Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Things I'm Learning in Montana, part 1

I'm learning a lot since our move to NW Montana.  All of these things have been (or are being) learned and tested by experience, not merely read about (though I found some helpful links, should you choose to experience these things on your own).  Of course, this list is being constantly appended...
  • What it means to actually experience 4 distinct seasons of the year.
  • How to preserve a bear hide.
  • Uses for bear fat.
  • How to butcher a deer.
  • How to make venison jerky (after two very inedible attempts).
  • That gleaning fruit is a perfectly acceptable (and free) way to harvest hundreds of pounds of Flathead cherries and apples.
  • That if you're suddenly the recipient of 200 lbs of cherries, rush out and buy a cherry pitter ASAP.
  • How to install a VHF mobile radio in an ambulance, fire truck, etc.
  • How to solder wire.
  • How to drive a snowmobile (or "snowcat", as they're called here).
  • How to get a snowmobile stuck and un-stuck.
  • How to dress for cold weather.
  • How to drive on ice and snow... safely.
  • How to do "donuts" on icy parking lots.
  • How to repair a headlight after hitting a deer.
  • That deer are extraordinarily unpredictable.
  • How to walk into a gun show, slap down cash, and walk out with a firearm -- the same day.
  • That the U.S. Constitution isn't the bastion of virtue I originally thought it was.
  • How to use a chainsaw.
  • Why they call this "Big Sky Country" (no infernal skyscrapers to obstruct the view!)
  • That in Montana, even though it's spelled C-R-E-E-K, it's pronounced "crick".
...And last, but certainly not least:

What an amazing family I've been blessed with, and that I get to enjoy the experience with them.

 

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