It was fun I aint Lion

This morning I had the opportunity to go with Mark Hettick and a friend to chase a Lion.  It was a real hoot!  I will tell you one thing, the hounds will drag you all over if they want to go, we had a female on a leash, she was used to coons but not cats, so we were giving her experience.  We had a male hound "Sounder" on the run.  He caught the lion treed it and then we followed with the female.  The cat was on a pretty steep side hill about 45 or more minutes from the truck.  There was a skiff of fresh snow in spots and none in some, the side hill had a lot of loose rocks, partially frozen ground and when a dog is pulling you I managed to take a couple of fancy spills - off down the hill - a couple of them face first.  We couldn't turn the female loose until she could hear and see the action.  It was a thrill - the cat ended up on private property and we couldn't shoot her, she was a young female, but a beautiful lion.  She had great coloration a beautiful tail and was fair sized for her age.  She was probably 15-16 months old following are several pictures with the cat and the dogs.  The female dog ended up with a 4-5 inch slit up her throat from getting hung up on a dead branch the male dog had broken off on the tree (she had to have several stitches).  Following are several pictures of the event.

Many of the photos are sidewise I failed to turn them before I uploaded - you'll just have to turn your computer on the side - sorry!!

From a Friend - I like it!

An atheist was seated next to a little girl on an airplane and he turned to her and said, "Do you want to talk? Flights go quicker if you strike up a conversation with your fellow passenger." The little girl, who had just started to read her book, replied to the total stranger, "What would you want to talk about?" " Oh, I don't know," said the atheist. "How about why th......ere is no God, or no Heaven or Hell, or no life after death?" as he smiled smugly. "OK," she said. "Those could be interesting topics but let me ask you a question first. A horse, a cow, and a deer all eat the same stuff - grass. Yet a deer excretes little pellets, while a cow turns out a flat patty, but a horse produces clumps. Why do you suppose that is?" The atheist, visibly surprised by the little girl's intelligence, thinks about it and says, "Hmmm, I have no idea." To which the little girl replies, "Do you really feel qualified to discuss why there is no God, or no Heaven or Hell, or no life after death, when you don't know crap?" And then she went back to reading her book."

A Change of Lifestyle - About Time

I have been lazy again when it comes to my blog, We have been doing quite a bit of finishing things at the lake and a few projects in town.  We did bring home the "for sale" sign from the lake for the Missoula relator.  I need to get back on my editing of my book, I have done little in the last 2-3 weeks with that.

I joined the Y today and worked out.  I was going to join the Peak a real nice club on the way to Lolo, the facility is beautiful, after some thought however I decided to look at the Y and decided that would do just fine.  $15 less to join, $19 a month less and a lot closer to home.

Here was my first workout:  8 minutes on the bike (Campus ride on the new bikes - 2 miles), 12 minutes on the machine that works your arms and legs as you sort of run and 1 1/2 minute cool down, 5 laps on the track, 15 minutes in the hot tub and 7 minutes in the sauna.  I felt good until about 1 hour later and now I feel it in my upper back, not used to pulling on the handles.  I intend to keep this up I feel I have to do this or die.  I have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and am grossly overweight - so now is the time.  I am reading a book - that is pretty good except all the parts about evolution etc, the other science is good and I know I have to do this.  The book is called "Younger Next Year" by Chris Crowley and Henry S.Lodge, M.D. .   I still plan to get back to walking in the mountains when I can, but the Y will help and will encourage moire daily activity.  Also as the weather worsens it will make this easier.

 

Against My Better Judgement

OK I have thought about this and was not going to reveal much more about the book I have written.  However, I have decided to post the Prologue just to get your reaction, be open minded as you read it, be generous and I hope it will peak your interest in what follows, when I am done with my editing etc.  I will not be posting the book on this blog.  See what you think.

Prologue

September 28, 1973

8:15 pm

Jonathan Strong had ridden up the mountain with Jep, together they stood and looked across the Missoula valley below.  Strong was impressed, “I see why you like it here, I really do, this is something you don’t see in D.C.”  They stood in silence for a few moments, but Jep was a talker, always had been and the historian in Jep began to point out different areas in the valley.  The part of the valley of most interest to Strong was the Hellgate Canyon, Jep had already explained to the feds the significance of the name and what had happened there.

After a few more minutes Jep asked, “Just how much money was involved in the western Montana part of this organization?”  Strong looked at Jep, “As far as we can estimate about Sixty Three Million in Montana alone.”   “Sixty three million dollars, I just can’t believe it,” the very thought stunned Jep as he stared out over the valley that had meant so much to him most of his life, He couldn’t help but wonder how something like this had happened.  As a kid growing up here, he had led a pretty sheltered life, but he didn’t know it.  He thought how at nineteen he had been called on a mission by the LDS Church to Arizona and southern California, and he remembered how shocked he was the day he was transferred from Yuma, Arizona to National Heights, California near San Diego, He had stepped off the bus in downtown San Diego only to be greeted by bright fluorescent lights that advertised things he had not imagined.  He also remembered the first time he had seen a young woman in a bikini, it was quite a shock to him that someone of the opposite sex would wear something so revealing.  His thoughts were interrupted by Strong,  “Well Jep sixty three million dollars, it’s true, that’s the estimated amount this little “Montana Cartel” had made in just the few short months it seems to have existed.”  “Thanks to you and your work with the Montana Department of Justice and the Federal Agencies involved, we seem to have gotten not only to the bottom of this drug mess, but solved a missing person report and at least one murder out of state as well.   Then there is the gun connection which was even bigger than any of us imagined, the modest weaponry exchange at the local guns shows you worked on led to the connections in Nevada, California and the Middle East.  It could run into the billions with a B.  Hellgate, my friend, ended up being just as you described, “The gates of Hell.”

Getting Some Things Done!

I posted on facebook a few minutes ago that I had completed my book, I had the goal to be at this point by the end of the year, but now my goal is to be publish ready by December 31st.  I am not saying it will be published, or that it even should, but I think it is a great story - we shall see where it goes from here.  I really was a little surprised with the ending, but I like it.  I wrote this book as though I was looking at things through the eyes of the main charachter, it is not in first person, but the story developed as I saw it.  By doing that I was never sure where things were going until I got there.  I knew the main objective and the basic story line, but the details unfolded as I saw them happen.  At one point I told Saundra, writing a book is as exciting as reading one.

With the completion of this story, a couple of my bucket list things if you will have now been accomploished this year.  First my month in the mountains, which was a big boost to this second item the book.

Without giving anything away here are a couple of notes about the book:

1) I am looking at the title -

63 Million,
Big Trouble under the Big Sky

2) The main charachter is a Drug Rep,  F. Jep Leavitt, yes he was born in Canada.
3) He works for Avion Pharmaceuticals (No such company) and ends up working under cover for the Montana Department of Justice and the Federal Government.

That is enough for now!  Now comes perhaps the hardest part and that is tieing it all together - timewise, peoplewise and making sure there is enough interesting detail and story to keep it going beginning to end. 

Today was just a gorgsous day at the lake.   By the way Kimber bit a bear in the but yesterday, while Mark, Sari and their kids were here, today she routed out a rat in the boiathouse, downstairs.  she's had quite a 24 hours.

Mom

Well, I certainly have not been on this blog much in the past few weeks.  As any who are reading this now know mom passed away at 8:20 pm on Friday August 5th, that has been 16 days ago.  Much has gone on since and all of this seems as though it has been a dream.  The week following mom's passing we were busy with funeral arrangements etc, then the followup.  There were a lot of family around, our personal family reunion occurred at the funeral as everyone who traveled here had to change schedules and the reunion which was to start over a week later did not happen due to the circumstances.  I am not sure I have really come to accept mom's passing.  So much has gone on since and it had been expected for some time so as I mentioned it seems as though it has been a dream  I am not sure I have come to grips with it yet, her passing was a relief for her and a major change for dad and some change for the rest of us.  Her life for the past several months, and to some degree even back to her stroke,was not the same.  Even though her mind remained bright to the end, she had many difficulties.  Energy, appetite, weight, warmth and her smile all had suffered as a result of the stroke, her heart failure and her age.  The fall that occurred on Tuesday night the 2nd of August no doubt hastened her departure, but that departure was inevitable and would have come fairly soon, she did not eat and did not enjoy food, the Sunday before the fall she had been even colder than usual (it was about 80 in our house) and she froze after dinner, Jake got the blanket from our bed and she wrapped up in it, she didn't want to stay long and was worn out.   She had bounced between looking a little better on a few days and looking worse on most, it seemed over the past month or so there had been a definite increase in the latter.   It was hard to see mom that way, she had been so energetic in the past, so talkative, so involved with food at every turn of events, our family dinners, helping others, etc.  All of this had changed and the change was disturbing to those of us that knew her and loved her.

Mom, I miss you, I love you.  She was ready, she said she was not afraid, she worried about dad, she wanted everyone there and most were.  She told us what she wanted at the funeral.  Death is difficult at best, with mom it was no exception, but it was peaceful as well, her last few minutes with the exception of the ragged breathing seemed to be time in slow motion as her spirit prepared to exit her body.   The last breaths were short but there were signs of recognition, recognition by mom of those mortally present, recognition of someone or someone's not mortally present.  There was a gesture of "goodbye" as well as of "hello", we all felt it and we all witnessed it.  Each of us will remember and interpret it as we saw it.  This much I know, Mom knew what lay ahead, mom didn't want to leave us , but knew the plan and knew it was an essential part of it.  Even though she had been told a few times in the past months it was coming, the reality of the experience obviously is much clearer than the anticipation.  She is a strong and noble woman, a loving wife and mother, she is stubborn and speaks her mind, people knew how she felt, she claimed many friends and relatives (even ones who by divorce were no longer in the family - she still claimed them).  This was one of her great abilities to see beyond the differences and to still lay claim to those she knew and had known.  We can learn something from this, for if indeed we expect to live a Celestial life when this is over - all, regardless - will be what they are and that is family.  Mom you always taught me even when you didn't know you were doing it.  I love you Mom, and as you welcomed and nurtured me in this world I know you will be there to welcome and nurture me in the next.

3 Ring or 4 Ring Circus

Today (Tuesday August 2, 2011) has been a little bit of a difficulty.  While taking Kimmy walking up Cramer Creek on the way out she fell out of the truck window while I was going about 20 mph, she didn't jump she just leaned to far, it was hot and she was trying to get more wind.  She limped around, but from that stand point seemed to be ok in a while, this pm while I had her take a nap when she woke up she wouldn't open her left eye and when I pry it open it is just a slit?  I hope she just got stung again or some allergy from the grass or something.  She is in bed now will see what it looks like tomorrow, she has been scratching at it.  Next when I called Saundra on the way back to Missoula she had just fainted in the pediatrician's office - she felt faint and went out of the room where Kade was going to get circumcised and she fainted in the hall, the Dr. called the parmamedics who came and treated her checking everything over - the whole thing is similar to 20 years ago - she won't admit it but I think she has problems with her heart beating hard and fast and won't admit it.  Next mom was not feeling well today she had several visitors and she looked worn out when I wen there and she said she didn't feel good at all.  We'll see how that is tomorrow when she has fewer visitors.  Next dad as I was leaving, called me back and said, "I have something I need you to know".  He was very serious and I thought something else must be going on.  He looked at me and said "Those guys didn't co0me until 25 minutes until 2 and they came from the wrong direction".  It took me a second to realize he was talking about the garbage truck.  I said "dad the letter just meant your route would start at 6:30 am".  He said, "No it was to us, what is going on, and they came from the wrong way?"  I am not making light of dad's fixation with the garbage, but it is a little odd that he worries so much about somethings.  Oh I forgot, mom got meals on wheels squared around and they brought dad's today - yesterday he was mad because they didn't bring it - when mom cancelled one they thought she meant both, well today they brought his and he said "that was the worst meal I have ever seen."  Again not making light of it, but first he is mad if it doesn't come and by the way it better not be late, he refers to it as his breakfast, then when it does come he always tells me how lousy it is.  Three pretty serious things to dad at this time are garbage, meals on wheels and his sprinkler which he will not leave set on automatic and insists on going to the basement and pushing the button each sprinkling day.

I told my kids - just take me to the hills and prop me up by a tree, leave my gun, my carving tools (I may not use ether, come back for them later).  I really at this stage don't want to live that long.  Oh there is one more thing dad is serious as taxes about and that is driving.  He says, "I am a better driver than most of the goofy people in this town and he is as serious as stink on a skunk.

Thursday (August 4, 2011) This post was interrupted by a call from dad - mom had fallen down the stairs I rushed over and got an ambulance - she is home but has not been out of bed since, not doing well, not able to eat etc.  I will follow this with more information at a later date.