Tim said I need to post something about REALITY


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North America » United States » Montana » Lewistown
August 20th 2020
Published: August 21st 2020
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Sally here.

We are doing better. Tim has an amazing sense of humor and I'm very lucky to be on this awful journey with him because he makes me laugh quite a bit and it helps immensely. I hope I never forget the power and value of deeply laughing, especially at myself. And it helps also to laugh at Tim's funny writing and his crazy use of language. So I think, and I hope I am not tempting the gods by saying this, but I think the worst is over. I mentioned it to Tim this morning, that we are doing better and wondering why. He said "Maybe we're just getting used to it." Used to being temporarily homeless in these bizarro times in RV parks that have something????? who knows what, to do with "camping"?

We are getting used to the parameters of what we are looking for changing because we learn more with every property we see what it is that we are actually looking for and what we need to articulate so that our realtors, who are being really good to us, can help us find the property that we are looking for, if such property exists.

My brother keeps increasing (and also decreasing in a weird way) the budget which, we realize, is not something we should complain about but we did, briefly, because it meant opening up a whole new can of properties to consider and we didn't want more properties to consider?????? The decrease is that if we can't meet his desires he'll just give us a limited amount of money to please ours. On the other hand it seems like he really WANTS to do this project WITH us so he keeps increasing the budget and saying he knows we're not likely to get everything we want while also encouraging us to keep trying to get everything we want if all it means is throwing more money at the problem. It's hard for him too. To know. To know what's worth really going for and when it might be time to admit that NOTHING OUT THERE makes one happy but there are things that help. Like clean food and clean water and clean air, and sunshine and beautiful natural surroundings and reasons not to be stuck in front of a screen. Which is why we are here in the first place. To find a place to secure those things as cities go nuts and the humidity drives us into air conditioned spaces and so on.

Tim has already explained how hard it is to search a state that is larger than many nations for the "right property." Which is only partially about property but also about the people that are in that area around the property.

And why Montana anyway? I think its because Montana has this reputation that is kind of irresistible for me at least: Big Sky Country, Independent People, and....something I hadn't realized until we'd been here a while, Montana has amazing WOMEN. They just are. They are not in the least wimpy, even the really cute young ones working in the restaurants. They are, or act as if they are, real, honest, gutsy, and, like me, a bit scrappy. Of course it's not ALL the women. But a lot of them. I really like them and feel comfortable around them. They ride horses. They have long hair. As they age their skin gets leathery, their faces permanently tanned and lined, and they don't give a crap. Many of them are wiry and strong looking. I just feel appreciative and respect their no-nonsense kindness and toughness. So that's interesting.

One thing we discovered that needed to be articulated was that we need a south facing slope if we are going to be in a mountainous area. You see way up north in the winter the sun comes up late and goes down early and if you are on the north side of a hill or mountain it comes up even later and goes down even earlier. Vegetative food production, as opposed to meat production, stops all together without enough light and warmth. Animals grow warm coats and eat hay and stay alive. Plants just can't make it, even in a greenhouse without sufficient light and warmth. So the very beautiful pieces of land we walked and rode a four wheeler over yesterday and a 4 wheel drive truck on today wouldn't work for construction of a solar heated greenhouse. And the realtors don't know this because they are "running cattle" and it's a whole different game. Not that I'm opposed to livestock. I've started researching "native grasses" of Montana and "noxious weed control using herbicides, dangers of" and I'm a pretty committed omnivore but people don't do vegetables so much here and the realtors have never heard of trying to grow vegetables in a solar heated greenhouse before, so they were pretty intrigued as we talked about which direction was south. It's something I do know something about as a result of having lived in the far north in Maine and having built a successful solar greenhouse there.

Okay, that's enough REALITY for tonight. Time to figure out if I have enough energy to put together some pretty clean (organic) food out of our cooler or succumb to some restaurant fare because I'm tired. It'll be okay either way. We'll clean up the diet when we have a bit more time and energy to do that.

Take care all. It's quite the journey out here. It's nice to have you all to share it with. If we actually DO this crazy thing you may have to come visit sometime.

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23rd August 2020

If anyone can grow vegetables in a solar greenhouse...
Sally Erickson can. And will! I wonder if you'd raise cattle, too? I accept your invitation for a visit when you find your place. I've never spent time out west (except for a few days in New Mexico) and I've always yearned to visit! Wyoming always appealed to me since I did a "report" on Wyoming when I was in 4th grade: least populated state, Yellowstone, cowboys, women got the right to vote in 1800's! In the past few years, I feel as if I'd fit in better politically out West than I do here in the East. Strong, independent, honest gutsy women appeal! I bet they birth well. I need to check on those birth stats. I wonder if many women have home births? I succumb to restaurant food far too often because I'm tired. And, I live alone. It's just easier to eat out. Not healthier, of course...unless one goes to a farm to table place, which is too expensive to do on a regular basis. Looking forward to hearing more!

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