Our Team's Open House

We wanted everyone who'd worked on our house to be able to come and see the finished product, to show their family what they'd done, and to admire their contribution to the project. So we invited them all to an Open House just for them on Sunday, Sept. 7.

It was a gathering of not just contractors and crew, but of friends. Everyone here knows each other. And now they know us.

There were about 30 people here over the course of the beautiful fall afternoon. We all ate well, drank copious amounts of beer and lemonade, and laughed at reminscences of the very lengthy project that was the building of our home.

I'd wanted to get pictures of all of them, but was too busy tending bar to break away for photo ops. The only picture we got was at the end of the day, when Charlotte Beaudry (another former Yakimanian) snapped the photo above of Don and me at our front door. The sign was made by our old friend and former Yakima neighbor Mike Tully. He and his wife Theresa now live in Kansas. Their gift arrived just a couple days before our Open House, so the timing was perfect. We are very grateful for this wonderful surprise!

The National Bison Range

Less than 60 miles from our house is the National Bison Range. It is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as part of the National Wildlife Refuge System. It was established in 1908 and is one of the oldest Wildlife Refuges in the nation.

On this 18,500-acre piece of wild land are about 400 bison, 200 species of birds, plus whitetail, mule deer, elk, bears, coyotes, pronghorns, and bighorn sheep. It's not like a drive-through zoo. You really have to look for these critters. But if you're patient, you'll go home with an eyeful.

We've made two trips there this summer--the first time with our old Yakima neighbors, Tom and Celine Bates. The second time was 10 days ago with Rollie Taylor and John Jay, who were making their second trip to Shorthorse this year. (The first time was the July 4 weekend.)

On our most recent trip with Rollie and John, we saw quite a few bison...but the highlight was FIVE six-point bull elk! Four of them were in a draw at the bottom of a mountain we drove up. The fifth was on the bank of a stream not too far off the road. Needless to say, he was breathtaking!

We also saw lots of the other big critters too, including two bears running through the huckleberry bushes high on a hillside.

We highly recommend a drive through the National Bison Range for anyone who gets close to it. The drive takes about two hours (or more if you want to hike and glass) along a mostly one-way road about 22 miles long.

Photo: Don with Rollie and John, glassing bull elk atop Red Sleep Mountain on the National Bison Range.

The Shorthorse Deer

Okay, we've named them, but we refuse to feed them. The deer here at Shorthorse can stay as long as they want. They'll be safe here, as long as nature provides their food.

It's fun watching them grow, mature, and become braver around us. Early on, we started identifying their different personalities. "Sweetie" is the confident doe who's not bothered at all by our presence. "Honey" is a bit more flighty. Then there's "Notch," who was a runt last winter. She got her name because of a huge notch in her left ear. We worry about her because she's had a bad case of mange or something all summer...but now she's getting some real size, and it looks like she'll have a decent winter coat after all.

There are boys too, of course. There's "Tasty" (so named by Don), and "Tasty Two." One's a four-point and one's a three-point. "Little Tasty" is a spike.

We all peacefully coexist. Lizzie leaves them complete alone, thanks to her shock collar training last winter. We talk to to them, but never try to get close or lure them to us. When Don is clearing brush or cutting wood, they're usually very close so they can snatch up the lichen from the tree limbs. They think it's candy.

The other night I took Lizzie for a walk around the perimeter of our property. During the mile-long loop, I counted 17 deer making their way up onto our land.

Pictured above are Tasty and Tasty Two, outside our front and kitchen windows.