Fireworks Dont go up in Smoke

Every year about this time the fireworks tents begin to sprout out by the county line, and I know its almost here again - the 4th of July. Get the party started with some fireworks fun. Doing this will also let all of your closest neighbors and their dogs know that something special is going on. Dogs just love the excitement of fireworks and will bark for hours, before, during and after the display is set off, to let everyone in the neighborhood know that they heard the fun! Let’s hope that they don’t let the police know. No need for that. Unless your cousin is chasing a friend around the yard, scaring her with a sparkler. Then, the police might be needed. That is, if he won’t stop. Some people just go overboard, with all of the fun.

Always remember, when setting off your fireworks, to aim away from all houses, including your own. We all love excitement but, the sight of several fire trucks is not what we really want to achieve, here.

More seriously here are some safety tips for those getting ready to light off some fireworks:

• Do not smoke around or while lighting fireworks (DUH)
• Keep children away from lighters
• Buy from trusted sellers
• Keep a bucket of water around for “dud” fireworks. Do not try to re-light them. Toss them in the “dud bucket” for 15-20 minutes
• Do not carry fireworks (not even the fun snappers) in your pocket
• Never point fireworks at another person or living being (be nice to your pets and other animals)
• No matter how small the firework is, use it outdoors!
• Do not try to make your own fireworks (another DUH!)

More news you can use at The National Council on Fireworks Safety.

Did I miss any? I’m looking for your tips too! Get fired up …safely.

Things only a Tourist Can Ask

Ever ask a silly question and later pray that no one would remember your verbal slip-up? The old adage of “there’s no such thing as a stupid question” doesnt apply… While most have played the “tourist ” role at one time or another, it is hilarious to spot blatantly obvious tourists . On the road again

* Does the sun set every night?
* Are the Amish in season?
* How long is a one-day pass good for?
* What time does the 6 o’clock rodeo start?
* When do they turn off the geysers? (at Yellowstone Nat’l Park)
* Why don’t you have better marking in the places where trails don’t exist?
* Is that the same moon we see in Vermont?
* If it rains, will the fireworks be held inside?

But remember wherever your travels take you you start with a bag full of luck and an empty bag of experience. The trick is to fill the bag of experience before you empty the bag of luck. Wherever you wander, wherever you roam, be happy and healthy and glad to come home.

Taking the Guess Work out of the Guest Room

Trust me, as an innkeeper, i know from this one. It’s in the “innkeeper’s creed” to be “Type A” about organization

Whether it’s a bedroom used by guests or one for your children, a spare room should be a special place that always says “Welcome.” The people who visit your home need room to move around in and space to set out what they bring along with themh That once called the “extra” space that is now often a sewing room, library or home office. Although it may only rarely house guests, it should be furnished so that if guests do turn up, they will be comfortable and quickly feel at home.

• Keep a supply of empty hangers in the guest room closet, and keep to a minimum any hanging storage you decide to put there. Clothing stored in zippered bags is less likely to get in the way of overnight visitors.
• Always reserve some closet space for the possibility of guests—so their shoes have a resting place and their empty luggage can be tucked out of the way. You should not have to rise at dawn and rush to reorganize the guest room to prepare for the arrival of Aunt Mabel on the afternoon train.
• Dont go crazy with alot of furniture in your guest room. A chest with only one or two decorative items on top will be put to good use whenever your houseguests decides to unpack, unless the drawers are already stuffed with storage.
• Limit the amount of decorating. A clock, a radio, a book or two, plus a comfortable easy chair and a lamp are the only elements, other than the bed, that a guest room requires.
• Don’t allow the room to become spillover space for items that really belong elsewhere in your home.
• If the room also has a TV set, make sure to have an up-to-date TV listing on hand for your guests’ late-night or early-morning viewing. It would also be a good idea to print out how-to-use instructions and attach them to the bottom of the remote.

Then your guests cant ever accuse you of being ” Hospicable. That would be a cross between hospitality and dispicable. As in , Montana’s nice but the host was hospicable! Instead upon amicable departure, they will look at you and view it as a  Hugatunity. As in an opportunity to give someone a hug.

Run Horses Run

Did the morning run up to Kronenberger’s ranch this a.m. with a Manker dog in pacing mode. I’m always amazed by his herd. THe more equines he acquires, the less he rides.. **sigh**. I ’m just a person—one single human body, about 5′3″ and (never mind) pounds. I’m far away from the safety of my car, and I’m standing in the middle of the pasture, totally exposed. If they wanted to, the mares could charge me and totally wipe me out and finish me off by stomping on my abdomen or my sternum or my lower pelvic region in a New York minute. But instead, they run.
They run as if I’m the most threatening creature they’ve ever seen, much more threatening than the 1,100-pound cows or 1,800-pound bulls they sometimes come across, or the wild coyotes that roam our ranch looking for their next meal.

And I just don’t get it. I’m a really nice girl. I spoke to them in a soft, gentle voice. I was doing my best to hang with the homegirls.

Was it something I said ? It’s enough to give a middle child like me a complex.

As if I needed one more thing.

Viva Simplicity

What is it about summer time that conjures up memories of childhood ? Maybe it was because summer’s always were a return to simplicity.. more of a time to kick back and enjoy what life’s about

There’s something very joyful and comforting about returning to childhood through sights, smells and sounds. My childhood was a happy one, so any time I’m able to awaken my inner child, it’s reason to smile.

This partial list I found on Viva Consulting had some great things reminiscent of being a kid:

• Catching the fireflies could happily occupy an entire evening
• Mistakes were corrected by simply exclaiming, “do over!”
• Money issues were handled by whoever was the banker in “Monopoly”
• You could determine if someone loved you by plucking flower petals
• The worst thing you could catch from the opposite sex was cooties
• Decisions were made by doing “one potato, two potato, three potato four…”
• Nobody was prettier than Mom
• Getting a foot of snow was a dream come true
• Saturday morning cartoons weren’t 30-minute ads for action figures (and weren’t known to cause seizures)
• War was a card game
• Taking drugs meant orange-flavored chewable aspirin or grape-flavored cough syrup
• A lie didn’t count if your fingers were crossed
• Ice cream was considered a basic food group
• A quarter bought a pack of gum (Bubbalicious or Hubba Bubba)

What about you? What are some of your kid memories?  Check out this festival to celebrate more simplicity that also won’t break your piggy bank.

To Market to Farmer’s Market We Go

Good friends, good food, hobnobbing in town… what else is there? When it comes to enjoying everything that your community has to offer, few places are better than your local farmers’ market. It is here that you can meet friends, enjoy a leisurely breakfast or lunch, and—most importantly—connect with the people who grow your food. Local farmers’ markets are a great way to find a wide variety of locally grown, in-season produce. We hit it again as part of the Whitehall Frontier Days extravaganza Gosh so much great stuff in one small town.

Farmer’s markets are making a difference in the way we are eating and are growing in popularity all the time. This is an excellent trend and I hope it continues.1. FreshnessWhat better way to spend part of your Saturday or Sunday (or Mon-Fri) than paying a visit to your local farmer’s market? Going to the market is a mix of culture, community and of course, free tastings.

Listed below are some tips to help you make the most out of the food you buy and the experience you enjoy, (they are not in any particular order). If you have any more to add, please let us know.

• When was this picked?- Usually farmers pick their produce the day before or the morning of the farmer’s market. Knowing when it was picked will give you an idea of how ripe it is. Generally speaking, farmers want to harvest produce when it’s perfectly ripe, so you shouldn’t have to wait very long before you can eat it. It’s not a bad idea to ask. Also here is a guide on how to choose perfectly ripe fruits and veggies.

• Where’s the farm?- This is another important question to ask. Our assumption is that all the food at the farmers market was grown locally. This is not always the case. If the food was trucked in from hundreds of miles away, then shopping at the farmers market will be no better than shopping at the supermarket.

• Organic- Not all the foods at the farmers market are organic. The best practice is to ask. Many times, local farm representatives will tell you that their food is “organic,” despite the fact that they do not carry a “certified organic” label. The reason behind this is that for some small farms these certifications cost a lot of money that can prove financially prohibitive. In general I trust the farmers at the market, and in most cases, I think their hearts and practices are in the right place. If they say their produce is organic, I believe them. However, even if the food is not organic and was grown conventionally (using pesticides and fertilizers) and locally, this is still a good thing and definitely the next best choice in environmentally friendly agriculture.

• Sustainable- If you’re interested, you can ask your farmer if they perform crop rotations and employ bio-diversity on their farm. These practices usually help the farm become a closed loop where the plants, animals and soil all benefit from each other.

• Are those free range eggs- There is a stand at our farmers market that sells eggs. If yours has one also, it may not be a bad idea to ask all of the above plus whether the chickens are allowed to roam about freely. I noticed the last time we were at the market the egg stand put up a sign that listed all of these answers, so they must get these questions frequently.

• Is it in season- Because most food at the farmers market is grown locally, generally it’s in season. Just in case you are curious, here is a link to check what’s in season in your area.

• Recipes and Storage- Who better to ask how to prepare and store the food than the person that grew it? Farmers usually enjoy the produce they grow and have some good tips and tricks on cooking it and making it keep for awhile. Who knows, you may even walk away with an old family recipe.

• Make a list and check it twice.- Sometimes the excitement of the farmers market can send us into a buying frenzy…I think cheap, fresh food has that effect. However, stick to the list. If you’ve got your meals planned out for the week, get those necessary ingredients first. After that, you can check out some other treats. The key is not to buy so much food that it spoils before you can eat it. Since most of the produce is ripe when you buy it, it’s shelf life is probably only a few days.

As long as the earth exists, planting and harvesting, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never stop.
Genesis 8:22

GreenHouse Guidance

We often get questions about our greenhouse; since we’re blessed to have on one site here …

Greenhouses are structures which provide the ideal growing environment for flowering plants as well as vegetables. There are many styles and basics you need to know before you begin building greenhouses. Ask yourself a few questions to determine what type of greenhouse you want to build and how much money you want to spend. What purpose the greenhouse is going to serve.When building greenhouses you can build on a steel base or a pressure treated lumber base. For the hobby greenhouse builder you may decide to build on a flat surface of ground and have a polyethylene covered frame. This type structure will do well if you only want to get a jump on the season by starting your own seedlings. An aluminum frame can be erected to accommodate the polycarbonate panels. This provides strength to the structure while the polycarbonate panels allow for internal lighting and an increase in temperature.

With proper planning you can build your greenhouse that’ll require just a minimum of attention. If you have a lot of time to spend in your greenhouse then you may not be prone to install some of the automatic controls which cut down on daily maintenance. But if you are like most people you will want to be able to save as much time as possible. When building greenhouses there are automatic controls that can be installed to help maintain the best temperature for growing, provide artificial lighting, proper humidity, and ventilation. They are a g-dsend, by the way

Location, location, location . Finding the best location to build your greenhouse is as important as the structure itself. The best choice is an area located to the south and preferably a sunny location. Take care to stay far enough away from trees to eliminate the danger of falling limbs causing structural damage. Building your greenhouse to attach to your house can be of benefit since the greenhouse would benefit from the heat which comes from your house. Another important factor is to place your greenhouse where it will have the least exposure to wind. Because of the materials used in building greenhouses they are often susceptible to strong winds.

Always make sure you install proper ventilation for your greenhouse because the sun can heat the interior even in the winter months. Again a g-dsend here when I can just duck in there for some serenity in mid-winter. Bright, sunny days can cause the temperature to rise to a dangerous level and could lead to plant loss. Proper ventilation will allow for weather changes and help you to maintain a temperature which promotes healthy plant growth.

But if space is a major factor which is usually the case - quel est le problème - mini greenhouses can be a way to go

There are many different reasons as to why mini greenhouses are incredibly beneficial, and so if you are trying to decide on what greenhouse you should get, then there are several different things that you are going to want to consider so that you can make the best possible decision.

One of the most important things that you are going to have to consider is the fact of how much space you need in your greenhouse because after all, if you have lots of plants and you need more room than you are going to have to get a larger greenhouse, whereas if you do not have that many plants and thus do not need that much space then you can most likely work with mini greenhouses.

Gardening In A Small Space If you are limited on yard space yet you desire to grow some of your own vegetables, you might find that a miniature greenhouse is just what you are looking for. They don’t take up a lot of space and they are capable of functioning all year long. They are also handy when spring planting rolls around because you can start your own plant sets from seeds before they are ready to plant. When purchasing these plants from the store they can be quite expensive and often they do not live. Growing your own plants from seeds will be less expensive as well as producing a healthier plant.

Once you get your miniature greenhouse you will find that you will have some assembly to do. Usually the smaller ones are not very difficult to assemble if you follow the directions carefully. Some of the small ones are as small as 49” x 74” and come equipped with vents that are sensitive to the heat and will open and close accordingly. Assembly on the more simple models will take roughly six hours from start to finish.

After you assemble your miniature greenhouse there are many other items you might want to consider such as raised beds that do not allow your young plants to reach the ground or a heated mat that will produce enough heat to keep your young and tender plants from freezing. You can also purchase a bench system that will allow you to place your plants at varying heights. Miniature greenhouses will fit into small spaces which will allow the patio gardener to enjoy fresh vegetables and beautiful plants all year long.

One of the best things about mini greenhouses is the fact that they are so mobile, in that they are incredibly easy to move around when you have to do so.  Speaking of flexibility, t he metaphor of gardening has often been used to describe the spiritual experience we go through. Literally and figuratively, the garden is , growing, flourishing, bearing fruit, dying back and needing to be planted again and again.

I remember so many times beating myself up for not achieving self-imposed benchmarks of growth. Why is my riding not progressing as fast as I’d like.. why cant I lighten up more? , I should have been more joyful, more generous, more compassionate, less irritable, less selfish, less anxious, et cetera, et cetera.
Being in the greenhouse, , now I see spiritual experience in seasons of time where there is growth, followed by barrenness. I till my spiritual garden, water it, weed it. It bears fruit. Often the cold winds of life sweep through and I dry up. But I don’t worry about it. Spring always comes.
And the fruit will be as sweet and full of juice as ever. Food for thought.

Small or large… you’ll reap what you sow The frittata is so much more than an Italian omelette. It is often baked or cooked on the stove top. The variations are almost endless.This is an extremely easy vegetarian frittata. It makes a marvelous meatless meal.

Easy Garden Frittata Recipe from Allrecipes

Ingredients

* 3 Tbsp olive oil
* 2 medium potatoes, diced
* 1 cup broccoli florets
* 1 red bell pepper, chopped
* 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
* 1/4 cup roasted garlic
* 8 eggs
* 3 Tbsp milk
* 1/4 tsp salt
* 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Directions

1. In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
2. Add the potatoes and vegetables; cook 5 minutes or until potatoes are browned, stirring occasionally.
3. In a bowl mix together the eggs, milk, and salt with wire whisk until well blended.
4. Pour the eggs over potato mixture and cover.
5. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook 10 to 12 minutes or until center is set.
6. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and replace the cover.
7. Let stand 5 minutes.
8. Cut into wedges and serve.

Now grow up!

Montana on my Mind

A childhood dream came true when we moved to Montana May, 2004. Another dream was reached when me and husband, Dan, opened Fish Creek House, a bed and breakfast just outside of Whitehall, just 20 minutes from the historic mining town of Butte and close to Bozeman.

“When I was young I always told my parents I wanted to live in Montana,” Living in New York and later California , I wasnt quite sure how that would happen.

Dan, a partner in a computer business and gunsmith, and I, a bi-athlete, came to Bohart Ranch near Bozeman to compete in the running and shooting competition and fell in love with the area. The search was on for property in Montana. For Dan, he was returning to his roots. He lived in Malta until he was five.

We found a beautiful log home located on forty acres with gorgeous views of the mountains and a stone’s throw from Fish Creek. Located just 15 miles from Whitehall, nestled in the Tobacco Root Mountains. .The Inn offers rustic charm with all the modern conveniences. It’s also a perfect stopover between Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks.

While I was initially reluctant to “virtually” build this home from afar, my gut instinct on John Benedict and his crew were spot on… Trustworthy, dependable and way fun to be around.

So here we were in California doing a virtual and long distance “remodel”… So we devised the monthly California-Montana drive tour… First we broke it down into two days, and finally got the world and Olympic record for doing it in 14 hours. The stretch of I-15 thru Idaho predictably became the worst weather wise, with big rigs jackknifing in the windy snow . On our third jaunt, highway patrol stopped us to clear one off the road adding about 4 hours to overall time… Made up for world record the time before!

We’d meet John Benedict our builder at each of these “pow wows” and he’d give us the guided progress tour. Fortunately our realtor was always available as well even going so far as to try to find the “missing septic” tank in 5 inches worth of snow… a real trooper. Although his search was unsuccessful,since we eventually had to add another septic to meet State Requirements for the B&B, the spirit was great

During one of our trips, they took a hike down to the creek and when I looked up at the log home nestled in the hills, the name Fish Creek House came to me A “v-8 ” moment as itwere.

A new barn , arena and round pen have been built for our horses and guests are welcome to bring their own horses and board them.

Other activities include hiking, antiquing, exploring nearby ghost towns and hosted shooting clinics at their range. Virtually outside our door is the Beaverhead Deerlodge National Forest, great for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing Whether on horseback, or in hiking boots, you will enjoy some of the most beautiful, untouched country in America. A perfect stopover between Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks.

“We want to accommodate people who are nature loving. We’ll make you feel like part of the family while you’re here,” Dan hosts monthly shooting clinics An Olympic rifle coach had a shooting range was built on the property. Where else can you take in a museum and a rodeo… all in one day?

Another specialty of Fish Creek House is the food. We offer a gourmet breakfast for their guests and with their own personal greenhouse, the vegetables will be organically grown on site.

We offers two guests suites, each with a private bath, a large living room with a stone fireplace, a library and a sitting room, complete with a microwave and a fridge. Fish Creek House is also a place where the active businessperson can stay in touch. (if you must !) We offer wireless internet in each of the rooms. We have furnished our home using custom made Montana pieces in their guest rooms.

Ah nothing like the life in Big Sky Country Montana, The bed and breakfast, our horses and the folks… just another day in paradise

Sustaining Yourself

Despite all the campaigns to promote fruit and vegetable intake - only a third of Americans eat two or more pieces of fruit per day. 25% don’t eat any vegetables at all (ref).

Why not? Recent research from Mintel shows 5 reasons for not eating healthy:

1. Availability
2. Cost
3. Confusion
4. Time constraints
5. Taste concerns

there are a myriad reasons why we don’t eat healthy foods. One of these is the issue of convenience. Driving a long way to a farmer’s market to get fresh organic produce is not workable for some. We even have one here during summer months in Whitehall. Will probably hit it after the my horse show on Saturday with Alle in tow to come home for a few months.

However, if sustainable eating does interest you, here are some resources that may help.

1. USDA Farmers Market Directory
2. Local Harvest - Find local farms and farmers markets.
3. Eat Wild - Pasture-based farming
4. Eat Well Guide - Find restaurants, farms, and stores.
5. Heritage Foods - Find restaurants and stores supplying heritage foods.
6. Food Routes - Help source locally grown foods.
7. Co-op Directory - Find food co-ops.
8. National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service - Local food directory.
9. CSA Farm Search - Find farmers involved in Community Supported Agriculture.
10. Finding harvest calendars for each state (for eating local produce in season). This site also has an excellent guide to finding hormone-free dairy products

And now you can sustain yourself with today’s Fish Creek FindThe WoodGas Camp Stove A revolution in outdoor cooking, this tough stove starts quickly and easily; weighs only 2 pounds; uses 90% less fuel than ordinary stoves; and burns almost any plant-based fuel. You can even burn wet plant material.

Using a small (battery- or solar-powered) fan to draw fresh air into the unit’s dual stage combustion chamber, the WoodGas stove effectively burns fuel twice — allowing for a cleaner, hotter, more efficient stove.

Developed by a scientist with more than 30 years experience in biomass energy, the compact Stove is perfect for backpacking, hiking, camping, tailgating, hurricane preparedness, or making s’mores in the backyard. Get cookin’

Lessons from “the Frontier House”

The PBS aired Frontier House had a huge influence on our final choice to move to Montana While we were gung ho on it, watching this was the “icing on the cake” for us. I jotted down several of my favorite quotes from the show so I could post them here. If you’ve never watched it, I highly encourage you to do so. To recap, the three-part series takes three families and exposes them to what it was like to live on a homestead in 1883 Montana. They spare no one from the vagaries of 19th century living for six months. A homesteading dream? Or lots of quibbling?

The thing that’s amazing is how… really a twenty-first century woman isn’t preoccupied with her covering up her body, but she is very preoccupied with putting on the makeup and putting on a mask to hide behind…
Gordon Clune

Four foot by about twelve or fifteen foot. It wouldn’t even fit the books in our house.
Mark Glenn, speaking of their Prairie Schooner wagon

Neighboring is a lost art in our society. We’re such a mobile culture, it’s rare to really get to know your neighbors or invest any great deal of energy into the art of neighboring.
Nate Brooks

I feel like I’m growing up a lot here because like before like if I was in Temecula or California or wherever I used to live like I wouldn’t do anything. I would just sit on my butt and watch TV and I was just a lazy person. But like now that I’m actually doing work I feel like a better person. Like you know I’m actually doing something to help other people.
Tracy Clune

The following quotes are reflections made by the people about two months after they return to normal life.

In modern life there’s almost too much to choose from so I’m not really sure what to do… We could do anything. We could get a Masters in anything and recreate ourselves and become anything, make any amount of money, have any amount of kids. It’s overwhelming. You know, I’m not sure exactly which one to pick.
Kristen Brooks

You’re a man or a woman working hard in the twenty-first century and your kids don’t know what it is that you do. It’s seamless. They’re isolated from it. And that’s sad… I realized that more so than ever since I’ve been back. But in five months in 1883 I got more satisfaction, more accomplishment, more appreciation than I did my entire career beforehand.
Gordon Clune

I think the year 2001 is kind of boring. Every day I always say I’m bored and my parents get mad at me for it. But there’s nothing to do. There’s just nothing to do here. You get kind of tired of going to the mall every day. And you get kind of tired of doing nothing all day.
Tracy Clune

The twenty-first century you’re bored because there’s so many things. It’s like you have so much stuff that you’re just bored of all of it. In 1883 you have such little stuff that it was like special to you when your mom would buy you stuff and things just for you.
Logan Patton

It’s an unnatural life that the twenty-first century offers us. I think there’s just too much. There’s too much stimulus. The pace and the noise and the…florescent lighting… It’s a bit overwhelming… Your principles, your ideals, your morals… they’re all for sale. I think there’s a lot of problems that we’re just not admitting.
Mark Glenn

People of all ages have an ongoing romantic fascination with country living. Maybe you’re one of those people who sits in traffic and daydreams of someday trading gridlock for greener pastures. Or perhaps your feet are firmly planted in the city (and you wouldn’t know a heifer from a haybale–or care to meet either one), but you enjoy reading about other peoples’ crazy adventures from the safety of the nearest Starbuck’s (make mine a double latte, please). Moving to Montana is definitely an ongoing adventure; Dorothy had it right.. .”Toto , we’re not in Kansas anymore”.

Trot on friends, trot on.