I
OPEN AND SHUT DOORS
MEADOW CREAK
The sun had set, darkness was wrapping its arms around us and lulling us to sleep. The children were quietly sleeping in their beds and we had just blown out the Kerosene lamps and laid down for a good nights rest. This would be our first night at our wilderness property. We looked out of our bedroom window that faced Canada. Thousands of stars sprinkled the night sky and cradled in our valley was the big dipper. Rippling across the heavens were the Northern lights; the most magnificent light show on earth. Surely God had led us to this wilderness setting. We had done our searching and now we were rewarded and satisfied, we could hardly sleep. We had thought that we would never have a home we could call our own. For just a year ago...
Our hearts soared as we thought of the prospects of owning this piece of land. Meadow Creek had taken our hearts by storm. “This is the property that we have waited for these three years.” I had said to Randy. Our dreams were finally coming to fruition.
The first time we set foot on Meadow Creek soil we loved it. We had to walk in by foot since the road was impassable by car. The air was fresh and invigorating, the birds twittered their happy songs and the creek sang merrily as we trudge along the faint untraveled drive. Deer grazed in the quiet meadow. The field was abuzz with life; butterflies floated from flower to flower and bees hummed along as they sought the much coveted nectar. Rabbits sensed our presence and hopped away to their bunny burrows. It was perfect! Betsy ran through the meadow and picked the yellow snap dragons that grew in profusion. “Mommy, I just love this place!” she cried. All the essentials that we needed to set up our home were there; water, timber, sunshine, good soil, wildlife, privacy, space to roam, and many great building sites and a safe haven for our two small children.
Meadow Creek had 20 plus corners that outlined its borders. The original owners had split up this land perfectly; it was surveyed to take in three creeks, several meadows and the best timber. I imagine the surveyor took a great while to accomplish his task in surveying this piece of unusual property. I wouldn't have wanted to have his job except for the fact that Meadow Creek was such a pleasant place to be.
There was plenty of timber to build a log home, actually to build several log homes and fire wood to boot. Some of the timber found on the property was spanned by six people touching hand to hand around the base of the tree trunk.
We had been searching for three years for that country property we would call home. Since Randy was busy at his dental practice I did all the driving and looking at properties. If I found something I liked I would show Randy when he was off work. We had no Internet in those days to do our searches. I had to depend on our Realtor (Adrian) and my own travels to find properties available for sale. For what seemed to be an eternity, I had looked up and down the valley, visited many homes and properties and each ended in shut doors. We got to know our county real well and discovered where we would and would not want to live. But Meadow Creek had real potential and was appealing to our small family.
Randy sunk his whole heart and soul into this property. He bought the piece in his heart and mind before we even got a chance to put a dime down on the property. He spent many hours walking Meadow Creek. He envisioned where we would build our home. He found a spring that would be used for our drinking water. I had never seen Randy get so excited about a piece of land before like I did this one.
One of our criteria for country property was that it would be close to work. At least we wanted it to be at least 10 to 15 minuets to town. Meadow Creek was only 9 miles (15 minuets driving time) to the little town of Bonners Ferry, Idaho were Randy's office was.
The cost for the 120 acres was only $80,000.00. We were pulling our resources together to make our offer the following Monday morning. It was nearing Sabbath now and we did not have the time to put our offer on that Friday. We left the property in God's hand's and prepared for a much needed Sabbath rest.
ODD LADY
Sabbath was always a treat. We loved our little church family. The church was a growing 50 member congregation. We had just heard a rousing sermon and were now exiting the sanctuary when a guest met us in the foyer. She was an odd looking lady with long, stringy, gray hair that hung about her shoulders. She wore a drab looking long dress that hung loose over her small frame and draped over her woollen covered ankles. The little lady looked up at me, peering out of her thick glasses that perched on the end of her nose. She informed me that "we should only wear solid colors in earth tones and one must never wear cotton and wool at the same time because the Bible forbids it". She looked up at me with her squinting eyes and a big wide condemning smile that made me quite uncomfortable. I am sure I was wearing wool, cotton some synthetic nylons and the color of my dress was....RED. I was happy and relieved to get called away by Betsy.
Monday morning dawned bright with promise. Randy drove to the Realtors office. We had gone there to make an appointment to finalize on a few last minuet details concerning the property. I walked into Adrian's office with a smile on my face. But Adrian met me with a serious tone in his Voice. “I hate to tell you this, but someone has put $10,000.00 earnest money down on Meadow Creek today. The property is now in escrow. It is too late to put in your offer. I am sorry.” I was dumbfounded and stood frozen to the floor; not sure what to do.
Randy had been waiting outside in the car for me. “What is taking her so long?” With that thought on his mind he came into the office to see what was holding me up. Adrian broke the news to Randy. “What?” Randy blurted out. He was just as shocked as I had been. The property had sat unnoticed for quite some time. How could it be gone just like that? We had not heard of any other interested parties in the property. “Who put in the offer?” Randy asked incredulously. “A little, odd looking, gray haired woman with big glasses on her nose put in the offer.” Adrian said.
“A Little odd looking gray haired lady”? I queried out loud. I wondered in my mind if it could be that strange looking woman that visited our church the previous Sabbath? She was asking a lot of questions about properties for sale in the area. But, it mattered not who had put the earnest money down. Meadow Creek was gone and we were devastated. Our dream of a future country home seemed dashed to pieces yet again; ripped violently from our grasp.
We discovered that very week that the “odd little lady” was the culprit that had visited our church. The next Sabbath she was there again at church. Our hearts desires were ripped from our grasp by this woman. It was hard for me to even look at her, let alone talk to her. I had to pray much that Sabbath day. We found out that she even knew that we were going to put in our offer and yet still put her earnest money down anyway.
Randy and I steered clear of the odd little woman that Sabbath day. She seemed to spell trouble. But, she was not steering clear of us. She walked up to us with a confident air and asked “Would you like to join me in purchasing Meadow Creek? I am going to herd goats on the property and I will need some help herding them?” We were dumbfounded! I briefly imagined myself out in the meadow herding goats. I shuttered with the thought and answered without a shadow of doubt “No thank you!” Herding GOATS! I choked with the thought of such an occupation. It was unthinkable, ridiculous and hilarious all wrapped up in one big bundle!
Little did we know that in just three months time the odd little lady would loose her earnest money. She could not come up with the financing and since we had no intention on joining her goat herding haven she was never able to purchase the land. But at this time we did not know the future, and to us Meadow Creek was out of reach forever.
DASHED HOPES
We had always submitted each of the potential properties to the Lord and we did the same with Meadow Creek. We asked the Lord to “open and shut doors as He saw fit.” He shut this door on Meadow Creek tight. Randy was done searching! This property had taken his heart like none other. He had decided that the Lord just didn't want us to have a place of our own, at least not now. He told our Realtor, “Adrian, I am finished”.
The next month found us disheartened and discouraged. We were living at a temporary location on our friends property in a mobile home. We felt like the Lord had slammed a door right in our face. I wondered if we were ever going to find a place we could call our home. Randy busied himself with his practice and sought to make our surrounding home pleasant. We had lost all our searching desire for property. It was as if we had lost a loved one and buried him in a cold damp grave. Our hopes and dreams were dashed.
Two months went by. One day Adrian called “I found the place for you”. I reminded him that Randy was done searching. He said “Just humor me this one last time and take a look”. Randy told me that it was pointless to entertain another piece of land. But he eventually relented at the persistence of Adrian. We reluctantly took him up on his request; a decision that would altar our lives dramatically.
Adrian told us that we needed to travel in his four wheel drive to this property. Our Nissan Maxima would not like the driveway, since it had a rough access. Randy had other things that he would rather be doing that Sunday, but he went along for the ride. Adrian had become our friend. He had taken us on many interesting drives these past three years. We could go on just one more drive.
It was a long journey to the property; 55 minuets from town. We drove past Three Mile, the pig farm, past the Giles Connection Road and on up to Round Prairie. Finally we turned off the highway at Robinson Lake Campground to travel the last three miles to our destination. “This is a long way from the office” Randy thought. “Meadow Creek was only 9 minuets to the office” he whispered in my ear.
We started up the first dusty hill and around the corner. There were pot holes in the road, fallen trees and brush that hadn't been cleared in who knows how long. We bumped along the rutted dirt road. The woods were well forested with tall stands of pine trees on every side. We drove down a little hill and over a bridge and up another hill. “This is really out here” Randy spoke out loud. The last three mile drive took a good 15 minuets.
We finally reached the driveway; the old rusty locked gate stood in the way like an old worn out guard. The rest of the quarter mile we had to walk in on foot. The aroma of skunk cabbage perfumed the air as we stepped out of Adrian's truck. A little creek ran under a culvert at the gate and Skunk Cabbage grew in perfusion there. As we strolled along Adrian told us of the property that we were about to see. He informed us that the property was homesteaded in the 1800's and once boasted of a saloon. The Old Horse Trail into Canada bordered the land. More recently the trail had been used by drug runners traveling by foot to and from Canada. The land was bordered on three side of national forest service land and one side Canadian forest. This private piece of property was one of the very few private lands that did not have a US/Canadian border crossing.
The gentle hill we climbed was thickly forested along the driveway. I wondered what wild creatures might be stalking us as we talked and walked along the drive. When we came around the last bend that led to the main property our eyes met a breathtaking view of a beautiful meadow with mountains surrounding the valley and Canada before us. An elk was quietly grazing in the meadow. The US road ended here. Canada was the next stop. Adrian said not a word. He waited for our response. I was excited! But Randy's heart. . . . was still at Meadow Creek.
Border Mountain
SHOCKED
The 60 acres property boasted of two creeks in the meadow, mountains surrounded the land, bordered Canada, had wildlife galore, with a small unfinished cabin on it. The cabin had no water, no electricity, no phone, and the nearest neighbor lived 3 miles away. It was a remote piece of property. Only the sounds of nature could be heard here. No traffic, no loud city noises, just animals and that big rushing sound of the gentle wind blowing through thousands of trees. To most, this was an unthinkable challenge. But to us, it would become our way of life.
Adrian spoke “the owners want $60,000.00 cash, and the property will be on the market for only one week, and they are firm on their price.” Well, that answered our question and relieved Randy. We did not have $60,000.00 cash and certainly could not come up with it in one week. But Adrian encouraged us to see if we could get a loan from family or friends.
We called the most likely relatives that could help us in our venture. My sister's husband was a neurosurgeon and if any of our relatives could help us it would be them. But they turned us down flat. They thought we were too edgy. Our quest for country/wilderness living was a bit out there for them. We asked a couple other people that might loan us the $60,000.00 but came up empty. Randy was glad to tell Adrian “We tried, but our relatives will not loan us the money, and all we have is $5000 cash.” Adrian's response “Lets write up an offer with $5000 down.” So we wrote up our offer; $5000 down and $1000 monthly payments. We submitted our offer and knew that it would be denied. Randy settled back, relieved that he had done all he could.
The next day I dropped into Adrian's office. I opened his office door expecting a quick reply of a denial and then I would be about my day. But instead I walked in with the beaming face of Adrian saying “You have yourself a piece of property. The owners accepted your offer.” I didn't know what to say. I was without words. When God opens doors he opens them wide and often in unusual and humorous ways. This time He had dashed our hopes for Meadow Creek to give us something we were not even sure we wanted. I related the news to Randy. He was SHOCKED. He hadn't decided whether or not if he really wanted to live that far away from civilization and his heart was still at Meadow Creek.
Reality finally hit and Randy decided he had better check out the property we had just unexpectedly purchased. He traveled the 55 minuets and spent hours walking its borders, alone. There was a beaver dam in the field and a nice stand of quaking aspen. He discovered two creeks and one spring on the land. There was peat moss in the meadow that would be great for the garden. He walked the land and thought of strategies of how we could eventually live in this wilderness setting. He pondered how long it would take to make it all come together. He began to warm up to the property and soon Meadow Creek was a blur.
The little cabin that existed on the property was just a small tar paper shack. There was no insulation in its walls. The cabin boasted of just one room and a loft; about 300 square feet altogether. There was no bathroom, no kitchen, no bedroom, no living room; just a bare room with a loft. Much would need to be done to make it even livable before winter set in. It was now fall and it was obvious that our move would not be done before the snow began to fall.
With the sounds of nature lulling us to sleep we finally succumbed to a good nights rest in our new surroundings. We were now owners of the old homestead. We could not believe that this property belonged to us and that our three year search had now ended. I felt like we were walking in a dream. With Meadow Creek in the shadows of our hearts, we launched into our new venture. The previously shut door was now open and we were walking through its threshold. We went to sleep wondering what our future life would be like in this place.
The US(our property)/Canadian Border Clear Cut Line
This is our story....
II
A MOVING EXPERIENCE
THE EXCURSION
It seemed as if winter drug on for an eternity that year. Finally the snowy white coverlet began to melt away. Patches of brown earth were peaking out from under the melting blanket. As soon as the forest service road to our property was passable, Randy was on his way to visit the land we had barely been introduced to that fall.
Randy chose to test drive our new/used 1966 Land Cruiser; a trip to the property for the first time that spring was the perfect opportunity. Our friend (Tony LaMarsh) had found the old Land Cruiser in a farmers field just that fall. He discovered that it had sat out in the field untouched for nearly 10 years. Tony told Randy about the old Land Cruiser thinking we might need it in our wilderness excursions. So he asked the farmer if we might purchase it. It was a deal. The $900.00 we spent on the Land Cruiser (Nicknamed L.C./ “Elsie”) would prove to be worth her weight in gold. Randy now bumped along the forest service road to our property, eager to see what he would find.
 |
| L.C. |
He spent the day taking in the beautiful sites and sounds. The seasonal creek on the mountain was loudly proclaiming its arrival to the valley below.
Randy laid down in the field and looked up at the blue sky above he thought of his plan. Fluffy white clouds floated slowly across the sky. An osprey was seen soaring through the sky screeching its call to the earth below. As he lay there in the field he pondered how he would accomplish the task that lay ahead of him. He made a plan in his mind of just how he could make our transition into the wilderness happen.
The existing cabin would need major renovations before we could live in it. It was only a small tar paper shack. It had no insulation and hardly any windows. The cabin was only 16 feet by 20 feet with a small loft; a whopping 400 sq ft altogether. There was no bathroom, no kitchen, not one convenience's ever graced this structure. Much work needed to be done before we could even think of moving into the cabin with our budding family of four. Moving a mobile home onto the property would make the perfect temporary housing for our family. Arrangements would be made to haul the trailer to the property as soon as possible.
He bumped back down the forest service road in the old Land Cruiser. L.C. made it all the way up to the property and back home without a single engine problem. She was proving her worth on that first maiden voyage. Randy came home encouraged that afternoon with his successful trip to the property and with the plans he had made. He was now eager to start our new adventure. Out of the Land Cruiser he jumped, gave L.C. a pat, and entered the house with a light step. It had been a successful day.
I was informed of his new ideas. Now it was my turn to get excited about our new venture. We talked about how we would need help moving the trailer into the wilderness. It was going to be a feat impossible for the two of us to accomplish. So we invited our friends to help us with the move. We set the date and went about the task of getting the property ready to be occupied.
First thing on our list was to clear a spot for the trailer. Then we needed to run temporary water lines from the spring to the trailer site. A temporary, make-shift outhouse would need to be built in the woods just above the trailer site. Later Randy would dig leach line and install a septic tank. As it stood, the only form of bathing was a outdoor solar shower. There is nothing quite like showering in the great outdoors. But that was not my idea of bathing!
No electricity was available to us unless we wanted to pay for it. The electric company had told us that it would cost nearly $70,000 to put in electric lines for those three miles. That was a bit over the top for us. Instead a purchase of a Briggs and Stratton generator was secured. We were now ready for our move. At least we thought so. Little did we know of the changes that would need to take place in our lives to live in that wilderness setting.
 |
| Wilderness Shower |
MOVING DAY
Moving day had dawned bright and clear. It was a good day to move. The Nashua mobile home was now ready for its removal and trip to the property. We revved up the old, blue, Chevy, bomb of a truck and hitched up the 65 foot trailer. We slowly moved our cargo from its resting place onto the county dirt road, then out onto highway 95. Our friends Dave and Rosanna Reid were the front flagger's for our little caravan of friends that had joined us that day. Tony drove the truck hauling the trailer with Randy in the front seat. Jeff and Jodie Neumayer and I drove behind in our vehicles. The trip that normally would have taken 40 minuets took over an hour before we reached our turnoff. Once we left the highway and started up the forest service road, the real work began.
The first big challenge came when we encountered our first corner; a 45 degree angle corner. We had to stop and stratigize on just how to make that corner with the truck and 65 foot trailer in tow. It was not just a simple corner. To complicate matters, there were large pine trees along the road with their far reaching branches that hung over the road. The brush along the side of the road was very thick at that corner as well.
Dave and Rosana drove up ahead of the truck/trailer combo and brushed out the area we would be driving through with Dave's chain saw. Some of us walked beside the trailer and watched out for any possible missed branches along the way. Someone stood on top of the trailer with chain saw in hand and cut the pine branches that hung down threatening to damage the trailer top. We inched our way bit by bit past the 45 degree angle. After much maneuvering, we finally got past our first hurdle and down the little hill.
Into a little meadow area we inches along. One spot was so narrow that a branch ripped off the door of the trailer and gouged a hole in her side. This gouge proved to be a wonderful gateway into our walls for the field mice. That winter we had to deal with the scratching, squeaking, gnawing noises those tiny critters made while living in our walls. CREEPY!
Dave and Rosana drove up ahead of the truck/trailer combo and brushed out the area we would be driving through with Dave's chain saw. Some of us walked beside the trailer and watched out for any possible missed branches along the way. Someone stood on top of the trailer with chain saw in hand and cut the pine branches that hung down threatening to damage the trailer top. We inched our way bit by bit past the 45 degree angle. After much maneuvering, we finally got past our first hurdle and down the little hill.
Into a little meadow area we inches along. One spot was so narrow that a branch ripped off the door of the trailer and gouged a hole in her side. This gouge proved to be a wonderful gateway into our walls for the field mice. That winter we had to deal with the scratching, squeaking, gnawing noises those tiny critters made while living in our walls. CREEPY!
Up the dusty curvy road we went until we finally reached our driveway. Through the rusty old gate and over the culvert we slowly crept the last quarter of a mile. We finally reached our destination and set the trailer down on the edge of the field where we had made ready for its arrival.
This was to mark the beginning of our wilderness journey. Who would have guessed that we would live in this setting for 13 years without electricity, no city water, no regular telephone, and no TV. We would be totally off the grid. "Could we survive?" Many of my family members asked that question; and more than once. It seemed to be in our genes to do the unthinkable. To scale the heights, to see what we were made of. It was a challenge that most would never dream of. But this was our dream and now this had become our reality. Finally, after three years, of what seemed to be endless searching, we had arrived. We felt blessed beyond belief.
This was to mark the beginning of our wilderness journey. Who would have guessed that we would live in this setting for 13 years without electricity, no city water, no regular telephone, and no TV. We would be totally off the grid. "Could we survive?" Many of my family members asked that question; and more than once. It seemed to be in our genes to do the unthinkable. To scale the heights, to see what we were made of. It was a challenge that most would never dream of. But this was our dream and now this had become our reality. Finally, after three years, of what seemed to be endless searching, we had arrived. We felt blessed beyond belief.
Night was drawing on. All of our friends had left and made their way back down our road to their homes. We were all alone in the wilderness now. We were far from friends. Our nearest neighbor was three miles away. We cozied up in our small abode. It was quiet outside; only the sounds of nature could be heard. No cars, no trains, no airplanes, no rushing, bustling noises could be heard. Only the sounds of nature came to our ears. The snipes were flying through the sky making their funny diving sounds while catching their dinners. The hoot owl could be heard hooting its haunting cry in the gathering dusk. As the darkness set in, the lonely coyote could be heard echoing its yipping bark in the moonlit night.
I flipped on the light switch. No light! I had forgotten that we had no electricity. I had never lived without ready power. My habit of turning on the light switch would have to be unlearned. The only light we had came from a Kerosene lantern. My good friend (Diane) had given us as a house warming gift. We lit the lamp and the steady flame sent out a warm glow to our cozy nest. Many, many nights to come we would repeat the same habit of lighting the kerosene lamps. The soft natural light seemed to settle us down for the evening and get us ready for sleep. This would be the first of many nights in the wilderness. We blew out the lamp and as we lay down on our bed we looked out of the window with such a satisfying feeling. We thanked the Lord for this little piece of earth we were privileged to own. The stars were numberless and shining brightly. I seemed to hear the angles singing in that great expanse "hallelujah, hallelujah" as I fell asleep that night.
III
PUZZLE PIECES
NEW EXPERIENCES
NEW EXPERIENCES
Puzzle piece number one: Learning not to turn on the lights at night. Every time the light switch was flipped we were immediately reminded that our life, off the grid, had just begun, for no lights came on to reward our action. I had never stopped to analyze where the power in that little switch came from before. From my babyhood the switch always gave me what I wanted, when I wanted it; I never gave it a second thought. Now I began to realize the significance of that ready power. I must learn to live without it. Soon lighting the kerosene lamps at night became the nightly ritual. We learned how to trim the wicks to get the best light. Each week it became my job, and eventually our children's job, to clean the chimneys of the kerosene lamps. It didn't take long and that old habit of flipping the switch ceased and the soft glow of the kerosene lamps set the stage for rest in the evenings.
GENERATOR BEAST
I was never one to love the roar of a motor. Learning to start the generator was almost as scary as a wildcat scream in the forest. When the starter button was pushed the generator seemed to burst into an angry sounding beast. At first it scared me spit-less. I had to overcome my fear of engines, and soon starting the generator was as easy as starting the car.
IGLOOFRIDGE
We had no refrigeration when we first moved to Border Mountain; at least not a refrigerator that we had been used to. An Igloo was our first refrigerator while we lived in the trailer. In the summertime Randy brought ice home every few days to keep our “Igloofridge” cool. In the winter there was no need for ice since the colder weather and snow would keep things pretty cold and sometimes freeze them. Living without a refrigerator for a time was an inconvenience in that I had to go outside to get my refrigerated items; but it worked and we were no worse for the wear. When we moved into the cabin we obtained a propane refrigerator. Maybe I had to have an "Igloofridge" before I could appreciate a propane refrigerator.
 |
| Outhouse with a view |
OUTHOUSE MUSINGS
The outhouse was another piece to our scene. Outhouses, in my mind, were only found in places like state parks or the Ozark's, but never for my daily use. Here I was neither in the Ozarks or a State park and yet, for a time, the outhouse would be part of my daily routine. I chose to use the outhouse in the light of day and before nightfall. I was too afraid of the wilderness darkness at the time. One never knew what creatures could be lurking in the dark just awaiting to pounce on one sitting in a vulnerable position. Fortunately, Randy got busy and dug the septic lines soon after our move and we didn't have to use the outhouse for long. To relieve the readers fear, we never did have a wild beast come out of the woods and attack.
IDAHO TEA
Ah! and then there was the fresh mountain spring water. Never had I tasted such sweet water. We called it “Idaho tea”. The water was captured from a spring 4000 feet above our home. Randy and our friend, Dr. Jim Johnson, ran poly-pipe, and covered it lightly with dirt all the way from the spring to our holding tank and then to our house. Never did we have to experience warm water from the tap. It was always cold and fresh tasting with no added chemicals. The water was so soft that we never had trouble with mineral stains or crusted facets from hard mineral salts. Our guests were always delighted in drinking a glass of our spring water. Suffice it to say that we had the best tasting water in the whole state of Idaho and beyond.
LAUNDRY LESSONS
Learning to live without a dyer had to be dealt with too. In the summer, drying clothes was made easy by hanging the clothes outside to dry on the line. I learned to love the smell of clean clothes fresh off the line. But when winter came, and hanging the clothes outside on the line ceased, I had to find other creative ways to dry my clothes. Before we had moved to the wilderness I had noted how one of my friends dried her clothes in the winter. She hung up her clothes in her living room near the stove so as to dry them quicker. Hanging in her living room for all to see were her husbands trousers, shirts, socks, her stockings and their underwear! When I had taken note of this, my thoughts were “That looks so tacky and tasteless, I will NEVER hang our clothes in my living room!” Alas our trailer was only 60 feet long by 20 feet wide. There was not a spare room any place to hang my clothes. I now faced not only hanging our clothes in our living room but over our bed as well, for our bedroom was part of the living room. For a time, Randy's slacks, shirts, socks, my stockings and clothing and the children's clothing and yes, our underwear, dangled in our faces at night when we went to sleep. Certainly living in the wilderness had its quirky way of humbling my proud heart.
LEARNING TO DRIVE L.C.
 |
| "L.C." |
 |
| Farm Tractor |
 |
| Dozer |
 |
| Stuck Suburban (A must during "break up" season) |
TOWN DAY
Since we had always lived in close proximity to town I never had to experience a “town day” before. But now town was almost an hour away. I could not just go to the store to pick up a bottle of vanilla or drop in to visit a friend when I wanted. I had to learn to combine my travel to one day a week. I had to plan this excursion so as not to miss the places I needed to get to in that day. My trips were combined in one big “town day”. This piece of the puzzle was money saving as well; I had to think about what I needed ahead of time, which cut down on frivolous trips to town and impulse buying. My “town day” might have looked like this: A stop at the Pink Lion to pick up some material and thread, to Bargain Giant for groceries, the beauty shop for a hair cut, J.C. Penney's for clothing for the kids, and a treat would be to stop by the Army Surplus; a favorite with the children. Once every two or three months we would make the big trek to the big city of Spokane, Washington to get our much needed bulk supplies that we could not get in the small town of Bonners Ferry. But, whenever we returned home, no matter where we had been, on our minds were the thoughts "be it ever so humble there is no place like home" as we entered our wilderness domain.
WOOD GETTING
 |
| The Cozy Cabin |
"Wood getting" became a favorite pastime for the whole family. Randy always scanned the woods for dead pine trees on his way to and from work. It seemed to be his favorite thing to do, for he was continually looking for those snags. Sunday's we would don our "wood getting" work clothes and with kids in the back of the truck we headed out to the place where the dead tree had been spotted. "Buzz, buzz buzz!” the chain saw would make its noisy harsh voice heard in the forest. With the precision of a surgeon, Randy made the necessary cuts into the trunk of the tree. The most fun, and the grand finale was when all would holler “TIMBER!” and with a loud crack! down she'd come with a crash that shook the earth. The branches were then cut off and the fallen tree “bucked up” (cut into logs). We'd all help by throwing the logs into the back of the truck. All the kids would pile back into the truck, but this time on top of all the wood. They would have a grand time singing, laughing and talking while we traveled back to the house. Home again, the wood would be dumped and stacked near the house for winter use and all would be rewarded with a yummy lunch of "Hay Stacks". "Wood getting" was a “must” for our summer/fall days. A wood stove was the norm for heating our house in the wintertime and a good supply of wood was necessary to keep the house and hearts warm in the cold, cold winter months.
ONE CAR
The quietness proved to be an easy thing thing to get used too. We had been accustomed to retiring at night to the sound of some form of man-made sound such as the humming of the refrigerator, cars driving by, the electric clock ticking on the wall, or the telephone ring. Our first night at Border Mountain we heard nothing but nature sounds. Eventually we got so used to the quiet sounds of night time in the woods that when we traveled away from our wilderness home the unnatural man-made sounds kept us awake at nights.
Shortly after we had moved to the wilderness, my mother and father-in-law (Mary and Ken Young) came to visit. They were both sitting out on the edge of our field enjoying the sites and sounds of nature when Mary suddenly blurted out “I hear a car”. Ken replied “So!” She said “Ken, you don't understand, I hear just ONE car”. They lived in Vallejo, California and they were so used to hearing a constant stream of traffic that they could not distinguish one car from another. But at Border Mountain, one car bumping up the road to our house could be heard a mile away. Certainly the silence of the worldly incessant noise was a blessing to our ears, hearts and minds and to all who came to visit us.
 |
| Reading, a favorite evening pastime |
NATURE VISION
"Nature Vision" was our entertainment for us; the "Wild Kingdom" of Border Mountain. I still remember vividly our first Sabbath. We heard a pounding, snorting sound coming from outside the trailer. We looked out of our windows to witness a moose thundering down the field toward two deer that were quietly grazing at the farthest end of the field. We were so frightened for those deer and were certain the moose would hit them with his powerful antlers and tear them to pieces. We could barely watch the scene unfolding before our eyes knowing the inevitable outcome. I wasn't sure this "Nature Vision" was child friendly as we stood with rapt attention. The deer did not move a muscle as the moose continued on his murderous rampage. Were they terrified too? They seemed to be ready for an untimely death. But the moose stopped abruptly about ten feet away from the deer. He lowered his head and pranced around trying to scare the poor creatures. They barely looked up to note his presence; they just kept on grazing. He ranted and raved a bit and then thundered back up the field to where he came from, snorting and swaying his head this way and that way. I am sure he was thinking “How can I get those intruding deer out of my territory?” He turned on his hooves and pounded back down the field again toward the grazing deer; same reaction from the deer. However, we did note that the deer seemed to move a few feet away when the moose wasn't looking. Finally the moose, tiring of his game, gave up his bullying and sauntered off into the woods. We were much relieved that our "Nature Vision" did not become a violent rated scene that Sabbath morning.
This experience with the moose that Sabbath morning, was to mark the beginning of “Mooseville and their Neighbors". Often we would see in our “Nature Vision” moose and other wild creatures such as bear, coyote's, caribou, elk, beaver, lynx, eagle, cougar, squirrel, pack rat, owl, hawk, and the ever present mouse pest. These animals became a part of our daily lives; or was it that we became a part of theirs?
 |
| A young moose |
All of these puzzle pieces and more came together for us at Border Mountain. The loud clamor of the world and its demands could not reach us with its tentacles in the wilderness; its incessant demands were silenced. Gone were the constant man-made sounds. Quietness and peace took their place. Our puzzle was slowly being assembled. The challenges, the joys, the peace and the hard work and yes, even the "Igloofridge" all made up a most interesting scene.
VI
Pitch
Fork and Eyebrows
Monday morning dawned
bright and fare. All the winter snows had melted away and the
promise of the coming spring lay just ahead. Baby Merry had been put
down for a mid morning nap. It was a perfect time to call my friend
in California from our radio phone. I had much to talk about today.
While busily chatting I thought I heard a faint call from outside.
The children were playing outdoors so I thought nothing of it,
thinking the sound was coming from their play.
Randy's work day week at
the office started at 2:00 PM on Monday afternoon. Starting work
late at the beginning of the week gave him that extra time to ease
into his work-week and also it gave him opportunity to get a few more
things done about the property. This Monday he had donned his work
clothes and set about his task. Today was “burn the field day”.
Each year we burned our field to keep down the potential fire danger
that would certainly come. In the late summer the field grass, that
had grown so tall that the majestic moose could barely be seen
walking through the grasses, dried up and became a potential fire
hazard.
We burned only half of our
20 acre field nearest to our house. The other half of the field we
let grow wild. Gillan creek was the dividing line between the “human
side” and the “wild side” of the property. The creek made a
convenient fire break too.
The wind was just right
and gently blowing towards Canada. Randy had already made his fire
break or “back burn” at the lower end of the field. He had
started to burn the upper end of the field near the beaver dam
seeking to burn against the wind toward his fire break. This would
keep the fire from burning too quickly since it would have to fight
against the wind.
Back at the house, I was
busily chatting with my friend when I heard the faint call again,
but this time I heard distinctly the frantic, tense cry “Heidi!”
and this time it sounded like Randy's voice. I quickly said goodbye
and hung up the radio phone and ran outside to see if I could
ascertain where Randy's voice was coming from. I looked out just in
time to see flames hit the trees along the “wild side” of the
property where we were not intending to burn. I saw Randy
frantically fighting the fire singlehandedly.
The unexpected had
happened and the fire had jumped the creek. The burn had gone
nicely at first and Randy had gone on to another task leaving it up
to the gentle wind to carry the fire to the end of the “back burn”
spot. He chanced to look up from his work just in time to see the
fire jump the creek from the “human side” to the “wild side”
and quickly spread down the field threatening to burn into Canada.
No fire break had been made there, since we had not intended to burn
the “wild side” of the field. There was nothing to stop the
inferno now and the wind was hurrying the menacing flames along
rapidly towards Canada. The nearest fire department was too far away
to help us in our dilemma. They could not have reached our
wilderness property fast enough to help us stop the fire. We had to
act now with what we had on hand.
When Randy had discovered
that the fire had jumped the creek he grab the first tool his hand
touched. When he reached the field and started to use his implement
he realized too late that he had grabbed a pitch fork! Yes, that's
right, a pitch fork! If one has ever tried to put out a fire with a
pitch fork he realizes the futility of such an endeavor. We now know
why Satan is often shown with a pitch fork in his hand, for this
implement only scatters the fire when you try to stamp it out. Randy
was franticly trying the stamp out the fire with the only tool he
had. Thus his voice was hoarse from calling my name. When he
spotted me he yelled “grab a shovel and bucket!”.
I grabbed a shovel and a
bucket, and with a prayer on my lips I headed for the field. I ran as
fast as my 7 month old pregnant body could carry me. It was not an
easy task to run to the field with my fire weapons in hand and the
extra weight of baby Timothy on board. On my dash to the field I
hollered to Betsy and Micah “grab a bucket! fire in the field!”
They had been playing at the barn which was quite a ways from the
burning field when they heard my cry. Betsy grabbed a bucket and
started to fill it with water at the barn not thinking of the water
that filled creek in the field. I hollered “there is water in the
creek! Don't fill the bucket now, hurry with the empty bucket”.
Finally they got the message and hastened down to the field with the
empty bucket.
By the time I reached the
field Randy was laboring hard to put out the fire, alone. The
flames had hit the forest with such force that he thought he would
loose his life and the whole forest would go up in smoke. The sound
of the fire hitting the woods sounded as if a freight train were
barreling down the tracks. When the flames hit the woods Randy had
to act quickly for he was in the way of its mad rush to the forest
edge. He jumped into the little creek that bordered the forest and
the field. But, as soon as it hit the forest the fire stopped
short, even though the trees were full of sap and should have gone up
in smoke quickly. The menacing fire seemed to turn away its fury
from the woods and was satisfied with focusing its attention on
burning the field. It rushed on towards the Canadian border.
The kids joined Randy and
I and we feverishly worked to put out the fire. Every breath was a
prayer breathed out to the Lord to stop the fire before it reached
Canada. We threw bucket after bucket of water onto the fire and
stamped the fires out with our shovels and Randy's wet shirt.
Perspiration dripped from our foreheads and smoke filled our lungs.
Betsy and Micah were doing their best to put out the fire too. But I
could see that this fire was no match for our feeble efforts. It
seemed as if we would never conquer this fire beast.
Finally the field narrowed
just before the Canadian border which allowed us to conquer the fire
and stop it altogether. Stomping on the last of the flames, we all
breathed a big sigh of relief and thanked the Lord for assisting our
efforts and giving us the strength to put out the fire. With a sigh
of relief we all relaxed and for the first time I was able to look
Randy in the face. It must have been the over taxing of my physical
body that found me unprepared for what I saw and the response I would
render. For Randy had no eyebrows left. He lost them in the battle
when the fire had hit the woods. I let out a laugh that must have
echoed up and down the valley. Randy barley escaped but his eyebrows
went up in smoke. The laugh was a sign of our relief in spite of
Randy's loses.
As we approached the cabin
we could hear the wails of baby Merry franticly sobbing in her crib.
Poor baby. She was wet with tears from crying so long. I reached in
to pick her up with my sooty hands and lifted her out of her crib.
She must have wondered why we were blackened with soot and smelled
like chimneys.
No worse for the wear,
Randy headed for work shortly after, and the rest of us kept a look
out throughout the day over the fire blackened field. Just to make
sure the fire beast did not start up again. We were exhausted. It
took a few days to get back to normal. The energy exerted, and the
fear of the fire overwhelming our efforts, made us all very tired.
The day ended with a star studded night. We thanked the Lord that
our only losses were Randy's eyebrows.
A
New Melody
July
2, 1998
Looking
through the mist of time,
Of
blizzard, flood and fire.
A
song has come from each event
A
sweet melody to inspire.
At
times we thought could take no more,
‘Twas
then a ray permeated the cloud
It
pierced the darkest day
And
illuminated the blackest hour.
Storms
will come and storms will go
And
each will leave its scar.
But
flowers bloom in fire blackened earth,
And
above the gloomy clouds there is a bright star.
Heidi
Prewitt
No comments:
Post a Comment