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Tuesday, October 18, 2022

It All Went Away

 Not sure how things are going in your area,
but we have had the strangest year in the garden.
Everything is a full three weeks later than normal.
This basket is a good 20"-22" diameter.

As of writing this,
it is mid October.
Our beans and tomatoes are finally "coming on."
My eggplant has produced 2 fruit since spring.
At the moment it has 5 fruit on it.
We are expected to have mild temperatures for the next
week so I should be able to harvest them.
Typically, by the beginning of October,
I have already or am in the process of putting the garden
to bed for winter.
I currently have a couple tomato plants I will be pulling this weekend but the others are loaded both with ripe and green fruit.
We ran pretty low this year since we weren't getting much
in the way of fresh produce from our garden.
It's been a good lesson for me
to get as much as I can while I can.
The current prices at the grocery store are also 
pretty good incentive.
We also got a ton of delicious mild onions.
Well, not a full ton (heehee) but a lot!
I've been sorting them into boxes with brown paper
between layers to preserve some for fresh,
but I've had the dehydrator earning its keep, for sure.
 
In addition, we've been going full throttle at work
so extra time off hasn't been possible.
I could work full time at work and full time at home lately.
Thus the reason for so few posts.
Now to get to what the title is all about.
This year, Hubby put in for an elk hunting tag in Montana
with a long time friend of his who also enjoys bow hunting.
Bow season is earlier than rifle seasons so it's usually quieter.
FYI: MT hunting licenses and tags are expensive!
Well, two weeks before they were scheduled to leave,
his friend had a massive heart attack and flat-lined twice.
He has miraculously lived to tell it himself,
but needless to say, he wasn't able to go hunting.
Hubby went for two long weekends by himself
which neither of us were really wild about.
There is no phone service out there, and it's not an area
either of us is familiar with.
(His friend has hunted there for years.)
The third week of the season, 
he asked if I'd want to go if we took the trailer
and left on Tuesday and came back on Sunday.
For both of us to leave the business,
and for me to leave the garden and kitchen
right when everything was going nuts,
was a difficult decision to make.
I finally thought, you know what?
It's all going to be here when I get back.
I could work myself to the grave, or I could go
and take a break that was very much needed.
So we went~
The first day there, I took three, 3, III naps!
It was beautiful!
We camped right next to a creek off a very remote dirt road.
And for a few days,
it all went away.
No work.
No politics.
No banking or balancing books.
No urgency.
No food preservation.
No worries.
No people.
No noise.
It was so wonderful.
It was the longest vacation we've taken since we've been married, going on 12 years.
We somewhat reluctantly returned home Sunday night about 8PM, and the alarm went off at 4:30 Monday morning.
We've both been going non-stop since we returned,
but for just a couple days,
it all went away.




 

12 comments:

  1. I have heard Montana is beautiful. Sounds like you're still feeling that awesome time away from everything stressful to a place where silence and nature abounded. Glad you decided to go with him and I'll bet he was quite happy to have you with him..

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  2. Good for you, a little R&R is just what you needed! I know how it feels, I'm never crazy about leaving home for long, but sometimes a get-away makes all the difference. And I've always wanted to see Montana...it looks beautiful, I'd love a little cabin right where you took that photo...sigh. Enjoy the rest of your week. Mary

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  3. I'm so glad you did it! Sometimes we just need a personal re-set. Sounds like you got the perfect place to do it.

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  4. A question.....

    Did the friend with the massive heart attack, live the same kind of go-go-go life style, you two are living????????????????????????????????

    Need I say more?????????????????????????????????????????????

    🎃 🍁 🍂 🎃

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  5. What a nice get away. On another note are you eating elk this winter?
    Cathy

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    Replies
    1. We are elkless. He is considering going one more time, but hasn't decided yet. I think he's leaning against not going just due to other life "things."

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  6. Lady Locust, The Cowboy (who keeps cattle at The Ranch) has gone hunting for Elk for years in Montana. He has commented how beautiful and relaxing it is.

    I am very glad you made the decision to do this. I think too often we convince ourselves that what we are "doing" is so critical. I especially struggle with this at work - yet somehow when people leave the company, the work gets redistributed and goes on.

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  7. I'm so sorry about your friend - hopefully he will be okay and able to go hunting next year. Then again, maybe you will be the hunting companion and enjoy the few days away from the grind for yourselves. Having the ability to camp makes a get away so much cheaper which I suppose speaks to the fact that it seems there's a battle now to book campsites here. Suspect it's the same in your country. At any rate, it's good that you had the time away and perhaps you'll do it more often.

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  8. Oh gosh. Our ft work week here in Canada is 35 hours. But my older sister in NC seldom takes her allotted days off as she says she’ll never be able to catch up afterwards.

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  9. that campout sounds lovely, no nothing but nature.

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  10. I'm glad you decided to go. You only live once. I absolutely love elk hunting.

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