CDA, Idaho — I met my first “Karen” today and I was shaking for 30 minutes afterward. No need to go into all the details. I may have shared in the complicity of the encounter taking a wrong turn, but if so, it was not intentional. And I apologized several times. She wouldn’t hear of […]
Met my first Karen today Read More »
We’re about a month away from the official beginning of summer here in eastern Montana. The weather today is beautiful — blue sky, no wind, moderate temperatures in the 60s and 70s. There is hope in the air throughout the community. When I came home from Idaho several weeks ago, it was a quite different
Building restoration and roof repairs – fortune or folly? Read More »
(EASTERN MONTANA) It’s mid-July and the critters are out. And in. Everywhere, spiders. Big ones, and really big ones, monstrously big ones, medium ones, and tiny ones. I know they eat bugs, but I like it better when they dine outdoors. In the past week, I’ve also encountered two snakes, dozens of millers (brown moths
Critters love crannies Read More »
(EASTERN MONTANA) – City living has its perks, in normal times at least. The constant pace and ever-changing street scenes feed my imagination. Los Angeles was my home for many years, and it still calls to me. I can’t quite give it up, and I miss it now that non-essential air travel is ill-advised, temporarily
Marvelous Low Tech Contraptions – Clotheslines Read More »
The real secret to survival in an old house is to find an old-timer or two willing to help out and share their wisdom. YouTube is good, but watching an experienced DIY’er in action is gold.
How to survive in an old rural house Read More »
Every journey of 1,000 steps begins with the first one, right? Fixing up the real Flashback Garage is going to be a many-step process. Major stuff to start with: electricity, water, heat, windows, ceilings, doors. Lots of doors.There are more than a dozen doors on the property. I did not get one single key when
Old padlock, no key Read More »
Melstone, MT — Even if Victory Gardens from World War I and II were before your time, you’ve likely heard about those homefront gardens, unless you’ve been living under a rock. (No blame if that’s you; there are valid reasons to shut out the outside world!) The concept has been rebooted in recent years, now
Start a Victory Garden wherever you are Read More »
1. Make greeting cards to use for later occasions. Birthday Cards…Thinking Of You Cards…, Valentine’s, etc. File them for when the occasion arises. Get crafty, or just use some old paints, water colors, acrylics, etc. Crayons, Markers, Colored Pencils, Your old type-writer…. Have fun and store or file them with your stationery by Occasion. 2.
30 Things to Do While “Staying Home” & “Social Distancing” …but not losing your mind! Read More »
(Written just before the 2020 pandemic changed life as we knew it.) Sunland-Tujunga, CA — I walked down a stretch of Foothill Boulevard in La Crescenta yesterday that I have driven through countless times over the years. A tire service, a coffee place and a fast food restaurant were open, not much else. It was
View from the sidewalk Read More »
I’ve had a lot of luck (and flakes! a few flakey people, but we’ll touch on that later) posting on my local Buy Nothing page on Facebook. If you aren’t a member of that type of page, search for a group that has your town name and “buy nothing” or “free page”. ‘Buy Nothing’ is a way
The ‘Buy Nothing’ Movement (Facebook Edition) Read More »