Refuge in a Sign

Today was an interesting day, the kind of day that just kind of evolves. Our only plans were for Ian to continue working on the lean-to and for me to paint one of the large signs at the entrance to the Diamond M. There are two signs, one on each side of the driveway - one has large, nicely defined black letters declaring the name of the ranch, the fact that they offer an RV park, B&B, and cabins for rent, and their phone number, printed on a stark white background. Very easy to see from the road. The other sign at one time was brown wood painted brown with darker brown letters. I think the original intent was to look rustic; however, over time the two browns faded into each other, and the entire sign kind of fades into the background of trees and schrubs. So, my job was to make it as eye catching as the other sign, infact, nearly as identical as I can make it, even though I told Blair (the male half of the owners) that my skill at lettering and spacial, staight lines is wanting. He apparently has more confidence in me than I do, as he said to have at it. OK. I found the white paint in their garage and was rolling it on the picnic table in front of Montana to stir it up when Ronna (the female half of the owners) stopped by to chat about some mailers I had worked on for her yesterday. After a few minutes, she very casually drew my attention to the fact that the paint was leaking out of the can, still on its side, and pouring onto the picnic table, down the post, and onto the indoor-outdoor carpeting they had placed there. Either Ronna is a good actress or is not easily perturbed, as I think I was more upset about it than she was. Anyway, there was about half the can left, and that was just enough to put one coat of paint on the sign. I had Maddie (known to his brothers as Maggot) help me carry the ladder back up to Montana while I carried the empty paint can and other paraphanalia I took down there to give the sign time to dry.

One of the guest campers strolled by - I had met her yesterday and found her very talkative, and since I had to get the mailers to the post office and needed to run by the grocery store, I asked her if she'd like to ride along. So, off we went. Did our thing at the post office, went to Fred Meyer (northern version of K-Mart), then sat with mochas at the Starbucks stand there. From Gayle, I learned a couple things I never knew before - Shriners are evil and all good drivers are Christians. Hmmm, must be an Alaskan thing.

I was happy to get back to my sign to give it a second coat of white paint. In some spots it took several coats, as it just kept soaking into that old wood. Little Sonora, the 5 year old daughter of the owners rode her bike down and asked what I was doing. "Riding your bike," I told her. "No you're not!" she said. "What am I doing?" I asked. "You're painting!" she said. "They why did you ask?" said I. "What are your paiting?" Sonora asked. "Your bike," I said. "No you're not," she said emphatically. "What am I painting then?" I asked. Getting impatient with me, she said, "That sign!" "They why did you ask?" I asked. I did smile at her at this point. She just stared at me like I was looney tunes. Well, she hadn't just spent an hour with a woman who thinks Shriners are evil and good drivers are all Christians! Without further ado, Sonora got on her bike and rode back up the long driveway and left me in peace with my sign.

Ian has all the posts, beams and cross-beams up for the lean-to, and it's the best little lean-to in the world. Will withstand any earthquake, snowstorm or iceburg Alaska can throw its way. His next job will be to put the tin roof on. It's actually quite a good size and solid as it can possibly be. Once both Ian and I were taking a break, we went up on the viewing deck, which is actually the deck coming off the side of the owner's house. It's open for anyone to use anytime, and from there we have spectacular views of first the flat lands and marshy areas, then the town of Kenai, then the mountains still covered in snow in the distance. One mountain is especially large, even for being quite a few miles away. The view is so serene, especially with the bald eagles still circling over head as they have for days now. We could hear chirping and songs of other unidentifiable birds, and even though we could see cars on a distant road, we could not hear them. I hope Blair and Ronna and their family never tire of their view, as their living room wall is all glass, overlooking this same view.

Blair, four of their five kids, and his parents left this afternoon in his parents' motor home for Colorado to attend his grandmother's 90th birthday party. As they were leaving, with Blair driving, his long curly black hair blowing in the open window, the kids hanging out the passenger's window, yelling good-bye to us, the diesel engine loud as ever, I told Ian all they need is the peace sign on the side of their motor home and they'd look like hippies from the '60s. So, it's Ronna, her 15-year old daughter, and us running the place now. Ian right now is helping Deanna throw out hay bales for the horses and cows. In the morning we're going with her to learn how to milk the cows. I don't think we'll list those hours for compensation, but just chalk it up to a new, exciting life experience!

The chicks that were so tiny when we arrived have now at least tripled in size. They live just out side the back of us. It's amazing that Mac has no interest in chasing them. He's seen them and meandered around them a bit with us, but other than sniffing the ground they walk on, he has shown no hunting instincts. Since Heather, our Sheltie when we lived in Spokane, was once accused of killing the neighbor's chickens, we're wondering now if she was wrongly accused. Shelties are herders, not killers. Mac has proven that! Or, maybe he's just proving that he really is the wimp Ian has always said he is.

It's 8:45 p.m. and as light outside as if it were noon. It doesn't start getting dark now 'til after 11, and by 5:00 a.m. it's completely day light already. I just wonder when it's going to start warming up?? Of course, it could just be us. We're in layers and long pants, the kids here are bare-footed and light pants and a light shirt. Oh well, I'm sure they couldn't cope in Florida in August any better!