Last week, Vernon (a friend from Kentucky) and Dave put up the garden deer fence. The fence is 8 feet tall, and we will add another foot of protection with a line of wire. This weekend, we planted more than half the garden, which included a row of raspberries and Montana blackberries, carrots, onions, lettuce and greens, potatoes, and corn. The tomatoes and peppers will grow in the greenhouse this year, and we still have to plant squash, beets, zucchini, kale, spinach, swiss chard, cabbage, herbs, and a few other things. As you can see in the photos below, some of the rows have Agribon over them to protect the plants from the cold Montana nights (even in the summer). But the days are getting very long. It is still  light out at 9:30 PM.

Dave will get back to working on the electrical wire at the lodge tomorrow, and we are preparing for the siding of the lodge for late June when two of our sons will be coming here and will do the siding. We have chosen a cedar dropsiding, which we think will look very nice.

This is our 10 x 16 greenhouse. We hauled this from Oregon in 2015 when we moved to Montana. It’s 18 years old (with new plastic, of course), and it has been an integral part of our gardening system.

This is a view of the newly planted garden and 8 foot tall deer fence looking down from one of my office windows. The garden is 40 x 42.

Another view of the garden with the LT shop in the background. One of our helpers is using the ladder to put the cedar shakes on the gable ends – not the easiest job to do.

Eric from Wyoming, who has been helping us for a few days, captured this beautiful sunset a couple evenings ago when we took him and his father, Vernon (from Kentucky), to the Koocanusa River. This view is looking northwest, up into Canada, which is just a few miles from us.

I haven’t taken many photos lately as we have been so busy just trying to get established on the land since moving onto it a month ago. Everything is operational at LT, but still so much to do. Electricity not done yet at the lodge as Dave is pulled in many directions every day, but it’s coming along.

This evening after work and supper, before it got dark, we took a walk on the land. It was a beautiful spring evening. Thought we’d share some photos we took.

It’s hard to tell in this photo but the meadow is starting to really green up after winter’s snow cover. The sun in the west was shining on the meadow and the mountain. As we get closer and closer to summer, the days will get very long here. By the third week in June, there will still be a little light at 11pm.

I zoomed in and caught this deer running through the meadow. There were actually about five of them.

We have successfully moved our personal effects into the 1 bedroom apartment, which is above the LT shop. The move went smoothly even though it was very exhausting. I am calling this Phase 1. In less than two weeks, phase 2 will take place, which is moving the publishing operation into the shop. Now THAT is a big job! We have about 10 people lined up to help with that – yes, it takes that many to move thousands of pounds of books, a huge printer, desks, and many shelves.

Photo of an elk

While this has been a very stretching time for Dave and I, it is wonderful to finally be living on this land. We fall asleep looking at the stars through the window and wake up before the sun comes up and see the silhouette of the trees right outside our window. On our first night there, Dave and I went out to the forest to gather up some firewood that we had cut up last fall, and we heard a strange noise very close by. We suddenly realized it was the sound of an elk, not more than a few yards away! This is Montana, and there is lots of wildlife.

Yesterday, two dear fellows, who happen to be experienced carpenters from, came down as volunteers, and they are helping Dave and our hired carpenter put up the siding on the shop this week. We are so grateful.

We have been trying to come up with a name for the shop/apartment building. The other building is The Lodge, and thanks to the suggestion of one of our sons, we are going to call this building “The Lighthouse.” That seemed to make a lot of sense.

Thank you to those who have been praying for us and also to those who have donated to help us hire help. In two weeks, with the help of another volunteer, Dave will begin putting in the electrical wiring in The Lodge.

The apartment kitchenette

A sitting area outside my office for Internet connection

The bathroom in the apartment

The apartment living room – small and cozy.

Dave’s office, which we are using for a guest room until the lodge is finished.