Colors and Critters

 Sunlight through plum leaves yet to feel frost

 Chokecherry leaves against Montana blue

 He thought he was invisible!

 Young rattler hiding his wounds

Box Elder bug

 Centipede

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trees in their glory
against the rain-sodden sky
a golden pathway

More than halfway through October and fall colors are beginning to fade. The river that wove a golden path towards the Big Horn Mountains has now turned more bronze but is still beautiful even as it fades.  Plums and Chokecherries are shedding leaves and the Ash tree at my office in town, flamed gold, then in one night dropped all it's foliage.

Along with the colors come the critters. In the house, flies, wasps, box-elder bugs, spiders and centipedes roam freely.  There is a large spider that keeps me company in the bathroom. He loves the new vinyl floor and runs full pelt across it while I sit on the toilet in the morning. He's a real show-off! I am not quite as tolerant with the centipedes. They appeared about five years ago, everyone complained about them; that year we had dozens of them. Now, they just seem to appear one by one. Not sure if they are a different species to the large scuttling ones or whether they are babies that will grow larger later; they get picked up in a Kleenex and flushed. 

Outdoors the rabbits run freely again and I have seen a couple of snakes. A pretty young Bull-Snake 

disappeared into the rock wall two weeks ago and yesterday I encountered a young rattlesnake. I tried to chase it back into the long grass, but it was stubborn, and I injured it, so it may still be out there - I surely hope not - that is one breed I don't like to have around the house. As long as they keep out in the rest of the acreage they are fine. 

Tomorrow the furnace technician will visit. In October 2006 he disturbed a rattler lying on top of the door frame to the basement utility room.  He came running up the stairs yelling, left, and said he'd come back when we got rid of it. Our neighbor came up and obliged, and an hour later the furnace at last got serviced for the winter. We gave him the rattles to impress his friends at work!  Two years later we had another in exactly the same place, called our neighbor who dispatched it once more, and we all hunted, found where they were getting in, and plugged the hole. As always, tomorrow the furnace tech will delicately ask "Any rattlesnakes down there?" before he'll go to the basement and do his work!

Early Snowstorm

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rain in the night

blanket of snow this morning

heavy and wet

possible power cuts now

thaw out soup get some dry logs

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crashes and bangs

raccoon at the bird feeder

wish they'd grow wings

When I got up this morning I felt like writing on my blog - so I went with the feeling and am typing away in my bathrobe! The sun is shining, although the morning temperature was a chilly 25'. 

Yesterday was a stormy day. The past two days dropped about 1 3/4 inches of rain/snow on us. The snow in Birney mostly melted as it came down, but Sheridan to the south being higher, got over a foot of it along with power cuts.  

Power cuts were on my mind too, as wet snow often precipitates them in our rural area, so I decided to stack some dry wood in case I needed to heat the house in an emergency. I went to the wood pile and gathered an armful of dry wood from a lower level, went to put it in the house and the door was locked! Oh my. It is a combo screen door and storm door and has a little catch on it. I had a problem once before with the lock slipping and now here I was in the cold with snow coming down. I used my October allocation of swear words in one minute!

After determining that all the windows were locked and swearing some more, I remembered what my neighbor down the hill told me the time before when I banged myself up forcing a window open with a crowbar...... "Take the door off the hinges".  I looked at the door and indeed the hinges were on the outside, thank God.  So I hunted around and got a hammer and screw driver, got the door off it's hinges and unlocked it. But the worse part was getting the door back on again. It is quite heavy.

Once indoors I decided not to chance driving down the hill to get the mail, it was thick mud and while re-hanging the door I could hear drivers spinning their wheels. One adventure was enough for the day!

In the afternoon I ventured out and put the last of my birdseed in the feeder, thinking the birds would eat it before the raccoons found it. Not so! As I was checking my e-mail before going to bed I heard an almighty crash, knew what it was, and sure enough there was a big fat black body underneath eating birdseed! I swear they can smell birdseed a mile away.

There has not been much activity on selling my house recently.  So I face the fact I may need to winter here again.  At the beginning of this week I had a visit from my bluebird family; three males and a female. I think they were making plans for next spring and checking out the nest under the eaves. They sat on the fence and preened, it was a nice surprise. I had not seen any bluebirds for over a month and thought they'd gone south already. The bats are gone and one afternoon I did the odious chore of cleaning the shed of their guano for another winter.

The trees along Hanging Woman Creek are now bright gold and the cottonwoods along the river beginning to turn as well. Last night I dreamed I was talking to my cousin's wife.  It was only when I woke up that I remembered that she died this summer. Again I was reminded of all the friends and family I have lost over the last three years. So many riches gone. Like the trees they are dormant. I hope I see them again in the next life, when I leaf out in a new place. Meanwhile I'll enjoy winter in this beautiful and very rural area.

First Day Of Fall

This looks like an impressionist painting!

Hanging Woman Creek - Box Elders beginning to turn

In spite of the muddy water, I loved this reflection. Almost heart shaped.

The beauty of my friend's Maple hedge

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bright full moon sinks west
ten degrees above freezing
in a silent landscape

One morning at 34' and another at 36' have shoved us into fall, and today, September 22nd, is the official start. Only a week ago we were in the 90's every day and my body is objecting to the sudden drop in temperature!

Two of my fledgling bluebirds came to check out the nest before flying south. I thought they all ready had, so I was surprised and overjoyed to see them perching on the fence one morning. One last visit and maybe goodbye as I am not sure if I will be here next spring.

I usually don't turn on the heat until October or if the house hits 60', but I am having some re-flooring done and I felt sorry for the workman - Mike (as well as my typing fingers :-) with the house at 63', so a couple of mornings I did run the furnace and take the chill off the inside air. Of course by 4.00 pm I was turning on the a/c unit.  I remember when I was working for the N C Tribe, I needed the car's heater in the morning and the a/c in the afternoon for the drive back and forth. 

Now it is cooler I must seriously start looking for a new place in town. I've had some people to look at the house and one seems serious. We'll see. In the meantime, I'll continue to enjoy my morning walks in the cooler air.

Late Summer Wearies

Wild Sunflowers

Jerusalem Cricket

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a great deception
cool breeze lies about daily heat
equinox laughing

Late summer is upon us and things are changing - in the landscape and in my life. The continual heat, 90's every day and sometimes hot nights, leaves me feeling tired and self critical because I don't accomplish enough each day.

Hanging Woman Creek is at a low point and is muddy and weedy, but I did see a large fish this morning working the weeds; about 20" long, and judging by the shape of it's tail it was a carp. Hardly any birds around and the bats have left for different climes.

The house invaders are here - mice, and at present Jerusalem Crickets. The crickets are ugly - often called Earth Babies or Baby Bugs because of their large head.  They compete with the mice for the peanut butter in the mousetraps! Inadvertently they spring the trap. The first one cut itself in half and I found it dead. The second one managed to get out of the trap by eating its own body - here is a close up of the poor thing.I put it in the wood pile but I doubt it will live - just become a part of the food chain.

Yesterday despite the heat, I plugged a hole in the basement wall with spray foam to stop the advance of more mice and possible snakes, which made me feel a lot safer! 

There is interest in my house - one couple "walked through" - and two others may be scheduled for this next weekend. This of course leads to being more careful about tidiness and housework.  In between all this I look at new places to live, online, and as soon as the weather cools, I will be spending time looking for a new place to live in Sheridan, WY - 60 miles away.

Life has changed also for my dear friend Bruce.  His family insisted that he move to assisted living. He hated leaving his own house but is adjusting pretty well to his new apartment and having people around all day.

His son came from Texas to help with the moving process, flew his plane to Sheridan which he built himself. He took Bruce up for a spin and despite limited vision he was able to see the town below.

Bruce and son Peter

In his new place

So  the landscape is morphing towards winter and so are we. In my depressed moments, leaving here does feel like a step towards death, but I have come to believe I am just entering a new phase of my life and it could well be exciting.

Procrastination

Tomorrow - I’ll see the lawyer about my will

Tomorrow - I’ll see the undertaker about my funeral

Tomorrow - I’ll write last letters to the children

Tomorrow - I’ll write my funeral service

Of course tomorrow never comes,

The deeds fester in the wind.

Facing death today is a hard chore,

I’d rather look out of the window

At green hills,

River valley,

Feel the cool morning air through the window,

Smell the java,

Taste this side of life today.

Hell – who cares about the vultures

That fly above my head;

Why should I give a dam about

Where I’m buried?

Keep the feeling,

It could be a poem some day.

© C. Valentine 6-20-13

 

Autumn pulling on long strings

Hill House from 1/2 mile to the east - photo by Stephen Valentine III

Hill House ...west side

Hill House - south side

View from the sun porch looking south towards the village of Birney

Last three photos by Bruce Garber - Century 21 Real Estate

http://www.century21.com/real-estate-agent/profile/bruce-garber-10643603

 

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the start of autumn

hills turn to pink in the dawn

some things never change

--------------------------

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temps hurtle downward

the bats have flown to the south

equinox on its way

 -------------------------- 

There are many signs occurring that fall will be early this year. First the swallows left early. On my walk I could still call up three of them at Hanging Woman Bridge, but as of this week they too have flown away. Now there is not much Bat poop on the hood of my car (it resides in an open garage where they sleep) an indication that they too have gone south.

This morning I was awake at 2.30 and the temperature was 47' and falling while I took a break from sleeplessness at the computer. I was able to go back at 5.00 a.m. and sleep three more hours so I don't know the eventual *coolth, but I would estimate around 45'. I was able to sleep without the a/c unit clunking away in the background -such a pleasure.

The summer has been good; days in the 90's and rain off and on so we can't complain.  But this house has no shelter from the sun, so I while away the days running the a/c's and doing chores when it is cool enough.    After a bout of a fatigue syndrome early this summer, I have been convinced that it is not in my best interest to stay here even though it is my joy, heart, and soul.  I shall truly miss it. I have come to realize that I am entering a new phase of my life, that it might be rewarding and fun, and that does help. The house is up for sale and as of writing maybe almost sold before listing. I am also selling my office in town. It is my goal to die without owning any real estate to make things simpler for the children in dealing with my will. (In MT if you die without owning real estate you do not have probate).

So........The View From The Hill... blog, may come to an end. However I enjoy blogging so hope to create another new one before the end of this year by finding positives and some wildlife in a new home.

* a term invented by my friend, poet Midge Farmer

 House listing
http://www.century21.com/property/8356-tongue-river-rd-birney-mt-59012-C2137998854
Office listing
http://www.century21.com/property/301-commercial-st-birney-mt-59012-C2138000560

Mid-summer on the Hill

Mr and Mrs Bluebird listening to my voice

Mrs Bluebird has more listening skills! 

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stormy morning clouds

green landscape turning to brown

montana summer

We are now well into summer, and summer temperatures. 80's and 90's are the norm with a few hot ones like yesterday at 102' thrown in. A friend helped me to install my window a/c units and they are providing decent indoor temperatures for me. I get cabin fever more in the summer than in the winter and am pretty restless in the long afternoons. In the winter I can pile on more sweaters, light the fire etc, but in the summer taking off clothing is a bit dangerous!

I realize as I looked through my photos, that I have not taken too many this year so far, & I must remedy that. The wildlife is still entertaining me. Yesterday three Flickers (woodpeckers) moved into the area of the bluebird nest. I was surprised to see that despite their large size, the Bluebirds seemed not to care. I have heard no signs of babies in the nest all summer which is very odd. Usually when mother enters the nest with food there is much twittering.

And then there was rain........

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open the windows

let in afterstorm cool air

a new storm comes in

 

We did have rain right after I blogged yesterday! We had a severe thunderstorm come in and it dropped 4/10 ths of rain overnight. Thunder, lightning and rain and tornado warnings for our county - fortunately none locally.

This morning I opened up the house to let the cool air in and another storm rolled up with lightning, thunder, hail, and rain that dropped 2/10 ths.  So we've had a half inch in the last 24 hrs - wonderful. Now the furnace is running to bring the house up to a decent temperature! The joys of spring in Montana.