July 15th to 17th - 100 Mile

July 15th – Fri
We had an real mix of projects today.
Several years ago when Marg made a trip to France, she bought some sheer curtain panels that we finally hung in her bathroom window. It looks so good that we wish we had gotten around to it years ago.
Last winter a young man staying with Marg was using the tractor to clean the barn and knocked a wall out by a couple of inches. Marg cleared away sheep “excrement” with the bucket on the tractor and we finished clearing with shovels while Terry stood 20 feet away and asked how we could stand the smell! Marg pushed the wall back in with the tractor and we hammered in some big nails so it won’t happen again. Then we did some more building realignment and pushed a small hay shed back into place and beefed up the supports.
Marg & Terry used a heavy metal device to pound in the 2 posts that we couldn’t reach with the tractor a few days ago. I got to hold the wire aside and replace the staples – tough job!
After lunch we put in 3 new posts by the lagoon, tightened barbed wire at the top and wove slats through page wire to straighten it. Then Marg lifted Terry on the platform on the tractor so he could tie a rope to a dead tree to persuade it to fall in an unnatural direction and avoid the lagoon. We wondered why we fixed the fence before we cut down the tree! But the tree avoided the fence by about 3 feet, Marg cut it up and I carried the rounds to Terry so he could split them.
Next it was on to a tree that fell over a fence but hung up in a tree on the other side of the fence. Marg supported the tree with the tractor while Terry cut it down, then we piled all the limbs & sections of tree on the platform to dump on the burn pile. Terry & I continued on the ATV from there to make a tour of the fences looking for signs of bear. When we got back, Marg was just driving up to the house with all the split wood on the tractor so we helped her stack it for immediate burning. Yes, Dad has started a fire in the upstairs wood stove many mornings to take the chill off even in July.

July 16th – Sat
Terry, Marg & I left right after breakfast to go to Lone Butte to pick up the boat motor that was repaired and to visit a hardware store to get a rechargeable screwdriver that Terry just had to have. We stopped at a little farmer’s market and got a few items and then returned to 100 Mile for more shopping & lunch. Groceries, paint for Dad, animal feed, plywood & nails were on the agenda.
We were having company for dinner so once we unloaded all the purchases, I started dinner preparations and Marg did some cleaning. Janet & Bill arrived first and we had time for a nice visit with them before Al & Cecile arrived. We had time for a couple drinks and much talking before Ralph & Gina got here after Ralph got off work. We had an unusual menu for dinner but everyone either enjoyed it or was kind enough to say they did! It was a lovely evening.

July 17th – Sun
Marg was a little rough with the platform on the tractor when she was supporting the tree on Friday so it was time to rebuild rather than patch. Terry started work on that while Marg & I became mechanics and tried to find out why Dad’s ATV wouldn’t start. It happened a week or so ago when Marg was in Merritt. Terry charged the battery and cleaned the battery connections but couldn’t get it to start. Marg talked to the mechanic who fixed the boat motor and he told her one thing to try which didn’t prove anything. We decided to reclean one battery terminal which turned into a huge job as the connector was broken which led to multiple trips for parts & tools, parts dropped & lost, wires connected incorrectly (me!!) and dismantling of the front of the ATV to put a cover in correctly. But it started!!
After lunch I helped Terry build the platform and Marg went bear hunting again with still no sight of the bear but just evidence of trees & stumps pulled apart. Marg & I put in a support for a shelf in the shop which led to organizing pieces of lumber and sweeping the shop floor. Somewhere in there we also cleaned up her electrical bits & pieces drawer and we also managed to do 3 loads of laundry.
We are leaving here tomorrow and heading back to Spokane and then Colorado. We will also be making a trip to Walla Walla as Terry’s Mom passed away last night and we will be attending her funeral.