After four kids, ten moves and nearly two decades, we are still blissfully in love (most of the time) and I found myself back in the state I was born and raised in. It has definitely been a journey. In fact, on our 18th anniversary we pulled the last of our stuff up over the pass and into Montana, leaving our surprise love, Idaho, behind. But Montana is a great place. The last best place according to some. And we fully intend to explore as much of it as we can! Join us on our continued adventure through life, love and other stuff that comes with it.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Oh the things we find in old houses

I love this house. It's not every day that you get to live in a house that has so much character. My great grandma used to see old houses and say something like, "If those walls could talk . . . the things it has seen."

When I was growing up I'm sure I left all sorts of stuff in that house that people will see and wonder about. I remember finding a knot hole in my closet and the knot had been pushed in. It was just the right size to stick a quarter in. I had a crazy idea that I would fill that with quarters and someday be rich with my wall full of money. But after about $2 in quarters I realized that really I was just sticking my money down a black hole. Someday someone is going to find a little pile of quarters from the 1980s in that wall and probably have a good little giggle.

This house has more obvious signs of the previous family. For example, inside a door in the mud room, a recipe for mole bait.



On the door to the basement (that Ila told me she always meant to finish), a growth chart with lines, names and dates.



That always made me smile. But yesterday we happened to look on the other side of the door jam and found this.



It's another growth chart. I think this one is for the children and the one on the door is the grandchildren. The shortest one says, "Mick '48"

But as we got towards the top, it wasn't a growth chart at all. It was a different sort of record.

Dec 1948 38" snow on level

Nov 4 1952 Mick hair cut

Dec 21 58 Hardly any snow. Has been very dry till now. Lawn fair amount or 2' in fields.

April 30 1970 still 28" of snow on the level

May 10 1970 Bare spots appearing. Probably 90% still snow covered.

Dec 11 1971 40" snow

April 26 1975 33" snow

May 1 1975 30" snow

Dec 31 76 About 2" snow

Jan 1 77 snowed


I think it's safe to say that we will be seeing some snow this winter. Not that we haven't been told that. But this just seemed to cement it that much more. Winters here are much different than they are even 40 miles south of here. And they are much different than what I've ever experienced. I don't know if I've ever experienced 40" of snow. That's a LOT of snow!!

But the truth is, I'm excited to experience it. People probably think I'm nuts, but that's okay. I probably am on some level. After all, I stand in the road and take pictures of combines as they drive by. And we wave wildly. It's great fun.

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