South Africa

Monday I flew out of Billings in the morning with alayover in Salt Lake and Atlanta.  I borded the plane Monday night for Johannesburg.  We landed Tuesday evening about 8 pm.  Long flight but so worth the trip of the lifetime.  I tried to sleep last night bit was up most of the night.  

Got up this morning to meet driver at 5:45, heading to Pilanesberg National Park for the day.  

Always learning

 I have been staying up here at the Ironrod for over a week now.  I went to town last Saturday to visit my daughter and her family for a couple hours, do some shopping and just get to spend time with the grandkids.  Tomorrow morning after I work for a couple hours I will head back into town.  Need to pick up some supplies and fill propane tanks and water.  Today I had clients and there were times that I was thinking about going to town when I didn't have clients and wanting to be there.  Today was also windy and cloudy, not enjoyable to even be outside in the wind.  The camper was rocking for sure today.  It is suppose to be cloudy, windy, rainy and even snow the rest of the time I am here.  I will go to town tomorrow, maybe spend the night depending on the weather and then come back out till Friday.  Then head back to my daughters for a coupe days before heading back to Glendive and home.  

When I come back the end of May, after I get back from South Africa.  It will be nice because I can unwinterized the camper totally and taking showers in the camper without having to use the Nemo shower system.  I plan to stay off and on through the summer months and into the fall.   

One thing that happened to day that I learned to adjust quickly is that the wind caught the solar panel and pulled out the wires.  I was frustrated but quickly learned that I could get the supplies and fix it myself and it wasn't really that big of deal.  The nice part is that I have a generator I keep in my pickup just incase of times the solar isn't available.  I have actually had to charge the solar unit with the generator because on cloudy days when it has been plugged in all day it wouldn't get enough charge.  Especially like these next couple days when it is supposed to be cold and cloudy for about 4 or 5 days.  I like being prepared.  

I am enjoying the challenge of learning as I adapt to this lifestyle of getting used to being alone and figuring things out.  I try to be prepared but am continuing to gain knowledge and learn to adapt.  I have figured out how all the systems work in the camper now between the solar, battery and propane which might not seem like much to some but for me turning on propane the first time was a little terrifying in that I wasn't sure if I was doing it right and didn't want to blow things up.  I figured out how to get the everything lit and going.  Now it feels natural but I sometimes figuring out these things and learning can be a little overwhelming.  

I am looking forward to continuing to have challenges and learn how to do things over the summer. 

Working on the Iron Rod Homestead.

 The people that come into are just short of amazing. I bought this 20 acres back in February and a couple weeks ago I pulled my camper up here.  I am planning to spend most of the summer up here.  My neighbors here are so amazing and so helpful.  He had mentioned a couple weeks ago that he would cut in a road for me.  So today when he was over we walked around the property trying to figure out where to put the pole barn and plan on building a cabin.  On the south end of the property is small drainage that has water in the spring, and the wildlife like to walk through the drainage.  On the north end is  a hill so I would be higher up and more view but would also be exposed to the North winds and more snow as I would have less protections.  

I ended up picking the south end because I would actually have more of a view around the whole place and the snow capped mountains.  I appreciated all his input in talking me through different options and choices.  Then he leaves and comes back with his bobcat and within an hour has the road all cut in clearing the sagebrush and cactus away.  Clears the area to build the pole barn.  He said he has the base down by the gold mine and will haul it up here when we are ready to start building next month.  Pretty dang amazing to have such helpful neighbors.  

Buying this place really has been a blessing, not only for my own healing, but just in giving me a place to enjoy on my own.  I have really been struggling with feeling at home, at home!  But when I am up here I feel so relaxed and comfortable.   I am looking forward to staying through the week and then it is back to Glendive to get packed and ready to head off to South Africa the following week.  

Spring

I was up at the Rod Iron a couple weeks ago and got to take this picture of a moose calf when I was leaving.  I love that I have land out in the middle of nowhere.  I get to see wildlife whenever I am there.  I have seen a moose every time I have been up there which is just amazing to me.  I am so excited to get started on doing some improvements to the land and getting to spend a lot of time up there.  I am heading up next week and planning to spend most of the summer up there.  I will be working a lot during the day in the camper, but hoping to have a road cut in and the spot leveled out to build a pole barn in the next couple weeks.  I am excited that I can stay up there all summer and just boondock with the camper.  I have plenty of solar and the generator that will make it easy to work, plus with the Starlink the only thing I won’t have is Cell service and you won’t hear me complaining about that.  

I am hoping that this summer I will be able to start on a dry cabin.  My plan is to work on building a living quarter area with a living room and bedroom, then position it so next year after the Ceptic gets put in and we are able to run the plumbing that we can add on a bathroom and Kitchen to the area already built along with another bedroom.  My goal is eventually to have some hunting cabins down at the end of the property for guests to use.  But it all takes time and money so it is going in stages.  I am looking forward to sitting on my porch being able to watch wildlife.  I am going to invest in a really good spotting scope this summer to be able to watch in the valley.  

Monday is Sam’s 1st heavenly birthday.  The lights on the Love Like Justice Bell street bridge will be lit up!  He would have been 70 this years! Hard to believe how much has changed in the last 8 months.  Happy Birthday Sam!  You are so missed.  

The unexpected!

I thought I had this year mapped out in my mind of how it would go, but it is amazing how doors open and change happens.  I wasn’t really planning on looking for employment that hard after my job ended in October, 2025, but I have accepted a new full-time position with NOCD.  I will be providing counseling to clients that mostly deal with OCD.  I am looking forward to the change it will bring.  The plus side is that I don’t have to worry about insurance since I will be working, with all the changes to Obamacare right now and the worry that them marketplace won’t be covering parts of deductibles I was looking at having to pay over a grand a month for insurance and on top of that I take a medication that I have been paying over a grand a month for out of pocket as it isn’t covered by my insurance.   So those worries will now be gone.  The big plus is that I work remotely and will be able to set my own schedule.  

I start work this coming Friday and then have a 3 day weekend for the holiday!  I am looking forward to being home as I have been gone since before Christmas.  I just got home today and am planning to spend the next couple days getting things set up for work and cleaning house.  I have gotten used to having time to do things like deep cleaning and organizing my house but know that working will cut into a lot of that time.  I need to go down and get my office set up for work, and then be organized and ready for Friday!   I plan on going back to Megan’s next month and spending a couple weeks.  I will be planning on doing some traveling and working while traveling in my camper office!!  

I got to spend the last 3 weeks hanging out with Megan, Lincoln, and Vallie.  It was great getting to spend time and get lots of snuggles with the kids.  Went to Butte to get to watch my godson play hockey.  He has been playing with the Butte Irish junior league but he is now transferring to Minnesota to play.  It was great to get to watch his last game.  Lincoln was excited because he got a game puck after the game.   

 Welcome to 2026.  I am so glad to say goodbye to 2025 but also sad to let go at the same time.  Last year was a year of great joy and also the heaviest sadness and grief I have experienced in my life as my husband passed away in June and life drastically changed.  In October my job ended and I was feeling really lost and struggling to figure out what my life would look like.  I spent the months since my husbands passing "running" and just being gone away from home, avoiding things and just existing really.  But as I welcome 2026, I have come to realize I need to get it figured out and decide what I want.  I didn't work from October until now and figured I wouldn't really be going back into the workforce full time and just traveling but I also know that isn't really what I want as I didn't have purpose for myself and know I need it.  

I accepted a full-time position with NOCD that I will start mid January and am looking forward to it.  I will be working remotely and able to still travel and work.   I have spent a lot of time avoiding being home and just staying busy when I am home.  I plan to spend some time this year doing some work around the house, getting underground sprinklers put in, a heat/cool split in the backroom, redoing my bathroom, having a gas fireplace put in the living room.  Just investing more in fixing up the areas around the house that could use some improvements and have been neglected over the years.  

I have been in Dillion for a couple weeks now and plan on staying here another week or so before doing a rode trip south for a week or so before working my way back up here to watch Vallie while Lincoln has Tubes put in his ears in Missoula and then heading home to watch Amanda's kids for a week while they are gone snowmobiling.  Then I will see how my work training is going and plan on heading down south for a month or so. I bought a Intech Dawn Sol this last fall and am loving it.  Easy for me to tow and travel with, gives me enough room.  

This year I am looking forward to health and healing as my journey continues.  I will spend everyday looking for joy, treasuring the memories but I just refuse to live in the pain and hurt without Sam.  I am moving forward living the life we planned and dreamed about doing together, it will just look a little different in doing it by myself.  Going to enjoy the next couple weeks before I start back to work.  Bring on 2026 I am ready for it. 

The experience of going to the Salt Cathedral in Zipaquira was nothing short of amazing.  Our driver, Fernando, who we hired to drive us picked us up at 10:30 and drove us about an hour away to the Cahedral and waited while we walked through the Cathedral.  It was amazing to see the 14  crosses carved out of the salt rock to depict the 14 Stations of the Cross and then to walk into a major cathedral.  It was just such an experience with some great energy.  It was so spiritual to be so far underground walking through the Salt Mine knowing that  they carved each piece of it.   

After we got back from the Salt Cathedral, we walked up to the central plaza and just walked around, stopped at Crepes and Waffles (it was the first time we walked by there that they didn't have a line a mile long out the door).  It was worth the wait.   Then we ordered a pizza and went back to our hostile.  Spending the evening just siting around enjoying the views of the city.  Tomorrow we head out to another Hostile and meet up with the women's group to begin our group trip!