A-Door-Able

So, because the place we are living in is a rental and Steve works with the homeowner, we worked out a deal where she would pay us back for any fixes or upgrades we provided while living here (and believe me, there are quite a few).  One of the first things we did was replace all of the drains in the showers/bathtubs/sinks.  For some bizarre reason, they were all cracked and probably leaking under the house.  Next we removed and cleaned and/or replaced the aerators on all the faucets which were plugged with hard water scale. Yuck! Our third project was getting the previously uninstalled water softener installed. Done.  Moving on, we decided to go ahead and "winterize" the front and back doors which didn't have door stops and the seals had been gnawed by the previous renters' dogs...St. Bernard's I'm told.  And from the chew marks, holes and "doggy mines" in the back yard, I inclined to agree.  Anyway, between Steve and I we managed to get the doors looking almost like new.  Check out our hard work!

Before...

 

During...

 

After...

Although the weather stripping looks nice, it seems after all our
hard work there is still a massive space between the door and the strip thanks to the bent metal door.  Booo :(

 Please note the new jelly jar cover on 

the porch light...we also installed that :)

 

Even though the doors aren't quite wind proof just yet, they are a far cry from where they were and we are happy with our handy work.  As long as Steve is never given a paint brush, all will be well :)

Charming

For those of us who grew up in a small town we all know how charming they can be.  Or, at least, that's what we're told.  Since it had been 14 years since I'd lived in a small town, I guess I had forgotten about all the charm; the friendly townsfolk, the sense of community, the safe streets.  However, I also forgot about one other thing....

...the lack of spell check!!

LOL...welcome to small-town Montana.

P.S. Upon further reflection, this also could have been a play on words since this is a realty office and the Cougars were playing a game that night.  Hmmm....

Fish Tails

On one of our drives around the country, we went through the teeniest of towns; Fishtail, Montana.  It is literally one of those towns that you would miss if you blinked while driving through it.  However, we didn't blink and decided to stop at the local hot spot.

The Fishtail General Store

And believe it or not, this cute little store has a website.  What's really great about

it is that it gives the history of the store which has been there since 1900!

http://www.fishtailgeneralstore.com/index2.htm



Upon entering the store you immediately feel like you've stepped back in time. 

It reminded me a lot of Oleson's Mercantile on 'Little House on the Prairie' or

Fewkes' General Store at the HistoricalVillage in Eureka, MT.



Oleson's Mercantile





Fewkes General Store





 







I half expected to see bulk barrels

of sugar and flour!



This wood-burning pot belly stove has been in the store since its beginning and still acts as the stores main source of heat.  Some of the oak display cases and even parts of the deli counter are also original.

The deli counter is a very popular spot for the miners to stop for lunch or dinner.  They serve fresh deli sandwiches with plenty of fixins' and include chips, a fountain soda and a fresh chocolate chip cookie the size of my head (seriously, they are huge) for only $7!!  So yummy!!

On the way out, Elizabeth posed for a picture in the phone booth.  Although it looks a little "is this the party to whom I am speaking" (that's for you, Mom), this old pay phone is hooked up to the store's phone line (as is apparent by the sign).

I'm sure this will not be our only visit to The Fishtail General Store (um, did I mention the giant cookie?) and I promise more pictures next time (again, the cookie people).

Introducing Izzy

Let me tell you a little about our cat, Izzy.  We got Izzy from the shelter on January 1, 2002 as a companion for my belated kitty, Yoda.  Yoda seemed lonely since we were gone a lot with school and work so on New Year's Day we decided to have a look at the shelter.

When we got there, we saw plenty of pets in need of a good home but unfortunately we only had room for one.  It came down to two; a medium haired gray calico (my pick) and a short haired white tabby.  During our short visit to the cat room, this particular white tabby began flipping around in her cage, sticking her paws out and rubbing on the door.  My husband was hooked (literally)!

Now, nine years later, Izzy is still a active member of our family.  She's been through five moves, a new baby and three friends with us.  She hasn't always been the source of joy (like when she pees on things or when she hides out in the U-Haul for nine hours while we look for her) but I consider pet adoption a lifetime commitment and take my pet ownership very seriously (see new wing of veterinary office)...just kidding.  Sort of.

This picture was taken on the drive from Idaho to Montana just after loosing our other kitty, Norman.  It was a really rough day for all of us and it was VERY unusual to see Izzy cuddling with Elizabeth.  Who says pets don't have feelings??

One of her favorite activities...guarding Mom!

Despite her age and the photos above, Izzy is very active.  She spends a lot of time chasing millers and crickets in our new house (eww) and she loves to roll around in my hair!  She has several nick names, some of which I can share, including Fluffy, La Feef, Feefers, Fifi la feef and Fifi la rue (I know, get a hobby). 

                      Creepy alien eyes!

So, as you can see, we love our Izzy.  One of my favorite things about her is no matter where she is standing, when you talk to her she flips over on her side.  Many a fall has Izzy had....hilarious!

Zoo Montana

Ok I know it's been a week or so but I've been busy; so deal with it :)  Last weekend my husband's job hosted a picnic at ZooMontana in Billings.  It was a good opportunity to meet some of his co-workers as well as check out the exhibits at the zoo.

After missing our turn we finally found our way to the zoo.

We immediately made our way to the kids area where they had a rock wall, bouncy houses and games.

 After all the fun, we decided to have lunch!

Next, we toured the Sensory Garden full of beautiful flowers and fountains.

 I was exceptionally proud of the bee photos...bumble bees are so cute :)

 

The dragonfly on the left wasn't as cooperative to photograph but still liked the photo.  Loved this fountain too.  So pretty (and the kid isn't bad either)!

Finally, we took the train around the zoo then continued our tour of

the animal exhibits on foot lead by our trusty tour guide/map reader, Elizabeth!

First we visited the eagle, grizzly bear, wolverine and big horn sheep exhibits.

Some of the other characters hanging out in the zoo.

                   

This lizard was so cute...I can't wait to see it again with chinchilla and sleepy bearded dragon!

Although this is a leopard, Elizabth liked that it was cheetah patterned.  And, if I didn't already know how noisy this little Screech Owl was, I'd have put him in my pocket :)

 We had a great day at the zoo and will surely visit again.  Although it was a wonderful zoo, they are having trouble and are in danger of closing.  If any of you are interested in supporting the zoo or would like a closer look at ZooMontana, please visit their website at http://www.zoomontana.org/ to check out their fabulous animals!