Back in the good ole USA - Montana this week

Tuesday was not as fruitful as we had hoped because we could not find an RV dealer in Great Falls who could help us with our awning that got ripped in the wind/rain storm nor did they have anyone available to fix the levelers and camera. Everyone is booked for at least two weeks. So, we washed clothes, bought groceries and then drove west to Lincoln to meet up with cousin Don Niemeir and wife Phyliss. We stayed in our camper in their front yard two nights and had a wonderful time.

Bro. Don has been a Baptist minister for over 40 years. He and his lovely wife have lived in many places serving the Lord, but have lived in Montana at least twice and a great portion of their service the last 10 years or so. They built a lovely log home near Ovando, just outside Lincoln in western Montana. They have wind mills and solar panels which give them electricity, propane for hot water and cooking in the summer and a beautiful wood stove to cook on in the winter as well as a free standing wood heater. The cabin is full of Phyliss' beautiful oil paintings of mountains, wildlife and rivers. Don hunts game for their table as well as raises chickens and pigs and goats. They have mule deer in their back yard regularly and must fence EVERYTHING to keep the deer from eating it up. Phyliss has a green house for plants and vegetables and cans everything possible. She put up 21 quarts of cherries on Wednesday between picking fresh greens from the garden and fixing a delicious evening meal for us. She raises a half dozen types of berries plus everything for a garden salad; and potatoes and onions and more. I am sure I forgot several things.

They are both very busy in the summer months but state they love this lifestyle and love their home, as well as their church and their cowboy friends and neighbors. One of their daughters lives just down the road from them and she and her husband have a business building log homes. They have another daughter and three sons. Don Jr. lives and works in Redding, CA, but I can't remember where the other boys live. See pictures we took while there visiting them.