First Idaho Winter, A Sight To Behold – October 1999

Winter doesn’t necessarily keep schedule with our calendar…

Bent Pines Ranch during the winter is a beautiful sight to behold. We haven’t experienced the wonderland of winter in its truest form just yet, but we’re better equipped now. Bob and I recently installed a propane heater that will keep us warm throughout the cold months. The wood stove is still there, but with approximately 4 cords of wood stacked up in the back, we figured that would take us through just about 1/3 of the winter. What about the other 2/3’s??? I guess that lets me off the hook on chopping wood!

Having grown up in warmer climates though, we are looking forward to the change of the seasons, and the thrill of newly fallen snow.

Bobby and I did experience a small taste of the variable spring weather here in Idaho though. Here we are on June 4th, just a few miles up into the mountains from Bent Pines Ranch, where it snowed enough to have a good snow ball fight, and probably even build a pretty nice snowman.

We thought it’d be fun to reflect on the fact that while the month of June may lead Florida into the dog days of summer, its not a month in Idaho that you’d want to get caught with your shirts off!

Not only your shirts off, but you really don’t want to leave your beloved Ford F250 out of the garage on any given day either. We thought it looked like just an ordinary storm approaching but when  big balls of ice began to hurl from the sky, well, this is what the resulting landscape looked like:Those glistening objects on the picnic table and in the driveway aren’t rocks. They’re golf ball sized hail, which really puts a dent on your truck. Miraculously, Tom’s Ford was parked under the tree and didn’t seem to have been victim to any damage at all.

INTRODUCING… Pilgrim

What do you do when a pup is quickly elevated to King Chukabobo of your household? To Bob and I, the answer is, treasure him, love him, and protect him with your life! We brought Pilgrim into our family the end of June. He has become such a joy to us, that we now often ask ourselves, “how did we ever live without Pilgrim”? He is with us at all times, and is a happy member of our family, posing here in between serious chewing on his big rawhide bone.
At any one time during the day, Pilgrim and Bob can be seen riding the ATV together.  Pilgrim is a great ranch hand, and a wonderful companion. Although it may seem to some as though his nipping and barking at shovels, picks, vacuum cleaners, mowers or any other household tool might be a hindrance, rather, we enjoy his exuberant energy, and appreciate his willingness to practice his characterized viciousness in the event we are faced with danger and rely on his proficient tactics to defend our lives someday. Since Pilgrim is a house dog, he gets baths often, especially if he  and Bob have been out in the pasture, and Pilgrim gets a taste for cow patties. He’s pretty good about getting a bath, and is almost always rewarded with a bowl of ice cream, one of his favorites.

Pilgrim is a Red Heeler whose breeding history includes, in large part, the Australian Dingo.

THE BROTHERS MANGOLD

Bobby, Duke and Tom take a moment somewhere in the middle of our trip from Florida to Idaho to give us a snapshot of the the three of them together. We are forever indebted to Duke and Tom for going beyond the call of duty during our nightmarish experience with the U-haul. Troopers all the way, they dr

Once we arrived in Idaho, and got settled in, brother Tom treated us to a wildlife excursion for some real fun! Antlers are widely sought in this region of the country, and can fetch hundreds of dollars for a good fresh set. But when you land a full set,  its hard to part with such beautiful trophies, and so they are treasured and admired by all who see them. Tom is a great teacher, and shares his knowledge of antler hunting with enthusiasm. He explains the signs you look for when searching for antlers in the wild, such as moose droppings, particular foliage they like to eat, and so on. Tom has been perfecting the art of antler hunting for the past 4 or 5 years, and having paid his dues, it seems that the rewards are enormous for him these days. He does just as well when hunting for morel mushrooms in the springtime too! Frankly, Toms talents in the great outdoors seem almost endless.
WILL WORK FOR DEER FOOD

Bob says he’s going to have to get a part-time job to keep up with the deer food expenses.

Thanks for taking an interest in our adventures out west and for staying in touch.

We will continue to share our adventures with you, and sincerely hope you will have a chance someday to visit.

-Mary Mangold