Spring is on it's way!

Driving to Grangeville last week, I spotted these lambs in a meadow in Slate Creek!

It was a miserable day, cold and rainy, and the poor little things were all hunched up next to their mamas. 

I didn't take pictures than, but decided to go back there yesterday, which was beautiful and sunny, and this time they looked much better! Most of them were just relaxing in the sun but a few were up and about ..

This is one of the daddies!

They are Rambouillet sheep or French Merinos, and have very fine, and super dense, fleece.

I'll try to get my hands on some!

A little further down the road there are several large herds of cattle in the meadows near the creek, and guess what .. calves!

So cute! This is as close as I could get, on this side of the river, and using full zoom on my camera, still not the best shots but you 'get the picture' (ha).

 

I'm amazed at how early these youngsters are born. 
I bet there's still some cold weather coming, but I guess the farmers know what they're doing and they're going to be OK?!

Talking about that trip to Grangeville, we had to pick up Sam's truck, which was repaired (busted fuel pump), and we took the opportunity to do grocery shopping and get some materials for James as well.
This was how the road up the Whitebird pass/summit looked like:

White Bird

This is a little further up the hill, looking back ..

And here we're passing Miriam's place, right in the middle there, where you see some trees at the bottom of the hills ..

This is just before we reach the summit at 4,245', again looking back to where we came from ..So far the winter has been very mild, this is about as snowy as it has been. We didn't even get that much. OK, let's run and knock on wood now ..

James certainly is happy about it, and even more so now he has found 3 more workers this week! There young 'kids' and don't know much (yet), but they work hard and are willing to learn. Yeah!
Things are moving forward a little faster now, and the first walls have been going up:

                               

                                                        

                                                        

Looking good there boss!



How about this view from the master-bedroom window:




This is how it looks now coming up the driveway to the old house below:

                                   

Don has done some more excavating and leveling ..

                                       

It's hard work, holding that level, but someone has to do it ..

My week would have been rather uneventful as usual, except for the fact that I spend several anxious days trying to book a plane- ticket to Amsterdam!

Yep, Time for another visit to family and friends, it's been a year and a half since I was over there, so I'm a little overdue, but of course there was the truck-disaster and all, so there really was no money for a while.

I always get so nervous, trying to get the best price and making sure I make no mistakes in dates and times and everything else ..

But I got one, with nice dates and times, so I'm happy, and boy what a relief!

The price was outrages, but I guess that's only going to get worse with the whole 'green' movement ..

 I got myself a present for a job well done ..

 

A new bag! As I mentioned in the previous post I went back to the restaurant in Riggins where I saw it and lo and behold, they still had it!

My old bag was 7 years old and falling apart so it has been retired.

This new one is a Myra-bag, apparently made from the canvas of recycled, old army tents with some scrap-leather accents and straps.

I feel so green! Somehow I don't think it'll make up for that airplane ticket though ..