Meet Me in Montana

Won't you meet me in Montana,
I want to see the mountains…

Around about year 2000, with the coming millennium and destruction of the universe, a man in town told a group that if he could only pick three people to go with him into hiding or whatever he thought he could do to save himself, that my husband would be one of those people. Why you ask? Because he can fix just about anything!

Yes, I’m married to a MacGyver!

It’s pretty handy really. When the dryer is making a funny sound and won’t dry the clothes, he knows what to do. When there’s a puddle of water where water shouldn’t be puddled, he knows what to do. When the car won’t start, the lights won’t come on, the heater won’t heat and the stove won’t cook, he knows just what to do. Granted, oftentimes the fix is some sort of jury-rig to get by, but it does the job. The downfall is that oftentimes the fix stays some sort of jury-rig! And sometimes the solution is ‘creative’ thinking in a different way. For instance when my daughter complained her air-conditioner wasn’t working in her old Bronco, he told her to roll the windows down and drive 55. Hmmmm.

My husband, Alan, has a dear friend named Olen. In fact, had fate not intervened, our first born son might have been known as Alan Olen or Olen Alan. That’s what kind of friend he is. Funny, they met because he was the boyfriend/husband of my best friend at college. That, unfortunately, didn’t work out, but the guys have stayed friends and kept in touch through the years.

Olen is what I would consider a true mountain man. Think of a modern day Daniel Boone. I think he’d just as soon get up in the morning and hunt or fish for breakfast than ever go grocery shopping! He lives in Montana, where there are trees and mountains and lakes and may actually have that choice. We, on the other hand, live in the dessert. If you like jack rabbit for breakfast, you’d be in luck! It had been a while since they’d seen each other so the idea of the road trip was born!

 

Montana splendor...

Because he’s outgoing, Olen knows a lot of people. One of those was someone who, through his ranch or some other source, had a bison for butcher. Alan and Olen decided on a split and would both have meat for the winter. Doesn’t that sound rather mountain-mannish?

Texas to Montana is a pretty far distance, regardless. Crane, Texas, to Kila, Montana is about 1,700 miles. That’s one way. How would one go about getting half a bison delivered in an edible state, 1,700 miles away? Enter a MacGyverism!

I’m not sure who came up with this solution, Alan or Olen, and it may have even been a combination of the two. I do know it worked and it was actually pretty ingenious! It began with placing a simple order to Sears. Alan ordered a smaller size chest type freezer from Sears and had it delivered to Montana. It arrived in a little town about 12 miles from where Olen lives. He picked it up, took it home and plugged it in. The meat, already frozen, was then placed in the cold freezer. In the meantime, Alan prepared for the trip. It took him about two days but he and Junior (our dog son) made the trip safely.

They had an eventful week, with fishing, maybe some impromptu shooting and lots of visiting and sight-seeing. But as all good things, the mini vacation had to come to an end. It was time to get back to reality and bring himself, Junior and the bison safely home, all food poison free.

That's a lot of fish!

The freezer, loaded with meat, was hoisted onto the truck. It was plugged into the generator to keep it running. Did I forget to mention the generator? Never fear! They thought of everything. Alan brought the portable generator from home so that the freezer would have power to ensure the food would stay solid.

Friends...looking the same as always except a little gray...

1700 miles and a lot of hours later, Alan, Junior and the frozen food arrived home safely. He had a great time and I got a new little freezer, complete with food!

Oh, I've had all of this life I can handle,
Meet me underneath that big Montana sky…

On the yarn front, I was working on an autumn cowl. The yarn is pretty, the pattern is pretty but they aren’t right for each other. I finished it but even after MacGyvering, it just wasn’t doing anything for me. So I took it all apart. I’ll do it again, differently. That’s the beauty of yarn!

And back to a ball it goes.

Won't you meet me in Montana 
Meet me underneath that big Montana sky...

Low Rider

All my friends know the Low Rider. 
The Low Rider is a little higher…

Have you ever seen a low rider? According to the Texas State Historical Society,  a lowrider is a motor vehicle that has been lowered to within a few inches of the road in the expressive style of la onda bajita, the "low wave," or "the low trend."

When customizing a car comes to mind, it is usually about improving the car’s looks and performance. Engines are super-sized. Enormous tires are added and elaborate paint jobs are painstakingly applied, all in the name of supercharging the vehicle. That is, unless it’s a low rider.

When it comes to customizing the low rider, nobody is worried about making the car go faster. It’s all about making it low and slow. The suspension is radically lowered, sometimes within only inches from the ground. The roof line is transformed and the body is altered and adjusted. Paint jobs aren’t just a traditional covering. Glitter, stripes and even portraits adorn the sides and tops of the cars.

Photo from Nostalgia on Wheels blog

The outside of the car is not the only thing decked out. The inside is just as amazing. Comfortable and luxurious, with seats of leather and plush fabrics, amazing sound systems and even wet bars. The objective is a sexy, stylish and sophisticated automobile.

Driving to work I noticed a truck parked on the shoulder of the road. It looked really odd, and I thought all of the tires and wheels had been removed. I was feeling sorry for the owner when I noticed the tires were there after all. It was a low rider that apparently had some kind of mechanical problem. It stayed there on the shoulder and I passed it twice every day, for at least a week. Finally I stopped for a picture.

I think this is a work in progress because it seemed to be primer paint.

Close up of tire/wheel position on the road.

One morning a big Dodge dually was parked in the ditch on the inside of the truck. I wondered as I passed, if it was the owner or someone wanting to enhance their low rider with free parts. That afternoon it was gone. For some strange reason I was relieved. I had worried something would happen and the vehicle would be vandalized. I’ll never know. Hopefully whatever had gone wrong would be repaired.

Seeing the tires so close to the road made me think of a quote I’d seen recently. “A bad attitude is like a flat tire. If you don't change it, you'll never go anywhere.” Maybe it’s time to get out the jack.

The Low Rider drives a little slower. 
Low Rider, is a real goer, hey… 

A friend of mine from high school sent me a birthday message a few months back and she told me this: “I so wish you could teach me to knit and crochet...I still have the mittens you gave me for Christmas and treasure them to this day.” Wow, what a surprise! I never would have thought she still had them, much less held them with such regard! About a week ago I got another surprise. A childhood friend posted a picture of a hat I’d knit for her when I was in junior high or maybe the early years of high school. Her post just said, “Look what I found!”

Judy's hat. We don't know how old it is but I think it qualifies as an antique!

I know that was my first try at two colored knitting. It was hot pink and bright green. The houndstooth pattern wasn’t hard but at that time it was a bit advanced. I was excited that I could figure it out. I know she wore that hat and liked it quite a bit. The fact she still has it gives me a feeling that warms my heart as much as her hat warmed her head!

It goes to show that the love in every stitch transfers, and lasts, through the years.

The Low Rider don't drive too fast. 
Take a little trip, take a little trip, 
Take a little trip with me…