Small house?

I am spending a couple of months in the Tacoma, WA area doing my annual gig with the seafood industry. It is also a time that I am using to study up on house designs, ideas etc. My mind on the Libby Creek property.

To that end, I have a couple of books to recommend to anyone who is considering small housing and things like 'green' building and just generally being responsible in terms of finances and carbon footprint.

The New Cottage Home (Jim Tolpin)
The Big Book of Small House Design (from the editors of Black Dog & Leventhal Publications)
Little House on a Small Planet, second edition (Shay Salomon)

A lot of evaluating is involved. How much 'stuff' do I really use; how much 'space' do I need to be comfortable; where do I actually spend my time (in front of the computer!) and what did I like best about being over on Libby Creek this summer and fall.

Much to evaluate and a lot of learning along the way. Lots of lists. Like, a list of the 30 plus places that I have lived and what I liked best and least about each one. THAT took some time! What a memory lane!!! But a really constructive project.

So, that's what keeping ME entertained!

Happy Holidays!

R

Lady in Red

Hunting season arrived at Libby Creek and it was REALLY evident that the smart thing to do was to wear red! As much red as possible.

My indestructible travel wardrobe was long on black and beige. One large exception being an over sized red sleep shirt... so....

Neighbors don't even blink at such a getup. It wouldn't have turned a head in the market I think but I didn't test that theory. Ron from up the creek did comment, "They can see you! Good girl!"

First Snow at Libby Creek

I am Sooooooooooo over due for updating this!













































































My almost three months in the Methow Valley ended on October 30th and in the last few days the first snow of the season fell. Very beautiful! I am on record as being 'goofy' for snow and it was a huge treat to be there for the first of the season.

Watching the seasons change was an absolute delight. From the bright bright of mid summer to the colors of fall to the first snow. Just wonderful!

Following are some of my favorite photos from those last few days.

The Box Has Landed

The container ARRIVED!

Three men, one pickup, one flat bed, one crain, one container hauler 18 wheeler thingie and three hours later the box is sitting in it's spot!

First try, logical driving up the road but won't work with the curve of the road and the drive access, soo...

Second try, back up to the 'Y', trun around and back toward the driveway.

I call this threading the needle, he is backing that monster BETWEEN the gate posts! (I deliberately did not have them set in so that he could move them if need be,) but NOOOOO he is threading thru them!

And here it goes, back in the trees. He had about a foot to spare split either side.

And here we have 'Tilt'. He has made the wheels under the trailer move forward and then lifts up the front end and something sort of spits the thing off the back a few feet.

And here is the second end... splat!

Now it is Jerry's Turn!

Hook it up...

Pick it up...

Move it over...

Set the blocks...

Pick it up...

Set it on the blocks!

End number two underway...

And that's all there is to it!!!

Unexpected Gate Posts.

This morning early, I went up to the creek. I saw four deer cross the road on the way up, beautiful. I putzed around for a bit, finished my coffee and decided to drive up a ways toward Black Pine lake and study the trees and watch the sun come over the hills. Came up with a couple of nice photos.

On my way back down the forest service road, a truck came toward me and slowed and rolled down the driver side window. In Okanogan speak this is the sign for stopping and having a chat. I did.

Turns out this is another neighbor, this one Mike, told me that he had dropped off a couple of gate posts at my place.

I am much in favor of gate posts but I had never before in my life met Mike!!! I suspect the neighbor Ron sent him. I introduced myself, said thanks and went down to investigate.

Amazing...

A Wolf This Time!

A wolf! A real one!!!

Driving up to the Saskatoon Circle primitive skills gathering on Saturday morning I saw a wolf very near my property. It was along the left side of the road, going the same direction I was. As I neared it sped up, I slowed for a better look and then it crossed the road in front of me. I had a totally clear view of him. Definitely a wolf. A large, full, healthy looking wolf. It ran up the right bank of the road. I stopped to check out the tracks (having just spent two days taking tracking etc lessons) but found nothing clear enough to photograph. The bank soil showed his track but they had all caved in on themselves due to the light soil and the steep slope.

Yesterday one of the people from the class came by the property to see me with a friend of his who is involved with the local wolf reintroduction and studies. I took them to where I had seen the wolf and we had quite a discussion. Apparently the 'pack' that they have identified has a couple of wolves with GPS collars and that morning they were about 20 miles north of where I saw this one. They questioned me some as to my ability to identify a wolf. Totally reasonable questions and I believe that they are convinced that I did in fact see a wolf.

He was SO beautiful!!!

Consensus is it was a mature loan male, not part of the identified pack.

There continue to be fresh deer tracks on the property, almost every day. I have taken to brushing some areas where the clearing has been being done with a large evergreen branch making a 'track trap'. The soil is soft enough that it gets lots of markings easily. No cougar track yet but bear, deer, turkey, squirrel, coyote, and something small that may be a marmot or the like plus scads of birds.

These little tracks in the photo are about an inch across and are all over the place.

I am having so much fun it probably is illegal...

Change of season...

Very beautiful here for weeks now. Getting cooler but still almost endless bright sun, 77 degrees for the high here today but six of the next seven days are predicted to be in the 60's with one not making it that high. No frost yet but it is probably not far off. I am still valiantly wearing flip flops! But either those days are numbered, unless I stay inside past 8am and after 7pm, or I start packing. Mid to high 60's in this dry climate with bright sun is very doable. But, at this elevation and at this latitude it will be dropping fast from here.

The colors are coming along. The Aspen are turning bright gold, the Choke Cherry and Sumac are bright red. OK, I can't find a photo of the Choke Cherry or the Sumac. Sorry! This photo was taken up the hill from my property where the primitive skills workshop was held. This T-P was hand made from buffalo hide by a young woman. This is her permanent home, just not her permanent location. She has no permanent location.

Bear tree...

This morning I took a class on tracking. It involved a lovely walk and a very knowledgeable guide and fantastic weather! Lots of tracks to be seen, this is up in a remote area surrounded by the Okanogan National Forest.

This photo is a mark left when a bear climbed this tree.

Apparently bears also like to scratch on trees rather like the way that cats scratch at a post. They particularly like to do so on large Ponderosa Pine trees. I have some of those. I will investigate! Watch this space!

Other things going on today included tanning a buffalo hide and no end of basket weaving, felting, clay stuff for kids and hammered wire jewelry making.

Saskatoon Circle - Skaltitude intro:

A couple of days ago a sign appeared at the ‘Y’ from Libby Creek Rd to Black Pine Lake Rd with some weird name like Zindzandoi with an arrow pointing up Libby Creek Road.

Later that day I was looking on line at calendar things about stuff going on in the area and discovered that it is really Saskatoon Circle and they are having a four day primitive skills workshop. saskatooncircle.blogspot.com

I sent an email and signed up. Drove to the end of the road up Smith Canyon this evening for the intro pot luck. I took pasta salad.

The main event seemed to be a road kill venison. Serious. A first for me. Quite tasty. Venison is an old like of mine but this was a first for road kill... The real deal starts tomorrow. Where among other things they are going to tan the hide.

Many people in buck skin clothing and eating (other than road kill and pasta salad) some interesting wild greens and blooms salad, and the required amount of brown rice. I’m here to tell you. It does not matter how old or how young a batch of hippies happen to be, there will be brown rice.

Very nice time around the fire, introducing ourselves and then introducing each other. Making up what you didn’t know. Some were hysterical. I mentioned that I am a recent refugee from corporate America and am currently homeless.

They honest to for goodness real started the fire with a stick. You know, rubbing a stick fast between your hands etc. Took two people but it worked.

A young kid named Zach, slightly too old to be my grandchild walked me back to my car as I didn’t have a flash light.

In addition to (no doubt more) brown rice and tanning tomorrow should include classes in herbal medicine, basket making, sandal making, felting, cording (using roots and possibly some of the road kill, I heard a comment about sinew for cording which I tried to ignore) primitive shelters, traditional foods and medicine. On and on…

Beautiful setting. Huge meadow surrounded by foothills.

A couple named Lynx and Rico brought three horses. I’m making friends with them. (The horses in particular) And Zach.

I got a pedicure this morning, had the radiator flushed on the White Ghost at noon and road kill for dinner. I think this is having a full life.

Turkeys in the road...

Driving back to town yesterday, about a half mile down the creek from the property, a big batch of turkeys in the road and on either side. Probably about 30 or so. I hear that they gang up together when the weather starts getting colder at night. Seems so... largest group I had seen before was nine.

Tecno Success!!!

After a week of off again, on again cellphone and computer malfunctions I am at last up and running with both and I think I even have my camera working again!!! I'll be test driving that shortly.

Comments regarding the Cougar Experience run from "Oh Great" to "Are you shopping for a Condo yet" and "Don't Get Eaten!!!"

I am taking measures with the last in mind. Bulldozing out a lot of underbrush has started and will continue. I li

ke the wild roses, Saskatoon berry, Oregon grape and the snow berries etc. but where they are very thick makes great slinking around and hiding area for Cougar. A little less of that is the plan.
Photo at right is Anita Supervising "DirtWorks"


(My chair at left love that thing!)


Al, the DirtWorks driver is very good, fun to watch.



Next photo, Bobbi supervising "DirtWorks"



Yes, as to be expected, Bobbi DID get to ride on the thing!

Some of the DirtWorks results...

This is looking west from the original parking/camp spot. There is a circle drive kind of thing back into the spot where the cougar hissed at me and where I will put 'something', improved camp or cabin etc.

But back to the "Don't Get Eaten" thing..

I am sick of listening to myself sing! Variety of reasons on that. I don't sing well, I know about three songs other than Christmas Carols and it takes a lot of energy to sing when I am trying to get something done! (Like cleaning up 'stuff' left around in the wake of the bulldozer.) My singing was never great but sometime in the last 40 years it has deteriorated and when 'winded' it is truly strange.

The little jingle bells they tell you to wear are crazy making and I have never been one to have a radio on as background noise. I want to listen to the creek as background noise! For crying out loud! And play in the creek for hours without looking over my shoulder every second and having three kinds of pepper spray strapped to my body while carrying a 308. I don't own a 308 but that may change.

In all honesty it makes me angry that my image of what I could do on the property has been in some ways ripped out from under me.

Building some huge cage that I can be INSIDE that the cougars can't get in would work. It would need to be quite large, about 50' of creek, with a lid on it. It could be a covered bridge, it just wouldn't have a bottom. Fish and Game are not going to be charmed.

I'll think of something.

I'm over here for a couple more weeks. Some leaves are starting to turn color and I saw a LARGE group of wild turkeys about a half mile down Libby Creek from the property yesterday, really must have been about 30 of them. I hear that the tend to gang up into larger groups in the fall. They seem to think it is fall and I am in agreement.

Still lovely days, mid 80's but getting quite cool at night. Heater coming on a few times at night in the RV.

I have a final bid on moving a shipping container onto the property but am still undecided if I am going to go that route or actually build a cabin. Insuring a container is posing to be a hurdle but I may have that handled. Nothing final.

The week after the Great Cougar Experience I was truly un-nerved. I am getting past that and back to loving it here.

R

Nine Mule Deer On the HWY

Driving between Carlton and Twisp this morning traffic (one whole truck ahead of me) slowed to a crawl to allow NINE Mule Deer to cross the road in front of us.

Of course my camera is still in the shop... I'm asking ya'all to just trust me on this one.

Of the tech challenges of late my cell phone is at last working properly and all of the escaped files on the computer are back! Yea! I can actually do some work!!!

More soon, with photos even!

R

So wadayado???

Yes, there are cougars around here. Documented. In the near area and of late.

I talked at length to neighbor Ron yesterday. He says that his dogs have been wound up and making massive amounts of racket at all kinds of odd hours of the night all week. They are generally a mellow group (three large dogs, all mutts, two are somewhat lab and one is more of a Shepard mix look) most of the time and only bark when something that doesn't belong on the property is around. He is quite sure that it is the bear and the cougar that have them fired up.

He suspects that the cougar has a kill up either on the back of my property or just over into the National Forest, as his dogs are keeping watch in that direction. Area that his dogs consider part of their domaine. Either way, the logical path to the creek for a drink from there would be across most of the length of my property and to the creek at my land or Judy's, the next parcel down. A cougar will keep a fresh kill and protect it for three to four days, often moving on after that to some other spot within their range. Unfortunately his dogs do not consider the lower area of my property, along the creek, to be theirs. Wish they did!!!

Yesterday Al and his 'dirt works' machine (claw scoop front blade, bucket back on something about the size of a D-6 Cat) cleared out the area where I want the container plus a loop drive kind of thing, piled small trees over to one side for firewood or polls, large rocks over to the edge of the road, smashed to bits the old wrecked wooden/tin camper and made a garbage pile that will go into a dumpster next week. It was a little over three hours of work, quite entertaining to watch. He is really clever with the rig. Bobbi, Anita and I were COVERED with dust!!! Photos soon. Of the 'dirt works' not the dust on the three of us!

Al will return when the dumpster gets here to load it and clear out a largish swath from the container spot to the creek and along the creek for maybe 100 feet.

That will leave me brush free area where it would make it more obvious to wandering critters that I am a human not some other type of pray and make it very unlikely that I would 'startle' either a bear or a cougar. It will also give me area that I can wander around without being a the bottom of a ledge!

This is not a massive investment in clearing, something on the small side of $1k, and will put better odds on my side. All this is not my image of what I wanted but I am getting my mind around the whole thing. I am getting past the anger of having my image taken away from me.

Half of the planet is filling my inbox with stories of bears attacking people etc. I am returning them with stories of car crashes. Three zillion times more likely.

Hugs

R

Something in the woods...

Wildlife update.

While pruning brush near where I expect to put the storage unit which is farther to the west from where Pat and I originally marked out with painted rocks (more in the woods.) I heard something.

I was not making much sound, not singing or tromping about but bent over and fairly quietly pruning some low white berry things, when I heard movement that was indicative of something large in the thicker brush just beyond. A large something by the sound of the movement and then a distinctive low hiss. I got a glimps.

That got me standing up straight and I started singing the first thing that came to my mind. 'Waltzing Matilda' of all bloody things!!! I heard absolutely nothing else. I continued to sing and backed away toward the camp and the car. I had my spray with me but my heart was going FAST.

Best guess is Cougar. They are quite common around here.

Earlier I heard the flock of wild turkeys just across the creek along the forest service road, they are over there a lot. All of a sudden they started screaming their heads off and took off, nine of them, across the road. On investigation I found a bald eagle having just killed one. A large one too!

Busy day at Libby Creek!

R

Oh... techno challenges....

It has been a little bit of a techno challenge...

Wi-fi has been great here at the RV park...
Until about the middle of last week and then things got iffy
Cell phone reception has been bad all along but even driving to Twisp has been a problem
from about the middle of last week
My computer has had a few issues

The dig camera has totally quit !!!!

The White Ghost (aka El Toro the junker d'jour) is RUNNING FINE!!!

My father was a Scout Master for near 20 years and 'Be Prepared' has been drilled into me (much more than spelling) so I have resorted to computer services at the Twisp Library, wi-fi at the something-or-other-tavern-in-twisp. The wine is decent and $3.25 per glass. Figured out that some of the cell phone problems were not connectivity but the cell phone. I THINK that I have the cell phone fixed but the news is not as good for the camera and the computer is really a question.

No major wildlife update. More turkey, lots of dear track, no new bear track. News about the Wolf population is that it is on the rise. Way cool. We heard them from the property in the early 70's. Love it. I have new books about tracks and about trees and shrubs etc. The pine here is actually Ponderosa Pine, aka yellow pine. Lots of Aspin, no Tamarak.

Oh, the Ron dude (very nice dude, about Holly's age) from up the creek that has a lot of equipment has rearranged enough rocks that the place is beginning to look more like private property.

Bobbi (sister) and Anita (best travel buddy on the planet) get here tomorrow. I am hoping for a camera... we will be playing Rummy-O and listening to Jazz on the river Tuesday night! YEA!

R

Photos of the Creek

Just realized that the promised photos of the creek are not here!

So...

Here!!!!

Lonely? Bored? Crazy?

Oh sheesh...

Some of my friends just shake their head. Some cheer and some are seriously concerned about me. Having lost my mind etc. That I don’t actually have a home at the moment and I don’t seem to be working etc. It isn’t real obvious that my consult work actually rewards in revenue and it is obvious that I have no home! That I will be lonely or bored comes to some of their minds as well.

I got to thinking (always a somewhat risky business) and then started laughing (a far more common thing).

"No visible means of support" and HOMELESS!!!

Which suits me exactly at the moment but when you put it that way... have to laugh.

I can see the theory of getting lonesome although it has never been an issue for me in my entire life. I seem able to find friends wherever I go and import others from time to time. If I didn't have email/internet connections with so many who are dear to me it would be more likely. Bored will NEVER happen.

I actually recall the last time I was bored. It was one weekend morning in the apartment in Freemont, probably 1999 or 2000. I woke up with not much on my schedule; wandered around the apartment for a few minutes and said to myself 'I'm bored!' I then said to myself 'You idiot! You are in Seattle!!! Go DO something' so I did. I took the bus down to Pike Place Market, walked to SAM then walked to Pioneer Sq. Took the whole day and I had a ball. Now granted, Pike Place and SAM are a long looooooong bus ride from here but I am where I have long loved to come on vacation. One of my all time favorite things in the world to do is play in the creek. Re-arrange rocks. I am (slowly) hacking into the jungle of wild roses along the creek building a trail. I could continue that activity for years. With breaks of playing in the creek. Catching up on my reading has always been an illusive goal. There are sooooo many books!

On the wildlife front, squirrels and a variety of birds (no clue about what all the birds are, I need yet another book…) are about it for the last couple of days. The deer apparently read in the newspaper that it is bow season as of Sept 1 and they are keeping out of sight.

The excitement for today is; I am going into Twisp. I have a grocery list, a hardware store list, have to stop at the licensing place for tabs, post office to mail some business stuff, and an Insurance place. While there I'll hit the Cinnamon Twisp for goodies and gab with the lady who works there and who lives across the creek. I’m also going to connect with the contractor guy who has connections regards shipping containers. Getting a library card comes to mind. I have now read all of the books that I had with me and that Pat left for me. I may try to organize a book exchange at the Carlton fire hall. Wouldn’t that be fun? I could make a trip to Seattle Goodwill and stock up on things that a book exchange really SHOULD have! Now THAT could keep me busy!

See?

R

Deer and Rabbit! Sept 4&5, 2009

Sept 4: a Mule Dear Doe at the creek in the am.

Sept 5: Running up the forest service road as I came in. A rabbit!

My camera decided to play dead so no photos.

I have build a nice little rock wine cooler that catches some runoff from one of the springs on it's way to the creek. Works very well! I am using an el-screw-top-o wine bottle. So far nothing has gotten into it.

So far I am very seriously considering getting a used shipping container and starting with that for camp storage / shelter. A 40' insulated variety. Add a 9' exterior garage door to one side, put sliding glass doors behind that and an 8' X 16' (or so) deck in front. One of the local contractor types and I beat around and both are of the same opinion that the place to put it is in a ways, not too close to the forest service road but well within hearing of the creek.

He suggested clearing out a lot of underbrush and I said NO WAY. It would grow back up in a nano second and I don't want to build myself any gardening jobs. I'll improve some of the dear trails with a pr of pruning sheers and that's about it. If I end up spending a lot of time here, as in a whole growing season, I might put in a veggie patch where the campground now sits. Other than that, it is wilderness and that works for me. Wild roses, huckleberry, grease wood,elderberry, pine, fir, cotton wood, alder and about a zillion other things (I need a book) that have been happily providing beautiful landscape for a long time and are good at it! Leave it be!!!

R

Wildlife d'jour Sept 3, 2009

Wild Turkeys!

I sat on the log next to 'Bear Rock' at the creek with newly purchased repel spray and a bunch of reading material and enjoyed myself no end but saw nothing furry other than my lower calf. Gota do something about that!

However, on my way back up to the car a troupe (band, hurd, covey, gaggle or whatever) of wild turkeys were scurrying between the car and me and onto the forest service road and up into the back 20.

Very very lame photo, didn't bother to attach.

R

And the answer is.... Sept 2, 2009

Well rats...

A large black bear, not a Grisly.

Photo at right is with a dollar bill for a clue on size. As in not small. Theory is that it stepped on the rock and slid. Hence the finger looking streaks that are the skid marks as the toes slipped.

I had read a bunch of stuff on line in the last 24 hours and was reading the stuff wrong (wishful thinking) and really had myself talked into the idea that it was a Grisly.

Nope!

Dennis Ryan, local bear and wolf dude, is a really nice guy, has two cool dogs (who had to stay in his 4Runner while we looked at the prints) and wants me to house sit for his two dogs and two horses next June for a week while he and his wife attend their daughters wedding!!! We let the dogs out after the track examination. One lab and one basic old yellow dog. Fun. They ran around like CRAZY. The Old Yellow dog is funny. If ask what a cat says it does a sort of a meow and if ask what a coyote says he does a really decent imitation!!! Hysterical.

The Lab made a b-line for the creek, what a shock.

A good time was had by all even if it isn't a Grisly.

R

OK.. Let's figure this out... Sept 1, 2009

I got back to Carlton today about noon.

This afternoon I went up to the creek and did some trimming of wild roses and etc so it is easier to get to the creek. Made a nice walk. New pruning sheers! Big help!

When taking a break on a log by the creek for a few I all of a sudden noticed a rock with a LARGE print in it. very fresh, mud not dried out on a warm day etc. See photos named bigfoot1 and bigfoot2

It looks to me like a bear put their paw down and it slid on the moss and mud. The large pad print at the bottom is very deep. Where the toes slid down it made long marks looking rather like fingers.

That, or it is Bigfoot

R