Four Country Gals

It’s o’God-thirty, Monday, August 8, 2005, and time to roll out of bed on the island for the very last time.

Everything that could be pre-packed into boxes has been packed. What’s left are the beds, the major furniture, things that won’t fit into boxes, and stuff that is going in the Avalanche, the 12-foot trailer, or the Blazer.

Cousin Jim (another of Bev’s cousins) has arrived and is on hand to help with the final packing and the drive to Utah.

The closings are “in progress”. Paperwork has been “Fed-Exing” back and forth for a few days. Powers of attorney are all in place. Hopefully, there are no kinks in the process. The plan is simple. Get to the mainland. Sign off on the Ohio property. Get to Utah. Close on the Utah property. Fed-Ex papers to Mom as necessary for her signature.

The truck arrived as scheduled along with the moving crew. No time for breakfast or that last leisurely cup of fresh-ground coffee. Fortunately one of the pizza places on the island opened early… Pizza for brunch, on the fly!

By the appointed time, everything was loaded, final good-byes were said, and the ever-on computer was shut down and loaded into the the trailer. From here on, it was “Utah or bust!”

But wait… where was Bree? The dog that was so sick, and all undone about the move?

Cindy and Bev launched a search. There she was… under the house. Uh-oh… this isn’t good.

Well, Cindy took matters into her own hands, crawled under the house, and coaxed Bree out. With just minutes to spare, they raced to the ferry dock one last time to fill their pre-reserved slots on the last ferry of the day from the island.

They’d have about 30 minutes to get to the vet to pick up all the health certificates and have Bree checked out again. She was in worse shape than before and Cindy was really concerned about her.

Unfortunately, the vet didn’t have good news. She had at least one large internal tumor, and wasn’t really getting enough oxygen, as her tongue was blue. The prognosis wasn’t good. She may or may not make the full journey, let alone recover.

You see, the trip route would take the convoy to over 11,000 feet elevation. After some real quick thought and prayer, the decision was to have her make the journey across “The Rainbow Bridge”.

At least she wouldn’t continue to suffer. Bree, we’ll miss ya’. You’re in a better place now.

Sad task done, health certificates in hand, it was time to point the convoy to the next stop… Dad’s farm (barn) where they’d been stashing even more stuff for the past six months.

Before Beryl and a homestead, there was an island, where first Cindy, then Bev, and finally Mom made their home.

Now, normally when you think “island”, your mind drifts to somewhere tropical. Not so in this case. Ever heard of Put In Bay. OH? It’s one of several islands in Lake Erie… not tropical, but still one really hot party place in the summer.

Cindy moved there shortly after a divorce, choosing to bring her son up with a real appreciation for nature (trapping, hunting and fishing), while still getting a regular education. As for Cindy, she was commercial pilot, flying folks on and off the islands for a number of years. She later worked as a State Park Ranger, Police Officer, and Dock Master.

Bev was hired by the Put In Bay Police Department. When looking for a place to live, Cindy’s name came up as maybe looking for a roommate. Life isn’t exactly cheap on a resort island, and there wasn’t much in the way of rental property.

That was over twenty years ago. The two have become close friends, and continued to share a household. Now, before you get the wrong idea… there’s no joint underwear drawer, or sharing of other personal space.

Cindy’s Mom used to spend the summers after she and her (now ex) hubby retired from their “Fish and Bait” Company. After a few summers, she chose to stay on the island. Cindy and Bev enlarged the house, and made a really nice addition just for Mom.

Mom’s health started to waiver a bit. First there was the heart attack, and later the knee replacement. Perhaps they should start looking for a place “a little closer” for medical help. After all, getting off the island wasn’t the easiest thing, even during the busy season.

In 2002, their lives turned upside down. Bev was diagnosed with cancer. Suddenly plans to relocate were put on hold while they cared for her. Fortunately, she pulled through. If you ask her though… it’s not something she ever wants to do again. After 20 years, she retired from the Police Department as “second officer in charge”… quite an accomplishment for a woman, even in 21st century.

By 2004, it was time again to look for “new digs”. They (the three of them) wanted somewhere warm, dry, unspoiled, and generally quiet, yet not too far from medical needs, and general shopping.

So, they put their beautiful island home on the market, and set about re-inventing their lives.

Where to go?

Well, Bev had a cousin who had recently moved from Southern California to Southern Utah and she shared her excitement and love of the area. After a trip to the area, they were convinced. This is where they’d go.

Ever tried to sell property on an island where you have to take a ferry in the summer and fly off of it in the winter? Let’s just say it took a while.

So, how did Shari get into this adventure?

In 2003, Cindy thought it would be great to make some money on the Internet. She found a program called “Affiliate Showcase”, and in turn discovered an e-book which explained the program in great detail. She promptly ordered the e-book, and then… well, and then… she had all kinds of problems with e-mail getting blocked.

Shari, the author of the e-book, couldn’t get her link to Cindy, and you guessed it… Cindy filed a complaint with PayPal. Fate intervened and one day, Shari just happened to see Cindy pop up on MSN Messenger (thanks to having her e-mail link stored).

Well, the two gals got the differences settled. Cindy canceled the PayPal complaint, and over the next couple of years, they became best friends. Thanks to a couple of other programs they were both working, they could chat for hours… boy did they!

Through the summer, into the fall and winter… finally spring, the house was still for sale. Even through the next summer and back into fall… no takers. In the meantime, Cindy and Bev had located (and put earnest money down) on one home in Southern Utah, only to lose their earnest money when their place failed to attract a buyer.

They would locate several more, but having been burned once, they were much more wary… kind of like a walleye once caught.

One more winter on the island.

Finally, Bev was feeling pretty perky again, although not able to work. Cindy was working “gigs” that were more part-time as they didn’t really want to commit to yet another year on the island. May 2005, some folks came to see their property. A couple weeks later, they came back.

Yahoo! In June they made an offer, which the girls countered. Offers accepted, the real work began. Would you believe they really wanted to close by July 4? The girls talked them into closing the first week of August. Yikes… that was still only 45 days… and they didn’t have anything to move to in Southern Utah!

“Oh Kathy (the realtor)! We need a place with a roof, three bedrooms, and room (fenced) for the dogs. Pronto! Like yesterday!”

Keep watching here, as we reveal just what it’s like to carve a homestead from just under 10 acres of tumbleweed and sand. Fortunately, this little piece of paradise came with a house, water, and electricity.

The rest is up to us. Laugh as we put our “city girl” skills to the test. Cheer for us as we “tote that railroad tie” and “lift that hay bale”. We get downright creative at times.

Be sure to check back frequently for the latest episodes of “Four Country Gals”. If you thought “The Golden Girls” were great… you ain’t seen nuthin’ yet!