Four Country Gals

With September closing fast, we’re enjoying the last of “Mom’s” flowers and getting ready for winter.

The lambs are at home in their pen, having been moved from the backyard to give the dogs their own playground.

Bev is happily working for Washington County as the Enterprise Senior Center Bus Driver. Both Cindy and Bev have finished one working for a local guy, cleaning his farm and generally helping to get things planted and squared away. They’ve gotten quite an education.

Cindy has even spent a few weeks working for one of the local “cubers”, hauling alfalfa from the fields to the cubing plant. What a job! She’s driven a variety of trucks with a rather unstable “hay wagon” tacked on behind her. She’s been all over the valley and even north in the next valley. Days have begun at noon and ended at midnight… no time for working with the animals on that shift.

At the end of October, Cindy and Bev go to Las Vegas for a “Natural Horsemanship” seminar with Pat Parelli. Cindy thinks she’s discovered how to interact with Dusty. Only one problem… no one has told Dusty, or given him the tapes to watch.

She’s out there working with him, and all of a sudden… ka-whomp! He’s kicked her square in the ribs. Here’s the sad thing… how it all happened.

Cindy was working with him in his stall and she had to get behind him, very near a gate. In her own words… “I had a bad feeling, and even saw him posture. I’m thinking “this is gonna hurt” but can’t move fast enough”. Needless to say, it hurt, bad… leaving a hoof-shaped bruise that lasted a couple of weeks.

By November 10, winter has arrived with the first snowfall.  God only knows what’s in store for everyone this winter.

With the stable and corral finished, it’s time to move the little “foster horses” north from Enterprise to Beryl.

Dusty and Kid are just yearlings who either will never see the race track, or who need a temporary home until time to go to the trainer.

In Dusty’s case, he’ll never see the track as he has a slightly crooked cannon bone on his right front leg. He still needs love, and training, and he can become a very good pleasure riding horse, just not a race horse.

Kid is “track material”, but not ready to go to the trainer for a while. Cindy and Bev will nurture him and Dusty will provide other “horse company”.

What are the goals? Since Dusty will be here “long-term”, Cindy will work with him, and eventually saddle and ride him. She’s never done this, so the two of them will be learning together.

Kid is “just visiting”, so he’ll be loved and nurtured, but not trained. That is a job for the professional trainer.

As you can see, Dusty really admires his new keepers. Both Cindy and Bev are taking an active role in socializing him.

He’s got his issues. Some days, he’s a brat. Some days, he’s pushy. Some days, well… he’s just a total love… not the least bit well-behaved, but a total love.

Life is very good indeed… all the way through Thanksgiving and until the morning of December 11.

Mom wakes up not feeling her usual perky self. She’s got an upset stomach that’s getting worse as the morning goes on.

Teasingly, Bev says, “If you’re not better in an hour, I’m calling the squad (cop talk for emergency services)!”

And Mom replies… “Don’t think you’d better wait for the full hour”

With that, both Bev and Cindy spring into action. They call 911 and begin moving furniture so the EMT’s can get the gurney to Mom’s room. Let’s see, if they bring the gurney in the front door, they can go out the sliding door, and make the turn on the patio, then come in the back door with a straight shot into Mom’s room.

Within about 15 minutes, the squad arrives, and loads Mom up for the 45 minute trip to Cedar City. Bev and Cindy follow in the Avalanche. No one knows for sure what Mom’s problem is… but they all agree, she’s feeling pretty badly to agree to a ride in the ambulance.

One thing about Utah, and health care. These folks know how to take care of you… Bedside manners are tops. Even in the emergency room, the empathy oozes. Health care is a most important aspect of the “good life” in Utah.

Now, this a Sunday, so you wouldn’t expect much news about any conditions. But again, because it’s Utah, and health care is awesome, Mom is diagnosed with diverticulitis. She’s spending several days in the hospital until the Dr’s can get the infection under control.

Here it is… Christmas season, and Mom’s in the hospital. No time to slow down…

Besides making nearly daily trips to Cedar City, Bev and Cindy are readying the house for Christmas. That means shopping for presents and also meeting Shawn when he arrives.

Mom’s always hard to shop for, but this year, it’s a bit of a “no-brainer”. Earlier this year, on the way to Utah, the girls had lost “Bree”, having to euthanize her at the start of the move.

They’d be replacing her with a spunky little “brown bug”. Looking around, they found a family in Cedar City who had a Chocolate Lab puppy up for a “rescue adoption”. Perfect! She’ll do just fine with the Black Lab, the other “old gal” Chocolate Lab, and Koda, the shepherd-husky cross.

So, on Dec 17, nearly a week after Mom has gone to the hospital, Bev and Cindy visit the folks with the Chocolate Lab. Yes… they’ll take that one. How soon can they pick her up?

It’s now just a week before Christmas and time to go get Shawn. He’s making things easier by flying into ‘Vegas and then taking the shuttle into St. George. That means Bev and Cindy will go get him, then pick up the puppy, and then visit Mom.

“How well do we have to hide a puppy to get into Mom’s room”, Cindy asks.

“Puppy? How small… oh really… Yes, by all means. The puppy is welcome in her room.”

With only two days to spare, Mom is finally released from the hospital only to spend the next 10 days pretty much in bed, suffering from a bout of depression.

With the kitchen nightmare behind them, they now turn their serious attention to Mom’s room. The days are quickly racing by, and soon, she’ll be joining them. If they can’t get it all redecorated… they should at least get stuff unpacked as best they can.

Let’s see, right now, Mom’s room is chocolate milk brown. One wall has some kind of god-awful wallpaper that really looks like the “papered” side of drywall. There are patches where there used to be curtain rods, and those are unpainted.

Time to really focus and see if they can get Mom to agree to colors. They figure if they take pictures of the chips AND send both the chips and the pictures to her, surely she can choose one.

Well, that’s a no go… Mom can’t decide, so will wait until after she gets here. That means they’ll have moved everything at least three times. Once from where they originally put it, once away from the wall to make room to work, and once to where Mom finally decides to put it.

The one thing (probably the most important one) they’ve done for Mom, is find a great home for the houseplants they brought. You see, Mom just loves cacti, and other little house plants.

Cindy and Bev had carefully packed those in the Avalanche so the dogs wouldn’t trample them. As soon as they saw the east facing kitchen windows with nice deep ledges, they knew exactly where to put “Mom’s house plants”. Now all they had to do was remember to water them… not too much, but enough.

They’re fairly comfortable with the inside (even though it’s not done), so they turn their attention to at least making the outside look more presentable for her pending arrival.

They’ve managed to get the underground watering system going in the front yard. It’s on an automatic timer, and they’ve got it going twice a day, 30 minutes each time.

In order to make that work, they literally had to listen for the water to come on, go see where the timer was set, and adjust the time. Don’t ask them how they got it come on twice a day… that hasn’t happened for a while.

The backyard is another story. For the time being, Koda likes to play in the weeds and enjoy the shade of the tall cinder block wall. Missy and Mindy could care less.

You know, these two have been unpacking now for over two weeks, and they still have boxes scattered about, stuff laying around as if it will never have a home, and Mom arriving within a very short time… They’ve simply got to get in gear and get it done!

So it is as they head into the Labor Day weekend…

Left all alone with only their boxes, their dogs and each other, Bev and Cindy set about unpacking. Now, I don’t know about you… but unpacking is almost worse than packing.

They had lots of expectations about where things would go, and what they’d have to buy. Time to rethink a few things.

Good thing Mom wasn’t joining them until about six weeks later. They’d have time to get her room “just right”. Remember, the kitchen really belongs to Mom, too… so no matter how they set that up, it would most likely get major adjustments.

Yesterday, they’d had the big pieces moved directly to the proper rooms. Even though Mom’s room would get a paint job, they’d have to cover everything… better to have the moving guys move the big stuff up the the two stairs and around the hallway corners.

Some rooms were pretty straight forward. How many places can you really put the entertainment center when one wall is a fireplace/woodstove, and the other is a 12 foot sliding glass door?

As they were unpacking Mom’s stuff… well putting her stuff into her room, they also set up their computer there… just temporary so they could keep in touch with Shari.

The dogs? Where are the dogs?

Well, they’re settling in. Missy wandered from room to room until she found her favorite spot. Mindy staked out Mom’s bathroom and the tile floor in front of it for her “cool spot”. Koda was perfectly happy anywhere she was… give her a toy and a comfy bed and she was happy.

Monday morning, bright and early, the United Van Lines moving van showed up, complete with an “unpacking” crew. Oh boy… this would be like Christmas, opening boxes, some of which they hadn’t seen for nearly a year.

Where to put stuff?

Fortunately, the house didn’t require a lot of painting or other serious stuff. It was pretty much ready to move into, aside from cleaning out the dust. There were plush new carpets throughout. The only room that would be re-decorated, would be Mom’s room, and that would have to be done after moving things in.

Thank God for a pretty good sized single-car garage. Along with the overhang of the combination back porch, carport, they’d have enough room to put boxes outside and furniture inside… well, almost.

The “off loading” took the entire day. Little time to contact Shari and let her know whether or not they’d have room for all they brought.

Now, this home is about 29oo sq feet, so it’s not small. It has a full basement, although there were virtually no improvements beyond the laundry area. The main floor has a living room/dining room combination, a long narrow kitchen, three bedrooms and two baths with a hallway connecting the bedrooms. There are two doors which open directly to the walled-in back yard and patio. The front door has a small “mud room” so you can get in out of the weather first, then remove any wet clothing, before stepping into the entryway.

At the north end of the kitchen there is a door to the outside which puts you at the foot of the driveway, just in front of the garage door. The door to the basement steps is also at that end of the kitchen, just inside the door to the outside. In some cases, that is a blessing, and in others… well, let’s just say it’s always a good idea to keep the door to the basement closed.

So, back to unpacking… they would get the big stuff in the house in at least the right room. If a box was obviously marked as something they needed right away, it went in the house, and hopefully to the right room.

The rest of the boxes went to the garage. They tried to maintain some order, but in the usual chaos of unloading a truck, they can safely say there are still things they’ve not found, two years later.

After nearly 10 hours of unpacking the big moving van, it was now about 6PM, the van was empty, and the day was done. You could’ve put a fork into both Cindy and Bev, calling them “done”, too.

After getting that call from the real estate agent letting them know the house is theirs, it wasn’t long before the previous owner showed up with all the keys they needed. Since she had moved just down the road, it was much easier for her to bring them the keys, than for the agent to drive all the way out.

Keys in hand, they quickly got into the house so they could get their beds unpacked. At that point, the beds were more important than food… can you believe that?

With a few hours of sunlight, no problem getting enough done before dark.

Jimmy had TONS of work to do… You see, he wasn’t just an extra driver, he came along to do those all-important “guy things”, like make sure the electrical was in working order, and the furnace, air conditioning and heat pump worked properly, as well as make sure the plumbing worked.

Within a few hours, he was more than happy to crash on the living room floor in his sleeping bag.

Everyone was up early Saturday as they had lots to do… more lists were made and off they went to Cedar City to pick up stuff like cleaning supplies, air filters, etc.

In addition to all the inside work, figuring out where they expected things to go, cleaning the dust out, they also took time to “survey” the outside. Note this overgrown hedge… it plays an important part later on.

Bev had to take Jimmy to the Cedar City airport Sunday morning. Cindy couldn’t sleep (still on east coast time), so she was up washing windows before daylight, as well as recording one of the most beautiful sunrises.

Within a few hours, Bev returned home and they continued to unpack what they could. Jmmy had a more exciting adventure, going to Columbus Ohio by way of New York City, thanks to severe thunderstorms throughout the mid section of the country. He finally got home about 11PM, after thinking he’d be home by 2PM or so.

Having arrived at Dad’s barn, they set about gathering the many boxes and other items they’d been moving off the island for the past six months or so. Originally, they’d been packing and storing the boxes in the basement of their island home, but the Realtor insisted they move things off and put an end to any clutter.

So, they moved things three times, from the upstairs to the basement, and then back upstairs out the door, onto the truck, to a rented storage building, out of there, back onto the truck… across the lake to Dad’s barn.

By the time they had stuffed the moving van and 12 foot trailer, all available extra space in both the Avalanche and the Blazer, it was nearly 11 PM. Yikes, and they were still in Ohio!

On the road… no matter they’d been up way before the sun. They must press onward.

They convoyed back to pick up the I-80 Turnpike, and head west.

Somewhere west of Toledo at the Swanton Rest Area they pulled off for much needed sleep.

Every time they stopped and started again, Cindy called Shari. It mattered not that there was a time zone adjustment, or that it might be the middle of the night. So, Shari was called after the vet stop, and then again very late, as they left Dad’s barn.

Very early the next morning, with fresh eyes, they again started their trek… Utah or Bust!

Bev and Jim did most of the driving, with Cindy filling in for short stints. On long boring straight highways, Cindy tended to get drowsy (or is that mesmerized).

From just west of Toledo, they put the pedal to the metal, soon heading into Indiana, through Illinois, Iowa, and into Nebraska. They’d be on I-80 until they got to I-76 just west of Ogallala. Even though they had well over 1900 miles to go, they felt like they’d be there in no time.

The towns and cities became a blur as they raced westward, stopping only to fuel the rigs, themselves, the dogs, and to provide a few minutes “out” for the dogs and themselves.

By the time they stopped for the night in Kearney, Nebraska, they’d gone through most of Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, and half of Nebraska. That’s also four update calls to Shari, who was tracking their progress, as well as keeping an eye on the weather for them.

The found a “dog friendly” motel and crashed for the night, knowing the most challenging section of the trip was still ahead… the drive across the Rockies with the Avalanche pulling a 12-foot trailer.

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.

Mom, who had lived on the island with Cindy and Bev for the least amount of time, seemed to have the most stuff.

The kitchen was her domain. So, everything in the kitchen was hers. Rumor has it that until she moved in, Cindy and Bev didn’t eat nearly as well as after she got there.

Mom has virtually every uni-tasking tool, toy, and utensil that’s been produced. Add to that all her multi-tasking tools, bake ware, cook ware, canners, mixers, etc., and you could fill a small trailer.

One of Mom’s most favorite things to do before (and even after) she moved to Put In Bay, was to trek down to Amish Country. There she’d find delicious and tempting spices, baked goods, canned goods, etc. Needless to say, she had a pretty good stash of stuff like spices, popcorn, dried fruit, and assorted canned products. All that had to get packed.

She’s also a “crafter”. She quilts, sews, and makes all kinds of little goodies, so more boxes of fabrics, and crafting supplies.

Since Mom was still recovering from the knee replacement, packing everything fell on Bev and Cindy’s shoulders. Mom was the supervisor. If she said keep it… it got packed. If she said “well, I don’t know”… we’ve not found it yet.

A short while before the actual moving date, Mom went to house sit for a dear friend. According to Cindy, that made it easier to pack what was necessary first, and add the other stuff later.

When it came to the “toys and tools” that Cindy and Bev had, well the question was kind of… will we need this in the desert? That means the little lawn tractor with the snowblower attachment stayed behind… not the best decision they made.

Making arrangements to move when you live on an island accessible only by ferry boat or small plane makes life exciting. In addition to scheduling the movers, they had to ensure that the moving vans were waiting dockside on the mainland for the very first ferry of the day.

On moving day, all they’d have to do is seriously move like crazy to get all the household goods packed into the moving van, the Avalanche (with a 12 foot trailer), and the Blazer in time to get off the island via PRE-RESERVED slots on the last ferry boat out for the day. You see, mid week getting on the island was pretty easy… it was getting off with an 18-wheeler that was a bit tricky.

Oh, and they had the dogs to consider…

Right in the middle of the busiest season of the year, a time when ferry space was hard to obtain, Cindy and Bev had been to the mainland more times than they wanted. One of their dogs, Bree a beautiful young Black Lab had gotten sick. She was losing weight, had been unable to keep food down, and was coughing a lot. She really didn’t look good at all.

The dogs, all four of them… well, except for Koda, the pup, were just a bit “undone” about all this packing stuff… They’d never seen such activity. What was going on, anyhow? In turn, each of the dogs made the trip to the vet with Bree, to get their health exams. After all, what they didn’t know was that they were moving… out of state, and way away from the water.