1 Month Anniversary!

                As of April 30, 2012 we have been here 1 month.  We had a great day.  It amazes me how much you can accomplish in a day when not distracted by the TV or computer.  In one day we went fishing at two locations, had ice cream at Dawt Mill to celebrate catching fish and 1 month, cooked a egg and hash brown breakfast,  read a book, got water from the neighbor, cooked dinner, made campfire oat granola, and got all the dishes cleaned and put away.  We still had time to watch a movie.  Super D cut wood and Sugarbug had a blast playing with 2 box turtles we picked up while fishing.


The bass we couldn't keep!



Super D's biggest catch so far.

                We are settling in to life here.  Super D applied for a job and goes in this week to take tests.   We have learned to get by going to town once every two weeks.  If we don’t get what we need then you learn to live without until the next trip.  D’s store carries a lot of things but is expensive.  So we really try not to have to buy food stuff there.  Every day we do something different.  We always try to get something done around the house.  Weekends are usually for visiting friends and family.  Every Day we learn something new. 

campfire granola

                In one month we have accomplished mowing an acres worth of land to live on, setting up a fire pit, cutting and stacking wood, unpacking the house and getting most things in place, moving the trailer into the spot we want, expanding the fire pit, building an outhouse, getting a culvert put in, and laying out plans for building and garden.

.  Yes, I said outhouse.  We now have our very own outhouse to use.  It is an improvement from finding a tree.  Levi ran out of wood but it will have a roof and wood door soon.  Right now the sheet works well.   Sugarbug even called dibs to use it first.          

Our next goals are to build some steps or deck for the trailer. Right now it is a very big step to get into the trailer and needs more steps but we would like to add a deck area. We need to dig post holes to start building a garage like building over the trailer and out the back for space to park cars, storage, and room for Super D to work.  Finish up the outhouse and get the garden going.  Here we are already behind on planting season.  Most people have their tomato plants in the ground already.  Also I am continually trying new things to cook on a campfire to expand what we eat.  We are learning what grows natively that we can use. We have a sassafras tree growing behind our trailer.  We’ve learned sassafras is used to make root beer.  I can’t wait to try it.  We are looking forward to many more adventures!

Our place at 1 month

Fishing Fools

                Super D and Sugarbug have been fishing almost daily.  We rarely go to the river without the poles in the car.  Super D got his fishing license and has been at it almost daily.  We spent several days just hanging out at the river but so far all his efforts haven’t paid off.  Since we haven’t lived here long enough for a resident fishing license Super D got his nonresident one.  Funny thing is the nonresident license here cost just as much as a resident license in Colorado.  Since it is more expensive we just got Super D’s and not mine yet.  Sugarbug is young enough to not need one. 

                I have to say I haven’t minded not being able to fish.  Sitting on the bank of the river watching them, reading, and relaxing is suiting me just fine.  Sugarbug has yet to catch anything but it’s not for lack of trying.  She is pretty good casting her rod and being patient and slowly reeling it in.  Often you can see some of the fish and watch the little ones tail the bait.  Up to this point Super D has only caught 1 fish large enough to bring home. 

                At our swimming hole just down the street from our home is a nice area where the fish are taunting Super D.  One evening while out fishing we watched huge fish jumping out of the water on the other side of the river but not a single one was taking our bait.  So to get to the other side we needed a canoe.  Super D knew just where to get one Mr. B down the road had offered to sell us his.  Now his offer was too good to pass up.  Super D went to get the canoe and back to the river.  Sadly, this canoe ended up having a good size hole in it so you couldn’t sit long it in before your feet were wet.    Super D caught only a too small to eat catfish.  It was time to get serious.  We went to the bait shop and picked up more supplies and Super D got a trot line. This is a long line with several hooks hanging off that you bait and leave in the river for fish and check later.   This time Super D meant business and set the line one night.   The next morning we were to get up early to go check it. It was a long night though as for some reason the dogs started barking in the middle of the night and then it started to thunder and rain. No one got enough sleep and we were not ready to get up early in the rain so we stayed in bed a little longer.  It was still drizzling when we got up so we sent Super D out in the rain to check the line and Sugarbug and I stayed home.  Super D was gone a good while and I thought he would be getting home any minute when he showed up.  I asked if he got any fish and he said I don’t know.  Poor guy had to walk almost 2 miles in the rain because the tire in the truck blew out on his way to the river.  We loaded up tools and drove him back to the truck.  We were all out now so after the tire change in the mud we went to the river to check the line.  Fully expecting to catch something after all that trouble we had no fish.   He had also put in a crawdad trap he borrowed from Mr. R and so we checked it.  One crawdad;  Disappointed we took the one crawdad home anyways and cooked it up for Sugarbug to have her first taste. 

Checking trot lines.

                 Aunt S, Super D’s sister took us on a guided hike/ fish trip.  We went to several places and while they enjoyed the fishing I enjoyed the hiking. (I’ll tell you more about hiking later)  It was a perfect day for fishing as it was overcast and sprinkling rain every once in a while.  They did have several catches but in the end only 2 fish were big enough to bring home and them just barely.    My favorite part of the day was watching Super D attempt to free his lure that had got caught in a tree branch.  Pictures below J  Granted our hikes to the fishing holes took us through several stream crossing so Super D’s feet were already wet but I don’t think he had planned to go swimming.  After getting his lure free he saw another one that someone else must have lost and tried to get it.  In his attempt he flung the lure into the water.  He was glad he at least saved his.   I think it was much too cold this day to be in the river!  I was wearing a long sleeved shirt, but my crazy family was in the water jeans and all this day. 

He was attempting to balance on this tree fallen in the river.

Almost there!

And he's in.  :)  The things this man goes through for a lure!  (They are like $4.00 each)

                Finally, success!  After 3 weeks of fishing we finally had a good fishing day.  Sugarbug caught her first fish, a blue gill. She was so excited she was jumping up and down.  I also got a great picture of what I called her caught a fish smile.  I’ll have to record her whole caught a fish dance next time. She is a good fisher girl and even took her fish of f the hook to show her dad.  She got it over to her dad and was going to put it on our stinger to keep but dropped it and it flopped into the water and was off.  Poor girl chased it in a couple feet.  But her spirit wasn’t dampened at all and she was back at her pole after another one.  In another half an hour she caught a bass.  A good size one but they aren’t in season so we couldn’t keep it.  Super D also had success and caught five fish.  Only one was not a bass and big enough to keep.  Bass comes in season at the end of May and we are looking forward to fishing them.  Hopefully I will have my license by then too.  I was wanting in on the action this day!  I’m sure I’ll have more fishing adventures to share later.

I caught a fish jump

Sugarbug's first catch!