Red Fox

I saw a red fox today. It was on the adjacent property to the north of us. That property is occupied by Arctic Cat snowmobiles as a testing facility in the winter, but it is pretty well abandoned in the summer. We think that makes them great neighbors. The whole area, our property included, is just loaded with ground squirrels and gophers, so I am sure that is what the fox was hunting. I really love foxes and am glad to know that they live in our vicinity.

Runaways

I have had quite a bit of trouble with dogs getting loose. We were pretty rushed at getting the fence up, so it still has not been tied all the way around. Dogs who know what they are doing can push underneath the fence and get out. The chains are another big source of weakness. I ordered all new hardware, but one crucial element - the cold shuts that fasten the chains to the snaps and to the rings/posts - was on backorder, and I am still waiting for my shipment. The hardware that we brought from our old place is seriously weak and worn out. Every day there are loose dogs who have busted some part of their chain.

Most of the dogs do not know that the fence is vulnerable, so they never test it. Nonetheless, I have two youngsters who figured out pretty quick how to push under the fence, and they decided to go visit the cow pasture. The cowboys spotted them and drove round in their pickup truck and horse trailer to let us know we had some dogs loose. They told us that they would shoot any dogs that got in with the cows. Our dogs are not actually interested in the cows as much as they are interested in the mud holes and the cow manure. Nevertheless, the threat is a serious one, so we will have to be extremely vigilant.

Bat in the House

Last night we had a bat in the house. It has been a long time since I have seen a bat in the house. Actually, it has been a long time since I've lived in a house! This was a cute furry little thing that probably eats mosquitoes. Mike coaxed it into the little cat carrier and released it outside.

New House

Mike (hubby) and I have moved on to our new property in Island Park, Idaho. We are very relieved to leave the tremendously hot weather in Three Forks behind. Our new place is at an elevation of about 6700 ft, and the weather has been very comfortable. Of course, we know it will be very cold in the winter, but the huge yearly snowfall is the real reason we moved here.

I have a lot of stuff to get out of storage still, but at least I am living full time in my new house. I love this house. It is a small log house that was built in 1981, and I think it is just beautiful. The wonderful wood decor on the inside of the house is a true feast to my eyes. The house has a full length loft upstairs, and I like looking out over the dogyard from an upstairs window.

For those who do not know us, Mike and I have been living in a travel trailer near Three Forks, Montana for the past four years. Three Forks gets hardly any snow, and there are no trails there, so we recently purchased a property in Island Park, Idaho, which has access right onto the snowmobile trail in the winter. As a bonus, the property also has a house! We sold the place in Three Forks and moved ourselves and our 58 dogs down to our own little paradise.