Intentional Tonic
In 2016, we spent our last holiday at the Lazy J and started to say “Goodbye” to Red Lodge. Part of our hearts will always be there. I am so glad Teddy got to know that property, even if for just a short while. It ties together all the good doggies. Back then we would…
Continue Reading →Camping in May in Montana (5-19-17) We were supposed to go camping over the weekend. Because of our move and various other tiring variables of life, we decided to skip it. Good thing. This was the campground (not our truck): We’re going to try again in a few weeks at a lower elevation. Fingers crossed!
Continue Reading →We Still Love This Place (Jul 2016) We’ve been here taking care of business and just really enjoying the place. Here are a few quick ones from today. Speaking of quick, we just had a hare run right across the yard and stop in front of us. He was HUGE. Beautiful gray with a white tail…
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Goats Galore! (8-9-15) When we arrived home from our Glacier National Park vacation, we were welcomed by a few hundred goats! What a great welcome home! Well, Scarlett wasn’t too crazy about it, but JR and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The goats were there for “natural” pasture weed control. We got a bit of an education…
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Glacier National Park, Part Three: Whitefish and Flathead Lake, MT (Aug 2015) Zip lining at Whitefish Mountain? Yes, zip lining for the girl who does not like heights! This one I did purely for JR. I was so nervous, but I have to give it to the folks at Whitefish Mountain. They set you up…
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Glacier National Park, Part Two: Happy Campers (Aug 2015) Frankly, when we left Billings, we seriously considered going home and taking a “staycation.” But, we are of hardy stock and continued on. JR drove and I navigated. Someone didn’t want to sit in the passenger seat while someone else drove the speed limit. Mmm hmm. Roughly eight…
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Glacier National Park, Part One: Calamity Jen (Aug 2015) JR and I had long wanted to visit Glacier National Park. In December 2014, we made all our camping reservations. Things book quickly up there. It was a long awaited, very much anticipated trip. Come August 2015, we were excited to get on the road. We…
Continue Reading →Saturday Fun (3-12-16) We got the ‘ole black truck out of the garage for a short ride on Saturday. It got to nearly 70 degrees! I do love sitting on the bench seat right next to my sweetheart. It was a nice relaxing day. If there are any readers still out there, I do plan…
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My sweet Scarlett left this earth on Sunday, February 7th. Following our afternoon walk, she seemed as though she was feeling poorly. She declined rapidly. Forty-five minutes after leaving with her to go to the emergency vet, we came home without her. I still can’t get over the shock. For My Scarlett: We brought Scarlett…
Continue Reading →Catch Up Post (June 2015) In March some fool over in Luther decided to burn his back yard. In the afternoon. In the wind. Can you guess what happened? Grass fire. The firefighters stopped it before it got any closer to a propane tank. Can you imagine being this guy? What do you do? Do…
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How Much Wood Would a Woodchuck Chuck… (6-4-15) Another interesting day in the world of small animals. Wednesday evening I was talking to JR – he was outside the basement working on a project. I was just inside the house, at the french doors. JR was talking and I kept hearing this really strange sound,…
Continue Reading →She’s Back! (6-4-15) Look who came back home today! Yea! Basin Trailhead, here we come! Ahhh, its finally Summer!
Continue Reading →We Have a Gate (5-31-15) It’s been on our list for awhile now, but we finally got it done! On a beautiful Sunday afternoon, JR and I put up our gate across the driveway! We got the supplies on our trip to Billings last weekend. We combined a supply run with date night and saw…
Continue Reading →Just in Case You Were Wondering…(June 2015) Just in case you were wondering, we don’t let Scarlett drive. The local pharmacy seems to be concerned about it: Scarlett has been on these pills since her surgery back in February. I just noticed the pill bottle says “May cause drowsiness. Alcohol may intensify this effect. Use…
Continue Reading →Man Hands (Apr 2015) April is Limb Loss Awareness Month. JR and I were joking that we wish that people were a little less aware of my missing limb! Ha Ha Ha. But, on that note, here is a link to a great article on prosthetics for women, or the lack thereof. If nothing else, read it…
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Happy St. Patrick’s Day! (3-17-2015) Ah, adventures in picture-taking with Scarlett. A couple interesting things have happened around here. Winter Carnival was last weekend. Red Lodge was taken over by out-of-towners. We went to town Saturday night for dinner and did not recognize one person! Great for the local economy but sheesh! Give us our…
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A Birthday and an Anniversary (3-4-2015) Today is this sweet little girl’s ninth birthday: Today is also the second anniversary of the “final” move to Montana. I still think it was the best birthday present we could have ever given Scarlett! Both of us are pretty happy girls. Scarlett is hanging in for us. We are…
Continue Reading →Swimming! (3-2-15) Looky what I found in town: Woo hoo! Thanks to a heads-up from my PT, I went swimming yesterday! I had looked at all the other hotel pools in town, but they were about three strokes long and not meant for lap swimming. Rock Creek Resort is a bit out of town, but…
Continue Reading →Montana… Where one day it snows so much your grocery cart needs chains: And the next day, the snow is gone and you have to slow down for the ducks to waddle down the road: The guy behind me was fuming. I know he couldn’t see the ducks and had no idea why I was…
Continue Reading →Home Gym (Jan 2015) Since we got to Montana, we’ve accumulated bits and pieces of workout equipment, dumbells, therapy bands, etc. It was piling up and piling up in the basement and I had had it! I searched and searched for some inexpensive way to get organized and I finally found it. Lowe’s had some…
Continue Reading →Round Bale and an Update (2-23-15) I don’t know what it is with Scarlett and Sundays, but she had a major episode last night. JR and I tried to help her as best we could, but we felt helpless and two vets didn’t have much to suggest either. The good news is that Scarlett’s biopsies…
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Flashback (Fall 2014) I was looking through pictures on my phone to try and distract me on the day of Scarlett’s surgery. That didn’t really help since 90% of my pictures are of Scarlett! But, I saw some we haven’t shared. This was right before our first snow of the winter. It was a beautiful…
Continue Reading →The Not-So-Patient Patient (2-19-2015) I brought Scarlett home Thursday night. This is how messed up my brain has been: I was supposed to pick her up at 5:30. It takes an absolute maximum of 1.5 hours to get to Billings on a blue sky day like yesterday. I left our house at 3pm. Do the…
Continue Reading →Not a Fan of February (2-18-2015) It’s been dark days at the Lazy J. For the past five vomit-filled weeks, we have been trying to figure out what is wrong with Scarlett. First we assumed she had eaten something disgusting because, well, she’s Scarlett. The vet agreed. But the vomiting kept up. Other dogs in…
Continue Reading →Walker is Officially a “Hunt” (1-28-15) Paperwork has been signed and Walker is officially a “Hunt!” I never knew this, but her registered name is “Satins Moon Walker.” How pretty. Just between us, I think I may have to start calling her Satin. Walker’s birthday is June 10th. We will be celebrating this year! Our…
Continue Reading →Walker Got a Trim and Other Ramblings (1-27-2015) Today I met the Farrier. What a character! He was so nice and it was amazing to watch him do his job! Walker (as well as the other horses) needed a hoof trim. Who knew horses needed such a thing? I went over early to groom her…
Continue Reading →Solar Internet Repeater (Jan 2015) JR is finishing up work on a months-long project installing a solar internet repeater on a ranch that, until now, had no internet access (other than cellular). Getting out to the site was quite a feat that required use of a snowcat this time of year: It took another…
Continue Reading →First Appearance of the Big Green Monster (1-8-2015) The Big Green Monster is, of course, my massive down coat made “famous” in posts from last winter. I can’t believe I just got her out today! Toasty… I went to physical therapy Thursday afternoon. It was AWESOME. I RAN. I was fast. Okay, maybe not fast fast, but…
Continue Reading →Well, This Can’t Be Good (1-7-2015) I’ve been going to physical therapy and doing the Barre3 Challenge this month trying to make my comeback from October’s surgery. Finally…doctor’s approval! Wednesday, while on the elliptical, I heard some lovely crunching noises. Hmmm, I thought. This can’t be good. Am I feeling that from the elliptical or…
Continue Reading →Moose (1-4-2015) Just after saying I’d never seen a moose in Montana, BOOM! Moose on the side of the road on the way to the Nordic center! He was snoozing away. He was there for a few hours after we first saw him. I texted a friend that lives nearby and she said she and…
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Introducing…Miss Walker! (Jan 2015) We are horse owners! I know, we are as shocked as all of you. Our wonderful, kind neighbors have four horses. One of them, Walker, is a tried and true trail horse. I’ve ridden her myself a few times. But, Walker is older and a bit slower than the horses our…
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Snow Fence repair (12-29-14) Well, what did that take, a week before the dang fence broke? Monday after vacation was tough. We fought with the internet and varying forms of technology; catching up on work and dealing with the idiots at work took up the rest of the work day. I was very happy to…
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Did I Tell You We Went to Town This Way? (Dec 2014) I took Scarlett to the vet in preparation for being boarded over Christmas. She and I had been working on wearing her Christmas antlers (working on Scarlett wearing the antlers, that is). She wore them like a champ at the vet so we…
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JR is Sorry (Dec 2014) Well, he’s apologetic, not sorry! How perfect is this shirt JR’s mom sent him? We love you JR, but this is so accurate! Laura, this was especially appropriate on Tuesday night. JR skipped lunch, drove me to physical therapy, ran some errands, and was waiting to pick me up (I was…
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Christmas 2014! Thank you to the Maurais family for a wonderful Christmas, and for hosting and putting up with us! We had a great time! JR and I headed to Winter Park for Christmas to visit with Allison, Don, Olivia, Tyler, and Holly. We lucked out on the weather heading down. We took mostly two-laners…
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Snow Fence (12-13-14) We finally did it. We have road markers and snow fence. Whew! Friday after work, in the short hour before it gets dark, JR and I put in the road markers. 25 or so of them covering all the curves in the road. Supervisor #2 “helped.” I don’t know how she can…
Continue Reading →I Know, I Know (11-30-14) I know, there’s been no new content in quite awhile. We’ve been very busy, and not busy at all. JR has been the very busy one, and I have done absolutely nothing in the past five weeks (other than work). My status is due to a minor revision surgery back in…
Continue Reading →Sunrise (10-14-14) Just like that, it’s dark when I get up in the mornings. That happened fast. Winter is just around the corner I suppose. There’s a bonus though – I’m up to see these beautiful sunrises. From Tuesday: I love that pink glow on the snow-covered mountain-tops.
Continue Reading →Landscape – Phase II (8-20-14) This is a long-overdue post which, frankly, seems anticlimactic now that most of the shrubs have gone into winter-mode and have no more blooms or leaves (thanks to two snows already). But…here we go…. Fini! JR and I got to give a little input on the location of our new…
Continue Reading →Time for Videos! (8-29-14) It’s been awhile since we posted any videos. This is Scarlett swimming in a shall-be-unnamed lake in which dogs are not supposed to swim. What a bother! The lake is located in a National Park…it’s the biggest lake…I think you know what I’m saying. Anyway…JR and I paddled around a bit…
Continue Reading →Octoberfest (9-13-2014) JR and I went to Octoberfest a few weekends ago. They had a photo “booth” setup with props. The photog is a friend, so we got in on the action. I wanted the Viking helmet, but the Prop King grabbed it first! We walked around, sipped, and talked for a short while and…
Continue Reading →The Aftermath (10-10-14) First of all, we want to thank everyone for all of the well wishes we received. It was very thoughtful of all of you! It made us feel very loved to read texts, emails, and blog comments through the evening and next day. We love you guys! Here’s how the celebration went: Several things…
Continue Reading →Ten (10-9-2014) This is JR and me, ten years ago. And this is JR’s “I’m very close to being done taking pictures” face. But look how handsome! I read that the traditional 10th anniversary wedding gift is tin or aluminum. “The pliability of tin and aluminum is a symbol of how a successful marriage needs to…
Continue Reading →Our So-Called Pond (9-16-14) The bulls…we are so tired of them. They keep edging closer and closer to the busted fence line. We are on constant bull watch. There are three that are just itching to get across. One day, JR and I watched them linger all day long until we decided to go shoo them…
Continue Reading →Bull (9-14-14) The Ellis bulls have been getting through the fence behind the property next door to us. Apparently, they (the bulls, not the Ellis’) walk all the way up the twenty acre parcel and go wherever they darn well please. Well, a few Sundays ago, JR and our neighbor were out trimming the willow…
Continue Reading →Hi! We’re still here, working on some posts. In the meantime, Scarlett says, “Hi y’all!”
Continue Reading →Seriously? (9-11-2014) We went to bed last night with the threat of snow. Being from the South, I never believe it’s going to happen, at least not when it is still September and has been well into the sixties. I guess I better become a believer. We went to bed with a dusting at 9:30pm…
Continue Reading →Camper Stairs (Aug 2014) More issues with dogs and stairs. As you know, Scarlett was raised in a ranch-style house in Atlanta (along with good ‘ole Timber, and we all know his trouble with stairs, too). In Montana Scarlett has been relegated to life in the garage. Oddly enough, the pups were forced to go…
Continue Reading →Wapiti, WY (7/31/14 – 8/3/14) We spent another long weekend camping just outside of Wapiti, WY. I think my Southern upbringing causes me to constantly say, “Wa-PEE-tee,” but it is pronounced “WAP-it-ee.” Yes, we found that out the hard (or embarrassing) way…”You mean “WAP-it-ee?” “Yes, yes of course I do. What did I say? Oh, silly me.”…
Continue Reading →Basin Lake Campground (7/17/14 – 7/20/14) Basin Lake Campground is about 30-40 minutes from our house, just before the Beartooth Pass. It’s back in the woods, right by Rock Creek. So, while it was in the high 80s in Red Lodge, we were wearing fleece and winter hats at night and in the morning. It…
Continue Reading →No, No, No (8-24-14) It rained steadily from Thursday evening through early Sunday morning. It was “socked in” so much that we didn’t see the mountains until Sunday morning when we rose and saw this: Snow! Holy moly. On Wednesday, there was no snow at all up there. It got down to the mid-forties…
Continue Reading →Landscape – Phase II (8-19-14) The long-awaiting and much-desired Phase II of the Grand Landscape Plan has been started. It will be a no-mud winter for us! Well, at least a-lot-less-mud winter anyway. This was all supposed to start the week after July 4th, but got delayed until this week. We were starting to think…
Continue Reading →Recent Events (Aug 2014) The doe and her fawns have been around a lot recently. They are growing up right before our very eyes, sniff, sniff. 🙂 We had a heck of a storm with lots of lightning. One strike hit just across Hwy 78 and started a fire. JR called 911. No answer. He…
Continue Reading →Big News (8-13-14) Don’t be mad, but we’ve been secreting away some big news for a few weeks. JR and I had discussed the topic throughout our marriage, but did not think it would ever happen for us, especially at this time in our lives. But, we decided to make a lifestyle change and made…
Continue Reading →Darius! (7/14/14) Here are two people having a blast at the Darius Rucker concert in Vail, CO. We’ll be seeing you again, Sir! Fun, fun show! Not a bad seat in the house. We even got our dance on in the aisle! Vacation! Love it!
Continue Reading →Traffic Light in Red Lodge! (8-11-14) Oh, it is so hard to let go of that Huey post. I’ll have to live on the memory I guess! Back to regular life…SIGH… OH NO! A traffic light has been installed in Red Lodge! The horror! Okay, it’s just temporary. It’s been a road work nightmare all…
Continue Reading →Huey! (8-10-14) It all started when Huey Lewis walked into the Northern Hotel bar. Well, let me back up. This really all started back in April when JR bought Blues Fest tickets for us for my birthday. Thanks Honey! So, Huey Lewis walked into a bar. Not just any bar, but the bar I was…
Continue Reading →One Year (Some Stats) 8/5/2014 I’ve been writing these goofy posts for a year now! What fun! Thanks to all who have visited and commented. The comments absolutely make my day! I’m always calling JR and telling him who commented and who said what. We really enjoy that. Some stats for the past year: Unique…
Continue Reading →Scarlett (7/2014) Technically, Scarlett is a “senior” dog. She is eight by the calendar. No one who meets her can possibly think this is the case. After Timber passed last November, our vet bills decreased substantially. Unfortunately, they are back on the rise. Scarlett was diagnosed with doggy Lupus about a year ago but we…
Continue Reading →We Decided to Camp in the Desert…in July (July 2014) JR and I headed out on our first road trip of the summer. We went through YNP – not as a destination, but as the quickest way West. The one time we were not in the park to see wildlife, we saw more wildlife than…
Continue Reading →Rosebud (Again) June 2014 We can’t get enough of East Rosebud Lake. It is just too easily accessible! I think I have only ever posted photos of the way out, and not the way back, so here’s the view back to the put-in spot. Once we got all the way back to our starting point,…
Continue Reading →What I Learned This Fourth of July (7-4-14) I learned the Red Lodge Champions Rodeo is in its 85th year. I learned competitors come from all over the world, including Canada and Australia. I learned The Star Spangled Banner was written 200 years ago. I learned there’s some good eats at the Montana BBQ cookoff…
Continue Reading →Conversation with a Future Cowboy (7-3-14) On Thursday, after the rodeo, JR and I were hanging out with some of the Rodeo Association folks and volunteers. A cute little tow-headed boy named Tucker, the son of one of the volunteers, was glued to the side of one of the Association members. This little boy had…
Continue Reading →The Park (May 2014) JR drove all over Yellowstone National Park helping to get the technology for the stores up and running in time for the influx of tourists. Here are some more pictures from his travels:
Continue Reading →Sandhill Crane (5/28/14) This guy…. and his mate are DRIVING US NUTS!!!!! I know I spoke of waking to their calls very fondly recently. Well, I’m over it! They are like CLOCKWORK. Every freaking morning at 5:30am, they start squalling. We gave up and decided to close the windows and turn on the a/c so we…
Continue Reading →Beartooth Pass (5/26/14) The Beartooth Pass opened on May 23rd. I can’t believe they got it open that fast considering all the snow this winter. There’s still a lot up there: JR and I went up to meet a business contact of his who was up there skiing (down the steep cliffs!). The intent was…
Continue Reading →Ten on a Scale of Ten (5/24/14) Saturday morning had JR and I waking with the sun to the call of the sandhill cranes that have taken residence in our back pasture. The weather has been perfect and we’ve been sleeping with the windows open. After a slow rise of watching the golden sun light…
Continue Reading →Baby Horse is Here (5/22/14) The mare next door had her baby! We went over to have a look. There’s not much to say except that it was a wonderful afternoon and I didn’t want to leave. Enjoy the pics! More on this little trouble maker in a future post!
Continue Reading →Kris! (5/19/14) Kris came for a quick (emphasis on the quick!) visit on Monday! JR picked her up in Billings on Monday afternoon. We hung out and had dinner, and Kris and JR turned right around and went back to Billings around 4am on Tuesday. We sure hope it was worth it! We loved seeing…
Continue Reading →Blacksmith / Bonfire (5/17/14) On Saturday, JR and I went to a Blacksmith Demo and Art Auction in Roscoe. One guy made a bottle opener and was about to pass it around. Somebody handed him a bottle of beer to make sure it worked! That got some laughs. He also made a grill fork /…
Continue Reading →Visitors (5/17/14) We had eight visitors the other night. It never ceases to amaze me that Scarlett doesn’t bother with them. If Timber were around, he wouldn’t have stood for it! My new theory is that Scarlett tries her hardest to be quiet so the deer will poo in the yard and she can have…
Continue Reading →Grouse / Sunsets (5/15/14) I woke up a few mornings ago and saw this guy strutting his stuff: I rubbed my eyes to make sure I was seeing him correctly. I thought maybe the poor thing had rabies or something. Really, I should have taken a video. I’ve never seen a bird walk around like…
Continue Reading →Bison Calf (5/8/14) JR was back in Yellowstone National Park for work this week. He sent this picture. How cute! I don’t know about JR, but I’m still hoping for a green Park Services truck and walkie-talkie! Hee hee!
Continue Reading →Court Whist Party (5/3/14) JR and I were invited to play cards at a house in town on Saturday night. Have you ever heard of Court Whist? Neither JR or I had ever heard of it. These Wisconsin/Minnesota transplants sure know a lot of card games! It was so much fun! There were about twenty-four…
Continue Reading →Road Trip Pictures (5/1/14) JR and I made a trip to Billings on Thursday evening. I took my camera because I’ve been wanting to get pictures of the baby cows and sheep that are everywhere. Well, the sheep weren’t in the field, and the baby cows were all lying down! Here’s what I got on…
Continue Reading →Hide & Seek (4/30/14) After finding the wind had died down in the evening, we went for a walk “redo.” We walked down the back pasture and I asked JR to go hide from Scarlett. She loves a good game of hide ‘n seek and she’s actually quite good at it. It is also quite…
Continue Reading →All’s Quiet at the Lazy J (Apr 2014) As evidenced by the lack of posts, nothing much is going on at the Lazy J. The weather has been all over the map – sunny, windy, rainy, and snowy. We were teased with a few days in the 60s. JR even got out and cut the grass…
Continue Reading →Edgar, MT (4/28/2014) Friends of ours went to Edgar, MT on Monday to look at a travel trailer for sale (we are so jealous!). We decided to meet them at the Edgar Bar for dinner. It was the best restaurant meal I’ve had in ages. Ribeye cooked perfectly to my liking, salad with fresh, tasty…
Continue Reading →A Direct Hit to the Face (4/17/14) Scarlett got three walks today. She walked herself on the first one. Yes, she did. JR looked out the window and said, “What’s that? A coyote?” No, it was just Scarlett, three quarters of the way up the driveway, barely in sight. With the wind howling, I had…
Continue Reading →Snow, Mud, and Manure (4/13/14) We had four or five sunny, warm (50’s) days and they were wonderful! All the snow in our pasture was melted. Scarlett and I were really enjoying warmer walks. Look! No snow! I’m feeding again for the neighbors, and even the pen was mostly dry. This was such a pretty…
Continue Reading →Snow shoveling (4/2/14) I shoveled the deck after the last big snow. And by last I mean previous. I’m told it won’t be the “last” of the year, unfortunately. Sigh. Anyway, I had help as usual: I just don’t know how I get things done without her.
Continue Reading →It’s April – Stop Snowing! (4/2014) Note: Gross picture ahead. Read on at your own risk. It snowed somewhere in the neighborhood of 18-24 inches from Saturday 3/28 – Wednesday 4/2. On Wednesday, it was snowing when I got up and didn’t stop until 6pm. What day did I choose to take Scarlett to the…
Continue Reading →Fox (3/28/14) On Saturday, it was starting to snow and I happened to look out the window to see our Fox friend running across the pasture. I was reminded we need a barn cat. This guy caught four mice in about seven minutes of watching. I choose to believe the mice only come out when…
Continue Reading →Ski Joring and the Road (Mar 2014) Ski Joring is when crazy people put on skis and let another horse and rider pull them over jumps. Well, that’s my definition anyway. You can go to http://redlodgeskijoring.com/ for their version. JR and I went to watch a little bit of it in early March. Even crazier people…
Continue Reading →Fog…and a Visitor (Mar 2014) As expected, the weather has been all over the map. A few days after we got home from San Diego, most of the snow was melted and we had fog: JR was out of town for work, the fog rolled in, and I couldn’t see any of the neighbors homes for…
Continue Reading →JR’s Commute (Mar 2014) Happy Birthday JR!! JR continues to commute to Gardiner, MT every other week. He’s getting pretty blasé about all the animals he sees, but he has continued to take a few pictures for me. These bison were just outside JR’s cabin. On his last trip, JR said a kid was walking down…
Continue Reading →San Diego, CA (3/5/14) Earlier this month, JR and I got the heck out of Dodge, and went to San Diego for some sun and fun. Interesting fact: the Billings airport does not plow the parking lot. JR had to back the Jeep into a parking space covered in 2+ feet of snow. Since it…
Continue Reading →She’s a Gamer (Feb 2014) My Mom paid us a visit in February. We struggled a bit with the weather as the wind paid us a visit also. The wind stymied outdoor activities, but I have to give it to my Mom. She has never been on skis in her life, but she said she…
Continue Reading →Mountain Lions at Lazy J (3/16/14) Wow, today was exciting! I got a call from JR on his way back home. I was running up the stairs so I barely made it to the phone. I answered and he said, “thank goodness you answered the phone!” I thought holy cow, what has happened?! He needs…
Continue Reading →Lazy J Webcam is Back Up! I have a few posts to finish up but in the meantime, the Lazy J Webcam is back up at http://www.redlodgetech.com/about Check it out!
Continue Reading →It’s Official – I am over Winter (2/11/2014) I’ve been positive all Winter. Frankly, I’ve been proud JR and I are making it through our first Montana winter, a winter that has seen more extremes than a normal winter (so we are told). My record-keeping shows 120 inches of snow thus far, and I underestimate every time. But…
Continue Reading →This Dog Really Wants a Kitten I love this video so much. I have watched this at least three times. Enjoy! http://cheezburger.com/58288641
Continue Reading →Feeding Part Three (Feb 2014) Thursday evening’s feeding was downright pleasant. It was about 5 degrees and sunny. I didn’t have to wear the ski mask and lost one pair of long johns. Saturday morning, however, it was snowing. That weird light at 7am makes it really hard to see our road, especially when…
Continue Reading →Ullrfest (1/31/14) JR and I headed to Sam’s for happy hour on Friday. Only when we got there, we found it was Ullrfest (OOOL-er). From Ullr.org : by David McKee “You know the feeling-you are on your skis working the rhythm, enjoyin’ the speed, and suddenly for a few turns, you feel immortal. The feeling is…
Continue Reading →Feeding Part Two (Feb 2014) Wednesday evening feeding (Minus 8 degrees) At least the sun was out! Thursday morning feeding (Minus 22 degrees, windchill minus 36 degrees) Today I added toe warmers, although that lasted about 10 minutes before I couldn’t feel those either. Everyone had the eyelash issue, and everyone was frosty. These pictures aren’t…
Continue Reading →Feeding Horses in the Freezing Cold…Again (Feb 2014) Well, here comes another cold snap, and a *wonderfully* timed out-of-town trip for our neighbors. So, I’m on horse duty for a week. Until the weekend, the high temp will be -1 degree. Windchills? Don’t want to even talk about it (-26 degrees). After the weekend, it will get…
Continue Reading →Gardiner, MT (Jan 2014) JR has made several trips to Gardiner, Montana for work with an anchor client. He signed a nine month contract! Woo hoo! Gardiner is just outside Yellowstone National Park, and needless to say JR’s drive to work has been full of wildlife encounters. Returning home following his prior trip to Gardiner in early January,…
Continue Reading →Cross Country Skiing (1/25/14) Last Thursday afternoon, I had a lesson with a cross country ski instructor, Les. When I left our house, it was 30ish, sunny, and no wind. I dressed for that kind of weather but at the last minute, threw a few extra layers in the car. Halfway to the Nordic Center, I…
Continue Reading →A Timber & Scarlett Story (11-2008) Part Two When we left off, Scarlett had just polished off JR’s “desperation” chicken legs, bones and all… JR emerged from the store. I explained what had transpired and he was furious. He grabbed the last lone chicken leg, shoved it in Scarlett’s face, and said, “here, is THIS what you…
Continue Reading →A Timber & Scarlett Story (11-2008) Years ago I submitted this story for some dog-related prize relating to the movie “Marley & Me.” I did not win, but I thought I would share it anyway. JR and I continue to refer to this episode, especially when he is in the grocery store and hungry. Here goes… Our…
Continue Reading →November – December 2013 Catch Up Once again, time really got past me once it got close to Thanksgiving. We hosted our very first Thanksgiving and cooked our very first turkey. It gave us a bit of trouble in the morning as the darn thing wasn’t completely thawed, even though I gave it an extra…
Continue Reading →Christmas 12/25/13 Our very first Christmas in Montana. Ahhh….we’ve waited nine years for this! We slept in, had coffee, opened presents, stuffed ourselves with homemade biscuits and gravy, and JR went skiing. We had a soak in the hottub, visited with the neighbors, and made dinner together. Most importantly, I stayed in my jammies for as long…
Continue Reading →The Wind (12/23/13) So…..the wind. Oh my goodness. Holy moly. I laid in bed listening to the wind howl and whistle past the house. I kept repeating my mantra “there are hurricane straps on the house, there are hurricane straps on the house.” Still, it was hard to sleep. Gusts were probably around 30mph but sounded…
Continue Reading →A Cold Stroll (12/6/13) It was a cold, cold Christmas Stroll in Red Lodge. Strolling temp was -18 degrees. After about -10 degrees, they should just start describing conditions by what being outside will do to your body, as in: it’s “you’ll really wish you had bought those hand/foot warmers” cold out now, or it’s “lose your…
Continue Reading →Deer Hunt (11/25/13) Guest post by JR Preface by Jenny – First of all, let’s just say there’s been some “controversy” over this dearly departed deer. I’m not against hunting per se, but I had asked that none of “my” deer get murdered. This guy was on the 20 acres next to us. Semantics, if you ask…
Continue Reading →The Bear Bell (12/28/13) Today we were pretty lazy at the Lazy J. We took a boatload of boxes to the recycling center – boy howdy I sure do miss curbside recycling pickup! After that, I made Raspberry Chocolate & Toasted Walnut Rugelach (from “The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook” – thanks Mom!). That was involved, to say…
Continue Reading →12/14/2013 The Christmas Tree We cut down our very own Christmas tree today! A five dollar permit allows you to cut down one tree in the National Forest area. We did this quite a bit later than we planned, but the weather wasn’t ideal for the past two weeks. There were days the temperature didn’t get…
Continue Reading →12/12/13 Supplies We went to Billings to go shopping. Look what I got… Oooooh, I know you are all jealous of my new snow shovel and tow rope for my car. It’s not just any tow rope either. It’s a blaze camo tow rope. That’s right. Everyone go put it on your Christmas list right now. And…
Continue Reading →Timber Hunt – The Best Boy With the heaviest of heavy hearts – there are no words – we had to let Timber go. Our Good Boy was suffering from heart failure. We made him as comfortable as possible for as long as possible, but it was time for his suffering to end. It seemed to…
Continue Reading →Cows in our pasture (11/6/2013) Here I was, leisurely walking through the living room, when several large black objects entered my peripheral vision. They were definitely not Timber or Walker (black horse next door), but cattle! Finally, something is happening at the ‘ole Lazy J! Where, do you ask, were our “guard dogs” while these cattle…
Continue Reading →Morticia and Gomez Addams (10/31/2013) Well, here we are – crazy middle aged folks dressing up for Halloween! That’s right, we went as Morticia and Gomez. So many times this year people have asked us, “do you really have this much fun?” One person asked us, “do you guys always laugh this much?” Um, yes, why not? And my favorite,…
Continue Reading →Whoa! (10/24/2013) Wow, time really got away from me there. We have been B-U-S-Y. First of all, it took awhile to get out from under all that snow. We lost power for a few days, we shoveled and shoveled, and shoveled again when the snow finally fell off the roof! And, it has snowed two more…
Continue Reading →I felt like a kid last night – I kept waking up to see if it had snowed yet. It’s like I was waiting for the AM radio station to call out my school’s name as “closed for the day!” Remember how great that felt! Well, it did snow. And, the snow was of the “heavy, wet”…
Continue Reading →My New Favorite Picture (9/29/2013) I took what I think is my new favorite picture: It would only have been made better had Timber been in there too. But, he was relaxing in the shade after a “w” through the tall pasture grass. In order to get one “good” picture like that one, take a look at…
Continue Reading →Golf (9/24/2013) On Tuesday, JR and I played hooky from work and went to play nine holes of golf. I have a lot of unused vacation left, so I decided I’d better start using it up! At 9:50am, we decided to do it. JR called the Red Lodge Mountain course, and then told me our tee time was 10:30am. …
Continue Reading →Success (9/22/2013) I picked up JR from the airport on Sunday after he successfully passed his tests to be certified – MCSA. Woo hoo!!! Congrats JR! I’m really proud of him. He spent seven days a week in class for two and a half weeks and passed three different tests. A job well done! Since JR’s flight arrived around lunchtime, we…
Continue Reading →5 miles round trip / Elevation Gain: 1,200 feet A few weeks back, JR and I hiked the Phantom Creek Trail to Slough Lake. It was a beautiful hike the whole way, and we were rewarded with a scenic lake in a glacier-carved meadow at the top. We saw exactly zero other people on the entire…
Continue Reading →Cooney State Park Reservoir (9/11/2013) On Wednesday, I took half a day off work and went to Cooney State Park Reservoir to get my kayak back in the water. This is what life out here is supposed to be! I could never have done this in Atlanta. No doubt traffic would have delayed or deterred me. …
Continue Reading →Kayak! East Rosebud Lake (9/8/2013) A dream I have long held has been realized! For longer than I can remember, I have wanted to kayak. This Sunday, the dream came true! Since our first excursion to East Rosebud Lake, I have envisioned being out on that water in a kayak. So, of course, I made East…
Continue Reading →Dom & Tabbie (8/29/13 – 9/1/13) On 8/29, our friends from the UK joined us in Montana! What a distance! After stopping in Atlanta to visit with family, we are so happy they came all the way to see us! We started off on Friday at the Stillwater River. Even though we’ve been several times this…
Continue Reading →Update Post (Aug 2013) As of Monday, the Rock Creek fire was 85% contained. Before then, JR went out to the fire area and took a few pictures: The firefighters even saved this structure. Dedication. We also passed by the airport and snapped a few quick (poor) pictures of the helicopters assisting in the fire work (these…
Continue Reading →Lake Fork with Bunny (8/25/13) Since arriving in Montana and being “set free,” Scarlett has settled down quite a bit. On our road walks, she tends to stay within eyesight and has been coming when called quite reliably (unless there’s a really, really good scent to follow). So, on Sunday, JR and I took Bunny…
Continue Reading →Capstones (8/20/13) Many of you are aware we are in the midst of stonework, mainly consisting of wrapping the deck posts in stone. Brian, our mason, suggested we find our own capstones to seal off the tops. So, on Tuesday, JR and Brian went to Wyoming to find capstones for the posts. They did a…
Continue Reading →Goat at the Grocery (8/15/13) Well, you just don’t see this every day. I was putting my grocery cart in the cart corral and saw what I thought was the back of a really weird looking dog. Because it wasn’t a dog, it was a goat. In the back of a pickup. You know you’re…
Continue Reading →Bobcat (8/2013) Luckily, we’re talking about a mechanical brand bobcat, not the Lynx Rufus kind of bobcat! JR rented a Bobcat to move the remaining piles of dirt left over from the excavation of the house and road. The road also needs some work before we get any snow. He used some of the dirt…
Continue Reading →Rock Creek Fire Some of y’all that visited us went to the Rock Creek area, so you’ll know where the fire is located. Another familiar area may be the Silver Run trail loops which are now closed due to the fire. For updates click the link for InciWeb. You will land on the “incident information”…
Continue Reading →Yellowstone National Park JR and I took the dogs to Yellowstone National Park on Saturday, 8/17. We got a late start getting organized and getting food pre-chopped, cooked, and packed for camp dinners. We hit two construction delays – one at the top of the pass and one in the park. It added an hour…
Continue Reading →Why Montana? (Part One) Why Montana? (Part Two) Why Montana? (Part Three) Paradise Found, Lost, and Found Again Here’s the part where all the bad hotels and breakfasts were worth it. As we drove toward our final destination for the trip, with not much hope left, we couldn’t believe the views. I think we pulled…
Continue Reading →Look who made the local paper! The newest, and may I say handsomest, local businessman! Impressive!
Continue Reading →Why Montana? (Part One) Why Montana? (Part Two) My Cousin Vinny Our journey continued to a town called Big Timber. The reason we chose it as a potential future home? Our dog’s name is Timber. Makes perfect sense, doesn’t it? So, once again, I picked a hotel. A “bed and breakfast” type place on a…
Continue Reading →Why Montana? (Part One) Bears in the Bathroom We got up in the morning looking forward to a good breakfast to start off the day. Now, we try to be pretty healthy, but come on, it’s breakfast on vacation and we were ready to load up. Now, as I’ve said, I love Montana, but nobody…
Continue Reading →The human spirit needs places where nature has not been rearranged by the hand of man. ~Author Unknown If we had a nickel for every time someone asked us, “Why Montana?” or “How did you find this place?” we’d be rich. It is a good question. I wrote this years and years ago. I hope…
Continue Reading →On Saturday (8/3) JR and I went up to the North Fork of Grove Creek from Meeteetse Trail. I never thought I would be so close to the Palisades. The trail climbs through an opening in the Meeteetse Spires that rise out of the Palisades. I will have to work up my nerve to get closer to the actual…
Continue Reading →JR and I went rafting on Sunday (7/29) with Adventure Whitewater. Though it was raining on the way to Absorkee, it turned into a beautiful day. We had a nice two hour float with Joby, who guided the Ireland crew during their visit. The water was quite a bit lower than just a few weeks ago,…
Continue Reading →May 2013 – A Busy Month We get a cistern in preparation for grass and a sprinkler system! No more moving the sprinkler! Stone work starts on the house, and we sell the Atlanta house (woo hoo). The countryside starts to turn green. I get to feed the horses next door. This was the best day…
Continue Reading →Thanks to JR for getting this page up and running! A quick (or not so quick) catch-up to date: November 2012 – Thanksgiving in Memphis with Elvis, Eddie, and Sun Studio! On a whim, we got tickets for the Eddie Vedder show at The Orpheum in Memphis, TN. We made the most of our short trip and fit in sightseeing at Graceland…
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