Trip to the Cabin over Labor Day

We really needed a break from all the issues here so we headed out to eastern Oregon where Tramp 1 could do a little archery elk hunting.

What a lovely ensemble he picked to wear on the long drive to the cabin. Yes, he dressed himself!

This old door is a welcoming sight - promising the opportunity to step back in time for a few days.

The cabin is as rustic as can be - both inside and out. Water has to be hauled in buckets from the spring - that was my job this trip.

Tramp 1 was all decked out in his He Who Hunts outfit once we arrived and got unpacked. The elk were there when we pulled in after dark and were still there in the morning. The meadow was peppered with cows and calves, busy grazing and talking, the bulls were in the trees bugling.

Unfortunately there was also another creature in the meadow. It was an Angus bull that had been left behind by his herd when they had stayed on the property in the spring/early summer. We knew that the cowboy had lost a couple of cows and we were glad to find one for him. But sadly, the bull, a 4 year old, was badly injured with a broken rear leg or dislocated hip. He would drag himself out of the treeline every morning and evening to graze and drink. It was incredibly painful to watch... It was also amazing that the cougar or bears had not taken him yet. We had to marvel at his incredible will to live. We called the cowboy with the ear tag number and he knew right away which one it was. He said he would be up in a day or two to decide what to do. We had to head back home without knowing the outcome but we will know next time we visit... if his skeleton is there under the trees...

Another upsetting issue was the pack rats. While Tramp 1 was out on an evening hunt, I came back from a hike and heard a strange noise under the hood of the truck. I knew instantly what it was and when I opened the hood, the pack rat popped up from inside the cowling of the fuel filter. I knew I had to get him out and the best way I found was to climb up on this chair and spray the space with Lysol. That got the critter's attention and he relocated quickly deeper into the engine compartment. I had to start the truck up and move it to get him to leave. We caught him in a trap later that night - unfortunately only by a leg, so Tramp 1 had to go out and dispatch him.

The pack rats are a real issue this year and we have traps set whenever we are there. They are very destructive creatures but so darned cute. You get past the cute when they keep you up all night and you find the mess they made in the shed while you tried to sleep. They tear everything up and toss it all around the place. And worst of all, they make things smell awful. There is a nest under the floor of the cabin (by my side of the bed) and the stench is terrible. Last year they built a nest in the engine compartment on the truck and it started to burn as we drove. A trucker saw the smoke and alerted us to the problem, so we are very careful now and have waged war! The neighboring property owner has trapped 25 already this season.

These beautiful pink clouds were our sky show on our last night. We left for home without an elk but we will be back to try again.