What does one do with a Rock Chuck? And more importantly, how do you get rid of it? As I’ve learned from experience, they are very tenacious creatures. It all started when Charlie decided it was time to uncover and clean our air conditioner as we approach the Summer months. Said air conditioner is located on the ground outside the South side of our house. As he drew near the air conditioner, he saw the head of a creature peeking out from the underside of it sunning itself. It suddenly disappeared as it issued a loud, high pitched “bark”. We’re familiar with Rock Chucks, or Yellow Bellied Marmots as they are officially known, as they can be found all around the location of our cabin in the High Uintas of Utah. Typically, they live above 6,500 feet so it’s certainly an oddity to have one dwelling at our 4,300 elevation of Ogden, Utah. They can get rather large weighing up to 11 pounds. We didn’t want to harm the creature, but didn’t want it living under our air conditioner either. We reside on the outskirts of the city with fields and a river easily within walking distance. Our intent was to send it in that direction. Charlie grabbed a broom and put the handle end under the air conditioner in an effort to “poke” it out. That didn’t work as it shoved the broom handle back at him. Grabbing a flashlight and laying on the ground the two stared each other down. Charlie encouraged me to come look at it; but I was busy googling information about Rock Chucks as to what they eat and that they can become aggressive when trapped, so I quickly refused his offer. Grabbing the hose, we decided spraying it out might be a better option. This actually worked and soon I saw a rather large and wet rodent climbing out and running along the side of house, ducking behind a bush, then high tailing it towards our shop at the back of the property. I lost sight of it and even though we searched, we were unable to locate it, hoping it was on its way towards less civilized property. Hours later, Charlie pulled his truck into the shop for the night. The next morning, he went out to the shop and as he opened the front door he heard a scurrying of noise, things being knocked over against the back wall and a flash of a furry brown creature as it ran towards his truck. Shockingly, this creature had now taken up residency in our shop! And more particularly, in Charlie’s truck on the spare tire which is located under the bed. Meanwhile, our chocolate lab was very excited at the prospect of chasing this thing and ran around the truck trying to get underneath it and at our apparently newest pet. The marmot was barking at him in return; which did nothing to dissuade the dog. It did however, answer the question as to how he managed to get into the shop. We never envisioned in its mad dash away that it took up habitation on the topside of the spare tire of this truck. We backed the truck outside hoping it would leave on its own volition, but apparently, we’re dealing with a very stubborn marmot as that failed. Later in the day Charlie decided he needed to run into town to the local feed and grain store. This tenacious marmot didn’t budge and ended up taking a ride to the local store and back. You know, getting familiar with the neighborhood I suppose. Our neighbor has a live trap he volunteered to loan us, however I wasn’t sure what bait to use to entice it to go into a metal cage, as they like to eat grass and we have a whole yard and field full of that. We pondered what our next step would be and decided to leave our truck parked outside for another night hoping that this pesky Rock Chuck would tire of our antics and depart for greener pastures. Luckily, by morning we discovered he had indeed taken his leave of our company, relieving me of the need to try and come up with a name for him.
Elements of weather. Weather impacts so much of what we do on a daily basis. I love the rain and thunderstorms. The cool moist air and the fresh scent of rain all add to a pleasurable experience. I enjoy snowfall and all the fun activities like skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling that come with it. The crisp scent of snow as you watch it silently floating downwards is exhilarating. The frosty breath that enshrouds your head as you exhale is testament to the cold temperatures. A sunny day brings forth a sense of happiness from me and invigorates me with a flurry of energy. However, one element that I cannot abide is wind. I’m not talking about gentle breezes that caress your skin on a warm summer day. I’m talking big, gusting, dirt blowing gales. Perhaps growing up in Greeley, CO which is only 50 miles South of Cheyenne, WY has a part in this. I recall as a child that the month of March was constantly windy as it blew dust and dirt everywhere. Tumble weeds were constantly seen as they bounced down roads and across fields. I walked a few blocks to catch the bus to school and it was common to be pelted with sand and dirt while making this trek. From this I believe my dislike for the wind grew. Moving to Utah, I was surprised to see that although wind storms weren’t as prevalent, they would occur. My husband states that as a child they only experienced these huge storms every three to five years. However, in recent years they seem to be more prevalent occurring once or twice a year. The wind storms here can reach hurricane strength gusts of 80, 90 or 100 miles per hour as they blow trash cans throughout the neighborhood, patio cushions into the neighbor’s yard and limbs from trees; if not the entire tree over. These same winds have been known to shut down the interstate as high-profile vehicles and semi-trailers are blown over on their sides, blocking traffic for hours. We live on the outskirts of town with fields beyond us. At a time when we had horses, we had a three-sided horse stall that caught a gust of wind in one such storm where it lifted it up into the air, over a canal, through our neighbor’s corral, where it released his horses and beyond that into his alfalfa field. Surprisingly, the structure stayed upright and sat down as if it was merely picked up by a giant and moved. Truly a Wizard of Oz experience. I reported this experience the next day to the local newspaper, but I don’t think they believed me as they didn’t come to see what I told them. Instead, they were busy reporting trampolines being blown into trees as the great example of the power of these winds.
It’s a dilemma often faced by women. One that I’m sure men can’t appreciate nor sympathize with. “What size of purse should I have?” is a question I ask myself. Do I get the huge purse capable of containing everything I may or may not need? One that seems more like a suitcase with multiple pockets inside and out so as to cram more items possibly needed at some time in the future? And fill it I do. I always manage to find all sorts of sundry items, adding to its weight and making it so heavy that it pulls on my arm or shoulder as I carry it. When I go out, I search around myself for a place to place such a monstrosity. On the floor, it gets kicked. On the table, it takes up too much room leaving no room for myself or food if we are eating. Do I get a purse with a long strap so I can hang it from my seat? But that may make it too easy for someone with nefarious intentions to snag it. All good questions. Maybe I should just get a small suitcase instead? One on wheels that I can easily pull behind me. Would that look ridiculous, I ask myself? Or perhaps worldly as a seasoned traveler? Conversely, should I go with a smaller purse; something that is easier on my arm or shoulder and definitely easier to carry? Then I am faced with the dilemma of getting everything I need into it. Phone, keys, wallet, coin change, credit cards, insurance cards, chapstick or lipstick, lotion, sunglasses. You know; all the essentials a woman needs. Granted, a smaller purse is easy to place on the table or bar next to me as I sit. But then I find at times I can’t get all the items I feel I need into it and in an attempt to get as many items as possible find it impossible to close. If the smaller purse is a clutch, then it occupies one of my hands to carry it, which can be a nuisance. As I ponder this puzzle a thought comes to mind. Do I just say screw this and opt for a fanny pack?
Typically, when I ask my husband “how do I look?” as we are going out for dinner or to join our friends, I am lucky to get anything more than, “You look fine.” Recently, however I had purchased a new top that was black with leopard print sleeves and collar. At first, I received the standard comment; however, when we were driving to our friends, he inquired as to why I chose to wear that particular top as to him he envisioned someone much younger wearing it. I looked at him in shock. “Are you calling me old?”, I inquired. “No, no”, he quickly back-peddling responded. “It’s just that I think that top is more something a teenager or someone who was around 15 would wear” he stated. I then explained to him that leopard print and other animal prints were the “in vogue” fashion, at which he scoffed and said he had a hard time believing that. We arrived at our friend’s house and went in, where we discovered my good friend was wearing a leopard printed blouse. I just looked at him and stated, “I guess we’re both feeling young at heart tonight.”
I was blessed with a Grandmother that was a big influence in my life. Grammie, as she became to be known was born as a twin in 1913; living to be 105 at the time of her passing in 2018. Sadly, her twin brother passed away as a young man from complications when he inhaled methane gas in a cave. But the Grammie I knew became a strong woman, taking everything in stride. I marvel at all the things she saw during her lifetime. In 1913 Woodrow Wilson was our 28th President. Henry Ford developed the modern automobile assembly line; the Women Suffrage Procession marched in Washington D.C. and women were finally given the right to vote. The Federal Trade Commission was established. She saw the end of the Philippine – American War, however in 1914 World War I began. She survived the Spanish Flu; Prohibition began and ended; and daylight savings was adopted. In following years, the National Football League was formed; Yankee Stadium was built and Hollywood becomes the center of the movie industry. Charles Lindberg made his first trans-Atlantic flight followed by Amelia Earhart becoming the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. The Star-Spangled Banner was adopted as the national anthem during her lifetime. Babe Ruth hit a record 60 home runs in a single season and the Great Depression occurred. Social Security Act passes and we experience World War II. She lived through further wars of the Korean War, Vietnam War, Bay of Pigs, Persian Gulf War, Desert Storm Conflict, enter into Desert Shield and an end of the cold war. During her life time she saw us advance our travel methods from the automobile, airplane and space travel by putting a man on the moon. Our technology developed from initial radio broadcasts in 1920 from Detroit and Pittsburg and the first long distance telephone service between New York and San Francisco being demonstrated, to computers and satellites. In more recent times she saw as women were elected to official positions as senators, supreme court justices and speaker of the house. To say she saw a lot of history is putting it mildly, but this is what I remember of my Grammie. She was of Scottish descent and she exemplified the typical Scottish personality. Along with being stubborn (which I can testify is a personality trait of mine), she was extremely quick witted and always delved to the heart of the matter through one-line expressions and comments that constantly had us laughing. Grammie always had my back and supported me through my numerous escapades. Her life wasn’t easy and she faced down public opinion by divorcing my grandfather when my mother was 12. Divorce was frowned upon at that time but she forged on knowing she needed a change in her life. In an effort to make a decent living for my mother and uncle, she found it necessary to leave them with family while she sought an education in another State. None of this could have been easy for her to accomplish. She was always good with numbers and arithmetic, which I’m sorry to say wasn’t something I inherited from her. Even at 100 years of age she would question the tax man completing her taxes for the year. Almost to her dying days Grammie maintained her quick wits and humor, often talking to me about current events and politics whenever I had a chance to visit. She was a blessing to me and my family and we miss her.
I’ve never been particularly fond of skunks. Having had dogs for the majority of my life, it seems we have had more than our fair share of confrontations with them. And unfortunately, it seems we always get the short end of the stick. But the strangest encounter with a skunk happened while living in South Ogden, UT. I had at the time a sweet natured black and white border collie named Missy. Missy was given to me by a friend and rancher that acquired her from someone who abused her and she didn’t respond well to men. However, she and I became fast friends and she loved the children; not just mine but all the children in the neighborhood. She would wait anxiously by the gate in the back yard every day for the children to come home from school and would dance with joy when she spotted them. We had a large field by our house with a stream lined with trees that meandered through it. One day the neighbor’s two-year-old child escaped the house and we found the two of them together picking flowers in the field. I like to think Missy was keeping guard over this small soul. She was a dog that had spent the majority of her life outside and was therefore not classified as a house dog. I had a covered back patio and dog house for her and she was content with this situation. One night as I was readying for bed, I heard her growling and went to the back door to determine what was going on. I saw a smaller skunk happily chowing down at her food bowl and a very unhappy border collie closing the distance between them. I quickly opened the door and called her in as I was well aware of how this “could have gone”. She spent that night in the house and the next morning I released her to go back outside after checking to see that our visitor had departed. A little while later I heard her growling again and looked out. Sure enough, the skunk had returned. Quickly opening the door, I yelled at her to get away. Border Collies can be very sensitive dogs and she definitely fit that category. She looked at me with shock that I was yelling at her, then turned and with head hanging down, went in her dog house. Her new compatriot watched as she disappeared and then followed her into the dog house. You can imagine my panic as I watched in horror; expecting an explosion to occur. After a couple of minutes of waiting and with no eruption, I cautiously snuck over and looked in the dog house. What I saw shocked me to say the least. There was my dog, huddled in the corner in an attempt to get as far away from her new found friend as possible. Meanwhile, the skunk was happily licking himself and getting comfy in her bedding. I coaxed Missy out of her dog house and pulled her once again into the house. She became a house dog for a little while until I was quite sure our visitor had departed. The only thing I could rationalize as to why the skunk behaved this way was because they were both black and white in coloring. I’m sure he thought Missy was the biggest skunk he’d ever seen.
As previously stated, music has always played such an important factor in my life. I recall as a child listening to the tunes my parents enjoyed such as Roger Miller singing King of the Road or songs by other artists singing songs such as Ghost Riders in the Sky. All played on our big stereo/record player that was a large piece of furniture in our living room. I remember Knights in White Satin as my first true boyfriend and I claimed “our song” while attending Prom. Other songs such as “Brandy” by Looking Glass bring to mind moments of driving around town with my girlfriends when we were 16. Music is so intertwined in my life that a single song being played on the radio can bring about sadness or joy depending on the circumstances I recall around it. I recall going on a couple of dates with a guy when I was 18 and how we both liked the song Bang a Gong by T Rex. Unfortunately, I have forgotten his name, however I can still see his face and when I hear this song, I think of him. While a senior in high school, it wasn’t unusual for there to be beer kegs held by the river. At one such night I recall Stairway to Heaven being played and so it will forever be tied to that in my mind. Some songs can bring thoughts of friends or family no longer with me; a moment in time captured by music. While in college I recall attending a concert by The Eagles and Linda Ronstadt. It was Mother’s Day; however, a little too much fun in the sun with my friends and getting severely sunburned didn’t end things well. While living in Colorado Springs, CO when my son was a toddler, I recall listening to Money for Nothing by Dire Straits and watching MTV while in its infancy. Time has not diminished this tendency in me and I can only wonder what my grandchildren will think when they’re grown and recall how they rocked out in the car with their crazy Grandma Bel to tunes by Journey, Michael Jackson and other artists.
Life is an Adventure 