2010 -- What a Year!!!!

WOW.....that's what I have to say about 2010. What a life changing year for me (and I haven't quite decided if it was a good change or not). It started in January, when I sold my property in Nye, MT. That property was beautiful and I loved it, but I had decided it was too remote for me to live there full time. And that was my big decision in 2010 -- I WANTED TO MOVE TO AND LIVE IN MONTANA FULL TIME.

(My property in Nye, MT)

Now I had that "hunk of cash burning in my pocket". I was going to follow the advice of my very wise accountant, and don't buy anything until I sold my house in Ellijay, GA (my accountant has given me incredibly good advice over the years -- like don't buy that condo in Florida, as the real estate market is going to cave -- and unfortunately I so rarely seem to listen to him -- sorry Gerry). I was looking at real estate on-line, and found a 3500 sq. ft. real log home listed for just $250K. Having sold log homes, I knew it cost more to build this size log home than $250K. So I made a trip to Montana to look at that home and several others I had found on-line. This was the start of my adventure for 2010.

The big log home turned out to have some major foundation, roof, etc. problems, so it dropped off the list. But I had 4 other homes that were on my "short list".

In the meantime, my mother had knee replacement surgery at the end of March, and I spent most of April in Ohio with her while she recuperated and was able to walk and drive on her own.

The cash in my bank account was calling to me, and while in Ohio, I decided to make an offer on a home in Kalispell, MT. The house wasn't that attractive on the outside (which I would change), but it was on 3 1/4 acres covered in pines, with a small pond called Kathy Lake. The inside had a great family room, the master bath seemed the size of my current house, and the views of the Swan Mountains were just unbeatable.

(One of my views)


Now I own 3 properties -- my home in the North Georgia mountains, my rental condo in Destin, FL, and now a home in Montana. OMG!!! I have a sweatshirt with the caption "Crazy Woman", and I was certainly living up to that title.

In May, I put my home in Ellijay up for sale and closed on the Montana house. Then came the task of packing to move across the country (with professional movers -- good choice on my part). One big decision was moving my horse, Ludo. Luckily, I have great friends in Jack and Jane Clapp, who kindly consented to boarding Ludo at their "Heart of Sky" Ranch in Polson, MT.

Now Ludo and I both had homes in Montana. And I was going to haul Ludo to Montana myself -- the absolutely most nerve racking part of my move. Thank goodness I have a wonderful friend like Delores Delrez -- my vacation buddy in the West. I couldn't have done it without her. And I'm very happy to say Ludo arrived in good health and we had no incidents from Georgia to Montana.

(My friend Delores and the "Wild Mile" of the Swan River in Bigfork)

So the date June 10, 2010 was a real milestone for my year. I moved into my new house in the beautiful area called "Many Lakes". I absolutely do love Montana, and tried to do as many activities as possible. This included going to every local festival (Cherry, Huckleberry, Octoberfest) and art show that was held in the area. I got my yearly pass for Glacier National Park and went as often as possible -- hiking to Hidden Lake at Logan Pass, down to St. Mary's Falls, out to Grinnell Glacier at Many Lakes. I went biking with my friends on the Hiawatha Trail (a "must do" just over the border in Idaho), and did zip lining at Big Mountain in Whitefish. And there were some speed boat races on Flathead Lake.













(Hidden Lake in Glacier, biking on the Hiawatha Trail, zip lining at Big Mtn.)









(Speed boat races on Flathead Lake, St. Mary's Falls in Glacier)

Being in the "west" there are many horse related events, including rodeo's, team roping, team penning, dressage shows, and the big Flathead County Fair. I also got involved with "The Event" at Rebecca Farms (held right in Kalispell) which is a top level competition for eventing which featured the top riders in the US. This was all just heaven for me.

Also good news -- I got a lease/purchase offer on my house in Ellijay, so by October 1, I was getting rent checks that covered my mortgage, and also a non-refundable deposit of $20K. I had planned to put this money in a savings account and just hang onto it. I didn't know at the time that I would have to spend most of it to fix a lot of items in my Montana home -- things that the previous owner built WRONG. And....all the things that the inspector MISSED.

I did want to re-paint, and add some architectural details to the house -- and my friends Jack and Jane recommended the BEST contractor -- Drew Hoel and Rocky Mountain Construction. Can't say enough good about Drew. He made some suggestions, and we planned out the changes I wanted, which turned out wonderful.
The good and bad news is that Drew knows building homes so well, he kept finding things done incorrectly (not to code) in my house. I won't go into all the details (those who know me well have already heard the story), but I don't have much of that $20K left.

(The before and the "finished" house)

I have some projects to do on the house for 2011 -- retaining wall around the garage, and some updates to the kitchen and bath. When finished, the house will be in great shape which I can enjoy for the years until the real estate market turns around. Then I may decide to see how much money I can get for it, and if it sells, I'll have Drew build me a little 1000 sq. ft. log house.

I also had a great time at the World Equestrian Games in Lexington, KY. It's always wonderful to see the best horses and riders in the world, and the games were not disappointing in that respect. Great show. But the real fun was being with my friends, Judi, Leslie, and Merideth. We had a great time staying at Judi's house and enjoying Lexington and the games together.

And then came WINTER!! OMG. Wouldn't you know I decide to move to Montana in a year when La Nina is going to make this one of the coldest and snowest winters in a long while. The week before Thanksgiving I had about 2 1/2 feet of snow at my house. Since Thanksgiving, the temperatures have been about 15 degrees less than the normal high's, and we've had many night time lows in the negative numbers. I wasn't prepared for the snow, and I had to drive (the word "slide" might be more appropriate) into Kalispell. After my appointment, I waited 4 1/2 hours at the Les Schwab tire store to buy and install studded tires on my truck (only a 2 wheel drive). That didn't actually help much, so I added about 600 lbs. of sand in the back of my truck, and I've been able to get around. I don't mind the snow or cold, as I can dress for those -- just let me get out of my house.

The final verdict of whether Montana as a good idea or not might come after winter is over, but one cannot argue with the absolutely beautiful vistas of Montana. There is a reason why it is called the "Big Sky State". Sometimes I leave the ranch and am just in awe of the views. It is a gorgeous place, and in the summertime, you could not ask for better weather.


















My plans for 2011:
1. Meet my neighbors (I don't know anyone around me)
2. Join the Rotary in Bigfork to meet people and become part of that community
3. Volunteer in Glacier Park (have already sent in my application) with the hope I'll make contacts so I can get a job driving the 1936 red tour buses through the park (I would make a great tour guide)
4. Contact Flathead Valley Community College to see if there are any opportunities for a part time teaching job
5. And/or enroll in some building classes at FVCC -- I'd love to learn how to build furniture.

So stay tuned....I'll be posting my progress and adventures right here in my blog for 2011.