool Montana evening.....



I planted a small vegetable garden with tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, cucumbers and potatoes.....



I dug out window wells for egress windows to make the basement bedrooms a safe place to sleep.....



I replaced lots of fence posts around the property's perimeter and installed gates at both of the entrances to the property.....



I rebuilt and extended old brick sidewalks and patios.....



So these are just a few of the tasks that I've tackled. Next post.....pictures of our accomplishments.....

 

[Ace Brown]

You’re doing a ton of work on a friends property. Are you doing all that just as a favor to the owner?


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[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

Ace.....exactly.....just a favor.....she's a good friend and has been for years. And you are correct....."a ton of work".....

Good karma maybe.....

 

[tgil]

I wasn't sure if this was the lady friend's property or the fella that had so many "treasures" on his place.
Either way, it's good to help others when we can.
Keep keepin' on. I gotta get to readin' more about your travels.

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[Ace Brown]

Jerry I have no doubt you will get some good karma in return. You are owed plenty after all your generosity at the border and now this.

What is that picture of? I see an old motorcycle, a flag, long wig?, and whatchamacalits. With the backlight I just don’t know what I’m seeing there.


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[ITTOG]

Some call it work but to me it looks like fun. I can only assume you enjoy it as well. I am sure your friend greatly appreciated it. God bless you for your kindness to her.

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[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

Tim.....have fun with all that planned reading. Seven years worth.....

Ace.....that is just local artwork that's along the highway. It is exactly what you are seeing. I found it interesting. Regarding the migrant families that I helped.....I still hear from them. Just in the past few weeks one family texted to say that their family is well, the father is working construction and the mother is cleaning houses. They are thrilled and grateful to live in America.....

ITTOG.....exactly !


Here's a few pictures I took recently.....what a transformation.....





I found the porch chairs while I was in town one day.....they were sitting on the curb with a "free" sign attached. I like them.....not for sitting.....they're like an oil painting.....







She wanted to throw out this old wooden swing but I stopped her and I moved it under the big ole birch tree. Again, I like it.....





I towed the hay wagon from the fields out back.....I think it'll make a perfect planter for her flowers someday.....



In the next 2 pictures take note of the stone walls. I gathered a few truck loads of free mossy stone off a ranch 25 miles west of this property and built her a few stone walls. Visiting that ranch and gathering those stones sure did have a major impact on my "summer vacation".....

 

[Ace Brown]

Looks like you’re in a running for some Better Homes and Garden contest. No kidding, very nice work.


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[tgil]

Tim.....have fun with all that planned reading. Seven years worth.....

Well, page 120 and 121 were nothing like I anticipated for my evening read. I guess my allergies are so stirred up, my eyes got to the point I could no longer see to read! Thanks Jerry, thanks a lot!
On a serious note, those two pages gave me an idea for my "Christmas break" from work. No idea if I could even come close to your experience, but I think it would be great to load the Jeep with stuff and spend my "holiday" helping those in need along the border. I may pick your brain between now and then for suggestions.
As for the "Better Homes and Gardens" transformation....simply amazing!
If your travels find you, ever, along the Texas highways you will have to give me a shout. I'm quickly being drawn in to your way of life. Even if you have begun to settle down a bit, I can see me doing something similar later in life.
I seen you tell others you don't mind them posting pics to your blog, so I'll leave these of Scout, the Jeep girl.
The last one is her trying out her "throne" I built, for the first time. It is a solid deck that covers the folded down back seats, which gives her a full, flat, rubber surface from the back of the front seats to the tuffy security deck that covers my cargo area. She truly loves riding in the Jeep. Sometimes, I wonder which of us enjoys it most!

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[tgil]

I went back and looked through the pics on pages 120-121. I couldn't view them on my laptop last night for some reason.
Such beautiful kids. Hard to see them going without. I was able to keep the allergies in check this morning. Glad for that since I'm at work!

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[Arjan]

The Mrs. is VERY jealous of you garden, however the horses here take up all the space...

Scout looks good !

Love Goldens.

Pls. keep them coming !

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

Tim.....thanks for the nice comments & your Golden Retriever is great.....

Arjan.....thanks but unfortunately it's not my garden as I continue to live in a truck camper....."Please keep them coming".....well, that's not a problem.....



It's hard for me to believe that I'll be back on the road in less than a month unless I find that dream cabin or that nice piece of ground that I'd like to build on. I need to be out of here by August 31st. Part of me yearns for the road, yet part of me yearns for the comforts of a home. That's my life.....

Before I get into the "story of the stones", I thought I'd post a bit more on the hoarder neighbor as I've continued to maintain his property while I've had no success in the removal of anything. As a matter of fact he has continued to bring more stuff in and throw it into the piles of useless junk.....







I was finally able to cut a circular path around the property and then I began to cut short paths into the piles of junk.....



He had mentioned to me that he had 3 Ford Pintos stored on the property.....he said "one is for parts, one is in good condition, and one is really nice". This is what I found.....







He talked to me about restoring this old Lincoln someday.....old age and poor health make that thought nothing more than an old mans dream.....



A Chevrolet Vega.....



An old Datsun.....



The old man and I.....we've become buds this summer hanging out many an evening.....I'll miss those visits soon.....

 

[ITTOG]

The hoarder has a serious problem. I wouldn't want to be the one dealing with the mess after his time comes to an end.

This has to be the first time pinto and really nice have ever been used together.

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[Arjan]

We bought our farmhouse here in France from a retired garden machinery mechanic,

Yes.....

Worse........

We needed serious digger help to get everything out

 

[longhorn1]

Wow Jerry, that is down right amazing on what you did to the house. Beautiful. jd