Maria’s view of Log Cabin Living

 http://facts.hillaryhub.com/  

I can’t keep politics out of this any longer.  Sorry guys, I feel compelled to say this:  It’s a crying shame that so many men are so afraid of a woman in a power position.  I have seen this fear many times in my lifetime.  Years ago, one man I knew repeatedly said he hated Oprah.  When I asked why, he had no answer.  Another time, he said he hated Barbara Walters.  Again, when I asked why, he had no answer.  After this happened several times, always with a woman in a position of power, he said he hated them….never having a reason, when pressed for one…I decided that a type of fear was causing this so-called “hate.”  This characteristic is evident in many men (not all men, of course) to whom I have spoken, over the years.  What I detected with them was a profound fear (either conciously or subconsiously) of women in power, which manifested itself as a type of hate. 

This alarms me.  I hope it does you, too.

I believe that, in spite of all that is said about her, Hillary Clinton would make a great president.  Further, being a brilliant person, she would realize the honor and magnitude of her being elected as the first woman president, and she would do everything possible to manage her presidency in a way in which all Americans could be proud.  She would understand the importance of her legacy to those who follow.

All I can say is that this will be one hell of an election.  

One day last summer, after a particularly hard rain (I love rain!), I was sitting on the deck and admiring the amazing view, when I noticed 2 turkey vultures had landed high in a tree, just up the river from our cabin.  I called Hubby to come and see, then I grabbed the camera and got a shot or two, and then we waited and watched.  Soon after, another vulture landed in the same tree…and then another.  Finally, there was a whole flock (do vultures call themselves a “flock?”) in that same tree.  Yes, I know it sounds crazy to be excited about birds in a tree, but ya’ gotta’ keep in mind… we’re in a remote location in Montana, so we get our thrills with stuff like this.

  We watched those vultures and soon realized why they had landed.   They hadn’t landed there to conduct an orchestra.  It wasn’t to practice their drama queen routine for an upcoming stage debut, either.  No, it was because the sun was just beginning to come out, and one by one, the vultures opened their wings.  They were drying their wings in the sun!  I wondered how they could keep their balance with their wings fully raised, but they did.  This went on for 1/2 hour or so, then one by one they flew away.

Hey, they’re not much to look at (understatement of the year!!), but it was a fun afternoon with the vultures as entertainment.   I didn’t give a lot of thought to things like this, when I lived in the city.  Now that I’m slowing down and admiring the view, it’s a trip to see what the birds and wildlife are doing….at least, to me and hubby, it is.  I wonder how many people never notice..

‘Scuze me…the Canada Geese are outside, cruisin’ on the river…gotta’ run!

With his sports picture collection proudly displayed on the vaulted ceiling in the loft, Hubby is so happy!  Now he can sit back in his chair at the computer and gaze at his favorite sports figures.  He loves all sports, and he has many favorite players (don’t ask me to name them….I go blank at the thought of most sports stuff).  Maybe you can see in the pictures who his favorites are.  There’s a lot of history in those pictures!

Hubby played college football at Montana State College (now MSU).    Let’s see if I can remember…oh yes, I remember now……he was an offensive guard.  And unfortunately, he’s got injuries that go along with it.

He has several cool trophies from when he played baseball as a kid in Brooklyn.  He went to a Catholic school, and they had a winning baseball team!  Who woulda’ thought?!  Catholic school?  Sports?  It just never occurred to me.

Me?  I was all thumbs and elbows, gangly and tall as a kid, so no trophies here…but I always secretly wished I’d somehow win one.

Since we got married, I’m trying to gain more sports knowledge, and I actually enjoy football and basketball now.  I especially like Steve Nash on the Phoenix Suns basketball team.  I had no idea a “short” guy (compared to his teammates) could play like that!!   Dammit baby, white men CAN jump!   I’m really looking forward to the playoffs, after getting familiar with Nash last year.  And now the Suns have Shaquille O’Neal (did I spell that right?), so look out Lakers!  

It was a busy day for Cowboy the cat…stalking birds, contemplating the meaning of life, posing for pictures, taking naps on the dog’s bed, and generally enjoying life.  He follows me around the yard, and even comes to the river with me and takes a long drink of the icy cold water.  Hubby is still amazed that a cat would follow a person.  I’m enjoying seeing how much he, a former cat hater, enjoys Cowboy!

Meanwhile, Daisy was playing in the snow, making a point of running as much as possible to keep her waistline trim.  At 6 years old (or is it 7?), she’s still like a puppy in many ways. 

Daisy is a rescue dog.  The previous owners almost killed her from neglect (it makes me furious to think of those idiots!).  As an animal welfare activist, I had heard about Daisy from a fellow activist.  She knew someone across the street from Daisy’s previous owner who told her about the little dog. 

So one day, my friend and I knocked on the previous owner’s door.  My friend, always fast on her feet, told the owner that we were from Animal Control and were following up on a complaint.  The lady went and got the dog and brought her outside, all the time holding her.  Long story short, after 45 minutes, we talked the lady into handing me the dog, after telling her the dog would die without veterinary care.  After she handed me the emaciated dog, we immediately turned and left in my friend’s car.

My friend and I were so appalled and disgusted at the dog’s weakened and emaciated appearance that we discussed involving Animal Care and Control to press charges against the owner, but we decided not to, realizing that they would take the dog as “evidence,” and I didn’t want to give her up.

The vet’s office was closed, so I took the dog home with me, planning to take her to the vet in the morning.  The dog was skin and bones and was so weak that she could not stand up.  I determined that she was not only starved, but she was severely dehydrated, too.  She hadn’t even been given any water!!

That night, the dog began convulsing, which scared the hell out of me.  I stayed by her side for hours, and it occurred to me that her name should be “Daisy.”  The next day, the vet took the dog as an inpatient for 3 days, warning me that the dog would probably not survive.  Somehow, I knew she would survive!  The vet said that without care, the dog would have been dead within 24 hours, due to the severe dehydration.  She told me the dehydration had caused the previous night’s convulsions.  Daisy was in “intensive care” for 3 days.

Once I brought her home, she still had trouble standing up.  I gave her tender loving care, as she began to gain weight and become stronger.  It took 2 months for her to get her full strength back, and then look out!  She’s part Jack Russell terrier, and I found out quick how active they are! 

She has a happy go-lucky, adorable personality.  What a sweet, loving little dog.  How could a person treat her the way those people did?!

  Whew!  This has been a weird week so far.  For one thing…..the other night, we couldn’t find Cowboy the cat anywhere!  We looked and looked and waited and waited and worried, but no kitty!  It was going to go below zero that night, and I knew I couldn’t sleep with him not accounted for..   

We thought…maybe he went back to his owner’s house (even though they’re still in Mexico), or maybe he was out tom-catting around (but he’s neutered…though he could tell the girls he’s had a vasectomy!  ;))…or maybe a coyote got him…or a bear…

Around 1:00 a.m., I was going to try for a few hours of sleep, when an idea finally occurred to me!  I put on my warm booties and heavy coat and grabbed the flashlight.  I went outside and walked quickly to the little barnwood shed (the picture shows the shed last Summer).  I opened the door and shined the flashlight inside.  Looking back at me were two huge cat eyes.  Cowboy had accidently been closed into the shed, when I went outside at 3:00 pm to put out some sunflower seeds for the birds!!

The poor kitty had been closed in that shed for 10 hours in below freezing weather!!  I felt SO bad!   Cowboy forgave me, after a good hugging and a head scratch.  But of course, hubby had fun laying on the guilt for that one! 

Then yesterday, while working on our web site, with a view through a loft window, I spotted a golden eagle flying close to our cabin.  I immediately went downstairs to make sure the dogs and the kitty were inside.  Just as I got down the stairs, I saw the golden eagle flying low alongside the deck.  My heart almost stopped when I realized Cowboy the kitty was outside!  I ran to the edge of the deck and called for Cowboy.  Soon, he emerged from under the deck.  I coaxed him onto the deck and took him inside to safety.  My heart was still pounding as I wondered…had he ducked under the deck to escape the eagle?  Or was it a coincidence that the eagle dove that low? 

I could tell that hubby had some doubt, as I described the close call.  And still, my heart pounded.  We both agreed that an eagle had never flown so close to the house at 4 or 5 feet above the ground!

Then this morning, the eagle was back….again, very close to the house.  I was sure now that he was scouting for a cat or a dog for a hot lunch.  I think I even got hubby to agree, though he argued that an eagle could never pick up Daisy, our 29-pound terrier–she being the biggest of the three pets.   I made the point that golden eagles are known to have picked up dairy calves and baby lambs, which probably weigh 50 pounds, so Daisy’s not safe from stalking, either!

I’ve kept a close eye on the three pets, since then..

I think my heart’s still pounding a little.

We need a few groceries, and it’s a 25-mile ride into Absarokee, the little town closest to us that has a grocery store.  It is such a cute little mountain town!  It’s crazy how people speak to each other on the street or wherever they might pass each other…so different from cities.  I’m glad that I had a chance in my lifetime to live in such a cool place.  Cold, yes…windy, yes, but cool… and gorgeous!

Our log home is built in the traditional log cabin style, with exposed logs on the interior.  While this is gorgeous to look at, the logs do tend to dry out as they age and the resulting shrinkage of the wood leaves with cracks through which the cold…or hot…air can intrude.  This is especially relevant on the south to southwest side of the house, since the wind blows hard from that direction on a regular basis.  Some days, we have winds gusting to 75 and 85 miles an hour.  It’s beautiful here, but dang those winds!

Anyway, we’re thinking about putting tongue and groove wood paneling on the interior of the walls facing southwest, with an insulation behind it.  We’ve just begun investigating the possibilities.  We’re both thrilled with the beauty of the exposed logs and would hate to lose that, but the benefits of the paneling idea are starting to outweigh the downside of hiding the logs.

Neither of us know how we would do this ourselves, since our skill level is low, so if anyone has any hints or tips, please comment!