I’m Baaaaaaaack

I know, I know, it is one of those things that seems to happen to most bloggers. (and I don’t think I have ever really thought of myself as a “blogger”) They STOP. Looks like it happened to me. I decided to call it Spring, Summer and Fall vacation. It seems the winter months might offer a little more time to sit down at the computer….

This is where Kodee and I got to spend some of our summer. Which, you might agree is pretty rough.

Can you see the river? That is the Clark Fork just outside of Thompson Falls, MT. I might have mentioned before, it’s one of my favorite places….might have….

Tater loves taking care of us! And he really did! He got in a scuffle with something on the trail one evening….probably coyotoe….gave us enough time to run the other way! Good puppy!

We found all kinds of “treasures”! But this one….made me scratch my head the most….

A bad day of golf is better than…? Anyone want to come up with their own explanation?

Dental Work

I was pretty sure Kodee’s horse Bobo, A.K.A. Big Yellow, was going to end up like this horse if we didn’t get her teeth floated.

Did you know horse’s teeth continue to grow throughout their lifetime? This continuous growth causes problems as they age and they tend to get pretty skinny since they don’t eat very efficiently. Thus, the trip to the vet…he files the teeth down so that eating is easier and more comfortable.

This is what it looks like when they get their teeth floated…

Well….this is generally not a part of it…but the first thing he did was give her a rectal exam for her dental visit and this is what he told Kodee was the world’s worst water balloon, I will let you put the rest together.

This was her face during the rectal exam.

Getting her head into position, after giving her something to ease the pain and anxiety…

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He got right down to work…..I don't think any of us should complain about our dental drills from now on…when your dentist pulls out a Dewalt….then….run.

Run far and run swift.

Cutie Pies

It’s calving season!!!!!! I know you just love watching those little buggers run and jump in the fields as much as I do! They are so sweet! I want to cuddle them….but, dang it, they don’t really like that…cause I kinda tried…and their Mom’s really don’t like it either…and they kind of scare me…

Went to Mom and Dad’s a few weeks ago…and got to play with a lot of the little Cutie Pies. It was gorgeous weather, and we soaked up as much as we could, but didn’t have much time. Kodee being in school is getting in the way of the things I want to do, dang it…I wanted to stay a few days, but once you start that kind of behavior, I hear, it’s difficult to stop.

This is the Labor and Delivery Unit….or the Cow Palace…call it what you want…it is pretty cool in there…

The calf above was born the Saturday night that we were there…so he was probably only about 5 hours or so old in that pic…sorry, it is really difficult to get very good pictures in there! There was another calf who needed some attention and help getting around as she had been stepped on by her Mom. The white on the calf’s leg is a huge cast…huge for such a little calf.

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The field down below Labor and Delivery, is what I will call the Maternity Ward. All the Mommas and babies hang out there for a while till everyone gets “their legs under them” ha…literally. Actually they get their legs under them before they leave L&D (labor and delivery). So, down the hill they start to learn about life…like who they should chew on….

and who to cuddle with…

I love how you can see their breath in the air! These aren’t the best pics, but I do like their cold breath!

That little guy is absolutely handsome! Isn’t he just pretty? Thing is, he looks like he knows it. Typical.

Another shot of the Maternity Ward…

And L&D with the sun in the totally wrong place! I know…sorry…

Another reason I love Montana so much….little black calves…and their protective Mommies!

100 Years

My Great Grandpa is in this picture. When I first saw it, I was sure he was the dapper fellow with the fur coat. I was wrong. He is the hard-working driver in the cute hat right next to him. Robert Vinson had the first stagecoach that ran from Dixon to Polson 100 years ago this year. Kinda cool….I think I might be beating the whole…”I am totally from Montana…I love Montana…..Did I mention I think Montana is way cool and lots of people should move here and buy houses from me?….thing. But I thought this was pretty fun since it was actually 100 years ago…this year.

I don’t know anything about this picture…but I thought it was pretty funny! I think the guy riding the buffalo looks like my Grandpa George…That would be my Dad’s Dad…but I don’t know for sure. I just thought that maybe Ted Turner might want to do this with some of his buffalo..Hmm? I think he might see this and start doing the parade circuit this summer!

I thought this was pretty funny! My Grandpa George was known to lead a pack string into Glacier Park. The best I can guess is that this is part of the string and they were hauling in the outhouses! This is what I call “Glamping”! What is Glamping? Glamour Camping. I love Glamping and maybe it is because of those who came before me that I picked up this love. Doubt it…really? Who wouldn’t rather go Glamping than regular camping….Glamping is way more fun…only if someone else is setting it up…and cooking for you and tearing it down and hauling it out….yeah…it is all a lot of work! But still better than just camping!

Not sure who this is…I think it might be my Dad…Have you seen anything cuter? Or more dangerous? Are you kidding me? A step backwards and he is a gonner….these are the same people who put him on a sheep when he was 2 1/2 and let him break his leg! So, I guess this shouldn’t be a suprise….but “Commmooonnn”! Though…it looks as if the horse is watching him and thinking the same thing. “You people know I could step on him and squish him like an ant, right? But you trust me…okay, I will watch him today and in a few months you can put him on that sheep.”

Thanks for putting up with me and my MONTANA addiction! More to come over the weekend! Until then, hitch your buffalo to my wagon and we will round up the sheep for the kids to ride later on!

View From My Window

My home’s in Montana. I do love it here. I love the piece of Montana that I experience and that I have created. Everyone creates their own pieces of reality here. It literally gives us the landscape or the backdrop to create our lives on…..the backdrop varies from season to season and even day to day…but here we are, moving in it, on it and around it… This is the backdrop we have chosen on which to create our day to day lives. We didn’t choose palm trees, which I could really use right now….but the landscape of the many glorious mountain ranges that surround us.

Finding the right home is always and adventure and not always easy. The home where I live now, was not my first choice. I actually had an offer on another home, which fell to pieces and I was devastated, but I thank God that things happened the way they did. If the events that led to the demise of the first deal we had, hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t have these ponies out my window!

The other thing that I love is that I only have to take care of two of these guys. The rest of them live over the fence. You know what they say about good fences…..well here, that is pretty important.

I took the screen out of my window one afternoon and took some of these shots…so this really is the “view from my window”.

The buckskin is clearly the “The Boss” in his herd…..He might be “The Boss” of my herd too….

The point is: I am so glad this is the view I ended up with…you just never know how things are going to work out some times. I love surprises.

Oh…and there will be more to this My Home is in Montana thing…working on something fun!

Customer Service!!!

So things have changed in the real estate world…we all know that…not a big news flash. But not until I did this, did I realize exactly how big of change. In my ten years of selling houses and land, I have never done this….

No, I haven’t resorted to selling birdhouses. Yet. I am really not that good at painting them. Yet.
My customer is purchasing a house which is under construction and had a difficult time envisioning the exterior color choices. I tried the electronic route. After a full day or two of messing around online, I decided to do it the old-fashioned way. I bought a bird house, took the samples into the paint store and had the paint color custom-made and WWWAAAALLLLAAAHHHHH! A little house for the birdies to live in that looks just like hers!

So, I gave it to her for Christmas…and killed two birds with one stone….oh no, I am sorry, but it had to be said.

I think it looks pretty good, if I do say so myself! We are looking to close in Feb! On my birthday no less! WOOOOHOOO! I like it like that!

Maybe for a closing gift I will do a dog house!?

A Magical Place

I find it ironic that I can sell someone’s home so quickly and easily for them. I don’t mean physically, I mean, the emotional move. I suppose they have gone through much of the process before they make the decision to call me. But there is a place that I think I will always have an emotional connection to….this place speaks to me…I can read it, the seasons tell me how its feeling, how the animals are feeling. Are you scared yet? I love the stories it has to tell. It holds the history of my family and so many others. My folks are still there and I love “going home” whenever I get a chance.

My Dad tells the story about how he found it. They were renting a place up the road and the horses got out and ran all the way down to “this place”.

Dad told the guy that he would like to be first on the list if he ever decided to sell…Well sure enough the guy decided to sell…
But never called Dad….he put it on the market and some how some way Mom and Dad ended up with this magical place.

I have actually had nightmares about selling the place…which my folks could do…if they wanted…its their place right? But, then why does it feel like its mine? Cause I have walked it, ridden it and rolled all over it for my entire life. My parents have been there for over 40 years. Thats a little bit of time in my book…

The barn has been there, I think 40 years since they got there…so that must mean it is about 80 years old or so….the place was originally a dairy….it hasn’t been a dairy since, but it has been many things. A ranch that raised, quarter horses, exotic cattle, a few buffalo, race horses, home to a PRCA Rodeo, and now feeds and shelters some pretty Black Angus cattle.

I could go on and on…but I won’t, today….but I will again, I promise. MMMOOOOO…

Yesterday in Three Forks…

Yesterday started off very cold, just like most of the days this week…brrr, I haven’t been able to get my truck warm enough all week….brrr…anyway…I got a call midday from Stacy Bellamy. He is an agent with Venture West. He said he would be bringing me an offer on a house in Three Forks later today! WoooHOOO!!! Yippee! That is always good news!
Before I left the office yesterday, I thought I would open up Facebook and see if there was anything I needed to know….and there was! A few of my friends posted comments in their status that there was a fire on Main Street in Three Forks! The old Park Hotel they called it….I didn’t know where that was exactly by the name, but as soon as I opened up Chistina Kamps’s pictures, I knew that it was Lloyd Mandeville’s listing! So, Karen Fossen our graphic designer, grabbed Lloyd and said….”is your Three Forks listing on fire?” Well of course this was just 45 minutes after it started…Lloyd didn’t know…but through the magic of Facebook, we could all see that yes, it was on fire! Here is one of the pictures Christina posted.

This was the scene when I got to town just after 5:00 last night:

Here are a few more shots…notice the furniture on the sidewalk. That is from the real estate office next door…people just showed up and started helping haul it out in case the fire spread.

Around 2:30 or so, the back of the building started on fire…at this time they don’t know how it started.

It is kind of difficult to see him, but that is Stacy Bellamy…he got a bit tied up this afternoon and didn’t get that offer written. Do you think he is talking to his client about the offer? No, me either….

This building has always been a favorite of mine…the last time I really looked at it…there were some very fat pigeons making themselves at home on the porch. My daughter Kodee reminded me of that last night. I know there was so much history in that place, I wish I knew more about it…I will have to find out and do a follow up here. Look how pretty it was at the time Lloyd took the listing.

You sitting down? This is it today…

I marvel at the power of Facebook, twitter, I guess all of this “social media” and how information is exchanged these days! It is amazing that we were made aware of the fire and could actually see images before it was on the news or even the news station’s web sites.

This building will be missed. Thank you to all the firefighters and indviduals that worked so hard to make sure the fire didn’t spread and that no one was injured. That is a silver lining in this…no injuries. The Christmas Stroll is tonight…it should be an interesting evening in Three Forks…

Christmas Pooch

Kodee really wanted me to get Tess, our Miniature Australian Shepard, a Halloween outfit…but I ran across a reindeer outfit for $2.50 at Target! I love screaming deals! My favorite places to shop are #1 TJ Maxx and #2 Ross, or any place I can find a great deal! Anyway….this dog is too funny! She is not happy at all about wearing the reindeer costume…and you can see it in her eyes. I think that is the evil eye. Kodee on the other hand is thrilled!

You can actually see her trying to see the antlers hanging down….or she is actually rolling her eyes at me…

And Whiskers the amazing rattle snake loving feline doesn’t seem to have a care in the world! I think he not- so-secretly likes that the dog has to wear the outfit…..yeah…I know that’s what he is thinking….

SCREAMING DEAL!!!! $165,900

Okay folks! This is it! This is an amazing deal…

This home sold a few years ago for MUCH more than they are asking now!!!! You can call me and I will tell you, but I think the MLS would come down on me if I published it here! Let me just say…I closed on a house across the street a few months ago for MUCH MUCH more than this home!

I am not the list agent. Tom Rapp is….he does a lot of foreclosure properties….and this is one of those….I haven’t seen numbers like this on a house yet!
1700+/- sq. ft., over a 10,000 sq. ft lot! WOW! This is located at 104 Secretariat in Belgrade…near the schools!!!! Someone should live in this house!! I’m just sayin….
Call me! I would be happy to show it to you! SCREAMING DEAL!!!!!